Kelly Downs, the homeowner whose house was featured on the third season of HGTV's "Fixer Upper," believes she and her husband were deceived by Magnolia Realty, the real estate company owned by show hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines.
On Saturday, July 9, a drunk driver crashed into Kelly's home called "Three Little Pigs House." While they were not injured in the accident, Kelly and her husband, Ken, have voiced their disappointment with the house's location.
"This is what we've been saying. There's a big problem here. It's not safe. This is a 'Fixer Upper' gone bad... We feel deceived by the city of Waco and Magnolia Realty," Kelly said in an interview with the Waco-Tribune Herald, adding that they do not know yet if they will repair the house or move.
Kelly and Ken moved to Waco from Dallas and went house-hunting with Magnolia Realty after being chosen for HGTV's "Fixer Upper." While they were pleased with the concept and design of their new home, the couple quickly encountered issues that they could not disregard — the late-night noise from nearby bars and other suspicious activities.
When Kelly and Ken attempted to report these problems to the police, they were met with anti "Fixer Upper" sentiment from the residents who blamed the reality show for raising local taxes.
"We have been intimidated and harassed," Kelly revealed. "People have complained about their taxes going up because we moved here. Store owners have complained about taxes."
Indeed, tourism in Waco has tripled in the past few years due to the massive success of the HGTV show "Fixer Upper" and attractions such as Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Market at the Silos.
As of December 2016, Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Market has drawn an estimated 1.2 million visitors, making it the biggest tourist destination in Waco history.
