House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[pep4]

Enjoyed tonight's episode of the Detroit nurse with 3 kids.  She seemed really sweet and genuine. 

 

Not so much for the NYC actors getting a second home in Woodstock this morning.  Laid the HH scripted formulas and fake concerns on a bit too thick.

[StatisticalOutlier]

10 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

I liked the LA lady with the tag-along sometime house guest.  Shall we assume that the clothes in the closets were hers?  They were very sparkly.

Was the entire house empty except for two closets with clothes in them?  That's what I remember, and it seemed very weird.

 

Quote

The wrap-around skirt was an unfortunate fashion choice. 

I'll say.  I was thinking if she wanted to be on a reality TV show, she would have been better off with What Not To Wear. 

[KLovestoShop]

The Michigan single mom seemed to be more concerned with a make up room and a room for her pool table  so she can party, rather than what her kids might need, on a VERY small budget of $160K.  I'm yelling at her that rooms for frivolous things shouldn't be on the top of her list and a staircase just so she can drape Christmas decorations on the railing also isn't all that important.  She really needs a dose of reality with a lot of things.  Does she realize that a Great Dane can eat as much as a child?  And I wonder where her 14 year old son is?   Probably living with the ex?  

[AuntiePam]

11 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

 Does she realize that a Great Dane can eat as much as a child?  And I wonder where her 14 year old son is? 

Those giant dogs have short life spans too.  A friend used to rescue Great Danes but he had to stop, he said it was just too sad to lose them.  They're wonderful dogs though.

Yeah, it was silly to want a bannister to decorate.  I can understand wanting space to put up a tree, or a mantle to hang stockings from.  But a bannister? 

[laredhead]

I figured the house with the clothes in the closets on the California episode was the real house, but I wondered why empty all of the rooms of furniture and then leave clothes in the closets.  Why not just not open the closets during the tour or move the clothes out of the camera view?  I think there was also a bed in one of the bedrooms of that house, but I may be mistaken.

I agree that the Michigan woman seemed to have some misplaced priorities about what she was expecting for $160,000.  Who needs a room for makeup other than a makeup artist or someone whose job involves makeup?  I agree with the realtor that the bathroom in the house she chose was functional although it may not have been done in her style, but it had been recently renovated.  The money she spent on redoing it probably could have gone to adding some square footage to that house and making it a little more livable for a family of 3 or 4 (if son is included).  I wonder if she ripped out the tub and put in a new one because she could have had the brown tub resurfaced in white and saved a lot of money. 

[AuntiePam]

laredhead, I liked that the realtor pointed out that the bathroom was quite functional.  More agents need to do that.  But it probably wouldn't sink in.  Like the buyer said, she wants what she wants and she wants it now. 

On the other hand, who thought a dark brown bathtub was a good idea?  I might do something unique like that if I was going to live in the house forever, but only then.

[MaKaM]

Part of me wants to apply to be on the show (despite not being in need of another house) and say that my schtick is that I love everything about all houses. No "Oh, I hate that this doesn't have character and an open floor plan" instead "I love how blank this canvas is, I can totally add some chair rail. Separate rooms? More walls for bookshelves!" "I love avacado green bathrooms!" "next to a railroad track, cool, trains are neato!" etc.

At least is would be a refreshing change from the "Ugh, this kitchen isn't white/granite/stainless" and "I NEED five bedrooms and 10 bathrooms and a spa retreat and a home for my mini-camel and a man cave all on my impossibly small budget."

[Kohola3]

I'd write you a letter of reference just to see that!

[Peanutbuttercup]

I want to see the one that someone on TWOP proposed a while back. "I hate entertaining and people generally. I just want a house with a fast internet connection and a moat."

[ByaNose]

42 minutes ago, Peanutbuttercup said:

I want to see the one that someone on TWOP proposed a while back. "I hate entertaining and people generally. I just want a house with a fast internet connection and a moat."

