House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[Tara1665]

Maybe I'm wrong but if those two are boyfriend and girlfriend then I'm a cat. Dude, you cannot hide your gayness. I think they are roommates possibly. I'm pretty sure that they only showed one bedroom at the end and it wasn't the master bedroom. Maybe im wrong but I don't think so. I liked the second house with that beautiful stone wall/fireplace.

[zivadanielle]

Mr. South Dakota Pediatric Dentist had the worst case of male vocal fry I have ever heard!!!! MY EARS. 

 

I liked the first and second homes...the third, the new build that the "girlfriend" wanted: not so much.  I

[Ohwell]

Mr. South Dakota Pediatric Dentist had the worst case of male vocal fry I have ever heard!!!! MY EARS.

My ears hurt, too.  I don't know how she could stand to listen to his voice.  Didn't like her much either though.  I hated it when she just laughed with disgust at things she didn't like, especially that kitchen where she laughed and said it needed to be gutted.  I might be wrong about her, but she didn't look like she was all that familiar with a stove.  

 

Maybe I'm wrong but if those two are boyfriend and girlfriend then I'm a cat. Dude, you cannot hide your gayness.

I know that not every guy who loves art is gay, but that guy did ping my gaydar.  Big time.

[Babalooie]

Yes, yes, yes, to all of you regarding the SD dentist and "friend".  I was irritated with them the minute they started speaking.  I don't know much about SD, but I didn't associate the state with ranch homes, like here in FL.

[bubbls]

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.

 

That's not the impression she gave at all. The impression I got was she was desperate to pop one out right then and there, even on filming day, and to heck with things like jobs or moving or learning a marriage. However, this IS House Hunters so who knows what the reality was.

[Peanutbuttercup]

Just a heads-up for those of you who DVR the program and might not subscribe to all the iterations -- it looks like next week will be a week of House Hunters: Off the Grid.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

I liked the young couple who bought in Colorado Springs, although the husband was slightly annoying.  They seemed down-to-earth and didn't have unrealistic expectations. His schtick was "I'm from the south ... this isn't l like in the south," and hers was that she wanted a nice front door.

 

I wish they had gone through one older home with more charm, just because I'm curious about what you can get in Colorado Springs.  The 2 new / newer construction homes were sort of hard to tell apart.

[KLovestoShop]

I looked at the lineup for Off The Grid, and I'm trying to figure out why it's not just HHI? Every episode this week is someone looking for a home in a foreign country, so what makes it different from just a regular HHI?

[laredhead]

Off The Grid usually means an alternate power source for the house - like wind or solar. 

[Bastet]

Every once in a while they do a themed week for one version of the show or another, where every episode deals with people looking for a certain type of home -- off the grid, "green," vacation homes, high rises, etc. 

 

As a side note, I hate when they do "green" HHs, because they are always stupid people making choices contrary to their stated goal of being environmentally friendly in their housing purchase.  As I recall, their off the grid episodes have been pretty bad, too.

[KLovestoShop]

Lots of old HH today. I think the theme was "Obnoxious and Spoiled Women". I swear all I heard was "Where's my pool. Where's my front porch. Where's my doorman. Where's my gas cooktop."

[aguabella]

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.

 

JMHO but I never suggest someone take on a major renovation b/c many people simply don't have the fortitude to deal with it.  It's very stressful.  Also, IIRC, the differential between the price and max budget was only about 60K.  Even in a lower labor rate area, that goes very quickly when the entire home, top to bottom, requires renovation.  (That home did, IIRC.)  At least one major issue, meaning more expense / less contingency comes up.  And, I suspect they'd prefer to use high-end finishes.

 

In addition, it's HH - so we don't even know that home was actually for sale, either during their RL house hunt or when filmed.  JMHO but I had the sense tptb wanted to showcase mid-century homes and were basically only able to find one that was available for filming!

 

P.S.  Again, JMHO, but I never think of these things as "her way" or "his way".  That's tptb creating conflict.  The newer build, third home, appeared to be a decoy.

