House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[mojito]

Quote

Anyone who has a $1.6 million budget is not cleaning their own house.

Utah County Couple with 5 kids

Tee hee. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she did clean the house. However, with 8000+ square feet from 5500 square feet, I also wouldn't be surprised if she gets help now.

Interesting reason for leaving their current home. The main reason is that they wanted a home that would be more appealing to their 5 kids as they grow into their teens, and would be the hangout home. (Oldest kid is 11 now.) She also complained that her good-sized kitchen was too small and she wanted a pantry. To me it was odd that a couple planning on their kids' teen years would still want their bedroom to be on the same floor as the kids. Actually, the husband would've been happy with the separation.

They ended up with the home that they wanted (she changed out the "dark" kitchen with granite and travertine back splash for white). They got a pool, trampoline, movie theater, etc. It would've been easy to hate on this apparently wealthy young (late 30s) couple, but really, they were quite nice. 

St. Paul Couple

Bland homes. She was happy with the idea of a two bedroom home. She mentioned having a child. She also wanted an artist studio and a music area for him. She either likes to move a lot or she's a poor planner.

[Mrs. Hanson]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

Did not like the house the St. Paul couple ended up in, but I didn't really like any of the houses. I really thought they'd end up in the first one since the wife adored it and it was only $10K over budget - I'd think they could negotiate that down, but maybe the market in St. Paul is hotter (well, not literally because St. Paul is not know for hot weather!) than I realized.

Twin Cities gal here - I knew they were going with House #2 or #3.  #2 if they were going to be hipsters in the city , #3 in Maplewood if they wanted a yard for kids.  Looks like they are going for the hipster vibe.  For a city like St Paul I was stunned there were not more options!  There are A LOT of houses in St Paul - a lot of variety in terms of styles and amont of of room.  A more affordable city option to Minneapolis.  Lots of funky neighborhoods, restaurants, etc.

Chicago couple/Wife was born in Poland:  Goodness she grated on my nerves.  They both did, along with their dog Vinnie.  Look, I am a dog lover but leave your dog at home.  Please don't let him jump on the window sills and drink out of the toilet.  Wife had a THING for white kitchens, didn't she??  And Hubby and his THREE tv's?  Yeah....no.  Someone tell me why he would want three tv's mounted - to watch three sporting events at the same time? 

[Empress1]

45 minutes ago, mojito said:

Utah County Couple with 5 kids

Tee hee. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she did clean the house. However, with 8000+ square feet from 5500 square feet, I also wouldn't be surprised if she gets help now.

Interesting reason for leaving their current home. The main reason is that they wanted a home that would be more appealing to their 5 kids as they grow into their teens, and would be the hangout home. (Oldest kid is 11 now.) She also complained that her good-sized kitchen was too small and she wanted a pantry. To me it was odd that a couple planning on their kids' teen years would still want their bedroom to be on the same floor as the kids. Actually, the husband would've been happy with the separation.

They ended up with the home that they wanted (she changed out the "dark" kitchen with granite and travertine back splash for white). They got a pool, trampoline, movie theater, etc. It would've been easy to hate on this apparently wealthy young (late 30s) couple, but really, they were quite nice. 

St. Paul Couple

Bland homes. She was happy with the idea of a two bedroom home. She mentioned having a child. She also wanted an artist studio and a music area for him. She either likes to move a lot or she's a poor planner.

I was totally on the husband's side there. He said he would have preferred NOT to be on the same floor as the kids. Whenever someone on this show wants to be on the same floor as their kids, I think of the divorced mother in one episode who wanted a city condo somewhere in Florida, I think, and her biggest layout concern was that she and her tween daughter would have some privacy. She wanted, and got, a place where their rooms were on opposite ends of the place. I liked her for that. I also think of my best friend and her husband, who have lived in two homes in which the master was on the first floor and the other bedrooms were upstairs. They put up some baby gates and got on with it.

