I have been a real estate investor for 10 years. I am beginning to believe that FTH is misleading viewers. As an example Julie set a $10,000.00 budget to flip her condo. Let me tell you how I see it. First if her "project manager" only earns $400.00 per week ( a very low standard for California) that would represent 1/3 of her $10K budget. Now she needed all new appliances. All stainless would set her back at least $1800. Now she has picked granite for her counter top. Normal installation for that type of material is about $50.00 (or higher) per sq. foot. She purchased enough for 2 9'slabs averaging 18sq.ft. each or approximately 36 sq feet or $1800.00. She also re-did the bath and installed a higher end laminate and wall to wall in the bedrooms. I guess that sums it up without getting into more detail. I wish that the producers would not try to lure would be flippers and give them bad information and maybe get them into trouble.Be responsible and accurate

I told my wife the same thing. That whole show was total Bull. Just having to put up with Julie during the project would have used up the budget. Granite, laminate, demo, stainless appliances, no way that makeover cost less than 40-50k. I don't understand why TLC puts such blatant falsehoods on the air.

I do not think that FTH or Property ladder is misleading viewers. I think that these shows help want to be flippers such as myself not make the mistakes that these flippers run into. I am a new flipper that has not even finished my first flip. I am 80% done. I have to finish the final touches on the home which should be done in 2-3 weeks then the big part is the selling. I over improved the property for less than most to entice people to buy. I have done so much research and read a couple of books. Julie's flip I do agree that her budget was low but I could have done it for about 20-25K easily. If you do the research and find good contractors that are not expensive it can be done.

It's all about the bargin. I don't think she could pull of the flip for 10k. But just becuase that was her "budget", doesn't mean she didn't go over. Now I just finished my 4th flip in 2 years and we did the entire kitchen in stainless steel for less that $1,500 (Pacific Sales, Camarillo CA... I don't know if they have other locations). But on some of the other issues, having a project manager for $400 bucks a week might work out if she knows the guy and he's sharing the profit at the end??? And you're right, granite is gonna run you at least $50 a foot.... unless, again, you know where the deals are. I've gotten great quality granite for less than $12.50 a square foot, including the back splash. And I did wall to wall (and closets) in three bedrooms of a high grade carpet for $1,500 total (carpet, pad, labor). It's all about the deals. Not to say that Julie knew what the hell she was doing and had good deals, but you never know. I work with investors all the time and we examine all the costs including the mortgage (origiantion and payments), title, escrow, inspections, permits, and realtor fees on reselling the home. So $10k definetly doesn't cut it there. Maybe Julie meant.... "my materials budget was $10k"
You can check my flip out... it "tony" from season 3.