House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[Empress1]

Stephen and Stephanie, two NYC docs looking for a place outside the city. I found it refreshing that she was up front about the fact that they have a ton of student loan debt so they needed to be careful with their purchase and that another income stream would be helpful. I thought they were going to go for the multi-family property. I laughed when they let the bird out in its own room ... with no door, so of course it darted out into the rest of the house.

[topanga]

On 3/6/2018 at 9:16 AM, Empress1 said:

Stephen and Stephanie, two NYC docs looking for a place outside the city. I found it refreshing that she was up front about the fact that they have a ton of student loan debt so they needed to be careful with their purchase and that another income stream would be helpful. I thought they were going to go for the multi-family property. I laughed when they let the bird out in its own room ... with no door, so of course it darted out into the rest of the house.

I really liked that couple. They seemed to like each other, though they both have really strong personalities. And their assessments of the homes didn’t veer into Crazytown.

[chocolatine]

On 3/6/2018 at 9:16 AM, Empress1 said:

Stephen and Stephanie, two NYC docs looking for a place outside the city. I found it refreshing that she was up front about the fact that they have a ton of student loan debt so they needed to be careful with their purchase and that another income stream would be helpful. I thought they were going to go for the multi-family property.

I thought it was a good idea that they didn't. They work long hours and have a commute; the last thing they need when they're home is to deal with tenants. It's true they have debt now, but as doctors they'll make very good money, so why not enjoy a home to themselves.

Last night's episode in Los Angeles. Both husband and wife say they want a fixer upper, but the first house they see the husband says "this is more than a fixer upper; it's going to require a lot of work." What did he think a fixer upper was???

Edited March 13, 2018 by chocolatine

[Empress1]

29 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I thought it was a good idea that they didn't. They work long hours and have a commute; the last thing they need when they're home is to deal with tenants. It's true they have debt now, but as doctors they'll make very good money, so why not enjoy a home to themselves.

Last night's episode in Los Angeles. Both husband and wife say the want a fixer upper, but the first house they see the husband says "this is more than a fixer upper; it's going to require a lot of work." What did he think a fixer upper was???

And when they were talking about how they were excited to take on a fixer at the start of the episode, they were like "We're willing to do renovations - pull up carpet, paint ..." Those aren't renovations! I'd expect to paint no matter what - I like color and wouldn't want a house that was only in neutrals.

[mojito]

A half million buys you what in Los Angeles?

We have a lot of people from the west coast moving into this state. In a way, I can't imagine leaving that scenery and usually-nice-weather to come to Texas, not to mention the Pacific coast and access to hills and desert. But then, something can be said for living in affordable homes and having more ability to save money. I lived in CA many years ago, but felt unsettled because I couldn't imagine ever having enough to buy a decent home. 

I'm glad that this couple found something.

[AuntiePam]

9 hours ago, topanga said:

I really liked that couple. They seemed to like each other, though they both have really strong personalities. And their assessments of the homes didn’t veer into Crazytown.

I liked them too.  I thought it was smart of him to walk around in the upstairs unit, to test how sound would travel.  A single-family home converted to apartments will be more noisy than a regular apartment building, where there's probably some sound-proofing.

Liked the house they chose -- big bright rooms, and two porches!  I used to sleep over with a friend whose house had a wrap-around porch (three sides) and a screened sleeping porch on the second story.  Can never have enough porches!

[aguabella]

On 3/1/2018 at 7:25 PM, 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.  

Or, it feels like 80K episodes, right, ByaNose ???  lol ... We agree!

Considering only HH, original recipe, on average, a high average, they air 5 new episodes per week.  That's 260/yr.

IIRC, it was reported somewhere that each episode costs 50K.  So, amortizing that cost over 2 episodes, Whoopee!

Sounds like the TLC / HGTV / SCRIPPS CEO deserves at least a $1M bonus, payable immediately, right?  Next year they'll (magically) convert that to annual salary.

They've done this about 3x so far, correct?  Good days ahead for the TLC stockholders!

