House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[Tink]

On the San Diego episode tonight, I was pleasantly surprised to see someone who didn't want stainless steel appliances. Very unusual for this show. I'm the same way, prefer white appliances and also white fixtures in the bath. I didn't think they would go with the condo, though.

[BearCat49]

On the San Diego episode tonight, I was pleasantly surprised to see someone who didn't want stainless steel appliances. Very unusual for this show. I'm the same way, prefer white appliances and also white fixtures in the bath. I didn't think they would go with the condo, though.

 

I guessed the condo even though the first 2 were vacant - have been watching this show for too long, lol!  Can't remember exactly why but they obviously hadn't chosen the fixer and the flip work had already been done, if you like cheap carpet, etc.  Plus, his father was supposedly a contractor.

 

The thing that got me, though, was the way they kept proclaiming their love for the flip house kitchen with its jarring, cheap, basic, ugly,stock granite pattern and standard glass tile backsplash.  The shot of those two things, the granite plus backsplash juxtaposed against each other, burned my eyes. 

 

That kitchen was so dark and closed off from the remainder of the house.  Got claustrophobia just seeing it.  Am not always a huge fan of open concept but that kitchen needed some connection to the rest of the house.  How about at least a pass-through window?

 

Yes, it was new - an obvious flip job.  Either those 2 are great actors or they loved that awful kitchen.  But, but, but, it had granite, lol!

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

 

 

My understanding of the "snout" house term is that it refers to garages that actually protrude from the front of the house, perpendicular to the remainder of the house, essentially creating an L shaped house.  So, those homeowners have much smaller driveways WRT snow removal.  IMHO the snout houses are far less attractive than homes that simply have the garage in the front, together /adjacent /parallel to the remainder of the home, like the homes toured by the KC couple. 

Edited October 7, 2014 by BearCat49

[BearCat49]

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.

 

Have seen the CC&R's for multiple new developments.  Some actually require that residents to park their cars in the garage and limit residents/homeowners use of visitor spaces.  Homeowners that refuse to comply incur fines.  Unfortunately it creates residents that love ratting out their neighbors; fortunately, it does make the neighborhoods aesthetically more pleasing.  And, they typically make the point in their regulations that the practice frees up space for emergency vehicles.

[mojito]

One of the house choices in SanDiego looked like a trailer park. Pickup trucks and old cars scattered about. They didn't mention condo fees, did they?

[ShuFace88]

 

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.

 

I noticed the bars on the window and the realtor saying that the window did not open.  Is this legal?  I thought all bedrooms need to have some form of egress.  How is this woman supposed to escape in case of a fire?  

 

 

On the San Diego episode tonight, I was pleasantly surprised to see someone who didn't want stainless steel appliances.

 

I really liked this couple.  They had very reasonable expectations regarding their location and budget.  They knew they were either going to get a small condo near downtown or a larger fixer with a longer commute.  They bought a home that fit their lifestyle, age and budget and weren't worried about stainless, hardwood or granite.  How refreshing!

[BearCat49]

One of the house choices in SanDiego looked like a trailer park. Pickup trucks and old cars scattered about. They didn't mention condo fees, did they?

 

I never heard the monthly dues, either, mojito.

 

The condo's neighborhood didn't look that terrific.  They described it as "downtown".  Have spent time in SD on business and have friends both from there and living there, currently.  SD (within the city limits) doesn't really have a nice residential downtown, IMHO.

[BearCat49]

I really liked this couple.  They had very reasonable expectations regarding their location and budget.  They knew they were either going to get a small condo near downtown or a larger fixer with a longer commute.  They bought a home that fit their lifestyle, age and budget and weren't worried about stainless, hardwood or granite.  How refreshing!

 

They seemed like a nice couple but I'd be concerned with their choice from a RE standpoint.  Statistically, sf homes still appreciate more and sell faster than condos.  That particular condo appeared to be an apartment conversion, i.e. not built as a condo.  It was a small, dark, ground floor unit with only a dog run for outdoor space and probably has very thin walls. 

