House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[Kohola3]

It's $500.   Here's one of the multiple postings about it.  It's all about the TV exposure, not the money.

[ByaNose]

3 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

It's $500.   Here's one of the multiple postings about it.  It's all about the TV exposure, not the money.

Yeah, it has to be the need to be seen. That said, even I didn't think it was that low. I think I collected more in unemployment when I was laid off. LOL!!!

[chessiegal]

Sometimes it's the RE agents who want to be on TV for exposure for their business. I've googled some of them and they put on their web sites they've been on HH.

[juliet73]

On 8/10/2017 at 10:30 PM, AuntiePam said:

Especially for the wife -- the husband wasn't too bad.  I had to laugh at the wife's comment about the wainscoting in a dining room -- she could fall and hit her head on it! 

I really liked that cathedral bath/shower.  So unusual.

She was a complete idiot!  In addition to the wainscoting safety, she said if they bought the house with the huge picture window that she would sit in front of the window all day long like a cat!  Don't even get me started on her obsession with having a bidet!!  Also, they looked at one bathroom and she commented that the toilet didn't look like the ones in Japan!  I'm pretty sure that's because you're in the US!!!  I thought it was odd that they kept the grody stained carpeting because they couldn't afford to replace it, but in the next scene they are remodeling the bathroom. I would much rather get rid of and replace nasty carpeting before renovating a perfectly functional bathroom - and they were redoing the bathroom because she wanted two sinks!! UUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

[mojito]

Quote

 All the silent catty looks from realtor Penelope Witherspoon were perfect.

Well, the editing made it seem that way. I think they took shots of her wearing a neutral expression and inserted them in spots to make her look as though she were reacting to something said.

The Tampa guy was unpleasant. The wife was fine and upbeat compared to him and his "Nice try" comments. He gets a Mediterranean-style home and bitches that well, actually, he wanted want with white paint. What a jerk. At least the dogs got some play space.

Anyone ever admit that their dogs (or small children) despised their new home?

[SmithW6079]

On 8/8/2017 at 0:49 PM, roseslg said:

Maybe it was my screen, but did the NJ wife just seemed a bit overly orange?  I couldn't stop staring at her coloring.  It was like a spray tan gone wrong.  THe realtor also had some spray tan, but not as bad (or as orange).

Orange is the natural coloring of many New Jerseyans/ites.

[KLovestoShop]

Saturday's Chicago couple, the wife had a "bat in the cave" during the beginning of the show.  Plus, she was way critical considering where they were first living. Give me a break---- wrought iron railings look like a dungeon?  Do they realize how many houses have wrought iron staircases?  And what is it with people needing symmetrical homes and interiors?  

[chessiegal]

1 minute ago, KLovestoShop said:

Saturday's Chicago couple, the wife had a "bat in the cave" during the beginning of the show.  Plus, she was way critical considering where they were first living. Give me a break---- wrought iron railings look like a dungeon?  Do they realize how many houses have wrought iron staircases?  And what is it with people needing symmetrical homes and interiors?  

Raises hand,

[jcbrown]

41 minutes ago, KLovestoShop said:

Give me a break---- wrought iron railings look like a dungeon?  Do they realize how many houses have wrought iron staircases?  And what is it with people needing symmetrical homes and interiors?  

I actually thought they were not too bad but I did raise an eyebrow at his objection to the balusters. We actually put those in when we re-did our main floor a few years ago. Granted, we only have eight of them so they are less overwhelming.

I thought it was odd that he was talking about how much he needed a home to be symmetrical and they showed a house that... wasn't.

[CaughtOnTape]

On 8/10/2017 at 9:30 PM, AuntiePam said:

Especially for the wife -- the husband wasn't too bad.  I had to laugh at the wife's comment about the wainscoting in a dining room -- she could fall and hit her head on it! 

She must live with the same people who are convinced stairs are a safety concern.

I have never heard so many people bitch and moan about stairs as I do on this show.  They make it sound like they are spending 24 hours a day running up and down the stairs.  

[Kohola3]

52 minutes ago, CaughtOnTape said:

She must live with the same people who are convinced stairs are a safety concern.

And don't forget the killer windows.  Unsafe for children of all ages.  On the ground floor, yet.

[ByaNose]

Young professional womain in DC buying a rowhome that didn't look very nice from the outside. She paid over $400,000 for it and in the inside needed work. I'm like OMG! from my $107,000 townhouse out in the Philly suburbs. Yikes!

