House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[juliet73]

14 hours ago, laredhead said:

Not only is the Seattle couple not married, they aren't even engaged, yet are buying a house together.  She seemed to be well aware of his pickiness, and if they do plan to get married and have children, he's going to be in for a shock with that disruption to his expectations of no germs or mess.  As much as I would love to live in Seattle, I guess I can cross that location off my list because there is no way I could afford it.  I wish they would go to some smaller towns in the Pacific NW where the prices might be more reasonable. 

I would not move to Seattle just for the 0.0000001% chance that Victor and Mary could be my neighbor!

Edited May 13, 2016 by juliet73

[jcbrown]

Seattle couple were both special special snowflakes. They deserve each other. Hope they don't reproduce.

[topanga]

The South Dakota couple loved that their baby's bedroom was directly adjacent to the master bedroom. I wonder if they'll still love it when she's older and starts asking them about the strange sounds coming from their bedroom at night. 

Other than that, I like the house they chose. 

[laredhead]

No exaggerated drama for the Minnesota buyers last night, so maybe they didn't get the HH memo that says they must invent controversy or talk about granite, SS, dangerous stairs and wood floors incessantly during the episode.  Even though the husband wanted something that was updated and move in ready, they took the house that needed some work to make it fit their family requirements.  I was impressed with the amount of work they were doing themselves, since he said he wasn't particularly handy.  I did laugh when he said their contractor told them where to stop with the kitchen demo.  

My personal style suggestion to the wife would be to wear her hair down and not pull it back because she looked much younger in the scenes where her hair was not pulled back.  i know we are supposed to be commenting on the houses, but it was such a stark contrast during the show, IMO.

[Ohwell]

I liked the Minnesota couple and I guess they're an example of "Minnesota nice" because there was no drama.  The husband looks like he can grill up a storm in the backyard.  I'd like to be invited to a barbecue at their house once the renovations are complete.  Their little boy was adorable.  

[Peanutbuttercup]

I liked the Minnesotans' attitude (particularly the wife's) about kitchens: who cares if it isn't expensive and new and shiny, it works, I can cook in it. Of course, they were gutting the kitchen for a complete overhaul when we checked in, but at least they weren't obnoxious about it during the house hunt.

[NYGirl]

The 1.6 million Utah to Texas couple with 8 children.  I must say I was definitely surprised they didn't go with house #1 new build.   It had everything she wanted except the pool.  The exterior of the house they chose was ugly.  I'm glad the husbands commute won.  That usually loses to the wife's whims.

[truther]

I hate those giant Texas houses.  They represent a market that, for me, is completely bass-ackwards -- where everything is about size rather than location.  The bigger the house, the thinking seems to be, the better.  So the only thing better than a 5000 sq ft mansion is a 6000 sq ft one.  

Even a family with 8 kids doesn't need 6000 square feet or whatever they were looking at, especially when so much of the space seems to be devoted to huge master suites and closets and to ground level great rooms and other random places nobody probably ever uses.  

[laredhead]

That Woodlands house was huge and all I could think about was their electric bill during the hot Houston summers.  Of course, if you can afford a house that size, you should be able to afford the A/C bill.  Why does each child need their own room?  Two of those children looked like they might be in high school and possibly leaving home in a couple of years, so why not double up a couple of the younger ones for a short time?  When the majority of the children are out of the house finally, that house will probably be back on the market because it's too big for them.  I did not like the exterior of the house they chose.  The pool was nice.

[biakbiak]

Each child didn't have their own room there were five bedrooms for 8 kids. I imagine the two oldest who were a girl and a boy got their own rooms and the younger children all shared. 

[KLovestoShop]

While not the worst couple I've seen on this show, I really didn't like the Houston couple. If you drank a shot every time he said "craftsman", you'd be legally drunk very quickly.  And the wife, for all her comments of wanting white everywhere, picked the darkest house.  IMHO, the third house that they chose was the ugliest.  That place wasn't just a bit over the top, it was wayyyyyy over the top.  It looked like something Sigfried and Roy would own in Vegas.  And those kitchen cabinets?   Who buys army green cabinets?   Then to top it off, those totally awful marble sinks in the master bath looked like it belonged to a madam.  

