House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[laredhead]

The Durham couple were each a piece of work, but she was totally annoying.  Ceiling fans make living in the south more comfortable.  They were from Oakland where the weather is cooler most of the time.  Bellalisa,you are right that she's going to appreciate that fan when she's sitting on the porch, and she's going to appreciate them inside when they are helping to make the house more comfortable in the middle of the summer.  She's probably going to be shocked at the summer utility bill because of the necessity of air conditioning.  She acted like she was auditioning for a reality show with her dramatic pronouncements about mushroom lights and fans, all of which are easily changed.        

[NYGirl]

Hey I have an idea...you don't like ceiling fans?  Take it the hell down.  Doesn't take much.  I just have to shake my head at these HHs.  I live in NYC.  In fact I just moved into a new townhouse a month ago.  All I looked for was location, amount of rooms and size.  I also needed either a garage or basement for storage.

 

I didn't look at room color, ceiling fans, or any stupid things that take one minute to change.

[Patrizio]

You know the "Triangle", cosists of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. I live in Raleigh, and to be honest Durham is a little dicey. Downtown is being rejuvenated but there is a lot of gang activiy there. Local government is nutty too, always seems to have someone in trouble. The wife was annoying on the episode too, I could barely stand to listen to her childish voice, their daughter  was adorable though. The house they picked was OK, nothing special. This is the second HH featuring a local academic, are they recruiting at the schools?  By the way, it's 94degrees today, and there's a 100% chance of rain, she'll be loving those fans soon enough. 

[HotPhoenix]

Geeze. are all millennials that lazy and unimaginative?  Ever hear of dusting ceiling fans, or is she too lazy.  If you used her logic, you'd not have anything in a house  because it all gets dusty.  Does she think her lighting concepts aren't going to get a speck of dust on them? 

 

When we bought out house in Arizona, all I cared about was making sure every room had a ceiling fan, because it lessens the amount of air conditioning you need.  We even have them on our back porch. 

[DownTheShore]

I think what we see on a lot of these episodes are princes and princesses living out on their own for the first time.  Their only experience in home remodeling probably was when Mommy and Daddy asked them what color they would like their bedroom walls painted, because that and carpeting are the first things they seem to focus on.

 

They obviously have no conception of how annoying it is to keep stainless clean, not to mention that you can't use magnets on the refrigerator.  And they always want so much counter space, yet all we ever see them do is cut up fruit or vegetables and grill a piece of meat outside.  I have to give props, though, to that one episode where the young woman wanted counter space in the kitchen because she and her family made pierogies at Christmas.  Now, that's a real reason to need counter space (I make them with my sister and we use all the counters and take over the dining room table too.)

 

And I cannot stand those women who are enamored of a house because it has a sweeping 1 1/2 story staircase and they can just picture their imaginary future daughter gliding down it in her prom dress.  I mean, you're going to buy a house on the off-chance that you're actually going to have a female child and that she's going to want to go to a prom?  You're buying a house for a potential one-day event seventeen years in the future?  It just seems to me that these women have spent too much time in their lives playing with their Barbie dolls.

[topanga]

And I cannot stand those women who are enamored of a house because it has a sweeping 1 1/2 story staircase and they can just picture their imaginary future daughter gliding down it in her prom dress.  I mean, you're going to buy a house on the off-chance that you're actually going to have a female child and that she's going to want to go to a prom?  You're buying a house for a potential one-day event seventeen years in the future?  It just seems to me that these women have spent too much time in their lives playing with their Barbie dolls.

 

 

DownTheShore, you crack me up. That reminds me of the parents who don't want a 2-story home because they're worried about their toddler falling down the stairs. We talked and laughed about this ad nauseam on TWOP. But it bears repeating: -your child won't be a toddler for more than a few years and -babygates.

Edited July 16, 2014 by topanga

[ChelseaNH]

Lighting designer!  Her philosophy was definitely more form than function, because ceiling fans are just so darn useful.

[laredhead]

Here in south Louisiana, my porch ceiling fan is turned on in April and runs continuously until the first cool spell  in late October.  In addition to moving the air, it helps keep the mosquitoes away from the door.  A screened porch is in my future.  Maybe house hunters in cooler climes don't appreciate their value, but in the south a fan is almost a necessity, even with A/C.

