House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[Sun-Bun]

Wow...that smarmy young Denver dude looking for his modern downtown bachelor palace alongside his awkwardly wacky "family friend" breeder-happy realtor? This episode was as entertaining as it was just...weird. That lady was a real whackadoodle who seemed like she was straight out of Central Casting, from her insane outfits/crazy hair and accent to her crazed constant mentions of wives and babies and high chairs...seriously, several times I genuinely wondered if she was a hired actress!

As a modern style fan, I adored the place he chose. That rooftop deck and pimped out open kitchen really sold the place for me. It's absolutely the sort of layout I'd want even as a happily married lady in my 40's; any attractive young single dude could impress anyone with a nearly half-mil joint like that.

That guy really gave me douchey shades of "American Psycho"/Patrick Bateman though. He was completely self-impressed. And then to end it all with "a toast to me", brah?! Yuck. I love how his supposed career was swept under the rug to simply say he's a "fitness enthusiast", yet somehow at his age he could afford a 450k home plus an interior decorator for it. I'm doubtful he even moved one of his buddies in there as he claimed; probably just another trust funder posing as a successful young professional, as usual.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Sun-Bun

[suebee12]

1 hour ago, Sun-Bun said:

.............his awkwardly wacky "family friend" breeder-happy realtor?

What a great description of that weird realtor! I have to admit that I mostly listened to this episode since I was busy sewing but after hearing her keep mentioning wives, babies, high chairs, I had to take a peek! Tomorrow I am going to watch(really watch) to see if she is as strange as she sounded. I don't think I have ever heard a real estate person pushing marriage and babies so hard in my life! I wonder if this were to happen in real life, if the client wouldn't tell her to mind her own business and just show the houses!! This truly had to be one of the strangest shows ever!

[ByaNose]

Oddly enough, the Denver dude didn't bother me. He seemed like a nice Metro sexual guy with nice friends & a crazy realitor/friend. I liked the place he picked but I still think the detached garage is a deal breaker for me living in Denver. Since, I don't live there it doesn't bother me. LOL!!! He sure paid a lot of money for the house and it was a duplex/twin. Yikes! I don't think I would pay that much for something that wasn't a single house. I guess single modern fully updated house in Denver probably cost a lot of money. Maybe, $600-$800,00. Overall, not a bad pick of a house for a seemely nice guy. He was well a groomed guy with all his teeth. What more could you ask for. LOL!!!

[Empress1]

20 hours ago, Sun-Bun said:

I love how his supposed career was swept under the rug to simply say he's a "fitness enthusiast", yet somehow at his age he could afford a 450k home plus an interior decorator for it. I'm doubtful he even moved one of his buddies in there as he claimed; probably just another trust funder posing as a successful young professional, as usual.

I thought he said he was an operations director for a start-up? (Which doesn't necessarily mean he made money - depends on how well the start-up is doing.)

[topanga]

The Connecticut couple with the small farm: What are their jobs outside of the home? Because maintaining even a small farm with goats and chickens--and they want to add horses--would be a lot of work and require a lot of time. Unless they hire outside help. 

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, topanga said:

The Connecticut couple with the small farm: What are their jobs outside of the home? Because maintaining even a small farm with goats and chickens--and they want to add horses--would be a lot of work and require a lot of time. Unless they hire outside help. 

There was a similar episode a few weeks ago where a couple bought a house with a lot of land for chickens and some other animals, they might have been goats--and they were both nurses.  Plus, they had kids.  I wondered how in the heck they had time to raise animals, raise kids, and have full time jobs. 

[topanga]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

There was a similar episode a few weeks ago where a couple bought a house with a lot of land for chickens and some other animals, they might have been goats--and they were both nurses.  Plus, they had kids.  I wondered how in the heck they had time to raise animals, raise kids, and have full time jobs. 

Same episode. Didn't realize it was a repeat. Thanks!

[chessiegal]

Nurses can have flexible schedules - I knew some who got their 40 hours or more in a few days - like 3.

[biakbiak]

My friends have chickens, two goats, three kids and are able to easily manage with their full time jobs.

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

My friends have chickens, two goats, three kids and are able to easily manage with their full time jobs.

Yeah I remember we all had this discussion before.  Don't want to start that again, lol.

