House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[mojito]

South Amboy, New Jersey

This was one of those episodes where there was no clear winner because all of the homes were unappealing. I couldn't believe the one they chose was more expensive because of all its updates (they must've been behind the walls). That second home was hysterical. It looked like a caricature of a campy 1960s home. That carpet, the paneling, the furniture (which he wondered if the sellers would sell--yikes) didn't look real. I'm glad, though, that he and his girlfriend are happy.

[Ohwell]

Yeah, the South Amboy, NJ couple didn't have much to choose from but they were a pleasant couple.  They seemed happy in the new house.  Plus, since this was his first purchase, he'll probably have a better selection to choose from whenever he decides to sell. 

[chessiegal]

One thing I was curious about in the South Amboy house he bought was the basement/crawl space? They never mentioned it, but there were clearly windows with window wells under the first floor, and the shot in the backyard showed the kind of storm doors that have stairs leading to a basement.

[Babalooie]

HH were off the mark yesterday.  Both the US and International episodes had pleasant couples - both NJ and the Netherlands.

[Empress1]

4 hours ago, mojito said:

South Amboy, New Jersey

This was one of those episodes where there was no clear winner because all of the homes were unappealing. I couldn't believe the one they chose was more expensive because of all its updates (they must've been behind the walls). That second home was hysterical. It looked like a caricature of a campy 1960s home. That carpet, the paneling, the furniture (which he wondered if the sellers would sell--yikes) didn't look real. I'm glad, though, that he and his girlfriend are happy.

I was cringing at the second house, and then he was like "This ... is ... awesome!" and I cracked up.

[Ohwell]

32 minutes ago, Babalooie said:

HH were off the mark yesterday.  Both the US and International episodes had pleasant couples - both NJ and the Netherlands.

Yeah, for a minute there I thought I was in an alternate universe. 

[mojito]

@Babalooie, the trend continues.

Charlotte, NC. 

Normal couple. He was hung up on only a 15-minute (not 18-minute) drive, but otherwise, quite a normal couple. HH, we like people like this. Stop annoying us with slapworthy couples. In this episode, their wants weren't too opposite. She wanted a ranch, he wanted something modern but a ranch wasn't out of the question. She wanted something small, and he seemed okay with small.

Tonight I learned that tract homes of the 2000s are "cookie cutter" but tract homes of the 1960s aren't. 

[Maharincess]

I went to check out the jewelry that tonight's house hunter makes. I don't know much about jewelry but her stuff looks like something my grandkids would make in kindergarten for a Mother's Day project.  I thought it was really ugly and very amateurish.   

[chocolatine]

House #1 was pretty much my ideal house, and I LOVED the back yard with the patio, trees, and garden beds. I wonder if the HHs were kicking themselves that that house wasn't yet on the market when they actually bought their house. I know #1 was $15k more expensive than #2, but it was fully updated and it sounded like it was in a more desirable location as well.

Edited January 14, 2017 by chocolatine

[laredhead]

Mojito, I think the reason that many HH's don't think 1950's and 1960's houses aren't cookie cutter is because they have been remodeled and the landscaping is mature which makes them all look a bit different.  I live in a neighborhood where the houses were built from 1955 to 1957 and I think there might be 2 that have never been remodeled or have additions.  The trees are large and there is a lot of landscaping throughout the neighborhood, but early pictures of the s/d when it was built show almost no trees, no landscaping and every house looks the same.  There were 5 floor plans available at the time, and a couple of variations on the way the exteriors looked.  It was totally cookie cutter 60 years ago.

I also liked the NC couple, and yes, the kitchen in the house they bought needs some updating and better space planning, but they are making it work.  Sometimes living in a house before making changes is good because then you have a better idea of what to change, if anything.  I figure they don't have pets, especially cats, because all of those curtains were perfectly "puddled" at the floor.  I'm not a fan of that style because it's a dust collector and if you have a pet, it becomes an attractive bed or climbing wall.

Edited January 14, 2017 by laredhead

[Kohola3]

5 minutes ago, laredhead said:

It was totally cookie cutter 60 years ago.

