House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[buttersister]

And, sadly, murder-suicides are always in the wrong order.

Friends recently bought a foreclosure on the west coast of Florida---definitely got a lot for their money, even after sinking a bunch in for the remodel. I should have urged her to apply---they could have argued about the pool and then signed up for the renovation show. [/jk]

Edited September 17, 2016 by buttersister

[MoreCoffeePlease]

I loved the Sinking Spring, PA couple.  So down to earth and pleasant.  It is funny how 'cool' they made Reading seem to be.  It is very poor city.

Although I would prefer not to have an attached home, I did like the last home they looked at.  It seemed very traditional and with good decorating could be beautiful.

[Empress1]

14 minutes ago, MoreCoffeePlease said:

I loved the Sinking Spring, PA couple.  So down to earth and pleasant.  It is funny how 'cool' they made Reading seem to be.  It is very poor city.

Although I would prefer not to have an attached home, I did like the last home they looked at.  It seemed very traditional and with good decorating could be beautiful.

Yeah, I thought they did their level best to make Reading seem like more than it is. Its unemployment rate is something like 15% and about a third of the residents live in poverty.

[Ohwell]

Couple moving from San Francisco to another northern CA town I can't remember:  She had really big eyes and the eye makeup  made them look even bigger.  She was attractive but kinda scary to look at sometimes.  I think I liked the house they chose, but I can't remember.  I just remember those eyes.

[NYGirl]

The San Francisco couple only cared about their dog.  My goodness.

[Amethyst]

I'm really bad at guessing these, because I figured the San Francisco East Bay couple would pick the first or second house.  The third had space, but it was way over budget (they were anticipating a bidding war) and not close enough to BART.   Although the houses are already in Escrow by the time they film, so for all I know, the showerhead issue they brought up was a fake out.  I also understood the wife balking at the carpet because she was worried the dog would track mud in there.  

I thought the first house would have been the best option, since they kept saying they wanted a starter home, and it was under budget.  Wondered if they might have been able to add a full bath later on, and maybe blow out one of the walls.

[juliet73]

6 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Couple moving from San Francisco to another northern CA town I can't remember:  She had really big eyes and the eye makeup  made them look even bigger.  She was attractive but kinda scary to look at sometimes.  I think I liked the house they chose, but I can't remember.  I just remember those eyes.

YES!!!! Her overuse of mascara was distracting!! She was pretty, but she needed to dial down her lashes...especially her bottom lashes!!!

[Johnny Dollar]

The SF woman's Keane-esque eyes haunt my dreams to this day. 

[Empress1]

18 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Couple moving from San Francisco to another northern CA town I can't remember:  She had really big eyes and the eye makeup  made them look even bigger.  She was attractive but kinda scary to look at sometimes.  I think I liked the house they chose, but I can't remember.  I just remember those eyes.

Had the same thought. Huge eyes made even bigger with mascara (which is the point of mascara, so fine), and the mascara was really clumpy.

[topanga]

On 9/20/2016 at 3:29 PM, NYGirl said:

The San Francisco couple only cared about their dog.  My goodness.

Did they mention their commute later? Often, people will complain about how far they'd have to commute if they pick house X, and then after the reveal, they'll say that the commute isn't as bad as they'd estimated. Or that there's a Metro stop a block away that takes them to work. 

[Gurkel]

The Louisville couple was a study in contrast. They seemed like nice people and didn't have any annoying personality traits, but some of the things they said drove me crazy. The woman didn't like the granite in one kitchen, which was certainly her prerogative, and she didn't like the look of the cabinets, which were beautiful, and she goes, "This kitchen needs some TLC" as if it were a dump. WTF? And they said they wanted to downsize but kept asking, "Where are we gonna put all of our stuff? Oh, well. I guess we have to get rid of some of our things [said sadly]." You're friggin' downsizing!  That means getting rid of stuff.  

I did like all of the houses they looked at, but the one they chose was my favorite. 

