House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[sistersledge]

On 10/12/2018 at 5:06 PM, KLovestoShop said:

What really surprised me was how the State College couple didn't know that the closer you get to the University, the more expensive the housing will be.  Not only that, but from my experience in living in a couple of college towns, the closer you are to the school the most likely you're going to be dealing with big houses that are rented to students and those same houses are trashed rather quickly.  Some of the most beautiful, big houses right near the University of Wisconsin are rentals that look nasty, but you knew that in their heyday, those houses were incredible. 

The house they looked at is not near penn state - its a couple of miles but definitely would be fine. Our house is about a mile from house #3, and while sometimes there are groups renting smaller houses in the development, they are usually grad or international students and families.

There is a section w gorgeous older homes walkable to campus and downtown but the streets with most homes rented to students are pretty well-known and don’t look as nice. You would definitely want to be careful if you were buying around there. 

Most of the new builds in the area are built by the same builder, and yes it was funny to hear her say ‘craftsman style’ bc it really wasn’t. 

[Neko]

8 minutes ago, sistersledge said:

Most of the new builds in the area are built by the same builder, and yes it was funny to hear her say ‘craftsman style’ bc it really wasn’t. 

That's what I thought.  It had a couple of beams, but not much of a porch, that I could see.  Aren't Craftsman houses known for having big porches?

[ByaNose]

3 hours ago, Sweet Summer Child said:

That's what I thought.  It had a couple of beams, but not much of a porch, that I could see.  Aren't Craftsman houses known for having big porches?

You’re right. They basically look like this in my mind. 

[suebee12]

Just watched the Orlando episode and wow, that woman was strange! If anyone has been in Orlando in the summer(or spring or fall for that matter) it is HOT! Inland, no sea breeze just the burning hot sun! Trees are good...shade, shade, shade. Yes, trees can blow down in a hurricane(look at what Michael just did) but Orlando is not a major hurricane site and the trees provide shade(hmmm, I think I said that already!) Maybe put in crepe myrtle, they grow fairly fast, provide shade but are not huge. Her other desire was a "tall" toilet...never heard them called that but I had one put into my house because of my bad knees....low toilets(standard) can be difficult to handle with bad knees...did she say why she wanted one? was it because she was tall? And then there was the closet she deemed too small because she couldn't walk around in it. It was a good sized closet and didn't that house have a "hers and hers" closets on opposite walls in the hallway? Her friend was a jewel to put up with her if she was really that demanding!

[tvrox]

Anyone else see the episode in Greyslake Illinois? I thought they would have picked the third house, it was slightly over budget but I think the renovations they were planning on the house they did buy would have put them over budget anyway. I liked the couple though-as a child of immigrants myself, I understood what they were saying about hosting big family parties and also about being an example of what hard work in America can buy, etc.

[laredhead]

Suebee12, the Orlando woman said she was 6 feet tall, so a comfort height toilet was probably a good thing to want.  It's not something most houses have; however, but can be added very easily, and certainly should not be a deal breaker when buying a house.  Another silly HH producer driven item.  A tree or two in a strategic place would be welcome shade in the hot summer months.   It's going to take many years for them to become large enough to be a hazard if they were oak trees.  

[suebee12]

6 hours ago, laredhead said:

so a comfort height toilet was probably a good thing to want.  It's not something most houses have; however, but can be added very easily, and certainly should not be a deal breaker when buying a house. 

That is true..which is why I added one. Funny thing is that my daughter-in-law is 5'9" and commented that she liked the height of the toilet. But when they added a half bath in their house, they put in this really short(definitely not standard) toilet in...works great for my 8 year old grandson but I always head to one of the other bathrooms which are standard..plus for really arthritic days, I have a handicapped toilet seat that is removable...great on the days I need it!

[msmarjoribanks]

7 hours ago, tvrox said:

Anyone else see the episode in Greyslake Illinois? I thought they would have picked the third house, it was slightly over budget but I think the renovations they were planning on the house they did buy would have put them over budget anyway. I liked the couple though-as a child of immigrants myself, I understood what they were saying about hosting big family parties and also about being an example of what hard work in America can buy, etc.

I thought the same thing about the third vs. the first.  The third was barely over budget and they seemed to want to do a bunch of work on the first that would have made the total cost more overall.  At the end it seemed like the wife's dissatisfaction with everything was more for the show, and that they were just going to do a few things initially (a lot of DIY), like the hardwood floors on the first floor and perhaps painting the cabinets (getting to the rest of the kitchen later -- although I can't recall for sure if they were going to wait on the appliances, really should if they want to be frugal as it seemed the husband really did).  

