House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[kirklandia]

So many of the new single-family homes I see (especially in developments) are all supersized garage in front.  I get no sense of welcome, charm or curb appeal.   I don't think my aversion to a prominent garage is all that quirky.

[LittleIggy]

10 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

It's quite the "thing" among cat lovers and was made popular by the TV show about evil cats.  

I have no problem with the word. Jackson Galaxy’s show isn’t about evil cats. It’s about clueless owners!

Destin: I was surprised they picked the construction site. The condo would have been fine. Why do they need a place that big?

[Kimboweena]

Agreed, LittleIggy, the condo was fine.  You would think after living in an RV, ANY place would be spacious for them!

[kirklandia]

After 40+ years as a cat lady, I gave them up because of the indoor/outdoor dilemma.  Catios are definitely A Thing, and I think they are a wonderful solution.  I wish my HOA allowed them.

[KLovestoShop]

14 hours ago, kirklandia said:

So many of the new single-family homes I see (especially in developments) are all supersized garage in front.  I get no sense of welcome, charm or curb appeal.   I don't think my aversion to a prominent garage is all that quirky.

They do those forward facing garages when they do high density housing.  A house with a FF garage takes a much smaller footprint than if you put the garage side facing.  In our subdivision, you can tell which lots are smaller because those houses have the FF garage.  

[doodlebug]

4 hours ago, kirklandia said:

After 40+ years as a cat lady, I gave them up because of the indoor/outdoor dilemma.  Catios are definitely A Thing, and I think they are a wonderful solution.  I wish my HOA allowed them.

Don't get me wrong, I think the idea of a catio is brilliant.  I just think the actual word is dumb.

[chessiegal]

Taking Catios to small talk.

[laredhead]

The Destin couple is going to be able to rent out that house during the summer months for a lot of $$, since it is so large and will accommodate a lot of people at one time .  They will be able to travel and escape all of the tourists that flock to that area during the summer, and then enjoy their house during the rest of the year.   I love the elevator idea, but I would want one with see through sides because I am claustrophobic and don't want to be trapped inside one that small.  That happened to me twice during my working years in the high rise I worked in, and it's not a pleasant feeling if you don't like small, hot spaces.  I knew they would not take the bayside house because it could be rented only by the year, and they wanted a property they could rent out for a month or two at a time.  The condo was nice, and those wrap around views including windows in the kitchen were beautiful.   

[msmarjoribanks]

On 9/28/2018 at 1:52 PM, Kohola3 said:

It's quite the "thing" among cat lovers and was made popular by the TV show about evil cats.  

Yeah, I associate it with Jackson Galaxy (I think that's the show you mean -- also agree that it's really about idiot owners).

I had a longer comment, but better in the other thread.  (I'd delete this part too, but never know how to do that once I quote someone.)

[msmarjoribanks]

On 4/10/2018 at 9:18 PM, KLovestoShop said:

I’m not sure where to begin with Chicago Timmy.  First of all, an adult who’s a lawyer is still called Timmy?  And then I think this episode was one of the most scripted I’ve seen.  Timmy goes into this wanting vintage, a claw foot tub and all the rest. He supposedly loved the vintage feel of the first place with the 14 inch baseboards and the individual spaces.  But in the end, he didn’t get much of what he said he wanted once they started demolition.  He tore down the wall that he said he really liked, he didn’t get the tub and the beautiful baseboards were gone.  I think it was a nice place with vintage feel, but it looks like they’re going to go very modern. 

Another rerun, but I remembered there was some discussion of it when it was new (I missed it then).

I found this guy's Twitter, and I guess he does go by Timmy.  He works at a firm I used to work at, coincidentally.

This was another frustrating one because the decoys made no sense (and then the reno made no sense, as noted above).  He wanted Lincoln Park and apparently didn't have the budget for it (unless by the L), but you could find nice vintage 2/2s in his price range in Lakeview (the obvious next thought) or even some other neighborhoods that would be closer to action (Andersonville, for example), especially if willing to do some reno.  Choosing as the decoys a place (which had some positives) that was nothing like what he clearly had his heart set on, and then in Rogers Park (I knew he'd never pick that area), sigh.  I wish they'd do a better job of showing alternatives in the general framework the person asks for. 