[chocolatine]

On 4/5/2017 at 5:16 PM, Empress1 said:

I thought he said he was an operations director for a start-up? (Which doesn't necessarily mean he made money - depends on how well the start-up is doing.)

Yes, that's what he said. He could have worked for another startup before that had a good exit or for a larger company that offered a good stock package. That's how I made the down payment for my first home when I was his age.

I thought he and the first "roommate" dropped many hints that they were a couple - he literally said "we are like a married couple" - so I thought it was hilarious that the realtor/family friend kept talking about wives and babies. But then it was the second roommate that moved in with him, so now I'm not sure.

ETA: His intro package didn't bother me too much, but him saying that his interior designer helped him "curate" some "pieces" did. 

Edited April 7, 2017 by chocolatine

[sheetmoss]

Denver guy didn't bother me too much -   but I can see where some may get the asshole/douche vibe from him though He kind of reminded me of the son Oliver in American Housewife all grown up

Took another look at his prof  designed first flr...he needs to get his $$ back..

[Empress1]

I thought the exterior of the house the Portland guy chose was very ugly and I would have pulled up the carpet, but good for him for being pragmatic and getting roommates.

[Ohwell]

Portland episode:  I had to mute it because between the two guys looking and the real estate agent, their voices just drove me nuts!

[AlleC17]

Denver guy may have been irritating, but that was overwhelmed by the idiot realtor and her constant talk of wives and babies.  I wanted to throw a brick through my TV.  I wonder if she is really a realtor, as she just seemed so off to me.  lol

[chessiegal]

46 minutes ago, AlleC17 said:

Denver guy may have been irritating, but that was overwhelmed by the idiot realtor and her constant talk of wives and babies.  I wanted to throw a brick through my TV.  I wonder if she is really a realtor, as she just seemed so off to me.  lol

Yep, she's a real estate agent. They said at the beginning she was also a family friend. Maybe that is why she felt she could butt into his personal life.

http://www.recolorado.com/kelly-engelhart

[AlleC17]

I knew about the family friend part, but she was just so ...off-putting, and that is taking out the babies/wives chatter.  I don't know, maybe it was just me.  lol  Thanks for the sleuthing.  :-)

[chessiegal]

If you go to her website, she touts that most of her business comes from referrals because she is just that good of a real estate agent. She also says she was featured on House Hunters with a very special client. I'm guessing she was the one who suggested going on House Hunters.

[Gam2]

Just turned on House Hunters (8:00 ET). The husband owns a pizza restaurant and the wife in a business analyst. Also a part time fitness instructor and does yoga. Really? I guess that's not working for her or she's been eating way too much pizza. I don't usually snark on anyone's weight but when she said she's a fitness instructor and then we see her rolls of fat-no way. 

[laredhead]

Last night's episode in Rochester, NY was interesting from the standpoint of how the owners wanted to use the space.  They wanted a room(s) large enough for each of them to spend time on their hobbies of men's clothing design and taxidermy.  Don't believe we've ever seen anyone with a taxidermy hobby.

I loved the house they bought, but I like contemporary style.  Rochester gets pretty cold in the winter and I wonder what the utility bill is like to heat that place with all of those windows.  The view was wonderful as was the yard.  

I enjoyed seeing all 3 of the places they looked at, even though I knew the 3rd one, a converted bank, was never in contention.     

[mojito]

Hmm....Biff said he was light sensitive. Yeah, it looked like he was, considering how red he looked from spending time in a tanning bed (they were both unhealthily red).

Red, I don't think I recall a taxidermist either. Creepy hobby. Wouldn't want that going on under my roof.

When I saw the third place, I thought of it as a place for rental income, but I guess if they'd purchased the place, they would have taken over the whole house, so I'm glad someone didn't lose her store lease.

I loved the house they chose though I didn't care for Biff's calling it "eighties disco in the woods". I just don't recall seeing homes like that at any time, let alone the eighties. I never would've categorized it into a period in time. Looked unique to me and I loved all the angles in the roof. What they considered "overgrown" looked perfect for a wilderness setting. 