[topanga]

21 hours ago, ByaNose said:

You’re right. They basically look like this in my mind. 

That house is so beautiful, I’m close to tears. Thanks for that. 

[Thumper]

Back to the Brady Bunch/MCM discussion.  For some reason, I thought MCM were all single story.  The BB house was a two-story.  Please enlighten me!  

[mojito]

Naples, Florida

I didn't expect them to go for the fixer-upper, but they owned a golf cart and well, they had to live near the beach to use it. 

I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but I got the impression that the woman house hunter wanted a beachy chic home. Just something I gleaned from the conversation.

The woman and the real estate agent's voices were so squeaky. I kept imagining them saying, "Follow the yellow brick road".

[KLovestoShop]

I just could not take the helium voices of both women in the Naples episode.  Seriously, they sounded like Munchkins. 

Whats with her and two toilets?  Did she want them in the same bathroom?  And what's the wall she's talking about. Every time she said it, I thought she said it was a shit web wall.  

[chessiegal]

She was saying shiplap wall (see Fixer Upper). I didn’t get the two water closets in the same bathroom either. That was weird. Only way she was going to get that was with a major fixer upper which is why I knew that is what they bought.

[LittleIggy]

Naples, FL: The real estate agent’s voice was like finger nails on a chalkboard for me. ?

[buttersister]

Not just you. 2WC’s voice hurt my teeth but when the friend/realtor opened her mouth it was game over. Katy Kloset. Katy Suite. Katy toilet phobia—yeah, K-kustomize away. 

[kirklandia]

I'm not sure I would want that Naples FL couple moving in next door.  They showed him "shooting his bow", and right behind the target was a neighbor's house and yard.  That bow looked pretty damn serious!  I hope his aim is true.

Any archers out there who can reassure me that's not as dangerous as it looks?

[laredhead]

Kirklandia, I'm not an archer, but while it looks dangerous, I guess if you are an expert archer, the risks are minimal.  However, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with a next door neighbor shooting at a target that was set up next to my property line.  Maybe he can set the target away from other houses and spaces where people might be sitting in the yard.  There was another HH in recent months who set up his target at the end of a long, narrow side yard, with a wooden fence behind it. 

I thought the woman buyer's voice was grating, but then the realtor opened her mouth.  Yikes!  It really did sound like she had sucked on a helium balloon.  I wonder if anyone has ever commented to her about her voice?  I think if your profession requires you to interact with the public in person or on the phone on a daily basis, it might be a good idea to do whatever is necessary to improve the sound of your voice, like maybe take some voice lessons.  If she answered the phone, I would think I was talking to a child.  Maybe some people find that cute and endearing, but it's hard to take someone seriously when everything sounds like a 5-year old is saying it.  

I would have enjoyed seeing Katy's existing closet just to see how many shoes and clothes the woman has.  Maybe they will be on a future HHWATN episode.  There hasn't been one of those aired in a while.  Hope they do so soon.

[CruiseDiva]

14 hours ago, Thumper said:

Back to the Brady Bunch/MCM discussion.  For some reason, I thought MCM were all single story.  The BB house was a two-story.  Please enlighten me!  

I think the BB house was a tri-level. They were pretty popular in that era.

[Empress1]

11 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

I just could not take the helium voices of both women in the Naples episode.  Seriously, they sounded like Munchkins. 

Yeah, I know they can't help it but I couldn't stand their voices, especially the realtor. I also couldn't stand the term "coastal chic." Also, how much shit does she own that she was talking about using a 2000-square-foot guest house her CLOSET?

Edited October 16, 2018 by Empress1

[ehall1052]

I felt like the Naples couple were auditioning for their own Fixer Upper:Florida show. 

Edited October 16, 2018 by ehall1052
Fixed show name

[doodlebug]

18 minutes ago, ehall1052 said:

I felt like the Naples couple were auditioning for their own Fixer Upper:Florida show. 

I got the same impression.  I hope TPTB realized what a turn-off she was with the Minnie Mouse voice and unrealistic expectations.  The house they are renovating is going to be awful, IMO, with a massive master closet, two water closets in the master bath(why?  Does she have irritable bowel or some other condition that causes her to spend hours on the toilet at a time?).  I found her really unlikeable, but she seemed to be quite impressed with herself and proud of her stupid ideas for renovations.  At the very least, I hope someone at HGTV sends her to a voice coach, otherwise, many viewers will have blood coming from their ears by the end of the show.

