House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[laredhead]

If I were in the market for another house, a sure deal breaker for me would be outside laundry rooms.  I want it inside the house and preferably close to the bedroom area, but it must be inside.  I would also rather have the square footage concentrated in the living areas and not the bathroom.  I just don't get the desire to have a bathroom the size of Texas, but that's my personal preference. 

 

Wonder how that couple is going to like having to shovel the snow off of that flat roof in the dead of winter?  Old houses have charm, but they also have a lot of upkeep.

[Bellalisa]

I thought they said they were waiting for the surrogate to give birth and they knew the child would be a girl.  For some reason, I thought he said that.

 

Even so, I thought it was strange that someone would want to buy a house because of a situation that may or may not happen.  What if their daughter doesn't want to go to the prom; of what if no one asks her?  

 

What bothers me about HH is that when a couple looks at a home with a large back yard, the man will say, "I don't know if I want to do all that yard work," which makes sense to me.  But when a couple looks at a home with a big bathroom or kitchen, neither the husband nor the wife says, "I don't know if I want to do all that cleaning; a big bathroom/kitchen means more to clean."

I rewatched to double check on this he said:

 

"We are currently in the process of adopting. We are waiting for a birth mom and we're excited to expand our family"

 

I take this to mean that they are still waiting to find a birth mom - not waiting for a birth mom to have the baby. Otherwise they would have said - "our baby is due in 4 months". or something. And the sex of this baby was never mentioned. They did not seem to have a date of birth in less than 9 months for a baby. It seemed like eventually. 

 

At the end he said "Since we're adopting we really dont know when a kid could come, it could be really soon..it could be tomorrow. hopefully soon! hopefully soon!

 

so yeah, they have no idea if they will have a girl or a boy or if they will even get one or how long it will take. Let alone if this son or daughter is the prom going type. 

 

They did get a great piece of land though. nice woods!

Edited September 28, 2014 by Bellalisa

[swissair100]

"We are currently in the process of adopting. We are waiting for a birth mom and we're excited to expand our family"

 

 

         They welcomed a baby girl last month, and home was purchased in December.  (It's on both Robbi's and Ray's FB pages.)  I would've picked another house because of that roof, but then I won't be the one shoveling the snow and hoping the roof doesn't cave in.  

Edited September 28, 2014 by swissair100

[BearCat49]

That's the way I remember that particular episode, i.e. they didn't have a birth mom but were already in the process of adopting.  IIRC, they wanted to have multiple children so I gave them a break on their comments about future children.  Sounded like it would happen and fairly soon - 

 

And, I don't get usually pay attention to and/or get excited about all the nutty "must-haves".  I chalk them up to the producers.  Often, they're that particular episode's red herring. 

 

Oh, one other thing - about the flat roof:  It's actually not that big of a deal (IMHO) to add a slight pitch to those roofs.  So, they could either do the maintenance (or have it done) until their next roof job or go ahead and upgrade the roof, if it was close to needing one.

 

 

Instead of paying attention to the producers' faux drama, I'm more interested in checking out interesting homes.  So, I was happy to see the Evanston episode and their $1M budget.  Oops, guess my quotation bumped to the next post - see below, regarding Evanston.

Edited September 29, 2014 by BearCat49

[BearCat49]

Did anyone catch the Evanston episode last night?  House #3 was being renovated when the homeowners looked at it.  The husband -- who we were told is terrible at visualizing things -- walked into this empty home and immediately knew precisely where his TVs would go and how the renovations would look when finished.  Of course he knew this because it was their house. 

 

Maybe I'm overthinking this but it's not really worth watching if they're going to mail it in to quite the degree they've recently been mailing it in on this show. 

 

I remembered this a little differently.  Went back and verified it on the dvr.  I was surprised that the husband had relatively little to say as they entered the Evanston prairie style home.  It was, after all, exactly the style and location he supposedly wanted.  And, he'd been very vocal during the episode.

 

He'd mentioned growing up in Evanston in a prairie style home.  In fact, when I watched it initially, I couldn't help but wonder if they were walking into his parents' home and that's why he was purposely keeping his mouth shut.  Or, alternatively, were those comments edited out b/c that wasn't the story tptb wanted to tell?  The truth is so boring, right?  (lol)

 

I expected him to be saying things like, "Oh yeah, I grew up only X (#) of blocks away from here" or "My sibling lives around here" or something, anything along those lines.  I definitely expected him to say, "This is exactly the home and location I'm looking for."  He said absolutely nothing until they stood in front of the f/p and he mentioned placing a TV there. 

 

That's a very basic comment, IMHO.  Yes, the TV goes over the fireplace.  IMHO, one of the production assistants probably prompted him to make that very basic, standard HH comment.

