Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/771981
by Erica Ford Sweeney A New Boston FLIP or FLOP Project? 16 Christina and Tarek El Moussa's HGTV show Flip or Flop is the highest-rated show on cable television. In it, the married couple flips homes in the Los Angeles area. They hunt for foreclosures, short sales and distressed properties, and then completely rehab them in about 30 days. They don't shy away from the most dilapidated, squalid homes that L.A. has to offer. No lanai is too is too weather-beaten; no hot tub too putrefied. Christina and Tarek have been in the news even more lately, but not because of their show. Instead, their marital problems and separation have their fans abuzz. HGTV's studios have been mobbed with people begging that the show not be canceled - at least not until Christina tells them whether to choose quartz or granite countertops. The details of their split are getting more salacious, and as Holly Golightly said, "There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl's complexion." So, what better area to avoid the harsh glare of Hollywood than a place where the sun starts setting before breakfast ends? Yes, in order to escape scrutiny and get some privacy, Christina and Tarek have brought Flip or Flop to Boston. Things are a lot different in Boston than in California. In season 2, episode 5, their contractor quoted them $33,000 to completely redo a huge kitchen, two full baths and refinish hardwood flooring throughout. In Boston, that would only cover the crew's Dunkin' Donuts bill. Nonetheless, production commenced, and the embattled couple purchased their Boston "flip" - a 1950's cape style home. Contractor Tom O'Reilly and interior designer Elizabeth Smythe joined them. As luck would have it, HGTV gave South Shore Magazine a sneak peek at the transcript of what transpired: O'Reilly: First thing, pal - you might want to put on some decent shoes. We may walk through some debris. And it's December. Tarek: I don't own any shoes other than flip-flops. O'Reilly: Christina, you don't want put something warmer on? Christina: No, I'm contractually obligated to wear nothing but sports bras. Tarek: (taps the home's exterior): Okay, so the first thing we need to do is rip off these gingerbread house decorations. I mean, what is this? Christina: Ew! That's so ugly! O'Reilly: What are you talking about? That's the house. Tarek: No, we need to get this bric-a-brac off to reveal the original, gleaming stucco underneath. How much will that run us? O'Reilly: That's shingling! Christina: Shingling? Why do they want to make the whole house look like a roof? Tarek: So you're telling me this house is built of wood? How much will it cost to dip this house in stucco? Christina: (gasps): There's no pool! What will people pin all of their entertaining hopes and dreams on, only to realize it's only usable 6 weeks a year in this climate? We need to install a pool right away. O'Reilly: You can't do that. Unless you want to swim in your own waste. Christina: What are you talking about? O'Reilly: That's a leach field. Christina: What? O'Reilly: It's the septic drain bed.