House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[laredhead]

I thought that the Washington state couple would buy the house on the river with all of the out buildings even though it was at the top of their budget.  I seemed to be the perfect set up for what he wanted, but once again, shops, restaurant, neighbors, etc. won.  The river running through that property was beautiful, but I wonder if it ever floods and then those out buildings would be under water.   

[aguabella]

Dear SoCal, San Clemente, Swingin', Salesguy:

Tips and tricks for "hiding" freeway noise:

1.  Buy a home located such that the freeway is neither visible nor audible;

2.  See 1., no add'l tricks required.

Dude, friends don't let friends buy a freeway home, even if/when they'll score two extra commissions because of said faulty purchase.

ETA - I do know that his friend hadn't bought the freeway home but his "tips & tricks" soliloquy was uh, nauseating.  How many times had he practiced it in front of the bathroom mirror?  !!! 

Edited October 30, 2017 by aguabella

[aguabella]

On ‎10‎/‎25‎/‎2017 at 4:28 PM, Kohola3 said:

That Realtor needs to have his license revoked.  In what universe could that third house be called a Cape Cod?  I was incredulous when he said it.

Gotta' figure out some way to differentiate each tract home box from another.  If he can get those sheep-le believing they're buying Craftsman, Victorians, Cape Cods or Tudors instead of square boxes with a few builders' special flourishes, he's a top commission earner, for sure!  Yep, he drank the Kool-Aid WRT original builder marketing schemes.

And, can we talk about those stellar views?  Yeah, the guy had an end unit but unless the friends traipse through his mbr, those looked like "peek-a-boo" views, to me.  Somehow, I believe his future partner might have other plans before they start a family in that box!

It's SoCal ... forgive them; they know not what they do!

[aguabella]

On ‎10‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 7:12 AM, mojito said:

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. 

Glad you can confirm that everything get streamed, eventually, if not earlier than the standard service schedule.  Bet you get used to their timing, too.

We need to check out a few of these.  So many options, so little time.

[aguabella]

11 hours ago, Gam2 said:

We had a dog that drank out of the toilet. He slopped water all over the toilet and the floor around it. Gross and messy.

Haven't watched the episode yet but did hear the bit about taking the dog along, with advance permission.  Sellers shouldn't restrict showings but the mess would be my concern, too.

The best realtors tidy up properties after showing them, even if they're not the listing agent.  The dog owners should do it but whenever you're depending on humans ...

Depending on the current RE market, I'd be tempted to believe that if they were truly interested in my home, they'd agree to initially tour it w/o Fido!  Sure, if they made a reasonable offer, then my decision might be reconsidered.

[Kohola3]

I didn't see the episode (thankfully) but what was the reason for hauling the dog along?  Did he somehow telepathically communicate his like or dislike of the houses?  I am a total dog lover and take my dog places but never in a million years to tour someone's home.  It was just a stupid, pointless stunt.

[aguabella]

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 9:12 PM, KLovestoShop said:

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. 

Thanks for the area info, KLoves.

I know many viewers don't watch the intro (it's understandable) but they did mention that they didn't have the budget for waterfront and couldn't afford those areas.

Most likely, they scripted that demand to set up the last decoy home, including its creek!

[aguabella]

On ‎8‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 10:51 AM, Tony said:

How real are those WATN specials? Can we really believe them to be remotely close to reality or is it more HH fake ass fakery?

It's still reality tv, Tony, meaning drama, not real-life reality.

After checking out tons of episodes over the years, never found a single episode (including HH/HHI/HHR/THH/WATN ... and so on) that didn't include at least a little fakery.  Usually more than a little, too!

 Sorry if my rambling posts sound jaded but that's why.

[KLovestoShop]

I added another person to my most hated HH’ers.  There was a repeat episode today, that I’ve never seen, with an unmarried couple with a small budget—-small for San Diego—with the man being a total, obnoxious jerk.  He wanted move in ready, and tore apart just about everything in the houses.  He was so arrogant and treated his girlfriend like she didn’t matter.  He made comments like “I want people to look at my house and see ME”. A real loser. 

