House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[laredhead]

Bet the entire family lives with the parents and the husband & wife use the tiny house as a get away place when the main house is too crowded. Add them (and ALL others in tiny houses) to the list of a future Where Are They Now episode. 

[KLovestoShop]

The South Dakota couple was insane. Her comments about the second house being too big made her look crazy. My guess is that she's just lazy because she kept saying it was too much upkeep. Seriously? 700sqft is too much upkeep? But then, they both kept saying things like "It's so tiny. It's claustrophobic". You're in a Tiny House, idiot. What the hell did you expect at 500sqft? These idiots also seem to forget that kids grow up quickly and they're not going to fit in 7 or 8 years. And if one of the kids falls out of the loft, despite putting up some kind of railing (kids climb railings), well, it will just prove that this couple was stupid.

[aguabella]

The SD couple are crazy like a couple of foxes, probably.  If someone checked into it, they most likely live at the main house.  Bath time is now handled by Grandma.  Babysitting - Grandma and so on ...

 

SIL works with Grandpa on the ranch and farm.  Wasn't that another sibling in the closing scene?  They'll probably end up taking care of Grandma, eventually.  Hmmm, I wonder which sibling will be first in line to score a SD farm and ranch together with a chunk of land???

 

 

ETA:  How long does it take your kids to stop talking about Santa Claus after you've set up the phony Christmas in July scene for HH?  Does the $500 stipend compensate enough for that hassle?

 

Anyone else believe that these tiny house folks who want to simplify their lives, blah, blah, blah pretty much all want to mooch off their friends and relatives?  How much rent are Grandma and Grandpa collecting?  Babysitting fees??

 

If you're already living in a low cost RE area, e.g. SD or TX, why not replace the 2,200sf home with a 12 or 1500sf home???

Edited December 16, 2015 by aguabella

[izabella]

I was guessing their big, coomfy house is being foreclosed on, so this way, they still have somewhere to live.

[SmithW6079]

The South Dakota couple was insane. Her comments about the second house being too big made her look crazy. My guess is that she's just lazy because she kept saying it was too much upkeep. Seriously? 700sqft is too much upkeep? But then, they both kept saying things like "It's so tiny. It's claustrophobic". You're in a Tiny House, idiot. What the hell did you expect at 500sqft?

That second house was only 400 square feet, I believe, because they said it was twice as big as the first house, which was 200 square feet.

[KLovestoShop]

I've come to the conclusion that these tiny house people are a tad off the beam. The guy tonight was one off the beam. I just didn't like how he spoke about his sister. If I was her I would have walked out and told him to saw it off. At one time he's bitching that there's so much wasted space, that he didn't need things like a closet, but at the same time he wants a bigger shower and a sink. Then he thought the one bedroom was like a coffin. Seriously, while I don't live in a big house, I just don't get the tiny house mentality.

[aguabella]

I was guessing their big, coomfy house is being foreclosed on, so this way, they still have somewhere to live.

 

I would normally agree with you but when you review actual financials from consumers in f/c, they don't usually have 2 nickels to rub together.  If they had equity in their home, it's long gone b/c they figure out a way to tap it.

 

Here's how the couple reported their story to the local news:

 

                           http://www.mobridgetribune.com/?p=10301

 

 

Doesn't surprise me that HH kinda' forgot (lol) to mention their building plans.  HH plots must be all in, black or white, to amp up the drama!

 

So her kids only bothered her from say April or July about Santa Claus depending on when they got around to shooting the SD scenes.

 

My bet is they're still living with Grandma!

Edited December 16, 2015 by aguabella

[KLovestoShop]

Ok Aguabella, it makes more sense. This tiny house is for a very short term, so when the kids are older, they will have a larger place.

[aguabella]

It does make more sense when you learn the actual story (instead of the reality TV fantasy) but I agree - they're all "off the beam", KlovestoShop!

