Anyone tried to cross check any of these house prices on Zillow or elsewhere and see if the price tags were real?
Yup. That's how I discovered that the houses on Flip or Flop referenced upthread are right next to each other. Did it again when Property Brothers did their B vs. B Vegas Flip Challenge. They kept referring to their properties by street name, so a little Zillow-fu sleuthing led me to the actual properties. Since the shows air so far after real-life events, I was able to see all of their work before it aired and figure out the winner based on the actual selling price, which was exactly the numbers reported when the show finally aired.
I also watch shows on DIY Network, an HGTV sibling. There's a restoration show that tapes near where I grew up. On one episode, I recognized the street as being two streets over from my first rental property. The numbers were the same, but I was surprised to discover that the home had a huge pool in the backyard. Despite showing lots of exterior shots, they completely avoided any angles that revealed the presence of a much larger than average pool in the back. Maybe the new owners are planning to remove it, or maybe the producers felt it wasn't germane, but it was a good reminder that you see what they choose to show you.
Back to Flip or Flop for a moment. We own rentals in So Cal, where the show is set. Our Realtor mentioned that she occasionally gets letters from them looking for distressed properties that are not yet on the market. That's how Tarek mysteriously comes across these "disasters".
Speaking of numbers, I read that initially Tarek and Christina were getting $10k per show, which doesn't seem that much. Of course they get the profits from the flip. Though commissions are always mentioned on the selling side, no details are offered. If they're earning full commissions on both ends of these deals, their paychecks are much fatter than 10k per show + the flip profits. Maybe that's how Christina pays for her "insane" wardrobe and ridiculously overpriced accessories. I notice that Tarek frequently wears the same clothes, when she never does. Easy to spot the more mustachian of the two, but only in terms of wardrobe, lol. Their ridiculously conspicuous consumption lifestyle constantly has me shaking my head. Apparently the eighties are still alive and well in Orange County.
I used to wonder if Chip Gaines was making commissions on the houses they feature, but since learning that the buyer must already have a house under contract, I don't think so.
Then there's Matt Blasaw, host of Vacation House For Free. Is he a realtor? Does he have a property management company that manages these rentals after renovation? No idea, but it certainly would add to his paycheck. What I like about his show is there is always a tight budget and compromises must be made. He flat out says, "We only have money to paint this, it will be fine as it is." So refreshing for a makeover show! Based on the way most of the HH-type shows run, one assumes the buyers have already identified a property, but on VHFF, I'm not sure.