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House Hunters: Buying in the USA


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12 hours ago, irisheyes said:

Was it just me, or, in the Tampa sunbather episode, was there some pretty obvious product placement with the Audi SUV?  

Yeah, I saw the Audi shout out, too. Sometimes they product place and other times they don't. I'm not sure what dictates it though.

13 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I agree. I think that HGTV is running out of bizarre demands.  First the sword swinging guy on HHI and now the sunbather.  Just silly contrivances.

and, it wasn't all that private. It was just your ordinary backyard in the suburbs. Basically, what I had when I was kid 50 years ago. LOL!!!.

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21 hours ago, MsProudSooner said:

I'm not sure if this is the place to post this but it made me laugh until tears came, especially the comments about Fixer Upper.  

 

http://www.scarymommy.com/hgtv-is-killing-me/?utm_source=crh&utm_campaign=GLP&utm_medium=partner

So funny. And he's a great writer. I'm going to look for other things he's written.

Two of my favorite lines:

"Personally, I would add extra walls to give me more dark corners in which to hide when people visit. Maybe that’s just me. But I don’t think so. I know a lot of you, and most of you hate people too. Don’t lie."

--Yes, that is me, too.

 

And

"By the way, what the hell is a bonus room? You’re buying the house, and you’ve undoubtedly walked through it once or twice. The room is not a surprise. It’s not like you’re going to open a closet door and it turns out it’s an entrance to Narnia."

 

--reminds me of the tv commercial where a house hunting guy touches an owl on a bookshelf and opens a secret electronics/music room  .

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Montclair, NJ couple:  I thought they were adorable, although the wife sounded like she was 11 years old.  No whining or complaining.  I was surprised they didn't pick the cute third house, but I thought I heard them say that they would only live in the condo for five to seven years before moving into a house.  

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2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Montclair, NJ couple:  I thought they were adorable, although the wife sounded like she was 11 years old.  No whining or complaining.  I was surprised they didn't pick the cute third house, but I thought I heard them say that they would only live in the condo for five to seven years before moving into a house.  

They chose the condo, right? I think they had a good head on their shoulders. They did their traveling but didn't want the big house yet. It was beautiful and the kitchen was pristine.

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1 hour ago, ByaNose said:

They chose the condo, right? I think they had a good head on their shoulders. They did their traveling but didn't want the big house yet. It was beautiful and the kitchen was pristine.

Yes, they chose the condo.  I forgot about the traveling, what a great idea to get it done before the kids come.  I believe they said they'd been to all seven continents.  Now I'm envious.  They really did have a good head on their shoulders.

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And was it just us, but did she seem about 15-20 years older than him (and he seemed about 22). 

The Tampa couple are (according to her Facebook page), believe it or not, the same age.  She posted a throwback picture of them (where she was a brunette) and someone commented on how young they looked.  She said that was from when they were 24 and 25.

Edited by Angeltoes
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I also liked the Montclair couple.  They were genuinely sweet and it was nice to see them admit that they would probably upgrade homes in the next several years.  It's hard enough having a newborn, let alone renovating on top of it.  Much luck to them.  Wouldn't mind seeing them on a Where are They Now episode.

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19 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Montclair, NJ couple:  I thought they were adorable, although the wife sounded like she was 11 years old.  No whining or complaining.  I was surprised they didn't pick the cute third house, but I thought I heard them say that they would only live in the condo for five to seven years before moving into a house.  

Too cute! I wanted to be friends with them. And they had sense. I cracked up when they were in the basement in the first home - "Is this what tall people feel like?"

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I finally watched the Tampa episode with the sunbathing obsessed wife.  She wanted privacy for her obsession, but when they showed the backyard, their next door neighbor's house is 2 stories and has a great view into their backyard.  Are they going to plant 50' bamboo as a privacy fence?  I agree, those people were a bit odd.  