[laredhead]

Ooops.  Thanks, biakbiak.  Obviously math was not my strong subject in school.  I think I got confused between the yours, mine and ours and lost a few children when I was counting bedrooms.

[Angeltoes]

I didn't like Houston wife either.  Got the strong vibe that she thought he was lucky to have her.

[Ottis]

While I watched Houston couple be nitpicky about wall color, pools and decorative ceiling beams in $1.5 million plus homes, I just kept thinking there were millions of people with no homes or bare hovels. I don't usually do that, but she especially seemed to have lost all sense of perspective.

[truther]

7 hours ago, Ottis said:

While I watched Houston couple be nitpicky about wall color, pools and decorative ceiling beams in $1.5 million plus homes, I just kept thinking there were millions of people with no homes or bare hovels. I don't usually do that, but she especially seemed to have lost all sense of perspective.

I had a similar reaction.  It reminded me of an HHI episode from a few years ago where an American family were relocating to . . . Switzerland?  I think.  They had a huge budget thanks to the husband's job and they were looking at these beautiful, enormous homes and all they did was give the stinkeye about the size of the third bathroom or the wine fridge or whatever.  The wife especially made it a point to always say something negative about everything.  

[dga28]

I wasn't a fan of the woman either but people who buy million dollar homes have a right to buy what they want, just like anyone else.   People shouldn't have to apologize for making more money or having more money to spend than other people.

My issue with people like that is how short sighted some of them can be when picking out a property.  People seem to eliminate a great property over very superficial issues that could be corrected quickly at a minimal cost.  

if you can get a great house at a great price, why worry too much about the appliances, the color of the countertops or the color of the walls?

[Kohola3]

Quote

if you can get a great house at a great price, why worry too much about the appliances, the color of the countertops or the color of the walls?

The wall color bitching drives me nuts.  A few gallons of paint is one of the cheapest fixes to any home and the change and be dramatic.  They act like it's a totally insurmountable challenge and no house should be purchased with colors they don't like. Idiots.

[laredhead]

Kohola, sounded to me like the couple was very well known at their local paint store in Nevada and were about to become best buds with one in Houston.  Hope they have enough Navajo white on hand, or whatever other shade of white she uses to cover every surface of the houses she lives in.

[dga28]

3 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

The wall color bitching drives me nuts.  A few gallons of paint is one of the cheapest fixes to any home and the change and be dramatic.  They act like it's a totally insurmountable challenge and no house should be purchased with colors they don't like. Idiots.

as long as the location was right, the rooms were the right size, and the house was structurally sound, i saw cosmetic deficiencies as an opportunity to negotiate a lower price....lol

[Ottis]

7 hours ago, dga28 said:

I wasn't a fan of the woman either but people who buy million dollar homes have a right to buy what they want, just like anyone else.   People shouldn't have to apologize for making more money or having more money to spend than other people.

My issue with people like that is how short sighted some of them can be when picking out a property.  People seem to eliminate a great property over very superficial issues that could be corrected quickly at a minimal cost.  

if you can get a great house at a great price, why worry too much about the appliances, the color of the countertops or the color of the walls?

Enh. My post was a comment about perspective. You don't have to apologize. You just have to realize that in any house, especially one that size, there will be things that won't be exactly to your taste, and if you can spend 1.5 million plus on a house then you can afford to fix those little things, too. 

[Bastet]

The paint thing baffles me, too, because it's cheap and easy to change, but also because -- and this is certainly influenced by the fact I don't really care for neutral colors on the walls, and prefer that each room of my house be a different color -- I would expect to paint, regardless.  To me, it's as much a routine part of moving into a house as bringing in the furniture.

But mostly because it is so cheap and easy, especially in the context of home improvement purchases.  Just shut up and paint!