[laredhead]

Chicago episode last night with couple having the usual disagreement about living in city versus suburbs.  The wife got on my last nerve with her demanding attitude that she would only be happy with the house she wanted.  Even the realtor was a little snarky about the selfishness the wife exhibited about not sharing a closet and her on going gripe about carpet.  Both places that had carpet were under their budget, so they could have ripped out the carpet and put in hardwood flooring before they moved in - problem solved.  I noticed the carpet was still in a couple of the bedrooms of the place they chose, which was naturally the one the wife wanted.  I'm adding her to my least favorite female HH list.  

The closing scenes showed her "graciously" giving up half the closet to her husband.  Maybe she realized how awful she was going to look in national TV with her previous behavior when they first looked at the house.

I liked the house in suburbs, but 30 miles seems like a long commute if you both work in the city and especially in winter weather. 

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, ByaNose said:

Young professional womain in DC buying a rowhome that didn't look very nice from the outside. She paid over $400,000 for it and in the inside needed work. I'm like OMG! from my $107,000 townhouse out in the Philly suburbs. Yikes!

Unfortunately, that's what you get in DC.  I grew up there and I'm glad I moved to the 'burbs 20 years ago.  Not only is that all you get for over $400k but she lives in "far Northeast" where you might have to duck for gunshots while walking to the subway.  Sure, it's becoming a gentrified area but it's still kind of dangerous.

Chicago couple:  I didn't like either one of them although she was the more obnoxious of the two. I guess they were made for each other.

[ByaNose]

1 minute ago, Ohwell said:

Unfortunately, that's what you get in DC.  I grew up there and I'm glad I moved to the 'burbs 20 years ago.  Not only is that all you get for over $400k but she lives in "far Northeast" where you might have to duck for gunshots while walking to the subway.  Sure, it's becoming a gentrified area but it's still kind of dangerous.

Chicago couple:  I didn't like either one of them although she was the more obnoxious of the two. I guess they were made for each other.

Yeah, I noticed that the DC rowhome didn't look like the safest area. That's crazy money for a not so great neighborhood. That said, she seemed happy and her parents seemed happy, too. Also, she can afford a home that I couldn't afford so she's doing something right.

[Ohwell]

Yeah, I wish her luck.

[Thumper]

1 hour ago, laredhead said:

Chicago episode last night with couple having the usual disagreement about living in city versus suburbs.  The wife got on my last nerve with her demanding attitude that she would only be happy with the house she wanted.  Even the realtor was a little snarky about the selfishness the wife exhibited about not sharing a closet and her on going gripe about carpet.  Both places that had carpet were under their budget, so they could have ripped out the carpet and put in hardwood flooring before they moved in - problem solved.  I noticed the carpet was still in a couple of the bedrooms of the place they chose, which was naturally the one the wife wanted.  I'm adding her to my least favorite female HH list.  

The closing scenes showed her "graciously" giving up half the closet to her husband.  Maybe she realized how awful she was going to look in national TV with her previous behavior when they first looked at the house.

I liked the house in suburbs, but 30 miles seems like a long commute if you both work in the city and especially in winter weather. 

I agree!  I got a kick out of the husband practically skipping around the big yard in the suburb house!  She was definitely in charge.  I didn't understand the carpet thing -- it gets cold in Chicago, and carpeting helps.  (I know some people dislike it due to animals, allergies, etc., but that didn't seem to be her problem.)

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, Thumper said:

I agree!  I got a kick out of the husband practically skipping around the big yard in the suburb house!  She was definitely in charge.  I didn't understand the carpet thing -- it gets cold in Chicago, and carpeting helps.  (I know some people dislike it due to animals, allergies, etc., but that didn't seem to be her problem.)

Yup! That wife wore the pants and the belt in that house. She must be a joy to be around. Yikes!

[Ohwell]

At first I thought the husband was gay.

[Simon47]

I just watched the latest episode, the Louisiana one, and I have to admit, I was very disappointed in the house they chose. There was no open floor plan whatsoever, and the layout was very strange. I think Paul must be Lesbian since he eliminated that first house. I thought it was perfect for them since it was big and spacious.

ETA: What is the name of the storyteller? Can someone find me a picture of her?

