House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[KLovestoShop]

Watching the HH marathon today and they have a young couple who want to buy on the Jersey Shore. What a pain in the ass they both are. He wants to have all their furniture covered in plastic to preserve it and she is afraid of old houses.  I hate to tell this bimbo that a person could have died in a new build just as easily as in an old house.  And what's with her cut off date for an old build?   She thinks that any house from 1950 and newer won't have ghost issues?    And what's with the paranoia over stainless steel appliances?  They don't rust just because you're near the ocean. My family owns a house right on the Gulf of Mexico and they've had stainless in their house for years and years without rust.  

[izabella]

On 5/28/2016 at 4:49 AM, Hpmec said:

The Raleigh couple wife was ridiculous. I felt sorry for the realtor having to listen to her annoying "no" list -- no brick, no stairs leading to the house, no downstairs bedrooms, no shallow sinks, but must have an HOA. 

I just about died when she complained that "it was too much work to get into the house" because it had some stairs leading to the front porch.

I was with her husband on wanting a screened in porch.  I'm a big fan of screened porches - there is nothing better on summer evenings when the mosquitoes come out.

[Albino]

New episode tonight...couple looking for a place near Tampa.  Beachy, cottage-y, beachy, cottage-y, beachy, cottage-y.  IT'S FLORIDA.  If you want beachy and cottage-y you might try New England.  I'm sure there are places like that down there, but I would imagine they're few and far between.

It reminded me of the couple looking for a home in Las Cruces NM.  The wife hated the Southwestern style.  She wanted a craftsman or bungalow.  The realtor looked at her like she was crazy.  I live in Albuquerque...every house, apartment complex and condo is fake adobe, painted in some combination of tan and rust and brown.  I've never seen any other kind of home here, although I'm sure they exist.  I come from the Northeast and I dearly miss bungalows and 2-story old school homes, but I did not expect to find one down here.  :(

[KLovestoShop]

You are so right, Albino.  I've never understood when people move to certain parts of the country, where a specific style of home is about the only thing you'll find. Like when people move to Phoenix, where we lived for 10 years, and they want a Cape Cod or Victorian house. They just don't exist.  

[juliet73]

Florida couple didn't bother me too much.  She reminded me so much of Michelle Williams (the actress). I liked the kitchen.

[ByaNose]

I would still want the pool though. I liked the first house with the huge pool. It looked so nice. Of course, I'm not the one taking care of it. All I ever hear is how hard they are to take care of. I'm sure you could hire someone but that probably would get expensive after a while. This couple was sort of normal and didn't bug me as much. I thought the kitchen turned out nice. It wasn't huge but very practical. Hopefully, they'll get a door for the bathroom in the garage. Yuck!!!

[KLovestoShop]

Taking care of a pool isn't all that much work, depending on what kind of pool you have.  We have a salt water pool, and there's no having to test the water for the chemical balance or anything like that.  All you have to test for every once in a while is the Ph balance, and you can do that while you're in the pool   If you have a good pool cleaner, you don't spend hours cleaning the pool.  

[laredhead]

The Brooklyn buyers episode last night was interesting because we got to see the inside of some of those old, New York city residences.  The first one, the Victorian era house, could be fabulous with a lot of work and money thrown at it.  I figured they would not select it, but it was a toss up with the other two since all of them were empty and it was hard to tell which one they would buy.  Usually the houses that are furnished are the decoys.  I loved the floors with the beautiful inlaid designs and that they had been kept intact for so many years.   The couple was nice and did not grate on me with their wishes for the holy trinity (granite, wood floors and ss appliances).  All in all, a nice episode that informed me I would need north of a million dollars to live in that area of Brooklyn. 

[NYGirl]

I was surprised at the prices of those homes being that none of them were in Williamsburg or downtown Brooklyn..Court St., etc.

