House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[Empress1]

My mother told me a story recently of how I fell down some stairs as a toddler. The first house they owned was a split-level and I fell down those stairs. I was like "I turned out OK." She said "Oh yeah, you didn't even cry. You just looked kind of confused. I had some 'i just looked away for a second' guilt but I got over it."

I thought the husband in the San Diego episode was very good-looking. I also thought his desire to basically have a farm to grow veggies for his family of four was pretty silly. He could have a garden at any of the homes they looked at.

[Kohola3]

47 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

I'm in my 60's now and I worry far more about using the stairs these days than I ever did growing up.

Hee, me too. 

I, along with a zillion friends in a neighborhood of Catholic families, all managed to survive living in homes with stairs. Do these people expect their children will live on flat ground for the rest of their lives?  Have homes with elevators? 

It's called Natural Selection - if you can't manage to successfully walk up and down inclines without fatalities then it's best you don't live long enough to breed other morons.

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

I thought the husband in the San Diego episode was very good-looking. I also thought his desire to basically have a farm to grow veggies for his family of four was pretty silly. He could have a garden at any of the homes they looked at.

At first I thought he was good-looking, but then his personality turned me off so much that I didn't care anymore about how he looked, lol.  He gave off a high maintenance, d-bag vibe and I'm guessing that neighbors wouldn't want to be around him either. 

All I can say about this couple is that the kids were cute.

[chessiegal]

San Diego guy's comment about finding another real estate agent rubbed me the wrong way. The RE agent can't deliver what doesn't exist. In this day and age, get on Zillow or Realtor and see if there is something you'd like to see. RE agents have access to more detailed databases than the public. When we bought the house we are in now, our agent would send me links to houses in the Maryland database he had access to. I can see a situation where the agent is not actively trying to find what you're looking for, but saying you want a house with unicorns in the back yard isn't going to happen.

[doodlebug]

29 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

San Diego guy's comment about finding another real estate agent rubbed me the wrong way. The RE agent can't deliver what doesn't exist. In this day and age, get on Zillow or Realtor and see if there is something you'd like to see. RE agents have access to more detailed databases than the public. When we bought the house we are in now, our agent would send me links to houses in the Maryland database he had access to. I can see a situation where the agent is not actively trying to find what you're looking for, but saying you want a house with unicorns in the back yard isn't going to happen.

I didn't get that, either.  Real estate agents don't get paid for showing houses, they get paid when they sell them.  There would be no reason for an agent to refuse to find a home to suit a buyer's needs unless said home did not exist on the market.  Of course, this was a guy who had just become a vegetarian and  admitted he had absolutely no experience in farming and yet wanted to purchase acres and acres of land so he could start producing his own vegetables.  While raising two kids and working full time.  Good lord, try a couple of tomato plants and a few zucchini before letting the delusions of grandeur take over.  If he goes back to eating meat next year, I suspect he'll want a herd of cattle.

[KLovestoShop]

About the stair thing, we grew up in a very old house with rickety stairs.  I contracted polio when I was two and even in my braces I went up and down those stairs.  Now, that I’m in my 60’s, stairs do worry me more. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The NJ people who wanted an income unit were all kinds of loony.     They bought the second house with the attic apartment, right?    I'm betting they will never redo the apartment, because it didn't look like they had an emergency egress staircase.     As we hear all of the time on HH, every bedroom needs to have two routes of egress, and I didn't see any other outside doors that might have lead to another staircase inside, or to an emergency stairs out back.      I bet the apartment wasn't legal, and I'm wondering if the local building codes enforcement people were watching?     I hope they were, because that apartment could be a death trap if they have a fire.  

I hate the house hunters in the new episode, and it's barely started.    She wants a colonial or Victorian, or other east coast style in Phoenix?     She's out of her mind.   She's not the first house hunter that hated Spanish style houses in Phoenix, but she may be in the running for most irritating.    And she needs a room for her couponing?   I love how she keeps saying places 'aren't her style', I guess  her style would be a warehouse to store her stuff.    I wonder if anyone mentioned scorpions to her?     Maybe a scorpion will make an appearance and I can watch her screaming and running back to where ever she moved from.   

I had to laugh when I heard the amenities for the town house, and I don't think they realize that playing basketball in an uncovered court for about six months of the year will not be pleasant.     It looks like they were shopping in the cooler months, so summer might be one heck of a big shock.    Also, the AC bill in summer for those two story house and town house could be hideous.     