 

I, personally, wouldn't want to live there for more than a year or max, 2.  For their sake, I hope the RE market doesn't hit another snag b/c I wouldn't want to have to sell that unit in a down market.  IMHO, buyers need to plan on living in a new home for at least 3 years and preferably 5.

 

If the 3 HH homes were representative of their choices, they could have bought a fixer 10 miles from her workplace, used an FHA home improvement loan plus the services of his father, a gc, to fix it up and hopefully live there for the next 5 years as they (probably) start a family.  SD traffic never seemed that bad, to me and that particular neighborhood didn't appear special.

 

So, I hope that place works out for them.  JMHO 

 

P.S.  Still don't get why they were (apparently) so enamored with the stock granite in that flip house, lol.

 

-----------------

 

Speaking of condos and resale, I had the same opinion of the Chicago sisters' choice last week.  I understand that she wanted to live in Lincoln Park but selecting that 1,000sf ground floor unit with the oblong, odd shaped bedrooms and lovely views of the parking garage from floor-to-ceiling windows?  The small Ikea kitchen wasn't nice enough, IMHO, to compensate for that unit's other issues. 

 

I agree with, in general, purchasing the worst place in the best neighborhood but don't believe it applies to that unit.  There's no fix for the parking lot view and oblong rooms.  The association probably wouldn't allow any changes to those atrocious windows. 

 

Again, assuming the 3 HH units were representative of their choices, I believe the Lakeview (?? IIRC) highrise was the best choice from a RE standpoint.  The other decoy, a 2 story unit, had an incredibly poor layout and appeared to have been carved out of a larger home. 

 

Views always sell.  And, like the SD unit, her Lincoln Park condo was the most apartment-like unit of those 3 choices.  The highrise appeared to have a nice layout, terrific kitchen and great view in a well-located, secure, desirable building.  Out of those 3, upon resale, I'd prefer to deal with the highrise.

 

JMHO.

Edited October 8, 2014 by BearCat49

[DownTheShore]

I wonder how many of those househunters, when touring the decoy properties, subsequently wish that they could actually pick one of them?

[BearCat49]

I wonder how many of those househunters, when touring the decoy properties, subsequently wish that they could actually pick one of them?

 

Had that same thought DownTheShore WRT the Chicago highrise toured by the sisters.  Was thinking that even if that particular (view) unit wasn't available, it was a large enough building that several units are probably for sale at any given time.  OTOH, we don't know if the buying sister actually considered Lakeview during her real life search or HH added that neighborhood b/c they either rec'd permission to tour that unit or tptb wanted to amp up the drama!  

[JasmineFlower]

Oh I think a good number of these couples and singles view these homes and think HOLY CRAP! WHY WASN'T THIS ON THE MARKET 3 MONTHS AGO!!! I tend to think that when a couple is in one place and they are sort of stunned at how nice it is, like almost all the finishes or almost all the possibilities the house has and seem to favor it over the others but choose one they were considerably less excited about. I especially think that if the house they were excited about is closer to their target area or in a more desirable area, like closer to downtown.

 

So, I was watching most of the episode last night in "Howard County, MD". I'm getting seriously sick of providing these very general geographic areas. Next thing you know they'll be saying a house in Maryland and then just flat out Mid-Atlantic or East Coast. What gives? If they mentioned in the intro, I didn't catch the beginning but after that, they definitely didn't.

 

I'm assuming this was Ellicott City. I didn't think they got hosed on the price exactly, but there are better ways to spend $675k in Ellicott City than on a townhome that I also assume carries a monthly association fee.

 

The couple was mostly okay, not my favorite but not the most annoying either. I will say, I will always be confused by these people who spend a lot on a home and then complain about lawn maintenance as if it's a requirement you do it yourself. It's bizarre and not something I've encountered in real life. The area I grew up in is middle to upper class and in both the mid and upper sections, you will find lawn care companies trucks lining the blocks during the day. Everyone hires someone, it's an area where people are working full time and have kids, they don't want to spend the weekends doing yardwork and won't do as good of a job anyway. So, while I'd maybe understand it a bit more in an area where someone may not have the means to do so, it is a bit shocking how often these homeowners in these $500k+ homes complain about the size of the yard. Hire someone! You're complaining this much, your wife wants a yard, you've got kids, you're not broke, spend the money.

