House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[LegalParrot81]

I'm watching the marathon too.  The woman on the one I'm watching now (Champagne Taste on a Soda Pop Budget in San Diego) is getting on my last nerve.  Where's my hardwood floors, where's my crown molding, where's my character.  325k in San Diego, you may have to do some work sister.  I feel so sorry for her husband, who realizes they don't have the $$$ and her realtor who she's verbally abusing.  Plus, she's got so much blush on it looks like a ketchup bottle blew up on her face.

[Bronx Babe]

Boston to Alabama wife having (hopefully but shamefully producer-driven) "doubts" about the move: "I'm liberal and Jewish, don't know how I'll fit in...." This was bad enough, but then we find out she's extremely germ and bug phobic. "I have my exterminator on speed-dial".

[Rosemadder]

The San Diego lady clown was the one who had to have a brand new toilet, right?  Did anyone catch the lady author's name in Phoenix/Tempe, or is there some way to look her up?  Her insistence on grass will serve her well when the drought kicks in.  It does seem like the husbands put up with a lot.

[LegalParrot81]

 

The San Diego lady clown was the one who had to have a brand new toilet, right?

 

Yes.  And she was almost apoplectic about someone actually using the bathtub in the first house.  LOL

[KLovestoShop]

I just wanted to ask the San Diego woman if she ever uses an "old" toilet in a public restroom, or what she does about previously used toilets/tubs/showers in hotels?

I just cannot stand any of these people when all they can say is "Where's my" whatever. The New Jersey to Atlanta couple, where the wife was always using the where's my-----pool, character, hardwood floors.

[Chit Chat]

Boston to Alabama wife having (hopefully but shamefully producer-driven) "doubts" about the move: "I'm liberal and Jewish, don't know how I'll fit in...." This was bad enough, but then we find out she's extremely germ and bug phobic. "I have my exterminator on speed-dial".

This episode was particularly grating for me, seeing as how I live in Alabama.   Dear sweet home buyer;  I know that our state has the reputation that we're still living in the 50's & 60's, but we're not.   We have quite a diverse population, given our different industries (Mercedes, Honda, Hyundai manufacturing plants, just to name a few)  and universities in this state.  North Alabama in particular draws in people from other countries and states because of the high-tech industry and the Marshall Space Flight Center being located there.  Birmingham is quite the progressive city with it's many well-known teaching hospitals and specialists (Dr. Andrews, orthopedist to the college & major sports teams athletes, just to name one.)  So I'm sure you'll find some people in your new city that you'll fit right in with.  If not, most Southerners will be cordial and welcoming to you. It's what we do, with a few exceptions, of course! 

 

Her phobia of bugs was confusing to me too. Has she never seen a spider, ant, bee, snake, or any other variety of the animal kingdom in her hometown?  The spazzing out over smelling syrup in a cabinet - gasp,  was ridiculous too.  Yes, a pre-owned home comes with it's own smells!  You can wipe everything down, and it will be just fine.   And the comment of "I heard they had tornadoes here" - as if it were some kind of rumor!  Yes, if you've ever paid attention to the news, you'd know that our state has one of the highest rates of tornadoes in the country.  I'm not sure how she missed the historic outbreak we had in 2011.  It was an all-day event of tornadoes dropping out of the sky everywhere.  I'd guess that about the northern third of our state was without power for several days to several weeks after that particular day.   So yes, a basement or storm shelter is beneficial.  Hopefully wherever you work will have a safe area for those weather events.

 

I wonder if any of these people who are moving to other states actually research the weather and how it has impacted their particular area.  I see this mainly with people moving to coastal areas.  I never hear them ask their Realtor about hurricanes or how you'd evacuate (especially areas like the Florida Keys.)  I grew up in Florida, so I'm aware of what I'd want or not want when it comes to living there.  I spoke to a lady who was going to buy a house on a barrier island in the Gulf Coast. I asked her if she was worried about hurricanes, and she said not really.  Her Realtor assured her that hurricanes don't strike the same place twice.  My reply to her was "you actually believed her?"  D'oh!   Anyway, I worry about some of these house hunters who seem oblivious to beach living when it comes to hurricanes. I guess they'll figure it out sooner or later! 