 

Besides that, I went back and verified the bedroom count.  They mentioned turning one into a playroom (weren't those kids a little old for that?) and another into a mancave.  Ok, perhaps the older children could use a hangout room for the long winters and the basement wasn't finished.  Will give them that - 

 

But, if they do the mancave and kids' hang out room, they'll be short a bedroom b/c they mentioned how important it'd be to give each child their own space.  For them, in that situation, I agree that each kid needs to feel that it's their home.  WRT the kids interaction during the episode, they appeared disconnected so I hope they're able to successfully blend the families over time. 

 

Oh, and what was the deal with their intention to keep the kids away from the home until it's completed?  I agree that the parents can (and should) make all the final decisions WRT their home purchase and reno but that sounded strange.  For one thing, logistically, assuming probably at least 1 child lives with them full-time (say, her son, most likely), wouldn't that be difficult to do?

 

Besides those issues, I thought she had lousy taste, selecting that cheap backsplash.  (No problem buying something that's less expensive but it doesn't have to look that way, too!)  Was curious about the kitchen, in general.  Given that home's value, those white, existing* cabinets appeared a little cheap, too.  Sounded like they were retaining them.  Surprised that I didn't hear them mention any plan to upgrade the appliances. 

 

Well, if the budget's tight due to child support commitments or upcoming college expenses, they can upgrade the kitchen at a later date.  Same thing for the basement - another thing they never mentioned doing.  In general, I didn't get the impression they'll be on an upcoming HHR episode but we'll see -

 

Anyone else wonder if that was his parents' home??

 

*ETA - now I'm wondering if she selected those, too b/c she kept stating a preference for white cabinets.  The appliances didn't appear upgraded so I don't know ...  Yuch!  I'm assuming/hoping that the designer wasn't working on the kitchen reno. 

 

P.S.  Had another thought - those 2 were (supposedly) newly engaged.  I believed it b/c the kids didn't appear to know each other that well.  Unless you rec'd a sweet deal to buy your folks' home, wouldn't you cave to your fiancé and purchase the home she wanted?  Just sayin'

 

And, BTW, did her voice drive anyone else crazy?  Between that and her hairstyle and overall look, she reminded me of Maria Shriver!  lol ...

Edited September 29, 2014 by BearCat49

[Bellalisa]

I must be getting confused because i thought she was carrying on about dark cabinets being a must-have. Lol I'm getting all these people mixed up!

 

Good for those guys getting a baby girl. They were cute and excited and I think will make great parents. Let's just hope now that she is the prom-going type, gets asked to the prom, and they still live there in 17 years so he can get his photo!

[sugarbaker design]

Imagine how crushed those homeowners will be if they wind up with a child with a mindset like mine?

 

 

To be fair, it was only one half of  the couple's wishes for a prom worthy staircase, the actor, (go figure!), the other guy had his feet firmly planted in the ground.

[laredhead]

Well, he had his feet firmly planted on the ground until he was going to be the one on the roof shoveling snow.

[awaken]

In the recent Maryland episode, they emphasize several times that it's in Silver Spring, and show downtown areas around the city several times, which are on the border with DC- but where the HH's were actually looking and bought was no where near there- quite further out in the "cookie cutter" suburbs and far out from the city!  Strange how they didn't just say "outlying DC suburbs" instead of specifically naming and showing an entirely different city!    

 

I enjoyed the NY episode with the prom staircase and ideal christmas tree spot!

 

Also really enjoyed the doctor who was moving back home to ?Idaho? and trying to decide whether to downsize or not, but either way, wanted a dining room that seated 24.  She ended up buying the huge old house with a duplex next door, and doing major renovations on the kitchen!  I thought it was way too much for her, with a busy job, and being later in life and thought she should have bought the first house!  Glad she'll have family around to share it with, and hopefully help out with the reno and maintenance!  

[BearCat49]

In the recent Maryland episode, they emphasize several times that it's in Silver Spring, and show downtown areas around the city several times, which are on the border with DC- but where the HH's were actually looking and bought was no where near there- quite further out in the "cookie cutter" suburbs and far out from the city!  Strange how they didn't just say "outlying DC suburbs" instead of specifically naming and showing an entirely different city!    

 

I enjoyed the NY episode with the prom staircase and ideal christmas tree spot!

 

Also really enjoyed the doctor who was moving back home to ?Idaho? and trying to decide whether to downsize or not, but either way, wanted a dining room that seated 24.  She ended up buying the huge old house with a duplex next door, and doing major renovations on the kitchen!  I thought it was way too much for her, with a busy job, and being later in life and thought she should have bought the first house!  Glad she'll have family around to share it with, and hopefully help out with the reno and maintenance!  

 

Am pretty sure you saw the episode with trauma surgeon Mary, moving back home to Fargo, ND.  She was an interesting character and HH used cool homes as decoys, too.  Mary, IMHO, is probably one of the relatively few househunters who actually does entertain and needs/uses a huge dining room and kitchen.

 

Here's a little more info on her, if you're interested:  http://legacy.wday.com/event/article/id/54155/publisher_ID/29/

 

Wow, you caught up on some oldies but goodies, between this and HHI!

Edited September 30, 2014 by BearCat49

[BearCat49]

I must be getting confused because i thought she was carrying on about dark cabinets being a must-have. Lol I'm getting all these people mixed up!