[HotPhoenix]

Why do so many of these younger HH's want one specific thing in a house, and if it's not there, they check it off the list?  Last night, the man who insisted on a back yard that faced West, so he could have barbeques and watch the sun set.  That idiot was just so focused on the stupid sunset that nothing else seemed to matter.  And I could not believe that his wife capitulated to the only house with a Western yard.  Need I remind him that in Illinois, you only BBQ for a few months of the year, and that the sunsets might not be right in the middle of the yard once fall comes?

 

Today, in a rerun that I hadn't seen, the couple from Michigan where the husband was a big guy, and he used that as his only excuse if he hated a house.  What a faker when he tried to get the wife to believe that he couldn't fit through a doorway, so they couldn't buy that house.  And of course, again, the wife bowed to the husband and what he wanted. She wanted an older, historic house and he wanted a new build.  Yeah, he got his new build. 

[BearCat49]

I consider those annoying items the producers' plotlines or sometimes, red herrings, Hot Phoenix..  Tptb know which home they purchased and the particulars about the decoy homes so they use that annoying item to set up the storyline, i.e. script or semi-script the househunters' lines during the episode.

 

Even though her voice was annoying, for some reason the Durham woman didn't bother me as much as many of the house hunters - probably b/c she seemed to be advertising for her business instead of making up some stupid hook to get noticed.  Thought tptb should have edited most of it out and used something else for the storyline.

 

I did agree with her about the dust.  She only mentioned that WRT the ceiling fan in the eating area.  Because so many people forget to clean them, I'd rather people keep them out of eating areas.  That's a pet peeve of mine. 

 

Noticed she had some cutesy version of her name onscreen so looked her up quickly.  I believe they've lived there quite awhile so she probably knows by now that the fans serve a purpose.  I do agree, however, that she somehow thought they were auditioning for their own reality show.  He was slightly annoying, too, IMHO.

 

Cute, cute baby - 

[topanga]

I often find myself fascinated with the stories behind the people doing the house hunting more than the houses themselves.

 

With the Georgia couple, they said they were high school sweethearts, but now they're 36 and 38. It seems they haven't been married long since they've been living in the husband's bachelor bad, and the wife said she only agreed to live there because they were getting married. She doesn't strike me as the kind of woman who would put up with a house she hates for 10 years. And they don't have kids, which doesn't necessarily mean they're newlyweds. But then they mentioned a nursery, which means they're at least considering children.

 

So if they were high school sweethearts, I wonder why they didn't get married until their 30s. Were they married to other people? They didn't say.

 

ETA: I'm watching the ep with the single mom who's moving back to Louisville. I liked the mom, I think her daughter must be the Bride of Chuckie or something, because she (the mom) kept imagining her running around the house opening up doors and cranking open windows and falling down stairs. Yes, these things can happen, but that's why you babyproof your house.

Edited July 18, 2014 by topanga

[HotPhoenix]

The other thing that gets me with these couples is when they comment that this or that part of the house isn't safe for their kids.  The one couple who said the pool would be dangerous for their kids, or other couples who say a busy traffic street would be bad for the kids.  You know what parents?  It's called watching your kids !!!!!!   For God's sake, doesn't anyone watch their kids anymore?  My mom watched us kids like a hawk, and we had one of those small, above ground pools in the backyard.  We also lived on a busy street but we never ran out in it.  I watched my kids too and none of them did things that would cause me or my husband to not buy a certain house.  Lazy parents along with lazy couples who don't want to bother to paint or cut lawn. 

[Bastet]

I grew up being supervised around hazards until I was old enough to understand why I needed to avoid them, so I roll my eyes at a lot of these deal-breaking safety issues, too.  It's especially annoying to me because usually the HHs on about all the deathtraps in the house/yard are the same ones who want to get rid of half the home's interior walls so they can watch the kids' every waking moment.  How dangerous can this stuff be if they're going to be hovering over the kids all the time?

Edited July 19, 2014 by Bastet

[BearCat49]

Because the child safety issues are repeated ad nauseum in these episodes, I assume it's all producer driven.  Same thing for the ridiculous comments about neighbors being too close in the city.  JMHO

[Bastet]

Given what we know of production, I assume the majority of comments are prompted if not exactly scripted.  That doesn't render them - nor the people who agreed to utter them - any less annoying to me.

[topanga]

 

Given what we know of production, I assume the majority of comments are prompted if not exactly scripted.  That doesn't render them - nor the people who agreed to utter them - any less annoying to me.