Edited August 18, 2017 by Simon47
Storyteller stuff

[msrachelj]

On 8/10/2017 at 2:00 PM, juliet73 said:

Tampa ep:  UGH!!!!  Her voice!!  And Roberto, the husband, was a complete dick!  He was a good looking guy, but his personality was very ugly.  Every time he opened his mouth, he would say something negative or rude.  They looked like they were both in their early/mid 20's.  He owned a restaurant delivery service and she was basically a Mary Kay rep.  Their budget $500k - $600k?!  I didn't care for any of the houses they looked at and the one they bought, I thought was overpriced.  I wanted to punch him in the throat when he complained that he didn't like the color of the cabinets in the second house so "it's a gut job!"  UGHHHHH!!!!  He did not get one thing on his wish list, but at the end he said he did?  Huh?  I guess they didn't have any furniture in their apartment because there was no furniture in the house except for a couch and a 2 top table.  It looked like they were sleeping on air mattresses in a frat house!  They were total slobs!

she was acting like a child. you want old crappy appliances, ratty formica, etc.? no, you don't really. you don't know what you are talking about. unless it is refurbished and redone the appliances will be electricity eaters, will probably die and the countertops and cabinets will be disgusting. i know. because of $$ issue and not some demented dream of wanting the ugly 70's look, i had to live with this shit. she pissed me off. tear out the granite to put in formica? idiot. 

[Tony]

How real are those WATN specials? Can we really believe them to be remotely close to reality or is it more HH fake ass fakery?

[ByaNose]

For years it was Suzanne Wang who was the narrator. Since, 2009 it's been Andromeda Dunker. Why didn't I know this before? LOL!!

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/davidmack/meet-the-narrator-of-hgtv-house-hunters-andromeda-dunker?utm_term=.dmmeY0eBG#.hlbnRxnK8

[juliet73]

Naples ep: the wife was horrible! She's a slob and says her husband is OCD because he's not a pig?! I liked the husband and what he was looking for in a home. I can totally see why he went with what she wanted though...he didn't want to listen to her bitch (at least about the house) the rest of his life!

[Pickles]

The Naples real estate agent last night. The voice! Omg. Was it like Mickey Mouse or what? Unreal.

[suebee12]

8 hours ago, Pickles said:

The Naples real estate agent last night. The voice! Omg. Was it like Mickey Mouse or what? Unreal.

Normally the voices do not bother me but last night, I had to look up from my sewing to see if Minnie Mouse was the real estate agent! I mean, maybe she drove down from Disney World to show houses!

[juliet73]

10 hours ago, Pickles said:

The Naples real estate agent last night. The voice! Omg. Was it like Mickey Mouse or what? Unreal.

 Yes!! She sounded like she inhaled helium!!!

[mojito]

Quote

I have never heard so many people bitch and moan about stairs as I do on this show.  They make it sound like they are spending 24 hours a day running up and down the stairs. 

And that stairs are the latest craze.

[KLovestoShop]

On 8/20/2017 at 0:39 PM, Pickles said:

The Naples real estate agent last night. The voice! Omg. Was it like Mickey Mouse or what? Unreal.

That agent's voice made my ears bleed. What the hell was with that?   She sounded like Minnie Mouse on helium.  I could never work with someone like her. 

Hey, pain in the ass wife.  You're in freaking Florida.  There are gators. Don't want gators?  Live up north, say like in Montana. And her bitching about their furniture wouldn't work in the houses drove me nuts, along with her aversion to cookie cutter houses.  

Who told that rediculous agent that house 2 is a craftsman?  If that house is a craftsman, the White House is a log cabin. 

[rhofmovalley]

On 8/20/2017 at 9:39 AM, Pickles said:

The Naples real estate agent last night. The voice! Omg. Was it like Mickey Mouse or what? Unreal.

I had to stop watching. 

 

WHY do some women put on that stupid squeaky baby voice? Do they really think they sound cute? Lady, we all know that's not your real voice so stop it.

[MortysCleaningLady]

On 8/20/2017 at 0:32 PM, juliet73 said:

Naples ep: the wife was horrible! She's a slob and says her husband is OCD because he's not a pig?! I liked the husband and what he was looking for in a home. I can totally see why he went with what she wanted though...he didn't want to listen to her bitch (at least about the house) the rest of his life!

This is one of those episodes that reminds me it can be great to be single.   He seemed like a nice, normal person -- probably didn't wan't to be on tv in the first place.  She is probably angling for a design show on HGTV with her realtor bestie, who also moved from Texas.