[Empress1]

3 hours ago, Gurkel said:

And they said they wanted to downsize but kept asking, "Where are we gonna put all of our stuff? Oh, well. I guess we have to get rid of some of our things [said sadly]." You're friggin' downsizing!  That means getting rid of stuff.  

I know, I was like, do you not know what "downsize" means? The husband did say he wasn't really ready to downsize; I guess he meant it.

[HawaiiTVGuy]

I didn't realize it snowed so much in Louisville.  I started watching in the middle so had no idea where the locale was when I saw like a foot of snow on the ground.

[NYGirl]

How about the boxer and his beautiful singing wife in Nashville.  Beer pockets with champagne taste.  I just can't with some of these people.

[Empress1]

They were really sweet together though. They seemed very happy together, happy with the place they chose, and grateful that they could have a house. I liked them.

[juliet73]

I liked the Nashville couple too, but they were asking A LOT for their small budget.  

I didn't realize Louisville KY was so expensive!

[mariah23]

13 hours ago, juliet73 said:

I liked the Nashville couple too, but they were asking A LOT for their small budget.  

I didn't realize Louisville KY was so expensive!

What part of Louisville were they looking in?

[juliet73]

1 hour ago, mariah23 said:

What part of Louisville were they looking in?

The expensive part ;)

I don't know.  I just heard X minutes from downtown Louisville or X minutes walkability to shops/restaurants. 

[mariah23]

37 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

The expensive part ;)

I don't know.  I just heard X minutes from downtown Louisville or X minutes walkability to shops/restaurants. 

They were probably looking in the Highlands, or Indian Hills.  Those are some of the more expensive places in Louisville.

[Thumper]

I wouldn't move somewhere for a museum.  That is weird!  Didn't see the show; was it possibly a producer-driven statement?

[slasherboy]

On 9/23/2016 at 7:59 PM, HawaiiTVGuy said:

I didn't realize it snowed so much in Louisville.  I started watching in the middle so had no idea where the locale was when I saw like a foot of snow on the ground.

It doesn't usually, but these past couple of years have been especially icy and snowy.

On 9/25/2016 at 9:57 AM, mariah23 said:

What part of Louisville were they looking in?

The first house, the one they bought, was in Prospect, which is VERY expensive.  It's not too very far from the Ohio River and Prospect is home to people with big boats (re: yachts), big incomes, and big mortgages. But it's beautiful there.

I didn't catch where the other 2 houses were located.

Someone above mentioned Indian Hills and the Highlands.  Indian Hills, yes, but the Highlands, not so much. The Highlands is the "hippie" part of Louisville and probably my favorite area.  My sister lived in the Highlands, my father is buried in the Highlands (Cave Hill Cemetery ... one of the best in the country if you're interested in that sort of thing) and I lived in what is called the East End.  Not too shabby.

I especially enjoy shows where I recognize things.  I now live in Nashville and not too long ago there was an episode in the up-and-coming Woodbine area, just 2 doors down from where I live.  Didn't know a thing about it until I saw the episode and said, "Hey, wait just a doggone minute!  I KNOW that house!"  I've talked to the homeowners about being on the show and yes, of course, they talked about it being totally scripted, but they had a ball doing it just the same.

Totally off-topic: will there be a thread for watching and discussing the debate tonight?

Edited September 26, 2016 by slasherboy

[QuinnM]

Quote

Didn't know a thing about it until I saw the episode and said, "Hey, wait just a doggone minute!  I KNOW that house!"

Does anyone remember the Minneapolis episode where the single woman that couldn't parallel park her SVU bought an interesting place downtown?  I knew that place.  And it was the worst for location.  You couldn't even say up and coming.  She worked in marketing for the football team, Vikings.  So anyway, flash forward 5 years and she bought about 2 blocks from the new stadium and attached city park.  So I think she'll see some major equity.