Good days for viewers (?) - uh, not so much, if you ask me.  Any effect on ratings?  TBD

Edited March 8, 2018 by aguabella

[juliet73]

Fl ep:  He looked about 20 years older than her...not that it matters, just an observation.  I LOVED the 3rd house!  It had EVERTHING they wanted.  EVERYTHING!  The only downside was it was $10k over budget.  So of course, they took the 2nd house which had NOTHING on their checklist except it came in $25k under budget.  I have a feeling they are going to spend way more than $35k to fix it up.  Just to put in the circular driveway would probably cost them at least $15k.

I liked the NY doctors too.  I liked that the husband went upstairs and walked around to see if he could be heard downstairs.  I'm glad they went with the single family home especially since they have a baby on the way.

[aguabella]

On 3/4/2018 at 6:40 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

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

Thinking of HHR?  They selected LA (again), Palm Springs, Denver and Boston for S13.  So, that's 3-4 episodes each for a 13-14 episode season.

I'm ready for the crews to move on from these cities for the next season.  Please, please, please, can they remove LA ???  (Unfortunately, I know the probable answer to that question.)

[CruiseDiva]

2 hours ago, juliet73 said:

Fl ep:  He looked about 20 years older than her...not that it matters, just an observation.  I LOVED the 3rd house!  It had EVERTHING they wanted.  EVERYTHING!  The only downside was it was $10k over budget.  So of course, they took the 2nd house which had NOTHING on their checklist except it came in $25k under budget.  I have a feeling they are going to spend way more than $35k to fix it up.  Just to put in the circular driveway would probably cost them at least $15k..

Didn't the FL husband say he's a concrete contractor? The thing that annoyed me (and will annoy his neighbors) is that he plans to park a relatively good sized boat where it's an eyesore, visible for all to see. He'd be better off keeping it at a boat storage facility or in-and-out marina near where he typically launches it.

When FL husband rattled off the ages of his kids I thought his new wife wasn't much older than his oldest child.

[mojito]

Utah to Tampa, Florida Couple

They sure were happy to be in the sunshine state. Married for 6 years and young, they wanted to downsize. That was something different. She wanted 1000 square feet. They wanted to start new. I have a feeling that that house in Utah was really weighing them down financially. Something was not going well for them in Utah, it seemed. 

I'm very critical of the pools most of these house hunters get because they're so small and only good for splashing in. I got a chuckle at the pool that the agent claimed was "Olympic-size". Michael Phelps could get across that pool in three strokes. It was a good size pool nevertheless.

[laredhead]

Yes, the Florida guy owns a concrete business, so that driveway will cost him next to nothing.  My objection is tearing out greenspace to pave over just about everything in the front yard that wasn't large.  Ugh.  As for the house, it really wasn't that large, and if I remember correctly, it was about 1700 sf.  I guess they can always add more concrete in the back yard and add on to the house if it becomes too small.

[wovenloaf]

16 minutes ago, mojito said:

Utah to Tampa, Florida Couple

They sure were happy to be in the sunshine state. Married for 6 years and young, they wanted to downsize. That was something different. She wanted 1000 square feet. They wanted to start new. I have a feeling that that house in Utah was really weighing them down financially. Something was not going well for them in Utah, it seemed. 

I'm very critical of the pools most of these house hunters get because they're so small and only good for splashing in. I got a chuckle at the pool that the agent claimed was "Olympic-size". Michael Phelps could get across that pool in three strokes. It was a good size pool nevertheless.

I couldn't believe they got that first condo because the guy seemed to hate it.  And I didn't blame him...I hated it too - it seemed so cramped, and with laundry smack in the middle of the kitchen, and windowless 2nd bedroom.  Ugh, it looked uncomfortable just over the tv.  And he seemed to be having the same reaction I was having.  Which I found funny, since they apparently film these after they've actually chosen the house...so he was just walking around grimacing at his own condo, ha. 