[chocolatine]

My two cents on a dog drinking out of the toilet: the dog gets toilet water on itself and then spreads it all over the house, including soft surfaces that aren't easily cleaned/disinfected. Completely and utterly disgusting.

[twinks]

13 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I didn't see the episode (thankfully) but what was the reason for hauling the dog along?  Did he somehow telepathically communicate his like or dislike of the houses?  I am a total dog lover and take my dog places but never in a million years to tour someone's home.  It was just a stupid, pointless stunt.

Supposedly the dog was to "approve" of the choice. The dog had no personality. I would not allow it unless the buyers were interested in making an offer and returned for a second look. Not sure what the point was.

[CruiseDiva]

In addition to drinking out of the toilet, the dog would put his front paws on the window frames to look outside. I'm betting that his claws, which looked pretty long. scratched the paint on them. That would really piss me off more than water on the bathroom floor around the toilet.

[mojito]

Quote

Glad you can confirm that everything get streamed, eventually, if not earlier than the standard service schedule. 

I can't speak for all shows, but HH/HHI and at least one TNT original show puts the episode On Demand the next day. Remember, you're not getting the major networks. I go old school to get them.

[Empress1]

St. Louis couple: I liked them. the third Craftsman house in the city was gorgeous, about a thousand square feet bigger than the others, and $50K under their max. I loved it (gorgeous details) but I'm a city person. They brought measuring tape to make sure their king-sized bed would fit, which I thought was smart. I laughed when she said she'd sit in the walk-in closet and think. He balked that the basement wasn't finished but they could have saved up to finish it, and he could use the second living room for his podcast recording.

They ended up picking the second house, which I thought made sense given that it was in the suburbs, which they wanted, under budget, had the finished basement and deck they wanted, and they were able to make some renovations, which I'd be curious to see on an update show.

[Ohwell]

Even though it's not my style, I thought the third St. Louis house was gorgeous.  However, I could see it being a possible money pit with renovations/repairs, so I can understand them wanting a somewhat newer house. 

[topanga]

24 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

I am adding the St. Louis couple to my top five list of favorite HH. They were pleasant, funny and no drama. And compromised on a bunch of stuff with each other! And no mean snark towards each other! And she had the most pleasant giggle on earth, about almost everything. I bet he loves waking up to her each day. 

I’m totally with you about the nice couple, except...if the husband had said, “this will never work” one more time, I would’ve thrown something at the TV. But, yes, they were pleasant and seemed to like each other.

Glad they didn’t pick #1. I loved the house, but it was 35 miles away from their jobs. Much too long of a commute. 

And I’ll try not to get political, but I noticed that Not-Suzy Whang never mentioned the name of the suburbs where the homes were located. I wonder if that was deliberate, since one particular St. Louis suburb has been a hotbed of controversy in ecent years. 

[aguabella]

Nice St. Louis couple but wasn't that a freeway at the end of their street?  To me, the only thing worse than buying a freeway house is renovating a freeway house! 

That freeway was probably audible but they didn't indicate (IIRC) that the windows had been updated.  Usually, in house hunting, if it wasn't mentioned, assume the negative.

Just posted about freeway homes the other day, WRT the San Clemente townhouse episode, upthread.  Sorry kids:  say good-bye to those $$$.

P.S.  Suzanne Whang's contract wasn't renewed around '09.  Andromeda Dunker is the current (2nd since Whang, IIRC) voiceover artist; she sounds suspiciously like Suzanne, don't you think?

Edited November 2, 2017 by aguabella

[aguabella]

On ‎10‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 3:18 PM, mojito said:

I can't speak for all shows, but HH/HHI and at least one TNT original show puts the episode On Demand the next day. Remember, you're not getting the major networks. I go old school to get them.