However, given what they were doing in the reno (removing the pocket doors!, making it all open and losing that pretty frame), he should have just gone with the one in River West (2nd one).  (I do suspect they are going to add the baseboards back, they had to remove them to redo the floors.) And that L location is awful and means there's a limit on what he can resell for, however much he upgrades it.

I do think the bathroom reno makes sense and even though I love vintage I wouldn't care about the clawfoot tub -- bathrooms don't need to be vintage, IMO.

[ByaNose]

7 hours ago, laredhead said:

The Destin couple is going to be able to rent out that house during the summer months for a lot of $$, since it is so large and will accommodate a lot of people at one time .  They will be able to travel and escape all of the tourists that flock to that area during the summer, and then enjoy their house during the rest of the year.   I love the elevator idea, but I would want one with see through sides because I am claustrophobic and don't want to be trapped inside one that small.  That happened to me twice during my working years in the high rise I worked in, and it's not a pleasant feeling if you don't like small, hot spaces.  I knew they would not take the bayside house because it could be rented only by the year, and they wanted a property they could rent out for a month or two at a time.  The condo was nice, and those wrap around views including windows in the kitchen were beautiful.   

I’m only 53 and I don’t even want to live in a house that big. Also, I want to be right on the beach. Even, the bay house was a good compromise. The house was sort of in the middle of both.They seemed like the nicest couple. They have a good plan though. Travel during the summer and rent it out and enjoy the Florida off season. I would love to see the finished product. Hopefully, HH Renovation was near by. LOL!!!!

[Pickles]

Smithfield, Virginia couple tonight. I did not like him at all. Was she that desperate that she settled for him? I didn’t find it funny when he slammed the screen door or intentionally shoved the fiancé in the kitchen to highlight the smallness of the room. He was just very unpleasant. On a shallow note, the realtor really needed a hair makeover. She was stuck in the 70’s.

[aguabella]

On 9/28/2018 at 7:38 AM, laredhead said:

Yes, I want to see the Tennessee project on a future HHWATN episode.  The place was not in good shape, and depending on the part of town it is in, the property might not have been worth much to begin with.  I loved the catio idea.  A friend of mine has a very nice one she built in her back yard.  I would not have painted each side a different color, but if they like it, ok.  I'm glad they are "rescuing" the place and renovating it.  I doubt this is their forever home, and it's probably a temporary residence until they can find a house, and keep this one for rental income.  

Then were was the California couple who wanted a vineyard.  She sort of reminded me of Christie Brinkley when she smiled.  I really thought they were going to go for the real fixer when I saw the dumpster in the front yard of that one.  Hardly ever is the house with furniture chosen, so I'm guessing that was their furniture already in it.  Anyone on this board who knows about the area?  The price didn't seem outrageous compared to other properties in California that we see on HH all the time.

hey, laredhead - yeah, had the sense they were simply updating a rental property in TN.  Unless they plan to occupy the duplex long-term, I'd save the catio for their next home.  IIRC, didn't they have one in their current rental?  Felt like a plot-device.

Agree with you about the paint color.  Sure, as new paint, it looked great but the contrast makes the place feel smaller, i.e. like a duplex (lol), to me.

 

CA vineyard, yep, with that smile, the wife came off like a former cheerleader.  Have spent time in NorCal and have friends from Sac.  They consider Roseville as the most outer Sac area.  Lincoln, a suburb of Roseville?  Uh, not to them.  Sure, the area's grown but it's still considered the "boonies".   The two decoys were both on I80, the main drag.  Lincoln is prob about 20 minutes off 80 on a state highway.

Pulled the listing, if anyone's interested.  (Pls send a pm.)  They paid $975K in 11/17.  (IIRC, they said $1.15M during the episode.)  My guess:  the diff is the furniture plus the biz.  Sounds like a higher than average price for Lincoln.

If the listing's accurate, it appears the previous two owners both tried to unload the place or flip it in 2.5 months.  The last seller listed, unsuccessfully, in 2015.  Waited until 1/17 and then relisted it at about 1.6M.  Closed 10 months later at 975K.

The prop only has 2900 vines, mostly planted in Barbera.  (They purchase 2 other wines to provide 3 for tasting.)  Boutique/hobby vineyard plus a horse property on 20 acres.  Everyone remember them carefully placing that 1 chair in the front room, i.e. as if they were moving in?  Yes, that was existing.  Prob a 2nd home and they retained their place in Roseville.  