[outtahere]

Is anyone else tired of hearing the wife say "this is my closet, where are you going to put your clothes?"  when viewing the master bedroom closet?  Honestly they need to get new script writers.

 

I really didn't care for the way the couple were always taking jabs at each other.  Good luck living so close to that mother-in-law when the baby comes because he is already out numbered and his opinion doesn't count for much. 

[sugarbaker design]

Is anyone else tired of hearing the wife say "this is my closet, where are you going to put your clothes?" when viewing the master bedroom closet? Honestly they need to get new script writers.

 

I'm not blaming the writers on this one, many people I work with love saying the most banal trite bullshit ever, all the while thinking they're very clever.  However I do blame the editor for not taking it out.

[Vivigirl10]

 

Good luck living so close to that mother-in-law when the baby comes because he is already out numbered and his opinion doesn't count for much.

He's a sperm donor, possible bread-winner and that's about it.  Regarding the wife, this is so mean but I cannot stop myself.......spoiled, bratty and cute is unacceptable.....but spoiled, bratty and ugly - wow, intolerable!!!  The Mother-in-law should have been kissing the butt of the husband for taking poor "Mask" off her hands.

[Bastet]

I always roll my eyes at the HHs groaning about mowing the yard.  If one doesn't want a yard, fine - I'm talking about the people who want a yard (for the kid, the dog, entertaining, whatever) and then, "Oh, but all this lawn to mow."  Or whatever the landscaping is that needs to be maintained.  It really doesn't take a lot of time, nor does it take a lot of money to outsource it; if a yard is something you like, what's required to maintain it is insignificant in comparison to what you get.  In looking at the interior, the HHs don't bemoan the fact they'll either have to spend time cleaning it or hire someone to do so, because that's just taken as a fact of life not worth commenting on when evaluating a house.  Same thing here, but on they go.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Bastet

[chessiegal]

JasmineFlower, at the beginning of the Howard County show they showed footage of the Inner Harbor, and said that Howard County, MD was 30 miles west of Baltimore. There was no mention of a city or town.

[BearCat49]

I'm not blaming the writers on this one, many people I work with love saying the most banal trite bullshit ever, all the while thinking they're very clever.  However I do blame the editor for not taking it out.

 

The closet line's been on pretty much every HH/HHI going back to the beginning of time!  Another one is, "Is that a wood-burning fireplace?"  Any time I hear something repetitively, I chalk it up to the production team.

 

Didn't we recently hear complaints about front-loading garages for several episodes?  And, they added a TH, same beat of each episode IIRC, with the realtor bad-mouthing one or both of the spouses.  Given the repetition, I assumed those were both producer-driven.

 

I don't believe they have writers per se - instead, I believe they basically story-board, i.e. select general plots for each episode, suggesting standard lines/comments as they shoot.

 

JMHO

Edited October 8, 2014 by BearCat49

[sugarbaker design]

The closet line's been on pretty much every HH/HHI going back to the beginning of time!

 

Thank goodness it's not every HH/HHI, we do get the occasional HH/HHIer who doesn't aspire to mediocrity, and thinks for themselves.

[topanga]

 

Good luck living so close to that mother-in-law when the baby comes because he is already out numbered and his opinion doesn't count for much.

I actually liked the mother in law. She was full of snarky comments, like when the husband criticized the master bathroom cabinets saying "What kind of cabinets are these?" And the mom goes, "They're called 'standard.'" Which was hilarious because he'd just been complaining about every upgrade. Doesn't he know that's what model houses are for? To show you the great bells and whistles you can add on to your house?

 

That said, I wouldn't want to live 5 minutes away from my mother or mother-in-law. My mother lived that close to us for about 2 months (in a temporary apartment), and she did drop by unannounced almost every day. She wasn't interrupting anything and wasn't demanding, but it was annoying. What most mothers and in-laws don't understand is that except in rare cases, mothers and mothers-in-law of adult children are company. Whether they want to believe it or not.