[topanga]

I saw a recent episode--I think it was a new one--about the woman in Dallas whose boyfriend accompanied her on the house hunt. I suspect they might be moving in together, but the show didn't specify. 

 

Anyway, I really liked Katie. She was practical, realistic, and seemed like a nice person overall. She wanted an older home and realized that it meant she might have to do some updating. In the end, she ended up with an older home that was already updated inside, but that was the house I liked best, too. 

 

Her boyfriend, on the other hand, was a jerk. Besides looking like Tony Romo, he didn't have a lot going for him. What I didn't like were the constant jabs at Katie. He was trying to be funny, but he's one of those mean sarcastic types that likes to make other people the butt of jokes--but never makes jokes about himself. "She doesn't understand..." "She wants an older home [complete with eye roll]",  "Aha! So I'm right!"  Once, when Katie was standing in a pantry, she remarked that the pantry's size was perfect. "It's Katie-sized," she said. And he goes, "And Katie size is too small." He clarified that he was talking about the pantry, but it still sounded mean. At one point, Katie gave him a dirty look after one of his "jokes." I wonder what their relationship is like off-camera. And I wonder how long they'll stay together. 

[NYGirl]

There were several comments about "David Downer" when this episode first aired.  I have to say I rolled my eyes when I saw him on my TV screen the other night.  I wanted to slap him right through the screen.

 

He had a lot to say for someone not living there.  He made it like he was looking out for her but it came across as jealousy that she's getting her own house.

[DownTheShore]

They did a repeat of the Ocean Beach NJ episode.

I found the listing for that lake house the family looked at:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/630-Warwick-Tpke-Hewitt-NJ-07421/39801045_zpid/

It went on the market in 2012 for $499,000, and is still for sale, with the price dropped down to $299,000.

[juliet73]

It went on the market in 2012 for $499,000, and is still for sale, with the price dropped down to $299,000

It was originally listed for $629,000! And with $14,000 in property taxes!

[biakbiak]

This show was in HH timeslot and was all.the same footage as when it original aired but had a different narrator and was labelled as a new show called"The Hunt For Waterfront."

[truther]

This show was in HH timeslot and was all.the same footage as when it original aired but had a different narrator and was labelled as a new show called"The Hunt For Waterfront."

It was awful, because not only was she still awful but the show had much more of an infomercial feel to it with the new narration.  You don't appreciate the things HH actually does well until you watch its cheap knockoffs.  

Edited December 24, 2015 by truther

[Grneyedldy]

Yep and if the words "land locked" had been part of a drinking game, I would be nursing one helleva hangover today.

[buttersister]

HH marathon blurred the lines but managed to shine in terms of the usual idiocy. I want an old house with character---these closets are too small! I have a limited budget---why are you not showing me the perfect house in my desired area that fits my inappropriate budget? Ick, look, it's dark granite. I don't liiiiike dark granite.

 

The NYC not-exactly Broadway musical "stars" got their get-away place. Surprise, kids!  You know how we haven't been around/have been disappearing a lot? We bought this property and starting building you a tree house! I'll give them total credit for the super cool tree house they managed to have someone start building without us having them worrying about how the kids would surely fall and hurt themselves!

[topanga]

 

HH marathon blurred the lines but managed to shine in terms of the usual idiocy. I want an old house with character---these closets are too small! I have a limited budget---why are you not showing me the perfect house in my desired area that fits my inappropriate budget? Ick, look, it's dark granite. I don't liiiiike dark granite.

I know, right? And don't forget: "This room is too tiny to be a guest room." Won't your guests use the friggin' guest room to, you know, sleep? I don't think they're going to be doing Step aerobics in there. Yes, it's the same thing over and over. And yet I keep watching.

 

 What I find myself doing more now is observing interactions and communication styles among the couples (or friends, siblings, etc). 