Same here.  When my parents moved into their house in 1950 every single house was identical.  But new siding, different paint, some additions, and gardens have individualized things.  

[Ohwell]

I thought that all three of the Charlotte, NC houses were nice in their own way, and very reasonably priced.

[mojito]

@laredhead, I agree with you if you're saying that all the other homes in the neighborhood had changed so that the homes they looked at didn't look cookie cutter. Two of those homes looked unchanged to me, though, and looked very bland. 

It's really nice to see people go for the smaller homes.

[chessiegal]

As soon as I saw the puddled curtains in the empty house, I knew it was theirs. That style seemed to fit her "artistic flair".

ETA: I was being sarcastic.

Edited January 14, 2017 by chessiegal

[Kohola3]

Didn't puddled curtains to out about 10 years ago?  Dust catchers and, as laredhead says, cat magnets.

[debbie311]

21 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I was cringing at the second house, and then he was like "This ... is ... awesome!" and I cracked up.

I must be the most shallow person in the world.  I HATED all three houses.  I think  I would be looking for a new boyfriend ...

[Ohwell]

19 minutes ago, debbie311 said:

I must be the most shallow person in the world.  I HATED all three houses.  I think  I would be looking for a new boyfriend ...

Well, those houses were ugly but if she didn't like them, then perhaps she could buy her own house.  I'm not blaming the boyfriend.

Edited January 14, 2017 by Ohwell

[debbie311]

Just now, Ohwell said:

Well, those houses were ugly but if she didn't like them, then perhaps she could buy her own house.  I'm not blaming the boyfriend.

Nah, I'm not blaming the boyfriend.  I just wasn't that impressed with him either.  But maybe he's a nice guy and I really shouldn't judge him by the way he dresses and his taste in decorating.  Cracked me up, though, the way the realtor gave him the side-eye when he was exclaiming over the stove, thought it could be cleaned up and would be ok.  Realtor was like, no.

[juliet73]

15 hours ago, Maharincess said:

I went to check out the jewelry that tonight's house hunter makes. I don't know much about jewelry but her stuff looks like something my grandkids would make in kindergarten for a Mother's Day project.  I thought it was really ugly and very amateurish.   

The jewelry she was wearing on the show was pretty awful!

Did she explain why she didn't want a table in the formal dining room? At the reveal,  it looked like the area was made into a nursery/enclosed front porch/attic all in one.  The room was like her jewelry... An ugly mish mash of crap! 

[txvoodoo]

17 hours ago, mojito said:

@Babalooie, the trend continues.

Charlotte, NC. 

Normal couple. He was hung up on only a 15-minute (not 18-minute) drive, but otherwise, quite a normal couple. HH, we like people like this. Stop annoying us with slapworthy couples. In this episode, their wants weren't too opposite. She wanted a ranch, he wanted something modern but a ranch wasn't out of the question. She wanted something small, and he seemed okay with small.

Tonight I learned that tract homes of the 2000s are "cookie cutter" but tract homes of the 1960s aren't. 

Nostalgia is a powerful drug! Also, watching Mad Men.

You label something "mid century" and people get all excited, forgetting that plenty of the stuff from 50s-60s was incredibly generic. I say this having grown up in a 60s generic tract housing suburb. It was fun but no one on earth could claim it was chic. And I *like* good MCM. 

[laredhead]

Juliet, I think the NC woman wanted a separate formal dining room, and did not want a dining room table in what she considered to be part of the living room.  I saw a dining table somewhere during the reveal, so it must have been at one end of the kitchen. 

In one house, the master bedroom was evidently a former carport or garage because the driveway came right up to the window, and I agreed with them both that the view was less than great.  I think people sometimes remodel w/o getting the advice of a designer or thinking about anything other than the checkbook.  

[Thumper]

I'm watching a repeat from 2/8/16; doctor and wife moving to Lafayette, LA.  I think it is cute that they were high school sweethearts and they showed a photo.  He's cute and seems to have a good sense of humor.  She reminds me of Stockard Channing.  They have a big budget, so the house porn is fun.  But WHY ARE THEY MOVING????  Their current house looks amazing!!!  (And since when is their 11-yr-old daughter a "teenager?)