I also got the impression they wanted far away from Utah for a reason.  I found myself curious about the fact that back in Utah they had a ~3,000 sq ft house that they said they had planned to raise a family in, but in Tampa the woman wanted under 1,000 sq ft condo, downtown, one bathroom is fine, small living space fine, etc.  Seemed like she/they did a 180 on the plan for a family.  Hopefully it was just a change of heart, and not for some sad reason. 

[doodlebug]

59 minutes ago, wovenloaf said:

I couldn't believe they got that first condo because the guy seemed to hate it.  And I didn't blame him...I hated it too - it seemed so cramped, and with laundry smack in the middle of the kitchen, and windowless 2nd bedroom.  Ugh, it looked uncomfortable just over the tv.  And he seemed to be having the same reaction I was having.  Which I found funny, since they apparently film these after they've actually chosen the house...so he was just walking around grimacing at his own condo, ha. 

I also got the impression they wanted far away from Utah for a reason.  I found myself curious about the fact that back in Utah they had a ~3,000 sq ft house that they said they had planned to raise a family in, but in Tampa the woman wanted under 1,000 sq ft condo, downtown, one bathroom is fine, small living space fine, etc.  Seemed like she/they did a 180 on the plan for a family.  Hopefully it was just a change of heart, and not for some sad reason. 

I got the impression that perhaps they'd had significant financial reversals.  When talking about how they'd met at work, she specifically said they'd LOST their jobs; not quit them.  I think maybe they'd been out of work for a while, maybe tried to find something in Utah but couldn't; and their big Utah house had become an albatross around their necks and they were moving to Tampa for better job opportunities.  For that matter, significant debt might be the reason they were seemingly postponing having children.  It was pretty obvious that the condo they chose was not a good choice for kids.

[Ohwell]

I'm not sure it was a good choice for small dogs either.  When they showed the shot of them on the balcony, that little dog looked like he could easily squeeze between the balcony bars. 

[chocolatine]

5 hours ago, doodlebug said:

When talking about how they'd met at work, she specifically said they'd LOST their jobs; not quit them.

She said "left" not "lost." He made a joke that if you date someone you work with, you either marry that person or you leave the job, to which she replied that they got married *and* left the jobs.

He did say they could spend up to $400k, so their financial situation didn't seem that bad. I thought the condo they got was terrible. She kept talking about the "great" views but all I saw was a view of the freeway. Also, windowless bedrooms are a no-no for me, and washer and dryer in the kitchen, while not a deal-breaker, is not ideal either. I would have gone with the other condo that was still being remodeled. It was right by the water and what looked like a walking trail.

[Mittengirl]

I thought bedrooms had to have two means of egress to be legal bedrooms.  Hence the need for egress windows in basement bedrooms.  Is that not the case everywhere?  It seems very dangerous to me.

[Pickles]

A tiny house hunters disguised as a regular episode? Ugh.

[Mittengirl]

Tiny Home buying idiots in WA - “The sofa is our favorite spot.” 

A) It’s the only place you have to sit.

B) It is the only space you have, period.

Idiots.

 

I realize sense-making is not the forte of most tiny home buyers, but...

Would it not make more sense to finish renovating the house and then sell it, rather than renting it out?  Can’t help but wonder if these landlord wannabes have any real notion of what renting can entail.  Are they prepared to do upkeep that renters request? (plumbing problems, leaky roof, bad furnace, etc., that they demand get fixed ASAP).  What if the house gets damaged in a storm and can’t be rented out?  What if renters trash it? What if it sits empty for a while between renters?   What if neighbors complain about tenants who don’t keep the outside clean?  Do these ill-prepared landlords have the time and money (and knowledge) to take care of these issues?  Have they even thought of these issues?

[Kohola3]

2 minutes ago, Mittengirl said:

 Have they even thought of these issues?

No,  #1 thought is to do something "quirky" and go with a tiny home.  #2 thought is to have 15 minutes of fame on TV.  Beyond that.....nothing.

Like a large number of trend followers, I would wager they are out of there in a year.

[jcbrown]

5 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I thought bedrooms had to have two means of egress to be legal bedrooms.  Hence the need for egress windows in basement bedrooms.  Is that not the case everywhere?  It seems very dangerous to me.