[juliet73]

Utah couple:  That house was massive!  I understand wanting to have the bedrooms all on the same floor when you have small children.  I think their youngest was 9 months.  At the same time, when the kids are older, I would definitely want to be on the main floor while the kids are upstairs.  I think it's nice that the parents wanted a home that would be fun for their kids and their friends, but in my experience, kids ALWAYS want to go to their friend's houses.  No matter how big the yard, pool, trampoline, etc, someone else's house is always more fun...and they always have better food too :)

[ForReal]

5 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I was totally on the husband's side there. He said he would have preferred NOT to be on the same floor as the kids. Whenever someone on this show wants to be on the same floor as their kids, I think of the divorced mother in one episode who wanted a city condo somewhere in Florida, I think, and her biggest layout concern was that she and her tween daughter would have some privacy. She wanted, and got, a place where their rooms were on opposite ends of the place. I liked her for that. I also think of my best friend and her husband, who have lived in two homes in which the master was on the first floor and the other bedrooms were upstairs. They put up some baby gates and got on with it.

That's funny, I was totally on the wife's side. When you have little kids having bad dreams or wetting the bed, who wants to have to run upstairs all the time -- and I doubt the husband would be making the trek. Even when the kids got older, they would have plenty of space for privacy with the square footage they were looking at. And I confess, I thought it was kind of obscene that they wanted 10,000 square feet for seven people. Ten thousand square feet is like a small house per person.

I was kinda pissed when she caved and went with her husband's choice. I can only hope she negotiated for a full-time housekeeper while off-screen.

[wovenloaf]

Utah...

Were those in-ground trampolines?  At all three houses?  I didn't even know those existed... Or that society still cared about trampolines enough that there would be one at all three homes, ha!

The guy seems kind of douchey.  He seems too into having every trapping he thinks "rich people" should have in a house...  Oh well, if he can afford it, more power to him.  And he definitely married up... She looks fantastic after five kids. Kudos to her!

As big as those houses were overall, I thought many of the individual rooms they showed weren't as big as I would have expected.  Like that dining room they showed in the one they picked - huh?  It looked like a nook that was filled up by that six person table.  And the master was nice, but didn't really look much bigger than ones you could find in houses a third the size.  Plenty large, just not as extravagant as I might have expected in a house that extravagantly large overall. 

[ByaNose]

8 hours ago, wovenloaf said:

Utah...

Were those in-ground trampolines?  At all three houses?  I didn't even know those existed... Or that society still cared about trampolines enough that there would be one at all three homes, ha!

The guy seems kind of douchey.  He seems too into having every trapping he thinks "rich people" should have in a house...  Oh well, if he can afford it, more power to him.  And he definitely married up... She looks fantastic after five kids. Kudos to her!

As big as those houses were overall, I thought many of the individual rooms they showed weren't as big as I would have expected.  Like that dining room they showed in the one they picked - huh?  It looked like a nook that was filled up by that six person table.  And the master was nice, but didn't really look much bigger than ones you could find in houses a third the size.  Plenty large, just not as extravagant as I might have expected in a house that extravagantly large overall. 

Yeah, while that house was huge the bedrooms were really, really small.

[mojito]

Quote

Were those in-ground trampolines?  At all three houses?  I didn't even know those existed... Or that society still cared about trampolines enough that there would be one at all three homes, ha!

Home trampolines are very popular these days. I see signs of them all over my neighborhood (nets taller than the privacy fences). They're much safer than they used to be. The in-grounds looks great,  but they're more difficult to maintain, I think. They're built in a hole supported by a retaining wall. Think about drainage and shifting dirt (the fabric needs air), and the inability to easily check that the device is working properly.  You're also pretty committed to the trampoline's location. That's all I got.

[Empress1]

Last night’s Palm Springs buyers have been on before. I think their search for the weekend home they said they sold was on the show. They’re clearly doing well for themselves. I thought it was interesting that they said they wanted a “low footprint” when they were buying a second home because their previous second home was too small.

I liked the third house the best. It was the warmest. The others felt sterile.

[AuntiePam]

59 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

I liked the third house the best. It was the warmest. The others felt sterile.

Me too, except for the power lines that sort of obstructed their view.  They were concerned about the construction on the neighboring lot -- I wonder if they had enough $$ left in the budget to buy that lot -- keep it empty, or make sure that what goes up isn't two stories. 

[Pickles]

The Denver family moving to Atlanta. Those polo ponies were mentioned a lot! How many ponies do they have? That would be a super expensive hobby.

[chessiegal]

20 minutes ago, Pickles said:

The Denver family moving to Atlanta. Those polo ponies were mentioned a lot! How many ponies do they have? That would be a super expensive hobby.