 

Good for those guys getting a baby girl. They were cute and excited and I think will make great parents. Let's just hope now that she is the prom-going type, gets asked to the prom, and they still live there in 17 years so he can get his photo!

 

I know what you mean, Bellalisa!  The people all run together these days!  Am 99.99% certain the Evanston woman wanted white cabinets.  Watched the prairie home portion a second time.  Originally, I thought the cabs were existing b/c the appliances were white and didn't appear new.  My second viewing changed my mind. 

 

That's o.k. if she didn't demand the vaunted stainless but the appliances didn't look that great.  They appeared old and worn.  The white cabs were prob new but looked cheap.  Then she selected that cheapo backsplash.  Put it all together and blech!

 

JMHO but if you're doing a kitchen in a $1M home, you need to spend a little more.  If you need to wait a bit before updating the kitchen to save a few $$$, then wait.  Don't cheap it out!

Edited September 30, 2014 by BearCat49

[chessiegal]

I am so tired of the one person wants this and the other person wants the complete opposite fake drama - hey producers, come up with something different or just give it up and show people who are buying a house. It seems they use this now for every.single.episode. Enough already! I used to watch every episode, and now I'm finding this show to be so tiresome I just delete it before making it through to the end.

[amarante]

 

What bothers me about HH is that when a couple looks at a home with a large back yard, the man will say, "I don't know if I want to do all that yard work," which makes sense to me.  But when a couple looks at a home with a big bathroom or kitchen, neither the husband nor the wife says, "I don't know if I want to do all that cleaning; a big bathroom/kitchen means more to clean."

 

Actually within reason, it's easier to clean a large kitchen or bathroom - or no harder than a smaller room. Cleaning a smaller kitchen, in my experience, is more work because you have to move things out of the way to clean.

 

What really makes it time consuming to clean is a lot of clutter. It's much easier to mop a clear expanse of floor or wipe down a counter that doesn't have a lot of crap on it that has no where else to be moved.

Of course cleaning multiple bathrooms is more difficult than cleaning a few bathrooms - assuming they are all being used.

But I assume that most people living in a large home have a cleaning service and so the multiple bathrooms wouldn't be an issue.

Edited October 1, 2014 by amarante

[QuinnM]

 

Am pretty sure you saw the episode with trauma surgeon Mary, moving back home to Fargo, ND.  She was an interesting character and HH used cool homes as decoys, too.  Mary, IMHO, is probably one of the relatively few househunters who actually does entertain and needs/uses a huge dining room and kitchen.

 She was featured on a Where Are They Now.  She continues to be fabulous.  The kitchen was killer good and HUGE.  Marble and butlers pantry with an ice maker type kitchen.  Miles of marble.  Her family was there for a big dinner.  Although you know it was for the camera, all the folks in the kitchen and putting food on the table were doing it like it was something they had done a million times before.  She is renting the duplex out.  She also found a back staircase.  She basically came home from shift one night and after hearing rumors of a back staircase knocked out a wall in the back of a closet and found it.  It was beautiful woodwork.  

 

Her next project is restoring the wraparound porch that she saw featured in an old photo.  

 

love her

Edited October 2, 2014 by QuinnM

[truther]

 She was featured on a Where Are They Now.  She continues to be fabulous.

Agreed.  A textbook example of how to do this show properly.  I remember when that episode first aired -- I learned about a market I knew little about, and saw a very interesting home, and saw a very interesting house hunter, and saw her put the property to extremely good use.  Everything made sense given her particular needs.  The contrast between her house search, and the more common episodes featuring some whining jackass who doesn't know what "updated" and "contemporary" mean, was astronomical. 

[KLovestoShop]

Could the Chicago sisters behave more immature? They acted like 14 year olds rather than adults in their late 20's. Wasn't really surprised by the condo they chose because of the price, but it was really more expensive per square foot than either of the other two choices.

[buttersister]

And apparently, their visit to the fake outs was filmed in a different season. The alarm system went off for three hours--these dopes must be really popular with their neighbors. "Think with your head." "Bombdigity!" Good luck, sisters.

[Bellalisa]

I am so tired of the one person wants this and the other person wants the complete opposite fake drama - hey producers, come up with something different or just give it up and show people who are buying a house. It seems they use this now for every.single.episode. Enough already! I used to watch every episode, and now I'm finding this show to be so tiresome I just delete it before making it through to the end.

They did not used to do this every episode, only if there really was a big disagreement. When my husband and I were looking in our early 30's with 3rd child on the way we both had the identical wish list: 4 bedrooms, basement, 2 car garage, woods or view in the back. If we were on househunters now I bet they would try to make something of the "Im from Ny he is from the South" so he would like a porch to drink sweet tea on while I'd prefer a noisy lot to remind me of the city.

[mcat]

Could the Chicago sisters behave more immature? They acted like 14 year olds rather than adults in their late 20's. Wasn't really surprised by the condo they chose because of the price, but it was really more expensive per square foot than either of the other two choices.