[ByaNose]

Just watched the Naples couple. She really does think a lot of herself. The husband seems like a nice guy. He also appears to know what he’s getting himself into with her. Some people get off that sort of stuff. LOL!!!!!

[LittleIggy]

Ugh, can’t remember where the latest episode was located. Anyway, after the wife’s hand wringing over the “Baby” and the steps, I loved how the toddler tackled the steps his own way and did just fine. 

[KLovestoShop]

That Cleveland couple were something else. She’s afraid of stairs because of the baby, and the yard wasn’t totally flat because the baby would fall on the grass and tumble down. Give me a freaking break.  And really now, how many hours a day is this jerk going to be swinging a golf club?  Who practices a golf swing in a house, and why can’t he do that outside or in the garage?  I just couldn’t understand the whole golf swing crap. 

[Neko]

Just saw the Naples episode.  I've had enough of these assholes walking into closets bigger than any living room I've ever had, and declaring them too small.  Also, lady, if a "closet" is the size of a full room, it's not technically a closet, anymore.  Just say you want a separate room for all your clothes, all right?

I was also puzzled by her "need" of a separate toilet/water closet.  Does she not want to share a toilet with her husband?  Why not?  Does she have some kind of weird hangup about butt cooties, even if she is married to the butt cooties, in question?  Come on, HGTV, help me out, here.  What was going on, with this chick?

Edited October 17, 2018 by Sweet Summer Child

[Ohwell]

The only think I liked about the Cleveland episode was at the end with the toddler sitting at the table stuffing his face, not giving a shit about his parents.

[Empress1]

19 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

The only think I liked about the Cleveland episode was at the end with the toddler sitting at the table stuffing his face, not giving a shit about his parents.

I wanted to reach in the TV and pull him out and play with him. ADORABLE.

I did not like the wife in that episode at all. I wondered if she was playing up the "my husband is hapless" for TV, because he seemed surprised by it and she spoke nicely about him in the intro. He did say she was bossy though, so maybe he's used to it.

[Neko]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I wanted to reach in the TV and pull him out and play with him. ADORABLE.

I did not like the wife in that episode at all. I wondered if she was playing up the "my husband is hapless" for TV, because he seemed surprised by it and she spoke nicely about him in the intro. He did say she was bossy though, so maybe he's used to it.

I didn't like her, either, especially after she said, "Everybody wants open concept."  No, not everybody wants open concept.  Enough with this trend.

[Empress1]

6 minutes ago, Sweet Summer Child said:

I didn't like her, either, especially after she said, "Everybody wants open concept."  No, not everybody wants open concept.  Enough with this trend.

As someone who hates open concept, I was like "No we do not!"

[mojito]

Quote

Ugh, can’t remember where the latest episode was located. Anyway, after the wife’s hand wringing over the “Baby” and the steps, I loved how the toddler tackled the steps his own way and did just fine. 

Cleveland.

When I saw that, I thought, "That's two lessons for people to learn. One, carpet the stairs if you have little ones and two, watch how a toddler will handle the stairs without killing himself."

[msmarjoribanks]

15 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

That Cleveland couple were something else. She’s afraid of stairs because of the baby, and the yard wasn’t totally flat because the baby would fall on the grass and tumble down. Give me a freaking break. 

Yeah, that was ridiculous, but it was made better by the fact that they showed the baby having no issues.

[juliet73]

The Naples realtor has been on a few times before.  Sadly, with that voice, I will always remember her.  Anyway, in all the eps she was featured in, they were always full renovations.  The show has mentioned that her side job is consulting for major home remodels.  I don't know if she's angling to try an get her own HGTV show, but for sure the homeowners felt like they deserved one.  They don't. 

The Cleveland wife was beyond annoying about the stairs.  I want to scream at her that she should be worried more about her parents falling down the stairs than her toddler!!  The husband practicing his golf swing in the house was just as annoying!  Dude, go outside! 

The husband in tonight's ep (Raleigh) wants a "Home Alone" house.  They look like they just graduated from high school and their budget is $550k!  I don't know which is more irritating!