[AlleC17]

On 9/23/2016 at 1:59 AM, Gurkel said:

The Louisville couple was a study in contrast. They seemed like nice people and didn't have any annoying personality traits, but some of the things they said drove me crazy. The woman didn't like the granite in one kitchen, which was certainly her prerogative, and she didn't like the look of the cabinets, which were beautiful, and she goes, "This kitchen needs some TLC" as if it were a dump. WTF?

I HATE it when they do that!  Or say it needs "upgrading".  Maybe it isn't to your taste...fine, but they act like it is falling apart when its new and completely functional. 

[KLovestoShop]

Did not like the very young Denver couple.  Her vocal fry was one of the worst I've heard on this show, so it was tough to listen to.  Plus, their want list was strange from wanting a cul-de-sac for her, to his having to live near mom, to the weirdness of the no north facing driveway (I lived in very snowy Wisconsin for 25 years, and if you shovel or plow a driveway after snow fall, you don't have snow/ice into July.  Then there was the comments about having to see if they could live together. If they don't know if they'll get along after being together for as many years as they have, they're in trouble.  

[Albino]

I thought it was weird that the Denver couple's first step in moving their relationship forward was to buy a house when they've both lived with their parents their whole lives.  I find this more than a little scary.  A mortgage is a big commitment for people who - up until the purchase - were basically just dating, even if it was for years.  On the other hand...this is how things were done 60 years ago so...

Cul-de-sac or corner lot.  Ranch or split level.  Zzzzzz...HH must be running out of controversial choices.  But it was nice not to hear endless bitching about the kitchens or bathrooms.   And no references to man caves either!

[Empress1]

6 hours ago, Albino said:

I thought it was weird that the Denver couple's first step in moving their relationship forward was to buy a house when they've both lived with their parents their whole lives.  I find this more than a little scary.  A mortgage is a big commitment for people who - up until the purchase - were basically just dating, even if it was for years.

Me too. Why not rent an apartment together? Even for just a year - they'll still have their savings. That way if they realize they can't live together, they can move out and move on. If it goes well, then they can buy. It was also weird to me that she said they wanted to "learn about each other." They've been together for 8 years! They should know each other by now.

[laredhead]

I forced my self to watch the Denver episode in spite of the woman's voice which was that awful vocal fry.  Those two have never had to deal with any of the problems or issues of home ownership or living on their own.  I agree with previous posters that perhaps they should try that first before committing to a house.  The reveal scene at the end still had them being taken care of by her father who did the upgrades, including replacing those "horrible" laminate counters with the ever beloved granite.  The realtor was correct in that some of those changes could be made after they moved in a lived there for a while, but i think dad was into taking care of his daughter.  Hope their relationship works and they eventually learn to live on their own.

As for the houses, all of them looked alike and the only way I knew they were in different houses was the the stairs in the 2nd one.  None of them had any appealing characteristics IMO.      

[Empress1]

I liked the exterior of the Craftsman the most. One of the exteriors was pink. I would have prioritized painting that very highly had I been the buyer.

[AuntiePam]

11 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

Did not like the very young Denver couple.  Her vocal fry was one of the worst I've heard on this show, so it was tough to listen to.  Plus, their want list was strange from wanting a cul-de-sac for her, to his having to live near mom, to the weirdness of the no north facing driveway (I lived in very snowy Wisconsin for 25 years, and if you shovel or plow a driveway after snow fall, you don't have snow/ice into July.  Then there was the comments about having to see if they could live together. If they don't know if they'll get along after being together for as many years as they have, they're in trouble.  

That part made no sense to me.  No matter which side of the house your driveway is on, if it snows, you'll have to move the snow.  And it's going to snow more than once.  And unless you're way up in the mountains, you won't have snow into July, not even in Denver.

I do understand wanting to be on a cul-de-sac -- less traffic, more quiet -- or a corner lot -- fewer neighbors.