 

My favorite couples are the ones who have fun with the process and with each other, like when a tall husband shows how he'd have to squat to use the shower, or they make self-deprecating jokes about not cooking much or not being handy. The couples I don't like, the ones that make me question why they're even together, are the ones where one partner makes jokes at the other partner's expense. "You don't even cook, so why do you care about the kitchen?" or "You want a fixer upper, but you don't even know how to use a hammer."

[Mu Shu]

Those Broadway stars irked me enough to quit watching. Her and her mile long face and him and his whining about actually renting a vacation property to make enough dough to actually afford it.

I suppose they chose the house with "charm and character ". As opposed to the one they could afford.

[drafan]

I just watched an episode near Tampa....they showed a "mid-century modern" that was the most beautiful house they have ever shown. It was ALL ORIGINAL , all in pristine condition. There was  a brick wall in every room in the house. Beams. Crazy little 'modern' contrivances. Total Brady Bunch splendor. Completely preserved.

 

And.....THE DIDN'T BUY IT!!!!! I want to fly to Florida tomorrow and find it, but I fear it's too late.

 

Anyone else see this one...the "high-school-sweetheart" wife had what seemed like laryngitis.

 

I hated what they bought. They will never be forgiven. (This show is so fake...maybe the house wasn't even available......but it was empty.)  Gah.

[AnnaRose]

I'm sure they were just pretending it was a choice.

[ByaNose]

I just watched the Tampa couple. Actually, I fast forwarded to the end to see what they picked. I just couldn't handle the girls voice. I don't know if it's her normal voice or if she had laryngitis. The house they picked was cute but small. I guess it's a good starter home. They sure had a lot of leaves in that back yard. That is the last thing I want to do when I move to Florida. Of course, I will be living in a condo so that won't be a problem. Also, they look so much alike. I guess dating since middle school does that make to a couple. LOL!!!

[Sun-Bun]

I just watched an episode near Tampa....they showed a "mid-century modern" that was the most beautiful house they have ever shown. It was ALL ORIGINAL , all in pristine condition. There was a brick wall in every room in the house. Beams. Crazy little 'modern' contrivances. Total Brady Bunch splendor. Completely preserved.

And.....THE DIDN'T BUY IT!!!!! I want to fly to Florida tomorrow and find it, but I fear it's too late.

Anyone else see this one...the "high-school-sweetheart" wife had what seemed like laryngitis.

I hated what they bought. They will never be forgiven. (This show is so fake...maybe the house wasn't even available......but it was empty.) Gah.

YES!!! I *adored* that retro-mod home so very much too! Everything was original still, the "modern" elements and quirks were so uniquely beautiful and fun, and how about those gorgeous brick walls and all that storage too? Such a stellar throwback home at an inanely good price indeed.

And...yet another basic bitch turns her nose up at a beautifully-preserved piece of post-modern architecture elegance because it isn't "her style."

And why is it always "her style"? Is it a HH rule that the females always must irrationally dislike modern/contemporary design and darker-hued cabinets while the males go bonkers over this style?? Are women on this program only supposed to like traditional or internationally-themed design that's considered safely feminine???

As a modern/contemporary/industrial design lover who happens to be female, it irks me to no end when I see the women on this show constantly play up that stereotypical feminine-design bullshit. You almost wait for the females on here to gasp, "Oh, this is so not me!" the minute they spot a damned cleanly designed pad with no frills and Wright-style vibes.

I was prepared to not like this chick though due to her whispery voice. Sick or not, she gave me the creeps with that tone. I guess it beats the usual female vocal fry we're sadly seeing more of on this show, but she just seemed stoned mostly.

Very boring couple otherwise though, so of course they chose the most boring and basic home of the three.

Edited December 29, 2015 by Sun-Bun

[DownTheShore]

I loved that mid-century modern house!  What beautiful condition it was in, and so much room!  Every time that wife said that her style wouldn't probably go with it, I was yelling at the TV, "GET A DESIGNER TO HELP MELD YOUR TASTE WITH THE HOUSE'S STYLE AND BUY THE DAMN HOUSE!".