I knew she was going to get the new build, and add a ton of upgrades, and I'm betting they lied about the price they actually paid, or else exaggerated the price of the model.    Of course, maybe the builders give them a super deal in return for the publicity of being on "House Hunters, coupon edition"

I wonder if they think that supplementing the soil, and the huge water bill for their proposed garden in the back yard will save them a penny.   I bet it won't, and I'm sure she'll plant things that will die in the heat.    

Edited September 8, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[LittleIggy]

Phoenix: Yeah, lots of Victorian houses there! ? When she said of the nice pantry in one house, “Oh, I could put my couponing stuff here!” I thought, “Or you could store food and kitchen/cleaning supplies there!”

[jcbrown]

40 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

Phoenix: Yeah, lots of Victorian houses there! ? When she said of the nice pantry in one house, “Oh, I could put my couponing stuff here!” I thought, “Or you could store food and kitchen/cleaning supplies there!”

Right? And that was the same place where she claimed another entire room for her couponing.  How much space does this obsession take?

[MsTree]

12 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

And she needs a room for her couponing? 

She wanted a dedicated room for couponing, and she winds up on their bedroom floor.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I know that a lot of the story line is total fiction, but I think she really did want a house like the one she would have had back east.     They should have stayed on the east coast.   

I loved her couponing room being the bedroom floor, and I sincerely hoped a scorpion would run across the coupons.    That woman has zero comprehension of what it's like to live in the desert.     They won't even be able to rototill the back for a garden, and the garden would burn up before anything ever actually ripens anyway.      There's a reason that most yards there are artificial turf, just like the model home back yard was.     I can't imagine how much fertilizer, and decent soil a garden there would require, and I'm guessing it was another fiction just for the show.      And I doubt her husband will be outside using his big grill for at least the summer months, which is usually about six months of the year in Phoenix.    There's a reason people put outdoor kitchens under an insulated patio cover, and with misters in Phoenix.  

What are they going to do with the tons of stuff she would buy if she's really into hardcore couponing?     Unless she donates a lot, she's going to end up with tons of stuff that will either expire, or never be used, piled everywhere.      It's one thing if she does really well with the coupons, and donates to a food pantry or something like that, but endless piles of stuff that will probably never be used is just a waste.  

My prediction is that within a couple of years they will be running back east, and they better hope their house price doesn't tank when they need to sell it.    There have been serious drops in the Phoenix market in the past few years, and with their luck there will be another one when they need to sell.    The market there usually has a rebound, but I think they bought at the height of the market, so they better hope the market stays strong. 

I think a lot of hoarders get started with couponing.     

Edited September 9, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[StatisticalOutlier]

10 hours ago, jcbrown said:

Right? And that was the same place where she claimed another entire room for her couponing.  How much space does this obsession take?

It's not the couponing that takes up so much room--it's the stockpile of shit you get with the coupons.  And she did mention her "stockpile," so she's one of those.

Edited September 8, 2018 by StatisticalOutlier
clarity

[Empress1]

17 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Phoenix: Yeah, lots of Victorian houses there! ? When she said of the nice pantry in one house, “Oh, I could put my couponing stuff here!” I thought, “Or you could store food and kitchen/cleaning supplies there!”

It's one of my pet peeves when the hunters want places that aren't in their location. Like, ma'am, this is the desert.

I like a good deal as much or more than the next person, but find couponing weird if you just hoard the stuff. They were only a family of 3. I've seen a few of those "Extreme Couponing" shows and some of them donate the stuff to food pantries, which I think is cool.

[jcbrown]

6 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

It's not the couponing that takes up so much room--it's the stockpile of shit you get with the coupons.  And she did mention her "stockpile," so she's one of those.

Thanks for the explanation. I am even more appalled then, that she scoped out a room and a closet for her hoard.

[LittleIggy]

8 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

I've only made it through the San Diego episode so far. They were the most annoying people in the world. And both seem to work in HR so I can only imagine there are a bunch of workers who feel like pulling their hair out having to deal with these two "extra" personalities. Duh, my kids are four and six and can't go up and down steps yet I see myself building ziplines for them in the yard. I want to go egg their house.

The parents were so worried about steps yet the kids were playing on a trampoline at the end. ?

[kirklandia]

The odd lengths of some of these show meant that my DVR cut off  the end of one.  How can I sleep without knowing which house the San Diego folks chose?  Help me!