I thought the same thing. Then I thought, "eh, Florida." Here, a room has to have two means of egress and also a closet to be called a bedroom. Perhaps not everywhere?

[doodlebug]

8 hours ago, jcbrown said:

I thought the same thing. Then I thought, "eh, Florida." Here, a room has to have two means of egress and also a closet to be called a bedroom. Perhaps not everywhere?

It's also possible that the builders didn't specifically call it a bedroom in the plans and so the authorities didn't require it to have windows.  For example, many 'bonus rooms' are bedrooms that don't meet the legal requirements.  Just because the realtor called it a bedroom doesn't mean the builders called it the same.  Then, they can claim that they had no idea that the buyers would use that non-legal bonus room as a bedroom.

[doodlebug]

8 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

Tiny Home buying idiots in WA - “The sofa is our favorite spot.” 

A) It’s the only place you have to sit.

B) It is the only space you have, period.

Idiots.

 

I realize sense-making is not the forte of most tiny home buyers, but...

Would it not make more sense to finish renovating the house and then sell it, rather than renting it out?  Can’t help but wonder if these landlord wannabes have any real notion of what renting can entail.  Are they prepared to do upkeep that renters request? (plumbing problems, leaky roof, bad furnace, etc., that they demand get fixed ASAP).  What if the house gets damaged in a storm and can’t be rented out?  What if renters trash it? What if it sits empty for a while between renters?   What if neighbors complain about tenants who don’t keep the outside clean?  Do these ill-prepared landlords have the time and money (and knowledge) to take care of these issues?  Have they even thought of these issues?

Or, sell the house 'as is' or move into an apartment temporarily.  If they felt the house was bigger than they wanted, there are a lot of reasonable options that don't include buying a ridiculously overpriced tiny house. $50,000 for no privacy, no land, no bathtub, no closets.  What is the resale market for those things if they don't like living there?  Considering they got an almost 20% price cut when they bought it, it doesn't seem like it's easy to re-sell the place if (more like when) they decide they need more space.  The tiny house 'craze' seems like a made-for-TV solution in search of a problem.

[laredhead]

Back to the Utah to Tampa couple which I just got around to watching last night.  They didn't bat an eye at those high monthly condo fees.  If you don't have a mortgage, I guess the fees would be an affordable payment each month, but add those to a mortgage and it gets pricey fast.  That place they chose was, IMHO, too small for a couple and 2 dogs.  The "second bedroom" must have been intended as an office in the original sales pitch.  It had no closet and no window.  I would probably end up using it as a big walk in storage closet.  I had to chuckle at the end when she's folding clothes on the kitchen island after all of her statements about wanting a laundry room.   Yeah, I too would love to know the back story on this one.          

[mojito]

Quote

What is the resale market for those things if they don't like living there? 

Asking price was $60K, which makes me think these homes are probably hard to unload. I wonder how much tiny homes depreciate. Homeowners insurance seems a little tricky. I can't imagine living in a place that can be tipped over by a few vandals. Chuckled at the descriptions of the homes, especially the one they ended up with: "Modern Farmhouse".

How 'bout the bit of there being enough room to "entertain"? Imagine being invited over. "Sounds good. Who else will be there?" Not that you want to know the guest list, you just want to know how much discomfort to expect.

[Kohola3]

There are a lot of issues that are never discussed on the show.  And I don't have friends that would allow me to to park in their yard and tap into their electric and water. 

8 minutes ago, mojito said:

I can't imagine living in a place that can be tipped over by a few vandals.

Hee!

[chocolatine]

I have a friend who built herself a 300sf cottage on the property she already owned, and rented out the main house. Her cottage is really cute and functional, unlike the tiny houses on last night's episode. It has a sleeping nook, so you don't have to climb up and down to a loft, and there's plenty of storage. The living space is small of course, but six people can fit comfortably. It wouldn't be my preferred way of living, but it works well for her.

I agree though that paying $50k for a poorly designed tiny "house" - is it really a house if it's on wheels? - without land is a bad investment.