[awaken]

On 1/13/2017 at 3:08 PM, mojito said:

South Amboy, New Jersey

This was one of those episodes where there was no clear winner because all of the homes were unappealing. I couldn't believe the one they chose was more expensive because of all its updates (they must've been behind the walls). That second home was hysterical. It looked like a caricature of a campy 1960s home. That carpet, the paneling, the furniture (which he wondered if the sellers would sell--yikes) didn't look real. I'm glad, though, that he and his girlfriend are happy.

Ha. Yes, that was an interesting ep!  Loved watching him exclaim over that crazy 60s house #2- wonder what the girlfriend would have said had she been present.  The one they chose was plain and ugly.

I found him to be a bit of a stuffed shirt, and she was very attractive, except I couldn't stop staring at her top lip doing odd things as she spoke!  

[scootypuffjr]

[small voice] I liked quirky house #2, it was by far my favorite [/small voice]

[Maharincess]

6 hours ago, chessiegal said:

As soon as I saw the puddled curtains in the empty house, I knew it was theirs. That style seemed to fit her "artistic flair".

ETA: I was being sarcastic.

I hate that look so much.  It looks so messy and just looks like somebody doesn't know how to measure.

[juliet73]

5 hours ago, laredhead said:

Juliet, I think the NC woman wanted a separate formal dining room, and did not want a dining room table in what she considered to be part of the living room.  I saw a dining table somewhere during the reveal, so it must have been at one end of the kitchen. 

 

Wouldn't the LR and DR together be considered kind of an "open concept"? How did she ever make it on the show?  ?

[ByaNose]

I thought the boyfriend & girlfriend made an attractive couple. She wasn't to annoying and he seemed to have a good sense of humors. They were definitely a change of pace from the other HH who want the ginormous house that's over budget. The kitchen was a little to small and the appliances need to be reconfigured. I really liked the patio area. I'm not sure how he's going to change it into a beer testing area though. I have beer on my patio every summer day. Is that a beer testing area? LOL!!! Overall, a nice couple and the husband was kind of hot with the bald head and beard. Also, I don't see the wife selling her jewelry on QVC anytime soon. Maybe, it's just for her to wear. Did she say it was a business or just a crafting thing for her?

Edited January 16, 2017 by ByaNose

[AlleC17]

On 1/15/2017 at 7:53 AM, ByaNose said:

I thought the boyfriend & girlfiens made an attractive couple. She wasn't to annoying and he seemed to have a good sense of humors. They were definitely a change of pace from the other HH who want the ginormous house that's over budget. The kitchen was a little to small and the appliances need to be reconfigured. I really liked the patio area. I'm not sure how he's going to change it into a beer testing area though. I have beer on my patio every summer day. Is that a beer testing area? LOL!!! Overall, a nice couple and the husband was kind of hot with the bald head and beard. Also, I don't see the wife selling her jewelry on QVC anytime soon. Maybe, it's just for her to wear. Did she say it was a business or just a crafting thing for her?

Well, she referred to it as her 'jewelry making business', so she hopes at least to sell some of it.  Made from copies of her grandma's (or great grandma's) letters.  Okaaaaaaay then.  lol

[Tara1665]

Columbus couple... I understood  the guy was a reporter and over tv they need to wear makeup,  but holy metrosexual dude,  that and his eyebrows were way over the top..he actually was slightly creepy in a clownish kind of way to me. I did like the way they were with each other though. All the houses were meh

[laredhead]

I didn't like any of the houses that the Atlanta couple looked at in last night's episode.  My TV Guide said there were 2 new HH episodes, but the Atlanta one was the only one that aired here in Baton Rouge.   The first place they looked at was a townhouse that depressed me and I wasn't even there in person to see it.  It must be something that has been on the market for a long time and the realtor is trying to unload it.