I think they did pick the best home for them.  I liked the idea that they didn't have to rent the top floor but wow..$3,750 for that apartment?  I don't know if I misheard the narrator saying it was 4 bedrooms up there.  The yard was not that good.  The wife said they want to put a garage and I was like..where?

Edited June 3, 2016 by NYGirl

[jcbrown]

I knew I had lived in the Bay Area too long when I watched the Brooklyn episode because the prices and rents seemed reasonable.  Agreed that it was nice to see some places with actual character (as opposed to what some of the vapid buyers want) and that the couple were nice. Vintage clothing reselling and TV composing must be more lucrative careers than I thought, though!

Edited June 2, 2016 by jcbrown
clarification

[Neurochick]

I watched the Brooklyn episode last night and wasn't surprised at the prices of the homes either.  Brooklyn has gotten very expensive in the last few years, more expensive than some places in Manhattan.  

[Empress1]

I wasn't surprised either. I was like, well, this is gentrification in action. If you're looking for an affordable (relatively speaking) area in NYC, the nail is in Brooklyn's coffin.

[izabella]

Does anyone know why Brooklyn house #3 was so much less expensive than the second house?  I didn't catch whether it was smaller or less desirable location, because it did have a rental unit downstairs.

I would not have picked a house that close to a freeway overpass.  It's noisy and grimy, so that would be a deal breaker for me for that kind of money.

[juliet73]

58 minutes ago, izabella said:

Does anyone know why Brooklyn house #3 was so much less expensive than the second house?  I didn't catch whether it was smaller or less desirable location, because it did have a rental unit downstairs.

 

It was in Bed Stuy

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, juliet73 said:

It was in Bed Stuy

Though even Bed Stuy has changed a lot from Chris Rocks material where he noted it didn't  matter what was happening in the world or who was in power Bed Stuy doesn't change. 

[Empress1]

The one husband (I had a hard time telling them apart - one was bearded and the other wasn't, but I forgot who was who) last night was right that the third house had had all the charm renovated out of it. I loved the exterior but was left cold by the interior. Ditto the house they ultimately chose, although they did warm it up in the end - the red tones in the living room rug and their light leather couch (I think?) gave the living room a homey feel. Hated the kitchen though. So sterile, IMO.

Their corgi was so cute! I like corgis.

[ByaNose]

I have always found the off center fireplaces a huge turnoff for me. I can honestly say I wouldn't by a house with one. Not to mention there isn't even a mantle. Wait! Do I sound like one of those annoying HH people? I wonder if casting would be interested in me. LOL!!!

[laredhead]

I did not like the light fixture they installed in the kitchen.  I thought it looked very out of place with the other decor.

I agree about the cute corgi.  

[juliet73]

6 hours ago, laredhead said:

I did not like the light fixture they installed in the kitchen.  I thought it looked very out of place with the other decor.

I agree about the cute corgi.  

The light fixture was horrible! It was way too horsey!

I love me a corgi!! I was lucky enough to find one in a shelter. :)

[topanga]

On 6/2/2016 at 10:50 AM, laredhead said:

The Brooklyn buyers episode last night was interesting because we got to see the inside of some of those old, New York city residences.  The first one, the Victorian era house, could be fabulous with a lot of work and money thrown at it.  I figured they would not select it, but it was a toss up with the other two since all of them were empty and it was hard to tell which one they would buy.  Usually the houses that are furnished are the decoys.  I loved the floors with the beautiful inlaid designs and that they had been kept intact for so many years.   The couple was nice and did not grate on me with their wishes for the holy trinity (granite, wood floors and ss appliances).  All in all, a nice episode that informed me I would need north of a million dollars to live in that area of Brooklyn. 