 

If the blonde one had mentioned her precious dining room table one more time, I was going to throw my remote through the TV. She acted like it was an antique shipped over on the Mayflower (or as my husband put it, "made from the planks of the very ship itself") and that it sat 16. It was just a standard 6-seater.

 

I think that tiny kitchen is going to get on their nerves very quickly. Especially if they're going to take 5 minutes to chop up one tomato!

[Bastet]

Especially if they're going to take 5 minutes to chop up one tomato!

 

Yes!  I had it on as background noise, so heard about someone taking cooking classes, but didn't visually tune in until the recap, reveal and follow-up.  After getting a look at their knife skills, I thought, "Oh boy, you two better sign up for a whole lot of extra classes."

[truther]

I just watched NYC-to-Phoenix, where the husband insisted on evaluating the places according to their price per square foot.  The lower the price/sf, in his mind, the better.

 

Unless I'm missing something this is just an absolutely pointless thing to do.  Price/sf makes sense when you're looking at otherwise comparable properties, like "Class A downtown office space."  Single-family homes are definitely not interchangeable.  The better ones are more expensive -- a 1,000 sf house right on the beach, for example, will cost a heck of a lot more than a 1,000 sf house two blocks inland.  And a house with serious structural problems will have a much lower price/sf than the same-sized house that doesn't.  If you buy whichever house has the lowest price/sf you're almost certainly buying the crummiest.  Perhaps that explains why the homes they looked at all seemed surprisingly dumpy for the price. 

[KLovestoShop]

Do the producers advertise for nimrods to be on this show? The Phoenix couple were so out of touch, especially about the scorpion thing. Hey, you're living in the desert, there will be critters. But I did get upset with the agent when he was talking about scorpions, and he said that you get one or two a summer. That's bull!! My husband was transferred to Phoenix and we lived there for nearly four years. If you live within the city, you don't see as many scorps, but if you live in places like Scottsdale, Fountain Hills or Gilbert (like we did) or any other suburb that's more desert-like, you're going to get more than just a couple of scorpions. We would average three or four a month. My friend, who lives in Scottsdale, got a lot of them in her house, and even had a scorpion nest in one room. Not only that, but you have tarantulas, black widows and brown recluse spiders. I don't think these New Yorkers will handle this move very well.

[DownTheShore]

What is really striking to me is how divergent a lot of these couples wants and desires are; makes me wonder why on earth they got married in the first place if they have such basic disagreements?

 

I don't know.  In my family, "happy wife, happy life" seems to be a motto, and the wives make sure they don't abuse that attitude. 

[ShuFace88]

 

The Phoenix couple were so out of touch, especially about the scorpion thing. Hey, you're living in the desert, there will be critters.

 

I agree about dealing with critters in the desert but that scorpion scene was so obviously staged I laughed out loud.  Do scorpions really crawl into the middle of the empty kitchen on top of the island and die right there?  This husband really annoyed me with his need for grass and low electric bills.  Why are you then looking at 4,000 square feet houses in the desert?  They were a family of 3 and were looking at 5 bedroom houses.  I am sure there were some very nice 3 bedroom 2,500 square feet houses that would have met their needs.

 

The sisters in Chicago didn't annoy me too much except for one sister saying "I am learning to cook so I need  granite".  While granite counter tops are durable and look nice, they don't affect the taste of your food!  My husband's grandmother made old-school Italian feasts in the tiny kitchen of her single-wide trailer.  I don't begrudge anyone wanting a large updated kitchen but stop saying you "need" one to cook well.

 

I liked the condo the sisters chose but I did not understand those floor to ceiling windows in a ground floor condo especially in the bathroom.  I would not want my bathroom to have that much exposure to the parking lot even with drapes.  I am glad they invested in a security system.

[laredhead]

I was glad that the New York to Phoenix episode pointed out the high cost of cooling those large houses with tall ceilings.  Yes, the ceilings look nice and make a house seem more spacious, but they do increase the cost of the air conditioning bill.  I wish he had not been so insistent on having grass because of the water shortage in the SW and the cost of watering to keep grass green.  He seemed to be satisfied with the high quality artificial grass, so maybe he was just missing some green space and didn't really care whether it was real or not.  I agreed with the wife about the batting cage in the neighbor's yard.  I guess it would be about the same noise factor as noisy pool parties, but at least you can't see the pool.  She had more objection to the looks than the noise generated by it.  I would have had the opposite concern of noise over looks. 

Edited October 2, 2014 by laredhead

[DownTheShore]

I thought that having artificial grass was a good compromise for homeowners in the Southwest who want the look of grass but are conscious about how much water is wasted taking care of it in that climate.  I can never understand why people move to the SW for its climate and look, and then immediately try to recreate what they had back in their home states.

 

I'd actually rather have a batting cage in my neighbor's yard than a basketball court.  The sound of a baseball being hit is much quieter than someone dribbling a basketball on a hard surface.  And if she doesn't like the look of it, they can always plant some trees or shrubs that will mask that direction.