I did not like the floor in the house they chose, and I will bet that furniture was theirs and they had already moved into that place when it was shown.  When he looked into the master closet in one house (maybe the one they bought - I don't remember), and said that something would have to be installed to improve the hanging space and then said that seemed like a lot of work, I just rolled my eyes.  What do people like that do when a light bulb burns out or something minor breaks?  Sell the house?

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Did anyone else notice that the realtor in the Montclair, NJ episode used to be on the show featuring the real estate company selling in New York City?  Can't remember the name of it.  Maybe "Selling New York"?  Her name is Roberta.

I also thought that the couple purchased the right place for their lifestyle and plans for the next few years.  Once that baby comes and begins to walk, that 1,000 sf is going to shrink, lol.

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The Wisconsin couple was interesting.  I lived in that area for 30 years, and when the husband said he wanted to be "on the water" which to most means a lake, I was yelling at the TV that there are no lakes in 'Tosa.   And the so-called river for house three was more like a creek.  If he wanted a lake house, he'd have to look on Lake Drive in Milwaukee, on the shores of Lake Michigan, and have a high 6 or low 7 figure budget.  Either that or go farther west into Waukesha County and look for something on an inland lake, but again, they would need a higher budget. You're lucky to find a decent house (not a tear down cabin) on an inland lake for under $450K.   In the end, I think they picked the best house for their needs. 

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On October 17, 2017 at 5:29 PM, Ohwell said:

I got so annoyed with sunbathing Tampa wife, I wanted to scream.  Plus, her skin looked so pale and delicate, like she'd age pretty fast if she keeps on sunbathing no matter how much suntan lotion she uses. 

Her skin looked even paler because her husband was dark; he looked at least two decades younger than she.  Girlfriend needs to stay out of the sun before she looks four decades older than her husband.

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On October 18, 2017 at 0:24 PM, MsProudSooner said:

I'm not sure if this is the place to post this but it made me laugh until tears came, especially the comments about Fixer Upper.  

 

http://www.scarymommy.com/hgtv-is-killing-me/?utm_source=crh&utm_campaign=GLP&utm_medium=partner

That guy sounded kind of pathetic and sad.  

But he was right about pulling back at the carpet and WOW, HARDWOOD FLOORS.  Nope, most of the time it's concrete.  

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San Clemente, CA

Ever notice how HH loves to show the flags of CA and TX?

I thought any choice other than the "traditional Cape Cod" (didn't look even remotely like a Cape Cod) would have been too much of a compromise. The buyer said he wanted something that was coastal farmhouse, like that's a thing. I wonder what he had in mind? Ordinary farm house style with a "Welcome to the Beach" sign?

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1 hour ago, mojito said:

I thought any choice other than the "traditional Cape Cod" (didn't look even remotely like a Cape Cod)

That house had absolutely nothing in common with with a Cape Cod. "Traditional" Cape Cods don't have two-car garages that eat up the front of the house.

I would have picked the cute 2-bed/1-bath cottage three blocks from the beach. You only live once.

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With the caveat that I watched the San Clemente episode in the wee hours because I had insomnia so I was annoyed and not in my right mind, I found that realtor so irritating for some reason. He was corny and bro-y at the same time. The buyer was really wooden. None of the places had more than one bath, did they?

Edited by Empress1
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???  Confused by the Montclair comments.  Not a big deal - sometimes my ear hears what I expect instead of what someone says, too.  Went back and checked the dvr ...

Anyway, they planned to travel with the baby, i.e. not only before.  Didn't want their "lifestyle" to suffer and would simply grab a stroller and head downtown!  Uh, news flash, kids:  don't forget the diapers, formula/nursing paraphernalia, wet wipes, snacks, toys ...  And, btw, your lifestyle changes instantly, as soon as he/she arrives!

About the RE decision, assuming they already know their preferred school district and neighborhood / home, I routinely advise buyers to purchase the home they'll remain in - instead of the temporary condo / starter home.  Why?  Well, purchasing it now instead of later will save them more than 50K of costs, alone.  Plus, condos typically appreciate at a slower rate so then add in the higher housing costs in 4-5 years and it's far more than 100K  They intended to spend (not save) their excess funds so hopefully they advance in their careers and don't find themselves priced out of that larger home. 