The house they bought had more carpet than the other houses, so I am thinking that will be replaced with wood floors soon.  I agree with her about the dark stain showing every piece of lint and dog hair.  One of the houses, maybe the one they bought, had a glossy finish on the wood floors and all I could think of was how that was going to get scratched up by the dogs' claws.  I wouldn't want to live in the flight path of the airport, but if he's a pilot that probably doesn't bother him as much as it would other people, and she said it wasn't any more annoying than living with city sounds.  

I am still in shock over how much house you can buy in the Atlanta area for so little $$.  I'm not familiar with the areas around Atlanta, so some of these places could be 50 miles away for all we know. 

[chessiegal]

The Atlanta couple bought south of the city (where the airport is). Housing is cheaper down there. It's not that far from the city. There are places in Atlanta that are more expensive inside the city limits.

[juliet73]

14 hours ago, Tara1665 said:

Columbus couple... I understood  the guy was a reporter and over tv they need to wear makeup,  but holy metrosexual dude,  that and his eyebrows were way over the top..he actually was slightly creepy in a clownish kind of way to me. I did like the way they were with each other though. All the houses were meh

I agree! He's definitely standing in the closet with the door open if you know what I mean.  They were a nice couple and weren't asking for the world.  I liked at the end, the wife mentioned the master bath "was not aesthetically pleasing, but perfect for what they needed." Refreshing to hear! 

[Ohwell]

Columbus couple:  I tried not to think about the husband standing in the closet with the door open because they were so nice.  But yeah.....

I find the Atlanta episodes boring and I tend to check out after about 15 minutes. 

[preciousperfect]

33 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Columbus couple:  I tried not to think about the husband standing in the closet with the door open because they were so nice.  But yeah.....

As long as both people are in on the whole "marriage of convenience" thing I think it's fine. I got the feeling the wife liked being married to another performer and overlooked other things....

They should have chosen the ranch and done some upgrades. I didn't like house #2 or #3.

[laredhead]

Was the Columbus episode a new one or a rerun?  I've looked on the HGTV website and cannot locate it using their search feature.

[mojito]

Red, my FiOS guide lists two HH and two HHI programs each evening, all of them NEW (and in prime time). Pretty confusing.

[Tara1665]

I've found the past few Mondays to have two new episodes of each

[laredhead]

Mojito and Tara, my guide said that as well, but we got Tiny House Hunters in place of the first HH episode last night.  Rats.

[Babalooie]

Key West lady, we're not sure about the teenager's skirt you were wearing.  All three houses were fabulous and the one they chose looked very similar to one on a past Key West episode with that Dade County pine on the walls.  Key West is a beautiful place, but very humid.

[mojito]

Quote

Key West lady, we're not sure about the teenager's skirt you were wearing.

You must mean the one with the ruffles.

[Ottis]

Quote

I agree! He's definitely standing in the closet with the door open if you know what I mean.

 We joked that Sue Heck married Brad in Columbus ("the Middle" reference).

We didn't understand what the woman did for a living w/the Atlanta couple, and what her commute (?) was? The husband clearly said, several times, that being near the airport was great for him. She talked about being near shops, then after the last house, said something about a longer drive for her, but it wasn't clear what their respective commutes were and how they might play into the house location for her. Anyone understand that better than we did?

[juliet73]

2 hours ago, Babalooie said:

Key West lady, we're not sure about the teenager's skirt you were wearing.  

She looked very masculine to me. She even stood like a man. 

I'm glad she didn't paint the walls.  I'm not a fan of wood on walls, but it looked nice in this house.  I think Kurt should design the kitchen how he wants it, not his girlfriend...I have a feeling she's not going to be around very long. 

41 minutes ago, Ottis said:

 We joked that Sue Heck married Brad in Columbus ("the Middle" reference).

We didn't understand what the woman did for a living w/the Atlanta couple, and what her commute (?) was? The husband clearly said, several times, that being near the airport was great for him. She talked about being near shops, then after the last house, said something about a longer drive for her, but it wasn't clear what their respective commutes were and how they might play into the house location for her. Anyone understand that better than we did?

I think she was a minister? Or going to school for it?  And I think he was a pilot. 

[Christine]

Yeah, that ruffly skirt and the low slung belt (and boobs) - oy.