How about the husband moaning about a lack of garage space?  Uh, according to the listing, the prop included a 378sf detached garage, including 6 spaces.  Oops!  If they didn't film it, it  doesn't exist, right?  (lol)

 They're on the Placer County wine trail, not Napa/Sonoma.  Not surprising to me they did HH for marketing purposes, promoting their onsite events and wine club.

Edited October 2, 2018 by aguabella

[aguabella]

On 9/26/2018 at 1:33 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I didn't like the Vicksburg houses.   I'm sure that they could have found a single story, not very far from the hospital, and with a decent yard also.    I also wouldn't like what will happen when there is a huge thunderstorm, and water comes roaring down that hill behind the house.    With their budget I'm sure I could find a bunch of houses that were a better fit for the family.    

Didn't care for them, either.  I'm sure the couple toured many homes during their real-life house hunt.  Not familiar with the Vicksburg area but for whatever reason, that home was their choice.

Home buying is taste specific / subjective.  Sellers try to appeal to as many buyers as possible but can't satisfy everyone.  The location might have been their first priority.  Or schools, distance to grandparents, i.e. something that wasn't used as the plot for their 22 minute, staged house hunt.

Agree, drainage is an critical to prevent water damage.  It should have been covered by the inspector.  If it flooded previously, there should have been evidence.  And, hopefully, the property included a drainage system.

IIRC, that "outdoor space" was the size of a lot.  Have seen many upper income buyers purchase adjacent lots for privacy reasons.  So, that might have been another reason for their HH, dramatic "decision".

Edited October 2, 2018 by aguabella

[aguabella]

On 9/3/2018 at 7:46 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

The ones where they keep talking about how many people it can sleep, and are totally fixed that the bathroom number has to equal the bedrooms, and keep talking about how much the annual rent is, like the Panama City episode, makes me think the house is for investment only, and they'll only be there for the filming, and never again.    There used to be very tight restrictions on using investment property by the owner, and their family, I think then it was two weeks a year or something like that, and I don't know what the current rules are.      They only wanted the toilet closet, because upscale rentals have it, and that's also why they went trendy on redecorating in my opinion.   They painted the walls white because they're easiest to repaint, because with a rental you have to do that every few years, especially with the big groups that would rent a house like that at the beach.    I bet every sofa was a pull out bed too, to sleep more people.    And the toilet closet is so more people can share the master bedroom, and bath, also for rental.    

I still hated her toilet closet whining.     I wish they would be honest and say they're only buying as an investment.    I bet the realtor's company does property management too.  

 

Typically, rental restrictions depend upon the subdivision or HOA.  (ETA:  2 weeks/yr is an IRS regulation re:  occasional rentals.)

Didn't they indicate in the closing scenes they'd spent 50K on minor updates throughout the home but no separate toilet?  And one of the decoys had separate toilets, correct?  

Sounds like the toilet was the episode's red herring.

IIRC, they did indicate they were buying the home primarily for investment purposes.  So, they might be one of the few HH participants buying vacay homes that admitted it.  (Or, the story editor didn't cut it for their episode.)

Edited October 2, 2018 by aguabella

[twinks]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

Smithfield, Virginia couple tonight. I did not like him at all. Was she that desperate that she settled for him? I didn’t find it funny when he slammed the screen door or intentionally shoved the fiancé in the kitchen to highlight the smallness of the room. He was just very unpleasant. On a shallow note, the realtor really needed a hair makeover. She was stuck in the 70’s.

Totally agree! The house they chose was built in 1950. A Victorian? I would love to see what the "designer" does to that house.

[aguabella]

On 9/20/2018 at 6:44 PM, msmarjoribanks said:

I thought they would go for the third one too, and it was my favorite (given their needs), but the wife was really practical about budget, which is great.  And agree that holding off on renovations until they can comfortably afford them is great.  There are a few things I want to do to my relatively new-to-me house, but short of something like floors (which are a hassle to do after you move in) or a paint color you absolutely hate, I'm a huge fan of waiting several months at least anyway.  I also never understand why so many HHers think they can't possibly live in an imperfect place for a year or so and have to do everything right away. I think having projects to look forward to is fun, and it also makes the budgeting a lot easier.

