Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

House Hunters: Buying in the USA

Lisin

By Lisin
in House Hunters [V]

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 8.4k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

LittleIggy
LittleIggy

For $1300/month, they better bring me breakfast in bed and do my laundry! ?

Tony
Tony

I find myself asking this question nearly all of the episodes. Funny enough, this meme has constantly been popping up all over my Facebook feed recently...

chessiegal
chessiegal

Those family shows are the worst! Get those kids off my lawn.

Posted Images

roseslg

roseslg

7 hours ago, Albino said:

I miss it too!  But you're not missing anything...it hasn't been on my DYI in months now.  I hope it's because they're filming new shows.

And yeah...it's just as fake as all the other shows but Scott McGilligravywhirlygig is so damn charming and good looking.

And I believe him more than anything the property brothers have to say!  

Kohola3

Kohola3

Quote

And what is it with these helicopter moms who have to see their kids at every moment of the day? 

Every time a mother says she "has to see the kids at all times" makes me roll my eyes.  Growing up my mother (and all of the other mothers in the neighborhood) saw us about an hour each day.  All of the rooms were separate and we were usually running around outside.  And miraculously, we all survived to adulthood without criminal records.

  • Love 6
magemaud

magemaud

Quote

And what is it with these helicopter moms who have to see their kids at every moment of the day? 

Wouldn't that mean all the kids would always have to be together in the same room or do these moms REALLY have the old cliche "eyes in the back of their heads?" Maybe the homes should be equipped with CC surveillance cameras in each room so Mom could watch everyone from the comfort of her granite topped computer station. 

  • Love 7
Ottis

Ottis

Quote

Lakey (FL vacation home buyer from LA) was a gorgeous woman - I definitely agree.  Here's the thing, however:  baby, if you have to tell me you're sexy, then you ain't!  Might have been a bit of truth to her friend's cutting remark about the 2nd sink for her "future ex-husband".

Lakey set off all kinds of alarm bells for me. She dressed like Donna Summer and her taste ran more Vegas than Florida. She was almost cartoony. We thought it odd that someone who lives in SoCal would want a Fla house for a vacation home. That's a long way to go to see your home, and you already live in an area that has some pretty nice vacation towns. I get it's expensive in SoCal, but not within 2-3 hours' drive in any direction.

  • Love 2
juliet73

juliet73

1 hour ago, Ottis said:

We thought it odd that someone who lives in SoCal would want a Fla house for a vacation home. That's a long way to go to see your home, and you already live in an area that has some pretty nice vacation towns. I get it's expensive in SoCal, but not within 2-3 hours' drive in any direction.

I thought it was strange too. That's why I mentioned Mexico.  And it's not like she got a beachfront place in Florida either.  If I was getting a vacation home in the US, I would want one driving distance from my main residence (like 6 hours or less) I would much rather hop in the car and go than to deal with airports/airlines.

  • Love 3
Guatemama3641

Guatemama3641

(edited)
On 6/23/2016 at 11:10 PM, laredhead said:

 

When I am in the States, I live in Toledo.  Born and raised. Toledo as it's issues for sure. The area the couple was looking in is still fairly decent. Home vales have been down for awhile, though on the last property tax assessment, ours went up slightly. At any rate, it's fun to see familiar places on tv.

Edited by Guatemama3641
  • Love 1
KLovestoShop

KLovestoShop

5 hours ago, Guatemama3641 said:

It is fun to see familiar places on tv.  My cousin lives right off I 280 and says that housing costs in her neighborhood have fallen so much that if she tried to sell now, she'd never get her money's worth.  We visited Toledo last year when my goddaughter made first Communion at the Cathedral and we drove through our old neighborhood, a few blocks from the original Tony Packo's, and so many of the houses are boarded up. It's so sad.  Most of my family have moved out of Toledo and have gone to the 'burbs like Oregon, Perrysburg and Genoa. 

  • Love 1
aguabella

aguabella

On ‎6‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 0:51 PM, KLovestoShop said:

The DC girl was looking in Alexandria VA.  I thought the place she chose was not the best, with the neighbors right on top of her.  I thought the house was a good idea.  

Did not get the Chicago couple at all, but their baby was absolutely adorable. I thought the converted two flat was a great choice and within their budget.  The single family bungalow needed so much work.  It looked like it needed to be totally gutted.  I couldn't believe they chose the third house.   According to law, I thought a bedroom could only be called a bedroom if it had a closet?  How did that room in the third house qualify as a bedroom?  Even the agent kind of poo-poo'd when the man said this room doesn't have a closet.  That house was so nasty looking with the bad carpet and the really bad basement.  