Edited May 18, 2015 by aguabella

[Empress1]

Lots of old HH today. I think the theme was "Obnoxious and Spoiled Women". I swear all I heard was "Where's my pool. Where's my front porch. Where's my doorman. Where's my gas cooktop."

I watched one with a couple in Phoenix that I had to turn off because I found her so irritating, and another in Chicago - that was the "where's my doorman?" woman who was obsessed with crystal chandeliers.

 

An electric range would be a deal-breaker for me though, as someone who cooks daily. Gas all the way. My mom has electric in her house (she always had gas - the house I grew up in had gas - but the house had more important features so she compromised on electric) and I just don't like cooking on it. I find you have way more control with a gas range.

[aguabella]

That's not the impression she gave at all. The impression I got was she was desperate to pop one out right then and there, even on filming day, and to heck with things like jobs or moving or learning a marriage. However, this IS House Hunters so who knows what the reality was.

 

I remember that HHR fairly well but I didn't get the impression the wife had that type of urgency to have a child but that's JMHO.  It's possible, however, that tptb wanted to give that impression, to amp up the drama.

 

You're correct, IMHO - reality isn't depicted during reality television.

[laredhead]

Just saw the HH Off the Grid episode about the California couple buying land in Missouri and building a cob house.  Loved it when the realtor said she had no idea what "off the grid" meant when she first met them.  She sure did work for her fee, having to drive a couple of hundred miles showing them places that sort of fit their criteria.  No ss appliances, jetted tubs, or granite counter tops for these buyers.  This is one that I would like to see on a future Where Are They Now episode.

Edited May 21, 2015 by laredhead

[biakbiak]

Why the mother fucking fuck did the Missouri couple not do a tankless water heater? Takes up such a small space, less energy and less water and in many places you get tax rebates because of the energy saving but even if there aren't rebates they are cheaper and more energy efficient!

[Vivigirl10]

Two words in my vocabulary that don't ever need to go together:  Composting toilet.  

[CoolMom]

JMHO but I never suggest someone take on a major renovation b/c many people simply don't have the fortitude to deal with it.  It's very stressful.  Also, IIRC, the differential between the price and max budget was only about 60K.  Even in a lower labor rate area, that goes very quickly when the entire home, top to bottom, requires renovation.  (That home did, IIRC.)  At least one major issue, meaning more expense / less contingency comes up.  And, I suspect they'd prefer to use high-end finishes.

 

We bought a vacation home in the mountains a couple of years ago.  Our realtor told us that she strongly recommended not buying the fixer that DH wanted.  She said people just don't understand what they are getting themselves into.  DH likes to work around the house and yard and I am sitting in an 1800 sq ft house on 3 acres that cost $50k.  We have put $40k into it which includes new  a/c, siding, kitchen, guest bath and refinishing wood floors.  There's more work to be done: roof and carpet in two rooms not to mention the neglected yard.   Our realtor said after her initial showing with my husband she realized that he was one of the few people who could pull off a long distance reno but we've done 90% of the work.  We did get scammed on the a/c though but that was a lesson learned about trusting people to do work when you are not there.  Anyway, the house is worth $135k now and still needs a new roof and a master bath update. 

[aguabella]

Two words in my vocabulary that don't ever need to go together:  Composting toilet.  

 

Agree, I didn't need the image of that outhouse bucket in that last place in Misery.

[aguabella]

We bought a vacation home in the mountains a couple of years ago.  Our realtor told us that she strongly recommended not buying the fixer that DH wanted.  She said people just don't understand what they are getting themselves into.  DH likes to work around the house and yard and I am sitting in an 1800 sq ft house on 3 acres that cost $50k.  We have put $40k into it which includes new  a/c, siding, kitchen, guest bath and refinishing wood floors.  There's more work to be done: roof and carpet in two rooms not to mention the neglected yard.   Our realtor said after her initial showing with my husband she realized that he was one of the few people who could pull off a long distance reno but we've done 90% of the work.  We did get scammed on the a/c though but that was a lesson learned about trusting people to do work when you are not there.  Anyway, the house is worth $135k now and still needs a new roof and a master bath update. 