[laredhead]

Watched the HH Where Are They Now episode last night and every one of the HH's went over budget with their renovations - big shock.  The woman in Washington D.C. made the biggest changes and had the highest budget overrun, but she gutted that entire house.  I loved her friend's comments.  The end result was very nice, but the exterior changes she made resulted in her row house looking very different from the others.  I guess she was not in a historic district and there are no restrictions on exterior changes.  Personally, I liked it a lot, but I'm sure it would not appeal to many who want a traditional row house.

I remember the 3rd couple from their original show, and I didn't like the wife then and my opinion hasn't change.  I think passive agressive comes to mind when I watch her interaction with her husband.  Evidently he's used to it though from his comments.  I did laugh when she revealed they could not afford to "gut" that perfectly usable kitchen and had to use the original cabinets.  Sometimes those grand ideas get shot down with the reality of costs.  I thought the end result looked fine.
  

[MortysCleaningLady]

Saw that episode too @laredhead  - The DC rowhouse transformation was stunning.   I was actually surprised at how little she spent on her renovation comparatively -- that was a true gut and rebuild.

[ByaNose]

The Washington D.C. row home really got the modern glam touch. It's not my style but it did look nice and shiny. It was interesting what she did with the floors. She either painted or stained them black. It was pretty dramatic. I'm sure some people who like the grain of the wood were horrified. LOL!!! The outside of the house really stand apart from the others since it was painted gray. It also still looked like a dumpy neighborhood at a very high price. That said, she could afford the price I couldn't even imagine. That's the 2nd Washington D.C. rowhome I've seen this week in the $400,000 range. That's crazy money! Simply crazy!!!

[Ohwell]

Actually, I think the DC homeowner should have left the exterior of the house as it was, because now all it will do is attract the neighborhood burglars because it stands out so much. 

[biakbiak]

I didn't like the finishes of the DC row house but thought the flow definitely work better. I wonder what her neighbors thought about the 12 feet addition.

[AnnaRose]

On 8/20/2017 at 10:52 AM, ByaNose said:

For years it was Suzanne Wang who was the narrator. Since, 2009 it's been Andromeda Dunker. Why didn't I know this before? LOL!!

Thanks for that.  I kept seeing "Andromeda Dunker" whenever I clicked the info button in the onscreen TV guide... and I couldn't figure out what the heck that meant.   I didn't realize it was a person's name.  (It sounded like a sci-fi episode or something.)

I missed the lady with the Minnie Mouse voice.  Years ago, a new employee was hired where I worked and I cracked up when I first heard her speak.  She was a beautiful young woman who sounded exactly like a cartoon character.  I had never heard anything like it, and I thought she was joking around putting on that hilarious voice.  It turned out to be her natural voice and I had totally offended her.  I felt like such a jerk.

[Thumper]

Family buying in the Chattanooga TN area -- rerun (I think) last night.  Beautiful views!  The wife likes to redo all her homes.  She kept complaining about the kitchens that "weren't like their old home" which she had re-done.  I kept wondering why they were moving if she liked the old place so much!   I got exasperated with her.  Can't imagine wanting all the mess of renovation just because countertops/bathroom weren't marble.  

[CaughtOnTape]

Someone should start a drinking game for this show.  Every time someone says "Nice space" or "natural light" you have to take a shot.  You'd be drunk 10 minutes into the show.

 

What was with that dude wanting everything "sterile".  It's a house, not an operating room.  That woman was a total bitch about that third house.  Look, you live in Florida, if you can't handle gators then don't live there.  From what I understand if you don't go near them they pretty much leave you alone.  Don't make it seem like they're rolling up to your front door and camping out for the evening.

Sometimes some of these couples look like they're about to throttle each other during this show.  

[Kohola3]

24 minutes ago, CaughtOnTape said:

Someone should start a drinking game for this show.  Every time someone says "Nice space" or "natural light" you have to take a shot.  You'd be drunk 10 minutes into the show.

Add AAAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAAAZINNNNNNNG and you won't make it past the first five minutes.

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, CaughtOnTape said:

Don't make it seem like they're rolling up to your front door and camping out for the evening.

I remember reading about a woman who was gardening, I guess she had her back to the water, and a gator came up behind her and killed her. 

[chessiegal]

HH Where are they now? - 1st segment in Tampa, husband says he likes to "lay" in the master bath tub. What exactly is he laying in there - eggs?