 

On ‎6‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 8:04 AM, Empress1 said:

I didn't get it either. (I was also under the impression that you can't call something a bedroom if it doesn't have a closet.) And they were also such physically large people (she was 5'11", he was 6'8" & as she said, their son is going to be a giant), I'd think the small bedroom sizes would be a legit issue. When they said they could fit a queen-sized bed in the master, I was like "But y'all don't fit in a queen-sized bed!" 

I wondered if the renovations to the first-floor unit meant they were going to combine it with the second floor unit like we've seen some people do on Renovations, because otherwise that made no sense. It's like that Texas couple with a son who complained that they'd outgrown their apartment and then bought a house that was smaller than that apartment.

 

The oft-quoted closet rule is known as a "realtor convention".  Personally, I think of it as a realtor fallacy!  No, realtors, you can't simply throw up a tiny closet in any room and presto-chango have a bedroom!

I think of it this way:  Question:  Does a closet addition improve the health and safety of a home's occupants?  Answer:  No.  Therefore, no regulation or code, to the best of my knowledge, includes a closet rule.

WRT the Chicago Victorian, the bedroom count would be based on the bedrooms as originally constructed and/or used over the years, historically.  No closets required.

A good current example would be a city loft.  If a loft is constructed with a single bedroom upstairs together with an ensuite bathroom and the homeowner adds a closet in the downstairs den, adjacent to the kitchen / greatroom, the bedroom count remains at one, as built / originally designed.

Hope that helps and makes sense.

  • Love 2
aguabella

aguabella

On ‎6‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 5:27 PM, Ohwell said:

I know some people like to save money by selling the house themselves, but I could never do that.  I could never show my house myself, because if some of these whiny, entitled buyers walked into my place and started complaining, I would very calmly tell them to get the fuck out of my house, and it would never get sold.  

You're way ahead of the game b/c you understand this!  Most FSBO sellers expend significant amounts of both time and money only to eventually engage a realtor.

  • Love 2
aguabella

aguabella

On ‎6‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 7:27 AM, juliet73 said:

Will someone please explain to me the mindset of the Chicago couple.  They wanted out of their loft because it was too small and their baby had a lot of stuff, as all babies do.  So they buy a place that is even smaller than their loft.  The kitchen has NO cabinets, and from the looks of it,  they weren't planning on installing any.  The ONLY closet in the whole place was in the kitchen??  Now, if I'm understanding it, they are going to rent that floor out for temporary housing (I'm assuming an airbnb type thing).  Then they are moving in downstairs in six months because currently it is being renting out. And we didn't even get to see the downstairs unit so...huh? They are living back at their loft which now seems very spacious compared to their new place. 

They were a nice couple and their baby was soooo cute, but this had to be one of the dumbest episodes I have ever seen and I've been watching HH since the dawn of time. 

My opinion of their mindset is that they wanted to publicize their AirBnb but had to play along with the whole HH / HGTV routine and feign interest in moving into their rental home.  The timing appears off so it's possible that HH may have delayed airing this episode and almost shelved it b/c of the game they played.

So, ???

  • Love 1
aguabella

aguabella

On ‎6‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 6:32 AM, 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.  

Yes, that first place looked like an awful, cheap flip.

Spiral staircases look good but are so impractical.  I wonder how many of these people spend hours constructing cheap Ikea furniture only to abandon it on move out day.

My major issue with this episode was their choice of bedrooms for their daughter and the mom's stated intention to lock the balcony / fire escape door.  Uh, egress?  Unless they leave the key in the door (they won't), how would their daughter and possibly the entire family escape in case of emergency?  Here's hoping they keep the key close at hand and don't forget where it's stowed in a stressful, life and death situation.

P.S.  Would have been nice if the cutesy, 20-something realtor had expressed the same concern.  But, alas ...  no. 

  • Love 1
Empress1

Empress1

Mario's friend was beautiful but she was irking me with her "my room" comments. I wouldn't have picked the house an hour from work. (Long commutes are a sticking point with me.) He must come from money. His parents' summer home was nice.

The friends from Seattle were funny, and they struck a nice balance between being friends and roommates. The friend did seem to get that it was the buyer's decision. (On the superficial, I wanted to lop off the buyer's blonde ends. They were scraggly.) That busy street she was on would have bugged me though.

