House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[rhofmovalley]

On 3/18/2018 at 12:24 PM, juliet73 said:

Tonight there is a new series airing called "How Close Can I Beach?"  I'm sure they'll just repeat the Beachfront Bargain Hunt homes that weren't "beach FRONT" and call it a new show.

All the shows on HGTV are the same:  HH, HHI, HHR, BBH, Lottery Dream Home, Island/Hawaii/Mexico Life.  Then add Property Bros and Love It or List It and that seems to be their lineup.  All.The.Time.  Every.Single.Day.  The network needs to bring back the DESIGN shows:  Designed to Sell, Decorating Cents, Divine Design, Curb Appeal, etc .  

All I get in my area are endless Fixer Upper marathons. Like, four days a week it's Fixer Upper. Since I abhor Chip Whatshisname and want to Elvis my TV every time they show that promo featuring his idiotic cackle right at the beginning, I'm OK with just about any show that is NOT Fixer Upper.

[rhofmovalley]

House Hunters marathon on (not Fixer Upper!) and the agent is driving me crazy with how she says "BETrooms" instead of "bedrooms ".

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, rhofmovalley said:

All I get in my area are endless Fixer Upper marathons. Like, four days a week it's Fixer Upper. Since I abhor Chip Whatshisname and want to Elvis my TV every time they show that promo featuring his idiotic cackle right at the beginning, I'm OK with just about any show that is NOT Fixer Upper.

That is why I only watch HH on DVR. I fast forward through the commercials. That cackle of Chimpster's reminds me of the nasty witch in Wizard of Oz.

[jcbrown]

The couple in Lake Tahoe did not even come across as liking each other very much. I know the show makes people play up their differences but these two just seemed kind of stupid with their wildly disparate wish lists.

[twinks]

It seemed that all the interiors were similar. Some of the comments were beyond stupid.

[Mittengirl]

I liked the Atlanta couple tonight - very pleasant towards each other.  His love for the basement with the bar made me smile.  But those “window treatments” in the same house - yikes!

[Empress1]

8 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I liked the Atlanta couple tonight - very pleasant towards each other.  His love for the basement with the bar made me smile.  But those “window treatments” in the same house - yikes!

That was adorable! He was SO EXCITED. 

I think I’d have gone with the third house and put some work into it over the years, but I can understand not wanting to take that on when they’re trying to get ready for a baby.

[StatisticalOutlier]

10 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I liked the Atlanta couple tonight - very pleasant towards each other.  His love for the basement with the bar made me smile.  But those “window treatments” in the same house - yikes!

I liked them, too.  The dining room, I think, had some sort of rags hanging on the wall above a doorway maybe?  They were just awful, but I wondered if I would have the nerve to keep them, just for the hell of it.

Oh, and was it the window treatments he said were due for a resurgence, and she said sometimes things just need to remain surged?  I'm not sure her point was linguistically correct, but it sure was funny. 

[Mittengirl]

I was hoping they would buy the third house and that we would see some “after” pictures.  Although, I must admit I didn’t care for the exterior of the front of the house.  Maybe the landscaping needed to be refreshed.

[Empress1]

54 minutes ago, Mittengirl said:

I was hoping they would buy the third house and that we would see some “after” pictures.  Although, I must admit I didn’t care for the exterior of the front of the house.  Maybe the landscaping needed to be refreshed.

Yes - that would have been a good renovation house. Oh well!

[meep.meep]

I seem to only see the reruns.....but I watched one with a couple moving from Manhattan to Westchester, going from 600 sq. ft to a 3 bedroom house.  And of course they each had their own little must haves.  His was a place for his pool table.  In the "after" pictures, they put in in the unfinished basement of the new house.

Where in the world did they have it in a 600 sq. ft. apartment?

[chessiegal]

10 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Where in the world did they have it in a 600 sq. ft. apartment?

In his parent's house?

[Kohola3]

24 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Where in the world did they have it in a 600 sq. ft. apartment?

Slept on it?

[biakbiak]

My friend who lived in a small apartment and loved pool had a top made for it and used it as a dining/work table when not inuse as a pool table.