I liked that they preferred using a gym to owning all of that equipment themselves. I'm not much of a gym rat, so it's hard for me to imagine making proximity to a gym a priority. I also can't imagine cooking up 8 or 9 eggs for a breakfast for two. They were really into body building.

[camom]

They were an interesting couple, but I was distracted by the one guy who looked like he was one steroid away from exploding.

[Vivigirl10]

Quote

I loved the house they chose though I didn't care for Biff's calling it "eighties disco in the woods".

I found it ironic that he was so put-off by 80's design when he looked like a he was straight out of central casting for an 1980's beach movie.

Taxidermy as a hobby is creepy.  It was mentioned he keeps dead raccoons in the freezer.  So he's just picking up road kill and not even doing this to preserve people's pets?   Isn't that just one sneeze away from serial killer behavior?!

[juliet73]

Rochester ep: I loved the house they chose!! I didn't think it looked 80's at all. The steroid guy should stay out of the tanning beds - get some good self tanner, man. You won't get skin cancer and you won't have those ugly circles around your eyes. I saw their dog and then I heard about the taxidermy hobby and my mind totally went there. 

[AuntiePam]

2 hours ago, Kiki620 said:

Taxidermy as a hobby is creepy.  It was mentioned he keeps dead raccoons in the freezer.  So he's just picking up road kill and not even doing this to preserve people's pets?   Isn't that just one sneeze away from serial killer behavior?!

A brother-in-law does taxidermy.  He uses wild animals -- raccoon, squirrel, fox -- poses them in natural settings with plants and greenery, like something you'd see in a nature exhibit.  I asked him once about doing cats and dogs and he said absolutely not -- he thought that would be creepy. 

The beefy one -- what happens when you age and can't keep up?  Jack LaLanne looked good into his 80's, but he wasn't as bulky as this guy.  I liked him though -- he seemed to have good humor -- he sorta grew on me.

The maintenance on the roof of that house was scary -- all those angles.  I'd worry about leaks at the joins, and about keeping it clear of leaves, pine needles, rodents.  Did he really say he saw a lot of houses that looked just like that one?  Seemed like a custom build to me.  Great choice for them, and I really liked the half-bath that they said they were going to remodel.  Leave it alone!

[Empress1]

I loved the second house, the Tudor with that library. I would never leave that library. But the house they chose was nice too, with all those windows. That beefcake thing is not my aesthetic and I can't really take anyone (nick)named Biff seriously, but they seem happy. Taxidermy is totally creepy though, IMO.

[Kohola3]

6 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

That beefcake thing is not my aesthetic and I can't really take anyone (nick)named Biff seriously....

All I could think of was the doofus in Back to the Future.

[pep4]

10 hours ago, camom said:

They were an interesting couple, but I was distracted by the one guy who looked like he was one steroid away from exploding.

We only tuned in for a minute but busted up laughing. 

Assumed the taxidermy thing was just a producer encouraged euphemism ("He's really into mounting and stuffing...")

 

Speaking of producer driven phoniness, in tonight's San Angelo episode one of her wish list talking points sure seemed totally legit:

"He's in the military and so we move every 2 years.  We don't have any children but I want 4 bedrooms now because someday we will...."

Edited April 12, 2017 by pep4

[mortonsalt]

1 hour ago, pep4 said:

We only tuned in for a minute but busted up laughing. 

Assumed the taxidermy thing was just a producer encouraged euphemism ("He's really into mounting and stuffing...")

 

Speaking of producer driven phoniness, in tonight's San Angelo episode one of her wish list talking points sure seemed totally legit:

"He's in the military and so we move every 2 years.  We don't have any children but I want 4 bedrooms now because someday we will...."

Yes,  I know she said she wanted to start a family right away, but that made no sense to me either except being scripted to say that she wanted four bedrooms. 

I figured that they would go with house one because it pretty much checked all their boxes and was the one with the best backyard for their dogs.

