Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines have lengthy used their TV reveals and companies to focus on Waco, Texas, so it might come as a shock to some that not everybody from the town counts themselves as followers. Certain sufficient, although, between complaints about gentrification within the metropolis and even some shady claims in regards to the couple’s enterprise dealings, some have downright soured on the HGTV alums. 

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First issues first, Chip and Joanna’s enterprise dealings. Numerous Reddit customers claiming to be from Waco have used the platform to accuse the “Fixer Higher” stars of getting a rep within the metropolis for unhealthy work and passing the buck, even previous to their first TV present. “With native distributors earlier than the present you’ll name them to gather fee and would at all times get the, ‘The test is within the mail’ for weeks and months. A great deal of unpaid payments round city earlier than they obtained their present,” wrote one consumer. “The properties they ‘renovated’ would at all times have main points with them and they’d by no means appropriate them and blame their subcontractors … a number of housing violations and impolite to anybody they needed to take care of,” they continued. Over on one other Reddit discussion board, some pointed to Chip’s shady facet. “All I can say is that he is a shady ‘enterprise’ man,” they wrote, including that they did not know of any rumors of shadiness extending to Joanna. 

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In fact, it is not precisely a secret that Chip has been accused of dodgy offers prior to now. Quite the opposite, he is beforehand been sued by ex-business companions and needed to settle with the USA Environmental Safety Company after he was accused of violating lead paint rules. That mentioned, along with the aforementioned settlement, Chip additionally had his preliminary case together with his enterprise companions dismissed, and ended up coming to a settlement with them after he countersued for defamation. 

On to a different gripe Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines’ detractors have with the couple, many have additionally voiced their frustration with the double-edged sword of upgrading the city — one thing one Reddit consumer mentioned has led to residents utilizing the time period “the Magnolia impact.” Not, it ought to be famous, at all times a time period of endearment. 

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“They have not achieved a lot for the ‘neighborhood’ apart from drive [up] the price of dwelling with no enhance in pay,” wrote one Reddit critic. Others appeared to agree. “Actually ruined our neighborhood. Taxes sky rocketed and so did the housing market. They did nothing for the frequent Wacoan,” an irate resident mentioned. One other shared that within the wake of simply how dear the market had develop into, they’d confronted main monetary difficulties. “I needed to promote my home a couple of years again after my taxes obtained so excessive I could not afford it anymore,” they mentioned. That also wasn’t all — one other Redditor shared {that a} buddy of theirs had been unable to afford her residence after Magnolia purchased and renovated a bunch of properties on her block. Consequently, they claimed, the buddy particularly tried to promote to an organization aside from Magnolia, “Solely to search out out that it was an organization owned by Magnolia some months later.” The consumer went on to conclude, “So, yeah, we hate Magnolia. It is also a convention to flip off the Magnolia billboards.” Yikes. 

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In fact, there have been additionally some who identified that Chip and Joanna’s revitalization efforts weren’t the one motive for increased taxes. “Housing costs are growing all through Texas so you possibly can’t totally blame them,” one such netizen mentioned. 

Along with the tax concern, some have additionally taken concern with simply how a lot Magnolia’s presence is felt in Waco. The truth is, one Reddit consumer went so far as referring to it as “a TV present theme park.” The identical Redditor went on to level out that there wasn’t a ton of alternative for different native enterprise house owners to thrive alongside the Gaineses’ empire. “They actually appear to strive their finest to maintain their followers inside their ecosystem always,” they mentioned — and over on one other discussion board, a unique consumer concurred, noting that the place the couple’s annual “Silobration” could possibly be used to focus on native meals companies, the couple as an alternative employed meals vans from different Texas cities.

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Others have additionally complained in regards to the influence the couple has had on native corporations that had been within the metropolis for years — in contrast to Chip and Joanna, who solely ended up in Waco as faculty college students. “They’ve run native companies, like vintage retailers and bakeries out of enterprise and simply made issues dearer,” wrote a pissed off Reddit consumer. 

That is not all, although. On prime of not with the ability to compete with the Gaineses’ large presence, one other disadvantage some residents have listed is the truth that Magnolia has attracted non-locals to the town. In fact, not everybody would see that as an issue, however some did say that the inflow of individuals made it more durable for them to go about their every day lives, citing site visitors as a serious frustration. Mentioned one Redditor who beforehand lived close to the Silos, “The roads over there usually are not made for that many individuals. … Any given Saturday that had a soccer sport AND Magnolia did one thing you may as properly simply lock your self inside and do not even attempt to go away.”  