[CruiseDiva]

19 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I liked the Atlanta couple tonight - very pleasant towards each other.  His love for the basement with the bar made me smile.  But those “window treatments” in the same house - yikes!

I really liked them and they made the best choice. With a baby on the way the wife certainly didn't need the stress of redecorating their new home.

[chocolatine]

8 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I was hoping they would buy the third house and that we would see some “after” pictures.  Although, I must admit I didn’t care for the exterior of the front of the house.  Maybe the landscaping needed to be refreshed.

I want the Flip Or Flop Atlanta couple to buy that house and do a complete renovation. I think it would look great post-makeover.

[Omeletsmom]

The Hampton, Virginia lady -- creeper post?? WTF?

[Empress1]

10 hours ago, Omeletsmom said:

The Hampton, Virginia lady -- creeper post?? WTF?

Yeah, that was one of those things that probably sounded a lot funnier in her head than it did out loud.

Their realtor was wearing leggings and Uggs at one point. She doesn't need to be in a suit but at least get dressed, damn.

Edited March 23, 2018 by Empress1

[Pickles]

11 hours ago, Omeletsmom said:

The Hampton, Virginia lady -- creeper post?? WTF?

What doesn't this mean? I had this on in the background and wasn't paying much attention. I didn't really like either one of them, though. Everything was "too small" and she wanted a front porch so she could sit outside and watch everyone. 

[Empress1]

13 minutes ago, Pickles said:

What doesn't this mean? I had this on in the background and wasn't paying much attention. I didn't really like either one of them, though. Everything was "too small" and she wanted a front porch so she could sit outside and watch everyone. 

That's what "creeper post" means - she was calling herself a creeper by sitting outside and people-watching.

[Pickles]

Thank you! As I was writing my post, it dawned on me that her being staked out on the porch was probably related to that comment.

[chocolatine]

I never understood the people watching on the front porch thing. Most houses are in residential areas where there isn't much foot traffic. So you just sit there and watch people come and go in their cars, maybe an occasional person walking a dog or a kid riding a bike? What's the point?

[Omeletsmom]

It wasn't so much the sitting on the front porch people watching thing -- people have been doing that forever -- it was the way she described it.  Calling it a creeper post makes it sound really skeevy.

Also, you're in the military, people, you're going to be moving in a couple of years. It doesn't pay to be too picky. This is not going to be your forever home.

- - 23 year military spouse.

[hisbunkie]

1 hour ago, Omeletsmom said:

 

Also, you're in the military, people, you're going to be moving in a couple of years. It doesn't pay to be too picky. This is not going to be your forever home.

- - 23 year military spouse.

Also, they have been together one year?  Nothing said regarding being married. He's a young Sgt. in the Air Force with two children living in another state. She's a registered nurse. She is probably out earning him 2-3x's, yet he seems to want to be in total control.  I just found him annoying. Dude you can only afford $200k, deal with the reality. 

Also a former military wife here.  Primary concern is usually resale. You cannot predict what the housing market will be doing when it's your time to move/sell.  It become costly. Sometimes you make money, sometimes you write a check at the closing. 

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, hisbunkie said:

Also, they have been together one year?  Nothing said regarding being married. He's a young Sgt. in the Air Force with two children living in another state. She's a registered nurse. She is probably out earning him 2-3x's, yet he seems to want to be in total control.  I just found him annoying. Dude you can only afford $200k, deal with the reality. 

Also a former military wife here.  Primary concern is usually resale. You cannot predict what the housing market will be doing when it's your time to move/sell.  It become costly. Sometimes you make money, sometimes you write a check at the closing. 

He did strike me as a control freak.  I did notice at the end, they had a lot of very expensive exercise equipment in the converted garage.  I think I see where his money  goes; I’d imagine lugging all that gear from posting to posting and setting it up would be a chore too. Considering virtually all military installations have free gyms for more personnnel and families, it seemed like a waste.

I hope he was paying a commensurate amount in child support.  It seems his kids must be very young if they want a bedroom with a princess motif and it looked like the girls would be sharing a double bed.

When I was a kid, we lived in a big city on a street that was all duplexes with large front porches. In the summer, everyone sat out there in the evening because 1. We didn’t have air conditioning, 2. There were only 3 TV channels and it was all reruns in summer and 3. Everybody was born and raised in that neighborhood and had known everyone else most of their lives.  Nowadays, places like that don’t exist and I think her idea of seeing what the neighbors are doing by hanging out on the porch is past it’s time.