Thanks, mojito.  Interesting ... does Sling allow you to self-select all or even part of those channels?  Heard the other day that $40 is the going rate for these services.  Our expanded cable, including on-demand, is far greater.  It's frustrating to pay for so many channels but routinely only use a few!

[AuntiePam]

3 hours ago, topanga said:

I’m totally with you about the nice couple, except...if the husband had said, “this will never work” one more time, I would’ve thrown something at the TV. But, yes, they were pleasant and seemed to like each other.

 

Didn't he also say "Now that's what I'm talking about!" several times?  Or do I have him confused with another guy?

I hit the Mute button more quickly than usual with tonight's couple from Cincinnati.  Oy vey!  Even the positive comments came out sounding negative with these two.

[KLovestoShop]

The Cincinnati couple was weird.  The wife and her not wanting a house over 50 years old, well, I hate to tell her, if you believe in ghosts, they can haunt a year old house just as easily as an old one.  And her weirdness of hearing one single car drive by was obnoxious.   If she doesn't want to hear cars, move to Amish Country. The husband and his "I just can't get past.....", and his need for certain numbers was too much.  With their strange needs and her awful voice, it was a FF show for me.  

Edited November 2, 2017 by KLovestoShop

[mojito]

Cincinnati

I didn't like the husband. The fool had to ask if the floors he was standing on were hardwood, because, you know, hardwood floors were a must-have item for him, once someone identified them for him. And that numbers business...

[chocolatine]

I wanted to like Cincinnati wife because she, like me, is from Moldova, and I almost never see anyone who's from Moldova on TV. But both she and her husband complained about ridiculous things - OMG, a car driving by! Who's ever heard of such a thing? - so I couldn't.

[wovenloaf]

58 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I wanted to like Cincinnati wife because she, like me, is from Moldova, and I almost never see anyone who's from Moldova on TV. But both she and her husband complained about ridiculous things - OMG, a car driving by! Who's ever heard of such a thing? - so I couldn't.

There is a guy on 90 Day Fiance right now that is from Moldova! I'm sorry to report he seems like a bit of a jerk though =(

[juliet73]

Cincinnati ep:  I agree the couple was beyond annoying!  Her with the all the traffic and noise from ONE car!  Him with his hardwood floors and complaining about EVERYTHING!  They both seemed very immature!  I felt like I was watching a couple of teenagers playing house!  I didn't understand how they already spent $65k in renovations when it just looked like they removed some tile and added a couple of kitchen cabinets.  

[aguabella]

9 hours ago, juliet73 said:

Cincinnati ep:  I agree the couple was beyond annoying!  Her with the all the traffic and noise from ONE car!  Him with his hardwood floors and complaining about EVERYTHING!  They both seemed very immature!  I felt like I was watching a couple of teenagers playing house!  I didn't understand how they already spent $65k in renovations when it just looked like they removed some tile and added a couple of kitchen cabinets.  

Between them and their realtor, they were overacting, trying way too hard, wanting their HH star turn too badly!  Anytime someone drags out the "ghost" routine ... that's a tipoff.  

If they did everything discussed during their tour plus more, including a gas stove, threading in h/w floors, removing that wall in the front room to create the vaunted open concept, they're running into $$$.  It's expensive to match and thread in h/w's, if/when it's done properly.  I'm sure they're using professionals;  the guy in gloves working on the open wall was a joke!

And, if they're opening walls, it's quite possible they're adding insulation (didn't see any in that camera shot and it was possibly an exterior wall) and updating electrical.  Anytime you start ripping out appliances in an old home, you better budget for upgrading the electrical panel! 

About the hardwoods ... when we hear homeowners asking, "Is it hardwood?", it's possible they mean, "Is it original?".  Most of the "h/w" floors installed now are technically engineered hardwood.  Can't sand them as many times but much cheaper. 

With that many projects and throughout the home, 65K doesn't surprise me, even at Midwest construction rates.

Speaking of annoying, was their little girl annoyed with them, or what?  She didn't seem too interested in walking down the sidewalk, holding hands.  It's like, "Mom, how many times (for every camera angle) do we have to do this?"  BTW, that was probably the director driving down the street from every camera angle!