 

Congratulations!  Nice equity boost!  Hope that's sufficient sweat-equity to compensate you for the loss of your weekends plus your project management expertise.

 

Not trying to throw a wet blanket on it but if it's been a couple of years, sometimes a percentage of the equity increase actually constitutes the normal market variation over that time.  (Sorry!)  It's another reason home improvements may not be worth the time, IMHO.

 

Never ends, does it?  Hope you're enjoying the place, too!  Good luck!

[aguabella]

Just saw the HH Off the Grid episode about the California couple buying land in Missouri and building a cob house.  Loved it when the realtor said she had no idea what "off the grid" meant when she first met them.  She sure did work for her fee, having to drive a couple of hundred miles showing them places that sort of fit their criteria.  No ss appliances, jetted tubs, or granite counter tops for these buyers.  This is one that I would like to see on a future Where Are They Now episode.

 

Perhaps she was going for that HH marketing exposure!  Hope it helps her but driving's probably common in those areas, IMHO.

 

IIRC, they bought land.  Some realtors specialize in that area.

[NYGirl]

Where's my guest house? :::sniff::: (resting bitch face)

[DownTheShore]

I was impressed with that Missouri realtor. She really educated herself about what her clients wanted and actually showed them viable prospects. It was an interesting show even though I don't buy into that whole "God intended us to live a simple life" philosophy. But - different strokes for different folks.

Edited May 26, 2015 by DownTheShore

[biakbiak]

Wait House Hunters are you telling me woman can also like football!! Shocking!

[latetotheparty]

Where's my guest house? :::sniff::: (resting bitch face)

 

I am so tired of that episode.

[greyhorse]

I'm not a regular watcher of this show, but I have a day-off and am drinking my coffee and stumbled upon this show.  Watching an episode with a California couple Rob and singer-songwriter Miranda that moved to Austin.  Although I'm probably guessing this is a rerun, I did a search in the topic and I don't see any comments about them.

 

I generally hate these shows because I think they're probably all scripted.  Miranda seems like a handful and difficult to please.  She is likely a struggling singer-songwriter, yet she feels so entitled.  Her main focus that she kept hammering to the viewers is that she wants a Victorian style home and she wants to be downtown.  I suppose she just likes Victorians?  "If I can get exactly what I want and pay more, then that's the way I want to go."  Well, DUH?  Doesn't everybody want to get everything they want?  But usually the give-and-take involves how much you're willing to pay.  Rob seems very down-to-earth, not sure what he does but he keeps talking about needing an office, so I'm guessing he works from home.  His other request is that he wants to be near a lake.

 

Every house the realtor shows them is not satisfactory to Miranda which is not at all surprising.  The big house near the lake - "it's so far away from downtown".  The $650K top-of-the-budget house downtown - "it's not a Victorian".  The new South Austin model house five miles away from downtown - "it's not Victorian and I'm too close to my neighbors."  Ehhh.

 

Ultimately they decide on the South Austin place which I suppose is the best option.  But she's still not really that happy.  "Five miles away from downtown is not too bad..."  Seriously?  They come from Southern California and she is worried about driving five miles?  I hate her decorating style, I couldn't live in a house that looked like that.  And the ten seconds of her singing on stage didn't really wow me.  

[CocoaGoddess]

I'm not a regular watcher of this show, but I have a day-off and am drinking my coffee and stumbled upon this show.  Watching an episode with a California couple Rob and singer-songwriter Miranda that moved to Austin.  Although I'm probably guessing this is a rerun, I did a search in the topic and I don't see any comments about them.