Well. they had a healthy budget, so I'm guessing money was no problem. Shallow note to wife - lay off the makeup.

[Empress1]

I didn’t like the husband in that couple. He seemed like a jerk. He had kind of a mean sense of humor.

[answerphone]

Denver moving to Atlanta:

"No bar in the basement"

Oh, boo hoo...?

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, answerphone said:

Denver moving to Atlanta:

"No bar in the basement"

Oh, boo hoo...?

And like the wife said, everything you need to make drinks was there. But he complained that there wasn't an actual bar with stools.

Looking at the recent extravagant homes with basement bars, "entertaining spaces," home theaters, pools, in-ground trampolines, etc., I'm really happy to be living in a small apartment in Brooklyn. Having so much stuff and the pressure to use it on a regular basis would give me anxiety.

[CherryAmes]

I don't usually mind if obviously wealthy couples have high expectations for the house they are going to buy (I mean if you have a million dollar budget, knock yourself out) but when those of more modest means are demanding high end appliances, bonus rooms and all the extras I just sit there rolling my eyes so hard it hurts.  Especially when they end up "compromising" - another overworked HH word,

[mojito]

I chuckled when the Atlanta wife loved the floor area in the kitchen where her son could play, but then commented that there wasn't enough land (there was) in the back yard for him to play. 

I watched a 2013 episode of "Flipping San Diego". So, let's say it was filmed 4-5 years ago. The rehab's designer was happy to put up a wall in the dining room to created separation from the living room. The cabinets were dark with dark counter tops. Incredible what was in such a short time ago.

I wonder what the lifespan will be for the Atlanta's woman's white kitchen that she had to have? I wish HH would have a retro week and show us episodes from 5, 10, 15 years ago. It might put in better perspective how long what's up to date actually lasts.

[doodlebug]

13 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

Me too, except for the power lines that sort of obstructed their view.  They were concerned about the construction on the neighboring lot -- I wonder if they had enough $$ left in the budget to buy that lot -- keep it empty, or make sure that what goes up isn't two stories. 

It they didn't buy the lot, I'll bet they did plenty of investigation and were pretty certain exactly what was going to be built there before they bought the other house.

 

13 hours ago, Pickles said:

The Denver family moving to Atlanta. Those polo ponies were mentioned a lot! How many ponies do they have? That would be a super expensive hobby.

The horses were obviously a ruse since 2 of the 3 houses they looked at didn't even have room for a barn and the house they chose was built on a ravine and it would've been hella expensive to change the landscape there to accommodate a barn.  I also don't picture that particular wife being ok with dealing with feeding the horses and mucking their stalls.  Better to find some stables someplace else where someone else does the dirty work.

I found both of them to be a bit much, not terribly likeable. While they had a pretty healthy budget, $400,000 not going to buy perfection in suburban Atlanta.  And, as noted above, she was pretty scary looking in closeup due to the massive amount of makeup she was wearing.

[Mrs. Hanson]

4 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

I don't usually mind if obviously wealthy couples have high expectations for the house they are going to buy (I mean if you have a million dollar budget, knock yourself out) but when those of more modest means are demanding high end appliances, bonus rooms and all the extras I just sit there rolling my eyes so hard it hurts.  Especially when they end up "compromising" - another overworked HH word,

Yes, I agree so much on the modest couples (I am one so I get it) are so snotty about the granite, the stainless, gotta have an island.  My take?  The stove cooks?  We are good.  The fridge keeps things cold?  Good for now!!  But it pains me (like actual pain!) to hear of gutting a kitchen that was remodeled in 2012 as it is dated.  No it is not, 1982 is dated.

[juliet73]

4 hours ago, doodlebug said:

 

The horses were obviously a ruse since 2 of the 3 houses they looked at didn't even have room for a barn and the house they chose was built on a ravine and it would've been hella expensive to change the landscape there to accommodate a barn.  I also don't picture that particular wife being ok with dealing with feeding the horses and mucking their stalls.  Better to find some stables someplace else where someone else does the dirty work.

I found both of them to be a bit much, not terribly likeable. While they had a pretty healthy budget, $400,000 not going to buy perfection in suburban Atlanta.  And, as noted above, she was pretty scary looking in closeup due to the massive amount of makeup she was wearing.