IIRC, the wife pointed out the lower cost per square foot.  Uh, that's not always the most important consideration.  For example, with 4 children, wouldn't school differences be one of their main concerns?  Location, location, ...

For a new personal residence, it's nice to live in a home for at least a few months and then make needed / desired renovations.  4 kids?  It might be preferable to do major projects before moving in.

And, once you're settled, will homeowners do the work?  I believe many posters on another thread admitted they never got around to it.  Everyone's busy so it's tough ...

[aguabella]

On 9/1/2018 at 7:38 AM, LennieBriscoe said:

Sorry about the "Island Life" comment.  I guess I find that show and "Beachfront Bargain Hunt" more entertaining and enticing than regular "HH," my being here in land-locked PA! ?

No worries.  They might have their own threads, here.  Or, perhaps you could start one!

[aguabella]

On 9/25/2018 at 5:20 PM, laredhead said:

So far, no one has commented on what a downer the Vicksburg wife seemed to be.  I don't think she cracked a smile during the entire episode.  Maybe a 2 year old and a 3 month old had sapped her energy, but she was certainly not looking like she was enjoying the house hunt at all.  I would have been ticked off at a real estate agent showing me a house that was way above the stated budget as the third one was.  Of course, this is all fake, and the agent was probably trying to get some free advertising for the house.  In real life, a client would have most likely already looked at the house on-line and known the asking price, and would have refused to go see it.  The house they chose was a good fit for them.

Noticed her attitude, too.  Gave her a pass b/c of the new baby.

It's getting more difficult for the agents to procure homes for HH.  They don't pay anything but require you vacate your home for 12 hours.  That's right - an entire day.  The agents usually talk their own sellers into supplying their homes.  Or, they feature a colleague's listings.

For these reasons, they're can't always find homes with the buyers' price range.  Plus, it allows HH to use the budget routine.

The agents have learned over the years that HH has a 6 month editing period.  Unless the home's a total dog, it s/b sold by the episode's air date.  They hope to market themselves by appearing.

[Vivigirl10]

11 hours ago, Pickles said:

Smithfield, Virginia couple tonight. I did not like him at all. Was she that desperate that she settled for him? I didn’t find it funny when he slammed the screen door or intentionally shoved the fiancé in the kitchen to highlight the smallness of the room. He was just very unpleasant. On a shallow note, the realtor really needed a hair makeover. She was stuck in the 70’s.

You said everything I was coming here to say!  There was something very mean spirited about that guy and she seemed so upbeat and sweet.  Plus, their opening story that he was playing the field when they first started dating made him seem even more "yuck".  The realtor's hair was a highlight of the episode, ha ha! 

[Ohwell]

I turned away from the Smithfield, VA episode because I couldn't stand to even look at that guy anymore. 

I thought both the women had wild crazy hair.  

[irisheyes]

In the Smithfield episode, I thought they were both pretty disagreeable. He was mean, and she was totally dismissive of his concerns in her desire to renovate. I suspect the relationship will not last long. 

[msmarjoribanks]

20 hours ago, aguabella said:

IIRC, the wife pointed out the lower cost per square foot.  Uh, that's not always the most important consideration.  For example, with 4 children, wouldn't school differences be one of their main concerns?  Location, location, ...

For a new personal residence, it's nice to live in a home for at least a few months and then make needed / desired renovations.  4 kids?  It might be preferable to do major projects before moving in.

And, once you're settled, will homeowners do the work?  I believe many posters on another thread admitted they never got around to it.  Everyone's busy so it's tough ...

She was also focused on total cost, which is what I thought was practical.

Totally agree about schools/school district, but HHers never seems to talk about that -- either they think it's boring or too locally-specific or possibly politically charged in some ways.

Re doing the work later, depends what it is.  What irritates me is the idea that if a house isn't 100% remodeled and perfect they can't possibly have it.  When I was growing up I recall moving into a place that we thought had some hideous style choices and redoing them (when my sister and I were young), and that's how I've approached it.  Some issues are known and can be dealt with quickly, but IME in real life most people are willing to wait on lots of changes, especially if it's more budget conscious.

[LittleIggy]

OMG! The guy with his “butler’s pantry” was about as annoying as the woman who wanted a wet and dry kitchen! ? So is the kitchen out in the open just for show?

