Flip This House Becomes Forget This House

If you are a fan of A&E's reality series "Flip This House," you were probably as disappointed as I was to tune in this season and find the Trademark team (headed by Richard Davis and Ginger Alexander) no where to be found. Instead, A&E serves up a less than average Atlanta team; run by Harris and Angela Wilford and the absolutely dreadful New Haven team (so dreadful I won't even mention their names). The only reason left to watch is the San Antonio team, fronted by the Montelongo family. With so many ways to criticize the shows new look; it is hard to pick where to start.

Okay, I lied. It is easy to pick where to start - the absence of team Trademark. Richard Davis is the reason I started watching the show. He is a hard-nosed, self made successful business man who has not forgotten his roots. Richard grew up in South Carolina and that's where he started his business. His company, Trademark Realty, is founded on teamwork (that's actually its slogan: Trademark Realty - Where Teamwork is Our Trademark).

He treats his employees with respect and challenges them to reach their full potential. He helps them to understand that with a little work that they can achieve first generation wealth through real estate. This is the main reason I watched the show.

Richard is extremely interested by the profit and the bottom line, but also gives back to the community where was raised. For example, Trademark flipped the concession stand at Richard's old high school and a restaurant where Richard used to make his real estate deals when he first started out (putting most of the meal checks on credit). It is the sense of responsibility and giving back, not to mention the other interesting characters like Ginger and John (Richard's brother), that makes the show great.

As for the teams who are left on "Flip This House," there is not much positive to be said. The Atlanta team is mediocre at best. The Wilford's are not entertaining, interesting or attention holding. The New Haven team is just plain awful. They are not entertaining, interesting or attention holding. (Are you noticing a pattern?) The only positive remaining is the San Antonio team. Armando Montelongo has a demanding and sometimes overbearing personality; which adds intrigue and is the only reason I will continue to watch the show. If you tune in and find anyone other than the Montelongo's on the screen, I beg you to forget this house.

For those of you who are wondering what happened to Richard Davis and Trademark, they are appearing on The Learning Channel. The new show is titled "The Real Deal" and can been seen Saturday nights at 9 PM.