I loved all three Brooklyn homes. But my unpopular opinion is that I did not like the couple. To me, they were very smug and entitled. Maybe I'm just jealous that they had 1.6 million to spend on a home--I am!--but they also said things that confused and angered me. When they saw the first house, the husband said he was upset that the home was only a one-family home because they needed the rental income that a 2nd unit would bring. But in the end, they said, "Screw the $3,750 rental income. We'll use the whole house." His initial comments were probably producer-driven, but it bothered me to hear such a blatant lie. And then they complained about the size of the bedrooms. Didn't they understand that the bedroom size was typical for the historic Brooklyn brownstone they wanted? Then they complained about the size of the backyards. In Brooklyn. And then when they were looking at a house with a brand-new kitchen (either #2 or #3), they said they would rip out the brand-new cabinets because they didn't like the brown color. And in the home they finally chose, they did plan to gut the brand-new kitchen.  So even though they weren't the typical HH couple looking for granite and stainless steel, they still annoyed me. 

[NYGirl]

In my opinion if certain remarks are producer driven, the production team should do their homework and make sure that one remark would not make the HH seem like a blatant liar.  They don't do a good job of this.  For example when they are discussing the 3 houses sometimes they over the top criticize the house they are taking and then turn around and say.."it felt the most like home".  I'm always like "whaaaa?"  when they do this.  People are paying attention

[AlleC17]

Although the comments regarding rental income probably were producer driven, the house they saw that was single family only was at the top of their budget, so they would "need" the income to help defray the cost.  The two houses that were set up for 2 families were much less expensive then that other one, plus that first one also needed renovation unless I am not remembering correctly.  Which is quite possible...I binged watched HH, HHI, Island Hunters, Lakefront/Beachfront Bargain Hunters etc, etc.  all weekend.  lol

[laredhead]

Has anyone seen Big Sky Living where buyers search for houses in Montana?  So far the buyers have been an orthopedic surgeon couple from Minnesota, an obviously very successful business owner from California, and a couple of others who must have 5 figure bank accounts and salaries.  The houses shown are pretty sweet, but looks like to me the state of Montana is soon going to be populated by the very wealthy and a lot of that gorgeous landscape with the fabulous views is going to be suburbia.   

[KLovestoShop]

I am hoping against all hope that HH will go to the new community on the property of Walt Disney World and do some home shopping there.  I just saw the homes in that place and I cannot believe how amazing, and terribly expensive they are.  Even if the producers make up the entire story, and the people don't buy a house, just to see the interiors of those homes would be great House Porn.  Houses start at $2 million and go up from there.  The amenities are incredible to go with the prices.  

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

I am hoping against all hope that HH will go to the new community on the property of Walt Disney World and do some home shopping there.  I just saw the homes in that place and I cannot believe how amazing, and terribly expensive they are.  Even if the producers make up the entire story, and the people don't buy a house, just to see the interiors of those homes would be great House Porn.  Houses start at $2 million and go up from there.  The amenities are incredible to go with the prices.  

If these are the ones you are talking about they are very small. LOL!!!

http://greatideas.people.com/2016/04/12/disney-world-orlando-homes-sale-golden-oaks/

Edited June 7, 2016 by ByaNose

[KLovestoShop]

Yep, those are the ones.  Don't expect to see any HH to have the budget for those homes.  I can see it now, a couple with a $3 million budget complaining about the size of the kitchen, or the color of the granite. 

[laredhead]

Tonight's episode about the couple from Brooklyn looking for a lake house was one of those episodes where I wanted to mute the sound.  Between her voice and their constant bickering, it was a long 30 minutes - well, a lot less than that with the commercials and recaps after every commercial.  Seemed like 30 long minutes.  He seemed pretty laid back, but the wife was a Type A personality.  Maybe they will show the house on a future HH Renovation, because it will be interesting to see the finished product.     

[Albino]

1 hour ago, laredhead said:

Tonight's episode about the couple from Brooklyn looking for a lake house was one of those episodes where I wanted to mute the sound.  Between her voice and their constant bickering, it was a long 30 minutes - well, a lot less than that with the commercials and recaps after every commercial.  Seemed like 30 long minutes.  He seemed pretty laid back, but the wife was a Type A personality.  Maybe they will show the house on a future HH Renovation, because it will be interesting to see the finished product.     

