It’s always fun to see what the homes renovated on reality television really sell for. Do the sale prices given on the show accurately reflect the true sale? Did some offers fall through? And does a reality TV makeover increase a home’s resale value?
One of the most transparent renovators on television is Tarek El Moussa, co-star of three HGTV shows: “Flip or Flop,” “Flipping 101,” and “The Flipping El Moussas.” He not only reveals his purchase price and the cost of the renovation but also what it should cost to sell the house (taking into account the marketing, commissions, and staging expenses).
El Moussa also discloses the finance, or “carrying” costs, on his properties. This comes down to the monthly interest paid to the lender. Short-term loans usually demand a higher interest rate. A quick turnaround renders a higher profit.
He also attaches his name and the show name to his listings, which could add sales appeal for El Moussa fans who want to buy his renovated residences.
We decided to check in on eight of his remodeled homes on the market right now. Take a look!
1. 1554 2nd St, Duarte, CA
Price: $849,900 — offer pending
Duarte, CA
Realtor.com
Done up in Duarte: As of this writing, this one has not been featured on TV—yet. It’s certainly fancy enough to have nabbed some screen time. But the flip took a beat to bring to market. Records indicate El Moussa purchased it for $580,000 in February 2022 and finally listed it in early March 2023—yep, more than a year later—for $849,900.
Apparently the time and effort were worth it, because El Moussa had a pending offer within a week of listing.
The 1,737-square-foot home was originally built in 1951, and there’s no telling (yet, anyway) how much he spent to bring it up to its modern best. But we reckon he didn’t skimp, as it has all the El Moussa signatures: custom tile in the kitchen and baths; blonde, wide-plank flooring; and a large island with seating.
The house has three bedrooms and two baths and sits on a 6,699-square-foot lot. It’s actually priced at a low $489 per square foot, which is under the median home price per square foot in Duarte ($543). No wonder an offer came in so quickly!
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2. 24430 Viejas Grade Rd, Descanso, CA
Descanso, CA
Realtor.com
Price: $599,900 — offer pending
Off the beaten path: We don’t know yet what Tarek and wife Heather El Moussa were doing way out in Descanso, CA, about 40 miles inland from San Diego and within close proximity of the Arizona and Mexico borders. But we’ll find out soon, because it appears this abode will be featured on an upcoming episode of “The Flipping El Moussas.”
They pitched the horse-friendly home (with a stable and corral) as a private residence, vacation rental, or remote getaway. The listing notes that Tarek and Heather “spent months reimagining this home from top to bottom! No expense was spared on the transformation of this two-bedroom, one-bath country hideaway.”
Originally built in 1929, the home has been outfitted with luxury wide-plank, vinyl flooring and stainless steel appliances in what is now a “chef’s kitchen.” While the duo made many upgrades, they preserved and highlighted some of the original features, including woodwork, beamed ceilings, and stonework outside.
Tarek purchased the 1,351-square-foot home for $450,000 in June 2022. After listing it for almost $600,000 on Feb. 16, 2023, an offer was pending within a month.
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3. 5419 S Garth Ave, Los Angeles, CA
Ladera Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles
Realtor.com
Price: $2,399,900
Super chic: This is another recent transformation that is apparently destined for an episode of “The Flipping El Moussas” in the near future. The four-bedroom, 3.5-bath home is in Ladera Heights—a hilly part of Los Angeles, described as an “idyllic enclave.”
Tarek and crew added many beautiful features to the home, which was originally built in 1960. These include a floor-to- ceiling, double-sided fireplace; accordion glass doors; and a redesigned kitchen with a huge island.
Tarek must have hoped to get a premium for the 2,968-square-foot home, which sits on a gorgeous 9,043-square-foot lot with magnificent, mature landscaping and an updated zen garden.
But the pricing might have been a little ambitious.
After having spent $1,800,000 to acquire the property in June 2022, Tarek listed the remodel in early February of 2023 for $2,499,900. He dropped the home’s price by $100,000, after it sat on the market for a little more than a month. That’s a bit closer to the $2 million median home price in the area, but it hasn’t attracted an acceptable offer yet.
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4. 613 Carnation Ave, Corona Del Mar, CA
Corona Del Mar, CA
Realtor.com
Price: $3,249,900 — contingent offer
Priciest project: There’s finally a contingent offer on this beach townhouse you might recognize as the priciest project ever done by El Moussa and his ex-wife Christina Hall on “Flip or Flop.”
He bought the three-bedroom, 3.5-bath, 2,249-square-foot property in May 2020 for $1,475,000. The couple then spent $482,500 on an elegant remodel, which included a modern courtyard with a fire pit, glass railings, and sleek planters.
The two also opened up the interior and added wide-plank wood flooring throughout, reworked the kitchen and baths, and added additional porch and deck space—among many other upgrades.
They originally listed this townhouse last May for $2,999,900. Six days later, the price was raised by $500,000, which means El Moussa and Hall were swinging for a million-dollar profit.
