Speeding in his car, Richard explains the problem. He bought a Johns Island house last year and when he went to renovate it, there was a “whole fam damily was in there!”
Immediately I stop the show and ask Jethro if I heard that correctly. I did. He actually said whole fam damily.
Jethro claims this is a Southernism, and that's pretty famn dunny.
Continue reading "6/16: The Real Deal/The Real Estate Pros" »
This is the first Pre-Show for the Real Deal/Real Estate Pros. It’s going to be a catch-all this time, as I have a bunch of stray thoughts. Next time, I'll be a little more focused.
The Upcoming Episode features our old friend Gus.
Gus was featured on an A&E Flip This House episode. If I remember correctly, Richard bought his house at an auction. Gus was still living in it when Richard and Ginger arrived to inspect their newly bought home. They decided to allow Gus to stay. He was supposed to pay rent, but alas, according to the TLC schedule, Richard will have to evict him. Gus hasn’t paid rent in a year due to a substance abuse problem.
The Name Change, from The Real Deal to The Real Estate Pros.
Rexruff asks if anyone has any theories about it. My guess, which is an uneducated one, is that The Real Deal play off the A&E show, Flip This House. Perhaps they didn’t want to make an indirect reference to it anymore.
I’ve read speculations about copyright issues with other “Real Deal” shows. It’s possible. Again, I wish they held a “Name This Show” contest. It would’ve been a terrific promotional idea.
I’m not a fan of the current name. They might has well have named the show “My TV Show.”
The Lawsuit
If you are unfamiliar with Trademark Properties versus A&E, then you are in for a ton of reading. Richard Davis is taking A&E to court. Rather than go through the blow-by-blow, skip over to Flip This Lawsuit. As the case progresses, it becomes more and more fascinating.
The Atlanta Folks
I was never a fan of those people. I’m referring to the A&E Flip This House Atlanta Team. Now I know why.
That's all I have for now. I'll be sure to post my recap after the show. If you have any thoughts, feel free to comment.
For more on The Real Deal - The Real Estate Pros, click here.
An asthma attack prevented me from posting this recap last night. Sorry for the delay.
Richard opens the show by saying that he has a reputation for being a hard ass. But the end of the day, I’d say he’s a MacDaddy.
Continue reading "6/9/07: The Real Deal - The Real Estate Pros" »
Sheesh. It's only been 12 hours since my last Real Deal post and now I get word that Richard, Ginger and the gang have changed the name of their show. It's now called "The Real Estate Pros."
Oh well. It doesn't matter. They are still Trademark Properties in real life.
While our satellite schedule calls it “Real Estate Pros,” rest assured, it is still The Real Deal.
(At least for this week...)
Ginger says: “If you can renovate an entire house in three days, there’s something wrong with you if you can’t get the server runnin’ in two weeks.”
America asks: Has anyone at Trademark ever tried to get tech support on the phone?
This week, Richard tells us that time is not on his side. Honey, it never is.
As I write this, I'm getting slammed with hits because Fox 5 Atlanta has linked to my blog. I don't know the protocol for this type of thing, just as I never know what to do when someone famous comments on Gasp. It's happened and I never point it out.
But if you are here because I blog the Real Deal, then welcome. I'd also like to point out a terrific site. Rexruff keeps very good track of The Real Deal and related news about it.
Anyway, have a look around, if you like. Or you can just look at (or link to) the show entries.
Renovating Sgt. Carl Cannon’s House
It has finally dawned on me that Ginger is a co-star. During the intro, they use the phrase, “His protégé Ginger.” Calling someone a protégé is Trademark Talk for “co-star.”
Oh....
So the proper answer to “Why is Ginger in every episode?” would be something like “That’s a dumb question.”
Disclaimer: I'm not associated with Trademark Properties, Richard Davis, A&E, TLC, or anything else connected with anything else. I'm just a girl watching a show. And that's that.
Summary: One of those get to know the whole team episodes. An odd one though, as it appears some things couldn’t be discussed. Still, we saw almost everyone this time. Dawn, Lori and Vance finally appear in the series.
Disclaimer: I'm not associated with Trademark Properties, Richard Davis, A&E, TLC, or anything else connected with anything else. I'm just a girl watching a show. And that's that.
This episode is called Stepping Up. Or perhaps it should’ve been called “Stepping in it.”
Television isn't even a category on Gasp, but that isn't going to stop me from blogging a show called The Real Deal", on TLC.
The show features Trademark Properties, a real estate company from South Carolina. These are the folks who were originally on A&E “Flip This House.” They were featured for only one season, but they left such an impression that they developed a fan following, which includes me.
Every week, I will dedicate myself to watching the show and writing about it here. Call it my weekend fun blogging activity. I'd like to spend more time talking about things I like, rather than railing against the things I don't.
Disclaimer: I'm not associated with Trademark Properties, Richard Davis, A&E, TLC, or anything else connected with anything else. I'm just a girl watching a show. And that's that.
“Everyday I wake up is a good day to buy real estate,” according to Richard Davis., founder of the company. If you're familiar with A&E's Flip This House, you'll recognize him, along with the cast from Trademark Properties. But A&E's old show is amateurish compared to Trademark's new program.
This version is pumped up and direct, with quality graphics and a no-fuss attitude. The object of the game is to buy ugly places, fix them up and sell them quickly. It requires lots of people, strong coordination, and adrenalin.
I suppose if that was the whole program, it would be on another do-it-yourself network. And of course, I wouldn't watch it. I don't have lots of money, I'm not involved in real estate, and I've spent most of my life renting apartments in major cities. So what's the attraction?
It's all about helping people. While Trademark's philosophy is teamwork, the founder believes its his mission to help people.
In this episode, “The House That Wouldn't Sell,” Richard buys a house from a woman who is in foreclosure. It's been on the market for 9 months. Upon hearing about the predicament, Richard makes a decision to buy it. Thus, saving the woman from bankruptcy.
In the next scene, Richard and Ginger, the investment coordinator, create a plan for renovation. It appears one thing after another is wrong with the place. There's a Bradford Pear Tree covering the front of the house, the pool is disgusting, the kitchen is cramped, and wooden planks on the floor curve. According to their schedule, they've got five days to fix everything.
At this point, you can figure where the suspense comes in. But what I found interesting are the sideline comments. This episode was very anti-Do-It-Yourself. Evidently, a nimrod put the pool pump under the house, creating a mold problem in the floor boards. Richard attempts to deal with the pool himself and over-chemicalizes it.
Since TLC reruns this show, I'm not going to tell you how it all turns out. You'll have to watch for yourself.
What I learned: This episode was all about the Cs – Confidence and commitment. Once you make a decision, see it through.
The other thing I learned: Assets are like Bradford Pear Trees. They can easily turn into liabilities if not properly honed.
Questionable Moment: What's going on with the fuzzing? In one of the first scenes, they fuzzed out Trademark's phone number on one of the signs. They're a business and they're on the net. What's up with that?
Worst commercial during the premiere: Sweet mother of pearl, I hate that Visa commercial. Followed by a close Nutri-system second.
Worst excuse by a sub/contractor: They couldn't get a hold of the landscaper because his cell phone died... for days.
Most Disgusting Moment: Not the maggots, not the pool, not even the guy who had to suck water out of the pool pump. It was that poor man who had to inspect underneath the house. That has to be the worst job in the world. I wonder what kind of spiders he runs into on a daily basis. Sheesh.
Best Quote: “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner.”
Final Verdict: Great show - much better than their old one. Good to be introduced to other Trademark people as well. Looking forward to next week's episode.
For more on The Real Deal, click here.