[Ohwell]

I got the impression that the Denver vocal fry woman was forever going to be Daddy's little girl, and the fact that she totally bought into the whole "snow into July" stuff just reinforced that.  The groom might as well get himself prepared for sharing her with daddy.  I wasn't impressed with any of the homes; they just looked kind of dreary on the outside.

[Mittengirl]

The average annual snowfall in Denver is only 57 inches, which is 20 inches below the average for my city, and we don't have snow in our driveway in July.  (And from what I understand, Denver gets "drier" snow than the lake effect snow here in Michigan.)  I suspect Daddy will come over and clear her driveway or hire a plow service for Her Majesty.

It is my firm belief that everyone should live alone, and self-supporting, for at least one year before getting married.  Get to know yourself first.

[proserpina65]

On ‎09‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 5:30 PM, Thumper said:

I wouldn't move somewhere for a museum.  That is weird!  Didn't see the show; was it possibly a producer-driven statement?

Museums wouldn't be the sole reason for a move, but it would be one of those factors worthy of consideration for me.  There are cities where I would live if I could live within walking distance of a favorite museum.  It wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker though.

[StatisticalOutlier]

13 hours ago, Albino said:

I thought it was weird that the Denver couple's first step in moving their relationship forward was to buy a house when they've both lived with their parents their whole lives.  I find this more than a little scary.  A mortgage is a big commitment for people who - up until the purchase - were basically just dating, even if it was for years.  On the other hand...this is how things were done 60 years ago so...

No, 60 years ago people got married and then moved in together and then they bought a house.  I wanted to scream when she fried that they were buying this house, and then hopefully getting engaged and married before having children.  Hopefully?  Oh, because the MAN* decides they're getting engaged?  I'm so sick of that shit.

*Or boy, in this case, because he's 26 and living with his parents.  He's working at Home Depot or something, it sounds like.  Has he ever lived on his own?  He's never had a girlfriend other than this one, who I assume will take over his mother's job of washing his massive amount of clothes.  Of course, she wasn't much better when it comes to independence.  I'm enjoying thinking about the fights they're going to have at the holidays over which parts of the day to spend with which family when they're not each waking up there already and don't have to "choose."

As it happens, I'm in Henderson, Colorado, right now (where their 3rd house was).  It's way on the outskirts of Denver on I-76, and industrial area that is home to a ton of truck repair places, and there are a lot of these "cluster" neighborhoods--all newly sprung up out in the middle of nowhere.  I loved that the (ringer) house they looked at was walking distance to some place (a coffee shop?) and a salon.  Because who would want to have to DRIVE to get their hair cut?

Thornton, where they live, is a typical suburb full of new construction, but as they said, it's easy access to Boulder or Denver from there.  Although if your reason for living somewhere is how easy it is to get out of there to some place else, perhaps you should re-think living there in the first place.

Now, about the snow.  The snow in Denver will typically melt on its own fairly quickly if it's in the sun, which usually comes out not long after a snowfall.  There are occasional times when it really piles up, but all things being equal, I'd pick a south-facing driveway over a north-facing one if I valued an easier time of dealing with snow.  That said, they were exaggerating a bit about how long the snow will last if it's shaded, but it can make a huge difference.

[MooCat Pretzel]

Mr. Pretzel and I live in Denver.  The "snow until July" comment drove us nuts because so many people we know who aren't familiar with this city already think Denver is the snow capital of the world.  Statements like that only enlarge the misconception.  We get snow, but it doesn't stick around that long due to all of the sunshine and being a mile high closer to the sun.

I have a feeling with both wanting to be so close to family and never living on their own, it is going to be a tough road ahead.

[QuinnM]

Quote

We get snow, but it doesn't stick around that long due to all of the sunshine and being a mile high closer to the sun.

I'm in MN and this is where I thought she might actually have a point.  It seems that this town has a southern shade area - from the Rockies?  So if your drive is southern facing you actually have to shovel more in the spring.  I know I'll just look at the temp and the cloud cover and know it'll melt on its own.