 

What a dumb@ss woman, going for the smaller space! (Yes, I know the choice was fake, but I still react to the show as if it was real - lol. )

[biakbiak]

I found the mid-century house dark and the layout annoying and cramped with the low ceilings and narrow hallways (wtf was with the realtor claiming what was clearly firewood storage for the living room fireplace was a food/beverage pass through?). I normally liked mcm but much of the house left me cold.

[topanga]

 

I was prepared to not like this chick though due to her whispery voice. Sick or not, she gave me the creeps with that tone. I guess it beats the usual female vocal fry we're sadly seeing more of on this show, but she just seemed stoned mostly.

She seemed really depressed to me. (I'm an armchair psychologist in my spare time). Her affect was flat, her voice monotone, and she rarely showed changes in emotion--even when she was supposedly happy with the house they chose. 

 

Or maybe she has a chronic medical condition that gives her the whispery, scratchy voice. Who knows? In any event, there was something wrong with that woman. 

 

One other thing: I think it's wonderful to find the love of your life in middle school, but should that really be the only person you date (i.e. sleep with) your entire life? There might have been times that the couple broke up in high school and college, but they actually said, "We dated all through high school and college." Could they be from a very religious background that doesn't condone dating much? 

[Sun-Bun]

One other thing: I think it's wonderful to find the love of your life in middle school, but should that really be the only person you date (i.e. sleep with) your entire life? There might have been times that the couple broke up in high school and college, but they actually said, "We dated all through high school and college." Could they be from a very religious background that doesn't condone dating much?

Oh my word, that was another thing I found so unsettling about this couple---as boring/basic as they seemed, there was a total robotic creepiness about them, and the "dating since high school" thing didn't help the situation.

What with her seeming so oddly sedated and him just seeming rather blasé about everything as well, their matching looks and chill vibe just seemed kinda off, like pod people aliens posing as the human beings whose bodies they'd just inhabited.

Notice that they didn't do the standard kiss before making their home selection? Uh-huh, just a couple of Creepy Creepertons!!

[truther]

To be fair, it's a good thing the Tampa couple didn't buy that mid-century modern.  She would have destroyed it.  She would have blown out a wall or two, "opened it up," "updated" everything, and generally turned a beautiful, well-preserved home into some kind of hybrid HGTV monstrosity.  

[biakbiak]

The Tampa woman reminded me both in looks an her voice of Aya Cash from You're the Worst.

[Pickles]

The Tampa couple last night. They kept saying they had known each other for 10 years--since middle school. Aren't you 12-13 in middle school? Were they really only 22 or 23? How had they amassed enough money for a $400k house?

[laredhead]

Re the Tampa episode, no one has commented on the "adorable" small house that the wife gushed over at first sight.  The realtor said it was 1600 sf before they walked in, yet she kept commenting on how small all the rooms and closets were in the main house.  Obviously math wasn't her strong suit.  A 1600 sf house built in the 1940's isn't going to have huge rooms and closets, as the realtor pointed out not once, but at least twice.  I cringed when he said he would tear out the original pink and black basket weave bathroom floor.  That house had been well taken care of and preserved, and it would have been a shame to tear out that bathroom and the floor.  Yes, it's pink and not everyone likes pink, but the bathroom went with the house, unlike a Home Depot generic bathroom, that many people would install.  I loved the MCM house.  The storage space in that house was fabulous.  It may be located in an area that is not so desirable, hence the lower price on it.  I don't know anything about Tampa, so that's just a guess.  I wouldn't change a thing in that house unless absolutely necessary.  Those kitchen cabinets would cost a lot of money today, if you could even find someone who could replicate them.  IMO, they bought the house they deserved.  At least whatever changes they make to it won't ruin the style of it, because it didn't have much to begin.        

[buttersister]

But if you keep a cool, well-preserved bathroom and don't want a Home Depot-designed "modern" bathroom, that's less moola for Home Depot.