Edited April 19, 2015 by ChitChat

[Peanutbuttercup]

If people weren't willing to get on TV for $500 and get a little nugget of tv screen time, then we wouldn't have our show. HH can truly be awful, but it exists for as long as it has because at its core, it's all about house porn and being able to snoop inside of private residences all over the world. I'm glad these people are taking one for the team (us, the audience).

 

 

These people were absolutely terrible and came across as entitled and selfish. I can't stand episodes when I can't root for either buyer and am resentful that the house owners get to live in big, updated, sprawling estates. 

 

"Where's my ..."

 

God! I guess they pissed me off more than I realized. Terrible people, cute kid. 

I couldn't even make it through their intro. I could tell their greedy asses were going to piss me off too much. Couldn't hit the delete button fast enogh.

[Mittengirl]

I usually have the feeling that the House Hunters haven't researched a damn thing about their new town. It is especially galling when they are choosing to move, rather than a job transfer type of situation. The other night, on some version of HH, a couple decided to move across the country and seemed shocked about everything damn thing. The house prices and sizes, lot sizes, traffic, commute time, weather; everything seemed to come out of nowhere as far as they were concerned. I am amazed they were even able to get from their old city to the new one.

[KLovestoShop]

Mittengirl, I wholeheartedly agree with you. In addition, I hate it when a couple move to another area of the country, and expect their new city to have the same type of houses and yards as their old city. I remember a couple who moved to Arizona from the east coast, and the wife just couldn't understand why there were no lush lawns or huge maple trees. And another couple, who also moved to Arizona, who wanted a southern colonial house---like one she grew up in. It's obvious that this crap is either scripted (why would anyone want to be made to look stupid) or these people are really, really stupid.

[aguabella]

Aguabella, you are correct.  I thought she was referring to the family moving to Georgia from New Jersey.

 

 

Yes, those two sounded very similar, laredhead.  No worries.

[aguabella]

Mittengirl, I wholeheartedly agree with you. In addition, I hate it when a couple move to another area of the country, and expect their new city to have the same type of houses and yards as their old city. I remember a couple who moved to Arizona from the east coast, and the wife just couldn't understand why there were no lush lawns or huge maple trees. And another couple, who also moved to Arizona, who wanted a southern colonial house---like one she grew up in. It's obvious that this crap is either scripted (why would anyone want to be made to look stupid) or these people are really, really stupid.

 

 

This episode was particularly grating for me, seeing as how I live in Alabama.  

 

(snip)

 

Her phobia of bugs was confusing to me too.

 

(snip)

 

I wonder if any of these people who are moving to other states actually research the weather and how it has impacted their particular area. 

 

I believe these people research their new home(s) in the same way that all of us would.  They covet that 15 minutes of fame enough to go along with the producer-driven standard plots, appearing stupid in the process!

 

That AL episode's an oldie but the huge fake bug in that one home made the entire episode feel incredibly fake, IMHO.

[DownTheShore]

Apropos of that bug-phobic woman, I worked with someone who was that same way about blood. A papercut would make her virtually swoon. I always wanted to ask her, "what do you do during your menstrual period"?

[awaken]

Sounds like Awaken's probably referring to the rerun episode with the family who moved to the Pensacola area (IIRC) and purchased the home with the indoor pool.  Don't know but perhaps they showed their WATN episode again with that bunch this past week.

 

 

No worries :)  Yes, it was the Tampa to Pensacola family who had the bratty preteen/teen kids fighting over iphones and complaining over the size of the pools :)

 

Oh no...just starting to watch another Tampa episode and I'm afraid...the couple looking for 3000 sq ft in a planned community for 2 kids.  

[aguabella]

Apropos of that bug-phobic woman, I worked with someone who was that same way about blood. A papercut would make her virtually swoon. I always wanted to ask her, "what do you do during your menstrual period"?

 

They film each of the scenes during these house tours several times, from each and every angle.  So, if the woman truly had a fear, as an amateur actress, did she only scream or exclaim about the planted bug while they were setting up lighting in that room and blocking out the scene?  Or did she see the bug previously, when the intern brought it in from the garden?  How about each of the several times they actually filmed the scene?

 

Have heard some of these participants explain that the hardest thing about filming HH was remembering their dialogue and replicating it for each angle's shot.  Hope she screamed the same way, each time, lol!  Wonder how many retakes that single room required to get it right.