Yep, those two were definitely annoying!

Edited November 3, 2017 by aguabella

[CruiseDiva]

I nearly fell off my chair laughing when that ONE car passing by caused the Cincinnati HH wife to freak out about the traffic noise.

[jcbrown]

I figured out which house the SD couple bought when they did not complain about the place that looked like a crayon box exploded in almost every room. They were pretty nice, though, and didn't complain about stupid stuff the way so many on this show do.

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, jcbrown said:

They were pretty nice, though, and didn't complain about stupid stuff the way so many on this show do.

The husband complained about pine trees in the yard, which I thought was a bit ridiculous. 

[Angeleyes]

14 hours ago, chocolatine said:

The husband complained about pine trees in the yard, which I thought was a bit ridiculous. 

I didn’t see the episode, but I know from growing up in an area with lots of pine trees that they can be problematic. Pine trees excrete sap and thick yellow pollen that can get on everything. Pine trees are also more susceptible to falling or breaking during storms because they don’t have as deep a root system as hardwoods. This can be a problem if they are close enough to fall on your home.  

[CherryAmes]

Portland, Oregon couple - nicest people I've seen on HH in a while.  They didn't snark at each other, no one asked for a man cave or stainless steel and they seemed to be on the same page most of the time about what they needed as opposed to what they wanted.  I did figure out which house they picked mainly because it was obvious that the wife had fallen in love with it.  And on that note I am so JEALOUS as to what $400k will buy you in the part of Portland they were looking in.  I'd have happily taken any of the houses they saw.  

[mojito]

Quote

The husband complained about pine trees in the yard, which I thought was a bit ridiculous. 

Not liking pine trees didn't strike me as ridiculous. If you don't like them, you don't like them. What struck me as silly was the one he was referring to was a small pine tree, more like a bush, and he could get rid of that fairly easily. Of course, the editing could have made his objection to pine trees seem more intense than it was. In the end, I think he was able to get a yard sans pine trees. Good for him. 

They were a nice couple. 

[laredhead]

I finally watched the Cincinnati episode last night and totally agree with all of the negative comments previously posted here.  I would not want these people as neighbors.  They are probably going to complain about everything in the neighborhood.  I thought I heard the husband say that they not only were spending their planned $50,000 on renovations, but another $60,000 as well?  That house must have come with a money tree.  I just watched it last night and I have already forgotten which house they bought - lol.

[JasmineFlower]

I don't know where House Hunters found this Buffalo couple, but it felt like a different show. A likable couple who want different things and yet act like adults who respect each other's  opinions and come to a reasonable decision that works for both? Is this House Hunters? Maybe a different casting director that day? Hope we get more of this, just an easy episode to watch since they weren't at each other's throats and throwing side eye at one another throughout the process. This felt like a couple in love who will be together if we see them in a HH: Where Are They Now? 10 years from now.

Really enjoyed this Buffalo episode. It wasn't the most exciting, but a refreshing change from the selfish and/or combative couples of late who seem like we should be predicting how much longer they'll be together more than what house they chose. Felt like we saw some different homes in Buffalo this time around. A little more grand, a little more land. They didn't go into the particulars of the areas this time that I noticed, so wasn't clear if this was in or out of the city limits, but very nice homes in very nice looking communities. Really happy they stuck to their guns and negotiated that price down,  the homes felt overpriced given they weren't super updated and had unfinished basements. I noticed the realtor (honey, please use a smartphone to open a compass and tell your client which direction the door is facing - this isn't rocket science and it's truly not asking too much) never commented on the pricing of the homes. Like whether they were well priced for the area or on the market a while and room for negotiation, so it was a bit hard to tell, but happy they got the price down to a more comfortable level. I was surprised by their choice mostly because of the 4th bedroom being a laundry room they'd have to convert back.

But yeah, they were just a likable couple and I wish them nothing but the best in their new home.