[aguabella]

1 hour ago, msmarjoribanks said:

She was also focused on total cost, which is what I thought was practical.

Totally agree about schools/school district, but HHers never seems to talk about that -- either they think it's boring or too locally-specific or possibly politically charged in some ways.

Re doing the work later, depends what it is.  What irritates me is the idea that if a house isn't 100% remodeled and perfect they can't possibly have it.  When I was growing up I recall moving into a place that we thought had some hideous style choices and redoing them (when my sister and I were young), and that's how I've approached it.  Some issues are known and can be dealt with quickly, but IME in real life most people are willing to wait on lots of changes, especially if it's more budget conscious.

Your points are all good, msmarjoribanks.  Unfortunately, given the way they semi-script HH, viewers don't often hear the actual / entire story behind the participants' choices.

School districts might be ignored for your reasons but another possibility is the fact that it's not visual and local governments don't buy ad time on HGTV, lol!  With 4 children, IIRC, seems like a major consideration for that family.  Or, perhaps that home was convenient to their local private / religious school.

WRT total cost, the cheapest isn't always the most practical.  That was their first home purchase, supposedly.  What if they could purchase a slightly smaller home in the better school district for say, 50K more?  If we estimate selling expenses at 8% and they'll move in say, 2 yrs (can't remember the kids' ages but assuming they'd all be in school by that time) what's most practical, overall?  And, the next home would work for their family for at least 5 years, or more?

If we surveyed the HH participants, I doubt that many would follow the "gut job" script in real life.  Anytime I hear something so repetitively stated on HH, I tend to discount those lines, big time!

[juliet73]

10 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

OMG! The guy with his “butler’s pantry” was about as annoying as the woman who wanted a wet and dry kitchen! ? So is the kitchen out in the open just for show?

It would seem so since he didn't want the "cooking mess" in the kitchen. But it's not like he could really prep food or cook it in his butler's pantry. It only had a microwave, an oven and an espresso machine. 

They both super annoyed me. I can't imagine bringing a baby into their diva bickering life.

[Ohwell]

8 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

OMG! The guy with his “butler’s pantry” was about as annoying as the woman who wanted a wet and dry kitchen! ? So is the kitchen out in the open just for show?

I rolled my eyes when he said he was a "house manager" for some prominent people.  Both guys got on my nerves. 

[laredhead]

I agree with the previous statements about the butler's pantry, but what really got me was when he said he wanted something no one else had.  I think a butler's pantry to him equated status of some sort.  One of the houses had some funky wooden steps at the back doors.  Was that the house they bought?  The steps looked like a very cheap after thought to take care of a large step down.  When you are spending that much on a house, I would expect brick or poured in place appropriately sized steps, not some cheap, temporary looking steps. 

Also, another whine about how close the neighbors were in the first house showing.  That was a very large yard, and the neighbors weren't parked in the back yard.  There was no shrubbery along the lot lines, so hire someone to plant bushes that will grow and screen your view of the neighbors.  I was also not a fan of all those animal heads on the nursery wall.  OK, one or two might be cute, but an entire wall of them was a bit much, IMO.

And finally, a realtor who pointed out that in a 1400 sf house the rooms will be smaller when both of them whined about small bedrooms.  Both of those guys bugged me to no end, and by the end of the show I didn't care which house they bought.    

[twinks]

I have several friends that have butlers pantries in their houses. They are used for storage (table linens, serving pieces, etc) and not for food prep. And yes, those animals heads were creepy. They would give me nightmares. I also found them both annoying. I honestly wonder how they stay together.

[Mountainair]

1 hour ago, laredhead said:

I agree with the previous statements about the butler's pantry, but what really got me was when he said he wanted something no one else had.  I think a butler's pantry to him equated status of some sort.

He pretty much verbatim said that a butler's pantry meant you had a certain status. Both of the guys were annoying as hell but the one guy and his stupid butler's pantry was eye roll inducing. I knew they'd pick the second house because of it's "grandness" - I didn't realize it was a model home when they were looking at it. The nursery desperately needed a more feminine touch. The animal heads on the wall were not only tacky as hell but nightmare inducing for a potential baby. I'm not really sure they are ready for a baby anyway. The butler pantry guy at least seemed to be all about image and how people perceive him so I fear a baby would just be a vanity project for him. 