 

Mr. Architect was drooling over the mcm home (that's the kind of house a guy like me is supposed to buy), but he knew he was doomed when she wouldn't go for it. He appeared to be a happy wife/happy life kind of guy. Good luck with that, sir.

[Empress1]

To be fair, it's a good thing the Tampa couple didn't buy that mid-century modern.  She would have destroyed it.  She would have blown out a wall or two, "opened it up," "updated" everything, and generally turned a beautiful, well-preserved home into some kind of hybrid HGTV monstrosity.  

Totally agree. She would have gotten rid of all the things that made it a cool mid-century modern home; she frankly wasn't sophisticated enough to appreciate it, and she didn't know she wasn't (although maybe her husband would have helped her see it better). I mean, I'm not a decorator or preservationist or architect, but I at least know what I don't know, and would hire someone to incorporate my taste while still maintaining the integrity of the house. That house was better served by an owner who knew enough to appreciate it.

[DownTheShore]

Tampa woman's voice seemed to have gotten worse as the show progressed, so I'm putting my money on laryngitis and a lot of cold medication.

There are things you can do with a pink bathroom like that to make it more harmonious. We lived in a house that had this brownish-greyish swirled tile halfway up the wall in the bathroom. When the wall above it was plain white, the first thing you saw was that depressing tile. My mother put up a wallpaper that had a black curlicue pattrrn on a cream-colored background above it. The wallpaper complemented the tile and the effect made the tile recede and the room seem larger. So they can take similar steps to mitigate the impact of the pink without destroying the vintage look.

[biakbiak]

frankly wasn't sophisticated enough to appreciate it, and she didn't know she wasn't (although maybe her husband would have helped her see it better)

Just because something isn't to one's taste doesn't mean they aren't sophisticated enough to appreciate it, it simply means that they lIke something different, in her case chair rails and ctown moulding. I would also note she never mentioned tearing down walls, her solution to not liking the small dining area was to simply switch the living room and dining room.

While the house was well maintained I wasn't that impressed by it and have seen much better examples of mcm, my grandmother lives in one.

Edited December 29, 2015 by biakbiak

[Pickles]

What an awful couple tonight moving from Florida to Dallas. They acted like they hated each other. They did not like any of the same things. If she said she liked something, he said he did not. Of course, they got the house he wanted. He got his media room and spent an additional $10k outfitting it. He also got the home office, even though the wife worked from home. He seemed like a jerk, but they were both unpleasant. I can't imagine how their relationship affects their children.

[Dejana]

Where to start with the Dallas couple? She wanted a European style home with lots of windows but definitely not white walls or carpets (I guess they don't have home improvement stores in Texas). He angled for a Craftsman with a limited number of windows (because too many windows makes a house too museum-like, apparently) with a home theater and a home office, the latter for his sports memorabilia and video game playing, even though the wife works from home. Why he couldn't just put the sports memorabilia in the home theater and play video games there, too...yeah, I don't know, either. 

 

After one showing, the wife trotted out the "Happy wife, happy life" quote and her darling husband replied that he didn't live by that rule. Obviously not, because they chose the Craftsman he wanted, and he staked out the home office for himself while she was out, relegating his wife to a laptop in the kitchen. She implied they would have to work something out with the office, though the husband gloated about getting his way with the house hunt, so good luck with that.

 

The real estate agent snarked about how someone wouldn't be getting what they wanted, with Dallas not having too many French Craftsmans, and told Mr. Wonderful that she wasn't having much luck, finding houses without windows. The editors clearly hated him, because as he talked about how difficult it is, moving all of your stuff into a new house, there was shot after shot of the professional movers actually unloading everything and his wife calling him out on it. Also, a 2006 house is "older" construction now.

 

Can't wait for the blog/Facebook post to claim that they're a perfectly happy family, he's not really such a mega-tool, and it was all "the editing" that made him look like a jerk. At least their poor girls have each other!