[CrazyInAlabama]

Couponing is fine, but when you plan to stock pile a bunch of stuff just because you got it cheap, and think of amassing the most stuff for the least money is a hobby, then that's funny to me.   The people I know that coupon either have big families where they share the goods they buy, or people who use it to donate to food pantries.     Just amassing a bunch of stuff that will probably never be used that's strange to me.   

 I really suspect that clipping coupons was more her idea of saving, and the couponing room scene was suggested by the producers.     I'm guessing the coupon room is phony, and so was the garden.  However, the couple should declutter as much as possible, so the moving costs won't be so bad when they move back east to the land of victorian and colonial houses. 

I was surprised to find out how many household products (shampoo for example) actually are a bad idea to buy on clearance, or in huge quantities, because when they are too old they go bad.     

Edited September 9, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[Kohola3]

42 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Couponing is fine, but when you plan to stock pile a bunch of stuff just because you got it cheap, and think of amassing the most stuff for the least money is a hobby, then that's funny to me. 

Hoarding, plain and simple, if it isn't used or isn't used before it expires.  Paper products are fine but even cleaning materials can get wonky of kept for years on end.  Have masses of stuff just to have it isn't normal.

[CruiseDiva]

44 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Couponing is fine, but when you plan to stock pile a bunch of stuff just because you got it cheap, and think of amassing the most stuff for the least money is a hobby, then that's funny to me.

I use coupons for things I actually buy often and use. Takes up no room at all--I keep the coupons in a little box that's attached to the fridge with a magnet.

[Pine]

The vocal fry on the lady in the San Diego couple was so irritating.  She was a very wierd chick, and her husband was too.  They were correct when they said they were ying and yang.  Cannot imagine them having many couples friends.    In this day and age, you know about as soon as most agents what's for sale.  That agent deserved a 6% cut on his end.  :)   I am finding House Hunters more and more boring.  I use to really love watching it, and hope that I enjoy it again.  At the present time, I am saving over 6 at a time, and then watching the first minute or two, ff through what they want, watch the first house and then ff to the end.   A lot I watch about 2 minutes and delete.  Especially the South of the Border, Australian and Far East episodes of HHI 

[Kohola3]

43 minutes ago, Pine said:

I am finding House Hunters more and more boring. 

Ditto.  Even the descriptions are boring - same old "conflicts" (she has her heart set on a cottage or bungalow; he wants a home that feels more open and loft-like;  she's an aspiring minimalist but he prefers to have some room to spread out. while he hopes for a ranch with an open floor plan; she becomes more interested in a two-story Colonial, blah, blah, blah)  program after program.  Have these people ever even met each other?  And, BTW, those examples are taken directly from the show descriptions. 

And rarely is there a house I would be remotely interested in so I am pretty much done watching it unless it's in a city I know.

[suebee12]

One more comment on the "coupon queen"! Why in heaven's name was she complaining about couponing on a tile floor? First, I would have a table set up, not sit on the floor and second....cleaning up clippings is much easier on a tile floor than carpet! And to top it off, tile is so much cooler than carpet, much better for the desert weather!

[Kemper]

I thought the coupon craze was over; guess not.  

When it comes to House Hunters, about the only ones I watch anymore are when the buyers are looking for older/vintage homes.  Or it is in a city I am really interested in seeing what the housing is like. 

Last night I was watching an episode where the couple was looking for a vacation home in Oak Island, NC.  It was a pleasant surprise to find they were kind, unassuming and had a reasonable budget.  They were not picky in that they weren't horrified at older beach homes, paneling, one bathroom; in other words, the houses were not from House Beautiful or Coastal Living.  They were older beach cottages; a couple had updates...white painted paneling,  and maybe some faux wood floors and tile.  They were thrilled just to have saved (15 years!) to be able to have a modest vacation home.  This episode might have been one of the Beachfront Bargain Hunts...if so, sorry I posted in the regular HH thread.

[chessiegal]

Yes, Oak Island NC was Beachfront Bargain Hunt. I hope they still have a home by this time next week with Florence making a beeline for the Carolinas.

[hoosier80]

4 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I hope they still have a home by this time next week with Florence making a beeline for the Carolinas.

Every time I see someone on any one of the house hunting type shows and they say I want to be at the beach, near the water, I always think, yeah it'd be nice, but what about storms?  Not even just hurricanes, but if they're by a lake or any type of water, flooding can be a major issue.  The high rise condos would probably be ok (can't imagine riding out a hurricane up high though).  