Her voice reminded me a bit of the Fran Drescher character in Spinal Tap.  He seemed to handle her very well, mostly by ignoring her renovation demands.  Well, until the end anyway.

Greenwood Lake is an okay place, but if I were going to buy a 'lake house' I'd be looking for something a bit more cottage-y and home-y.  All the houses they looked at could have been in any non-lake suburb.  Nice views, though.  

[juliet73]

Brooklyn couple: I knew they weren't going to buy the last one since it obviously was a decoy home. Considering the husband was not really into even paying $450k for a lake house, they spent a bit less than that. But since this is HH, they will probably spend at least another $100K + renovating it. I didn't understand how she couldn't pull into the driveway? How does she drive on the city streets that incline?

[ByaNose]

I didn't know that HH was airing The King of Queens reruns. LOL!!! That couple seemed like total opposites but I think they feed off of each other this the attraction. I did t like the outside of the house because it didn't scream lakeside or mountain house. Also, that hill of a driveway is awful. I would love to see the after renovation when it's completed. The house had great bones inside. Unfortunately, the bones outside not so much. 

[KLovestoShop]

I was surprised they didn't buy the third house, because knowing the price of house two, and knowing that a complete gut job that they're doing on house two would run well over $100K (the wife seems to be the type who'd want the best of everything), their final cost would probably come very close to house three.  Not only that,  but after owning a lake house, I don't think that their house can be considered a "real" lake house.  They own a lake "view" house, not a lake house. 

[Empress1]

6 hours ago, juliet73 said:

Brooklyn couple: I knew they weren't going to buy the last one since it obviously was a decoy home. Considering the husband was not really into even paying $450k for a lake house, they spent a bit less than that. But since this is HH, they will probably spend at least another $100K + renovating it. I didn't understand how she couldn't pull into the driveway? How does she drive on the city streets that incline?

She may not drive much. You don't have to in Brooklyn. My mother is from Brooklyn & didn't learn to drive until she met my father in college. Also I think her issue was turning the behemoth SUV into the driveway - it seemed like she was struggling with getting into the driveway itself, and then once she was in she was ok.

That driveway will indeed be a bitch to deal with in the snow. It's not only hilly but long.

[Albino]

The other thing I didn't understand about this woman was her demand to have a big living room and kitchen to fit all their friends when they're "entertaining".  

How often does she think all their friends are going to make the 2-hour drive up to Greenwood Lake from Brooklyn?  I'm sure she imagines herself making a grand statement in her grand, semi-lakeside home, passing around cocktails and mini-quiches, surrounded by admiring and envious friends who will then have to turn around and head back to Brooklyn by 11pm. 

[NYGirl]

My ears are still bleeding from last night's episode.  I'm ashamed to say that I am from Brooklyn.  She was a typical Brooklyn realtor.  I felt sorry for the husband but apparently it doesn't bother him much.

I always pretend that HH is real so I think they should have taken the last house.  Even the first house was nice as it was on the water too.  The only one that wasn't on the water was the one they chose.

[Empress1]

Lakey* (that is not a good name) was gorgeous. #naturalhairgoals. I really thought she was beautiful, and I thought her friendship with her best friend was very sweet. I didn't like the furniture in the house she chose, but that outdoor area was stunning. I'd trade beach proximity for that outdoor space too.

*There used to be a restaurant in Philly called Lakey's, which is immediately what I thought of when she introduced herself (it's the only time I've ever heard the word) - and then it turned out that she was from Philly! I laughed.

[juliet73]

Lakey is beautiful! I wonder how old she is. She has a 20 year old son so late 30's would be that youngest. No matter her age, she looked fantastic!