Or "while I'm preparing dinner I can still see the kids." I'm 52 and I think that was the last thing my Mom ever wanted to do. The most we got was, "Turn that damn tv down!". LOL!!!

[Kohola3]

Quote

I'm 52 and I think that was the last thing my Mom ever wanted to do. 

Lord, yes.  Half the time she shut the door just to have a little alone time.

[chessiegal]

Back on TWoP before HH non-disclosure agreements became so tight, there were people on the show that posted they had vowed they would not do the stereotypical comments, but the producers wore them down with multiple takes, so much that they didn't remember what they said and got edited looking like idiots. I doubt HH production tactics have changed. They have a ratings winner, and I give those on the show a good deal of slack.

[Homily]

16 hours ago, ByaNose said:

"Turn that damn tv down!". LOL!!!

That's what kills me with the whole open concept thing.  My sister turned her eat in kitchen into a kitchen/family room type deal and it looks great.  It really does.  A lot like most of the sets on family centred sitcoms (which I think is what she was going for).  Anyway looks great.  Sounds?  Not so much.  If you're in the family room area trying to watch TV and you keep hearing water running in the sink, someone rattling around in the cutlery drawer or searching for a pot or whatever it gets pretty annoying.  And the other side of the coin of course is that if you're the one cooking dinner and you don't want the Price is Right blasting on the TV you're going to Have Words with someone.  

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, Homily said:

That's what kills me with the whole open concept thing.  My sister turned her eat in kitchen into a kitchen/family room type deal and it looks great.  It really does.  A lot like most of the sets on family centred sitcoms (which I think is what she was going for).  Anyway looks great.  Sounds?  Not so much.  If you're in the family room area trying to watch TV and you keep hearing water running in the sink, someone rattling around in the cutlery drawer or searching for a pot or whatever it gets pretty annoying.  And the other side of the coin of course is that if you're the one cooking dinner and you don't want the Price is Right blasting on the TV you're going to Have Words with someone.  

I can see that....or hear that. LOL!! I think aesthetically it looks nice & grande but it's also a lot of sounds all at once. I have friends who have the open concept kitchen family room. It looks great and it's fun when all the adults are hanging out and partying (we're in out late 40's/early 50's). I think it's different when you are the actual parent living with it with kids. That said, it's the latest rage and every house & condo are set up like that. Back in our day it was individual rooms. Now, it's one big room. I'm not sure what's next. I'm sure HH & HGTV will tell us. LOL!!!

[laredhead]

ByaNose, the lumber business is going to boom when HGTV announces the trend to closed off spaces and all of those open concept houses will have to be remodeled to add walls and doors.

[Gam2]

Just watched a few episodes of House Hunters. After all of these years, can't they change things up? "Spacious", "We could make this work", "Total gut", "Not in our preferred area", " Not my style",  "I want stainless and granite", "Over our budget", "Not in our kid's school district", "Something to consider", etc, etc, etc. And then the "conversation" to eliminate one and duh, duh, duh-- they decide! On the house they've already bought. At first this was fun and interesting--after 10,000 shows of the same damn thing, it's no longer fun or interesting. Done, House Hunters. Just done. 

[buttersister]

I've learned so much from HH. They taught me I don't want granite counter tops (I chose quartz--ha, now it's their new thing, or about to be, if those goofy property bros are an indication).

[chocolatine]

Michigan Mom: I want a diamond in the rough.

Realtor: So you're willing to do some work?

Michigan Mom: No, I want move-in ready.

D'oh!

Edited November 21, 2016 by chocolatine

[Tracer34]

Des Moines episode (I think).  The couple were looking for "houses with character".  Good lord, stop it already with the "character".

They had one veto each for any house they didn't like. The woman insisted that the house must be SOUTH OF GRAND at least 45 times.

The 3 houses they looked at were older and 2 of them were beautiful.