[suebee12]

Oh my! The house in Tampa. Holy Cow! Spend $998,000 for the house and then an additional 1.2 million to renovate it! It was beautiful but it is on Bay Shore Blvd. which is a really busy road and can easily flood. A huge house and then add 1500 sq. ft. more!! Such a huge "boss' house" and I didn't hear a mention of children but who knows? Since it was such an old house I was a bit surprised that they were allowed to do the addition because it was a historic house. Again, wow!

[magemaud]

the Tampa couple aren't exactly newlyweds, they've been married for four years at this point, but no mention of children. It killed me to see that they tore out that beautiful library, "but, in a nod to the former library, they also added (wait for it) a BOOKSHELF!" 

[Ohwell]

Tampa house:  I wondered about the flooding, too.  I couldn't help thinking, if you basically added a whole 'nother house at 1500 sq.ft., why didn't you just look for a bigger house?  I guess they really wanted that water view.  I also didn't like that they changed that lovely yellow house and painted it gray.  

[laredhead]

I love the WATN episodes.  While the Tampa house has a water view, it is a much older house and has probably withstood many storms over the years and is probably far enough away from the water that anything other than a huge storm surge will not hurt it.  Of course, that's what the people who lived on the coast in Biloxi and Bay St. Louis thought during Hurricanes Camille and Katrina.  Lovely renovation, and the addition blended with the original house.  I wish they had kept the library, but I don't think that would be a room that fits with their lifestyle.

The couple who bought the hobby farm had a limited budget and didn't go overboard with changes.  I did like the goats and the cow, and having fresh eggs is a plus.   Wonder how the dirt road access works during the winter and rainy weather?   I had totally forgotten about the Oregon woman and her quirky art pieces including the squirrel.  She has made that house her own and while I probably wouldn't have chose that wall color, it's her house and she has done a nice job on it.  That one that I would like to see in person and check out all of her art pieces.  The guest suite in the basement looked nice too.  

[MooCat Pretzel]

I just kept thinking last night while watching the Tampa couple was, if they spent basically a million dollars on the house, and then 1.2 million in renovations, isn't there a 2 million dollar house somewhere in Tampa that would give them more privacy and intimate views of the water?  I currently live on a pretty busy road, so I suppose I was biased in believing their money would be better spent on a house on a road with lighter or no traffic. Of course, then he might not have the additional money to buy that tub to lay in...

Edited August 25, 2017 by MooCat Pretzel

[magemaud]

I thought their original budget was $ 400,000 but they ended up spending $ 1.2 million which INCLUDED the renovations

[biakbiak]

13 minutes ago, magemaud said:

I thought their original budget was $ 400,000 but they ended up spending $ 1.2 million which INCLUDED the renovations

They said their original budget for renos was $400,000 not that was their original total budget.

I did not like the newly stained floors because you lost a lot of the detail and the bar area in the new sun porch looked like it was just plopped there as an afterthought which seemed weird given that it was an addition. Why I love bookcases it didn't look like those were original to the house and actually didn't like that room with them with all the windows so I didn't have a problem with them taking it out.

The no doors on the bathroom was weird, I have no issue with my partner coming into the bathroom but when I take a bath or shower I am usually listening to music or podcasts so it would be annoying for him if he wanted to be in the bedroom, it just seems impractical. 

The backyard looked cramped and boring. And I agree the house looked better yellow but I think with the 1500 ft addition it mought have ended up being too much yellow.

The only thing I liked about about it was the foyer.

[mojito]

Quote

HH Where are they now? - 1st segment in Tampa, husband says he likes to "lay" in the master bath tub. What exactly is he laying in there - eggs?

I'd guess that 90% of the time I hear the word "lay", it's used incorrectly. I want to say that includes "almost everyone" except people who have chickens.

That Naples real estate agent sounded like one of the Chipmunks. Surely that's her natural voice, who'd make the effort to speak that way?

Quote

the Tampa couple aren't exactly newlyweds, they've been married for four years at this point, but no mention of children. It killed me to see that they tore out that beautiful library, "but, in a nod to the former library, they also added (wait for it) a BOOKSHELF!"

That sort of bothered me, too. I have to admit, though, that they'd be impractical for a lot of people because even the readers among us may not have purchased paper books in years. We would have to purchase books to fill the shelves. Or, heaven forbid, tchotchkes. 

I liked the offbeat Seattle woman (she sure was very tall) who managed to go over her budget by 250% but didn't go into debt in the process.