 

And the personality of the speaker really makes a difference. Some of the demanding couples and their annoying comments make me want to throw a brick at them, but the single mom I was just making fun of was very nice, so she didn't annoy me, annoy me.

[NYGirl]

Last night's episode!!   She had to have a "tea room"....a TEA ROOM!!!! Why?  Why couldn't she use the dining room for her tea parties?

 

He was clueless..and I knew he was getting nowhere.   She ignored every single thing he said.   You could see the producer script as they said it..when he said he liked the rustic look she looked at him and said "rustic?? you never said you liked rustic!  We are not doing that".  Then they gave each other knowing looks.

 

In the end she got her tea room.

[BearCat49]

Given what we know of production, I assume the majority of comments are prompted if not exactly scripted.  That doesn't render them - nor the people who agreed to utter them - any less annoying to me.

I'm not sure what production facts you're referring to, Bastet.  In general, it's reality television so we know it's fake.  WRT prompting v. scripting, we know that tptb prompt the HH/HHI participants.  Not sure that prompting (instead of scripting) makes any difference when it comes to how annoying any particular participant is or appears to be.

 

The key words in your post may be "less annoying to me".  I've always assumed that the annoyance factor is subjective to each viewer.  What annoys you might not annoy me.  Perhaps a particular househunter looks like either a viewer's (annoying) BIL or a mean kid who bullied them years ago on the playground.  But that same househunter might remind me of my best friend!  That's always been my guess/suspicion of how the annoyance factor might work.  Does that make sense? 

 

Besides the subjective factor, I also assume that certain househunters are better actors than others and able to provide whatever drama tptb desire for their particular episode.  So, acting ability may make a difference, too.  In general, I try to give the househunters a break whenever I hear the familiar complaints about child safety, double sinks, closet space, privacy and blah, blah, blah.

 

OTOH, if/when the househunter complaints are unfamiliar and/or a househunter goes over and above the standard annoyance factor on my annoyance meter (that's my meter this time, lol), it tells me that particular househunter may actually be annoying IRL.

[JasmineFlower]

Just saw the DC episode where the couple chose the condo in the Watergate. Thought that was a total plant to show it on TV, so I was surprised they chose it. They leaned out on the balcony and were like, is this a busy street? I said like WTF to the TV. Yeah, it's a busy street, how long have they lived in DC that they don't know this street or where the Watergate is located? I guess they were playing it up for the cameras but they just looked strangely clueless to me when they did it.

 

It's a sucker's deal to buy at the Watergate so they should watch how they spend in that building, it has a definitely ceiling on what you get back despite it being in a generally good area with a good view. It's a mixed use complex and not in a good way because it's had precarious stability over the years. There's tons of rentals in the building. There's a few stores in the bottom level but many are of the blah variety and the better ones have left and good ones that come to the area aren't located in the Watergate. There's condos, there's obviously office space. There's a hotel that was closed for awhile that didn't help matters but I think is either under construction or recently opened. That building looks the same as it did in the mid 70s, it could use an update for sure, it stands out in a bad way more and more as the years go by if you ask me. Not saying it's bad, I get that it's historic, but I don't think it helps with attracting residential buyers. It's not near anything immediately except major streets, you have to walk a few blocks to get to restaurants and stores, which isn't bad but it does seem like it should be closer until you have to walk from there, but Foggy Bottom is a great area and the main part is a short walk up the hill and there's a lot more life and a much better vibe in there near the Metro stop and GW.

 

But yeah, there's a reason they made that offer $40k less than asking and it was accepted despite being in a desirable area in a hot DC market. I hope it works out for them and I hope they learned about the possible challenges of the building before they bought.

[Ohwell]

Regarding the couple buying in the Watergate building, they also live close to the most expensive gas station in DC.  The complex does look outdated, and I'm not sure the "I'm living at the Watergate" has the same cachet it did for so many years.

[chessiegal]

No kidding about the price of gas at that station! We used to go by there on the way home from our marina when we lived in Bethesda if the beltway was a mess (which it usually is), and I couldn't believe those gas prices.

[JasmineFlower]

I'm always confused by these lone gas stations that are priced substantially above others in the area. Why is it priced so much over the average in the area? Even more shocking to me is when I see a car getting gas there.