But what bothered me about this episode (and plenty of others) is that no one on HH has a clue as to what style of house they are viewing.  Not even the realtors have any idea. They call any house with a dormer a Cape Cod, any two story a Colonial, any house with a stone foundation a Craftsman, any old ranch a Mid-century Modern, any older house with a porch a Victorian.

I don't expect everyone to recognize specific styles, but pleeeeze say nothing about the style if you don't know what it is.

[ByaNose]

20 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Michigan Mom: I want a diamond in the rough.

Realtor: So you're willing to do some work?

Michigan Mom: No, I want move-in ready.

D'oh!

Well, diamonds can be expensive. Maybe, she want's the diamond in the rough that is very expensive and move in ready. LOL!!!

[Peanutbuttercup]

Georgia to Connecticut couple: we don't want a cookie cutter house! We don't want out house to look like everyone else's!

Also: we must have a white kitchen, open concept floor plan, and oh yes let's paint all the wood trim white and the walls gray. Because that's totally original and no one else has that. No cookie cutter here!

[Babalooie]

Eureka!  I just had a revelation reading about our moms yelling to turn the TV down.  There is a correlation between open concept floor plans and helicopter moms.  I know.  My DIL and her mother both have to grease their rotors regularly.  Too bad if you don't feel like cleaning the kitchen and company drops by.

[laredhead]

Re the Ga. to Conn. couple, all I could think about when I saw those huge wood siding houses, was how much it was going to cost to paint those places every 6 or 7 years.  Wish they had addressed property taxes in more detail because Connecticut is pretty expensive.  I agree with a previous post that some interesting information about the area would be nice instead of rehashing what the buyers have already seen at the beginning of each segment.  Of course, the present format gives us more time to visit the refrigerator for a snack, or the bathroom, or walk the dog during commercials and the intro of each segment.  

[MaKaM]

Dangit, that couple in San Diego stole my schtick. They liked nearly everything, didn't whine about stupid stuff and were generally likeable. WTH, House Hunters? Deviating from the script?

[KLovestoShop]

I didn't like the guy of the San Diego couple.  He just reminded me of a never made it to the big leagues dude who thinks he's a the stud of the world.  He kept preaching mid century modern, but complained that a bathroom looked to be from the last century when he said "Was this bathroom made in this century?"  Stud, that's what a mid century modern looked like.  

[pep4]

San Diego guy came off as having saved up quips for years and then tried to shove them all into one episode.

[Tara1665]

No judging but did anyone else feel like they just watched Woman and her Gay Best Friend Find  House Together in  San Diego?

[illini1959]

Quote

No judging but did anyone else feel like they just watched Woman and her Gay Best Friend Find  House Together in  San Diego?

Yep.

[Ohwell]

I kinda liked San Diego dude because I think he knew he came off as a dudebro type.  I took his quips as his making fun of himself, gay or not.  

[juliet73]

I  think San Deigo dude was  kind of a douche.  She was a lot more open minded. 

[Empress1]

17 hours ago, pep4 said:

San Diego guy came off as having saved up quips for years and then tried to shove them all into one episode.

Yeah, he was a little too "on" for my taste.

[Pickles]

The couple in Minneapolis tonight. The wife is 28. I would have guessed 35. She is bugging me for some reason.

[MaKaM]

Guess the Minnesota couple needed a new column in their spreadsheet: What wifey wants: value 100.

[magemaud]

My gaydar was pinging at the San Diego former baseball player, too. (not that there's anything wrong with that!) But I was surprised at the end that there was no marriage proposal since they seemed to chose the house without much discussion of pros and cons of each and I thought the episode might have been edited to leave time for him producing a ring at the end. 

[twinks]

1 hour ago, MaKaM said:

Guess the Minnesota couple needed a new column in their spreadsheet: What wifey wants: value 100.

Totally pointless. They both bugged me. He's worried about playing ball in the yard with kids they don't have yet...