By the way he was talking, I thought he was looking for a backyard where polo matches were going to take place.  

I also didn't care for either one of them.  She seemed more stuck up than him, but he was more annoying.

[Mountainair]

I thought the Atlanta couple picked the best house overall and I agree that they never had any intention of housing the Polo Horses- they just wanted to sound well-to-do. Also, did you know the kids name was Tommy? They only mentioned it every other sentence. The second house had a very unfortunate roof line and little curb appeal unfortunately. The owners will probably always have a hard time selling it. 

I liked the California couple and must have missed their first appearance on the show but I enjoy seeing the mid century architecture. I thought I noticed in the end shot of them sitting by the pool that construction next door had already begun and it appeared to only be a one-story. 

[ForReal]

3 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Yes, I agree so much on the modest couples (I am one so I get it) are so snotty about the granite, the stainless, gotta have an island.  My take?  The stove cooks?  We are good.  The fridge keeps things cold?  Good for now!!  But it pains me (like actual pain!) to hear of gutting a kitchen that was remodeled in 2012 as it is dated.  No it is not, 1982 is dated.

I get exasperated by the demand for two sinks in the bathroom. That's just one more sink to clean. Even if we had two sinks, I can't imagine my husband and I brushing our teeth at exactly the same time, ever.

[aguabella]

Fort Worth, flight attendants (sorry, catching up)

Noticed everyone's comments about their salaries and Re budget.

In the real world, for various reasons, some buyers calculate their own housing budget instead of adopting the lender's maximum. 

Couldn't determine their ages.  During the episode, I wondered if they planned on having children.  Sure enough, she mentioned it in the closing scene.  Given that, she might have used 1 income for her housing budget, assuming she'd take time off.  Others are simply uncomfortable with the monthly payments or plan on retiring early.

Personally, I wouldn't assume they had bad credit or some other issue.  Nice couple ...

[KLovestoShop]

I liked the Tampa guy who wanted a nice bungalow, and bought the one he wanted.  It was also smart to have his friend along who had a lot of really good ideas.  But I chuckled at the realtor and her outfits.  

I found the Atlanta couple quite unlikeable.  I think his mantra of wanting a cheap house was producer encouraged because when you consider that he participates in a very expensive sport, I doubt the wife would accept a cheaper house while he plays expensive polo.  

[ByaNose]

11 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

I liked the Tampa guy who wanted a nice bungalow, and bought the one he wanted.  It was also smart to have his friend along who had a lot of really good ideas.  But I chuckled at the realtor and her outfits.  

I found the Atlanta couple quite unlikeable.  I think his mantra of wanting a cheap house was producer encouraged because when you consider that he participates in a very expensive sport, I doubt the wife would accept a cheaper house while he plays expensive polo.  

Yeah, the Tampa realtor with her fedora hats and color outfits was certainly a standout. LOL!!! The guy seemed really nice as did his friend. Usually, the tag along friend are really annoying but this one wasn't. The bungalow was a nice house although the fireplace was beyond ugly. Hopefully, he tore that down. Overall, the guy has a nice job,  nice house & nice personality. He checks all the boxes and I'm sure he'll make someone very happy someday.

[NYGirl]

I liked the Tampa guy and his friend too.  It seemed like the realtor was auditioning for something though. I was giggling at her outfits.

I liked the house he picked but yes that fireplace needs to go.  The sink in the kitchen needs to go too.  I hope he gets his pool

[jcbrown]

That realtor in Tampa really REALLY wanted to be on TV. 

[Mountainair]

I liked the Tampa guy and his love for his doggies :)  I too measure distance in song so that endeared me to him as well. 

That realtor and her crazy outfits were something else! 

I liked the first and last house the best but that was a lot of tile in the last house that would have had to be removed. I think he was smart going with the first house. There were a lot of opportunities for upgrades that could build equity in the home and not be terribly expensive. The pool may have to wait.

[doodlebug]

19 hours ago, Mountainair said:

I liked the Tampa guy and his love for his doggies :)  I too measure distance in song so that endeared me to him as well. 

That realtor and her crazy outfits were something else! 