Sure realtors love the initial condo or starter home strategy.  (More sales = more commissions.)  But, if/when they know they're definitely moving, why not avoid the extra costs and bank the savings when young to build up their retirement funds?

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3 minutes ago, aguabella said:

But, if/when they know they're definitely moving, why not avoid the extra costs and bank the savings when young to build up their retirement funds?

Because that's the "instant gratification" generation.  They have no concept of saving for emergencies let alone saving for retirement.  And common sense is not that common.

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19 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Because that's the "instant gratification" generation.  They have no concept of saving for emergencies let alone saving for retirement.  And common sense is not that common.

Oh yeah, I know the answer, lol!  I'm with ya ...

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On ‎10‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 8:17 AM, ByaNose said:

Yeah, I saw the Audi shout out, too. Sometimes they product place and other times they don't. I'm not sure what dictates it though.

 

 

$$$ dictates it.  Audi paid ...

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On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 4:53 PM, laredhead said:

Did anyone else notice that the realtor in the Montclair, NJ episode used to be on the show featuring the real estate company selling in New York City?  Can't remember the name of it.  Maybe "Selling New York"?  Her name is Roberta.

I also thought that the couple purchased the right place for their lifestyle and plans for the next few years.  Once that baby comes and begins to walk, that 1,000 sf is going to shrink, lol.

I recognized her and you're right, they had a "Roberta B" on SNY.  No big deal but that Roberta, from the Warburg firm, was different.  This Roberta's been on HH in NJ previously and did appear on a short-lived HGTV series about her broker's office about 10 years ago, Bought & Sold.

Often, when we recognize a realtor, it's b/c the couple's actual realtor didn't want to give up 40 hours for filming so they called one of the regulars!  Don't know about this one ...

Yep, I think those 2 are clueless about their upcoming, now current, "lifestyle" !!!

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On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 5:33 AM, laredhead said:

I finally watched the Tampa episode with the sunbathing obsessed wife.  She wanted privacy for her obsession, but when they showed the backyard, their next door neighbor's house is 2 stories and has a great view into their backyard.  Are they going to plant 50' bamboo as a privacy fence?  I agree, those people were a bit odd.  

I did not like the floor in the house they chose, and I will bet that furniture was theirs and they had already moved into that place when it was shown.  When he looked into the master closet in one house (maybe the one they bought - I don't remember), and said that something would have to be installed to improve the hanging space and then said that seemed like a lot of work, I just rolled my eyes.  What do people like that do when a light bulb burns out or something minor breaks?  Sell the house?

Don't know for certain but I assumed the sunbathing was the episode's red herring.  Did you notice the great sun deck in the second property?  The director probably put the decoy together with their home's poor tanning area plus her overexposed bod and selected that for the plot.  If she remains a serious tanner, i.e. it wasn't just something she did in her youth, she probably goes to a salon.

About the closet, I assumed he was referring to a custom closet.  Those can be very involved and expensive so not always diy.  He's an md so anything that's time-consuming and expensive, he'll use pros.

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On ‎10‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 5:41 PM, mojito said:

I use SlingTV. Can't get a handle on their programming. Sometimes it seems that I see a program a day before others. I think Sling is having a hard time selecting new episodes of HH but I think it's doing okay with HHI.  Thanks for the info. I had a feeling what I'd seen was not new.

Anytime, mojito.  Interesting to hear about Sling's scheduling irregularities.  Was thinking of checking them out but might not bother!

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On ‎10‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 6:27 AM, laredhead said:

Aguabella, with regard to the Fresno ski cabin, thanks for posting their listing along with the other one.  The second one would win my vote hands down.  I would be happy staying inside that cabin (house) or on the deck and never hitting a ski slope or a trail.  The first one, not so much.  it looks like just a place to sleep and shower.  No pretty views from inside and it looked crammed up against other cabins from what I remember about the episode.  I do remember thinking that the wife looked pretty great after having had a baby only about 4 weeks prior to the filming of this episode if I remember correctly.

