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House Hunters: Buying in the USA


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During the marathon today, the House Hunter was fine--she was looking for a condo in Bergen County, NJ--but she had the most annoying friend! The BFF was desperate for her to buy a single family house because they were in their 30s and of course she'd want to find a husband and have babies! soon, because their kids were going to grow up together. The HHer was more career-minded, wanted a apartment because she traveled out of the country for her job at times, and besides was clearly not interested in the marriage/family track anytime soon, if ever. I was so rooting for her to finally just blurt out, "I'm a lesbian and got my tubes tied!" just so the friend would shut up, already.

Edited by Dejana
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On 2/22/2018 at 2:26 PM, juliet73 said:

Austin ep:  Husband was such a drip! He obviously wasn't a DIY guy and that came across numerous times! He didn't want to rip up carpet - how difficult is that?  Cut it up and carry it to the curb!  He wanted to hire someone to install the cabinet hardware?!!  I understand some people just aren't handy, but I can't imagine being (or being married to) someone who is unwilling to even try BASIC home improvement.  My husband has fixed so much stuff in our house (built in the early 70's) from watching YouTube videos or googling "how to repair ..."

My hubby, who has built decks and put up a stone fireplace on his own had a lot to say about that HH.  You can't replace the hardware on your cabinets?  For real?

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Back to ex-baseball player Shea and his demanding, unlikable wife Kristin, I'd guess they're strapped for money because he had a costly divorce settlement, alimony, and child support for his 3 "adopted kids".

I didn't google it, it's just a hunch.

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".... or was over the woman and "grandma's sauce."

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How many times did we have to hear her say she needs a gas oven to cook grandma's sauce?

Yes, just a little annoying.  I mean, she's Italian, so she couldn't possibly cook her grandma's precious sauce on anything but a GAS stove! smh 

We get it, you prefer to cook with gas or rather, you don't want to cook with electric because "I can't even get my pasta water to boil!

How did or do people manage to cook pasta, & ever serve delicious, edible meals cooked on an electric stove all these years??? lol

Edited by swissair100
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3 hours ago, swissair100 said:

Yes, just a little annoying.  I mean, she's Italian, so she couldn't possibly cook her grandma's precious sauce on anything but a GAS stove! smh 

We get it, you prefer to cook with gas or rather, you don't want to cook with electric because "I can't even get my pasta water to boil!

How did or do people manage to cook pasta, & ever serve delicious, edible meals cooked on an electric stove all these years??? lol

I grew up with an electric stove (please see my previous post about having to convince Mom to replace it when only two burners worked and the oven worked when it wanted to, the darn thing was from 1974) and I never knew there was such a divide over gas or electric!  

There was a rerun today on Boston to Las Vegas and I could not take more than two minutes of the wife's voice.

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I vastly prefer gas. I think you have more control over the temperature. My mother's kitchen is great except for her electric stove (we grew up with gas; she moved into her house after my brother and I left home) - I don't like cooking on it. It's not impossible, obviously, but it's not my preference.

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8 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

It's not impossible, obviously, but it's not my preference.

I think that's the point.  I grew up with electric and managed to survive my entire life with food cooked on an electric range including my grandmother's recipes. To insist that some dish cannot be prepared on anything except a gas stove is just plain stupid.

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2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

To insist that some dish cannot be prepared on anything except a gas stove is just plain stupid.

I'd be more likely to think twice about a house with a gas stove simply because it's not something I'm used to.  But unlike some of these precious snowflake HH'ers I'd like to think I'd choose the best house for me regardless of the stove!  Of course the same people insisting on gas are the ones who can't cook on a white, or god forbid almond!!, one.  How they'd have coped in my Mom's avocado green and burnt orange kitchen with :the horror: an electric stove I can only imagine!

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5 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I vastly prefer gas. I think you have more control over the temperature. My mother's kitchen is great except for her electric stove (we grew up with gas; she moved into her house after my brother and I left home) - I don't like cooking on it. It's not impossible, obviously, but it's not my preference.

Exactly! I can't cook to save my life so I prefer gas just for the mere fact that I can see the flame. I've burnt/boiled over more food than I care to admit on my mom's electric stove.  Even though I have a gas stove, I prefer just to not  cook at all.  ?