 

Oh, the creative process and procedures necessary to produce just 22 minutes for a lil cable show ...  it's art, haha.

Edited April 21, 2015 by aguabella

[NYGirl]

OK I've seen it all now.  Today (or was it yesterday?) I saw a single woman looking for a condo that was a "shipping container".  Whatttttttttttttt???????????

 

When I worked for my family we used to load those containers to go overseas (I worked in the office)

 

OMG what next??? 

[slasherboy]

I remember the couple who moved to Florida and their potential house just HAD to look like their home in Colorado.  Not gonna happen.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

I saw a single woman looking for a condo that was a "shipping container".  Whatttttttttttttt???????????

 

 

This apparently is a "thing".  A few seasons ago on HGTV's Design Star, one of the challenges was decorating a shipping container.

 

This morning HGTV was showing several episodes of "House Hunters, Off the Grid".  These are people who want to live in the middle of nowhere.  First one I saw was a young family moving to Bhutan.  Wow.  It is almost like HGTV is making fun of itself at this point, like Saturday Night Live might do. 

[Dewey Decimate]

Buffalo, NY. You scrawny, resting-and-active bitch face, mismatched google-eyed, Mark Zuckerberg wanna-be: Hey asshole, you need a personal space to "escape" your wife/gf? To play your video games and baby drum pad kit? "I think this will be enough room for your make-up." - yes, because you are SO concerned about her needs. And you think painting the kitchen cabinets is a doable job, but taking down the wallpaper "banner" (dipshit) is too much? The wrong color walls and partial carpeting make a house not "move-in ready"? Go to hell, you little fuck-twat. The woman was not much better, for 1) chirping that having a SS dishwasher means "the dishes will get done!" (because of course non-SS apps are inoperable) and 2) dating/marrying that horrible, oozing-with-latent-contempt piece of steaming shit.

 

My apologies for the hate-filled rant. Episodes like this make me inclined to despise most of humanity. (Okay, mainly the individuals stupid/narcissistic enough to appear on this show.) Then there's an ep like the one in Alabama, where, despite some diva-ish moments, the wife said how appreciative she was of having a home, and the husband got teary-eyed about having this opportunity, how he's the first in his family to buy a home, and American Dream and awwww... I'm sucked back in.

[laredhead]

The Buffalo episode said the median home prices there are $100,000?  Did I hear that correctly?  There must be a large number of very small and not so up to date houses there for the median price to be that low.  Two of the houses the couple looked at were small with under 1300 square feet.  I always get confused when they list the square footage and then they continue to tour rooms that look like a decent size.  Then I remember that basements aren't figured in that square footage and evidently neither was the "bonus" room in the attic.  There's no way you could fit all of those rooms into that amount of square footage.  

 

I have come to the conclusion that if their words aren't scripted or prompted, then many of these people really do want a totally finished house that they can move into and live in until something breaks and then they will list it and move on to something else.  I'm wondering if the younger generation has so immersed itself in big screen TV's, video games and other electronic doo dads that they have lost the ability to even change a light bulb ow mow a yard.  I am further amazed that they don't seem to have a problem admitting their low DIY skill level for even the simplest task such as scraping off a wall paper border.  The house they chose would not have been my choice, but I guess the woman had her father on speed dial for any home improvements they needed.  I was cringing as the boyfriend was lighting the fireplace and hoping that he would be able to handle that core adequately without blowing up the house.     

[bubbls]

I tried not to be judgmental, but I found that Buffalo couple annoying too. Her constant bellowing got on my nerves. I tend to have a loud voice sometimes so I'm sure she was horrified when she saw herself. And the house prices in Buffalo?? Really?? I'm moving! Ha. 

[NYGirl]

I know this afternoon's HH wasn't producer driven in that the husband wanted no carpet because of old foot skin pieces and also had to have the toilet in a separate room. When it's the same old stuff over and over, such as stainless, open concept, etc., it's definitely scripted.

 

As far as Buffalo...yikes...her eyebrows, her voice, his bitch face...ugh.

 

Nice houses on the cheap but Buffalo gets tons of snow...like every day in the winter.