[BearCat49]

And apparently, their visit to the fake outs was filmed in a different season. The alarm system went off for three hours--these dopes must be really popular with their neighbors. "Think with your head." "Bombdigity!" Good luck, sisters.

 

Different season of HH or different season of the year?  Sorry, buttersister, don't understand the connection between the alarm system and date of filming.  Tptb require 5 long shooting days, over a short period of time, e.g. a couple of weeks.  (They typically film 4-6 episodes in the same locale and are in different stages of the episodes over a month or two.)  No, it doesn't matter what the on-screen banner says, they don't usually return months after-the-fact.

 

They usually film the newly purchased property first.  It's typically been cleared out by the previous owners b/c escrow has closed.  Then, they film the decoys.  Over that period of time, inbetween those long filming days (they must shoot every scene from every possible angle), the participant moves in.  That allows them to film the "follow-up" scene a few days later.

 

Seems like the Chicago girls (sorry, women everywhere - they acted like girls) would have had an alarm system installed before they moved in.  So, my guess is it would be during that filming period of time.  Since they hadn't moved in, the alarm system was probably unattended, set incorrectly (or something) and they weren't around to turn it off.   When they filmed that final scene, the incident must have been fresh in their mind so they mentioned it during the TH.

 

That was my thought when I heard that comment.  It's just a guess based on my understanding from previous participants who blogged about their HH experience or had local news articles written about them.  Is there another reason it'd be during a different season?

Edited October 2, 2014 by BearCat49

[BearCat49]

They did not used to do this every episode, only if there really was a big disagreement. When my husband and I were looking in our early 30's with 3rd child on the way we both had the identical wish list: 4 bedrooms, basement, 2 car garage, woods or view in the back. If we were on househunters now I bet they would try to make something of the "Im from Ny he is from the South" so he would like a porch to drink sweet tea on while I'd prefer a noisy lot to remind me of the city.

 

After watching for more years than I care to admit (!), I believe they did but it was possibly less pronounced than it is now.  It's reality television so conflict must be created!  No conflict - no drama, IMHO.

 

I believe what's happened is they've become much more likely to fit everyone's story into their basic plots, e.g. city v. country and so on.  It's much easier for them to keep it simple and focus on one basic plot.  Along the way, we as frequent viewers, have become used to and know all of those standard plots.

 

Sometimes, however, I believe they use their knowledge of the selected home, too.  For example, the guy in the Marshall Islands the other night kept saying he wanted a large kitchen.  Well, surprise, surprise, he'd rented the unit with the small kitchen!  So, IMHO, the kitchen was that episode's red herring.  And, he didn't have a spouse to play off of.

 

Or, for marketing purposes, tptb might want to show certain homes, e.g. old downtown Victorians v. the suburbs or different areas.  So, they force the participants into those plots.  On a recent SF episode, they had one guy claim he wanted a "painted lady".  They said their budget was $1M.  Well, they purchased a Marin fixer home (ranch, IIRC) for 750K.  Marin's across the GG bridge, i.e. an entirely different city and area.  IMHO, tptb just wanted to film an incredible painted lady and use those shots for their HH commercials.  (The other decoy was in the Marin area.)  So, they had to set-up that (probably phony) conflict between the two partners.  JMHO

If the blonde one had mentioned her precious dining room table one more time, I was going to throw my remote through the TV. She acted like it was an antique shipped over on the Mayflower (or as my husband put it, "made from the planks of the very ship itself") and that it sat 16. It was just a standard 6-seater.

 

I think that tiny kitchen is going to get on their nerves very quickly. Especially if they're going to take 5 minutes to chop up one tomato!

 

My apologies to mothers everywhere but that table looked like a hand-me-down from someone's mother!  Thought she may have said her parents purchased it but same difference - mothers, from different generations, typically don't share their 20 something's taste in furniture, clothing, etc.!

What is really striking to me is how divergent a lot of these couples wants and desires are; makes me wonder why on earth they got married in the first place if they have such basic disagreements?

 

I don't know.  In my family, "happy wife, happy life" seems to be a motto, and the wives make sure they don't abuse that attitude. 

 

Can't be on HH w/o basic disagreements!  Or, you exponentially increase the long shooting days if you try to buck tptbs' system!  And, you've already signed all the creative control away to them -

Edited October 2, 2014 by BearCat49

[BearCat49]

I just watched NYC-to-Phoenix, where the husband insisted on evaluating the places according to their price per square foot.  The lower the price/sf, in his mind, the better.

 

Unless I'm missing something this is just an absolutely pointless thing to do.  Price/sf makes sense when you're looking at otherwise comparable properties, like "Class A downtown office space."  Single-family homes are definitely not interchangeable.  The better ones are more expensive -- a 1,000 sf house right on the beach, for example, will cost a heck of a lot more than a 1,000 sf house two blocks inland.  And a house with serious structural problems will have a much lower price/sf than the same-sized house that doesn't.  If you buy whichever house has the lowest price/sf you're almost certainly buying the crummiest.  Perhaps that explains why the homes they looked at all seemed surprisingly dumpy for the price. 

