Is there a reality show end game? I thought there might be when a billboard in Los Angeles caught my eye. L.A. being L.A., I first thought it might be some inside joke. But, no, there really was a reality show – excuse me, “docu-series” – coming to a small screen near you called Little Women: LA which focuses on what could be one of the last truly unexplored realms of the reality genre: little women.
One of the latest entrants is Rowhouse Showdown on the FYI Network (formerly A+E’s Bio Channel). As described on both the site’s homepage and in various press releases, “Rowhouse Showdown features renovation expert, Carter Oosterhouse, leading three teams as they battle it out to transform dilapidated homes in Cincinnati, Ohio. Taking on the rundown houses in a distressed neighborhood, the teams will renovate one home each – while also living together – in a bid to raise the property value of the community surrounding them. The team that increases the appeal of their home to the max goes home with the grand prize of $50,000 and their home renovation will be featured on Dwell magazine’s Web site. Designer, Kathy Kuo, and Cincinnati-based house flipper, Jim Bronzie, judge the team’s renovations. Dwell’s editor-in-chief, Amanda Dameron, guest judges the series finale.”
Normally, this sort of thing would have escaped our attention had it not been for the fact that two of the competitors – Geoffrey Taft and Joshua Altman – are San Diegans. So we caught up with these two (whose titles collectively include real estate broker, agent and interior design maven) to find out about their experiences on the show and to discuss trends and tips in design and real estate.
San Diego LGBT Weekly: How did you get picked over the thousands of people who wanted to be on the show?
Josh Altman: So, essentially, I had a friend in the San Francisco area who was also a broker and she referred me. She put me in touch with the production company and casting. It went very quick. We did a lot of Skype interviews. We were bumped along the chain and within one or two days we had confirmation that we were going to be cast on the show.
What was the experience of being on Rowhouse Showdown like?
Josh: It truly was an amazing experience from start to finish. It’s certainly not for everyone. You have to live and compete with strangers with constant cameras around you (from the minute you wake up to passing out each night from exhaustion). Personally, I really soaked up every minute and as difficult as the experience was at times I was thrilled each day nonetheless. I have made new lifelong friends and was able to showcase my design and real estate passion on a national level.
Geoffrey Taft: Having the opportunity to be a part of a show like Rowhouse Showdown was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was fun, stressful, emotionally draining and chaotic all wrapped into one. I didn’t know what to expect going into the show so it was an interesting experience to say the least. The most stressful part of the competition was the timelines. In the real world, neither Josh nor I would even attempt to tackle a kitchen remodel in just four days. However, on Rowhouse Showdown, we had to make the unrealistic timelines of the competition a reality and complete the challenge within the allotted timeframe and budget parameters. Carter definitely liked to keep us on our feet, so we never had any down time; it was always go go go.
How did you get on with the host and the other team?
Josh: The host is Carter Oosterhouse. I’m sure you know him from Trading Spaces and other shows. I’m super passionate about design and he really enjoyed and encouraged the competitive nature I brought to the game.
I have become great friends and talk almost daily with the other teams (with the exception of Ted and Krystal). None of us were naive to the fact this was a game and we all played differently. I incorporated social play to make things more exciting but thankfully they understand it was just game play.
Geoff: We didn’t have much interaction with the host, Carter Oosterhouse aside from his periodic check-ins, which always happened to be at the most inopportune times. Carter would always catch us while we were in the midst of painting or some sort of tedious activity. Tension amongst the teams was heavy in the beginning of the competition, however, things lightened up half way through the season. With the departure of Ted and Krystal, the dynamic between the teams changed dramatically. Once Anya and Alena settled into the cast house, we all genuinely enjoyed each other’s company and created a bond amongst each other. In fact we are still in contact with our fellow teammates and have formed genuine friendships.
Now let’s talk about the San Diego market. Where is it? Are people buying again in this market?
Josh: Oh, yeah.
Geoff: The market couldn’t be hotter.
Josh: It’s really crazy. It’s the exact opposite of what was happening just four or five years ago when the market was crashing. Things are aggressive. Things do not sit on the market very long. If you’re priced right, your home will sell.
Geoff: Just a year or two ago, things were selling just under asking price. Then it quickly became things are going for just above asking price. And now there are bidding wars and we haven’t seen that for years. And it’s been like that for the last couple of months. I mean, it’s a crazy market. And it’s not just here either.
How hard is it for a first-time buyer to purchase a home in San Diego?
Josh: Now it’s extremely hard, unfortunately.