[kirklandia]

I can't hold it in any longer!  I finally had to create an account.  After two weeks out of the country, I am working my way through a DVR loaded with House Hunters episodes.  Marathon = bad idea.

I thought I had accidentally stumbled into HH parody-land, when I heard "I'm Paul and I'm a visual designer for marching bands".   Not so amused later in the show when his wife said "I want to be the whitest thing  in the kitchen".

[Thumper]

Just saw an episode in Newport, OR.  Now I want to live there.

[chessiegal]

HH is doing it again. Taking an already aired Beach Hunters show and airing it as a new HH episode. I watch them all - you can't fool me! Shame on you HGTV!!

[Thumper]

Engaged couple looking in Chicago.  He bugged me.  When she mentioned that one place (which they ended up buying) was so open that when he was playing music ( guitars) would be too loud for her in the LR, he said " that's not my problem."  WHAT???????  Red flag, red flag!!!!   However, in the follow-up, they indicated he MIGHT move to a back bedroom to practice.  Nice of him.

Also, he was really into a "shower for two."    Yup, that's a top priority.   They are young.  ?

[wait.what]

Dunston and Nicole?  Chicago engaged couple. Isn’t this a rerun? My DVR says it’s a new episode, but I am almost positive I have seen this episode. Anyone else?

[biakbiak]

It was new to me. I am curious with what was going on with the lot. The whole thing was fenced but it appeared to be twice the size as the other homes and only half of it was sodded. 

Edited March 10, 2018 by biakbiak

[doodlebug]

6 hours ago, wait.what said:

Dunston and Nicole?  Chicago engaged couple. Isn’t this a rerun? My DVR says it’s a new episode, but I am almost positive I have seen this episode. Anyone else?

It was a rerun according to my DVR and I remember seeing it.

[chessiegal]

8 hours ago, wait.what said:

Dunston and Nicole?  Chicago engaged couple. Isn’t this a rerun? My DVR says it’s a new episode, but I am almost positive I have seen this episode. Anyone else?

As I posted above, it originally aired as an episode of Beach Hunters (different show than Beachfront Bargain Hunt). You can tell because 1) it's waterfront or near water, and 2) the real estate agent doesn't go into the house. My channel guide listed it as new, but I'd seen it before.

[AuntieL]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

As I posted above, it originally aired as an episode of Beach Hunters (different show than Beachfront Bargain Hunt). You can tell because 1) it's waterfront or near water, and 2) the real estate agent doesn't go into the house. My channel guide listed it as new, but I'd seen it before.

I think people are talking about 2 different episodes.  The first one was the Washington state beach; the second was a Chicago episode. I noticed the first one had a different set up with the realtor not going into the house so I figured it was a beach hunters episode. I did like the episode though the people were really nice and that area is gorgeous. 

[Thumper]

Yes, there was no mention of beachfront in the Chicago episode I commented on!  It was a prior episode from October 2017, I believe.

[ZoZose]

I came here specifically to see if anyone was talking about Dunston and Nicole, the Chicago engaged couple. I kinda thought something was a tad off with their dynamic and then he hit her with the "that's not my problem" and it proved it. Dude's a dick. Thing is, she didn't look surprised so I guess she's accustomed to him talking to her like that.

The Beach Hunters couple were really nice though. Loved how they looked at three regular houses and didn't recoil in horror at the avocado oven in one and the pink bathrooms sinks in the other. I thought all three properties were lovely but the second one a bit small. The one they chose was my favorite too. 

[chocolatine]

On 3/9/2018 at 8:41 PM, Thumper said:

Just saw an episode in Newport, OR.  Now I want to live there.

I haven't seen that episode, but I second the love for the Oregon coast. Whenever I visit I find it very difficult to leave.

[Pickles]

The Readyville, TN episode that just aired. The couple both had regular jobs. He worked in Human Resources. She was a social worker. They had a tiny child. They bought an old, big property with plans to live there and run a bed and breakfast. The house clearly needed some work and they wife said that, but the husband said it would be up and running as a bed and breakfast in a couple of weeks! They were still unpacking! How do you run a bed and breakfast and work at a regular job? They had no prior B&B experience that they mentioned. 