Kurt was featured on HH before when he bought the Telluride house.  I don't think the girlfriend was featured then.  I wonder if he kept the Telluride house or sold it to buy in Key West.

[Babalooie]

If I understood correctly, the ATL lady was a minister and writer.  I lived there for 3 years and the MARTA train provides good transportation to the inside of the airport terminal, so he didn't really need to live that close unless he just preferred to drive instead.

[jcbrown]

3 hours ago, juliet73 said:

She looked very masculine to me. She even stood like a man.

And she had very broad shoulders and narrow hips. I wondered about her.

[vesperholly]

This Phoenix couple ... they are shopping for a half-million-dollar house and she wants a non-Spanish theme with no pool, no tile floors, no tub in the master bath? And of course WHIIIIITE KITCHEN. Blargh. They're the kind of people who move to the desert and complain about the heat. *smack*

I don't disagree that all those early 00s Italianate dark cabinets and granite look dated now, but sheesh. Painting cabinets is actually really easy. And blinding white kitchens will look dated in 10 years, too.

[CherryAmes]

Watching one tonight with the single teacher house hunting in New Hampshire.  I had to turn it off, she was working my last nerve.  Had to have cathedral ceilings, double sink in the bathroom had to have everything flipping perfect and it had to be under $250k.  She was a classic HH where I watch it thinking "Honey, really, this is your 15 minutes of fame and you want the world to see you behaving like THIS?"

[magemaud]

Key West Kim was certainly proud of her "assets." In every scene she appeared to be posing, shoulders back, boobs out and legs in a weird (yes, masculine) stance. Did they say what kind of business Kurt was in that he sold? Now I've done a little sleuthing online and found this article about the Telluride house dated February 2015:

"Local broker Lorrie Denesik...served as the buyer’s broker. Denesik helped Kurt Fazekas, a business owner from Indianapolis, buy a vacation home in Telluride for him and his four kids. In the episode, Denesik walks Fazekas and his daughter Rachel through three different houses — two historic homes in the town of Telluride and a new townhome in Mountain Village — to help Fazekas find his dream vacation home...

...“I have a huge wish list and the house delivered,” he said in the episode, which first aired on Dec. 29, [2014] again on Friday and continues to air in reruns on the network. “The price for these properties are expensive, but I can see why. This place is beautiful. There’s no place like it in the country. It’s just a dream come true.”"

THIS IS WHERE I GOT REALLY CONFUSED: 

This isn’t the first time Fazekas has been featured on the TV program. He was previously in an episode in Key West, Florida. It was such a popular episode that the network wanted to feature him again in Telluride, Denesik said.

So, the Key West episode with Kim was filmed first but edited to appear that they had BOTH left Telluride then went to KW? 

EDITED TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY! It seems that last night's episode was actually Kurt's SECOND Key West house hunt and third appearance on HH!!! The first time he was on was an episode called  "Buying a Piece of History in Old Town Key West" which aired April, 2012. That time he was with his wife "Dani": "Kurt and Dani split their time between a home in Indianapolis and a vacation bungalow in Key West. But that one bedroom bungalow doesn't offer much space for Kurt to work, so they're looking for a bigger place with a historic past. ...Will Kurt and Dani find history - and an extra bedroom or two - without breaking the bank?"

First Key West episode April, 2012   Kurt and Dani

Telluride episode December, 2014   Kurt and the kids

Second Key West episode January, 2017   Kurt and Kim 

oh, and he had something to do with racing cars in Indy. 

Edited January 19, 2017 by magemaud

[Ottis]

Nice sleuthing, magemaud! So are Dani and Kim the same woman? Or did he somehow get divorced, remarried and STILL could buy another expensive vacation home? If so, owning an auto racing business must pay well.

[NYGirl]

I believe last night in Phoenix was a rerun..I vaguely remember the bitchy wife, having hated her first time around.  She was ridiculous in the things she wanted to change, even with the price at the high end of their budget and the finishes being perfectly fine.

He annoyed me too but too a lesser extent.

I got the impression she nagged him to get engaged.