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HH sneaked in another Beach House episode under the guise of a new HH.  This was the couple buying a condo in Panama City.  It could have actually been billed HH at the Beach with Kids, or whatever they tried a few months ago with children in tow.  Ugh.  All of those condos look the same.  They never say what the condo fees are, and I am assuming this couple might rent out the condo when they aren't there.  These are boring episodes to me.    

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I like and dislike things about both gas and electric, and the ease of cleaning a glass cooktop is what's going to tip the scales in favor of electric when I renovate my kitchen (I grew up on electric, and currently have a fantabulous late '50s electric GE oven/range, but had gas in my first place where I lived for many years, so I'm adept at cooking on both).  But when I was under the house tapping into the gas line for another purpose, I went ahead and ran a line into the kitchen, in case whomever my beneficiary sells this place to wants gas. 

I think most cooks have a preference, and that's usually gas, but as long as there is a gas line to the house, it is easy - certainly in the grand scheme of home purchasing and/or renovation - to run a line to the kitchen and buy a new stove if the house has an electric stove and the buyer wants a gas one instead.  These HHs who act as if the presence of an electric stove is a deal-breaker annoy me every bit as much as the ones who behave as if the presence of a refrigerator with a finish other than their preferred stainless steel crosses the house off their list.

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52 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

Back to the baseball guy (haha That has been written at the beginning of several posts. I think this couple is going to be the "Jackson" of adults)

I did google him! and found this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEvPrZ1dce4

It is their audition tape for HH. 

Trying to figure out who the current wife of Hillenbrand reminds me of and I have decided that she would be Sue Heck's evil sister. 

"Pro-vin-see-ul".  Which is how one would say the word if they'd never actually heard the word.

She said it the same way on the show. 

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I lasted 3 minutes on the Hillenbrand audition video.  OMG - these people are so pretentious, and she really needs to learn to pronounce "provencial" before saying it again.  I guess we learned the answer to the mystery of the house they sold - they had just built it a year before the HH hunting episode.  

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2 minutes ago, stormy said:

About that Panama City episode.

I saw it on Beach House so I was surprised to see it on HH.  I don't get why they would throw it in in.

I knew I had seen it also. So they took an episode from another series and made it a new HH. Huh. How cheap is that?

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Lake Carroll ep:  I LOVE this couple!  They were nice to each other and had valid reasons for not wanting certain things.  The backyard at the first house was basically a cliff - concerned for the safety of their young children.  Second house had barely a view and they would have to drive to get to the lake - they really wanted lakefront or at least lake access without driving.  The third house was the best option and I'm glad they got the price down to purchase it.  For the first time I can recall (and I've watched HH since it began), the wife said "she didn't care about updates and didn't mind a dated interior because it could be changed over time.  She also said she just wanted appliances that were working and functional!"  They said they were from Davenport, IA and their house looked really nice (the backyard at least since that's all they really showed). I live in the next town over so I'm curious what area they live in.  I really wish this show would disclose the how much property taxes are.  I'm sure for the Lake Carroll house, the taxes have to be at least double (maybe triple) of what their Iowa taxes are. 

 

EDIT:  I found the LC house online and the taxes are $9285!  They got a good deal on the house though.  It was originally listed back in May 2016 for $489k and the asking price slowly decreased over the years to $399k in Sept of 2017;  they bought it a week later for $360k.

Edited by juliet73
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31 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

For the first time I can recall (and I've watched HH since it began), the wife said "she didn't care about updates and didn't mind a dated interior because it could be changed over time.  She also said she just wanted appliances that were working and functional!" 

Holy cow, I had to sit down for a minute and put my head between my knees to avoid a swoon.  How did I miss that?  They sound delightful!

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Melbourne, FL. “I’m an assistant in goat yoga.” Girl, what?

Sometimes, I swear, they're just making this shit up.

I didn't see any redeeming values of any of the homes except the first. $725K for the one they chose. They paid that much for that? Guess you had to see these homes up close and personal to get the appeal.

The husband was a direct, unsmiling kind of guy. Fine with me. But you're on TV. Make the effort to seem a little charming. Even just a little.   ; )

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9 hours ago, mojito said:

I didn't see any redeeming values of any of the homes except the first.

I live in FL a couple of hours away from Melbourne.  Those 2nd and 3rd houses were just horrible.   I just recently learned that FL is know for the crazies.  There is even a Twitter page for "Florida Man" containing wacky crimes from people in Florida.  I guess that growing up I was surrounded by it and didn't know anything different, lol.  Thus, the Goat Yoga fits right in.