 

I generally hate these shows because I think they're probably all scripted.  Miranda seems like a handful and difficult to please.  She is likely a struggling singer-songwriter, yet she feels so entitled.  Her main focus that she kept hammering to the viewers is that she wants a Victorian style home and she wants to be downtown.  I suppose she just likes Victorians?  "If I can get exactly what I want and pay more, then that's the way I want to go."  Well, DUH?  Doesn't everybody want to get everything they want?  But usually the give-and-take involves how much you're willing to pay.  Rob seems very down-to-earth, not sure what he does but he keeps talking about needing an office, so I'm guessing he works from home.  His other request is that he wants to be near a lake.

 

Every house the realtor shows them is not satisfactory to Miranda which is not at all surprising.  The big house near the lake - "it's so far away from downtown".  The $650K top-of-the-budget house downtown - "it's not a Victorian".  The new South Austin model house five miles away from downtown - "it's not Victorian and I'm too close to my neighbors."  Ehhh.

 

Ultimately they decide on the South Austin place which I suppose is the best option.  But she's still not really that happy.  "Five miles away from downtown is not too bad..."  Seriously?  They come from Southern California and she is worried about driving five miles?  I hate her decorating style, I couldn't live in a house that looked like that.  And the ten seconds of her singing on stage didn't really wow me.  

Watched this episode this morning and could not agree with you more. She seemed like a demanding toddler and her husband gave in to her every whim, including uprooting to live in a town to kick off her struggling "singing" career. 

 

I detected some serious shade from the realtor though, when he showed them the cabin house 35 miles away from the downtown area. He said that the husband could get what he wanted--plenty of space and a house close to the lake--while she could have what she wanted--spacious house and close to downtown for her occasional singing gig. That was pretty great and worth watching her whining and entitlement. 

[NYGirl]

Watched this episode this morning and could not agree with you more. She seemed like a demanding toddler and her husband gave in to her every whim, including uprooting to live in a town to kick off her struggling "singing" career. 

 

I detected some serious shade from the realtor though, when he showed them the cabin house 35 miles away from the downtown area. He said that the husband could get what he wanted--plenty of space and a house close to the lake--while she could have what she wanted--spacious house and close to downtown for her occasional singing gig. That was pretty great and worth watching her whining and entitlement.

I'm not a regular watcher of this show, but I have a day-off and am drinking my coffee and stumbled upon this show.  Watching an episode with a California couple Rob and singer-songwriter Miranda that moved to Austin.  Although I'm probably guessing this is a rerun, I did a search in the topic and I don't see any comments about them.

 

I generally hate these shows because I think they're probably all scripted.  Miranda seems like a handful and difficult to please.  She is likely a struggling singer-songwriter, yet she feels so entitled.  Her main focus that she kept hammering to the viewers is that she wants a Victorian style home and she wants to be downtown.  I suppose she just likes Victorians?  "If I can get exactly what I want and pay more, then that's the way I want to go."  Well, DUH?  Doesn't everybody want to get everything they want?  But usually the give-and-take involves how much you're willing to pay.  Rob seems very down-to-earth, not sure what he does but he keeps talking about needing an office, so I'm guessing he works from home.  His other request is that he wants to be near a lake.

 

Every house the realtor shows them is not satisfactory to Miranda which is not at all surprising.  The big house near the lake - "it's so far away from downtown".  The $650K top-of-the-budget house downtown - "it's not a Victorian".  The new South Austin model house five miles away from downtown - "it's not Victorian and I'm too close to my neighbors."  Ehhh.

 

Ultimately they decide on the South Austin place which I suppose is the best option.  But she's still not really that happy.  "Five miles away from downtown is not too bad..."  Seriously?  They come from Southern California and she is worried about driving five miles?  I hate her decorating style, I couldn't live in a house that looked like that.  And the ten seconds of her singing on stage didn't really wow me.

I happened to catch this one today and I was shaking my head throughout. I was afraid she'd get her way with the big house downtown. I was glad she didn't. Her decorating was horrendous. Looked like my grandmothers furniture and I'm in my 60s!