[KLovestoShop]

Just for safety purposes, I wouldn't want a detached garage.  Don't want to be walking into a house at night, not knowing if someone was waiting.  Not only that, but it's a pain if you live in a cold climate and have to trudge through the snow in the morning to get to the car.

 

The other reason the Atlanta sister bugged me, in addition to the vocal fry, was because she formed her words with her teeth and one lip instead of using both her lips to form words.  I've seen a number of younger women doing this as of late, and they talk with their upper teeth and their lower lip.   I know I might not be explaining it right, but that's how it looks to me.

[Bastet]

Just for safety purposes, I wouldn't want a detached garage.  Don't want to be walking into a house at night, not knowing if someone was waiting.

 

I'm missing something here, and it's bugging me -- how does the garage being attached alleviate the possibility of someone lurking in the house?

[DownTheShore]

I've always thought that having those inside garages was actually less secure, because if someone can get into the garage, either because it was left open or unlocked, or by spoofing the remote code, them they've got all the time in the world to break into the house via the inside door without anyone noticing.

[biakbiak]

I know people always get down on house hunters for not being able to envision rooms differently if they aren't correctly staged but I could never in a million years buy a house based on a model home (not that I would want to live in one or in that type of that development) like the one in the recent Maryland episode. You want doors? That's $5000 extra. Walls? $10,000. A roof?$15k. I know that is an exaggeration but I almost feel like developers should have to show a complete base model and than if they want have one with all the bells and whistles. 

Edited October 9, 2014 by biakbiak

[CoolMom]

I know people always get down on house hunters for not being able to envision rooms differently if they aren't correctly staged but I could never in a million years buy a house based on a model home (not that I would want to live in one or in that type of that development) like the one in the recent Maryland episode. You want doors? That's $5000 extra. Walls? $10,000. A roof?$15k. I know that is an exaggeration but I almost feel like developers should have to show a complete base model and than if they want have one with all the bells and whistles. 

Developers generally use inventory homes to show the "base" model.  The model is so you can see the fancy upgrades that are available which the developer hopes you will have to have and buy.

[biakbiak]

Developers generally use inventory homes to show the "base" model.  The model is so you can see the fancy upgrades that are available which the developer hopes you will have to have and buy.

I understand the concept and the reason behind it, it just annoys the shit out of me.

[ByaNose]

Dominic from Oklahoma aka GQ Model. Basically, perfect single father & good looking. Unfortunately, he had an annoying (girl) friend who was the wife of his Realtor. I didn't know if I felt more sorry for Dominic or the husband. Ugh!!!

[KLovestoShop]

Bastet, I didn't make myself clear. I don't want to be walking outside going from the garage to the house. My friend has a detached garage, and a man was hiding next to her garage, and as she closed the garage door and was on the sidewalk walking to her door, the man jumped her and took her purse.

I keep the door inside the garage to my house locked, and on the security system. If someone gets into the garage and then tries to get into the house, the alarm goes off.

Edited October 9, 2014 by KLovestoShop

[CoolMom]

Bastet, I didn't make myself clear. I don't want to be walking outside going from the garage to the house. My friend has a detached garage, and a man was hiding next to her garage, and as she closed the garage door and was on the sidewalk walking to her door, the man jumped her and took her purse.

I keep the door inside the garage to my house locked, and on the security system. If someone gets into the garage and then tries to get into the house, the alarm goes off.

I also close my garage door before we get out of the car at night.  Because I watch too many crime shows where people come into the garage and follow you into the house to attack you.

[chessiegal]

I always close the door when I pull into the garage, day or night, because 1 day a dog being walked without a leash ran in and crapped on the floor, lol.

[Bellalisa]

Just for safety purposes, I wouldn't want a detached garage.  Don't want to be walking into a house at night, not knowing if someone was waiting.  Not only that, but it's a pain if you live in a cold climate and have to trudge through the snow in the morning to get to the car.

