Buy Low, Sell High, Get on TV

If you recall in the past I posted a casting call for house flippers.

TLC is currently holding another casting call for their hit show, Property Ladder.

Here are the details:

Attention Novice Real Estate Investors: The Learning Channel's hit series 'Property Ladder' is currently casting its third season! Our highly experienced host will work with you to provide priceless money-saving tips and tricks. If you are new to property rehabbing or "flipping" and interested in having your experiences documented on this exciting program, contact us as soon as possible!

Participant Requirements:

• Must be an amateur or novice property "flipper."
• Must be flipping with the intent to sell.
• You must have closed escrow on the property or be in the process of closing.

UPDATE (March '07-SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA)

'Property Ladder' is currently looking in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA for energetic, exciting, amateur flippers for our upcoming third season. If you are from this area and think you fit the qualifications (or if you know someone!), please take a few minutes to fill out our application. Submit your completed application, along with a photo of yourself, your flipping partner(s), and an exterior shot of the house to casting@propertyladder.tv and a member of our casting team will get in touch with you about interviewing for the show.

I hope to see Orange County represented on one of these shows.

Renters as Remodelers in California

Lets face it, not everyone was born to own their own house. In fact there is a significant portion of the population that will never own their own home, this is by choice. I have no say in the matter one way or another, but I have received a good number of calls from renters seeking some improvements to their apartment homes. The SF Chronicle ran a great story covering this specific topic over the weekend.

But realizing that changes would have to be made before Hank's arrival, they converted a breakfast nook into a nursery.

"The idea and designs were Maggie's; the financial analysis and sweat equity were mine," said Bryan Mason.

"Sweat equity" is a term referring to labor invested in a property to increase its value. The Masons, however, are renters.

So why exert effort -- and spend money -- for a makeover? After all, any increased value goes into their landlord's pockets, not theirs.

The couple, who have been in their San Francisco apartment for five years, determined that staying put was more cost effective than moving and paying increased rent. After receiving their landlord's conditional blessing, they got to work.

"Paint, the right furniture and small home improvements don't take more than a few days," Bryan Mason said. "And they make our place a home, even if it is someone else's house."

The median price for a single-family dwelling in the Bay Area hit a record $720,000 last month, up from a year ago, according to a report released Wednesday by DataQuick Information Services. According to a California Association of Realtors report released last year, just 12 percent of Bay Area households can afford to purchase a median-price home.

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Ty Pennington Set to Debut New Shelter Magazine

While Las Vegas went really well, it was very exhausting. The city that never sleeps should at least have people that sleep, but alas, they dont. However, I made great contacts and great business with coming lines and trends.

I also came across a great wire on the PR Newswire

NEW YORK, May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Ty Pennington At Home, a new decorating, remodeling and lifestyle magazine from the host of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Ty Pennington, and published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., is available on newsstands nationwide on May 15th. Ty Pennington At Home will offer Ty's solutions to the many and varied challenges that today's homeowners face, from developing a personal style to managing clutter to making a big impact with small design touches.

"I want to help people achieve their decorating and remodeling goals -- and have fun while doing it," says Pennington. "That's why every page in this magazine features realistic ideas and solutions that will inspire readers to infuse their homes with their own personal style."

Issue highlights: -- Ty's Rules (pg. 24) - Decorating guidelines to live by -- Ty Organizes (pg. 38) - Storage ideas to clean up your act -- Ty's Star Style (pg. 42) - A look at Rachael Ray's Manhattan office -- Come On In (pg. 48) - An up-close and personal look at Ty's California pad -- What Inspires Me (pg. 58) - How everyday things like sand, pine trees, and a bandanna have sparked Ty's imagination and become designs on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition -- Behind the Scenes (pg. 62) - All the details that go into an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project -- 1 Room, 3 Ways (pg. 78) - Talk about versatile, Ty's furniture goes mod, safari, and botanical About Ty Pennington

Pennington has helped transform the lives of dozens, while inspiring millions more, as host and design team leader of the popular ABC series "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition". The series is consistently rated in the Top 20 of all television programs ad has won two Emmys for Outstanding Reality Program as well as two People's Choice Awards. Pennington rose to national attention as the quirky creative carpenter on the groundbreaking home improvement series, Trading Spaces. Ty continues to develop products for the "Ty Pennington Style" line at Sears, ad is the ambassador for the Sears American Dream Campaign. In 2003, Ty put pen to paper and created Ty's Tricks (Hyperion) which became a New York Times bestseller. Ty is currently writing another book, to be released by Simon & Schuster this year.

Ty Pennington At Home

Off to the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference

It's time to Viva Las Vegas!

Well I wish I were headed there to have fun, but this week will be filled with lectures, networking and note taking of Future Trends. I am headed to the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas, with the chief goal of meeting some interesting people and companies that can serve the demand level of the clients that I serve.

The conference is very large, see the layout yourself. Annual attendance is a requisite in this business as the speed at which my company adapts translates into the relevance I can discuss my expertise with my clients.

In the mean time, please enjoy a recent completed job.

Good Kitchen Design Books for Orange County

Kitchen and Bath Design News features 5 great design books aimed at everyone from the rookie to the veteran designer. Here is a quick summary of this great review. I am constantly reading and discussing new concepts with professionals in the industry. I can recommend Contemporary Asian Design especially considering the strong Asian design influences found in California homes.

Style To Go: Bed & Bath: "...aims to show an effective symbiosis between the two sanctuary rooms in the home... with helpful sidebars including tips and tricks to overcome style challenges such as limited space and storage issues."

Contemporary Asian Bathrooms: "...includes photos from private homes and luxurious Southeast Asian spas and resorts that any designer charged with creating 'a temple dedicated to body worship' would do well to take note of during the design process."

50 Great Bathrooms by Architects: "...shows how architects interpret differently the traditional notions of the bathroom as the haven of the home for it occupants. As its editor says, it is a place for 'relaxation, grooming and total privacy.'"

Great Kitchens by Architects: "The sister book to 50 Great Bathrooms. Includes detailed layout and renderings of each kitchen. Every trend and style is represented here, from a Modernist look with straight lines and splashes of color in the details to experimental kitchens with unusual use of natural light and window placement.

Ultimate Guide to Kitchens: Plan, Remodel, Build: "...designing a kitchen with special needs can be more complicated, [requiring] specialized knowledge and skills.... In keeping with this idea, Ultimate Guide covers a wide range of topics that kitchen designers might not have a specialty in, but could use to enhance their designs and expand their profit centers."