[irisheyes]

17 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I want the Flip Or Flop Atlanta couple to buy that house and do a complete renovation. I think it would look great post-makeover.

When they went to the ranch (with original decor), I was wishing their budget was larger, because that could be an awesome house, especially for a young couple with a new baby. And the yard was fabulous!  But, I do agree with their choice too.

[Gothish520]

12 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I never understood the people watching on the front porch thing. Most houses are in residential areas where there isn't much foot traffic. So you just sit there and watch people come and go in their cars, maybe an occasional person walking a dog or a kid riding a bike? What's the point?

I love sitting on my front porch, enjoying the weather and sipping coffee or a glass of wine. I breathe the fresh air, listen to the birds, and watch the sun setting in the evening. My neighborhood is indeed fairly quiet with little traffic, so there's not much people watching to do. I find it very relaxing.

Edited March 24, 2018 by Gothish520

[CruiseDiva]

Sitting on the front porch reminded me of when I was in high school and babysat for my cousin whose house was on the main street in town. After the kiddies were asleep I'd sit on the huge front porch and wave to my friends as they cruised by on the main drag. Fun times.

[Thumper]

Yes; I would love to have big, covered front porch!

[Kohola3]

Being old as dirt, front porches were the social scenes in the evenings.  After the dinner dishes were done (by hand) the moms sat out front and visited with neighbors on each side.  Often stories got passed down the line to the end of the block! My front porch is actually the part of my house that looks over a beach so I am literally out there people watching all summer.

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Being old as dirt, front porches were the social scenes in the evenings.  After the dinner dishes were done (by hand) the moms sat out front and visited with neighbors on each side.  Often stories got passed down the line to the end of the block!

I understand the social aspect of it in tight-knit communities, but the HH who wanted her "creeper corner" sounded like she just wanted to observe rather than interact. And I could understand that if they lived in an lively area that a lot of people pass through, even though it's not my thing personally, but they were looking at houses in bedroom communities. It's always the same people.

[mojito]

Quote

He did strike me as a control freak.  I did notice at the end, they had a lot of very expensive exercise equipment in the converted garage.  I think I see where his money  goes; I’d imagine lugging all that gear from posting to posting and setting it up would be a chore too. Considering virtually all military installations have free gyms for more personnnel and families, it seemed like a waste.

I was wondering why he needed to have his own gym when he works on a base. That guy....I really didn't like him. And then to see that he has small children and a live-in girlfriend, well, I undoubtedly read all the wrong things into him as a person and their relationship and was turned off by both of them.

[Ohwell]

I'd love to have a front porch so that I could just sit out there and bay at the moon at night.

[AuntiePam]

The New Jersey episode -- husband looked at the third house -- obviously a two-story and with several gables -- and says "It's my ranch!"

The realtor -- not sure what look she was going for, but with that hair and those boobs, all I could think was that she was a retired stripper.  Talk about "big hair". 

[Diane M]

That hair was terrible!  Reminded me of a lion's mane. How does she get a comb through that mess?

[chessiegal]

Sioux Falls , SD - nice couple. But boy howdy am I glad I don't need to live there. I thought all of the houses they looked at sucked. #2 was a new build with 1 bath? Seriously? Who builds houses like that these days? The first split level had no handrail up the stairs to the second level. That wouldn't meet code where I live.

[wovenloaf]

Was that Sioux Falls episode an old one they just re-labelled as "new"?  The production quality on it was so bad, it was strange.  When I saw it I thought it was just a really old rerun, but the DVR thought it was new. 

Regardless, yeah...those houses did kind of suck...  I thought the one they got was the least objectionable.  But the other two in particular just had zero curb appeal.  That brown own on a dirt patch without so much as a bush in sight, much less a tree?  Ugh.  I don't like when builders raze every plant in sight to build a new neighborhood.  Maybe there weren't a lot of trees to begin with, but at least plant a bush or something. 