Edited April 23, 2015 by NYGirl

[Kiddvideo]

Buffalo Girl (Lindsay?) The first couple of times she told him her Dad could fix something no problem, I was thinking she could be a little more sensitive to his POV, and how would she like it if he compared her negatively to his Mom. But then he started talking and almost everything out of his mouth made me laugh with disbelief. She's engaged to a man-child with no life skills who seems to actively dislike her. She's annoying, he hates her. It'll be fun!

[aguabella]

 Wow.  It is almost like HGTV is making fun of itself at this point, like Saturday Night Live might do. 

 

Agree, it's the typical media story.  As soon as they find, or just think they've found a winning formula, it's done, redone and overdone until you need to stick a fork in it while the fat lady sings!

 

Let's see, we have L&O, L&O SVU, CI, LA, Britain ...  Or, CSI, CSI NY ... 

Edited April 23, 2015 by aguabella

[Ohwell]

As far as Buffalo...yikes...her eyebrows, her voice, his bitch face...ugh.

Yes, I was distracted by those eyebrows.  And the shouting.

 

I didn't realize that houses were so cheap in Buffalo, snow notwithstanding.

[Patrizio]

I was born and raised in Buffalo, so I was looking forward to this episode. My immediate family moved from there starting in the early 1980's to Raleigh, NC and never looked back. We used to go  every couple of years, mainly to eat great food; but then those visits fell by the wayside. The weather is just awful, jobs are scarce, so yeah you can probably score a $100G house there now. It was telling that there was no mention of which part of Buffalo they were looking. It's too bad that the couple didn't have more of a budget because there are some truly beautiful neighborhoods there. I must confess to a pet peeve, if I am going to be on national TV, you can bet my hair and make up are going to be on point. I know it's petty but her hair was a mess.

[zivadanielle]

I know this afternoon's HH wasn't producer driven in that the husband wanted no carpet because of old foot skin pieces and also had to have the toilet in a separate room. When it's the same old stuff over and over, such as stainless, open concept, etc., it's definitely scripted.

 

As far as Buffalo...yikes...her eyebrows, her voice, his bitch face...ugh.

 

Nice houses on the cheap but Buffalo gets tons of snow...like every day in the winter.

Oh the Foot Skin Guy!  That episode is from a couple of years ago but I loved him.  Actually I recall it was a generally enjoyable HH....they were more funny than annoying with their home desires.

 

Now I wish I saw the Buffalo episode too....

[laredhead]

I was so bummed out that the Sarasota couple did not choose the 2400 sf house close to the bay on last night's show.  I think the realtor offered some good insights and advice to them about making the changes over time in order to make it their forever house.  They were just like 99% of all of the HH's who want a large move in ready house.  They wanted instant gratification.  Instead they chose a 2000 sf house with a small kitchen, and although it had a pool, it had no other outdoor space for a child to play.  The larger house had a large back yard in addition to a pool that had a screened cover.  Yes, the larger house was more expensive, but they could have made the changes over time to their taste. I will say the lights in the kitchen of that house were really strange.  I have never seen anything like that, and would be OK if I never did again.  Oh well, that house probably wasn't really for sale anyway.  I need to quit stressing out over what I consider these poor choices by the buyers. 

[aguabella]

I was so bummed out that the Sarasota couple did not choose the 2400 sf house close to the bay on last night's show. 

 

(snip)

 

I need to quit stressing out over what I consider these poor choices by the buyers. 

 

They also didn't choose the 2,000 sf  "on last night's show";  escrow had closed previously.  Definitely agree with your conclusion - there's nothing to stress about, laredhead.

 

 

Not understanding several posters' negativity towards the Buffalo couple WRT their "move-in ready" demand.  Agree, both of them were personally annoying.  WRT the RE, however, everyone notice they'd purchased the fixer??  I considered the "move-in ready" bs to be the episode's red herring.

 

BTW, another website reports a 120K Buffalo median home price.  Didn't delve into the #'s but perhaps 120K only includes single family homes.  WRT the availability of her father for maintenance, his location 3 hours away isn't practical for the long term.  The bf will learn over time IMHO, by doing.

 

Instead, why didn't her family help her years earlier with the larger, overall situation?  Five years dating?  Purchasing a home before marriage?  And the way she prompted him about an engagement?  Instead of buying the home, she needed to move on.