 

The other reason the Atlanta sister bugged me, in addition to the vocal fry, was because she formed her words with her teeth and one lip instead of using both her lips to form words.  I've seen a number of younger women doing this as of late, and they talk with their upper teeth and their lower lip.   I know I might not be explaining it right, but that's how it looks to me.

You have explained it right but I'm not sure I've seen it. I'll need to be on the lookout for this- then again maybe not because it may really annoy me!

[truther]

I feel like an idiot for asking this now and not back when the subject first came up, but is there a famous person I can reference who speaks with this vocal fry you guys all talk about?  Because I'll admit I don't always catch it on these episodes.  There'll be some woman who speaks with what to me is simply a midwestern accent or something, and then the next day people are all "vocal fry!" and I'm not sure I know why.  It's like everyone else laughing at a joke you don't get. 

[mojito]

Here's an example of a vocal fry (click on audio). The vc comes in when the speaker says "looking for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."

 

http://popcrush.com/kesha-britney-spears-vocal-fry-speaking-trend/

 

Hope that helps.

[DownTheShore]

I was talking to my sister on the phone the other day and I realized that vocal fry was creeping into her speech and I called her out on it.  She wasn't even aware that she was doing it.

[Bellalisa]

I feel like an idiot for asking this now and not back when the subject first came up, but is there a famous person I can reference who speaks with this vocal fry you guys all talk about?  Because I'll admit I don't always catch it on these episodes.  There'll be some woman who speaks with what to me is simply a midwestern accent or something, and then the next day people are all "vocal fry!" and I'm not sure I know why.  It's like everyone else laughing at a joke you don't get. 

Listen to any interview with britney spears or Kim kardashian- the have no voice, it's a creaky frog tone. Most of the women on House Hunters have the same vocal pattern.  It's almost like when you have a bad cold and lose your voice and it gets really low and you creak out your words. It's an epidemic in young women and annoying to old women like myself. 

[mcat]

So, I was watching most of the episode last night in "Howard County, MD". I'm getting seriously sick of providing these very general geographic areas. Next thing you know they'll be saying a house in Maryland and then just flat out Mid-Atlantic or East Coast. What gives? If they mentioned in the intro, I didn't catch the beginning but after that, they definitely didn't.

 

I'm assuming this was Ellicott City. I didn't think they got hosed on the price exactly, but there are better ways to spend $675k in Ellicott City than on a townhome that I also assume carries a monthly association fee.

 

I'm going to have to look for this one. We used to live in Ellicott City and it's very expensive as is all of Howard County but $675K for a townhouse?? That's insane. We had a townhouse that was just under $300K and I thought that was a lot. And yes, the HOA fees are ridiculous. We were paying over $400 a year, and if this house was in Columbia instead of Ellicott City, it would be a lot more than that.

 

We moved out of Howard County and into the "country" so that we could afford a single-family house with more space/yard. We have 2 acres and a large house and it cost less than that townhouse and our HOA fee is only $100 a year!

[sugarbaker design]

I feel like an idiot for asking this now and not back when the subject first came up, but is there a famous person I can reference who speaks with this vocal fry you guys all talk about?  Because I'll admit I don't always catch it on these episodes.  There'll be some woman who speaks with what to me is simply a midwestern accent or something, and then the next day people are all "vocal fry!" and I'm not sure I know why.  It's like everyone else laughing at a joke you don't get. 

 

Thank you truther, I thought I was the only one.

[JasmineFlower]

Thank you truther, I thought I was the only one.

 

Not the only two. I just think of it more as adding an affectation to your voice, didn't know there was a term for it or that it was an unfortunate sweeping epidemic like that ridiculous sexy baby voice, When I looked it up Zooey Deschenal was mentioned and a clip was shown. I don't hate the girl, but I don't think favorably about her for personal reasons and tend to dislike most that she becomes a trendsetter with so no surprise that I'm not a fan.

 

I did notice the Atlanta woman's voice but really, I just remember wishing the brother had done the episode and not the sister, him I liked. Especially after he called her on not actually wanting a real loft if she's complaining about the brick in the historical re-purposed building she claims is her dream.