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5 minutes ago, twinks said:

Some how I find it hard to believe that house can be renovated within their budget. I would love to see the "after."

I thought so too. $75K for renovations and that house was ... kind of a pit, TBH. And when she said she could handle it, I didn't get the sense that she'd be the one laying tile, you know? The only house I even remotely liked was the first one.

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14 hours ago, Empress1 said:

Melbourne, FL. “I’m an assistant in goat yoga.” Girl, what?

I thought I'd heard wrong until I saw the actual goats.

So the dump they bought was $725k and the brand-new house they looked at was $850k, and both were on the river and had a boat dock, correct? There's no way $125k would be enough to make the dump look like the new house and to put in a pool. Forget staying in their total budget of $800k.

Edited by chocolatine
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8 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I thought I'd heard wrong until I saw the actual goats.

So the dump they bought was $725k and the brand-new house they looked at was $850k, and both were on the river and had a boat dock, correct? There's no way $125k would be enough to make the dump look like the new house and to put in a pool. Forget staying in their total budget of $800k.

I didn’t understand why they didn’t buy the 2nd house. It was a dump, but they would have had almost $300K for renovations. Instead, they spend $725K for a house that needed just as much work AND had a yard that was an unusable jungle. 

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I'm not a practitioner of yoga. I have been to a class and seen a couple others. I don't get people who want a special place to do yoga. Yoga doesn't take up much space, and most people probably have enough room on their bedroom floors. You go in there, close the door, and done.  Perhaps someone can enlighten me.

Speaking of special rooms, it's been a long while since I've heard anyone requesting a crafts room.

Are yoga goats potty trained? Are entrepreneurs scrambling now to raise goats for this craze? How old does a goat get to be before it's too big and heavy to jump on you? Or are there "Shetland" goats?  (Anyone remember the ostrich craze of the mid-90s?)

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1 hour ago, mojito said:

I'm not a practitioner of yoga. I have been to a class and seen a couple others. I don't get people who want a special place to do yoga. Yoga doesn't take up much space, and most people probably have enough room on their bedroom floors. You go in there, close the door, and done.  Perhaps someone can enlighten me.

 

I do yoga in my living room. When I'm done, I roll up my mat and any other supplies (blocks, strap, etc) and put them in a basket in the corner. If a had an extra room, I could probably find more practical uses for it - an office or video game room for the kids, etc rather than dedicate it strictly as a "yoga room."

Edited by juliet73
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The Florida House Hunters: 

He looked a bit petrified and in shock during the closing moments. Maybe he's realizing that he took on a huge renovation and upgrade project, which he did not want?

I thought they'd chose house #1, since she talked constantly about having a pool, and he didn't want a huge project.

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Vacation Getaway, Surfside Beach, TX

This Houston-area family of six had a moderate budget of $250K and reasonable expectations. They were okay with only two bedrooms for the couple, three boys, and girl; not a single mention of how little space there was to dine, no whining about the single bathroom. They were buying the place for time away, and their intent was to spend most of it outdoors. Can't blame them for wanting a washer and dryer. This seemed to be her biggest wish outside of being on the beach. With a family that size, flying to vacation spots is expensive; Surfside is very close to Houston, so they're lucky to have such a relatively inexpensive option.

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2 hours ago, mojito said:

Vacation Getaway, Surfside Beach, TX

This Houston-area family of six had a moderate budget of $250K and reasonable expectations. They were okay with only two bedrooms for the couple, three boys, and girl; not a single mention of how little space there was to dine, no whining about the single bathroom. They were buying the place for time away, and their intent was to spend most of it outdoors. Can't blame them for wanting a washer and dryer. This seemed to be her biggest wish outside of being on the beach. With a family that size, flying to vacation spots is expensive; Surfside is very close to Houston, so they're lucky to have such a relatively inexpensive option.

This looked like an episode lifted from the other show that some people here have been talking about - Beach Hunters? The realtor always welcomes the HHs in front of the house but doesn't go inside with them. Are the HHs on that show in general nicer and less demanding than on the main show? I've noticed that the Florida couple with two daughters and the couple who were looking for a lake house in Illinois were also really nice.