 

Price/s.f. can sometimes be helpful but you're correct, truther, not in the way the AZ guy was (supposedly) attempting to use it.  Agree, search in different neighborhoods like that couple was, they're probably not comps so price/s.f. is irrelevant.  (Likewise, I agree, the homes you mentioned above aren't comps.)  Agree, that 2nd home that they toured in the (supposedly) same area must not have been a comp, given that huge discrepancy.  (Didn't see the entire episode but did see the finale, BTW.)

 

First and foremost, IMHO, when you use price/s.f., you need to use averages.  Doesn't work to compare a couple of homes during your limited House Hunters (!) search.  For comps, e.g. similar homes in the same suburban development, the average price/s.f. is available from the local realtors' mls.  Using those figures, calculated over some relevant time period, you can compare homes in the same general area. 

 

Pricing is an inexact science.  So, for example, the avg. figures can help you determine a reasonable offer price if/when you're bidding on a home that's slightly underpriced, in a hot market and good neighborhood.  Sometimes you do need to adjust the average, however, for certain factors but it's amazing how often the final, winning bid, approximates that adjusted average.

 

Likewise, the figures can help when considering a fixer.  Using reasonable contractor estimates and comparing total estimated $$$ invested to that average price/s.f. can help a home buyer determine if it's worth sinking $$$ into a fixer and determine a reasonable, usually discounted, offer price.

 

Going back to the AZ guy, the homes they toured did appear strange.  I'd be surprised if he had much to do with the selection of the decoy homes, however.  Feels as if they're going out of their way lately, tptb that is, to avoid filming more basic AZ tract homes, etc.  (Now stay tuned, that'll be the next episode, lol!) 

 

OTOH, thinking about it, if his spreadsheet and stated preference for low price/s.f. homes was actual reality, not a producers' plotline, it stands to reason, however, that perhaps the homes they toured during their actual, real-life house hunt were so dumpy that they were still on the market and available to be used as decoys on HH!  Goody, lol! 

 

JMHO, as usual.

Edited October 3, 2014 by BearCat49

[truther]

You know, BearCat49, that third AZ home had "professional athlete" written all over it.  To me, anyway.  Something about the weird color schemes, the big backyard pool/bar/slide, the funky stairwell lights, etc. 

[buttersister]

Is there another reason it'd be during a different season?

BearCat49, weather was what I meant by season. Huge mother of a snow storm vs. not looking so much like winter--as you say, could have been weeks and weeks between filming. Many here know how the show works; they were in my high-rise when one of our neighbors bought in, all of the filming was previously arranged. The alarm system was another annoying factor, not a related-to-the-weather one.

 

I'd agree that sister cook took her time chopping those tomatoes on a cutting board on her granite, but they were mighty evenly chopped!

Edited October 3, 2014 by buttersister

[KLovestoShop]

Unless you've lived in a desert, you have no idea where scorpions go. We had them crawl everywhere and if you get your house sprayed monthly, like most do, scorpions will die anywhere. I found dead ones in the kitchen sink, in the bathtub, on furniture, and even in shoes. When the husband was poking at the dead one, my husband was yelling at him not to touch it because the stinger venom is still very active even when the scorpion is dead.

I've never understood why couples move to a very different part of the country, and they still insist on buying houses that look like the area they've chosen to leave. If you want a Virginia type house, stay in Virginia. She obviously wanted to leave the east coast for economic reasons, but she HAD to realize that Kansas isn't going to look like Virginia.

And what is it with all these men lately wanting houses from their childhood? Haven't they grown up yet? And doesn't the Kansas husband realize you CAN make new memories in a house that's different from your childhood?

[chessiegal]

What is up with the aversion to front loading garages? Tonight's episode in Kansas City, Mo had the same issue. In KC, MO, you're going to get snow - more driveway to shovel! We have a front load garage in MD, and every time it snows, I'm glad for my husband, because I don't shovel. :)

[Bastet]

"This yard isn't as flat as I'd like."

 

Fool, please -- there is about a one percent grade going on.  And if you fantasize about knocking down one more wall, I will not be held responsible for my actions.

 

I only saw bits and pieces of the HHs moving to Kansas City, but that was enough to sprain my eyeballs.  Kitchen with a pass-through inadequate to hovering over the children every second?  Check.  Forgoing the downstairs master suite in favor of sleeping upstairs in order to be closer to the children who, with any sense of self awareness that survives these nimrods, will want the parents to get the hell away from them?  Check. 

[BearCat49]

BearCat49, weather was what I meant by season. Huge mother of a snow storm vs. not looking so much like winter--as you say, could have been weeks and weeks between filming. Many here know how the show works; they were in my high-rise when one of our neighbors bought in, all of the filming was previously arranged. The alarm system was another annoying factor, not a related-to-the-weather one.