 

And the Beltway definitely isn't always a mess. But there's only so many places you can or want to go from like 11 P.M. to 4 A.M. so it feels that way. :) 

Edited July 21, 2014 by JasmineFlower

[chessiegal]

Speaking as someone who had to drive the northern part of the Beltway every day for 10 years, it got worse and worse every year. Once we retired, we moved so we wouldn't have to use the Beltway to get to our boat on the Chesapeake. On the rare occasions I have to use it, it doesn't matter what time of day it is - one hiccup and you're screwed.

[stafford]

I'm watching the HH episode with the couple from Saginaw (he's a associate pastor). I gotta say there is something very creepy about this couple. He seems particularly obsessed with windows and the neighbors looking at his "glory" (his words not mine). Have these two ever heard of shades? He can't stand stairs and she is afraid of basements and she refuses to shower with a shower curtain. They have to be the most immature couple I've ever seen on HH.

They have $135,000 to spend (welcome to Michigan) and they bitch about everything from paint to carpet ("Am I standing on carpet?"..."oh the walls are PINK". He's another one who is afraid his kid will run past a stove and be scalded (although he said scolded) and all he could see is trips to the ER.

So he gets his way and they end up with, what I thought was the worst house, the ranch because he can't do "stairs"...yup, he's going to be fit and trim (Not) when he turns 30 and she gets her least creepy basement so she can have a big space for couponing. Now maybe the producer made them display angst but they sounded like 12 year olds with their surrogate dog "Edward".

[Rhondinella]

REMINDER FROM MOD:  Snarky comments about other posters and their opinions and comments are not welcome or appropriate.  If you disagree with their remarks, give a reasoned rebuttal of the opinion itself, NOT of the person expressing the opinion.  Really, this is not that difficult a concept.  If another poster makes such comments about you, please just report them to the mods (using the report button at the bottom of the post) rather than responding to them in thread.  Thank you.

 

I have deleted some posts of posters sniping at each other.  If it keeps happening there will be consequences for the posters involved.

[HotPhoenix]

Watched the couple from Toledo last night.  Now, before you think I'm being mean, just know that I was born and raised in Toledo, and have lots of aunts, uncles and cousins who live there---so happy to have moved from that city.  The announcers made it sound like there is a renassiance going on in the downtown area, making it look all lovely and great.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  The buildings they showed on their driveby segments, are all closed and abandoned.  Believe me, there is nothing going on in the downtown area that would make living there appealing.  They kept talking about all the restaurants and everything, but the only decent restaurant on that side of the river is Tony Packo's, and the only "rehab" they've done to that area was building the Mud Hens Park.  Downtown Toledo USED to be a vibrant and good place, when I was a kid, but it lost that several decades ago. 

 

And again, with this couple, the man just further emphasized how lazy this younger generation has become.  I honestly think he pushed hard for the very, very, very ugly downtown condo was because he didn't want to do yard work.  The second house they saw, that really pretty one on the west side near the university, would have been a better investment, but all he kept saying was it was too much house and too much work in the yard.  He said that the condo was a great investment, but boy is he wrong.  I have family who say they can't get rid of those industrial condos because no one wants to live in that area---just not nice and higher crime.  I think they will eventually regret buying that condo if they ever have a family and need to go to a single family house.

[Ohwell]

I saw part of the Toledo episode and couldn't believe how inexpensive the properties were.  I thought the condo was ugly, and either of the two houses would have been better.  The guy just looked like he wanted to live someplace close to a bar and where he wouldn't have to do any house work.  He mentioned the condo as being a good investment, but sometimes lousy neighborhoods just remain lousy neighborhoods.   At the end, she looked like she was faking being happy with the choice.

[stafford]

I just found my favorite couple on HH in Tulsa, OK. It was such a pleasure to watch them decide on their house. While they didn't get everything they were hoping for they didn't make a fuss or bring any fake drama to the show. They just seemed so proud of the fact that they could show their kids that if you work hard you could buy a great house. They seemed to accept the fact that while they didn't get everything they wanted that they could work towards getting those things over time (such a novel concept).

He was funny ("Hey, it's not wire hangers") and they had an easy an relaxed manner with each other. They were one of the few HHs I would love to have as neighbors.

[NYGirl]

OMG the wife in the Tulsa episode annoyed me like crazy. All she cared about was granite. I don't think it was producer driven because that's the first thing she got when she moved. She just had am arrogant look about her. Not one smile.