[mojito]

Quote

Sioux Falls , SD - nice couple. But boy howdy am I glad I don't need to live there. I thought all of the houses they looked at sucked. #2 was a new build with 1 bath? 

When she described the apartment-sized kitchen as a "cook's kitchen" and complained that the "hardwoods" didn't extend into the dining room, I turned the show off. I just glanced quickly at the floors and they looked like plastic.

It's a funny thing when people talk about their (new) home towns, how there's so much to do downtown with the walkable shops, bars, coffeehouses, and culture. I always wonder how many people watching are shaking their heads sympathetically, relieved that they aren't stuck in such a place, thinking that their own downtown area is dinky but still more vibrant than the one being depicted and they still don't go there. 

[doodlebug]

11 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Sioux Falls , SD - nice couple. But boy howdy am I glad I don't need to live there. I thought all of the houses they looked at sucked. #2 was a new build with 1 bath? Seriously? Who builds houses like that these days? The first split level had no handrail up the stairs to the second level. That wouldn't meet code where I live.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was unimpressed with their options.  Those houses were ugly, IMO.  Very generic and not well designed.

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, mojito said:

When she described the apartment-sized kitchen as a "cook's kitchen" and complained that the "hardwoods" didn't extend into the dining room, I turned the show off. I just glanced quickly at the floors and they looked like plastic.

It's a funny thing when people talk about their (new) home towns, how there's so much to do downtown with the walkable shops, bars, coffeehouses, and culture. I always wonder how many people watching are shaking their heads sympathetically, relieved that they aren't stuck in such a place, thinking that their own downtown area is dinky but still more vibrant than the one being depicted and they still don't go there. 

Considering the overall low quality of the houses they saw, I'm not too surprised she didn't know what a decent sized kitchen and real hardwood looked like.  The show said they were buying their first home, but, he was in the military, they surely had lived in other places where there were nicer options for housing.  Everywhere they went, the houses looked sad and the landscape barren.

I live near a Midwestern city with a recently revitalized downtown area.  Every time I think it would be fun to live down there, I remember all my friends who've lived there and complained about the lack of parking, the noise, the vandalism, the unpleasant encounters with drunken citizenry and the difficulty in finding home repair people down there and I decide to stay out in the 'burbs.

[laredhead]

Did anyone catch the realtor's explanation of split level and split foyer on the Rapid City episode?  I was thinking about the recent discussion on this forum about the differences in those terms.  First time we have heard a realtor explain that I think.

The first house with the kitchen where the cabinet door and drawers wouldn't open because the range stuck out too far reminded me of my kitchen prior to a recent remodel.  4 drawers couldn't be accessed because of the placement of a dishwasher.  I lived with that for 13 years before I got rid of that situation.  

What type of military installation is in Rapid City?  Just curious.

[AuntiePam]

24 minutes ago, laredhead said:

What type of military installation is in Rapid City?  Just curious.

Air Force.  We have relatives in the area.  The base is about 10 miles from Rapid City.  I love SD.

There are some trade-offs, living in a place like that -- it's quiet and it's safe, and little to no traffic.  Costs will be lower, generally. 

[Empress1]

18 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Sioux Falls , SD - nice couple. But boy howdy am I glad I don't need to live there. I thought all of the houses they looked at sucked. #2 was a new build with 1 bath? Seriously? Who builds houses like that these days? The first split level had no handrail up the stairs to the second level. That wouldn't meet code where I live.

Yeah, I came away from that episode thinking "Thank God I don't have to live in South Dakota." The wife was very enthusiastic, which I appreciated - I don't think I could have been so peppy.

[chocolatine]

I was shocked that $200k is apparently not enough to buy a decent 3-bed/2-bath house in South Dakota. The one they ended up buying was $10k over budget and still wasn't anything to write home about. The "new construction" had an early-90s vibe and looked like it was in the middle of nowhere. Base price was $194k, but with finishing the basement and adding a fence it would have ended up costing at least $220k and still being butt-ugly.

Nice couple though.

[Ohwell]

It looked to me like the South Dakota wife was trying to be extra cheerful for the cameras and I said good for her.  I guess being a military wife she can make friends with other military wives, but that area sure looked lonely.  And yes, all the houses were butt-ugly.   