 

I'd agree that sister cook took her time chopping those tomatoes on a cutting board on her granite, but they were mighty evenly chopped!

 

Sorry, I reread your other post, buttersister; you didn't mention the snow.  The previous poster(s) hadn't mentioned the weather, either.  Consequently, I had no idea what you meant by "seasons", especially WRT an alarm system. 

 

Yes, they had snow on the ground when they filmed her condo.  I don't remember any at the highrise but can't recall the weather conditions at the other decoy home.  WRT timing, when I've compared actual filming v. air dates for HH/HHI, it's been filmed pretty consistently about 6 months prior to air.  So, that puts filming at late March/early April. 

 

I won't check the Chicago weather but given the crazy weather patterns lately, it wouldn't surprise me if they had a late snow.  Somehow I doubt that tptb would adjust their tight filming schedule for that reason, especially when they largely shoot indoors.  My understanding is that they virtually never return weeks or months later for the supposed follow-up scene - no matter what the onscreen banner claims.  I've heard multiple times that the 5 shooting days normally occur within a 2 week period.

 

Many people don't know the details about how these shows are filmed.  I enjoy learning those things myself.  Needless to say, for that reason, I occasionally post about them.  My comments weren't specifically directed to you, except for my question about the "seasons".  I apologize if it appeared otherwise, unintentionally.  

Edited October 3, 2014 by BearCat49

[BearCat49]

You know, BearCat49, that third AZ home had "professional athlete" written all over it.  To me, anyway.  Something about the weird color schemes, the big backyard pool/bar/slide, the funky stairwell lights, etc. 

 

Agree, truther.  Even though it was funky, it appeared well done.  That kitchen may have been the expensive Italian version instead of the cheap Ikea knock-off.  I remember thinking it'd be a shame if someone ripped it out, even though that's not my personal taste.  And, they certainly have their share of athletes in AZ!

Edited October 3, 2014 by BearCat49

[laredhead]

It was obvious that the Kansas couple would buy the traditional home because it wasn't furnished.  When 2 out of the 3 houses shown are furnished, it's a safe bet that the one chosen is the one w/o furniture - duh!  Was it ever revealed as to what the husband's occupation was that he could move from Virginia to Kansas?  All they said was that he was from there.  

[mojito]

 

"This yard isn't as flat as I'd like."

The first thing I thought was how good and tired the kids would get running up and down that little incline. Kids will find a way to take advantage of the incline, whether it be skateboards or bicycles or simply rolling/tumbling down it. I'm far more removed from my childhood than this lady, and I saw all sorts of possibilities. I guess we were more creative back then.

 

 

I've never understood why couples move to a very different part of the country, and they still insist on buying houses that look like the area they've chosen to leave. If you want a Virginia type house, stay in Virginia. She obviously wanted to leave the east coast for economic reasons, but she HAD to realize that Kansas isn't going to look like Virginia.

And what is it with all these men lately wanting houses from their childhood? Haven't they grown up yet? And doesn't the Kansas husband realize you CAN make new memories in a house that's different from your childhood?

I sure hope it's the HH staff that writes that crap and that people really aren't that silly. If I were to move to Kansas, I might go the opposite route and want a converted barn.

 

Talk about a charmed existence. In my two years in Yuma, I never ran into a scorpion, so the real estate agent's comment about a couple a year rang true to me. And Yuma's pretty darned remote.

[chessiegal]

Woman buying a loft in Atlanta - more vocal fry. Arghh!!!

 

I finally watched the couple buying in Scottsdale. I was surprised they were picked to be on the show - they both seemed so flat, especially the husband. He practically talked in a monotone. Usually they have people with more sparkle/personality.

[DownTheShore]

Oh, that Atlanta loft woman's voice was horrible!  I turned on the show halfway through and then sort of watched in horrified fashion, that someone would deliberately speak that way.

[laredhead]

Ah, yes, the Atlanta sister brother team.  I liked him a lot.  He was very practical and I loved his razzing her about her idea of repurposing.  Yes, she had that annoying vocal fry voice, but I noticed a couple of times she slipped into what I imagine would be her real voice for a couple of words and once a complete sentence.  I read an article that says if a person continues to talk that way, they can damage their vocal cords.  There are going to be a lot of silent or croaking women in the future.  It's unnatural and it's not cute or sexy and it's annoying.  I've noticed it on some commercials recently.    

[Bastet]

It has reached a point where some sort of annoying vocal affectation seems to be a prerequisite for casting on this show.  I don't remember the last episode of this or Renovations I saw where the HH didn't speak with either a vocal fry, that "uptalk" which makes everything sound like a question, or some variation on a teeny bopper voice.  I don't know why these women refuse to speak like mature adults, or why HH loves to put them on the air.  Add in the closet space and man cave jokes and the need for women to be able to watch the kids while cooking dinner, and HH is just flinging sexist stereotypes all over the place. 