[AuntiePam]

On 10/2/2018 at 8:55 AM, Kiki620 said:

The realtor's hair was a highlight of the episode, ha ha! 

It reminded me of that Amazon Prime commercial, the one where dad puts a lion's mane on the dog.  Shame on that woman's hairdresser.

The butler's pantry couple -- how could both of them be so rude and dismissive of what the other wanted?  Two negatives make a positive? 

The house with the wooden steps to the patio -- if you're carrying things in and out, having more space to stand on could be helpful, and safer. 

[laredhead]

AuntiePam, I agree with you about having more space to stand on.  My problem with the steps was they looked like a cheap, quick carpentry job.  The contractor could have taken the time to construct something nicer and permanent.  What's a few hundred more dollars on a house of that price?   

[LittleIggy]

4 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I rolled my eyes when he said he was a "house manager" for some prominent people.  Both guys got on my nerves. 

Yeah, what exactly is a “house manager.” Prominent people? Seriously?

I didn’t like the wall full of toy animal heads. It was creepy. What message was that sending? Let’s decapitate stuffed animals, kiddos, then we can move onto real ones.

Edited October 3, 2018 by LittleIggy

[aguabella]

On 10/1/2018 at 7:42 PM, Pickles said:

Smithfield, Virginia couple tonight. I did not like him at all. Was she that desperate that she settled for him? I didn’t find it funny when he slammed the screen door or intentionally shoved the fiancé in the kitchen to highlight the smallness of the room. He was just very unpleasant. On a shallow note, the realtor really needed a hair makeover. She was stuck in the 70’s.

 

6 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

It reminded me of that Amazon Prime commercial, the one where dad puts a lion's mane on the dog.  Shame on that woman's hairdresser.

The butler's pantry couple -- how could both of them be so rude and dismissive of what the other wanted?  Two negatives make a positive? 

The house with the wooden steps to the patio -- if you're carrying things in and out, having more space to stand on could be helpful, and safer. 

Yep, it was a "mane", AuntiePam.  A stiff breeze and that piece would go flying.  Her wig was stuck in the 70's, Pickles!  Then, we could talk about the gf's seriously dark roots plus the disagreeable guy's thinning scalp.  Next time, they need a HH group rate prior to filming!

Usually ignore the people but that was hard to miss.  Was also sad that she'd (apparently) settled.  Hope he was having some fun, creating a character for HGTV / HH.  Unfortunately, it didn't seem like it.

Before they fire up the reruns in a month or so, perhaps they can rename the episode, "Bad Hair Day in Virginia"!

[aguabella]

Here's the website for the Lincoln, CA vineyard:  

https://www.ranchoroble.co

The site seems a little buggy.  Tried to check out their wine club but one link returns users to the home page instead of the club.  Surprised they didn't work on those types of things before HH.  Whatever ...

Lovely grounds but the Barbera seems steep.  IIRC, their wines range from $22 - $52.  Don't know the fee for the 3x / yr, 3 bottle (???) club.  Or the wine club selection criteria or ...

Am curious if the club includes a discount for use of the grounds / events.  I'm sure there's another link, if anyone's interested.

Edited October 3, 2018 by aguabella

[msmarjoribanks]

11 hours ago, twinks said:

I have several friends that have butlers pantries in their houses. They are used for storage (table linens, serving pieces, etc) and not for food prep. And yes, those animals heads were creepy. They would give me nightmares. I also found them both annoying. I honestly wonder how they stay together.

I just wanted a regular pantry, for storage, and had to look up what a butler's pantry even was.  I wouldn't mind it if I came with a place I liked, but it seems like a waste of space otherwise.  That said, I'm sorry I missed this episode, sounds like it might have been hilarious.

 

21 hours ago, aguabella said:

Your points are all good, msmarjoribanks.  Unfortunately, given the way they semi-script HH, viewers don't often hear the actual / entire story behind the participants' choices.

School districts might be ignored for your reasons but another possibility is the fact that it's not visual and local governments don't buy ad time on HGTV, lol!  With 4 children, IIRC, seems like a major consideration for that family.  Or, perhaps that home was convenient to their local private / religious school.

