David Montelongo Net Worth: Biography, Earnings & Assets

Based on all available public records as of July 2026, David Montelongo's net worth is estimated in the range of negative $200,000 to positive $300,000, a wide band that reflects genuinely limited public financial data, a documented Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing that listed roughly $31,000 in assets against approximately $600,000 in debts, ongoing civil litigation with his brother Armando Montelongo, and subsequent real-estate business activity in San Antonio whose revenue has not been publicly disclosed. There is no authoritative wealth-tracker profile for David Montelongo, and every figure in this article is labeled as an estimate. Readers who need a defensible narrower range will find a step-by-step methodology below.

Net worth snapshot

Estimated net worth (July 2026): negative $200,000 to positive $300,000, based on public bankruptcy records, verified entertainment credits, local business filings, and documented litigation liabilities.

Who is David Montelongo?

David Montelongo is a San Antonio-based real-estate entrepreneur and television personality best known for appearing alongside his brother Armando Montelongo on A&E's Flip This House during the 2006-2008 seasons. He was credited on the show as co-founder of Montelongo House Buyers, a San Antonio fix-and-flip operation that the family ran during the mid-2000s housing boom. Beyond television, David holds a songwriting credit on "Hola Hermosa," a track featured on the Illegal Tender (2007) film soundtrack, and public records in Bexar County confirm ongoing real-estate permit and business activity under his name. IMDb's Illegal Tender (2007) soundtrack page lists David Montelongo among songwriters for "Hola Hermosa" IMDb's Illegal Tender (2007) soundtrack page lists David Montelongo among songwriters for "Hola Hermosa".. His financial story is one of visible early success followed by documented distress, recovery efforts, and unresolved legal disputes, a trajectory worth understanding on its own terms, not simply as a footnote to his more publicly prominent brother.

How we calculated this estimate

Because no major wealth tracker publishes a David Montelongo profile, this estimate is built from the ground up using publicly available records. Here is every step, labeled by source type, so you can reproduce or challenge the result.

Step-by-step methodology

1. Identity anchoring: Confirmed the subject is the David Montelongo credited on IMDb as 'Self – Co-founder, Montelongo House Buyers' on Flip This House (2006-2008), matching San Antonio Express-News reporting on David and Melina Montelongo's bankruptcy and litigation. Excluded a separate David Montelongo recorded in 2023 Los Angeles city payroll data (total compensation approximately $139,090) as a different individual — same name, different geography and career profile.
2. TV appearance earnings (lower-bound estimate): Flip This House is a reality/non-scripted production. SAG-AFTRA historical rate schedules apply only where union coverage exists; many cable reality shows in the 2006-2008 period were non-union. Conservative non-union estimate for a recurring featured cast member across two seasons: $1,500 to $5,000 per episode, 8 to 12 credited episodes. Range: approximately $12,000 to $60,000 pre-tax, before production expenses. This is an informed estimate, not a confirmed contract figure.
3. Soundtrack royalty income: David Montelongo is a credited co-writer of 'Hola Hermosa' on the Illegal Tender (2007) soundtrack. The film grossed approximately $3.1 million domestically (Box Office Mojo). Songwriter mechanical royalties from a modestly distributed theatrical release with one credited track would typically generate a few hundred to a few thousand dollars over the life of the release, shared among co-writers. Estimate: $200 to $2,000 cumulative. Treated as negligible in the overall model.
4. Bankruptcy filing (documented liability anchor): San Antonio Express-News and MySA reporting confirms David and Melina Montelongo filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. At the time of filing (reported circa 2013-2014), the couple listed approximately $31,000 in assets and approximately $600,000 in debts. This is the single most concrete financial data point available and is the primary anchor for the lower bound of the net worth range.
5. Post-bankruptcy business activity: City of San Antonio building-permit records list David Montelongo as a contractor/permit applicant across multiple archived weekly permit schedules. A business listing (SA Cash Buyers, associated with David Montelongo and Adam Longoria) suggests continued real-estate wholesaling/investing activity. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed. Conservative assumption: a small real-estate operation in San Antonio generating modest annual income in the range of $30,000 to $150,000, with business equity of $0 to $100,000 depending on deal pipeline and overhead.
6. Litigation liabilities: Regional reporting confirms Armando Montelongo's company filed a federal civil complaint against David and Melina Montelongo alleging confusingly similar business models and trademark-related claims. Legal defense costs and potential judgment exposure represent a material liability. Estimated legal cost range: $20,000 to $100,000 depending on case resolution. Flagged as an unresolved liability in the model.
7. Real estate assets: No deeded property records in Bexar County were independently confirmed for this article. Permit-activity presence suggests active involvement in transactions, but ownership of titled real estate at this time is unconfirmed. Treated as $0 in the conservative scenario, up to $200,000 equity in the optimistic scenario (acknowledging possible property held free of public disclosure).
8. Net worth range construction: Conservative scenario (assets: $31,000 at filing, minimal subsequent accumulation minus legal costs and remaining debt obligations) yields approximately negative $200,000. Optimistic scenario (post-bankruptcy business recovery, modest real-estate equity, reduced debt over time) yields approximately positive $300,000. Mid-point estimate: approximately $50,000. All figures are pre-tax approximations and are subject to material revision if primary records (deed filings, corporate tax returns, court schedules) become available.