A quick search of her name Miranda Rose told me all I need to know. Her blog was from 2013 and the last entry was that she was going to be on HH. I didn't like the vibrato in her voice when she sang at the end. Ugh.

[Apocalypse Cow]

II can't remember if it was a new episode at night this week or a repeat but I liked the couple who were on recently from Florida. They were living with her parents for a year and the parents were just normal, not trying to be funny or hip with it, but they said It's time for them to go. We are ready to be empty nesters. And the house hunter husband just wanted to be able to walk around in his underwear. All four were just normal acting and seemed like they were nice people. So I was really bummed when they showed super ugly houses. The one they picked had a screened in porch that seemed to be in the middle of the living room. I thought it was one of those solarium's but it was a porch. None of the houses were pretty from the outside and I got claustrophobia just watching. They didn't seem to have the trinity pet peeve syndrome, I don't think I heard granite or stainless steel one time. And I loved that their boat wasn't a ski boat, but a fishing boat. 

 

I liked this couple also. They just seemed...normal. And they had really realistic house expectations. But yeah, the houses they were shown were ugly. But I'm glad they picked the one that they did.

[Bronx Babe]

Savannah vacation home wife didn't want to live in a haunted house. She needn't have worried -- one look at her face and any ghosts would instantly de-materialize.

[laredhead]

Once again last night there was a couple who didn't want to spend more than $150,000 on a house, but she wanted a spa retreat bathroom and he wanted space.  Actually, she didn't want to spend more than $150,000, but he said he was willing to go higher to get more space.  $150,000 isn't going to buy a palatial house in Kansas City or just about anywhere else.  The realtor shows them 2 houses, each with just over a 1,000 sq feet and they both talk about how small the rooms are.  One is a 2 bedroom and the other is a 3 bedroom.  The realtor even states that if the wife wants a spa bathroom, she's going to have to pay more.  The wife is disappointed that the master bath in one is not her idea of a spa retreat.  Duh!!!  As far as I could see, closet space in both of those houses was almost non-existent.  I think the basement became the giant storage closet for them.  I lived in a 1,000 sq foot 2 bedroom apartment, and the HH photographers must do some clever camera work, because while the rooms were small, those houses looked larger than 1,000 or 1100 sq ft.  At least they have the unfinished basement with sq footage that equals the upstairs and they can expand that house to around 2,000 sq ft in the future.    

[NYGirl]

I was thinking the same thing Laredhead.  When she said she wanted a "spa-like" bathroom I snorted. 

 

But you know I've seen people with very low budgets get nice size master baths with soaking tubs, etc., before..maybe in Georgia??  They all meld into one to me.

[Ketzel]

Goodness me! Two intelligent people show loving respect for each other, and a sense of humor about each others foibles! I could hardly believe I was watching HH! This was the couple looking for a larger house in Fairfield, CT. Wife was a realtor and had a lot of experience with house flipping, husband wanted a pool and a big back yard. They'd been married for fifteen years and had two sons. I really enjoyed their interaction as she showed him around the houses she thought would suit them. It was amusing how she was the one claiming she wanted the house to be move-in ready, and he kept snarking back at her about her inability to live anywhere without making major changes. The funniest moment was when she didn't like one of the kitchens, he sighed, and she said something like, "What? A kitchen isn't a big renovation!" He rolled his eyes, she laughed and blushed. I also liked how good-naturedly they handled needing an extra bedroom, preferably with bath,  for his mother who, according to the wife, visited. Often. For long stretches. They ended up with a major fixer-upper, but the deal was amazing for an area as pricey as Fairfield.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Ketzel

[laredhead]

I hope the Fairfield, CT renovation is featured in a future HH Renovation episode.  I agree with you, Ketzel, that it was nice to see a couple who did not snark at each other or whine about the lack of ss, granite, hardwood floors, etc.  As they said at the end of the show, the price they paid was basically for the land value.  The final total for that redo would be interesting to know.  I enjoyed that episode a lot.     