I don't disagree, but an ongoing complaint I have is that location (which includes school district) is often glossed over or ignored, but it's usually obviously the driver of the choice.  It's one reason I find the ones set in places I know extra interesting.  I understand it's coming from the HHers script, but I'd rather have more geeky realism and discussion of neighborhoods and schools and realistic trade-offs and so on (but I get that that's not what they think sells, they like people to be "2005, ick, outdated" or to argue over housing styles, often in a way few people really do, or perhaps to freak out about seeing their neighbors or using an oven that has been used before.

[msmarjoribanks]

Saw the DC one -- another one where location was the main reason for the pick (or maybe location + price).

They didn't really see anything that the wife wanted (in theory, vintage, not a loft).  The second converted school loft was interesting and fun but also ridiculous and impractical and I'm with the husband in not wanting to be in what's basically a garden apt, not for $689K.

Place they got was boring, but as soon as I saw it I knew they'd pick it, it was the obvious choice for them.

This X butts kitchen thing has been on a few episodes I've seen recently, hmm.

[msmarjoribanks]

Okay, I actually did have the KC butler's pantry one, I thought people were still talking about the Smithfield one.  So dumb.   The house they got was IMO ugly on the exterior, and it was weird how every bedroom had low hanging chandeliers (but I guess that was the model home?). 

The butler's pantry obsession was the dumbest bit because all the places had open concept kitchens if memory serves.  Having just looked it up, a butler's pantry is between the kitchen and the dining room -- you store china and plate up there, the kitchen is not visible because in normal vintage houses (grand ones anyway) it wasn't.  Having a hidden butlers pantry and open concept kitchen that you go to after the pantry makes NO SENSE.  And messy cooking isn't the espresso maker or the oven, it's the stove and the sink.

Sigh.

And "oh, the neighbors are so close" in the first place made my eyes roll (of course, I live on a 30x125 Chicago lot).  Also, I guess that was the neighbor's fence, but they said "no fence" when showing a fence.

Modern farmhouse -- what does that mean? Modern and farmhouse are opposites in my mind.

He loves indoor shiplap, shocking!

I hated that two sided fireplace.

I'm being extra critical because the butler's pantry/status-seeking thing annoyed me so.

[Pickles]

The Orlando episode last night with the retro food/cooking lady. I only halfway watched, but I think they said they had only been together five months. He moved in on their first date. They were now buying a house together. Wow. Okay. She was a little too quirky with her look for me, but I guess that is her whole deal. What did he do for a living?

[Ohwell]

6 hours ago, Pickles said:

The Orlando episode last night with the retro food/cooking lady. I only halfway watched, but I think they said they had only been together five months. He moved in on their first date. They were now buying a house together. Wow. Okay. She was a little too quirky with her look for me, but I guess that is her whole deal. What did he do for a living?

Yeah, they'd only been together for five months.  I don't remember them saying what he did for a living.  She was so quirky and her glasses and persona were so annoying that I didn't even see which place they chose.  We'll see how long that relationship lasts. 

I think she said something about doing Youtube so I wonder how much money she makes.

[tvrox]

I guess the guy was a modern day "butler" in the sense that he was a house manager and so wanted that in his own house? Whoever that supposedly prominent person was though I didn't recognize her. Also, I lived in Kansas for a few months around 15 years ago, and it was definitely the opposite of gay-friendly. I hope things have improved since then for their sakes.

[Ohwell]

Yeah, I said "prominent" but he might have said "important" or something similar, but he definitely wanted people to know he was a "house manager" for some well-off people.

[StatisticalOutlier]

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

Yeah, they'd only been together for five months.  I don't remember them saying what he did for a living.  She was so quirky and her glasses and persona were so annoying that I didn't even see which place they chose.  We'll see how long that relationship lasts.

The guy had some sort of "normal" job--like a manager or something. 

I hated her glasses and persona and couldn't help but hope her 5-month relationship and her youtube stardom both go down in flames.

[MizMamie]

Emily the retro rad chef has been on a few Food Network shows per her website (https://www.emilyellyn.com/), and her boyfriend said he was an insurance broker and a former professional drummer.  Of course, they went with the most expensive house, #3 (the blue painters tape on the coach house's front door gave it away), and proceeded to tear down many walls so she could have a bigger kitchen and a bathroom that would hold the bathtub he bought her. And they plan to fix up and rent out the coach house because they need some supplemental income to afford it all. How do these people get mortgages?  