[sugarbaker design]

Especially after he called her on not actually wanting a real loft if she's complaining about the brick in the historical re-purposed building she claims is her dream.

 

 

She reminded me of the guy in Palm Springs who wanted Mid-Century Modern, when the realtor brought him to a house that was textbook Mid-Century Modern, the buyer said he changed his mind!

[BearCat49]

I'm not blaming the writers on this one, many people I work with love saying the most banal trite bullshit ever, all the while thinking they're very clever.  However I do blame the editor for not taking it out.

 

It's unfair, IMHO, in general, to blame the participants for anything in connection with their episode.  The more banal, trite and most of all, repetitive, the more likely the comment was fed to them by the production team. 

 

How do participants take control of their episode, essentially writing their own material??  Doesn't happen, IMHO.  They've signed away all creative control.  They're told where to stand, how to walk, what to say - you name it.

 

So the editors receive a nice, neat package with a completed episode (or close to it) and merely cut it down a little for time?  Nope - again, doesn't happen, IMHO.  Some might call them the writers.  The production team shoots for 5, roughly 10 hour days.  The editors receive many hours of material with everything shot from each camera angle.  For example, each of the 3 homes requires an entire shooting day.

 

For that reason, the editors don't use a "removal" process, i.e. eliminating the banal, trite comments.  It's a selection process, selecting 22 minutes out of many taped hours, essentially writing the episode by cobbling their chosen material into the show's required beats.

 

The participants have zero control over this process.  And the shoot team will make very sure to get every shot and trite, banal line that may be possibly desired by the editors - it's not as if they're going to return and shoot B-roll if additional material's required, at a later date.  They don't have that option.  (We already know they don't return 2 or 3 months later to check-in, even though the episode's banner may make that claim.)

 

Wouldn't surprise me if the closet comment is made at least once by each couple, per episode during those many hours of tape - just so the editors have that choice.

Edited October 10, 2014 by BearCat49

[Bastet]

It's unfair, IMHO, in general, to blame the participants for anything in connection with their episode.  The more banal, trite and most of all, repetitive, the more likely the comment was fed to them by the production team.

 

They agreed to say it, making them fair game for criticism to me.  I don't care whether a HH organically made an idiotic statement or agreed to make one in exchange for what passes for the proverbial 15 minutes of fame these days.  In fact, I might think a bit less of them for the latter. 

[BearCat49]

Thank goodness it's not every HH/HHI, we do get the occasional HH/HHIer who doesn't aspire to mediocrity, and thinks for themselves.

 

"Pretty much" doesn't mean 100%.  That said, it's not b/c a participant "thinks for themselves", IMHO.  How?  They're not allowed to.  As mentioned previously, the production team controls everything - absolutely everything.  If any of them thought for themselves, they probably wouldn't sign the pile of contracts drafted for and by the production company, ceding complete control to a group very happy to make them look stupid if it garners ratings!

 

Would any of us be willing to subject ourselves to this process, giving up 5 days of our life, in exchange for a measly $250?  ETA:  And, how many of us might say something stupid, especially if we're tired or hungry, over the course of 5 long shooting days?

Edited October 10, 2014 by BearCat49

[BearCat49]

They agreed to say it, making them fair game for criticism to me.  I don't care whether a HH organically made an idiotic statement or agreed to make one in exchange for what passes for the proverbial 15 minutes of fame these days.  In fact, I might think a bit less of them for the latter. 

 

I believe we were posting simultaneously, Bastet.  Yes, some may be chasing their proverbial 15 minutes.  (There's no shortage of wannabe' actors!)  Others were probably roped into it by a spouse or partner.  I tend to be a bit more forgiving b/c they may not have understood the process and the extent to which they were ceding control.  If they had, would they have signed those contracts?