I liked the first and last house the best but that was a lot of tile in the last house that would have had to be removed. I think he was smart going with the first house. There were a lot of opportunities for upgrades that could build equity in the home and not be terribly expensive. The pool may have to wait.

That realtor looked ridiculous in her silly get-ups.  I’m sure she was going for stylish and quirky but she landed somewhere south of attention-seeking and desperate.

The guy’s friend was a big help, taking along a contractor when hunting for a fixer-upper is smart thinking.  He was good at looking at things from a contractor’s POV and being realistic about the costs.

I like the idea behind the dual fireplaces; I  hope they were able to restore them into something more attractive and not get rid of them altogether.

Edited February 17, 2018 by doodlebug

[juliet73]

Tampa realtor has been been on HH before.  Sadly, I remember her because of her badly applied eyeliner and not because of her awful wardrobe.  

[chessiegal]

20 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

Tampa realtor has been been on HH before.  Sadly, I remember her because of her badly applied eyeliner and not because of her awful wardrobe.  

Did they have/give a name - I kept watching for one and didn't see it because I wanted to look her up.

[jcbrown]

Hate hate hated the entitled twit in the Flagstaff episode who kept declaring that rooms with perfectly functional and nice finishes had to be "gutted" because they were not to her taste. And she declared that a walk-in closet in the house they bought was too small and her husband would have to put his clothes in the hall closet. For a vacation property. How many clothes is she going to need on vacation? The vending machine toy business (who knew that was a thing?) must be much more lucrative than I imagined.

[juliet73]

45 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Did they have/give a name - I kept watching for one and didn't see it because I wanted to look her up.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateagents/TAMI-PIERCE_Tampa_FL_340998_319464837

I think she was on before with the guy who worried about zombies.  

Edited February 18, 2018 by juliet73

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, jcbrown said:

Hate hate hated the entitled twit in the Flagstaff episode who kept declaring that rooms with perfectly functional and nice finishes had to be "gutted" because they were not to her taste. And she declared that a walk-in closet in the house they bought was too small and her husband would have to put his clothes in the hall closet. For a vacation property. How many clothes is she going to need on vacation? The vending machine toy business (who knew that was a thing?) must be much more lucrative than I imagined.

She did say they planned to spend summers there, but, even so, I, too, wondered how much clothing she could possibly need to vacation in the woods.  I also get a bit ticked off at some of these snobby folk who just want to trash high end fixtures in good condition because they want some other pricey finish.  I hope they at least remove that stuff carefully and donate it to Habitat.  So wasteful, IMO.

[Kohola3]

10 hours ago, doodlebug said:

So wasteful, IMO.

Ditto.  There's a huge difference between I "want" and I "need".  I have a friend who inherited her dad's house and it had avocado green appliances.  She said she'd replace them as they wore out but since they were still working she couldn't see just throwing them away.  Sure, she wanted something new but she didn't need it.

When I had my kitchen remodeled, the Habitat ReStore picked up my old but working appliances.  If that had not been an option, I would have soldiered on with what I had.  This is just too much of a "throw it away" society.  And one brainwashed by shows like HH as to what to demand.

[laredhead]

The Denver to Atlanta couple were uncomfortable to watch.  They were both snarky to each other, and I can't imagine spending 30 minutes with them, but since I don't have to that won't be a problem.  Why on earth would the realtor choose that 2nd house to show them?  There was no way that house was going to be acceptable to either of them.  It was barely acceptable to me.  Surely with the inventory of houses in that area, HH could have found another one that would have been closer to what they were looking for.

I always love the Palm Springs episodes, but I really like MCM architecture.  It's interesting that a builder has purchased some of the Eichler plans and is building that style of house again.  I live in a subdivision of mid century houses built in the mid 1950's.  It would be nice to have someone build a new house in our area along the lines of those of the 50's, but with energy efficient materials, and a few tweaks here and there while keeping the vibe of the original development.  The house they chose is lovely and the entry into the atrium is beautiful.  That style works in California and in climates without too much rain.        

[zenme]

Some of these personalities! Ugh! I'd really like some sort of behind these scenes insights, or maybe some updates on these folks. Like, I wonder how many are divorced now, who got locked up for domestic charges, because I swear, some of the personalities strike me as being some who could potentially abuse. 

I'm nosy like that!

[topanga]

On 2/13/2018 at 11:07 PM, wovenloaf said:

Utah...