[laredhead]

I figured the Minnesota couple would buy the house they finally chose because of the proximity of the school grounds to the first one.  I would not want to live next to a school, especially ball fields where there could be lights and games and noise at night.  Another new wrinkle from the HH producers - measuring the wall depth.  I am fairly certain that 2 X 6 construction is not going to be found in older houses, even in Minnesota, but I don't live there so maybe it is more common than I think.  Anyway, I thought that was a bit silly, but at least it was something different to consider.

I have news for that couple who seem to be very analytical and use spreadsheets and charts for things, once a child enters the picture, you can toss those things out the window.  Hope they are flexible in addition to be analytical.       

[mojito]

Quote

They call any house with a dormer a Cape Cod, any two story a Colonial, any house with a stone foundation a Craftsman, any old ranch a Mid-century Modern, any older house with a porch a Victorian.

I learned from the Michigan woman that so many of those two-story tract homes from the sixties were "colonial". 

Quote

Dangit, that couple in San Diego stole my schtick. They liked nearly everything, didn't whine about stupid stuff and were generally likeable. WTH, House Hunters? Deviating from the script?

He brought more personality to the table than other HHs, so he didn't need the script. I liked what he said about their (embarrassingly) being bird people but wanting to be dog people. Also, when he reminded girlfriend that yes, the homes were close together, but their neighbors probably weren't spies. I liked that narrow, rectangular house the most.

The smartest thing Minnesota man said was that he was an athlete and should consider a one-story home because his knees would not be up for stairs pretty soon. Well, he'll find that out, and probably sooner than he thinks.

[ByaNose]

On 11/23/2016 at 5:47 AM, Tara1665 said:

No judging but did anyone else feel like they just watched Woman and her Gay Best Friend Find  House Together in  San Diego?

He seemed so metro sexual gay but apparently they are a couple. Who knew???? I didn't. LOL!!! Maybe, he's different in real life. He came off kind of obnoxious but I've seen worse on this show. He was California good looking and she seemed nice, too. I also thought there was going to be a big proposal at the end......but nope! 

Minnesota couple were a nice looking couple but she did come off a lot older then 29. They seem very compatible in their likes and dislikes but I don't think I would want school playing fields in my backyard. Maybe, in the summer it wouldn't be too bad. Also, the yard was so uneven. That was another negative for me.

[dccfan37]

This new episode with the newlywed couple got on my nerves!! the wife was such a complainer, and wanted so much with a smaller budget. And jeez, let your husband have a media room! She just could not be pleased 

Edited November 25, 2016 by dccfan37

[chocolatine]

4 hours ago, dccfan37 said:

This new episode with the newlywed couple got on my nerves!! the wife was such a complainer, and wanted so much with a smaller budget. And jeez, let your husband have a media room! She just could not be pleased 

The wife was on the show two years ago buying as a single mom (and yes, she was just as demanding then). I hope things work out for them as a couple - going from single to married and pregnant in two years is fast, especially when children from previous marriages are involved.

[laredhead]

Now I remember her.  I kept thinking she looked familiar.  Was she the woman who said how nice her neighbors had been to her and had come over and helped her with a few things when she moved?  If so, I wonder if her now husband was one of those nice neighbors?

Yes, she was demanding.  I enjoyed the little dig that the realtor gave her about not spending so much money on shoes so that she could afford more house.  Obviously she and the realtor were friends with comments like that and the other comment from the realtor about not having to have everything immediately. 

[mojito]

I thought the husband was equally as annoying with his demand for a media room. He okayed a family room and then declared that it was big enough for the rest of the family so now he could get his media room.  His own media room. She wanted the kids to have a play room. Whatever happened to the outdoors? You live in Florida. She had to have a pool and a closet large enough for all her shoes. Shoes and media room. These are people's needs nowadays? 