[Apocalypse Cow]

I loved the Fairfield people! They were great. I was expecting to hate them, but they turned out just to be super cute and enjoyable to watch.  I'm sooooo hoping they are on a future episode of HH Reno.  Best couple in a long time.  Best episode in a long time. 

[meep.meep]

I loved them too!  But that house was literally crumbling into dust.  That's major work on things that probably won't even show in the end.  I'm sure we will see them on the renovation show.

[Kiddvideo]

Count me in on liking the Fairfield couple. I laughed when the husband said the best part about the boys' basement video room was the door they could shut so the parents wouldn't have to listen to it. What? Someone who can light-heartedly admit his children aren't precious precious angels who aren't the slightest bit annoying ever?

That house, though. Wow. Tear it down, reclaim whatever original wood you can for non-structural elements like built-in shelves or cabinets and tables. They'd be saving some of its authenticity while not having to rebuild a house where nothing is to code and it is "literally crumbling into dust."

[NYGirl]

I loved the Fairfield, Ct. couple.  It was the most enjoyable episode ever!  I just wish they chose house #3 ..it was so perfect for them!

 

As far as the one they chose I'm wondering if it's a landmark which would make them have to restore rather than renovate.  I can't imagine them making it a modern "open concept" home.

 

What a lovely, fun couple.

[Apocalypse Cow]

I was sooooo hoping they would choose the red house.  I loved it and since they had the budget... go for it. :)

[NYGirl]

So I'm watching the two idiots buying in Pennsylvania right now.  Ok...are you ready for this one???   He's complaining that the homeowners have chairs in the bedrooms!!!  I am watching with my mouth open now...can he be that stupid??  Oh..and he called the ensuite a water closet!!!! 

[laredhead]

Those two from Pennsylvania were annoying.  Looking at a 2 bedroom, 1600 sf house when they were talking about having a family was ludicrous.  Even as a decoy, they should have thrown another 3-bedroom house in the mix.  Her declaration that she could not cook on white appliances was totally ridiculous.  Those appliances looked fairly new.  Then there was the moment when she opened the double doors in the kitchen and found a washer and dryer and declare that she could not wash her clothes in the kitchen.  Really?  I have lived in several houses with laundry facilities in the kitchen, and the one I live in now has the washer in the kitchen behind a door.  My clothes are clean and so is my food.  She admitted she was spoiled because her father built high end houses, and she grew up living in a series of nice houses, but saying you cannot possibly cook on white appliances was beyond reasonable.  I did have some satisfaction in the end when they chose the model home, but did not get all of the bells and whistles.  Although they chose an end unit, there were no side windows, there was no deck and the kitchen did not have her "absolutely must have" white cabinets.  Final reveal did not show the basement, but I bet it was unfinished.

 

As for his criticism of the chair rails in the rooms of the colonial style house, that was a decor item in keeping with the house style.  He would have appreciated them when kids come along and ram furniture against a wall.  Paint them the same color as the wall and they disappear into the background.  The landscaping at the colonial house was lovely.   

Edited June 9, 2015 by laredhead

[Amethyst]

I liked Aarti, from the Chicago episode tonight.  She seemed pretty down to earth and not obsessed with flashy details.  The relationship between her and her mother was very cute.  I liked the fact that Aarti pointed out that the amenities her mother wanted, (like the elevator and the doorman) would make her HOA's significantly higher, which is something a lot of HHers gloss over.

 

I don't watch regularly anymore, but I think their filming methods are getting sloppy.  Either that, or we're just used to the producers manipulating stuff.  Aarti didn't seem crazy about house #1 at all because it had no view, and it wasn't a real walk-up.  But her realtor said Aarti loved it and later on, Aarti said the same.  Also, she mentioned a separate shower when she was going over her must haves, but never mentioned it once she actually started looking at the homes.  Sounds like something the producers added for drama, like her desire for the giraffe statue.  It sounds like Aarti really wanted a traditional brownstone, but she may not have been able to afford one.