[KLovestoShop]

Whenever I see these super picky house hunters, I'm always yelling at the TV to buy a freaking lot and build your own damn house.  That way, they can get exactly what they want.  

The only time I can see people having a right to complain about wall color is when a house is painted in really weird colors or bad wallpaper.  When we were looking for a house, we saw one where every single room was painted either pink and hunter green or was slathered in wallpaper that was huge pink cabbage roses. Knowing that there were other houses similar to that one, without the funhouse colors, we said no way to that house. 

What drives me crazy is when parents give kids, especially older kids, the right to veto a house choice.  I've seen that a few times on HH.  I always say, once the kids pay the mortgage and utility bills, then they have a vote.  I have a story about that.  My house was on the market and because I'm disabled, the house was completely handicap accessible.  A couple who had to move for a job transfer from Denver, came to see my house, a Frank Lloyd Wright type house, and they brought their two teen kids with them, one 15 and the other 17. The mom had MS and really loved the house, as it was perfect for her, especially as the MS progressed.  The kids didn't like the house at all, so the parents didn't buy it, but bought another one that had three floors and lots of steps, all because they felt guilty about moving the kids from Denver.  I heard from my realtor that the mom was confined to a wheelchair not long after they bought the other house and the mom was struggling, while the older kid is away at college and the younger one was getting ready to go away.  

[Kohola3]

I agree, kids and pets should have no say in the matter. And parents need to look at the big picture; kids are toddlers for a short period;  I am so sick of "little Johnny/Jenny might fall down the stairs".  Put up a baby gate for Pete's sake.  And no dog (including mine) can telepathically tell me if they like a house or not.

[dga28]

6 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I agree, kids and pets should have no say in the matter. And parents need to look at the big picture; kids are toddlers for a short period;  I am so sick of "little Johnny/Jenny might fall down the stairs".  Put up a baby gate for Pete's sake.  And no dog (including mine) can telepathically tell me if they like a house or not.

exactly.  i have said the same thing.  the kid isn't going to be a toddler for the next 10 years.  lol.

[aguabella]

The Seattle realtor (gf's father) probably already expects another 2 transactions (sell & buy) in about 3 years.  Either they'll move up to a sf home or break up.  If they do have a child then his daughter will call him to list the first time she hauls a pram up those stairs!

In any event, I hope he sent his daughter to a good RE attorney before buying this place with the bf.  For one thing, the bf looked like he was making a hostage video in that closing scene!  He knew the marriage / children comment was obligatory and the gf shot him one of those looks!

For the gf's future happiness, I hope she moves on if he isn't serious.  Seattle, statistically, has far more men than women IIRC.  She isn't getting any younger.

If nothing else, I doubt they'll enjoy exiting that short driveway on busy workday mornings, living on the busy street.

[aguabella]

Speaking of women moving on, I hope, for her sake, that the NYC bff realizes she's only a bff.  The guy said he was a filmmaker but he acted as if he was auditioning for something else, posing on that paddleboard in Socal.  (Sorry - more from the shallow end.)

Between the 2 real possibilities, he probably chose the cheapest, assuming the association doesn't plan to do special assessments and/or increase those monthly coop dues.  They didn't say, but yes, coop fees almost always include the prop taxes.  The building appeared to have a minimal amount of common area.

Even though he had to overbid by 25K, considering just the diff in the monthlies (about $450, IIRC) and ignoring any assumed prop tax benefit, that $450 diff would cover debt service on about $100K of value at current rates.  (No, no, I'm not saying he should have spent more - just putting that in RE terms.)

I thought the dishwasher was simply the episode's red herring.  He didn't cook in the final scene so, who knows?  WRT the kitchen's long, wrap around counter, the realtor mentioned a minor reno a couple years earlier.  I have a feeling they wanted to open that kitchen up but it had no counter space to begin with and limited storage. 

So, they did that counter and added some cabinets underneath, on its narrow end.  The narrow end can function as either a serving bar or add'l work space.  Good b/c the kitchen had virtually no counter space and limited storage.  (I have a feeling many people would prefer to reserve the tall units for other items.)  Nice to have the eating bar, eliminating the need for a small table in the l/r.