[izabella]

At the end, [Toledo wife] looked like she was faking being happy with the choice.

 

Yes, she seemed like she was settling and compromising, rather than being happy with that choice.  The condo was smaller than their old apartment, for starters, with absolutely no room to grow if they do have a child soon.  So they have set themselves up to be forced to move once that happens, instead of already having made the investment in a house they would grow into and could live in for years and years and years.

 

They said a few times that they already lived in that neighborhood, and the condo was maybe a block or two away from their old apartment, so they at least knew what they were getting into.  But the wife didn't look happy about it.  I think she was more eager for a family lifestyle, and he wanted to stick with their childfree, young couple lifestyle for another 5 years or so.

[preciousperfect]

 

They said a few times that they already lived in that neighborhood, and the condo was maybe a block or two away from their old apartment, so they at least knew what they were getting into.  But the wife didn't look happy about it.  I think she was more eager for a family lifestyle, and he wanted to stick with their childfree, young couple lifestyle for another 5 years or so.

Half the fun of this show is guessing which couples will still be together in 5 years....or by the time the show airs. 

[BearCat49]

Tulsa wife seemed off to me, too, for some reason.  Yes, there were very few smiles.  Uptight or something -

 

Big difference, IMHO, between the rental lifestyle (Toledo) and actually making a commitment to that neighborhood by buying a place.  As the narrator stated that Toledo has a happenin' downtown, the camera panned past buildings that appeared unoccupied.  They'll be lucky if they can get their $$$ out of that place in a few years when the kids start arriving.  Between their two incomes, if they'd purchased a home, I'm sure they could have afforded some yard assistance.

 

BTW, agree about DC, too - the Watergate building didn't come off as a great investment, either.  It's a great area, sure, but didn't appear walkable, as mentioned upthread.  I concur with avoiding the Beltway but too bad they couldn't have done a row house.

Edited July 24, 2014 by BearCat49

[Patrizio]

ITA with above post regarding the Toledo guy who ultimately got his way with the awful loft. Talk about lazy! I can't believe she met him in a spin class b/c he sure looked on his way to being pudgy. I mean the wife was attractive and a LAWYER! The loft looked run down and so did the neighborhood. Usually with HH, I've noticed when they film the town montage; it's the most scenic areas shown. I'm sorry to say that Toledo looked horrible! The husband was so afraid he might have to cut a lawn, and their preoccupation with an in home bar,(complete with "kegerator"), made them look like Drunky Mcdrunkmeisters  I felt sure that house #2 was a no-brainer!

[BearCat49]

Ah, but they had to live in downtown to be close to the bars!  Having the in-home bar wasn't enough, lol.  And the realtor timed one of those commutes at what, 12 minutes!  If they don't have a designated driver, for a 12 minute trip, they could use cabs.

 

Agree, that loft appeared to be dumpy industrial - not cool, hip industrial.  House No. 2 was my choice, too.  The wife's going to turn out to be correct in a few years about that decision, IMHO.  Guess he wasn't concerned about having a happy wife, happy ...

 

If things work out the best for her, she defers pregnancy, grows up a little and moves to the 'burbs with someone else!

 

P.S.  To any Toledo natives, I was surprised the city had such an (apparently) large downtown.  What industry did Toledo have in days gone by?  Auto or some type of manufacturing?  Sounds like the population must be significantly reduced.  So it currently has a university and ...  ?  Just curious -

Edited July 24, 2014 by BearCat49

[Ohwell]

Tulsa wife seemed very uptight to me for some reason, like she had a bug up her ass.  And I don't care if it was producer-driven or not, she went overboard with the granite.  The husband was funny and loose, and the children were adorable.

[abby1000]

Is anyone else annoyed that this show has become one giant Buick commercial? The vehicle placement is clumsy at best.

[Magpi]

Is anyone else annoyed that this show has become one giant Buick commercial? The vehicle placement is clumsy at best.

Yes! When did this start? It's making me crazy.

[jcbrown]

I lived in Toledo for three years more than 20 years ago and I was shocked that they did not pick the second house. The area where that one is was close the the university and close enough to anything else one would want to do. I wondered about the downtown area when the narrator insisted is was up-and-coming because it certainly was neither when I lived there. Thanks to the poster who validated my opinion.