 

Not a groundbreaking episode by any means, but it's always nice to see HHers who are decent people and don't act like jerks.

[Bronx Babe]

I liked Aarti too, but she had a serious case of vocal fry. Made the Kardashian women sound like Grace Kelly, lol. Did this episode say where she was originally from? I'm thinking Valley Girl, then the family moved to Chicago perhaps when she was little?

Edited June 11, 2015 by Bronx Babe

[laredhead]

Said she had been in Washington, D.C. for 5 years and she was 25.  Either mom helped her with the purchase, or she's making a very good salary and has been frugal with her money.  $400,000 is a nice budget for a 25-year old first time buyer.

[sheetmoss]

Aarti"s mom in voice--and a bit in the pushiness,so much reminded me  of  Pettifleur from  Real Housewivs of Melbourne.

 

RE: the couple looking in Queens.  Oddy fascinated by the unique housing  styles there esp the place w/backyard on other side of alley.

Edited June 10, 2015 by sheetmoss

[izabella]

I liked Aarti, from the Chicago episode tonight.  She seemed pretty down to earth and not obsessed with flashy details.  The relationship between her and her mother was very cute.  I liked the fact that Aarti pointed out that the amenities her mother wanted, (like the elevator and the doorman) would make her HOA's significantly higher, which is something a lot of HHers gloss over.

 

They do gloss over it, even though the monthly assessments should absolutely factor into their decision because those payments are on top of the mortgage and NEVER go away, and NEVER get lower.  They get higher and higher as expenses come up or the cost of the amenities/people to staff the amenties goes up.

 

In Aarti's case, that high rise would have been at least $400 per month extra over the assessments at the other two places.  That's almost $5000 a year she'd need to cough up for the privilege of living there and having access to the amenities.  People who want a doorman and elevator and gym, have to pay and pay for that.  No freebies!

[Ohwell]

They do gloss over it, even though the monthly assessments should absolutely factor into their decision because those payments are on top of the mortgage and NEVER go away, and NEVER get lower.  They get higher and higher as expenses come up or the cost of the amenities/people to staff the amenties goes up.

I can personally attest to that.  I lived in a building with elevator and swimming pool (no doorman though) and the HOA fees kept going up and up until I got fed up and  sold the condo.  I didn't even use the pool.  Plus, a lot of people don't know that the condo ass'n can foreclose just like the mortgage company if you get behind.  I don't know if that's the case everywhere though.  

[Bronx Babe]

Thanks, laredhead, re: Aarti. Usually the place the house hunters say they are "from" is just where they

have been living for several years, not their city of origin. I'd love to know where Aarti grew up -- I

still say she's from California, lol.

[Bastet]

I've never heard of that, no.

 

My best friend owned a McMansion in one of those god-awful, tell you what colors you can paint your house, what kind of landscaping you can use, etc. developments in Florida for a few years before high-tailing it back to Los Angeles.  It was a brand-new development.  Someone else had bought the parcel and selected all the cabinets, carpet, etc. from among the developer's options for the house, but then turned around and sold it to my best friend before the developer even broke ground on it.  Even though the house did not yet exist, she couldn't change what would go in once it did, so she was stuck with forest green carpet.  And when she tried to say, "Look, just have the painters prime the place, because I'm going to paint different rooms different colors," that was a no go, too -- it was part of the contract that the painters come through and slap beige up everywhere.  The house would be built per the original agreement with the developer.

 

However, this idiocy aside, once they finished the house to the specifications of that agreement, it was hers to do whatever she wanted with inside (she replaced the brand-new carpet downstairs, which also had a lot of tile, but left it upstairs, and painted over all the beige) -- it was just the outside subject forevermore to HOA rules.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Bastet

[Ohwell]

Perhaps it is because the new ones don't make sense, style wise or layout wise and almost always have GARAGE right in front with a little front door placed in a tiny spot on the side.

And nobody parks their car in the garage; they use it for storage and crowd up the streets and driveways with cars.