He mentioned yanking out the tall units to open up that hallway.  Yes, that would make the entire place feel larger but he (and many other NY'ers)  might appreciate the storage, going forward.  Good idea to curb any hoarding tendencies but OTOH, if/when he resells, potential buyers will love the add'l storage.  So, the hallway's dark - whatever. 

It appeared they used a leftover / remnant from the long counter in that bathroom.  I'd probably rip out the bed's platform and reorient the bed.

Anyway, overall, the place seemed like a good choice for him. 

Edited May 22, 2016 by aguabella

[aguabella]

Site ate my initial Long Beach reply weeks ago.  Shortened it but it disappeared again!  I saved my initial post elsewhere so if anyone's interested in the details about this property and the area, message me.

In short, I typically ignore realtors but this one bothered me.  They were a nice couple and most buyers would run, not walk, away from this home.  "Fixer" - no.  I'd say "bad flip".  And, it wasn't even in the area or on the "fringe" of the neighborhood touted by the realtor.  "Worst house in the best neighborhood"?  Doubtful.  It's probably the smallest b/c of the awful lot but they still probably overpaid based on s.f. and the neighborhood.

I hope they'll do some minor DIY curb appeal upgrades and wait for the next significant market upturn.  Then, keep it spotless for showings, declutter extensively, do some inexpensive DIY staging and dump it.

Instead of improving it, I suggest they save for their next home.  JMO

Edited May 22, 2016 by aguabella

[scootypuffjr]

Just wanted to say, aguabella, how much I appreciate your comments.  It's nice to have an "insider's" point of view!

[laredhead]

I liked the realtor in tonight's episode about the couple buying a house in Lancaster, PA.  He kept telling them that most of the things they were griping about were cosmetic fixes and they should be focusing on location and space.  I thought they would buy the 3rd house, but instead chose the 1st one, which has a lot of projects for them over the next few years.   

[ByaNose]

I'm not too far from the Lancaster area (I'm from Philly) and, it was neat to see similar looking houses that are my burbs. That said, I had to fast forward the show because I couldn't take the wife with horrible teeth, voice & scrunched face. The husband was good looking though. LOL!!! 

Rant over. The house they choose was a normal looking house that needed cosmetic changes and reminded me of my current house. It didn't cost a million dollars nor does it look like a million dollars but I'm happy and not in debt. 

[Ohwell]

Lancaster couple wasn't too bad compared to most of these HH couples, and the house they chose was nice.  The only annoying thing was the wife's whiny voice.  I didn't notice the teeth.  I agree the husband was nice-looking.

 

Oh.  I forgot.  Did you know that they were trying to have a baby?  They must have  mentioned that about seven times.

 

Edit:  She must have  mentioned it about seven times.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Ohwell

[Empress1]

The Lancaster wife really did have awful teeth. I always notice teeth and hers were rough. Severe overbite, just for starters. I thought she was very sweet with her stepdaughter.

I always laugh when people's complaint about split-level houses is that they're confusing - "I don't know if I should go up or down!" Like ... what room do you want to go to? What level is that room on? OK, now go there. It's not that deep.

I liked the realtor too (and he had a Philly accent!). Very sensible and practical, with a sense of humor. I got a kick out of seeing the horse & buggies in Lancaster - I'm from Philly and have made many a day trip to Lancaster (great food and crafts), so that was familiar. 

[topanga]

22 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Lancaster couple wasn't too bad compared to most of these HH couples, and the house they chose was nice.  The only annoying thing was the wife's whiny voice.  I didn't notice the teeth.  I agree the husband was nice-looking.

 

Oh.  I forgot.  Did you know that they were trying to have a baby?  They must have  mentioned that about seven times.

 

Edit:  She must have  mentioned it about seven times.