 

In general, I'd have concerns about the long-term employment prospects in Buffalo.  (Thanks for the background, Patrizio.)  Sounds like a great place to attend college but why not find a career, entry-level position in the NYC area after graduation?  Granted, she can learn valuable project management skills in her current job but no offense, she sounded like a glorified secretary, nesting in Buffalo, waiting for that clown to put a ring on it. 

 

Yes, the move-in ready routine may have been a red herring but IMHO, he took the man cave crap too far.  If he's making those type of personal comments before marriage and especially kids, on camera,  it's time to go, sweetheart.  Way overdue, in fact - you deserve better.

 

P.S.  Noticed Tonawanda in the closing credits, used for at least one of the location shoots.  Home's location, too? 

Edited April 26, 2015 by aguabella

[laredhead]

Aguabella, you hit the nail on the head with your comments about the dynamics between the Buffalo couple.  Yes, I agree the woman should have borrowed some $$ from her parents and bought her own place and left boyfriend far behind.  Hard to imagine he was just kidding around with his attitude about just about everything.  I also noticed that she was doing the prompting about a wedding.  She needs to learn to live on her own and enjoy life w/o having a guy like him around.

[Patrizio]

You know, I didn't mean to come down so hard on Buffalo. If you are ever there from June-August, it is very beautiful. It's very artsoriented community, lots of concerts and festivals. A while back NY magazine had an article about young professionals fleeing NYC to Buffalo D/T to the escalating cost of living. Still. It is very difficult weather. If the snow doesn't get you, the wind chill factorwill. I also don't think that the city montage was very well done. Why not show a couple of the Frank Lloyd Wright houses there, or the stunning architecture of downtown? Why didn't they go to the Anchor Bar if they were gonna show Wings? The creator of chicken wing as everyone knows? My Aunt lived in Tonawanda, can't say I would recommend it.

[aguabella]

Agree, too bad they didn't feature anything from Buffalo's preservation districts / architectural tour.

 

WRT millenials returning to the area, in general, they're only returning if/when they land a career job there.  For the Buffalo gf, that should be her priority, IMHO, i.e. focusing on her career and personal growth.  I'd never suggest she purchase another home, on her own, at this time.

 

Buying a home isn't for everyone;  it commits you to a particular area.  Yes, it can be sold but it's much more difficult than simply giving notice on a rental and moving on.

 

WRT her parents, I was merely hoping that they'd stop encouraging that relationship and instead, suggest she move on.  (I do realize, however, that some parents don't have influence.)  Nope, she's not going anywhere!

 

 

 

[bubbls]

 

Five years dating?  Purchasing a home before marriage?  And the way she prompted him about an engagement?  Instead of buying the home, she needed to move on.

 

I too wondered about purchasing it together. Unless one was the actual owner and TPTB neglected that part. 

Edited April 27, 2015 by bubbls

[aguabella]

I too wondered about purchasing it together. Unless one was the actual owner and TPTB neglected that part. 

 

I didn't (and don't) doubt for a second that they purchased the home together.  Unfortunately, for unmarried partners, for multiple reasons, even if an ironclad contract including a buy-sell agreement is negotiated in advance, it's almost always a lousy idea and things get ugly when these partnerships don't work out.

[bubbls]

I didn't (and don't) doubt for a second that they purchased the home together.  Unfortunately, for unmarried partners, for multiple reasons, even if an ironclad contract including a buy-sell agreement is negotiated in advance, it's almost always a lousy idea and things get ugly when these partnerships don't work out.

 

 

You're so right. I've always been very financially conservative so I'd never in a gazillion years do something like that. But that's me. I also know that a wall paper border isn't a deal breaker when it comes to buying a house, hehe.

[laredhead]

In the episode last night about the single woman in Memphis buyer her first house, if a realtor had shown me a house like the first one, I would have found another realtor.  Yes, I know the show is a fake, but the buyer gave a list of the things she wanted.  I think about the only things that first house had that the buyer expected was a roof and walls.  It was very small, had no fenced yard for her dog, and it  did not have gaarage which was a priority for her because of her work hours.  Why not show 3 comparable houses?  I'm sure Memphis had more houses in her price range than the 3 that were showcased.  Glad she managed to buy something that she can improve on, and that she was able to find a house with a garage and a small fenced yard.  I liked her mother's comments about white appliances being just fine and you can cook on a white stove just as well as a stainless steel one.  I did agree with the buyer that the wallpaper was a bit much, but as her mother said, removing it is fairly easy if you know what you're doing and are willing to invest some sweat equity.  

