July 17, 2008

Jeff Lewis Flips ‘Commonwealth’

If you’re not watching the new season of Bravo TV’s realty reality show “Flipping Out,” you’re missing out.  It’s really, really compelling this year.

Frankly, I wasn’t all that impressed with the first season of the show, mainly because I found Jeff odd and unlikeable.  I tuned in this year because Los Feliz, being part of Hollywood, is in my coverage area, and because I was curious to see how Jeff would fare in the market downturn.

It turns out Jeff has had to take on some remodeling projects to make ends meet.  One, a Hancock Park home, turned into disaster when the owner turned out to be 10 times more demanding and difficult than he is.  He had to give that project up because the owner was impossible (but previews show that she may try to rehire him).  He’s also remodeling a home in Encino (with a nice owner).

But he’s still selling properties.  He sold the Ben Lomond property that was featured on the show last year.  And now, thanks to the great Real Estalker blog, we learn that the Commonwealth house, which Jeff and company were living in and working from in this week’s episode, has also sold.

Here’s the Redfin listing for the house, and the Property Shark report. (Scroll down to the large street-view photo in the Redfin listing; you can see construction materials in the driveway.) Jeff purchased it in March of 2007 for $800,000.  It’s a two-bedroom, three-bath with 1,938 square feet. It went on the market in November for $1,795,000 and finally sold in May for $1,595,000 — to actor Dominic Monaghan (right) of Lost and Lord of the Rings, according to the Real Estalker.

So presumably the gang has moved out of Commonwealth and into new digs — Valley Oak, perhaps? According to the listing, Valley Oak was just reduced in price again this week — to $2,595,000.  That’s $600,000 less than when the house first appeared on the market in April. (Jeff paid $1,710,000 for the place in March 2007 — the same month he bought Commonwealth).

It’s not just Jeff’s business direction that’s different this year — it’s Jeff himself.  He’s still a relentless workaholic, but he’s less weird (no more pet astrologers and psychics) and more human.  His relationship with his assistant Jenni seemed strained last year, but this year he’s treating her with more respect — and compassion, since Jenni’s marriage to her husband, Chris, also employed by Jeff, is breaking up.  (Jenni says Jeff’s installation of a nannycam to spy on Chris did not cause the breakup.)

Jeff talks about his personal transformation in this L.A. Times article:

“Unfortunately, I was so stubborn and self-centered and narcissistic I needed something this big, I needed this show to be played in front of millions of people for me to learn my life lessons,” he said. Unlike many reality stars, he says, Lewis believes TV has humbled him.

The Hancock Park owner was crazy to fire him. Who better to handle a huge remodel than an anal-retentive workaholic contractor with mad talent and obsessive-compulsive disorder?  Glad to see she’s apparently come to her senses.

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