I am across the street from a 'run'.  Think teeny, tiny creek that is dry or trickling most of the time.  It would have to be a apocalyptic type of storm, water over the banks - banks are at least 2 feet down to the bottom, then up over the grass in front of the run - a good 10 feet, then across the street.  Plus, we have storm drains that drain out to retention ponds.  Now, I'm not close to those.  Just the geese alone convinced me not to look in that area.  

I hope everyone along the coast takes heed of the warnings, and that they get through this upcoming storm just fine.

[chessiegal]

We always joke that people who buy 2nd or 3rd row homes will be 1st row soon enough.

[CrazyInAlabama]

If they're in the path of this monster coming in, then you're probably right.     Remember the lady who bought the house on the beach in North Carolina a few years ago?     I'm sure she had to pay cash, because the house was uninsurable, and it also couldn't be rebuilt if it was destroyed.     I wonder about that house.  

[juliet73]

Tonight's episode with the two teachers. All the homes they toured seemed very basic. No character, no high end finishes, etc and they seemed fine with everything as is. However, he seemed more difficult to please. She looked like she was ready to start crying or wanted to run away...maybe both. 

[Empress1]

14 hours ago, juliet73 said:

Tonight's episode with the two teachers. All the homes they toured seemed very basic. No character, no high end finishes, etc and they seemed fine with everything as is. However, he seemed more difficult to please. She looked like she was ready to start crying or wanted to run away...maybe both. 

She DID look like she was near tears all the time! I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed.

I knew when he said "our neighbors have chickens" that that was the house they'd pick. Also the basement was indeed nice. (My best friend lives in Denver and she says it's common to have finished basements. At their old house, their daughter's room and the guest room were in the basement, along with a full bathroom.)

[laredhead]

I thought the woman in the Denver episode had bad eyesight, and that she was squinting, not near tears.  I was wondering if the bright camera light might have bothered her eyes.

[CrazyInAlabama]

You have to be careful if you buy a house with a basement with bedrooms down there.   They require two egress methods, so the stairs work as one, or a walk out, but windows have to be egress windows, and that can be very expensive to add.      Sometimes you see a note on a house ad that says the basement bedroom is non-conforming, and that's realtor speak for illegal to live in, and death trap.  

[KLovestoShop]

The blended family in Indianapolis was interesting.  I did like the husband, but the wife grated on me.  In general, I’m getting so sick and tired of whiny wives saying “where’s my pool, where’s my walk in pantry, where’s my big front porch, where’s my white kitchen?”   This wife was no better with her “This isn’t my craftsman.  Where’s my front porch.  Where’s my pool”.  I felt sorry for the husband and his allergies to cats.  I have the same allergy and can smell a cat when I walk into a house. I really found it bad that the previous owners didn’t mitigate the cat smells before putting the house on the market. 

[juliet73]

4 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

The blended family in Indianapolis was interesting.  I did like the husband, but the wife grated on me.  In general, I’m getting so sick and tired of whiny wives saying “where’s my pool, where’s my walk in pantry, where’s my big front porch, where’s my white kitchen?”   This wife was no better with her “This isn’t my craftsman.  Where’s my front porch.  Where’s my pool”.  I felt sorry for the husband and his allergies to cats.  I have the same allergy and can smell a cat when I walk into a house. I really found it bad that the previous owners didn’t mitigate the cat smells before putting the house on the market. 

I didn't mind her.  The only time she irked me was when she said the carpet inlay was ugly in the 4 season room and complained that they wanted a "move in ready home."   I'm pretty sure someone can still move into a home where ONLY ONE room - a 4 season room nonetheless - needs the floor replaced for cosmetic reasons.  Her asking for a porch and pool really didn't bother me.  If I wanted a pool, I would prefer to buy a house with one already installed.  However, what grates me are these buyers that say "Where are my hardwood floors?  Where are my SS appliances?  Where is my granite?"  Those are all cosmetic things that can me done over time. 

I liked them as a couple.  They were very nice to each other and in the end, she commented that she happy that they were able to find a house with everything HE was looking for.  It was refreshing to hear that, instead of the usual "I won! I got my blah blah blah".

[Vivigirl10]

I don't have an issue with the hunters looking for specific things in a home either, for some reason what irks me is the "MY" part?  Where is my porch, where is my pool, where is my craftsman?  It just comes across as so self centered.  If you're a single person, go ahead and "MY" away.  If you're having to consider the needs of your 15 member blended family or even just your husband, please don't use that word. 