[Kohola3]

Quote

 It wasn't the most exciting, but a refreshing change from the selfish and/or combative couples of late who seem like we should be predicting how much longer they'll be together more than what house they chose. 

IF HH thinks that conflict is the reason that we watch, they are sadly mistaken. I want to concentrate on looking at the homes and I get sidetracked with the bickering and stupid comments. I have taken to watching with the sound off so as not to be so distracted by that crap.  

[JasmineFlower]

6 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

IF HH thinks that conflict is the reason that we watch, they are sadly mistaken. I want to concentrate on looking at the homes and I get sidetracked with the bickering and stupid comments. I have taken to watching with the sound off so as not to be so distracted by that crap.  

I don't know what's been up lately but I agree, it's not at all why I watch. I'm into either the likable couples or the fun ones. Those seem so much more rare these days. It's supposed to be a light show but instead the awkward relationship drama of late has made it more of a chore to watch at times. Sometimes I don't bother muting it, I'm just turning it off if I think the couple will bug that episode too much. Hopefully we'll start seeing more of the likable and fun ones and less of everything else. I'm not sure why it's so difficult to find mature couples who like one another or ones who know this is an entertainment show and go with it and make each other laugh. Didn't use to be that hard.

[katalizt]

I was really excited today when I stumbled upon an episode in Gainesville, FL! I'm a Gator and lived there for 6 years total. Unfortunately I came into the episode halfway through, so I missed the intro that would've featured more of the city. I did recognize Maude's Cafe next to the Hippodrome State Theatre as the place where the couple had their decision making conversation. I missed the tours of the first two houses, but from the brief shots of them in the house recap, they screamed "historic Gainesville home". The third one was a new construction of a style I've seen on the north side of town. 

But perhaps even more exciting than seeing Gainesville was hearing the wife say something like "this is too open, imagine if we have guests and we have a mess in the kitchen, I don't want them to see our mess!"

Yes! That's one of my biggest problems with open concept! Of course if I'm having a big party I'll clean the whole house, but for short and sweet visits guests can stay in the living room and there is no need for them to be able to see into my kitchen!

[vesperholly]

16 hours ago, JasmineFlower said:

Really enjoyed this Buffalo episode. It wasn't the most exciting, but a refreshing change from the selfish and/or combative couples of late who seem like we should be predicting how much longer they'll be together more than what house they chose. Felt like we saw some different homes in Buffalo this time around. A little more grand, a little more land. They didn't go into the particulars of the areas this time that I noticed, so wasn't clear if this was in or out of the city limits, but very nice homes in very nice looking communities. Really happy they stuck to their guns and negotiated that price down,  the homes felt overpriced given they weren't super updated and had unfinished basements. I noticed the realtor (honey, please use a smartphone to open a compass and tell your client which direction the door is facing - this isn't rocket science and it's truly not asking too much) never commented on the pricing of the homes. Like whether they were well priced for the area or on the market a while and room for negotiation, so it was a bit hard to tell, but happy they got the price down to a more comfortable level. I was surprised by their choice mostly because of the 4th bedroom being a laundry room they'd have to convert back.

Budgets $400k and up in WNY will get you a really nice house, city or 'burbs. The house is in Orchard Park - the restaurant scene is a well-known OP place. It's an upscale suburb about 20min southeast of the city and where the Bills stadium is located. The market here is almost booming, but $450k was definitely overpriced.

I was a little peeved at the guy for saying how up-and-coming Buffalo is - by saying how close it is to Cleveland, Rochester, Toronto?! Dude, there is a ton going on IN Buffalo.

Edited November 8, 2017 by vesperholly

[mojito]

Quote

IF HH thinks that conflict is the reason that we watch, they are sadly mistaken. I want to concentrate on looking at the homes and I get sidetracked with the bickering and stupid comments. I have taken to watching with the sound off so as not to be so distracted by that crap.  