On a shallow note, the wife said she used to be a model, and she actually looks like one. She said she'd been married for 20 years but she looks like she's still in her early or mid-30s. Very well preserved despite having had four kids, and still rocks a bikini. I can't say I'm not envious. ;)

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3 hours ago, chocolatine said:

This looked like an episode lifted from the other show that some people here have been talking about - Beach Hunters? The realtor always welcomes the HHs in front of the house but doesn't go inside with them. Are the HHs on that show in general nicer and less demanding than on the main show? I've noticed that the Florida couple with two daughters and the couple who were looking for a lake house in Illinois were also really nice.

On a shallow note, the wife said she used to be a model, and she actually looks like one. She said she'd been married for 20 years but she looks like she's still in her early or mid-30s. Very well preserved despite having had four kids, and still rocks a bikini. I can't say I'm not envious. ;)

Yes, this was a Beachfront Bargain episode from less than a year ago. I remember the couple because they were so down to earth and easy going.

I agree with you...she looked great! 

Edited by juliet73
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HH films 80,000 times a year. What the heck is going on that they are lifting other house shows? Don’t they realize I watch those other stupid shows, too? I want my money back.  

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On 2/25/2018 at 1:53 PM, AuntiePam said:

"Pro-vin-see-ul".  Which is how one would say the word if they'd never actually heard the word.

That's one downside of being well-read in a place where not a lot of people are.

Last night there was a 2017 episode in Colorado Springs, where the guy had a motorcycle.  He pronounced xeriscape as "zero-scape" and I think the realtor did, too, and even the captions said "zero-scape"!  Which means it will be added to the dictionary shortly.  Sigh.

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KC ep: the wife wore so much mascara! Like Tammy Faye Bakker! She also had the most nasally vocal fry ever! She was a L&D nurse. I can't even imagine being in labor and listening to her! 

NY (upstate): the one girl hated cape cods...which one did they pick? The Cape Cod! Ugh! I thought it was cool though that their realtor used to be one of the girl's babysitter when she was younger and then when she grew up, she babysat the realtor's kids. 

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Watched the CA to Colorado Springs episode last night.  The house they picked seemed the best for their budget and needs.  I didn't understand when the husband said oh he could really ride on his motorcycle now.  I guess maybe he had retired or the roads weren't as crowded in Colorado Springs?  It looked like there might be some landscaping required in the house they bought, but not a ton.

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My DVR recorded the Colorado episode as a new one, but the date said it was aired in December.  Sometimes I think my electronics take a vacation.  The Victorian they looked at needed so much work, IMO, that it could suck up $100,000 easily.  Those bedrooms were tiny!  I didn't see a bedroom in the attached apartment, only a kitchen, bath and living area.  I guess that could be one way to get your relatives out of your house in a short time.  I loved the 3rd house, but since it was furnished that was a dead giveaway that it wasn't in the running.  The view from that deck was stunning.  The house they chose was nice, but the final scene showed that the daughter and her boyfriend had taken over the bottom level.  Wasn't there a media room or other large room down there as well?  I noticed the appliances were black, and not a peep out of the buyers about not having SS.  Gee, I wonder how on earth they are managing to cook - heavy sarcasm there.

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23 hours ago, ByaNose said:

HH films 80,000 times a year. What the heck is going on that they are lifting other house shows? Don’t they realize I watch those other stupid shows, too? I want my money back.  

80,000 times a year???  Are you sure about this figure?  I'm not questioning you, just surprised at that number.

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14 hours ago, slasherboy said:

80,000 times a year???  Are you sure about this figure?  I'm not questioning you, just surprised at that number.

I'm sure that's hyperbole and the show doesn't actually film 300 episodes every weekday. :)

Last night's Phoenix, AZ, episode: I wanted to throw things at the wife. They bought a lovely, newly updated Spanish style home in a suburb, well under their budget. But the wife was adamant that she couldn't live with the dark cabinets and beige/brown granite countertops in the kitchen and those would have to be refinished/replaced. Both the cabinets and countertops were brand new and looked to be good quality, plus that color scheme worked much better in a Spanish style house than a white kitchen would, and the bathrooms had the "earthy" color scheme as well.

I just hate when people want to rip out brand new fixtures just because they don't love the colors. So wasteful.

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Interesting.  I wold believe they film 300 episodes every weekday in Denver alone.

Uh-huh. My vote would've gone to Palm Springs. Do women ever purchase homes in that city?

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