On a very shallow note, the wife had a very unfortunate skin tone that made her look all one color......or sick.  She brightened up a little in the (I think green) sweater she had on at the end.  Maybe she's just super affected by the color she's wearing.   

[CrazyInAlabama]

I guess the California couple was a rerun, but I hate when they say "it adds 30 minutes a day each way to my commute" when they're looking, and then after they make the huge sacrifice to buy it, suddenly the extra commute is 5 minutes extra.    I guess the house moved closer to make them happy.  And they needed a room for 37 guitars?    If they didn't spend money on expensive guitars that need their own room, then maybe they could afford a house closer to work.    My guess is a lot of these people that need a MIL suite, it's for the live in nanny, or they have a relative that's moving in and going to be the unpaid help.

Was that the one with the blonde wife, who had the most nasal voice I've ever heard?     Very irritating. 

Edited September 13, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[Pickles]

I think the CA couple was a new episode. Omg, their commutes! He said his was 3 hours a day and hers was 4. I guess that is just what you put up with in the LA area. Horrible. I didn't really like any of the houses. The one they chose had zero privacy in the backyard. Houses looking down on them from all directions and really zero grass for the dogs. Thirty seven guitars. No thanks. It looked like they might be hanging them on every wall in every room. Lol. 

[javajeanelaine]

The pool issue in Indiana I thought was crazy.  I moved recently from Indiana to Florida and in Florida, yes a pool would be nice.  In Indiana and most of the Midwest, it's a luxury since you maybe can use it four months a year.

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, javajeanelaine said:

In Indiana and most of the Midwest, it's a luxury since you maybe can use it four months a year.

That might depend on the area.  My sister lives in SW Indiana and they have had heat indices over 100 for the entire summer.  And the heat came in like a lion in April.  But you still don't see many pools down there.

[juliet73]

CA episode in Rancho Cucamonga/Fontana:  the wife's voice drove me mad!  When she was standing in the small room with the wall to wall hanging rods and asked if this was the closet, I wanted to punch her in the throat!  I didn't realize their commutes were hours long!  That's crazy!  I would rather live in a smaller house and live closer to a job in L.A.  

[Ohwell]

I'm not interested in Chicago episodes anyway, but the Chicago doctor couple really got on my nerves.  I can't put my finger on why, maybe it was because I envied their over $1million budget for a house.  I didn't like any of the houses. 

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I'm not interested in Chicago episodes anyway, but the Chicago doctor couple really got on my nerves.  I can't put my finger on why, maybe it was because I envied their over $1million budget for a house.  I didn't like any of the houses. 

I found the wife irritating for no reason I could explain. I found him sort of cute and nerdy (although I did think his golf simulator room idea was dumb), but there was something about her that I found off-putting. I loved the exteriors of the houses, especially the one they bought.

[KLovestoShop]

I didn’t like the Chicago husband with his need of a golf simulator in the house and the whole “I need quiet” business. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, and if you live in a large city, you’re going to have noise.  Even his wife gave him the skunk eye when he said that the elementary school kids will be making noise all day long.  Hate to tell him, but kids are IN the school for most of the day, and I suspect his own toddler will make his own fair share of noise. 

[msmarjoribanks]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

I found the wife irritating for no reason I could explain. I found him sort of cute and nerdy (although I did think his golf simulator room idea was dumb), but there was something about her that I found off-putting. I loved the exteriors of the houses, especially the one they bought.

I thought he was kind of adorable (although the golf simulator room was dumb, yes), and didn't really mind her.  I am biased toward Chicago episodes, though, since I am familiar with the area.  They had lots of options at that price, so it was a bit frustrating to me that they didn't show that.  The first two decoys screamed decoy -- I just didn't think they'd be up for that big a remodel, and no parking in one, no yard in the other -- so I thought the choice was obvious.

Funny they taped over the number on the first house (I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to identify) and then showed the very recognizable Bell school with the one they bought.  Also, it appears they added the backsplash, as it isn't there in the for sale photos.

[chessiegal]

I don't care for tiny house episodes, but 2 nitpicks with tonight's episode. He looks at an obviously gas stove and asks if it's gas or electric. Really dude? Have you ever used a range? Second, one of the tiny houses had a roof "too high" for solar panels. What, they are too close to the sun? Really sloppy production.