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Sticking with vacationers visiting Waco particularly as a result of they’re followers of Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines, some residents have mentioned that that is the factor about Magnolia’s large presence within the metropolis that annoys them probably the most. 

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“FANS of the present appear to be utterly bored with what the present claims to be about. … They’re too busy making an attempt to out-farmdress the farm sandaled ladies at yonder desk who’re too busy making an attempt to out-folksy skirt the opposite desk, who’re too busy being brazenly hostile to the native servers as a result of their goat cheese scramble wasn’t goatty sufficient,” one ranted on Reddit. The consumer continued, “They do not come right into a neighborhood and have fun its variations. … They bring about the stylish creativity that everybody is doing on the identical time.” Inform us how ya actually really feel!

The Reddit consumer whose frustrations with Chip and Joanna included the couple having different Texas companies concerned within the Silobration moderately than native ones touched on that, too. “Waco will not be benefitting from the ‘tourism.’ The individuals who do come to go to Waco include the categorical intent to go to Magnolia. And nothing else,” they mentioned. TBH, it is as much as vacationers to resolve how and the place they spend their cash. Even so, it is not exhausting to see why others within the native service business could really feel a kind of method about it.

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Different residents who aren’t tremendous thrilled to be sharing their metropolis with the seat of the Magnolia empire? Former staff of the model. 

Numerous Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines’ previous workers have had some pretty icy issues to say in regards to the couple’s firm tradition. Notably, some have appeared to agree with the accusations from different residents who’ve claimed the Gaineses do not actually care in regards to the metropolis they’ve introduced a lot consideration to. Taking to Certainly, one disgruntled ex-employee complained, “They act like they assist Waco and love small companies however in actuality it is all for present. No assist and never a enjoyable place to work.” One other claimed the corporate tradition was high-stress, and warned in opposition to making use of for jobs there. Yikes. 

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Now, it does bear mentioning that many different staff, each previous and current, have spoken fairly glowingly of their time working for the Gaineses’ firm. For one, Magnolia Properties designer Laura Stafford as soon as mentioned in an interview with 4Word that Chip and Joanna have been tremendous inspirational as employers — and that they weren’t micromanagers, both. “Chip and Jo are very empowering and releasing,” she advised the outlet. Likewise, whereas among the Certainly postings have been lower than complimentary, others have overrated Magnolia as a wonderful model to work for. “This was a very enjoyable job to work at. Administration and associates have been like one huge glad household. Being positioned within the heart of downtown in a small metropolis made it even higher,” gushed one former receptionist. Guess it is true what they are saying: You possibly can’t please everybody.

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It is price noting that even with all of the criticism they’ve confronted, Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines do nonetheless have a variety of native followers in Waco. The truth is, some have even defended them in opposition to the criticism, whereas additionally lauding them for his or her therapy of their workers.

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One Redditor, who praised Chip and Joanna for his or her revitalization efforts, wrote, “They’ve been good for the native economic system and pay their staff greater than most native locations.” In a unique discussion board on the platform, one other resident agreed. “The positives they’ve dropped at our metropolis FAR outweigh the negatives. It is so good to have Waco not be synonymous with a loopy cult, a college that turns its again on unhealthy behaviors, and the ghetto. … In case you don’t love them or their product, merely do not go there,” they mentioned. One other had comparable sentiments. “A lot hate … they’ve achieved extra good right here than unhealthy. … What they’ve helped do is take this place from sleepy crap gap to a spot with precise facilities and drawn some consideration to us,” shared a Reddit consumer who wasn’t in any respect against their presence. 

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Sadly for Chip and Joanna, being within the public eye means there are at all times certain to be sturdy opinions about them somehow. In any case, they’ve had HGTV followers bitter on them prior to now as properly. Granted, that did not cease them from persevering with to do their factor. And, positive sufficient, once they made their first HGTV look in years in mid-2024, they obtained a ton of affection. Provided that previous dedication to sticking it out, criticism or not, and with a lot of their empire based mostly in and centered on Waco, one thing tells us the Gaineses aren’t going wherever.