 I thought the furniture in the 2nd house was totally her...even though I don't know her. It was classy and elegant, but also casual...like her.  I laughed when she said she didn't need 2 sinks in the master bath.  Her friend said something like,  "you'll want two when you meet your future ex husband." Ha!

I'm surprised she picked Florida. She kept saying she wanted tropical, etc. I wonder if she considered Mexico. The flight wouldn't be so long and the home prices are probably comparable depending on the location.

[Albino]

Oh Lakey....the rompers.  The rompers!  Orange.  Green.  Yellow.  How many rompers does anyone over the age of 6 really need?  I did like her though...very pretty woman, great head of hair and very realistic about things (except maybe the aversion to black granite).  Her friend, on the other hand, I could do without. That elusive wow factor: he wanted it!  And I can't remember a single positive thing he said...maybe he sort of liked the view on one of them?

I'm not a big Florida fan, so I didn't really care one way or another which house she picked but she looked happy at the end. 

Did I hear Lakey say that the beach was just 25 minutes away?  Yikes. 

[Empress1]

19 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

Lakey is beautiful! I wonder how old she is. She has a 20 year old son so late 30's would be that youngest. No matter her age, she looked fantastic!

 I thought the furniture in the 2nd house was totally her...even though I don't know her. It was classy and elegant, but also casual...like her.  I laughed when she said she didn't need 2 sinks in the master bath.  Her friend said something like,  "you'll want two when you meet your future ex husband." Ha!

I'm surprised she picked Florida. She kept saying she wanted tropical, etc. I wonder if she considered Mexico. The flight wouldn't be so long and the home prices are probably comparable depending on the location.

I'm guessing she's mid-40s-ish. "Black don't crack," and she clearly takes care of herself. She said she & her friend had been friends for 30 years, since high school, so I assume they met in their mid-teens. I think she said her son was 23.

21 minutes ago, Albino said:

Oh Lakey....the rompers.  The rompers!  Orange.  Green.  Yellow.  How many rompers does anyone over the age of 6 really need?  I did like her though...very pretty woman, great head of hair and very realistic about things (except maybe the aversion to black granite).  Her friend, on the other hand, I could do without. That elusive wow factor: he wanted it!  And I can't remember a single positive thing he said...maybe he sort of liked the view on one of them?

I'm not a big Florida fan, so I didn't really care one way or another which house she picked but she looked happy at the end. 

Did I hear Lakey say that the beach was just 25 minutes away?  Yikes. 

I think the house she picked was 15 miles from the beach, so yeah, 25 minutes sounds about right. And while I liked Lakey, I hate rompers. She has great legs so I get wanting to show them off, but girl, rock a mini!

[ByaNose]

Lakey got a great pool & view. While the ride to the beach is a little far (with traffic) it wouldn't have been a total deal breaker for me. I liked the orb chandelier but not in gold. She looked great in her short-shorts. She's got legs that go on for miles and totally work for her. Overall, she seemed like a nice & level headed person.

[NYGirl]

Dear Mrs Ebenezer Scrooge moving to Santa Claus, Indiana:  Dining rooms are NOT a waste of space and having a split floor plan when you and your husband are the only people living in the house is stupid...especially at your big $199,000 budget.

[buttersister]

They were a little odd, weren't they? Ha, there wasn't any wrestling with a choice at the end, no "let's eliminate one" because Mrs. Scrooge couldn't quite pretend they hadn't already bought that house.

[aguabella]

Yep, the Brooklyn wife was your typical realtor and he was your typical contractor, if you ask me.  These guys work hard all day and the last thing they want to deal with is home renovations during their free time.  That's why you should probably avoid any home the realtors call a "contractors' special"!  It's the home with the contractors' unfinished renovations!