[camom]

I also thought the HH's mom had her head on her shoulders and was giving her daughter good advice.  Not sure, though, why she thought her daughter needed a formal dining room for Thanksgiving dinners. 

[biakbiak]

I did think it was funny that when the woman from Memphis was discussing the changes she had made to the house she mentioned her dad, uncle and aunts had all helped with the renovations but no mention of her mother who had said all the changes she wanted to make were easy helping with the work.

[aguabella]

You're so right. I've always been very financially conservative so I'd never in a gazillion years do something like that. But that's me. I also know that a wall paper border isn't a deal breaker when it comes to buying a house, hehe.

 

I have a feeling the Buffalo guy would agree with you about the w/p border.  He said that line and then literally walked right around the corner and started talking about repainting the kitchen cabinets, a much larger job.  (In fact, I always suggest that homeowners have a professional do the cabs.) 

 

Just guessing / speculating but the w/p border statement sounded like a line but the cabinet suggestion must have been his actual idea.  After purchasing the fixer, he appeared to be giving his future (?) fil rapt attention on the various diy projects.

 

Anyone else observing poor editing recently on this and other HGTV shows?  IIRC, several posters noticed this inconsistency.  In general, they usually have the participants criticize their home and praise the decoys, IMHO.  Also, we didn't hear much, again IIRC, from the realtor during this episode.  (Expected the realtor to chime in about that border plus a few other things and his silence surprised me.)  Hey, production company, anybody home??

Edited May 5, 2015 by aguabella

[Tony]

With the endless fake charade the producers are pulling, you'd think it'd be easier just to go the real route to use actual real estate agents and tour houses listed on the market. I get that the shooting schedule is a week long so the agents might will be locked down for that long, but I'm sure a ton would jump at the opportunity to put themselves and their names out on national TV. As for the houses, they could just go for the ones that the homeowners have already moved out so the properties would be empty anyways barring the occasional house tours. Sellers wouldn't mind because it could potentially lead to a sale.

[chessiegal]

Considering the amount of time between shooting a show and it airing on TV. showing houses that are really on the market wouldn't have any incentive to be on the show. I believe the time between shoot and air is about 6 months. In the case where one of the decoy houses was across the street from our daughter's house (NOLA), the time between shoot and air was over 6 months. People want their homes sold faster than that. I've seen real estate agents use being on the show as a marketing tool. At one point we were interested in moving to Wilmington, NC. I saw an episode there, and looked up the agent on the show. He made of point of letting people know he had been featured on House Hunters.

[KLovestoShop]

This show drives me nuts, so I can't understand why I watch. Maybe it's the whole "I like watching people looking like jerks". Knowing this thing is scripted, why would anyone agree to be made to look ignorant?

When did this younger generation become so spoiled and lazy? I get so tired of men saying they want absolutely no yard work. My dad worked two jobs, but he never complained about mowing lawn and plowing snow. But so often you hear these men bitching about mowing lawns. Since most homes are on city size lots, it would take all of an hour a week. Ever hear about lawn mowing services? Oh sorry, that's not in the budget.

And then this whole budget issue is silly, and annoying. A couple says they have a budget of $400K, but whoa to an agent who dares show them a house for $399K. You said your budget is $400K, so shut the hell up. If you really only want to spend $350K, just tell them that freaking number.

And what's with these parents and their comments about their kids? We can't have a cook top in the center island because the kids would touch it. We can't have our bedroom on a different floor because they are young. Sheesh. Kids grow up fast, for cripes sake. Oh, there's a road in front of the house. The kids might run in the road. Guess what? It's called watch your freaking kids or teach them to stay out of the road!!!!! We can't have a fireplace because the kids might try and light it. Idiots.

And why does every couple say they constantly entertain? I just don't believe that these people entertain every single week. Unless we live in a weird neighborhood, our neighbors, including us, are lucky to have one or two parties a year. Maybe that's the reason the men don't want to work around the house----they're too busy entertaining every weekend!!!!