 

And it's funny that I never noticed the Buick product placement until this week when I had to rewind and fast forward to get to the beginning of the Tulsa epi. I was struck by the slow-mo beauty shot of the Buick SUV pulling into the driveway. Aligning with Buick does not enhance my feelings toward the show...

[laredhead]

The Toledo loft guest bedroom didn't have a door or a floor to ceiling wall.  If the couple has a baby, noise will be a problem, especially if they are having one of their beer parties.  The 2nd house seemed like a better fit for the future.  The HOA fees on the loft were $300+/mo which they could have applied to the mortgage on the 2nd house and lawn maintenance so hubby didn't have to cut grass.  I think he said they met in a Zumba class.  Is that correct?  

[DownTheShore]

I can't believe that the Toledo couple chose that condo.  And what was that fascination with having a bar in their living room?  One part of me says, "oh, don't be such a fuddy-duddy, be happy for them that they've found a common point of enjoyment, they're young, they can afford to drink and party" and the other part of me says, "another stupid young couple who are trying to extend their teen years as much as possible, and think that they are cool because they have a bar/air hockey table/pool table/etc." 

 

I can't remember, did they get or already have the obligatory "young couple's faux child", i.e. a dog?

 

This is just an aside, because there isn't a forum set up for this show yet, but is anyone watching the show "Genevieve's Renovation" on HGTV,  starring Genevieve Gorder?

Edited July 25, 2014 by DownTheShore

[Amethyst]

is anyone watching the show "Genevieve's Renovation" on HGTV,  starring Genevieve Gorder?

 

I tried and got bored pretty quick.  They keep hammering that Genevieve is a single mom now and is doing all the work herself, but she still has way more to spend in a home (in NY no less) than most people do.  I don't mind Genevieve, but I was never crazy about her shows.

 

Did the husband in the Chicago episode seem really territorial or was it just me?  Assuming the shower is tall enough, Is it that hard to buy a rainfall showerhead, instead of basing a house search around it?  I would have gone with house #3, but 2 wasn't bad.  It definitely had more space.  

 

On a particularly shallow note, what was going on with the wife's hair?  It looked bleached to death.

[camom]

Both people in the Chicago episode bugged me, but I suppose they deserve each other.  How can they afford a house when they obviously can't even afford a comb for her hair?  And her vocal fry--ugh.  He didn't have a particularly bad personality, he didn't seem to have any personality at all.  I was surprised they took house #2. I thought for sure she would insist on #1, even though he hated it and, with the extra for parking, it would be over their budget.

[DownTheShore]

@Amethyst - Thanks for confirming my impression about Genevieve's new show.  I think it must be written into her contract that she has to say "it's just me and my kid now" at least three times per show.  She lost me when she was complaining about her tight budget (after buying the adjoining apartment in a NYC townhouse ~insert eye roll~) and was shopping for new bathroom fixtures and went to a Southampton NY designer showroom to look at bathtubs.  I thought to myself, "Hon, if you're on a budget you go to Home Depot first, not some showroom in the Hamptons".

[Rhondinella]

Hey guys!  Feel free to request a forum for Genevieve's Renovation through the New Show Forum Request Thread.  Once it gets set up (usually takes a day or so for Dave to get it up) you can feel free to discuss this show to your heart's content.  There.  Not here.  Ok? Thanks.  In the meantime, if you just CAN'T wait, there is a general HGTV thread you could use if you want.

[DownTheShore]

Ah, thanks for that HGTV forum link; I didn't know there was one.

 

I thought of starting a forum for the show in question, but I couldn't think up the three required topic threads, because I don't know that I care enough about the show to make the effort.  I just needed to vent about the bathtub - lol.

[jcbrown]

That Chicago couple was really annoying. I could not stop staring at her false eyelashes, horribly over-made up face, and fried hair and her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. The guy seemed like a controlling jerk. I guess they did deserve each other.

[ShuFace88]

I nominate the Chicago couple for the "They will not be together in five years" award.  She hit the trifecta of annoying for me:  bleach blonde hair, caked-on makeup and fry tone voice.  She also needed to tear "everything" out of the loft bathroom because she didn't like the paint color.  I thought for sure they would go with the last place because it had exposed ductwork and a view.  However, when looking at the view, you could see some nasty looking apartments in the foreground that indicated this might not be the nicest neighborhood. 