Edited December 31, 2015 by Dejana

[ByaNose]

The Florida to Dallas aren't really married, right? He had to be the biggest caveman tool and she was just less annoying. They didn't give off the lovey couple vibe at all. And, could he have been anymore juvenile in wanting (and, winning) the home theatre and office. Also, he didn't look thrilled watching other people move his stuff. Yeah, those two deserve each other and I'm glad they don't live near me.

[KLovestoShop]

The Dallas couple was a real piece of work. He was such a cocky, jerky, boastful idiot and she was just strange. Plus, she needs to find a good hair stylist to give her some whispy bangs and wash out that awful magenta color. Whomever said the husband was a real caveman hit it right on the head. Anybody remember what his job was?

[topanga]

Where to start with the Dallas couple? She wanted a European style home with lots of windows but definitely not white walls or carpets (I guess they don't have home improvement stores in Texas). He angled for a Craftsman with a limited number of windows (because too many windows makes a house too museum-like, apparently) with a home theater and a home office, the latter for his sports memorabilia and video game playing, even though the wife works from home. Why he couldn't just put the sports memorabilia in the home theater and play video games there, too...yeah, I don't know, either.

 

 

The husband is a manager at a home improvement store, so he might have access to paint. *sarcasm*

 

Yes, they were both annoying. And it wasn't just the editing that made them seem like they hated each other. They were constantly giving each other side-eye and dirty looks. And the wife kept rolling her eyes. You can't edit that much shade into an episode.

 

"This house looks too cookie cutter." They're all cookie cutter! You're in Texas looking at new construction homes, all above 3000 feet! They're going to look alike! And maybe I'm watching too much Tiny House Hunters, but why do you need such a huge house for 4 people?

 

And the husband taking over the office didn't just happen when she went to the store. There was huge, heavy furniture in that office that he could not have moved himself. And there were things hanging on the wall--baseball bat displays. I have no idea why this lady would agree to let him have that office when she's the one who works from home. He actually seems like an abusive husband (if not physically, then emotionally and possibly verbally). 

 

I notice the older daughter wasn't around as much as the younger daughter. With parents like those, the teenager probably stays as far away as possible. 

[Ohwell]

I didn't like either of those people.  They were both equally strange and annoying.

[laredhead]

I have not seen the Dallas episode yet, and maybe I don't want to after reading the above comments.  Yipes!  Maybe they need 3000 square feet to keep out of each other's way.  OK, going to view this one now.

[topanga]

I have not seen the Dallas episode yet, and maybe I don't want to after reading the above comments.  Yipes!  Maybe they need 3000 square feet to keep out of each other's way.  OK, going to view this one now.

The houses they looked at were nice, so it was a good episode for that reason. 

 

This was one of the few episodes I've seen that doesn't end with friends and family coming over for a party. Maybe it's because they're new to Dallas. Or maybe it's because no one likes them. 

[proserpina65]

YES!!! I *adored* that retro-mod home so very much too! Everything was original still, the "modern" elements and quirks were so uniquely beautiful and fun, and how about those gorgeous brick walls and all that storage too? Such a stellar throwback home at an inanely good price indeed.

And...yet another basic bitch turns her nose up at a beautifully-preserved piece of post-modern architecture elegance because it isn't "her style."

And why is it always "her style"? Is it a HH rule that the females always must irrationally dislike modern/contemporary design and darker-hued cabinets while the males go bonkers over this style?? Are women on this program only supposed to like traditional or internationally-themed design that's considered safely feminine???

As a modern/contemporary/industrial design lover who happens to be female, it irks me to no end when I see the women on this show constantly play up that stereotypical feminine-design bullshit. You almost wait for the females on here to gasp, "Oh, this is so not me!" the minute they spot a damned cleanly designed pad with no frills and Wright-style vibes.