As for my DVR recording HH episodes, I have Uverse and rely on TV Guide and the Uverse guide to pick up new episodes, but for some reason, even though the listings are showing an episode as "new", the DVR isn't recording it automatically.  I'm having to scroll through the channel guide and find the new shows and then setting the DVR for that show.  It's only doing this on the later showings of the new HH episodes.    

Thanks for posting, laredhead!  It surprised me that nobody had posted when it aired.  Wondered if the scheduling was the issue.  I do my best to ignore the homeowners but they managed to annoy me!

Yes, she looked good, didn't she ... wondered if it was the flight attendant factor.*  Could be an occupational requirement.  Apparently they were very strict in the early days of aviation.  It's probably eased up, officially but unofficially ???

Agreed, I think that 2nd place was their real competition.  Looking at the photos, I realized that their place wouldn't even appear on my screen, under my criterion, if/when I'm travelling.

I'll bet you noticed they removed the stove, themselves - right?  (Those stoves usually work fine and look great with a brick surround.  Oh well, gotta' demo everything, lol!)

 

About your dvr, sounds like it's using a time factor to pick up the HH episodes, instead of grabbing the entire series.  Does your Uverse include a "dvr manager", "dvr history" function?  If you check that out, it often explains why something was / was not recorded.  Just my experience ... 

 

*Funny, she said that guy picked her up on a flight?  Uh, gee, if I were her, he wouldn't be my choice, lol!  To each, his/her own!

Edited by aguabella
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Anytime, mojito.  Interesting to hear about Sling's scheduling irregularities.  Was thinking of checking them out but might not bother!

Except for one occasion so far, I've been able to find episodes of HH/HHI on demand with Sling. They seem to air all the HGTV shows on demand, which wasn't the case with Frontier FiOS. 

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Just watched an episode of a young couple buying in Chicago. Surprisingly, one didn't insist on a high rise while the other wanted a detached home in the suburbs. One did want two stories, the other a ranch, but they didn't seem very committed to either style. She wanted a white kitchen with a large island and hardwoods; he wanted a wall for 3 TVs. They took their dog on the house hunt, which had been pre-approved. The dog was a stocky boxer. My generous side reasons that they probably wanted to see how he might handle stairs, which does make sense. But then, the other me kicked in.

He made a point of showing how their dog drinks from the toilet, which he allowed the dog to do during the tour. He stated that the dog gets so thirsty and sometimes they're too lazy to fill his bowl at night. Yech, just yech. You 1) admit such a thing, 2) allow it to be filmed (he lifted the toilet seat for the dog), 3) admit just how incredibly lazy you are, and 4) commonly use the toilet with the seat up all the time or girlfriend sometimes has to sit on a wet seat. 

I don't get people. Some things are better left secret.

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I thought Chicago couple and their damn dog were disgusting, I don't care if he was pre-approved to go along on the house hunt.  I doubt the owners of the house expected he'd be drinking from the toilet.

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1 hour ago, mojito said:

Just watched an episode of a young couple buying in Chicago. Surprisingly, one didn't insist on a high rise while the other wanted a detached home in the suburbs. One did want two stories, the other a ranch, but they didn't seem very committed to either style. She wanted a white kitchen with a large island and hardwoods; he wanted a wall for 3 TVs. They took their dog on the house hunt, which had been pre-approved. The dog was a stocky boxer. My generous side reasons that they probably wanted to see how he might handle stairs, which does make sense. But then, the other me kicked in.

He made a point of showing how their dog drinks from the toilet, which he allowed the dog to do during the tour. He stated that the dog gets so thirsty and sometimes they're too lazy to fill his bowl at night. Yech, just yech. You 1) admit such a thing, 2) allow it to be filmed (he lifted the toilet seat for the dog), 3) admit just how incredibly lazy you are, and 4) commonly use the toilet with the seat up all the time or girlfriend sometimes has to sit on a wet seat. 

I don't get people. Some things are better left secret.