The baby thing was hilarious. And I try not to criticize people's looks--lord knows, I'm no Halle Berry--but the wife's teeth were distracting. And it's not just a cosmetic thing--having crooked teeth can affect a person's career and business interactions. And if there's any gum disease involved, it can affect a woman's fertility or her risk for premature birth. Not everyone can afford braces, but if the couple is buying a house, they can get on a payment plan for braces. 

Was this the episode where the husband kept asking about his library and a spot to drink his cognac? (I usually watch several eps in a row, and the details start to blend). I like that he wasn't taking himself too seriously, as some HH do. Remember the guy who wanted a brandy room? Or the people who demand a separate play room for the kids?  And yay, for a library. I love seeing people who like books and want a quiet place to read.

[Empress1]

I've said here before that my dream house has a library with a bay window seat and floor to ceiling built-ins, so I like hearing people mention it here too. Often when they show the chosen homes there are no books to be seen, which is so sad to me.

[proserpina65]

On ‎05‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 11:25 AM, Kohola3 said:

I agree, kids and pets should have no say in the matter. And parents need to look at the big picture; kids are toddlers for a short period;  I am so sick of "little Johnny/Jenny might fall down the stairs".  Put up a baby gate for Pete's sake.  And no dog (including mine) can telepathically tell me if they like a house or not.

I can understand taking pets into account if you have a large dog which will need either a decent sized yard or park space nearby, or if you have an older/ill/handicapped pet and multiple flights of stairs might be involved; neither would be an unreasonable concern.  But yeah, "my dog/cat/anaconda will love this house" is just crazy talk.

[proserpina65]

Quote

 I got a kick out of seeing the horse & buggies in Lancaster - I'm from Philly and have made many a day trip to Lancaster (great food and crafts), so that was familiar. 

The buggies are fun until you have to drive behind one for miles on end.  And deal with the idiot drivers who don't get that the buggy has just as much right to be on the road as the cars do.  Which is worse than the buggy itself.

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, topanga said:

The baby thing was hilarious. And I try not to criticize people's looks--lord knows, I'm no Halle Berry--but the wife's teeth were distracting. And it's not just a cosmetic thing--having crooked teeth can affect a person's career and business interactions. And if there's any gum disease involved, it can affect a woman's fertility or her risk for premature birth. Not everyone can afford braces, but if the couple is buying a house, they can get on a payment plan for braces. 

I had a friend who's a rags to riches story - raised by a single father after his addict mother abandoned the family, the first one to go to college, then law school, and is very successful now. And he was poor growing up and braces were completely out of reach then, so the first thing he did when he began making good money as a BigLaw associate was get braces. He was self-conscious about being an adult with braces, but he said he'd been self-conscious about his teeth for his entire life so it was worth sucking it up for another year and a half and then he'd never be self-conscious about them again. And he showed me pictures and his "before" teeth were nowhere near as bad as Lancaster wife's - he probably could have skipped the braces, it was mostly just some overlapping on his bottom teeth. Lancaster wife's teeth were so bad that I would guess that it's affecting her jaw muscles; the overbite was probably causing her to put strain on the wrong muscles to compensate for it. She seemed like a very nice woman, but her teeth were really distracting.

I had jacked-up teeth as a kid and I had braces, which I was pissed about at the time but I thank my parents for them all the time as an adult.

[Ohwell]

I'm just amazed at myself for not noticing the Lancaster wife's teeth.  Granted, I was doing chores but I don't see how I missed it.  I did hear that whiny voice though.

[KLovestoShop]

I'd rather hear about a couple who are looking for a house and include their pets in their decision, rather than the ones who look for a house to fit their couch. I saw the couple last night who had to find a house with a living room to fit their God-awful, HUGE sofa.  How weird is that?  And to top it off, the house they bought didn't have a living room to fit the sofa, so they went all the way back to Texas to buy smaller components for the existing couch so that it would fit.  

[meep.meep]

I saw that last night too!  Buying in Baltimore and looking at rowhouses, they were astonished when they couldn't fit their monstrous couch into the narrow living room spaces.  And it wasn't even a nice couch!  Just some U-shaped sectional monstrosity that looked worn out to boot.