[KLovestoShop]

Did not like the Raleigh husband.  He came off as a spoiled, overindulged, not a hair out of place pretty boy Millennial Snowflake.   His parents said he grew up with a fancy movie room, so he really needed one in the new house so his friends could all hang out.  And then he said he never had to mow a lawn in his life so he wanted a house with very little upkeep.  And then there's the whole Home Alone house?   He's seen that silly movie a thousand times?  Sheesh.  

[Kemper]

Last night I watched a couple (think it was Chicago) with one child and another on the way.  She said she always gets her way; like we haven't heard that before.  He wanted a house in the suburbs for the dog(s) and child(ren).  She wanted to stay in the metro area.  First up they looked at a horrible condo..at least for a family.  It was expensive, there was no outdoor space (except for a shared rooftop deck), there was no fireplace (one of her "must haves"), the bedrooms were small - except for maybe the master.  AND.  There was a cost of $25,000 for each parking space.

Next up they looked at a house with a yard AND fireplace in the suburbs; I didn't see the last house due to Mr. Kemper charging in and telling me I needed to see what just happened in the Red Sox game.  I got distracted and didn't remember the House Hunters until it was almost over.  Turns out they bought the condo!  Good grief, tell me why a young couple with a family and dogs would pick a condo with no outside space (except the before-mentioned shared roof-top deck) and a balcony.  In an upper floor condo!  I have to wonder how long they will last in that place. Granted, the condo would seem ideal for a young or old couple with no kids.  It was nice; I can't remember what the price of the condo was.  Anyone else see this or was it a rerun?  Lately it seems every time I tune in there is a Fixer Upper, Bros, or Love It, List It rerun/marathon on.  

Oh, forgot...he had a bathtub fetish.  Seems he is a big guy (nice-looking, too) and he wanted a tub that fit him.  The condo tub was ideal....and the realtor was a relative of his, I think.  This episode hit all the annoying contrivances of this show.

[doodlebug]

9 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

Did not like the Raleigh husband.  He came off as a spoiled, overindulged, not a hair out of place pretty boy Millennial Snowflake.   His parents said he grew up with a fancy movie room, so he really needed one in the new house so his friends could all hang out.  And then he said he never had to mow a lawn in his life so he wanted a house with very little upkeep.  And then there's the whole Home Alone house?   He's seen that silly movie a thousand times?  Sheesh.  

What was up with his hair? So distracting!  I was trying to figure out how he styled it like that and why.  He definitely gave off a spoiled rich kid vibe.  They couldn't buy a starter home?  They had to have a huge McMansion because they never want to move again?  

His insistence on a water closet (that's what it is called, use your words, Buddy) was also just stupid.  As it was, he not only got a fancy movie room, he got a rec room with a pool table and a zillion other huge, semi-useless spaces.  He doesn't mow lawns, anyone think he does housework?   No problem, I'm sure he's always had a housekeeper to clean up after him and soon he will be married to a housekeeper who will sleep with him, too.  Bonus! His parents should be hanging their heads in shame at having raised such an entitled git.

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

What was up with his hair? So distracting!  I was trying to figure out how he styled it like that and why.  He definitely gave off a spoiled rich kid vibe.  They couldn't buy a starter home?  They had to have a huge McMansion because they never want to move again?  

I thought he was so unattractive. I knew they'd end up in the giant third house.

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

What was up with his hair? So distracting!  I was trying to figure out how he styled it like that and why.  He definitely gave off a spoiled rich kid vibe.  They couldn't buy a starter home?  They had to have a huge McMansion because they never want to move again?  

With that hair he looked like he belonged in one of those old Christopher Lee horror movies.   

[twinks]

Agree with all the comments about him. His soon to be wife came also a bit spoiled also. She wanted to replace everything. They were are the top of their budget yet they still re-stained the floors and did a lot of painting.

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, twinks said:

Agree with all the comments about him. His soon to be wife came also a bit spoiled also. She wanted to replace everything. They were are the top of their budget yet they still re-stained the floors and did a lot of painting.

And they painted things basically different shades of white!

[Pickles]

3 hours ago, twinks said:

Agree with all the comments about him. His soon to be wife came also a bit spoiled also. She wanted to replace everything. They were are the top of their budget yet they still re-stained the floors and did a lot of painting.

I looked her up and her Dad is president of some kind of tile/contractor business. Her parents have a big house and a big beach house. I bet Dad (and his connections) did the renovations. Sounds like the husband comes from money too. That was a big budget for a young couple. He works at a bank and she was a graphic designer. Not exactly big income jobs. 