 

Criticize away - I choose to give them a break.  They have zero control and can't write their own material or construct their own episode.  I'm curious, in fact - how many of them go into it believing they're such stars that the team will acquiesce control to them and then are swept away by the process?  And, how many of us would make a mistake or say or do at least 1 stupid thing over the course of 5 tiring, shooting days that could be exploited by a crack production team?

 

ETA:  I'm sure any refusal to go along with the program or backing out of the episode would result in some fairly stiff penalties.  In fact, it's obvious tptb shut down public disclosures by participants of their processes and methods, given that participant blog postings, other than an occasional, general comment, have all but disappeared within the last couple of years.

Edited October 10, 2014 by BearCat49

[laredhead]

Just watched the episode last night about the couple with the small child who moved to Salem, Oregon to escape high real estate prices.  The house they chose was awful.  At only 1200 square feet they are going to outgrow that house very soon.  There were no closets or storage spaces and I just knew it would be one eliminated first.  Maybe the other 2 needed a lot of work, and we know they were probably not available judging by the formula of this show, although they were all empty.  Someone had done an awful job on the addition of a 2nd floor bedroom of the bungalow by chopping the dining room almost in half with a stairwell.  I thought the bungalow was the best of the 3.

[zenme]

I wonder how many participants are actually brought in by their realtors.

[BearCat49]

Although it definitely happens, zenme, I don't believe many participants are brought in by their realtors.  It's a huge time commitment for a couple (5 shooting days X 2 people) in exchange for a measly stipend of $250/ea.  The realtors, OTOH, have a potential marketing benefit.

 

I preferred the Salem craftsman, too, laredhead.  Hopefully there's a buyer out there who'll fall in love with it and make the commitment to relocate that staircase, restoring the dr to its original state.  They weren't (quite) all empty.  The bungalow had an organ.  (They didn't look like organ people, to me.)  IIRC, a tiny bit of laundry was left in their home.  This seems to be the latest ptb trick.  They know we're on to the vacancy routine so they'll have a single item remain or possibly allow the buyers to start moving in. 

 

 

I know people always get down on house hunters for not being able to envision rooms differently if they aren't correctly staged but I could never in a million years buy a house based on a model home (not that I would want to live in one or in that type of that development) like the one in the recent Maryland episode. You want doors? That's $5000 extra. Walls? $10,000. A roof?$15k. I know that is an exaggeration but I almost feel like developers should have to show a complete base model and than if they want have one with all the bells and whistles. 

 

You probably already know that "staging" refers to decorating, including only minor changes, biakbiak.  For example, staging might include planting flowers in the front yard for curb appeal, changing out brass bathroom fixtures for brushed nickel and using a double bed (say, instead of a king) to make a master appear larger.  For RE financial purposes, we wouldn't call any of those items "improvements".  Doors, walls and a roof, OTOH, would be "improvements", not staging.

 

In fact, the minor staging changes frequently serve to hide the lack of improvements!  At least improvements typically do increase a home's value although at substantially less than their cost.  Staging's considered an expense of sale and the purpose (IMHO) is to sell the home faster but typically (not) at a higher price.  A seller can reap a financial benefit, however, by avoiding the monthly carrying costs required for a longer sales period, sometimes involving duplicate housing costs.

 

I agree with you about the developers' obvious attempts to upsell home buyers by showing fully tricked-out properties, including all the available improvements.  Not surprising, given that those items have very high profit margins for them.  Personally, I love the way they always begin their marketing materials with the words, "Homes starting at $______" but it's significantly different from where most people end up!

Edited October 13, 2014 by BearCat49

[sugarbaker design]

As mentioned previously, the production team controls everything - absolutely everything.

 

 

That I agree with.  But I don't believe the producers pull the storylines and characterizations out of their ass.  If one of the HHer's is a granite lovin', open-concept wantin', stainless steel seekin' wannabe the producers are going to play that up.  If one of the HHer's is an arrogant asshole the producers are going to take advantage of it.  The HHers are pretty convincing, I don't think they went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, I think they're being themselves.