[AuntiePam]

The Boston couple tonight -- he's a radiologist, she works for -- I've forgotten already but it wasn't anything professional.  They met on-line and have been married a month.  Their budget was $1 million but they chose a house for considerably less. 

The couple is a mismatch, physically.  There's nothing wrong with that, not at all.  He said that when he first met her in person, he said "I hit the jackpot".  It irked me that her response was simply a look into the camera, like "Yeah, you did."  Nothing reciprocal from her, not even an "Aww, you're too sweet".  That can be the problem with physical mismatches -- one party feels unnecessarily grateful and the other takes advantage. 

My husband rarely notices stuff like that, but he said "I give 'em a year."

[Empress1]

8 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

The Boston couple tonight -- he's a radiologist, she works for -- I've forgotten already but it wasn't anything professional.  They met on-line and have been married a month.  Their budget was $1 million but they chose a house for considerably less. 

The couple is a mismatch, physically.  There's nothing wrong with that, not at all.  He said that when he first met her in person, he said "I hit the jackpot".  It irked me that her response was simply a look into the camera, like "Yeah, you did."  Nothing reciprocal from her, not even an "Aww, you're too sweet".  That can be the problem with physical mismatches -- one party feels unnecessarily grateful and the other takes advantage. 

My husband rarely notices stuff like that, but he said "I give 'em a year."

She worked in advertising. I actually didn't think she was that much better looking than he is, just younger. She's very "done" (makeup, colored and curled hair, etc.) but I didn't think she was that attractive. She also overused the phrase "great space."

[doodlebug]

9 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

The Boston couple tonight -- he's a radiologist, she works for -- I've forgotten already but it wasn't anything professional.  They met on-line and have been married a month.  Their budget was $1 million but they chose a house for considerably less. 

The couple is a mismatch, physically.  There's nothing wrong with that, not at all.  He said that when he first met her in person, he said "I hit the jackpot".  It irked me that her response was simply a look into the camera, like "Yeah, you did."  Nothing reciprocal from her, not even an "Aww, you're too sweet".  That can be the problem with physical mismatches -- one party feels unnecessarily grateful and the other takes advantage. 

My husband rarely notices stuff like that, but he said "I give 'em a year."

I definitely got the vibe that it wasn't his looks that attracted her to him.  He seemed to be a bit nerdy and introverted.  Her; not so much.  As noted above, she looked very 'done' in every scene, the type of gal that doesn't leave the house without full makeup.  Hopefully, they've got things in common that weren't apparent on the show.  Her entire personality kinda rubbed me the wrong way.  She kept complaining about doing ANYTHING to the house they bought, stuff like painting and removing carpet were too much to expect her to do. I guess she expected the current owners to have psychically divined her tastes and preferences and redecorated to suit her before putting the place on the market.  I kinda got the impression that she'd never done much househunting, at least not in the 7 figure market, and expected that somehow, houses at that price point never needed any changes, ever.  Not so much.  Pricier house, pricier fixtures and amenities.

As a radiologist who does work from home, probably at night, the guy would read films from multiple hospitals and is able to produce a large volume of work per shift because of it.  He specifically mentioned reading MRI's which can be pretty specialized (and pays far more than reading chest X rays).  He'd be making mid 6 figures at least; so I suspect there was quite an income mismatch between them.

Edited March 28, 2018 by doodlebug

[jcbrown]

The Boston brat was too much for me. Stupid hair, no evidence of non-stupid brain, I definitely got the idea that she married him for his money and she was not shy about wanting to spend it. I feel sorry for her kid because I'm sure he's going to lose another father figure. They've been married a month and exhibit zero chemistry and she gives him no consideration. No way these two make it.

Edited to add that the put-your-makeup-on-with-a-trowel look is really unfortunate, IMHO. I thought she could look better with less "done" hair (and less of it) and a clean face.

Edited March 28, 2018 by jcbrown

[laredhead]

I haven't seen the Boston episode yet, but was intrigued by the husband's profession, and the fact that he reads MRI's from other medical facilities.  Last summer I met a radiologist, who lives in the states, who was explaining to a group of friends how he reads MRI's and radiological data from hospitals in Australia!  I guess I had no idea this type of work was international.  I need to get up to speed on technology.