Were those in-ground trampolines?  At all three houses?  I didn't even know those existed... Or that society still cared about trampolines enough that there would be one at all three homes, ha!

The guy seems kind of douchey.  He seems too into having every trapping he thinks "rich people" should have in a house...  Oh well, if he can afford it, more power to him.  And he definitely married up... She looks fantastic after five kids. Kudos to her!

I was impressed by their budget: 1.65 million. She's a SAHM and he owns a "logistics company." Do those really make that much money? I guess so. All three homes were definite house porn, but I actually liked the third one best--the one with the white kitchen and the nice backyard. Without a pool. 

As someone mentioned, the home they chose would be a nightmare to clean, especially with young children being home with her all day. And a special needs child. I did laugh at the beginning of the episode when the mom said, "If you're not cooking, you cannot cross this line [into the kitchen]."

BTW, were they Mormon? They didn't "look" Mormon, whatever that means. LOL. (Not trying to offend any Mormons).

 

19 hours ago, doodlebug said:

She did say they planned to spend summers there, but, even so, I, too, wondered how much clothing she could possibly need to vacation in the woods.  I also get a bit ticked off at some of these snobby folk who just want to trash high end fixtures in good condition because they want some other pricey finish.  I hope they at least remove that stuff carefully and donate it to Habitat.  So wasteful, IMO.

ITA. That looked like a big walk-in closet to me. And I wish, wish, wish the Flagstaff couple would stop saying they wanted something rustic, which means simple, plain, and usually related to the countryside. They wanted a house that looked rustic on the outside but was ultra-modern and expensive on the inside.  They have every right to gut a perfectly nice kitchen, I guess (wasteful though it is), but stop pretending that you want a "cabin." 

 

2 hours ago, laredhead said:

The Denver to Atlanta couple were uncomfortable to watch.  They were both snarky to each other, and I can't imagine spending 30 minutes with them, but since I don't have to that won't be a problem.  Why on earth would the realtor choose that 2nd house to show them?  There was no way that house was going to be acceptable to either of them.  It was barely acceptable to me.  Surely with the inventory of houses in that area, HH could have found another one that would have been closer to what they were looking for.

They were looking at 5 and 6 bedroom homes, and they only have the one kid. Did they mention that they're planning to have more? Or will parents be moving in with them? Which is none of my business, of course. I'm just wondering why they would need a 5-bedroom house for just the three of them? 

They were so nasty (much worse than snarky), I actually wrote down some of the mean things they said to each other and the real estate agent:

• (husband): "It'll take a lot of convincing me." 
• My polo ponies!  Wah-Wah-Wah.
• (husband to the wife): Are you going to start cooking now? 
• (wife): "This is really underwhelming. This is not great. "
• (wife): "If the rest of the house looked like this, maybe we'd have a deal." 
• (husband): "I think it sounds like you're compromising." 

Okay, so it doesn't sound that bad in print. But the I agree with laredhead--they're not the kind of people I'd want to hang around for any length of time. . 

[Mrs. Hanson]

31 minutes ago, zenme said:

Some of these personalities! Ugh! I'd really like some sort of behind these scenes insights, or maybe some updates on these folks. Like, I wonder how many are divorced now, who got locked up for domestic charges, because I swear, some of the personalities strike me as being some who could potentially abuse. 

I'm nosy like that!

Bolding mine:  Come sit with me, as I wonder that, too!!!

[AuntiePam]

On 2/17/2018 at 11:36 AM, doodlebug said:

That realtor looked ridiculous in her silly get-ups.  I’m sure she was going for stylish and quirky but she landed somewhere south of attention-seeking and desperate.

 

A stylish friend told me to always wear three things, so I'd add a scarf or a belt to my slacks/sweater or blouse/skirt.  She said if I wore more than three things, to remove one.  Tampa realtor should have dumped the hat (especially in Florida) and the silly vest.  And then she should have stepped back, and realized it wasn't about her.  It was especially obvious at the end, when the buyer and his friends were on the porch.  and the Realtor was hogging all the attention.  The two gals in the porch swing looked annoyed.

I liked that house, even with the ugly fireplace -- paint and repointing might have fixed that.  The house with all the tile was nice and big, but that was way too much tile.  Someone will love it though. 