A note on data gaps: to produce a narrower, fully defensible range, the following primary records would be required and are not currently available in open public sources: county assessor/deed records confirming titled real estate and mortgage balances, UCC lien filings, PACER bankruptcy schedules with itemized assets and liabilities, production contracts or SAG residuals statements, PRO (BMI/ASCAP/SESAC) songwriter registration and royalty histories, and current corporate filings for all Montelongo-named entities in Texas and other active states. Until those records are obtained, the wide range above is the most honest representation of what the public record supports.

What the public record actually shows

The San Antonio Express-News financial reporting from the 2013-2014 period is the clearest window into David Montelongo's finances. At the time of the Chapter 7 filing, the couple reported $31,000 in assets and roughly $600,000 in debts, reflecting the collapse of a real-estate portfolio that was assembled during the mid-2000s housing boom and then devastated by the 2008 market downturn. Chapter 7 means a discharge of eligible unsecured debts, so while the reported debt load was severe, a successful discharge would have reduced that liability significantly. The approximate timeline between the 2008 downturn, the reported filing (circa 2013-2014), and today (2026) leaves a roughly 12-year post-filing window during which business activity could have rebuilt some positive net worth.

The civil litigation between Armando Montelongo's business and David and Melina Montelongo is a significant unresolved factor. Federal civil complaints are public record, and the MySA/Express-News coverage confirms the suit was filed. The outcome, settlement terms, and any damages or injunctions are not confirmed in available open sources. This is the largest single unknown in the liability column.

One important disambiguation note: at least one other individual named David Montelongo appears in 2023 Los Angeles city payroll data with total compensation (salary, overtime, benefits) of approximately $139,090. This is almost certainly a different person with the same name. Conflating that public employee record with the San Antonio real-estate figure would produce a false positive in any asset search. Readers and researchers should verify identifying details before connecting any public record to the subject of this article.

Income streams: where the money came from (and where it comes from now)

Television appearance fees

Flip This House on A&E ran from 2005 and featured David Montelongo as a co-founder of Montelongo House Buyers across multiple 2006-2008 episodes, including named episodes such as 'Rancho Montelongo' and 'Roach House. TV Guide lists David Montelongo as a Flip This House cast member credited as Self, Co‑founder, Montelongo House Buyers Flip This House - Full Cast & Crew - TV Guide. ' Reality television appearance fees in that cable era varied enormously. Without a confirmed contract, the per-episode estimate of $1,500 to $5,000 is based on industry norms for non-scripted cable cast members at the time. Total estimated TV income: $12,000 to $60,000, pre-tax, across the full run.

Real-estate business income

This was David Montelongo's primary occupation before, during, and after his television exposure. Operating as Montelongo House Buyers (and later under other business names including SA Cash Buyers), the business model involved acquiring distressed properties, renovating them, and reselling or renting them. During the 2005-2008 boom, margins on San Antonio fix-and-flip deals could run from $20,000 to $80,000 per transaction depending on acquisition cost, rehab budget, and resale price. The bankruptcy filing signals that total portfolio losses significantly exceeded gains during the downturn. Post-discharge activity, confirmed by permit records and business listings, suggests the business continued at a smaller scale, though revenue figures remain undisclosed.

Songwriting royalties

David Montelongo holds a co-writing credit on 'Hola Hermosa' from the Illegal Tender (2007) soundtrack. The film's domestic gross of approximately $3.1 million (Box Office Mojo) indicates a modest theatrical run. Mechanical royalties, streaming income, and performance royalties from a single co-written track on a limited-release film would be minimal, likely totaling a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars over the entire life of the release. This income stream is financially negligible but culturally notable as evidence of creative work beyond real estate.

Endorsements and speaking fees

No confirmed endorsement deals or paid speaking engagements for David Montelongo appear in available public records. His brother Armando built a real-estate education and seminar business that became a significant revenue driver, and there is litigation suggesting David's business operated in a similar space. However, the specific revenue attributable to David from educational or seminar products is not publicly documented. This income stream is listed as 'unconfirmed/unknown' in the model.

Other investments

No public records confirm stock portfolios, retirement accounts, or other financial instruments held by David Montelongo. Given the Chapter 7 filing and the primary-industry focus on real estate, any investment assets outside of property and business equity are assumed to be minimal unless future disclosures indicate otherwise.