[msmarjoribanks]

19 hours ago, juliet73 said:

The husband in tonight's ep (Raleigh) wants a "Home Alone" house.  They look like they just graduated from high school and their budget is $550k!  I don't know which is more irritating!

I know!  I think the Home Alone thing had to be a shtick.  I knew they'd pick the third one at the top of the budget over the first, though, because it was so much bigger and fancier.

I find the ones where people have a big enough budget to get basically everything they might want in their chosen location bore me.  I find the ones where they have more constraints more interesting.

Wife was being ridiculously demanding about all the necessary cosmetic changes, although at least they decided to wait on many of them. 

5 hours ago, twinks said:

Agree with all the comments about him. His soon to be wife came also a bit spoiled also. She wanted to replace everything. They were are the top of their budget yet they still re-stained the floors and did a lot of painting.

Heh -- I had the same thought about the restaining.  It amused me that the word where I live anyway is that dark floors (exactly how they stained them) are going out.  I mean, I like them, that's the color my floors are (prior owner did them in '06) and I don't care about fashion or being up to date if I like something, but you just know they do!

Edited October 18, 2018 by msmarjoribanks

[Bronx Babe]

10 hours ago, Kemper said:

Last night I watched a couple (think it was Chicago) with one child and another on the way.  She said she always gets her way; like we haven't heard that before.  He wanted a house in the suburbs for the dog(s) and child(ren).  She wanted to stay in the metro area.  First up they looked at a horrible condo..at least for a family.  It was expensive, there was no outdoor space (except for a shared rooftop deck), there was no fireplace (one of her "must haves"), the bedrooms were small - except for maybe the master.  AND.  There was a cost of $25,000 for each parking space.

Next up they looked at a house with a yard AND fireplace in the suburbs; I didn't see the last house due to Mr. Kemper charging in and telling me I needed to see what just happened in the Red Sox game.  I got distracted and didn't remember the House Hunters until it was almost over.  Turns out they bought the condo!  Good grief, tell me why a young couple with a family and dogs would pick a condo with no outside space (except the before-mentioned shared roof-top deck) and a balcony.  In an upper floor condo!  I have to wonder how long they will last in that place. Granted, the condo would seem ideal for a young or old couple with no kids.  It was nice; I can't remember what the price of the condo was.  Anyone else see this or was it a rerun?  Lately it seems every time I tune in there is a Fixer Upper, Bros, or Love It, List It rerun/marathon on.  

Oh, forgot...he had a bathtub fetish.  Seems he is a big guy (nice-looking, too) and he wanted a tub that fit him.  The condo tub was ideal....and the realtor was a relative of his, I think.  This episode hit all the annoying contrivances of this show.

To me the husband was kind of creepy.  He reminded me of Robert Chambers, that preppie murderer guy.

[Dewey Decimate]

The comments on the douchey-looking Raleigh guy are cracking me up. I could barely make it through the whole episode, as all I keep thinking was "the Eric Trump-face is strong in this one..."

[msmarjoribanks]

12 hours ago, Kemper said:

Last night I watched a couple (think it was Chicago) with one child and another on the way.  She said she always gets her way; like we haven't heard that before.  He wanted a house in the suburbs for the dog(s) and child(ren).  She wanted to stay in the metro area.  First up they looked at a horrible condo..at least for a family.  It was expensive, there was no outdoor space (except for a shared rooftop deck), there was no fireplace (one of her "must haves"), the bedrooms were small - except for maybe the master.  AND.  There was a cost of $25,000 for each parking space.

Next up they looked at a house with a yard AND fireplace in the suburbs; I didn't see the last house due to Mr. Kemper charging in and telling me I needed to see what just happened in the Red Sox game.  I got distracted and didn't remember the House Hunters until it was almost over.  Turns out they bought the condo!  Good grief, tell me why a young couple with a family and dogs would pick a condo with no outside space (except the before-mentioned shared roof-top deck) and a balcony.  In an upper floor condo!  I have to wonder how long they will last in that place. Granted, the condo would seem ideal for a young or old couple with no kids.  It was nice; I can't remember what the price of the condo was.  Anyone else see this or was it a rerun?  Lately it seems every time I tune in there is a Fixer Upper, Bros, or Love It, List It rerun/marathon on.  