[izabella]

3 hours ago, MooCat Pretzel said:

We get snow, but it doesn't stick around that long due to all of the sunshine and being a mile high closer to the sun.

Is that really true?  Like, really, truly, true?   I ask because my fiance wants us to move to the Denver area once we get married.  We already live in the snowy Midwest, and I am just not that into the idea of moving to yet another snowy place.  Everyone that I have talked with that I've met that is from Denver all say what you are saying about the snow - yes, but it melts fast because of the sun.  I'm giving everyone the side-eye because I know snow and cold and I'm just not believing it could melt nearly fast enough for it to not be an issue.

So, how fast is fast?  If you get a 6 inch snowfall, and the sun comes out afterwards at noon, is it magically melted by end of day?  Two days?  A week?

[StatisticalOutlier]

A six-inch snowfall probably wouldn't melt in a day, but very possibly in two days, and if there weren't any snow added, it definitely wouldn't last anywhere near a week unless the temperatures were unusually cold.  What usually happens is it snows, and then the next day it'll be 50 degrees and sunny.  When that doesn't happen, the snow can linger a little.  Snow isn't not an issue, but it's not a big issue.

I've spent a couple of winters in Denver.  I drive a rear-wheel drive sports car with wide rear tires and was driving around even in the winter when they nearly broke the record for consecutive number of days with snow on the ground.  It was 60-something days, I think, but that was so odd as to be noteworthy and almost record-breaking.  I didn't have to drive every day, but got around fine in that car except on some residential side streets where they didn't plow (this amount of snow taxed the city) and people would drive down the middle and leave two tracks with a pile of snow between them, and my car was too low to clear it.  But normal cars and SUVs had no trouble.  But on major streets, I didn't have any trouble getting around if a day had gone by without new snow.

And the snow is very light.  The car once was in about two feet of snow and I dug it out with a plastic dust pan.

But I have to disagree that any of this is due to being a mile closer to the sun.  Mount Everest is a lot closer to the sun than Denver is and the snow there doesn't melt.  Denver does get brilliant sunshine that is good for melting snow, but it also gets warm wind coming down from the Rockies that warms things up considerably, also helping the snow to melt.  The one issue I have is that if you clear the snow but the surface is still wet, it can freeze overnight, but that's not all that common because it's so dry here.

I've been in Kansas City for a storm with a foot of snow, and we were trapped for several days.  It's really not like that in Denver.

But bring your checkbook.  Housing prices are crazy, especially if you want to live IN Denver.

[AuntiePam]

The Detroit Lakes, Minnesota chiropractor -- I was sure she'd go for the gorgeous updated over-budget house with the attached garage.  An attached garage was her #1 priority -- Minnesota winters.   #2 priority was separate areas for her and her 9-year-old daughter.  Even though it was over budget,  she was presumably selling her current house (which included 40 acres of land), and I thought maybe her stated budget was low, for show purposes. 

I thought the duplex would have been a good choice too -- attached garage, and the HOA included snow removal. 

But nope, she chose a house that needed some work, but it had a separate area for her daughter.  The detached garage was a fair distance from the house.  I gotta tell ya, schlepping groceries through a couple feet of snow is no fun. 

[KAOS Agent]

Just to chime in on the north facing driveway, I recognize that this wasn't her issue, but I live in the mountains (much, much snowier than Denver and significant snowfall can occur late into June) and the biggest issue I have with my north facing driveway is the wind coming from the west blows all the snow from the yard onto my driveway. So I can clear it and then a day or two later, I have to clear it again. It's also very, very icy once the snowmelt comes because the snow melts down from the street and yard and freezes on my driveway and without the sun to melt the ice, it can stay a lot longer than most people would think (but then it can freeze here every month of the year). If I had a south facing driveway, the strong high altitude sun would clear it much, much faster and I wouldn't have problems with ice.

1 hour ago, AuntiePam said:

The detached garage was a fair distance from the house.  I gotta tell ya, schlepping groceries through a couple feet of snow is no fun. 