[SanDiegoInExile]

Some pics and details about Mr and Mr Rochester on their facebook.  Looks like they got the house last fall. Postings on their pages gave it away months ago.  Jeff is Canadian and in Mensa. Biff's major hobbies seem to be bodybuilding and Trump.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-diduch-4053b611

https://www.facebook.com/jefferyd

https://www.facebook.com/biffboswell

http://13wham.com/news/entertainment/house-hunters-features-couple-searching-for-rochester-home

Edited April 12, 2017 by SanDiegoInExile

[laredhead]

HGTV please stop with the craftsman style references!  Last night the wife in San Angelo wanted a craftsman style house and when she saw a house that had two wooden supports on the front porch, she proclaimed that it had a little bit of craftsman style.  No, it didn't.  It was a ranch house with 2 wooden porch supports.  I wish the production company would find another style to harp on for a while, or educate themselves on the elements of architectural styles and what is required for a house to be proclaimed that style.  Rant over on house styles.

The dog door in one of those houses was in a bedroom which was an odd location, especially since that room had carpet.  I can just imagine a dirty dog tracking mud and grass inside and across the carpet.  Was it in the house they purchased?  All of the houses were less than memorable, but the couple was nice and each one got some of their respective wish list in the house they purchased.  The husband didn't whine about having to cut grass, and seemed quite handy with his woodworking skills from the reveal scene featuring the dining room table he was making.

Now I'm off to read a bit about San Angelo.   HH has improved my knowledge about many locations over the years.    

[jcbrown]

4 hours ago, laredhead said:

The dog door in one of those houses was in a bedroom which was an odd location, especially since that room had carpet.  I can just imagine a dirty dog tracking mud and grass inside and across the carpet.  Was it in the house they purchased? 

I think that was the one they purchased. Our house was robbed last year and there is ZERO chance I would have a dog door in my home big enough for a human to get through.

[ByaNose]

7 hours ago, laredhead said:

HGTV please stop with the craftsman style references!  Last night the wife in San Angelo wanted a craftsman style house and when she saw a house that had two wooden supports on the front porch, she proclaimed that it had a little bit of craftsman style.  No, it didn't.  It was a ranch house with 2 wooden porch supports.  I wish the production company would find another style to harp on for a while, or educate themselves on the elements of architectural styles and what is required for a house to be proclaimed that style.  Rant over on house styles.

The dog door in one of those houses was in a bedroom which was an odd location, especially since that room had carpet.  I can just imagine a dirty dog tracking mud and grass inside and across the carpet.  Was it in the house they purchased?  All of the houses were less than memorable, but the couple was nice and each one got some of their respective wish list in the house they purchased.  The husband didn't whine about having to cut grass, and seemed quite handy with his woodworking skills from the reveal scene featuring the dining room table he was making.

Now I'm off to read a bit about San Angelo.   HH has improved my knowledge about many locations over the years.    

Although, I do love when they are looking for a craftsman when they are looking in Arizona or some other location where there are none. Enough with wanting a craftsman in Arizona!

[StatisticalOutlier]

7 hours ago, laredhead said:

HGTV please stop with the craftsman style references!  Last night the wife in San Angelo wanted a craftsman style house and when she saw a house that had two wooden supports on the front porch, she proclaimed that it had a little bit of craftsman style.  No, it didn't.  It was a ranch house with 2 wooden porch supports. 

I like mid-century modern houses (I swear it was before the current craze) and figured out that in most cities there's an area that has them, and that finding it was kind of like counting the rings on a tree--start going out from downtown and eventually you'll hit the area that was built in the 1950s, and just past that will the the houses built in the later 1960s and 1970s, so you can stop looking.

There is an area in San Angelo that I remember craftsman style houses, but it's quite small.  I guess there wasn't much building going on during the actual craftsman era, and when brick ranch houses became an option, the people there never looked back.  So when the wife said "craftsman," I thought, "Riiiiight."

 

Quote

Now I'm off to read a bit about San Angelo.   HH has improved my knowledge about many locations over the years.    

You know upthread, when I said my parents didn't die from carpet in their bathrooms?  That was in San Angelo, my hometown.  For the record, the long-time locals pronounce it  Snangelo, three syllables. 

It's unique in that area because of the river that goes through it (prominently featured in the episode) and the lakes around it, although one of those lakes caught fire and was awarded Rowan and Martin's Flying Fickle Finger of Fate.  Well, it was the dry lake bed that caught fire, but "dry lake bed" is generally a more accurate description of two of the three lakes there.