[Empress1]

15 hours ago, topanga said:

They were so nasty (much worse than snarky), I actually wrote down some of the mean things they said to each other and the real estate agent:

• (husband): "It'll take a lot of convincing me." 
• My polo ponies!  Wah-Wah-Wah.
• (husband to the wife): Are you going to start cooking now? 
• (wife): "This is really underwhelming. This is not great. "
• (wife): "If the rest of the house looked like this, maybe we'd have a deal." 
• (husband): "I think it sounds like you're compromising." 

Okay, so it doesn't sound that bad in print. But the I agree with laredhead--they're not the kind of people I'd want to hang around for any length of time. . 

For me, the nastiest moment was what he didn't say. It was right in the introduction. I can't remember how he described her, but she followed up with "You forgot smart, funny, beautiful ..." and he smirked and stayed silent.

[Mrs. Hanson]

On 2/18/2018 at 8:21 AM, Kohola3 said:

Ditto.  There's a huge difference between I "want" and I "need".  I have a friend who inherited her dad's house and it had avocado green appliances.  She said she'd replace them as they wore out but since they were still working she couldn't see just throwing them away.  Sure, she wanted something new but she didn't need it.

When I had my kitchen remodeled, the Habitat ReStore picked up my old but working appliances.  If that had not been an option, I would have soldiered on with what I had.  This is just too much of a "throw it away" society.  And one brainwashed by shows like HH as to what to demand.

See, I would want to change out the appliance in time, but until then, I would totally rock the 70's kitchen!!!  (Born in 1965 so.....yeah.)  My mom had a stove (almond from the 80's) and we had to convince her to replace it.  Only two burners worked, there some something burnt so bad inside that it would smoke all all the time.....oy.   Can you imagine a HH?  (We re-did the kitchen after she passed so no snark was allowed!)

[mojito]

Mother and Adult Daughter with Adolescent Daughter, Danbury Connecticut

According to my SlingTV scheduling this was a new episode. Sorry if it's not.

I loved how the daughter wanted the best and nicest touches for herself, but seemed to have lower standards for her mother. Even suggested that a basement with no kitchen set-up could work for her mother if she put a camping stove on a built-in bookshelf. C'mon, even if this was in her script, why would she so willingly take a stance like that? In the end, they got a place they both liked and the daughter stated that her mother's wishes were important to her. I was surprised that, despite coming in $10K under budget ($30K below asking) that they stuck with that pale green carpet throughout the home. But I'm glad they found a place acceptable to both.

[CruiseDiva]

8 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

See, I would want to change out the appliance in time, but until then, I would totally rock the 70's kitchen!!!  (Born in 1965 so.....yeah.)  My mom had a stove (almond from the 80's) and we had to convince her to replace it.  Only two burners worked, there some something burnt so bad inside that it would smoke all all the time.....oy.   Can you imagine a HH?  (We re-did the kitchen after she passed so no snark was allowed!)

I still have an almond fridge, which I got in 2001 to match my other 80s almond appliances. I've since replaced all the almond appliances, except the fridge, with black appliances. Am waiting for the fridge to die. It shouldn't be too long now, Hehehe.

[juliet73]

56 minutes ago, mojito said:

Mother and Adult Daughter with Adolescent Daughter, Danbury Connecticut

I loved how the daughter wanted the best and nicest touches for herself, but seemed to have lower standards for her mother. Even suggested that a basement with no kitchen set-up could work for her mother if she put a camping stove on a built-in bookshelf. C'mon, even if this was in her script, why would she so willingly take a stance like that? In the end, they got a place they both liked and the daughter stated that her mother's wishes were important to her. I was surprised that, despite coming in $10K under budget ($30K below asking) that they stuck with that pale green carpet throughout the home. But I'm glad they found a place acceptable to both.

I thought the same!  A camping stove?  Really?  I'm surprised the daughter didn't mention getting her mom a port-a-potty for the house that didn't have a bathroom on the MIL level.  