It was removed from the market for a time, then placed back on the market in early February at $3,249,900. Roughly 46 days later, it’s listed as having a contingent offer.
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5. 3304 Shelby Dr, Los Angeles, CA
Cheviot Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles
Realtor.com
Price: $2,399,900
Still waiting: This four-bedroom, three-bath, two-story dwelling in L.A.’s posh Cheviot Hills neighborhood was built in 1953. And it’s another likely sneak peek of a future episode of “The Flipping El Moussas.”
Tarek purchased the property in late May 2022 for $1,828,348.
Although we don’t yet know how much was spent on the reno, it looks like a small fortune. Tarek and Heather really outdid themselves bringing the home up to the neighborhood’s standards, adding chic flourishes such as elegant feature walls, designer lighting and fixtures, and a floor-to-ceiling tiled fireplace.
The kitchen is a beauty, with its dark shaker cabinets, tile backsplash, brass hardware, and high-end black appliances.
The pair packed a lot of luxury into this 2,166-square-foot home before they listed it in January 2023 for $2,499,900. A month later, they cut the price by $100,000—to its current ask. Should a buyer snap it up at full price, the flippers still have the potential to make a profit.
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6. 2207 Micheltorena St, Los Angeles, CA
Silver Lake neighborhood in Los Angeles
Realtor.com
Price: $2,695,000
First flop: The El Moussas oozed newlywed optimism when they first started work on this four-bedroom, three-bath, midcentury modern house in Silver Lake, a hip L.A. suburb. Tarek’s company, Tarek Sells Houses, paid $2.15 million for the home last April.
Renovation costs soared, however, and the couple ended up spending $362,000 on the remodel. They figured they needed to get $2,732,000 just to break even, once carrying costs, closing costs, and commission were factored.
Fast-forward to today, and the house is still on the market—even though the price has been slashed twice. It’s now listed at $2,695,000. If they get the asking price (which is not a given in this market), they will have lost money. And then there are those loan costs still mounting.
That comes as a bit of a surprise, because they really pulled off a remarkable reno on the house. It has stunning views, a newly added bathroom and bedroom, accordion doors over the balcony, and a brand-new kitchen.
The loss can most likely be attributed to interest rates increasing and housing prices decreasing, even while the El Moussas were in the midst of remodeling. They weren’t the only flippers to be caught unaware.
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7. 1128 E Country Club Blvd, Big Bear City, CA
Big Bear City, CA
Realtor.com
Price: $439,900
Heather’s hometown: This cute cabin was featured on the third episode of “The Flipping El Moussas.” It introduced us to Heather’s hometown—near the mountain resort town of Big Bear Lake. Her parents still live nearby. Turns out Heather and Tarek already own a getaway of their own up there and were tempted to keep the cabin for themselves as a vacation rental.
But after much consideration, they decided to flip the two-bedroom, one-bath, 992-square-foot cabin. They hired a designer, so it would stand out from all the other vacation rental cabins on the market. And indeed it does, with its chic interior, new kitchen, bathroom, and flooring.
The black exterior walls were a bold choice. Heather’s parents loved them. But do buyers?
At the end of the episode, we find out the couple paid $200,000 for the cabin last May and put $130,000 into the renovation. That was about $50,000 more than they’d originally planned, but Tarek always opts to fix structural issues so his homes are high quality and up to code.
“The moment we put this cozy little cabin on the market, it got a ton of attention from people looking to purchase a Big Bear vacation home,” he said. “We sold it for $411,000, giving us a profit of $55,000.”
But it appears that offer may have fallen through. The listing shows that the quaint vacation cottage has been active for more than 100 days now, at $439,900.
The good news is that if they finally sell at that price, they’ll make a profit. The bad news is that the area’s housing market has been cooled by the recent blizzards that stranded people in the San Bernardino Mountains for weeks and closed many of the roads leading up to resort areas.
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8. 1925 S Rimpau Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Mid-city Los Angeles
Realtor.com
Price: $1,399,900 — offer pending
Mid City reduction: If this beautiful, 107-year-old craftsman will be featured on an HGTV show, it will most likely be on Season 3 of Tarek’s other spinoff, “Flipping 101.” The listing doesn’t mention that Heather was involved, as others from “The Flipping El Moussas” projects do. But it does note, “Another beautiful rehab completed by the star of HGTV’s “Flip or Flop.”
The makeover on this four-bedroom, three-bath abode in mid-city Los Angeles, is certainly TV-worthy.
The staging and design of this 2,880-square-foot home, which includes lovely new kitchens and baths, are definitely high-end.
We don’t know how much was spent on the renovation, but judging by the end results, it’s clear they went all out. The property was purchased by the renovators in February 2022 for $1,265,000 and listed in September of 2022 for $1,699,900.
The price has been reduced three times, and after nearly six months on the market, if finally has a pending offer.
Time should soon tell whether this project was a flip or flop.
The post Flips or Flops? We Check In on 8 of Tarek El Moussa’s Current Home Listings appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.