I thought she was annoying and her retro look needed more work. Having a few pairs of Dame Edna cat glasses and white/blond hair doesn't make you retro. Or rad. 

[Ohwell]

Now that you mention it, I do remember him saying he was a drummer, but I forgot the insurance broker part. 

1 hour ago, MizMamie said:

And they plan to fix up and rent out the coach house because they need some supplemental income to afford it all. How do these people get mortgages?  

Question for any real estate agents out there:  Are mortgages based on the potential for rental income, or does a person have to qualify for the amount of mortgage, regardless of whether they get rental income?  I thought it was the latter case. 

[msmarjoribanks]

1 hour ago, MizMamie said:

Emily the retro rad chef has been on a few Food Network shows per her website (https://www.emilyellyn.com/), and her boyfriend said he was an insurance broker and a former professional drummer.  Of course, they went with the most expensive house, #3 (the blue painters tape on the coach house's front door gave it away), and proceeded to tear down many walls so she could have a bigger kitchen and a bathroom that would hold the bathtub he bought her. And they plan to fix up and rent out the coach house because they need some supplemental income to afford it all. How do these people get mortgages?  

I thought she was annoying and her retro look needed more work. Having a few pairs of Dame Edna cat glasses and white/blond hair doesn't make you retro. Or rad. 

I used to watch the Next Food Network Star and remembered from that (I checked, it was back in 2012), but as you say I guess she's some kind of current personality too (my HGTV obsession has supplanted my Food Network watching).

I figured they'd go with the third one due to the coach house, but I don't get it.  I'd much rather pay less and not have to deal with (or share my yard with) tenants or the stress of being a landlord.  I mean I do get it, I know $1500/month (or whatever) less the $50K more mortgage is a lot less, but ugh.  And that assumes you can find tenants who won't complain about the chickens and the drumming and the RVs supposedly there often.

[StatisticalOutlier]

2 hours ago, MizMamie said:

and a bathroom that would hold the bathtub he bought her

I was going to ask if people really buy things like bathtubs if they don't currently have a place for them, but then I realized "he" probably didn't buy the bathtub until after they'd bought a place that could hold it.

 

Quote

I thought she was annoying and her retro look needed more work. Having a few pairs of Dame Edna cat glasses and white/blond hair doesn't make you retro. Or rad. 

Oh, the look was plenty for me as it is.

 

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

Now that you mention it, I do remember him saying he was a drummer, but I forgot the insurance broker part.

Aah, I remember that now, and that he's a health insurance broker. 

 

9 minutes ago, msmarjoribanks said:

I'd much rather pay less and not have to deal with (or share my yard with) tenants or the stress of being a landlord.  I mean I do get it, I know $1500/month (or whatever) less the $50K more mortgage is a lot less, but ugh.  And that assumes you can find tenants who won't complain about the chickens and the drumming and the RVs supposedly there often.

Maybe they want to short-term rent it--aren't they in Orlando?  That could bring in some serious money, and people there for only a few days will probably find the chickens charming.  But the drumming and RV-filled driveway probably won't earn them rave reviews.

[twinks]

Their reno totally killed the charm and vintage feel that she "loved."  I understand why they did it and I hope they add some vintage-like features with the reno.

[Mittengirl]

On 10/3/2018 at 11:06 PM, msmarjoribanks said:

Modern farmhouse -- what does that mean? Modern and farmhouse are opposites in my mind.

I saw an episode (not entirely sure it was HH) where someone wanted “industrial farmhouse”.  What the what?

 

Is retro rad lady a real chef or just another food blogger?

I am fairly certain there were no lenses in any of the glasses she wore.  I watched the late night rerun to check and I never saw a single tiny bit of reflection and when she turned to the side I swear you could see the inside of the frames where the lens should be.  I have anti-reflective coating on my lenses, but you can still see them.  And yes, I have no life.

Edited October 5, 2018 by Mittengirl

[suebee12]

Well, HH did it again....they snuck in a tiny house episode and to make it worse, an island tiny house. I almost never watch "beachy" house hunters and then add the tiny.....YUCK. I immediately deleted it...they can run them but I don't have to watch!!!!!