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

The Readyville, TN episode that just aired. The couple both had regular jobs. He worked in Human Resources. She was a social worker. They had a tiny child. They bought an old, big property with plans to live there and run a bed and breakfast. The house clearly needed some work and they wife said that, but the husband said it would be up and running as a bed and breakfast in a couple of weeks! They were still unpacking! How do you run a bed and breakfast and work at a regular job? They had no prior B&B experience that they mentioned. 

I was wondering if they're only doing the B&B on weekends/holidays. They emphasized the outdoor event space, so perhaps they're mainly doing events and the B&B is for out-of-town guests to crash. I just can't imagine cooking a big breakfast for a bunch of people every morning while getting ready for work and the toddler ready for daycare. Then coming home from a day of work and cleaning bathrooms and doing several loads of laundry. Just no.

I was also a bit concerned that the property they bought is on a river with no fencing. They said their toddler runs outside as soon as they open the door. They'll have to watch him very closely to make sure he doesn't jump/fall into the river.

[mojito]

Readyville, TN

I wonder how many guests this couple can host at once? Why would you need a gigantic kitchen when you're preparing food for maybe 4 guests? I've never stayed at a B&B where there were children or where I was living in close quarters with the owners. Their space was very separate from mine, as was the kitchen. It looks like a 24/7 job to me where you can't get away from difficult clients. Before I'd ever stayed at a B&B, I watched "Newhart" and did not see any glamour in the profession. Way too much responsibility. More power to them if they can pull it off, and enjoy it, however.

[sskrill]

Atlanta - The Bickersons.  

Her and her "I'm a cool girl!"   If you have to say it 5 times in the episode, its likely you are anything but.  She seemed ridiculously high maintenance.

In the end I really liked the house they picked - which was everything he wanted from the start.

[Empress1]

Orlando couple - I laughed when the wife said the front door could make or break the house because you can buy a new door, paint an existing door ... 

[mojito]

Orlando Couple

And everything was "cozy". She was cozy, the house was cozy, she even declared the carpet cozy.

I fail to understand the agent's comment that paying $300 every quarter for HOA fees "would pay for itself".

[LBS]

Atlanta Couple - The "cool girl card" was revoked a long time ago for her. She was insufferable.  Part of me wondered if she was going to end up resenting her daughter for making her "grow up".    I live in an industrial style loft but I couldn't imagine living in one with a child.  Plus it was pretty ugly.  I did love the one they ended up with.  I'm glad he got what he wanted.   

 

TN B&B - I totally agree with the previous poster who was worried about the river and their baby son running around.  It was gorgeous though!

[Babalooie]

Iowa episode:  I loved all the houses and the town looked like a nice place to live. The neighbor was a sweetheart.  It was nice to see the wooden floors under that horrendous carpet.

[mojito]

Iowa Couple

I would've like to see that couple purchasing a home in Palm Springs.

It's nice to see how much you can buy with $150K in other places. In a way, it's also nice to see old-looking places, though I doubt that I'd want to buy one of them without a very impressive reno budget.

Does HH have a checklist for the buyers? Home Styles, pick one....Extra points for making up names. Dislikes, pick one... Extra points for selecting ghosts, birds, trees, wood floors, etc. Adjectives to use: tight, dated, awesome, claustrophobic, etc.  Other descriptive phrases/exclamations: clean lines, natural light , "this is what I'm talking 'bout", "I absolutely love it". Shenanigans: use your wingspan to show how "tight" a room is, close door when partner goes inside a small closet, indicate a closet isn't big enough for shoe collection, or exclaim that a room is just right for sports memorabilia, measure every stove for your once-a-year (if ever) turkey. 

[magemaud]

Don't forget "climb into tub or shower fully clothed to see if you fit" and discussion of whether or not the dog will be happy in yard. 

[Kohola3]

And "I can see myself" plus all the gallons of coffee consumed on balconies, terraces, or patios.