Edited May 7, 2015 by KLovestoShop

[MsTree]

And what's with these parents and their comments about their kids? We can't have a cook top in the center island because the kids would touch it. We can't have our bedroom on a different floor because they are young. Sheesh. Kids grow up fast, for cripes sake. Oh, there's a road in front of the house. The kids might run in the road. Guess what? It's called watch your freaking kids or teach them to stay out of the road!!!!! We can't have a fireplace because the kids might try and light it. Idiots

 

And at the risk of typing an unpopular opinion, let me add all the stupid comments about their dogs!  Oh no, Rover wouldn't like this yard. Too fuckin' bad. When Rover (and the spoiled brats) cough up enough money for a down payment, THEN they can have a voice. Let's face it, all Rover cares about is when/how much you feed him. He doesn't need 3 acres to do his business either.

[aguabella]

And at the risk of typing an unpopular opinion, let me add all the stupid comments about their dogs!  Oh no, Rover wouldn't like this yard. Too fuckin' bad. When Rover (and the spoiled brats) cough up enough money for a down payment, THEN they can have a voice. Let's face it, all Rover cares about is when/how much you feed him. He doesn't need 3 acres to do his business either.

 

Definitely agree with you about the pups.  I love animals but believe the yard's primarily for the owners, to avoid walking Rover!

[KLovestoShop]

Maybe instead of a dog, these lazy homeowners could buy a goat. Then he wouldn't have to worry about cutting the lawn.

[laredhead]

Stewedsquash, when the Baltimore Row House HH Renovations was first aired, it generated a lot of comments not all of them complimentary.  A lot of them suggested what you did about the dining room. 

[bubbls]

 

 

 

Baltimore row house gal got on my nerves too. She was already talking about spawning a child. Meanwhile, hubs-to-be is saying "Wait, we aren't married, we just moved to a new city, new jobs, etc. Let's get settled first." Yet she says he's not thinking ahead. HUH?? Idiot. I fully expected her to announce she was impregnated at the end but not a word. I know this was probably her bad edit but I still found her annoying.

Edited May 12, 2015 by bubbls

[biakbiak]

Baltimore row house gal got on my nerves too. She was already talking about spawning a child. Meanwhile, hubs-to-be is saying "Wait, we aren't married, we just moved to a new city, new jobs, etc. Let's get settled first." Yet she says he's not thinking ahead. HUH?? Idiot. I fully expected her to announce she was impregnated at the end but not a word. I know this was probably her bad edit but I still found her annoying.

I didn't see the episode but it seems like her point ess that while right now they weren't going to have children in a few years they were going to have them and unless they wanted to have to go through a house hunt again they should take that into account when purchasing something as major as a house. Seems practical to me.

[aguabella]

I didn't see the episode but it seems like her point ess that while right now they weren't going to have children in a few years they were going to have them and unless they wanted to have to go through a house hunt again they should take that into account when purchasing something as major as a house. Seems practical to me.

 

Agree.  Given that the average period of home ownership is probably 5-7 years, currently, if prospective homeowners anticipate a life change within that time period, it makes sense to plan for it.  Otherwise, they may be stuck with either an uncomfortable living situation and/or forced to sell / buy during a less than optimal market period.

Edited May 12, 2015 by aguabella

[laredhead]

Just watched tonight's episode about a dentist buying a house in South Dakota.  I loved the mid-century modern house.  it was very large and the price was very reasonable and far under the $300,000 he planned to spend.  It could have been fixed up to his taste with that savings on the price.  He was buying the house, not his girlfriend.  They were not formally engaged, so this was yet another case of one of the couple buying the house w/o the other one being legally obligated, yet, he went along with buying the house built in 1905.  That house was a mish mash of styles, IMHO.  I hated the ceiling angles on the second floor.  that takes away from usable space and certainly was not ideal for his art collection.  She hated the paneling, but he was correct that it was "the good stuff" and not the cheaper type that became popular in the 70's.  At least she didn't get her way and get him to buy the new build which had absolutely no character or redeeming features at all.

[KLovestoShop]

I didn't like the South Dakota couple at all. He seemed like a know-it-all and she was a spoiled, condescending, immature girl. I don't see them making it as a couple.

Don't these people know that if you're wanting a mid-century house, the inside is most likely going to reflect mid-century decor? All I kept hearing is I don't like this, this is weird, and so on.