[Albino]

New episode tonight - couple who moved from Australia to Hoboken.  Nice enough, not too whine-y or demanding. They ended up buying a condo in a converted church for $1 million.  It was cool and interesting, but I would have snapped up the home in Jersey City.  Hoboken is convenient to NYC, quaint and lovely and a great nightlife but what a mess.  It floods constantly. One of my friends had to swim - swim - from her 2nd floor apt. to safety during Hurricane Sandy. It's flooded a few times since then.  Zero parking, awful traffic.  And sorry realtor, but a fire escape does not qualify as "outdoor" space.

[juliet73]

I agree about the Jersey city home.  It was beautiful, big and had EVERYTHING they wanted.  Yes,  the price was higher than the others, but it was still in their price range and had EVERYTHING they wanted.  And the church condo had HOA fees and they ended paying almost 100k more than the asking price if I remember correctly. Sometimes, actually more often than not,  I have to wonder what these people are thinking.  If it's not about the house,  it's about their spouse. 

Edited June 14, 2016 by juliet73

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, juliet73 said:

I agree about the Jersey city home.  It was beautiful, big and had EVERYTHING they wanted.  Yes,  the price was higher than the others, but it was still in their price range and had EVERYTHING they wanted.  And the church condo had HOA fees and they ended paying almost 100k more than the asking price if I remember correctly. Sometimes, actually more often than not,  I have to wonder what these people are thinking.  If it's not about the house,  it's about their spouse. 

The house in Jersey City was listed for $500,000 more than what they paid and the HOA were only $528.

[Empress1]

8 hours ago, Albino said:

New episode tonight - couple who moved from Australia to Hoboken.  Nice enough, not too whine-y or demanding. They ended up buying a condo in a converted church for $1 million.  It was cool and interesting, but I would have snapped up the home in Jersey City.  Hoboken is convenient to NYC, quaint and lovely and a great nightlife but what a mess.  It floods constantly. One of my friends had to swim - swim - from her 2nd floor apt. to safety during Hurricane Sandy. It's flooded a few times since then.  Zero parking, awful traffic.  And sorry realtor, but a fire escape does not qualify as "outdoor" space.

Yeah, I have friends who live there whose car ended up underwater during Sandy. Like, completely underwater. They live in a high-rise so they were OK, but the car was toast.

I thought they were going to take the budget buster too, but at the end of the day I'm guessing it was just too much. The wife said it was a "stretch." If the church condo went for $100K over asking, I assume the budget buster would as well. Being house poor with a young kid in a really expensive area strikes me as a very bad idea, so the condo makes sense. I thought the first place was too small and I hated the only bathroom.

[laredhead]

I could not believe the price on that first place in Hoboken.  If I had been the buyer, I would not have even finished touring the house.  I don't care how historical the street was or if it had street parking, it was awful.  I thought the 3rd house was the best one and I figured they would buy it instead of the church condo, which I did not like at all.  Spiral staircases and I do not get along, especially since I have gotten older and less sure footed.  

[Neurochick]

2 hours ago, laredhead said:

I could not believe the price on that first place in Hoboken.  If I had been the buyer, I would not have even finished touring the house.  I don't care how historical the street was or if it had street parking, it was awful.  I thought the 3rd house was the best one and I figured they would buy it instead of the church condo, which I did not like at all.  Spiral staircases and I do not get along, especially since I have gotten older and less sure footed.  

I agree.  I liked the third place too but knew they wouldn't take it because it was in Jersey City and they wanted to live in Hoboken; sometimes people want what they want and would rather tell their friends they live in Hoboken than Jersey City.

[ByaNose]

Hoboken is like the new Baltimore with the row home prices. They are usually beautiful inside but the outside look like run down homes. It's crazy what people pay for but there will always be someone who will buy it. That's what I hope for when I sell my little $175, 000 home. LOL!!!

[Empress1]

I feel like anywhere that's within spitting distance of Manhattan (and Hoboken and Jersey City are very close, especially if his financial services office is in Lower Manhattan) is going to be really expensive. You get more space for your money but you're still going to spend, you know?