[DownTheShore]

That is true, and I wonder why they are continuing to do that?  Given the fact that they are probably responsible for breaking a lot of the stereotypes about gay couples and bringing them into the mainstream by making shows about them acceptable to so-called Middle America, it's odd that they would actually be creating a stereotype.

[ByaNose]

I grew up in a house with a garage facing the front. Everyone did & you never thought twice about. I have lived in a townhouse for years without a garage & I miss that. That said, I always look (maybe, a future move) at the houses with the garage on the side where you just see two windows. I just like that look for some reason. I never knew I would be like those annoying people one go the HH. Of course, I don't think I would go on television show professing this. LOL!!!

[laredhead]

I have noticed that many people use their garages to store all their stuff and leave their cars in the driveway.  When there is a street full of houses with front loading garages all you see when you look down the street are cars parked in driveways 24/7.  Looks like a parking lot.  I prefer garages and carports in the rear because it creates a more pleasing view.  Many lots are too small to dedicate that much space for a driveway, so builders put the garage in the front and leave a small backyard.  Even in houses costing $500,000+ here in south Louisiana, you will find large houses on very small lots and front loading garages, and yes, even at those prices, homeowners don't park their cars in the garage.

[DownTheShore]

I've always thought that I would want a house with a detached garage, at most connected by a breezeway.  I just don't like the idea having a running car emitting exhaust in a room below a bedroom, not to mention the fact that the insulation usually isn't enough to keep the floors warm.

[slasherboy]

My Mother used to call houses with front-facing garages that are really big "snout houses".  Heh Heh

 

My next comment applies to either "Buying Alaska" or "Living Alaska" (they're the same format ... 3 houses, eliminate one, pick one) and since I can't find a thread for those, I'll post what I have to say right here, if that's ok.  Also, it pertains to garages.

 

I'm truly shocked by how many of these houses, and I'm talking up in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, don't have garages! Nothing!  And of those that do, most of them are detached and not especially close to the house.  Isn't that odd?  Could be the chances of exhaust filtering into the house, but they could at least have a breezeway and then an arctic entrance.

[Bellalisa]

Ah, yes, the Atlanta sister brother team.  I liked him a lot.  He was very practical and I loved his razzing her about her idea of repurposing.  Yes, she had that annoying vocal fry voice, but I noticed a couple of times she slipped into what I imagine would be her real voice for a couple of words and once a complete sentence.  I read an article that says if a person continues to talk that way, they can damage their vocal cords.  There are going to be a lot of silent or croaking women in the future.  It's unnatural and it's not cute or sexy and it's annoying.  I've noticed it on some commercials recently.    

Once you notice it you are ruined for life. Lots of people don't notice the vocal fry. My friend has been looking to buy in this same area of Atlanta. What she tells the realtor she wants is a FAKE LOFT. It means something that has that industrial feel with the exposed brick and ductwork but is actually brand new. There are plenty in that area. She did not pick Castleberry Hill because it really has very high crime.  They didn't say that but they did show the bars on the windows. Castelberry Hill was supposed to be the next great neighborhood and they overbuilt but it never caught on. The location is excellent right down town. But the crime is simply awful. The high-end units are going for a song now. 

[DownTheShore]

My Mother used to call houses with front-facing garages that are really big "snout houses".  Heh Heh

 

My next comment applies to either "Buying Alaska" or "Living Alaska" (they're the same format ... 3 houses, eliminate one, pick one) and since I can't find a thread for those, I'll post what I have to say right here, if that's ok.  Also, it pertains to garages.

 

I'm truly shocked by how many of these houses, and I'm talking up in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, don't have garages! Nothing!  And of those that do, most of them are detached and not especially close to the house.  Isn't that odd?  Could be the chances of exhaust filtering into the house, but they could at least have a breezeway and then an arctic entrance.

 

It's got to be because of exhaust build-up and heat loss.  If they have bedrooms over the indoor garages, they'd have to have them heated to combat the cold.  And I'm guessing that those vehicles have to run for a while when they are first started up to get the engine oil warm enough to operate and that's going to take some time.

 

What with the bears and all, I'm surprised too that there isn't some sort of enclosed connection to the garages. 

 

That's why I'd never live there.  I'd have to have an electrified fence surrounding the entire property because I wouldn't want to come face to face with any of the larger wildlife - lol.

[mojito]

 

I prefer garages and carports in the rear because it creates a more pleasing view.

I live in a low-crime city (city gets rewards for that) and I've been watching the burglaries occurring in surrounding neighborhoods (get emails depicting location of crimes) and I would say that 98 percent of burglaries occur where people park their cars in the back of the home where there are alleys. (I've been watching this since January, and to be honest, all of the burglaries have happened at the homes with back garages.) Thieves park in the driveway (during the day, no one is looking back there), come through the back yard fence, then break into the back door using the privacy fence as a visual shield. What I also notice with homes with back garages is that the streets are usually lined with cars because apparently, people like to park in the front of their homes. Some streets have only one lane for driving because of the dual-side parking. I'd rather see cars in the driveway than along the street. It looks so inner-city.