I would just drive up to the house to unload anything and then park in the garage. I'm not sure where her home was, but it sounded like it was pretty far out of town. That implies it's probably much closer to Frazee/Perham, which isn't in the lakes area. 40 acres isn't going to have the value you might think. I'd bet her whole house plus the acreage would be less than $300,000. The value in the area comes from seasonal lake/hunting property and her property wouldn't appeal to that type of customer.

[QuinnM]

Quote

I gotta tell ya, schlepping groceries through a couple feet of snow is no fun. 

That isn't the worst.  The worst is sprinting to the door with a windchill of -40.  I thought I'd died and gone to heaven the first winter with an attached garage.  Detroit Lakes ON the lake means those winds are coming at you with a gale force.  She's nuts.  She thinks this will be like sprinting at the farm.

[laredhead]

I really wish there was a clause in the HH contracts that required them to give a follow up a year or two after they purchase their houses so that we can see if they still like the house, their spouse, their location, etc.

[MooCat Pretzel]

Quote

We already live in the snowy Midwest, and I am just not that into the idea of moving to yet another snowy place. 

I am originally from the Midwest Izabella, so I understand where you are coming from--the kind of snow that sits around for 4-5 months, turns grey/black, and never seems to go away.  I promise you that the snow in Denver is not that soul crushing!  

Edited September 28, 2016 by MooCat Pretzel

[Ottis]

Quote

to the weirdness of the no north facing driveway (I lived in very snowy Wisconsin for 25 years, and if you shovel or plow a driveway after snow fall, you don't have snow/ice into July

I live in Denver, and this is in fact a big deal. A very big deal. I know, because our first house had a south-facing driveway, and our second has a north-facing driveway because I wasn't paying attention.

Because of the altitude, when the sun shines -even in the winter - it is more intense than most anywhere else. So if it snows 2-3 inches overnight, a south-facing driveway, which gets more sun in winter, will melt all by itself in a matter of hours. In a big snow, its possible a foot will melt in a day, with no help from you.

In contrast, a north-facing driveway (like ours), DOESN'T MELT. The snow sticks and often freezes. We've been out with brooms to sweep small snowfalls away, because if you don't, it lingers and become ice. Big snows freeze and become car hazards.

Our neighbor across the street enjoys heckling us when we shovel, pointing out "That looks like a lot of work!' while his driveway is bone dry due to the sun. Bastard.

As for snow in July... no. But let people think that. Maybe it will stop them from moving here. 

Quote

But I have to disagree that any of this is due to being a mile closer to the sun.  Mount Everest is a lot closer to the sun than Denver is and the snow there doesn't melt.  Denver does get brilliant sunshine that is good for melting snow, but it also gets warm wind coming down from the Rockies that warms things up considerably, also helping the snow to melt.  The one issue I have is that if you clear the snow but the surface is still wet, it can freeze overnight, but that's not all that common because it's so dry here.

The temperature on Mt. Everest ranges on average from -4F to as much as -60F. No amount of sunlight will melt that snow. The combination of Denver being closer to the sun, our semi-arid climate and dry air, our more frequent sunny days than most regions and habitable temperatures all contribute to relatively quick snow melts. Even at +10F I have seen my neighbor's snow melt on a sunny day, and melt very little or not visibly on a cloudy day.

Edited September 29, 2016 by Ottis

[AuntiePam]

11 hours ago, KAOS Agent said:

I would just drive up to the house to unload anything and then park in the garage.

Good point -- it looked like she could do that without driving up onto her yard.  Around here (Iowa), if the garage is placed just right, you can build a "breezeway" type of connection and attach the garage.  It's on my wish list for our house.  Every other place I've lived, I would have had to drive on the lawn. 