It occurred  to me while watching one of these episodes recently, that one reason that HH might create dueling desires for home styles is that it's easier to find decoy homes if they pretend that they're appealing to two different tastes. I wish they would just use house hunters who don't have strong preferences and they just look at different homes to see what they like.

[MarthaEllisanne]

Ugh, re: Washington's northern Virginia suburb from 11/8: heard the wife's voice for 30 seconds and deleted. Quickly decided I could not listen to that for 30 minutes.  Acckkkk!!!

[buttercupia]

The Buffalo couple was adorable. More like that please! 

[CruiseDiva]

14 hours ago, MarthaEllisanne said:

Ugh, re: Washington's northern Virginia suburb from 11/8: heard the wife's voice for 30 seconds and deleted. Quickly decided I could not listen to that for 30 minutes.  Acckkkk!!!

Our son lives in that Northern VA area so I watched the entire show because I was interested in seeing what's available near his apartment. I quickly muted the sound after hearing to that woman's voice. Good grief--she was atrocious. HH was really scraping the bottom of the barrel when they signed that couple up.

[Ohwell]

Salem, OR:  I watched about 5 minutes of the two women sounding and acting like 12 year olds before I changed the channel.  I just could take them anymore.

[ByaNose]

33 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Salem, OR:  I watched about 5 minutes of the two women sounding and acting like 12 year olds before I changed the channel.  I just could take them anymore.

I had to ffwd to the end. The homeowner was so weird & talking like a child. Her friend wasn’t as bad but bad enough. It’s shocking that she was divorced. Jokes people, jokes!

[juliet73]

Salem OR:  I ffwd through a lot of it and yet I still heard four AMAZINGs!  The kitchen island was AMAZING, the backyard with the garden beds was AMAZING, watching her dogs run around the backyard was AMAZING, even the flippin' sliding glass door was AMAZING!  UGH!!!  You would think because she was a writer, she would have more of a vocabulary!!  

[mojito]

Salem, OR.

I liked the twosome a lot. The house hunter's needs were few: outdoor space for dogs, en suite with tub. She didn't like granite, open concept floor plans; she made no comments about colors, appliances, crown molding, fixtures; didn't have any need for specific personal space (roommate liked gardening). There was one house with a giant room with accommodation for a big-ass TV and she pondered what she'd do with such a space, she wouldn't need it for entertaining. The two women didn't talk about "restaurants and shops" and needing to be near great bars. 

I'd like to see more house hunters without such specific tastes who are more enamored with the feel of the house than the details that impress others.

[Vivigirl10]

I started out thinking the Salem house hunter was going to drive me bonkers but then she never really did.  I kept picturing her as a 50 year old, hair dyed bright red, running around in a flowing caftan. She just struck me as a bit eccentric! The friend schlupped around like a little old lady, clutching her pocket book. They were an odd pair but funny to watch.

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, Kiki620 said:

I started out thinking the Salem house hunter was going to drive me bonkers but then she never really did.  I kept picturing her as a 50 year old, hair dyed bright red, running around in a flowing caftan. She just struck me as a bit eccentric! The friend schlupped around like a little old lady, clutching her pocket book. They were an odd pair but funny to watch.

They were a couple of odd chicks acting out their fantasy of being on teevee.

Seriously, when the HHs only care about buying an older home for its 'charm' they should listen to their RE agent about not expecting open floor plan, huge closets, and deluxe bathrooms.

[Ohwell]

I also couldn't take that bright-red lipstick that looked like somebody slashed her mouth.

[chocolatine]

Maybe it's because I used to live in the Pacific Northwest, but the Salem HH didn't bother me. She's a bit quirky, but not self-important about it. She just seemed happy to be able to afford a place on her own, and readily accepted that "charming" older homes in her price range don't have ensuite bathrooms and large closets.

I also happen to share her preference for a small office. I want my office to just be my office and not a "spare room" that house guests will want to invade.

[Empress1]

Clarksville TN wife was doing too much, although I did laugh when she saw the double ovens and said "I can burn all kinds of things!" Physically she reminded me of Kaitlin Olson.