I hated all three houses on this episode.  I was kind of intrigued by the atrium in a Dallas house on an earlier episode, but it was near the entry way--this one in the middle of the house in S.A. was just weird.  There are some houses there I like, but now that I think about it, not a lot of them.  They're cheap, though.

[mojito]

Quote

It's unique in that area because of the river that goes through it (prominently featured in the episode) and the lakes around it, although one of those lakes caught fire and was awarded Rowan and Martin's Flying Fickle Finger of Fate. 

I'm going from what might be a faulty memory of Texas trivia, but I think San Angelo's claim to fame is that it's the largest city in America with no interstate highway.

I rolled my eyes at that feeble attempt to equate a couple of narrow posts to being kind of Craftsman style. 

I like patio homes with their emphasis on house versus yard.

[chessiegal]

I liked the couple moving from NYC to Pittsburgh. Fun to see expensive homes. He seemed to have a good sense of humor. I think the producers have a hard time getting mature couples/people to be ridiculous and anything other than themselves. The second house is an example of people with more money than taste. The interior was absolutely hideous! Enjoyable episode. That is one big house they ended up with.

ETA: I also liked how with a 1 million budget, when the last house was 1.4 million they didn't get dramatic about it being soo far over budget, just looked at each other and said it was more than they planned to spend. In other words, they could afford it, just more than they had in mind. We did that with the house we're in now. It was more than we planned to spend, but had everything we wanted, we could comfortably afford it, so we bought it.

Edited April 14, 2017 by chessiegal

[KLovestoShop]

As someone who lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, I was disappointed in the homes they showcased.  With a million dollar budget, there are homes that are a lot nicer, and not nearly as tacky as the first two they showed.  When I saw the third house, I knew immediately that would be the one they picked.  But I couldn't figure out why they didn't view places like Sewickley, Wexford or different choices in Fox Chapel, where many of the people who are known as old money live.  

I did like the couple and their more mature attitude. So much better than the snowflakes they seem to focus on with their "Where's my...." and "I need this that and everything" on a $170,000 budget. 

Edited April 14, 2017 by KLovestoShop

[juliet73]

Pittsburgh ep:  Dayum! The house they chose was HUGE!!  I don't remember seeing a house on HH with that much sq ft.  It was a lovely house.  The only thing I didn't like was not having a window in the kitchen - it was a bit dark.  The couple was nice - not demanding, respectful to each other, the complete opposite of obnoxious.  The show needs more people like them.  I wish they would have showed their house/apt in NY so we could see what they were coming from.  

[mojito]

Quote

  But I couldn't figure out why they didn't view places like Sewickley, Wexford or different choices in Fox Chapel, where many of the people who are known as old money live.  

Because they're new money and don't care about old money? Maybe they don't care about such things at all. They seemed more focus on what would please them, not what would please their friends. 

[Ohwell]

The reason I was interested in this episode was because, even though I was born and raised about 35 miles outside of Pittsburgh, I've only been there about five times.  (We lived in a very small town and didn't travel far.) So I was kind of disappointed that they didn't show homes in, you know, Pittsburgh.  The city.  Those suburbs could have been in almost any state.

[roseslg]

My family and I just moved from NYC to Pittsburgh less than two weeks ago, so I was interested in this one.  Let's say, their budget was waaaaaaaaaaay more than ours ever would be.  Did it say where they lived in NYC?  UES?  UWS?  That house in Squirrel Hill with the wallpapered ceiling was fug.  I know different strokes for different folks, but I can't think of a time when that would be popular.  I like Sq Hill, but that house would require waaaaay too much work.  The house in Fox Chapel was insane!  I am sure they have a housekeeper, but my first thought was, "how do you clean that?".

 

Wine cellar was cool, another reason to buy wine!

[ByaNose]

I couldn't believe all the houses (especially the first 2) in Pittsburgh with nearly or over 1 million were ugly & dated. I can't imagine spending that much on a house and having to fix it up. Tin ceiling? Wall paper? WTF? I want my Million (that I don't have) to be enough for total turn key. LOL!!!

I really liked the couple. They seemed so nice and normal. Even, the two boys seemed nice and not obnoxious. I wish them well. The only thing I'm not sure of is if they have design sense. That house is so massive and I wonder if they'll make changes to it or not. Usually, they show the HH previous home and you can get an idea of their design style.