 

I would have chosen the one they ended up with just because I refuse to pay 25,000 to 30,000 for a parking space.  Having an attached 2 car garage in Chicago in the winter is worth every penny.

[HotPhoenix]

BearCat, to answer your question about Toledo, it used to be a very lively and vibrant city that was closely tied to the auto industry in Detroit.  They had many plants that made parts for cars and even had auto production plants.  My dad used to work for Jeep, that had an assembly plant in Toledo.  My uncles all had jobs in some part of the auto industry, be it window glass, small parts and partial assembly line production.  When Detroit started falling apart, so did Toledo.  Seriously, the malls they used to have around the area are mostly gone.  I can remember at least four malls that we used to go to that no longer exist.  There's no upscale shopping anymore at any of the existing malls as they've just shut down.  There used to be a Jacobson's, Elder Bermann, Lion Store and Lasalle's,  all very nice stores.  My cousins all come here to Phoenix to shop when they come visit.  They all complain that there are no really fancy, upscale restaurants.

 

When HH was driving around the city to try and prove how nice it is, they were showing things that aren't in the downtown area, such as the University of Toledo, the Zoo (which is a great zoo) and the Toledo Museum of Art.  The actual downtown shots showed what used to be a wonderful downtown area, when shopping and entertainment was ONLY downtown.  All the department stores were there, many movie theaters and live show theaters, great places to eat and just walk around.  That downtown no longer exists.  There's absolutely no shopping anywhere downtown, lots of empty buildings and everything.  Even my family says Toledo is a dying city and has been for some time.

 

We used to live on the Southside of Toledo, in a very nice, well kept neighborhood of craftsman style houses.  Now, even that neighborhood has gone to hell.  If you want nicer housing you have to look at Perrysburg, Holland and Oregon which are nicer suburbs of Toledo. 

 

To be honest, even that second house the Toledo couple looked at was very near to a slum area where gangs have taken over.  Heck, we can't even go to the local cemetary where our grandparents are buried because you run the risk of being carjacked or mugged---and that neighborhood used to be VERY high end and upscale.  But now, it's dangerous. 

 

The Chicago couple bugged me big time.  I kept wanting to throw a brush and a box of Lady Clairol at the woman because of her nasty, straw hair.  I don't see them lasting more than 2 years. 

 

I liked the husband of the Tulsa couple and their kids were cute, but the wife was off kilter in some ways.  And what's with so many women not wanting granite nowadays?  I didn't know granite was out of fashion.  I have both granite and quartz in my house and I don't see a difference, and some quartz products are the same price, or higher, than granite. 

[camom]

 

I have both granite and quartz in my house and I don't see a difference

I can't tell the difference, either.  When I got new kitchen countertops I went with quartz mainly because I was told there was less maintenance.

[BearCat49]

Thanks for the info, HotPhoenix.  So I guessed right - auto industry.  Sad what's happened to the Midwest.  And not only is it largely deserted but actually dangerous.  Too bad about the loss of community and moreover, middle class jobs ... glad that at least some of your relatives weren't forced to relocate, if they prefer to remain there.

 

Agree, I don't give the Chicago couple 2 years.  They weren't married so it's an easier out.  Between the fried hair, heavy eyeliner and flat, fried voice, I couldn't stand being around her.  That backsplash was jarring, too, like her hair and makeup.  She said the 80's called about that bathroom - hmmm, maybe they called her, lol.

 

Someone asked about the car promos.  IIRC, they did it for several seasons last year, intermittently,  I was not happy to see them return.  Guess tptb scored the contract, again.

 

Couldn't believe it when the Tulsa wife immediately wanted to rip out the quartz for granite at that one place.  I don't see a problem with either of  them - they're both natural stone products.  Seems like you'd upgrade to quartz, if you just had to change something.  The colors and styles have evolved over the last few years - that can slightly date them, IMHO.

 

Yep, same Genevieve.  More Moroccan!  Noticed the constant "I'm a single parent" refrain, too.  We get it - life's rough when you can purchase the adjacent NYC apartment and renovate it.  And, pick up a little HGTV coin in the process.  Will find the thread but missed the first couple of episodes.  Tptb apparently can't repeat a design program (well, it's Gen, lol) even once inbetween the HH, HHI, PB, LIOLI, etc. ongoing repeats!

Edited July 25, 2014 by BearCat49