I was prepared to not like this chick though due to her whispery voice. Sick or not, she gave me the creeps with that tone. I guess it beats the usual female vocal fry we're sadly seeing more of on this show, but she just seemed stoned mostly.

Very boring couple otherwise though, so of course they chose the most boring and basic home of the three.

I thought it was absolutely hideous, but then my taste in home architecture is pretty traditional, and I detest modern/contemporary houses.  I tend to prefer episodes where the house hunters are actively searching for older homes with more character.  Of course, then they complain about lack of closets and want open floor plans, so there's no winning.  (It makes me want to cry when they show people tearing out walls in Victorian or Craftsman houses.)

Edited December 31, 2015 by proserpina65

[NYGirl]

I somehow missed all comments about the Mid Century in Tampa.  What a beautiful home!  I thought he was going to win and they would get that one but alas..she got whatever she liked.  I want that house!!

 

Last night?  I renamed Nate to Dick.  What an asshole.  I can't believe he got everything he wanted.  I agree with whoever said she needs a good hairstylist.  She was just a touch better than him but she also annoyed me by saying every kitchen was dated.  They were NOT dated..they were just a couple of years old.  Ridiculous.

[Sims Addict]

Like all of you I had S.H.E. (second hand embarrassment) watching the couple from Dallas. It almost read like one of them wanted to do the episode and the other resented them for it so the tension was playing out on screen. The way the husband was so unyielding and cold, I wouldn't be surprised if the wife wanted the exposure and he wasn't down for it..hence him getting his way via the house, media room, and office he wanted.

 

Side note to the wife...a husband who truly wants to support his wife's home-based business would gladly give up the office space and make do with another one of the 50 billion rooms in the house for his own private space. That parting scene of her at the kitchen table pecking at her laptop while he was in the decked out office was crazy.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Sims Addict

[juliet73]

I totally agree that the Dallas guy was a total douche. I think she is such a pill because she's married to him. He needs a whole decked out office to check his email?! Seriously?! Next time he leaves the house for the day, she should move all his crap up to his theater room. And I agree, some bangs on her would look so much better. Also, she should time down the harsh make-up. She has a really pretty face and it's hiding behind all that bad make-up.

[Mondrianyone]

I'd read here about what a jerk that Dallas guy was, and I had to go watch the episode, since it was hard to believe anyone was really that bad.  Turns out he was worse.  The wife said she was from Poland, but she had no accent, really, so that kind of diminishes the likelihood she married him for a green card.  It's hard to think of why else she would've wanted to.  With some couples you get the feeling that the bickering is fun for them and a sort of foreplay.  Not with this guy.  Someone should tell her she can do a lot better.  Out of a vast pool of assholey HHers, this one may be the assholiest.

[laredhead]

I finally saw the Dallas episode, and what everyone has said is unfortunately true.  I wonder what this couple thought when this episode aired?  The husband was very smug and seemed to take pleasure in putting down his wife.  Her reactions to his comments made me think she was used to that type of treatment.  If they were acting it made me uncomfortable to watch.  If they weren't acting, well words fail me about that couple's relationship and his rude behavior.  I know that no one should make assumptions about what a couple's relationship really is from 22 minutes of a pseudo-reality show, but there seemed to be a grain of truth in this one.  As for the houses, they were all cookie cutter in my opinion.  What's with the castle type of architecture?  The realtor seemed to be familiar with it, and maybe there are many like that in the Dallas area.  The first house really did have a lot of windows in the main living area.  The heating and cooling bills would be affected by that much glass, even if the windows have double panes.

[DownTheShore]

I was thinking the same thing - a lot of large windows is nice to have in a home, but that first house had way too many. I was thinking about how hot it would get when direct sunlight was pouring in them.

That FL-TX woman must have come over from Poland as a young child, because her speech patterns seemed to be completely American and without any accent.

Were we ever told exactly what her job was? I'm wondering if it is a real job for a company, or if she's merely a blogger?

But I agree, they were an unpleasant couple, and I don't think that it was scripted.