Edited April 15, 2017 by ByaNose

[Beaner]

I missed the episode, did they buy in Squirrel Hill?

[roseslg]

@Beaner, Fox Chapel.

[Sun-Bun]

On 4/11/2017 at 7:09 PM, Kohola3 said:

All I could think of was the doofus in Back to the Future.

That beet-colored beefcake couple was such a trip!! I immediately thought of Biff from BTtF as well, although I mentally began to refer to them as "Hanz & Franz" about halfway through the episode. Like I could just see them dressed in gray sweatsuits shouting that they want to buy((clap!)) a big house---I really do hope they've paid homage to that SNL skit at some point in their relationship. You know that'd be a hit at 80's costume parties.

Speaking of which, I kinda dug the "80's Disco" house they ended up choosing, although the endless windows might be annoying in the warmer weather months. That summer sun beating down on the house could turn it into an expensive-to-cool hotbox really quickly. Hope there were plenty of ceiling fans. I also hope Biff is enjoying his taxidermy room when he's not busy tanning and working out at the gym.

[Babalooie]

Florida wife, I really got tired of hearing about the cabana bathroom and the alligators.   I have a pool with no cabana and the kids just sit around on the patio wrapped in towels until they get fairly dry.  Somehow the house survives.  Also, maybe she would prefer black snakes and lizards to alligators.  That's what we have.  It was obvious which house they would buy, because she protested that style throughout the entire episode.

[laredhead]

Looked to me like the Florida couple really did need a 3-car garage after seeing all of the stuff they had stored in one side of the 2-car garage, and he said he was having to park is car outside.  That's what I don't like about front loading garages.  The garage doors seem to be all you see when you look at the house from the street because they are so large, and if you have someone like this couple who fills up the garage with stuff, the cars have be parked outside all of the time.  I have seen communities of very large, expensive houses, on very small lots and they all have front loading garages.  It is obvious that either the garages are being used as storage units or the owners have an aversion of parking their cars inside the garage, because if you look down the street all you see is what could pass for a high end used car lot with all of the cars being parked outside on the driveways.  I just don't care for that look.

I agreed with the husband when he said that if the kids visited, they could stay in the guest room and wouldn't mind. 

[DkNNy79]

Which house did they end up choosing?  The one with the white kitchen she liked?  I was switching between this and American Dad and missed the ending.

The wife was annoying.  Agree with everyone that grown adult kids don't need dedicated bedrooms if they are not going to be living with them FT.

[mojito]

Quote

Looked to me like the Florida couple really did need a 3-car garage after seeing all of the stuff they had stored in one side of the 2-car garage, and he said he was having to park is car outside.

Where I live, most people have back alley garages. Result: too much parking on the street because these homes have shorter driveways (can't park as many cars) and people seem to prefer to park in the front of their homes, streets seeming to be too narrow because of this parking, and an inordinate amount of thefts happening in these style homes. It's too easy to park in someone's alley driveway during the day, get through the back gate, break into the back of the home, load your car up, and drive away. All new homes are now being built with front entrance garages. Some people say it's because it's cheaper, not having to build a back alley. Might be, but crime stats show that most of my city's break-ins happen in homes with back alleys.

But I get your point about homes built such that at least half of it looks like garage from the street. Sometimes, it's just a matter of front walk placement or interesting home facade that takes your eye off the garage. Kinda hard not to notice three garages, though.

When it gets to the point of having to park a car outdoors instead of the garage, perhaps it's time to start throwing shit out. 

I had a friend whose family downsized during her first year of college and she ended up sharing a bedroom with her brother until they both graduated from college and moved out. Never heard her complain. 

I'm no alligator fan either, but at least you can peek outside and see an alligator from a distance. Not so with snakes. 

[ByaNose]

I was surprised that the Florida couple being sort of young and having old furnishings. Everything looked so old looking. The bedroom and family room looked like they were from the 80's or 90's. I liked the house and the awesome pool. The wife was a little annoying about the gators but we all have our hangups. LOL!!! The husband seemed like a nice guy and I agree about have dedicated bedrooms. Unless, they are coming every weekend I don't think you needed that many rooms. Hopefully, they'll be able to retain their garage. They had a lot of "stuff".