[chocolatine]

7 hours ago, mojito said:

I thought the husband was equally as annoying with his demand for a media room. He okayed a family room and then declared that it was big enough for the rest of the family so now he could get his media room.  His own media room. She wanted the kids to have a play room. Whatever happened to the outdoors? You live in Florida. She had to have a pool and a closet large enough for all her shoes. Shoes and media room. These are people's needs nowadays? 

Yes, I always cringe at people's "needs" nowadays. I was born in the former Soviet Union in the 80s; back then it was not uncommon for a family of four to live in a 1-bedroom apartment. Or for multiple generations to live in the same apartment/house. Homes never had more than one bathroom, and even having one bathroom that wasn't shared with other apartments was considered a luxury.  It was unheard of for a child to have their own bedroom, let alone a "play room". We moved to Germany in the 90s, and even though the homes there seemed palatial in comparison to what we'd had in the USSR, there were still no play rooms, media rooms, or even walk-in closets, and multiple bathrooms were a rarity. I've been living in the US for almost a decade now, and while I've come to appreciate walk-in closets, I still don't see why "media" can't be consumed in the family/living room and children can't play in their own bedrooms when they're not playing outside.

Edited November 26, 2016 by chocolatine

[KAOS Agent]

The Minneapolis couple looked at my childhood home. Not the exact one since this one was slightly bigger, but it was clearly from the same builders and most likely in the same neighborhood. It even had the same awful fake beams (my parents removed those immediately we moved in 30 years ago). I had both of my parents watch the walk through on that one. It was kind of fun taking a tour of my old house.

[juliet73]

Seattle couple: He was something else.  He wanted the modern 3 story townhouse with the tiny balcony that was way over budget.  How is that even practical with 2 bigger sized dogs?  Then they tour the 3rd house with the large backyard and he's bitchin' because there is no dog door which in turn makes the backyard completely useless?? Get the eff out of here!!!!   And it drives me mad when people with kids and/or dogs tour homes with no backyards and the realtor always mentions there's "a park just a few blocks away."  Nope, that's not even close to the same as just opening the back door and letting them run/play outside. 

[AuntiePam]

juliet73, exactly, about substituting a park for a yard.  A dog needs to be outside four or five times a day just for potty duty, so that townhouse would have been impossible.  Plus, it looked like it was surrounded by other buildings.

And unless the yard is fenced, someone needs to be with the dogs so they won't stray, and for protection from other dogs.  

I laughed at the husband so carefully (and slowly) cutting that carrot.  He came off as kinda useless.

[snarts]

I liked the house the Seattle couple chose, it was obviously the best one for their dogs.  While I understand that HGTV needs some storyline for each episode, I do wish that they would drop the whole "style of house" conflict they use with couples.  I'm so sick of the craftsman/colonial/rambler debate that occurs.  Especially since they often end up in something entirely different...and for good reason.

[Thumper]

I thought the Seattle realtor was going to lose it when the guy said in such a disgusted way,  "And another thing, there is NO doggy door!"  Horrors!!!!   I know I rolled my eyes over that one,. 

[Tara1665]

Hated Seattle couple. I put them up there with Turtle  Lady.  Dear lord please don't let them breed.

Also dude there used to be a time in history where doggy doors not invented yet. 

[chocolatine]

8 minutes ago, Thumper said:

I thought the Seattle realtor was going to lose it when the guy said in such a disgusted way,  "And another thing, there is NO doggy door!"  Horrors!!!!   I know I rolled my eyes over that one,. 

I wonder whether producers prodded him to say that for "dramatic" purposes. Everyone who lives in the Seattle area knows how crazy the real estate market is, that there is almost always a bidding war and many houses sell $50k+ over asking price the same day they are listed, so buyers can't afford to be picky about small details.

BTW, only the townhouse was in Seattle proper, the other two houses were in the suburbs. Which is not to say suburbs are bad - I really like Shoreline, where the winning house is - just that you can no longer get a single family home in Seattle proper for $400k.