Geoff: I think the most important thing for a first-time home buyer is understanding what you can get for the amount of money you have to spend. Some people think they can spend $300,000 and get into this huge house. It’s not true. Not in San Diego at least.
Josh: People see the mortgage and, let’s say, they’re spending $2,100 on rent but there is more to it. There are taxes and property insurance and other considerations that people don’t factor in so they get in over their heads. But, historically, it’s better to be a homeowner than a renter.
What are the hot neighborhoods in San Diego right now to buy a home in?
Josh: University Heights is actually getting pretty hot. I’m starting to see a lot of homes being turned over there. That’s one of the reasons why we chose to open our new brokerage office there.
Geoff: There’s a lot of development going on in Southern California in general. We’re seeing a lot of development going on in South Park and North Park and University Heights and Normal Heights. Everything is being developed right now and I think that’s to satisfy the demand that’s built up.
Let’s get away from the market. You buy a fixer-upper because that’s what you can afford. Where do you want to sink your money into first? Not only making the home more livable but increasing its value?
Josh: The first thing you want to do is renovate the kitchen because that’s likely the place you will spend the most amount of time in your home. It really depends on your strategy. If you’re looking to resell it, we’ll go from the bottom up. Floors then kitchens then bathrooms. Last we’ll work on the exterior, the grounds, the backyard. It really depends on what the homeowner is going into the project looking to do.
Geoff: Over the span of your time in the house, I would say focus your energies on the kitchen and bathroom because that’s the area where most buyers are likely to look out and determine the value of the home. Like Josh said, people spend a lot of time in their kitchens and people want luxurious (looking) bathrooms.
What are the big trends now in kitchens and bathrooms?
Josh:The biggest trend right now is making your appliances all appear seamless. It used to be, five, 10 years ago, everyone wanted stainless steel appliances. Everyone wanted the huge sub-zeros and that kind of stuff. But right now it’s a lot of paneling. Hiding the dishwasher. Hiding the microwave. Making things less visible. That’s not going to change. The trend over the last 20 years has been to tear down the walls and making everything more seamless into the other rooms.
Geoff: For trends in bathrooms, people are using a lot of affordable tile or different textures or elements.
Josh: When we do trends, we do it through accessories and colors, things you can swap out. For example, we would never put in a blue stove.
Geoff: A lot of things we use are going to be neutral in color. We use a lot of gray marble, faux marble or ceramic tile that looks like marble, subway tile. We use a lot whites and tans so that they won’t be considered a fad.
What are some inexpensive tricks to make a home look more upscale?
Josh: Definitely curb appeal. People think it’s expensive but it’s actually one of the least expensive ways to make your home look more appealing. You don’t have to paint the whole house. You don’t have to put in a new roof. But just investing $400 in plants can really elevate the value of your house.
Geoff: I’d say it really depends on the area the homeowner is going to focus on. On the show, in each of the rooms, we wanted to add value to the home so one thing we did a lot of was add molding. It’s not necessarily going to be an expensive thing but it definitely changes the look of the rooms. We added shadow boxes which are just recessed molding on the walls. We did chair rails. For the kitchen, any DYI-er can do back splash, self-adhesive tiles that you can stick on the back of the wall and it’s an inexpensive way to update the look of your kitchen. There are really plenty of things people can do by themselves to really elevate the design of their homes.
Josh: Flooring, too. You can get engineered flooring now that you can completely do yourself. It’s not something you have to pay someone else to do. And it’s not the chintzy laminate flooring that a lot of people are thinking of.
Coming back to the show, what do you win if you’re the top team?
Josh and Geoff: $50,000 and a feature in Dwell Magazine.
Josh: They’ll show before and after pictures of the rooms we worked on and really brand us as the next big thing.
Finally, would you do the show again?
Josh: Yes, I would love to be a judge actually. Can you imagine? Lol. I understand what the players go through physically and mentally as someone who has played this game. Ooh and the critiques! You never know!
Geoff: I would certainly do the show again. Hindsight is always 20/20; I would go into the competition with a slightly different strategy. I now know from experience what the judges are looking for and I think that is invaluable when you are a participant on a competition series. It was a stressful experience, but a memorable one that I wouldn’t mind doing all over again.
The winners of Rowhouse Showdown will be announced Sept. 10. For video clips and full espisodes of Rowhouse Showdown visit www.fyi.tv/shows/rowhouse-showdown
For more information on Geoff and Josh and their business visit apprizerealty.com