Phoenix ep:  I could not stand this couple!!!  She was worse than him, but I still wanted to punch them both in the throat!  I saw some facial expressions from the realtor that indicated she was even over the wife's demands.  Wife wanted a seating area and a fireplace in the master and two walk in closets.  For $1.2 mill, I thought that was reasonable, but then harping on the lack of fireplace (IN PHOENIX!!!) because the bedroom didn't have one was just ridiculous!  And her b!tching about the cream colored kitchen...UGH!!  "Not cream! Not off white!  I said WHITE!  BRIGHT WHITE!" One of the bathrooms had darker vanities and she didn't like the light fixtures so "it's a total renovation!"

Their need about living in a gated community was naive.  They said their kids (the girls looked to be around 6 and the boy looked under 10)  could go to the park or their friend's house and "not have to worry about where they were or if they were safe.  Huh?  They definitely have a false sense of security.  

I totally agreed with the husband about wanting a crushed ice maker.  I just stayed in the hospital with my son for 2 weeks and the crushed ice was sooooo good!  I told my husband if we ever win the lottery, the first thing we're buying is a crushed ice machine.

Edited February 20, 2018 by juliet73

[chessiegal]

That Phoenix area episode was too much. HH - first, enough already with the she wants he wants. Stop it! It's annoying. Million plus budget and we  must gut everything. Who are these rich people who need to have their 15 minutes of TV fame? Let's get some middle class Americans with reasonable budgets us middle Americans can relate to.

[stormy]

OMG  Mrs. Phoenix was obnoxious.  Immediately walking into every house and announcing that everything needs to be gutted.

I really feel sorry that with over a million dollars to spend you can't find an acceptable house.

[Empress1]

53 minutes ago, stormy said:

OMG  Mrs. Phoenix was obnoxious.  Immediately walking into every house and announcing that everything needs to be gutted.

I really feel sorry that with over a million dollars to spend you can't find an acceptable house.

I took one look at the Phoenix couple and was like " ... Nah," and stopped the episode from recording. I could tell the wife was going to be a terror. Her affect was really flat in the beginning and at one point she was literally sitting with her mouth hanging open.

Quote

Mother and Adult Daughter with Adolescent Daughter, Danbury Connecticut

I loved how the daughter wanted the best and nicest touches for herself, but seemed to have lower standards for her mother. Even suggested that a basement with no kitchen set-up could work for her mother if she put a camping stove on a built-in bookshelf. C'mon, even if this was in her script, why would she so willingly take a stance like that? In the end, they got a place they both liked and the daughter stated that her mother's wishes were important to her. I was surprised that, despite coming in $10K under budget ($30K below asking) that they stuck with that pale green carpet throughout the home. But I'm glad they found a place acceptable to both.

I saw that too! I'm glad the mother called her on it. You won't be chuckling and saying "It's fine!" when that camping stove on a bookshelf burns down your house. Let her have a little comfort, damn!

[Dejana]

Shea Hillenbrand, back already? He was on HH just last year, but maybe they were looking for a vacation home then. I guess it's not surprising that an ex-Major League player and his wife would have demands but they really did not come off well. Everything was too small, not spacious enough or the wrong color of white, and I'm pretty sure you can get an ice maker for less than a hundred bucks. Also, I've never been to Phoenix but I don't think it's overrun with French provincial style houses.

Edited February 20, 2018 by Dejana

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, Dejana said:

Shea Hillenbrand, back already? He was on HH just last year, but maybe they were looking for a vacation home then. I guess it's not surprising that an ex-Major League player and his wife would have demands but they really did not come off well. Everything was too small, not spacious enough or the wrong color of white, and I'm pretty you can get an ice maker for less than a hundred bucks. Also, I've never been to Phoenix but I don't think it's overrun with French provincial style houses.

I thought he looked familar.

 

Personal life[edit]

Hillenbrand has three adopted children from his first marriage, Austin, Dakota, and Noah. Hillenbrand got married for the second time in 2014. Through his second marriage, Hillenbrand has two stepchildren.[7]

Hillenbrand used to reside on a ranch in Chandler, Arizona where he and his first wife used to run a foundation called Against All Odds. The foundation rescued and rehabilitated animals and allowed underprivileged inner-city kids to visit and interact with the animals.[8]

The ranch went into foreclosure in 2012, and the foundation ceased operations shortly afterwards.[9]

Hillenbrand and his second wife appeared in the House Hunters International episode “Puerto Penasco Three-Run Homer” on November 23, 2017, looking for a vacation home in Puerto Penasco.