Oh, forgot...he had a bathtub fetish.  Seems he is a big guy (nice-looking, too) and he wanted a tub that fit him.  The condo tub was ideal....and the realtor was a relative of his, I think.  This episode hit all the annoying contrivances of this show.

I remembered that one, but when I saw it was back decided to skim through it again and found the houses for fun.

I didn't mind the husband, although the bathtub thing was annoying (and probably show driven).  Wife was annoying. I think the wife said something about moving to the burbs in a couple of years, and if I'm remembering correctly, it's a poor financial decision to buy for such a short time -- I don't think that place is likely to appreciate a huge amount (the high-end market here is kind of flat right now) and transaction costs are a killer.

Comments on the places:

First place was listed for $699K plus $25K per parking space, they said they got it for $720K (I think) including two spaces, so that's better.  Place is in the area where Cabrini Green used to be.  (It's fine now, although I don't care for the street they are on.)

Second place was not a realistic suburban option. It was in Kenilworth, which is one of the most expensive burbs, which is why they got such a small lot for their money (and the husband wanted big lot -- there are closer options with bigger lots for less money).  Also not that close to the lake, which is what is desirable in the north shore (in addition to the school), although can be super pricey. The place was also on the market for a while, was pulled off to be rehabbed (which seemed to be going on at the time of the showing), and eventually sold for a much lower price than the $799K they were quoted ($694K). Again, not a real reflection of what suburban prices are in many other areas.

Third place was not too far from one where I used to live, but on a busy street I would not want to live on (odd they did not bother commenting on that).  They quoted it at $695K, it actually sold for $660K (although parking is quoted at $15K, so that likely means $675K). Seems overpriced to me knowing the area.

Of the places they looked at I liked the first one best.  I've heard it's a nice area for small kids (school used to be problematic but has been merged with a much better elem school now, but they are clearly planning to leave before the kids are in school).  There are parks around and they are both easy commutes if the couple works downtown (the wife seemed to be the main breadmaker).

[Thumper]

On 10/16/2018 at 9:28 AM, CruiseDiva said:

I think the BB house was a tri-level. They were pretty popular in that era.

But is it still considered Mid-Century Modern, with two or three levels?  

[msmarjoribanks]

Here's a 2-story Eichler:

https://www.dwell.com/article/this-rare-two-story-eichler-has-just-been-listed-for-dollar1.35m-ca334861

[buttercupia]

8 hours ago, msmarjoribanks said:

Here's a 2-story Eichler:

https://www.dwell.com/article/this-rare-two-story-eichler-has-just-been-listed-for-dollar1.35m-ca334861

wow, that is one gorgeous home.

[Ohwell]

I liked the Boston couple, they seemed nice and were not demanding.  And I loved that the guy didn't want white cabinets.  I figured they'd take the first house, the fixer-upper.  I'd like to see more episodes of people with modest budgets looking for houses. 

[Neko]

56 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I liked the Boston couple, they seemed nice and were not demanding.  And I loved that the guy didn't want white cabinets.  I figured they'd take the first house, the fixer-upper.  I'd like to see more episodes of people with modest budgets looking for houses. 

I agree.  Those are always the most interesting, to me.  When they have 1M budgets and buy a new construction home that looks exactly like all the others we've seen on the show, I often stop the episode and choose another one (I watch on YouTube).  The stupid crazy demands don't make me want to watch, either.  People with more realistic budgets are often happy just to have a home of their own, and I find that much more watchable.

Anyway, I just watched the Raleigh episode because of the comments I've read, here.  I do not understand why people are so in love with super dark interiors, and re-stain perfectly good hardwood floors when they don't need to.  Maybe I'm stuck in the 90's, or something, but I prefer a lighter color of hardwood over that dark, dark color everyone seems to be gaga for, now.  The floors started out looking so warm and inviting, then the Home Aloners made them look cold and magazine-y.  I guess that's what everyone wants, now, but damn, do I hate it.  Just one of my decorating pet peeves.

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I liked the Boston couple, they seemed nice and were not demanding.  And I loved that the guy didn't want white cabinets.  I figured they'd take the first house, the fixer-upper.  I'd like to see more episodes of people with modest budgets looking for houses. 

I thought they would paint that awful green before they moved in, but I liked that they were holding off on big renovations until later. I thought they'd go with that house; I assumed that two social workers in the Boston area raising a teenage boy don't have much money so the budget would be firm. I thought it was a good idea to make the son's room in the basement because that was a small house, and using all the space like that was efficient.