[sheetmoss]

RE Chicago couple

If memory serves, the first house shown, was  the house that was ren'd  in the pilot episode for Kitchen Crashers  Alison Victoria's  upcoming new HGTV series Windy City Flip

The old house  they were trying to save  collapsed  during demo and new was built

https://www.housebeautiful.com/home-remodeling/news/a7181/hgtv-star-stop-work-citation/

Edited September 15, 2018 by sheetmoss

[msmarjoribanks]

Pretty sure I know the address of the first one (built by GB Construction in 2016, on Oakley, sold for $1,298,500 this spring). Don't know if that's the same house as in Windy City Flip, but will watch for the show.

[laredhead]

I enjoyed seeing the houses in the Chicago episode.  The one that would need significant renovation to transform it from a duplex to a one-family house, would have been a challenge.   I love to get involved in house renovations and remodeling, but the husband was correct when he said it would take an architect and lots of planning for that one.  I thought their comments were funny about the miles and miles of quartz counters and surfaces in that house.  I was also enjoying the husbands choice of wardrobe colors, and was disappointed with the subdued blue/gray pants in the last scenes.

On a serious note, they were correct about desiring an outside venting range hood to eliminate cooking odors.  It's not only Indian food that is strong smelling, but anything that is fried or containing onions, garlic, etc. can permeate the house with cooking odors.  I've had those recirculating vent hoods before, and they really don't work well.  I liked the house they chose.  From what I've seen of houses within the city, having some green space and covered off street parking are very desirable things.

Edited September 15, 2018 by laredhead
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[StatisticalOutlier]

16 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Second, one of the tiny houses had a roof "too high" for solar panels. What, they are too close to the sun?

It's referring to the overall height of the house, and kicks in because it's going to be moved on the road.  If you're at 13'6", you'll be legal in any state in the U.S.  (If you're over the state's legal height limit, you have to get a special permit to be on the roads.)

I think the house he was looking at was 13'4" or 13'5", and adding solar panels would put it above 13'6".  As a practical matter, no authorities are going to notice that couple of inches on top of a tiny house going down the road, but you really don't want to be over that if you can help it because if you're under 13'6", you can assume you'll fit pretty much anywhere that doesn't have special warnings, like under certain bridges.  The results if you guess wrong can be disastrous.

And was anyone shocked that it ended up in his dad's driveway?  Yeah, I didn't think so.

[debbie311]

On 9/13/2018 at 9:48 AM, Pickles said:

I think the CA couple was a new episode. Omg, their commutes! He said his was 3 hours a day and hers was 4. I guess that is just what you put up with in the LA area. Horrible. I didn't really like any of the houses. The one they chose had zero privacy in the backyard. Houses looking down on them from all directions and really zero grass for the dogs. Thirty seven guitars. No thanks. It looked like they might be hanging them on every wall in every room. Lol. 

It's not unusual in the SF Bay Area either.  We lived in San Jose and I worked in Palo Alto, which is around 20 miles.  It could easily take one hour to go that distance, and that was on a good day.  Just too many cars and people.  And that was a few years ago, I am sure it is worse now.  Many people have super commutes from the Central Valley into Bay Area/Silicon Valley.  That's where the better jobs are but the housing prices are out of sight.  It's not unusual at all to find a home with a $1M price, even a fixer-upper, and it will get multiple offers with people going over the asking price.  Some paying all cash.  So ... people move further out where homes are more affordable and drive in. Public transportation options suck. I know to a lot of people it sounds nuts, but it's the price we pay for living here.

Edited September 17, 2018 by debbie311

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, debbie311 said:

It's not unusual in the SF Bay Area either.  We lived in San Jose and I worked in Palo Alto, which is around 20 miles.  It could easily take one hour to go that distance, and that was on a good day.  Just too many cars and people.  And that was a few years ago, I am sure it is worse now.  Many people have super commutes from the Central Valley into Bay Area/Silicon Valley.  That's where the better jobs are but the housing prices are out of sight.  It's not unusual at all to find a home with a $1M price, even a fixer-upper, and it will get multiple offers with people going over the asking price.  Some paying all cash.  So ... people move further out where homes are more affordable and drive in. Public transportation options suck. I know to a lot of people it sounds nuts, but it's the price we pay for living here.

 

I visited San Jose for the first time about two months ago.  Good thing it was for business because I couldn't have afforded it otherwise, lol.  A few years ago I visited Los Gatos and I initially thought, "oh what a nice, quaint town"--until I saw the Maserati dealership on the main street.  I saw a nice little craftsman house for sale and out of curiosity I took a flyer--it was $2.4 million.  My eyes almost popped out of my head. 

Edited September 17, 2018 by Ohwell