Major career milestones and their financial impact

• Mid-2000s: Co-founds Montelongo House Buyers in San Antonio, TX, capitalizing on a booming real-estate market. At peak activity, the operation was handling multiple concurrent fix-and-flip transactions, generating the kind of deal-by-deal income that fueled the family's public profile.
• 2006-2007: Appears on A&E's Flip This House, gaining national cable television exposure. The show functioned as both income (appearance fees) and a marketing platform for the real-estate business, likely generating client and investor interest during its run.
• 2007: Receives a co-writing credit on 'Hola Hermosa' for the Illegal Tender soundtrack, marking a minor but documented entry into the entertainment side of the business.
• 2008-2009: The U.S. housing market collapse creates severe financial pressure on leveraged real-estate operators. San Antonio Express-News reporting documents financial distress for the Montelongo family business during this period.
• Circa 2013-2014: David and Melina Montelongo file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, reporting approximately $31,000 in assets and $600,000 in debts. This is the financial low point documented in public records.
• Post-2014: David Montelongo resurfaces in San Antonio public records through building permits and a business listing for SA Cash Buyers, suggesting a continued but lower-profile real-estate operation.
• Ongoing: Civil litigation with Armando Montelongo's company introduces continued legal costs and potential business disruption as an unresolved liability.

Timeline of notable credits, contracts, and reported financial events

Career earnings and asset summary

The table below is designed to be updated as primary records become available. Figures marked with an asterisk are estimates based on the methodology described above; figures marked 'unconfirmed' require primary documentation before they can be cited with confidence.

How David Montelongo compares to peers

The Montelongo family's Flip This House exposure is most naturally compared to his brother Armando Montelongo, whose post-show trajectory diverged significantly from David's. Armando built a real-estate education and seminar empire that generated substantially larger and more publicly documented revenue, while David continued operating as a local real-estate practitioner in San Antonio. The financial gap between the two brothers illustrates how the same television platform can produce very different long-term wealth outcomes depending on the business model pursued afterward. For readers interested in that comparison, Armando Hernandez's net worth profile on this site provides a useful parallel case of a Hispanic public figure whose entertainment and business income streams are better documented in the public record.

More broadly, David Montelongo's financial story reflects a pattern seen among many mid-2000s real-estate entrepreneurs: strong paper gains during the boom, severe losses during the 2008 downturn, and a slow, lower-profile rebuild afterward. Hispanic entrepreneurs in the real-estate sector faced the same macro headwinds as any operator, and the bankruptcy record here is neither unusual for the period nor uniquely indicative of mismanagement. The absence of a strong digital content or education business, which might have generated royalty-like recurring income independent of transaction volume, is probably the key structural difference between David's post-show trajectory and more financially resilient peers.

What would change this estimate?

This estimate will be revised upward if: Bexar County deed records confirm titled real estate with meaningful equity; corporate filings for SA Cash Buyers or related entities reveal substantial revenues or retained earnings; the civil litigation with Armando Montelongo is resolved with no damages judgment against David; or any credible public disclosure of income, assets, or business valuation becomes available. The estimate would move downward if: the civil litigation produces a significant damages judgment; additional bankruptcy or lien filings emerge for Montelongo-named entities with personal liability; or further reporting confirms ongoing financial distress. This article will be updated when any of those primary records become available.

Sources and editorial notes

The following public records and media reports form the evidentiary basis for this article. All figures described as estimates are labeled as such throughout.

• IMDb: Flip This House full cast and crew page, individual episode pages ('Rancho Montelongo,' 'Roach House') — supports TV credit verification
• TV Guide: Flip This House full cast listing — corroborates IMDb credits
• MySanAntonio (San Antonio Express-News): 'Flip This House Montelongo on TV again — in disguise' — sources the ~$31,000 assets / ~$600,000 debts bankruptcy filing figures
• San Antonio Express-News: 'Financial roof falls in on pair of house flippers' — corroborates financial distress narrative and Chapter 7 filing
• MySanAntonio (San Antonio Express-News): 'Star of Flip This House sues brother' — sources the civil litigation between Armando Montelongo's company and David and Melina Montelongo
• IMDb: Illegal Tender (2007) Soundtracks page — sources David Montelongo's songwriting credit for 'Hola Hermosa'
• Box Office Mojo: Illegal Tender domestic gross (~$3,106,835) — used to contextualize soundtrack royalty potential
• BizArchive: SA Cash Buyers business listing (David Montelongo and Adam Longoria) — supports post-bankruptcy business activity
• City of San Antonio building permit archives — supports ongoing contractor/real-estate operator identity in public records
• Inforuptcy: Case 1:25-bk-10234, Montelongo Enterprises Inc. — California Central Bankruptcy Court docket summary — flags related entity litigation
• GovSalaries: David Montelongo, City of Los Angeles 2023 (~$139,090 total compensation) — used for identity disambiguation only; different individual
• SAG-AFTRA: Rates and Agreements (sagaftra.org) — used as a methodology reference for performer minimum rate estimates
• CelebrityNetWorth: 'M' celebrities listing — confirms absence of a David Montelongo profile on major wealth trackers
• Editorial note: No tax returns, bank statements, production contracts, or deed records were obtained for this article. All net worth figures are estimates with documented assumptions. Readers with access to primary records are encouraged to contact the editorial team.