Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines’ HGTV show, “Fixer Upper,” put Waco, Texas, on the map. The once run-down town has turned into a sprawling tourist attraction, thanks to the couple’s sought-after renovations and business endeavors, which include brick-and-mortar shops. With that said, the Gaineses’ impact on Waco hasn’t been all positive through the years.
Having both moved to Waco, Texas, to attend college, Chip and Joanna have invested time and money into the bustling Texas town — and it seems like their hard work has paid off in numerous ways. According to Waco resident and Realtor.com economist Joel Berner, the Gaineses have had a positive impact on the town. “‘Fixer Upper’ has put the eyes of the country on Waco, transforming it into a legitimate tourist attraction and kicking off a home renovation frenzy that has added value to the stock of homes in the city,” shared Berner.
But some Waco residents have experienced a major downside to the town’s growing popularity. Although “Fixer Upper” has been off the air for years now, Chip and Joanna have reportedly had adverse effects on property taxes in the area. Basically, their highly sought-after renovations raised the price of certain homes in the area, and therefore the property taxes, too. Even people who didn’t seek out their services have suffered from the unexpected financial burden. According to Chron, who spoke with locals affected by the increases, some people have even been priced out of their homes altogether. But that’s just one way that Chip and Joanna have reportedly hurt the residents of the beloved Texan town.
How some Wacoans feel about Chip and Joanna
Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines are no strangers to controversy, despite their relatable image that fans seem to love. And while the missteps they’ve been accused of by different subsections of fans (including allegedly being secret Trump supporters and also later supporting the LGBTQ+ community by having a same-sex couple appear on one of their endless shows) have colored their popularity, their core following seems to remain as devoted as ever. As for the fans who don’t think they’re the greatest thing that HGTV birthed, however? Well, they’ve never been shy about sharing their gripes about the Gaineses.
Although the anecdotes on Reddit about Chip and Joanna haven’t been confirmed, several users have expressed their disappointment in the way the famous couple has done business over the years. One user claimed that their aunt had a particularly negative encounter with them. “They’re a scam. … My aunt was actually on the show and the house was left all kinds of f***ed up once they were done,” they wrote. Meanwhile, a second claimed that the Gaineses left their friends’ potential home with faulty wiring. “Have friends who were going to buy a house before the show started that ended up being on the show and they backed out because it had substandard wiring that wouldn’t pass their FHA loan inspection, and Chip was like oh it’s okay we’ll just use our inspector,” they wrote. They also alleged that, after the friends refused, Chip resorted to screaming at them while standing in front of the house.
Anonymous accounts about public figures should be taken with a grain of salt, but it doesn’t seem as if Chip and Joanna are as universally admired as they used to be.