[HawaiiTVGuy]

7 hours ago, QuinnM said:

That isn't the worst.  The worst is sprinting to the door with a windchill of -40.  I thought I'd died and gone to heaven the first winter with an attached garage.  Detroit Lakes ON the lake means those winds are coming at you with a gale force.  She's nuts.  She thinks this will be like sprinting at the farm.

I am curious, I know that the house she chose wasn't as under-budget as the second one was, but how much would it cost to build a "tunnel" to her house?  I would think that structurally it would be pretty simple so maybe not too much?  It is odd that she was so insistent on her own dock, I didn't catch if she grew up with a boat and/or own dock, but I imagine there is some maintenance that goes into it, and considering it is MN, you can't boat all year round.

[QuinnM]

Quote

I am curious, I know that the house she chose wasn't as under-budget as the second one was, but how much would it cost to build a "tunnel" to her house?

I have to say I don't know of any non-business with a tunnel.  But - I do know that because this house is so close to the water a tunnel would be out of the question, water table, contamination, conservancy blah, blah, blah. 

Quote

I didn't catch if she grew up with a boat and/or own dock, but I imagine there is some maintenance that goes into it, and considering it is MN, you can't boat all year round.

Minnesota is second only to Florida for the number of boats registered.  When they let us out of the house we just go crazy.

[AuntiePam]

21 minutes ago, HawaiiTVGuy said:

I am curious, I know that the house she chose wasn't as under-budget as the second one was, but how much would it cost to build a "tunnel" to her house?  I would think that structurally it would be pretty simple so maybe not too much? 

I think the garage was too far from the house.  In the ones I've seen where the house and garage were connected after both were built, the house and garage were adjacent (both facing the same way) and the distance was maybe 10-15 feet.  Her garage was at a right-angle to the house. 

Connecting them would also block access to the lake -- people wouldn't be able to walk between the house and garage to get to the lake -- they'd have to go through the house, or around to the other side of the house or garage. 

(I'm assuming you mean an above-ground tunnel.)

[HawaiiTVGuy]

8 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

I think the garage was too far from the house.  In the ones I've seen where the house and garage were connected after both were built, the house and garage were adjacent (both facing the same way) and the distance was maybe 10-15 feet.  Her garage was at a right-angle to the house. 

Connecting them would also block access to the lake -- people wouldn't be able to walk between the house and garage to get to the lake -- they'd have to go through the house, or around to the other side of the house or garage. 

(I'm assuming you mean an above-ground tunnel.)

Yup, thinking of that, thanks for the input.  Oh well, I guess she will just have to live with the inconvenience for that part of the year she will have no use for her personal dock.

26 minutes ago, QuinnM said:

I have to say I don't know of any non-business with a tunnel.  But - I do know that because this house is so close to the water a tunnel would be out of the question, water table, contamination, conservancy blah, blah, blah. 

Minnesota is second only to Florida for the number of boats registered.  When they let us out of the house we just go crazy.

I guess I am more of the practical kind of guy and think about the amount of actual days that a personal dock would make a difference.  If the HOA of the twin home covers the maintenance of the common dock, like I said, considering the amount of time she will actually get to use it during the year, I would have thought the attached garage and the snow shoveling etc would have been worth it over needing to share a dock.

[Kohola3]

We midwestern boaters are pretty hardy.  I live in upper Michigan and we start putting boats in the water as soon as the ice is out and keep them in until December unless it's extremely cold.  If she's a serious boater she'd use it a lot.

[Totale]

On 9/26/2016 at 3:10 PM, slasherboy said:

The first house, the one they bought, was in Prospect, which is VERY expensive.  It's not too very far from the Ohio River and Prospect is home to people with big boats (re: yachts), big incomes, and big mortgages. But it's beautiful there.

I didn't catch where the other 2 houses were located.

The third one was also in Prospect, didn't catch the second.  I was excited to see HH coming to Louisville as we are actually looking in the area, but everywhere they looked was rich-ass suburbs and in cultural, geographical and monetary terms this was a Louisville episode like one where they are looking in New Rochelle is a NYC one.