I side-eyed the hell out of them for that! Gross! I was irked that the dog was even there.

They picked the right house. That dirt-filled pool was gross but I don't blame them for not wanting a pool in Chicago.

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4 hours ago, mojito said:

He made a point of showing how their dog drinks from the toilet, which he allowed the dog to do during the tour. He stated that the dog gets so thirsty and sometimes they're too lazy to fill his bowl at night. Yech, just yech. You 1) admit such a thing, 2) allow it to be filmed (he lifted the toilet seat for the dog), 3) admit just how incredibly lazy you are, and 4) commonly use the toilet with the seat up all the time or girlfriend sometimes has to sit on a wet seat. 

5) and then you nuzzle/kiss the dog (which the husband did at the end of the episode).

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Did the Toilet Bowl Twins even stop to consider that a homeowner may use one of those toilet tank bleach things?  Nothing like poisoning your dog just to show the world how wacky you are.  Morons.

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On ‎9‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 11:50 AM, CaughtOnTape said:

Just so we're clear.

Popcorn ceilings are not a big deal to take down nor are they expensive.  When we renovated my dad's house, my brother did it.  Squirt some water, shave it off, sweep it up, done.  Then get someone in there to retexture.  It was the least work of all the shit we did to that house and it made the most impact.  It is messy, but if you do it before you have any furniture in and lay down some plastic it's not that hard.  Stop making it seem like it will cost half the price of the house to get rid of it.

And whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy do people with access to an ocean insist on having a pool?  You have one.  A huge one.  

Sorry to be slow - skimming the thread to catch up.  Didn't see the rest of the discussion so hope I'm not repeating something

Agree with all your points with 1 caveat.  Very important to test the popcorn, plus the underlying ceiling tiles and other materials, for asbestos and have it properly removed and disposed of, pursuant to local statutes.

Yes, have textured various rental properties and love it.  Instantly updates a home - it feels and smells new, afterwards.

Texturing is inexpensive to have professionally done but also a fairly easy diy project.  The big box home centers sell the equipment (usually $100 or less) and sometimes have free classes.

Also, if/when asbestos is discovered, or for a specific design, we love to plank the ceiling?  Easy and no messy popcorn removal to deal with!  Here's a few ideas:

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/wood-plank-ceiling/

ETA:  Before planking, I always consider the ceiling height, too.  Happy projects, everyone!

And, if you don't mind another project, planking gives you an opportunity to possibly pull wires, update lighting, drop in cans, etc.

 

About a pool, like other posters, I prefer to avoid the messy sand, when swimming.  But, the pool demand is often an episode's red herring.

Edited by aguabella
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6 hours ago, aguabella said:

Sorry to be slow - skimming the thread to catch up.  Didn't see the rest of the discussion so hope I'm not repeating something

Agree with all your points with 1 caveat.  Very important to test the popcorn, plus the underlying ceiling tiles and other materials, for asbestos and have it properly removed and disposed of, pursuant to local statutes.

Yes, have textured various rental properties and love it.  Instantly updates a home - it feels and smells new, afterwards.

Texturing is inexpensive to have professionally done but also a fairly easy diy project.  The big box home centers sell the equipment (usually $100 or less) and sometimes have free classes.

Also, if/when asbestos is discovered, or for a specific design, we love to plank the ceiling?  Easy and no messy popcorn removal to deal with!  Here's a few ideas:

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/wood-plank-ceiling/

ETA:  Before planking, I always consider the ceiling height, too.  Happy projects, everyone!

And, if you don't mind another project, planking gives you an opportunity to possibly pull wires, update lighting, drop in cans, etc.

 

About a pool, like other posters, I prefer to avoid the messy sand, when swimming.  But, the pool demand is often an episode's red herring.

It’s funny because it’s my dream to have a pool at my beach house down the jersey shore. Of course, this all depends on me winning the lottery. I’ve gone to the shore my whole life (I’m 52) and, you wouldn't even thought of having a pool. Now, that I’m older I think it would be neat to have a pool, too. I think people would love the options. Now, the first person to use the pool after being in the ocean will never be invited back. LOL!!!!!