[BearCat49]

He's a sperm donor, possible bread-winner and that's about it.  Regarding the wife, this is so mean but I cannot stop myself.......spoiled, bratty and cute is unacceptable.....but spoiled, bratty and ugly - wow, intolerable!!!  The Mother-in-law should have been kissing the butt of the husband for taking poor "Mask" off her hands.

 

Didn't notice, originally, but went back and checked out their appearances.  He wasn't any prize in the looks department, either!  Sort of sad that he was already, at his age, wearing his shirts untucked to cover up a burgeoning beer belly.  Well, that's what happens when you refuse to even mow a yard, lol!

[BearCat49]

That I agree with.  But I don't believe the producers pull the storylines and characterizations out of their ass.  If one of the HHer's is a granite lovin', open-concept wantin', stainless steel seekin' wannabe the producers are going to play that up.  If one of the HHer's is an arrogant asshole the producers are going to take advantage of it.  The HHers are pretty convincing, I don't think they went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, I think they're being themselves.

 

I would say, it probably depends - that is, depends upon the personalities involved, the decoy homes, etc.  The producers will definitely use what the participants give them, however.  Between their application, initial video, pre-interview and then 5 long shooting days, they can typically find something to pick on.  If one of the spouses is a jerk, all bets are off! 

 

Lately, I'm thinking that the increased level of supposed couple disagreements, however, is because tptb want to showcase different decoy homes.  They know, I believe, that viewers don't care to (only) see more tract homes in the Phoenix suburbs, for example.  So, one of them has to profess a love for the city, etc.  It's isn't that tough and doesn't require much acting ability for tptb to jam couples into their desired box, i.e. basic storylines.

 

Fortunately for tptb, unfortunately for us viewers, tptb can easily locate as many granite, open concept and SS aficionados as they need these days - even though they churn out tons of new episodes.  And, they don't care to write unique, interesting, new storylines - too much work for them to produce.

Edited October 13, 2014 by BearCat49

[BearCat49]

There's a good example of HH plot manipulation from the last HHR episode.  I posted about it, calling it "HHR Sugarbabies" on that thread.  The realtor indicated that she'd sold the couple a house 4 years prior but they wanted to move into a better school district for their kids.  But, tptb, in their infinite wisdom, apparently deemed that way too boring and claimed they were buying their first home, together!  Far more romantic, right? 

 

If you're interested, there's a link to the realtor's promo, blog posting on that thread.

[topanga]

The Chicago couple grated my nerves. They seemed to be living in Fantasyland, not the real world. The husband wanted a "Cosby Show" house, and he wanted his Chesterfields because they look professorial. The wife didn't like the way certain rooms were decorated or constructed, but she was opposed to renovation. And she liked the idea of a timber loft but not the realities of a loft, such as the partial walls. The wife's only reasonable request was having a covered parking spot to combat the snowy Chicago winters. But the house they picked had uncovered parking! The hell?

 

Oh, and you cannot see germs, Mr. Germophobe. Maybe a lighter counter would show spills, but you have to disinfect surfaces whether they look clean or not. Howie Mandel must be turning over in his grave. Except I think he's still alive.

 

And I'm sorry to judge a book by its cover, but that interior designer looked like a scary librarian. Maybe it's the cat's eye glasses. She's probably very nice. But she was only on the screen for 2 minutes, and she wore this constant scowl of disapproval. I can't imagine her creating a warm, joyful living space for that family.

Edited October 14, 2014 by topanga

[truther]

Lately, I'm thinking that the increased level of supposed couple disagreements, however, is because tptb want to showcase different decoy homes. 

I've noticed that, too.  He wants a split-level fixer-upper in the suburbs!  She wants new construction in a downtown condo next to skid row!  He likes wood!  She likes plastic!  Who will win?  Who will lose?

 

For me, I'm less likely to watch those episodes because ugh, we've seen this contrived pseudo-drama before and it's rarely, ever, interesting.  Partly because it's unbelievable and partly because it makes the house hunters look like contemptible morons.  There was an ep the other day that started that way and I immediately stopped watching.  While it takes slightly more effort from the producers, I'd much rather they present actual, interesting people and then show a selection of homes that may or may not fit with what they're looking for.