They were also the kind of entitled younger folk who were going to have to tear out kitchens and baths that seemed new and functional because they didn't like the colors.  I found myself muttering, Buy a new couch!  Live with it! 

[juliet73]

I agree about the Lancaster's wife teeth - they were distracting.  Obviously, they didn't bother her too much because she was ALWAYS smiling!

Tonight's HH was in Denver.  I agree about not buying a house to cater to your pet,  but if I had a dog and the option of having a fenced in yard for my pet vs no yard and being close to the bars, like the woman tonight, I'll choose the yard every single time! Leashing a dog multiple times so they can go to the bathroom, gets old real quick, especially in the winter. 

[KLovestoShop]

I didn't agree with the Denver woman's choice of a condo.  I agree with Juliet that not having anywhere close to let the dog do its business will get real old once winter hits Denver.  I also thought the condo she chose looked like an old motel building.  Plus, I just didn't get her need for a good vibe of being in the downtown area.  

[Empress1]

I can understand wanting to be downtown, but the second place was less than 10 minutes from downtown & had a yard. Made more sense for her dog. I thought she was going to go for the budget buster; glad she didn't.

[Kohola3]

I agree with the yard issue and the dog.  She's going to be darned sick of dressing and undressing in nasty weather just to let him piddle.  But I think the whole "i will rent this out" thing will happen sooner than later.  With the prices in Denver, I bet she could rent that out for a pretty penny with it being so close to downtown.

[Ohwell]

8 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

I didn't agree with the Denver woman's choice of a condo.  I agree with Juliet that not having anywhere close to let the dog do its business will get real old once winter hits Denver.  I also thought the condo she chose looked like an old motel building.  Plus, I just didn't get her need for a good vibe of being in the downtown area.  

I, too, thought the place she chose looked like a converted motel building.  Not attractive at all and downright depressing-looking.  I would have chosen the second place with the yard.

[Pine]

I am getting very tired of the whole time consuming talking heads about what each are looking for, then showing the same stock photos of homes that are not even where they are looking.  I am not fast forwarding the first few minutes, and the recaps after the commercials.  Making it about a 10 minute show.  :)

[juliet73]

4 hours ago, Pine said:

I am getting very tired of the whole time consuming talking heads about what each are looking for, then showing the same stock photos of homes that are not even where they are looking.  I am not fast forwarding the first few minutes, and the recaps after the commercials.  Making it about a 10 minute show.  :)

I wait to hear what they do for a living, then I fast forward until they are standing in the driveway of the first house. I, too, ff through the commercials and recaps. I watch which house they pick and how much they paid and then I delete. So, yeah, about 10 mins.  If they have a super annoying voice and/or looking at outdated condos, I can whittle it down to about 3 mins. And HHR, I do the same, and ff through the construction/drama until the final reveal. So, HHR usually is about 15 mins.

[dga28]

 ok, that Raleigh couple had me wanting to hit the screen.   that woman was annoying.  i felt bad for the realtor and could tell he lost his temper a couple times. i would have chosen the first house. 

[Hpmec]

The Raleigh couple wife was ridiculous. I felt sorry for the realtor having to listen to her annoying "no" list -- no brick, no stairs leading to the house, no downstairs bedrooms, no shallow sinks, but must have an HOA. She acted as though a downstairs bedroom had cooties or a monster lurking within. I spent the entire episode hoping a job transfer takes them to my area of Southern California, where their 400K would buy a small condo with a monthly HOA fee of $400 to $500. Watching her house hunt in that scenario would make for great tv. 

[Ottis]

The Denver condo buyer's friend (Jessica?) was gorgeous and very good on camera. Wonder if she has camera  experience. 

Not only did condo woman pick a place that had no yard for her dog, but she picked one in a building that looked like it was converted from a pay-by-the-night motel. I was surprised there was nothing else close to her price point. I live near Denver and it's expensive, but still.