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20 hours ago, aguabella said:

About a pool, like other posters, I prefer to avoid the messy sand, when swimming.  But, the pool demand is often an episode's red herring.

I would prefer a pool at my beach house because I love the sound of the waves, but not all the sand.  Plus, I don't want to be next to other people.

Washington (?) ep:  He wanted country and she wanted the suburbs.  They went with the awful log cabin house.  I had to fast forward through most of it because the wife was driving me mad with her constant smiling.  

Temecula ep:  wife was pregnant and looked like she was about to deliver any minute. Instead, she's ripping up carpeting, demoing the walls, taking down cabinets.  It looked like they plan on redoing every room in the house.  If that baby comes sooner than later, they are going to regret destroying every room in the house all at once.  I didn't understand why she was complaining that house #1 wasn't Spanish style.  It had the red tile roof, stucco, etc.  I don't know how much more "Spanish" she wanted on a $350,000 tract home in S. California.  She bugged me big time!  

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On 10/26/2017 at 5:11 PM, Ohwell said:

I thought Chicago couple and their damn dog were disgusting, I don't care if he was pre-approved to go along on the house hunt.  I doubt the owners of the house expected he'd be drinking from the toilet.

OhWell, would it bother you to know a stranger's dog has drank out of your toilet?  I'm not trying to start something, but am seriously interested if that would be an issue with you.

My biggest concern was that the couple didn't keep fresh water in the dog's bowl to begin with.  Why would they need to get up in the middle of the night to fill the bowl?  I replenish my dog's water bowl several times a day.  But that's just me.....

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4 minutes ago, slasherboy said:

OhWell, would it bother you to know a stranger's dog has drank out of your toilet?  I'm not trying to start something, but am seriously interested if that would be an issue with you.

Yes, it would be an issue with me.

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1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

Yes, it would be an issue with me.

I'm really curious why.  Would you mind elaborating?  Again, not trying to start an argument, but I just can't understand what difference it would make.  But there's very likely some very good reason that I'm not thinking of.  Thanks!

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6 minutes ago, slasherboy said:

I'm really curious why.  Would you mind elaborating?  Again, not trying to start an argument, but I just can't understand what difference it would make.  But there's very likely some very good reason that I'm not thinking of.  Thanks!

You asked me if it would be an issue if a stranger's dog drank out of my toilet, and I answered your question by saying that, yes, it would be an issue.  I won't be responding any more because I believe that's just what you're trying to do--start an argument.

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21 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

You asked me if it would be an issue if a stranger's dog drank out of my toilet, and I answered your question by saying that, yes, it would be an issue.  I won't be responding any more because I believe that's just what you're trying to do--start an argument.

I said I'm not trying to start an argument and I'm not.  I chose my words carefully to be as polite and unassuming as I could possibly be.  Believe what you will.

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8 hours ago, juliet73 said:

I would prefer a pool at my beach house because I love the sound of the waves, but not all the sand.  Plus, I don't want to be next to other people.

Washington (?) ep:  He wanted country and she wanted the suburbs.  They went with the awful log cabin house.  I had to fast forward through most of it because the wife was driving me mad with her constant smiling.  

Temecula ep:  wife was pregnant and looked like she was about to deliver any minute. Instead, she's ripping up carpeting, demoing the walls, taking down cabinets.  It looked like they plan on redoing every room in the house.  If that baby comes sooner than later, they are going to regret destroying every room in the house all at once.  I didn't understand why she was complaining that house #1 wasn't Spanish style.  It had the red tile roof, stucco, etc.  I don't know how much more "Spanish" she wanted on a $350,000 tract home in S. California.  She bugged me big time!  

She bugged me with all the 'cosmetic lipstick' talk. Is there a non-cosmetic lipstick?  People who try to make up cute catch-phrases but are too dumb to invent one that actually makes sense annoy the he**  outta me.

Edited by doodlebug
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