  • Love 2
aguabella

aguabella

On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2016 at 11:18 AM, Ottis said:

Lakey set off all kinds of alarm bells for me. She dressed like Donna Summer and her taste ran more Vegas than Florida. She was almost cartoony. We thought it odd that someone who lives in SoCal would want a Fla house for a vacation home. That's a long way to go to see your home, and you already live in an area that has some pretty nice vacation towns. I get it's expensive in SoCal, but not within 2-3 hours' drive in any direction.

Love your description of Lakey as "almost cartoony"!  It implies she's a character and confirms that the casting agents did their job well!

Don't know why my comment about her choice of FL for a vacation home was truncated but NBD.  Many SoCal residents hear frequent news about Mexico's issues and therefore, don't care to buy property south of the border.  Also, I mentioned that it sounded as if she had major ties to the east coast.

aguabella

aguabella

(edited)
On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2016 at 0:49 PM, juliet73 said:

I thought it was strange too. That's why I mentioned Mexico.  And it's not like she got a beachfront place in Florida either.  If I was getting a vacation home in the US, I would want one driving distance from my main residence (like 6 hours or less) I would much rather hop in the car and go than to deal with airports/airlines.

If we wanted to, I suspect each of us could come up with several reasons why Lakey chose FL v. either SoCal or Mexico for her vacation home.  (Or the reverse, for that matter.)  For example, bf in FL, works for an airline / free travel, son lives in FL, ...  Well, it's NBD b/c even if we heard those reasons on HH/HHI, we wouldn't know if it was more reality TV drama.

Because of HHI, I believe HGTV glamorizes the purchase of foreign RE.  In real life, it comes with multiple, significant, additional risks, i.e. in addition to the risks inherent in any RE transaction.  One major risk, in virtually every other country, is exchange risk.  Anyone here own property in the UK?

Also, RE transactions may function very differently away from the U.S.  Many nations don't allow foreign ownership of RE.  Mexico is actually a good example of these issues.

It's my understanding that Mexico (technically) doesn't allow foreign ownership of either beachfront property / any property within 62 miles of the border.  Sure, you can get around it by holding the property in either a corporate or trust ownership form but that requires a local attorney plus annual reports and fees.  Oh, and, BTW, in that situation, the bank holds the trust deed on your behalf, even if the property was purchased outright, for cash.

Everybody remember the swine flu outbreak around, what, 2009?  Mexico resorts and vacation properties were pretty much vacant that year, in my understanding.  This year, many travelers to South America are very concerned about zika.

And financing RE purchases overseas?  Frequently, cash is required.  (I've heard that financing is even scarcer for foreign RE purchases since 2008.)

Needless to say, HGTV doesn't have the time to cover these things in 22 minutes.  I wonder how many buyers receive a few surprises if/when they actually get serious about foreign RE investment.

Edited by aguabella
  • Love 3
aguabella

aguabella

(edited)
On ‎6‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 8:24 PM, laredhead said:

I know that most of this show is fake, but I still get upset with episodes like the one tonight.  The couple gives the realtor their list of "must haves", and yet the realtor proceeds to show them 2 houses that have no garage, one that has no pool or outdoor space, and they are all under 1600 square feet.  If I had a realtor who wasted my time showing me houses that did not have most of what I wanted, then I would find a new realtor.  The husband just had to have a garage, so naturally they purchase one of the properties that did not have a garage, but plan to add on to the house.  What do they add? Not a garage, but instead a larger bathroom with a large dressing area.  Huh?  Yes, the master bath was small, but the entire house was small which they kept saying.  You're looking at a 1400 sf house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, so of course it's going to have small rooms.  Either up your budget or reduce your wish list.   

I'm sure you realize, laredhead, that it's highly unlikely that the couple toured the 2 decoy homes during their real life house hunt.  Bet you already know the following, too:

The participant realtors line up decoy houses and the HH plot is semi-scripted, considering the attributes of the three homes plus the desired drama.  Typically, what I call the "red herring" is chosen, the garage for this episode, and one of the spouses is required to constantly repeat, ad nauseum, his/her luv and desire for that particular attribute.

Yep, then, in this particular HH standard plot, they pretty much always select the damn place that doesn't have the red herring!

Nice of the show, in this particular episode, to basically confirm the red herring when they passed on adding their (supposed) must-have!

Here's my burning question:  why do we watch this silly drama, again?  lol ...

Edited by aguabella
  • Love 1
Empress1

Empress1

I like seeing what housing costs in different parts of the country, particularly in parts that I'm totally unfamiliar with, and different architectural and decorating tastes. That's why I get really bored when a hunter is like "I want new construction!" There have been several shows where I can't tell the houses apart - those are the worst ones, to me.

Also sometimes you can get a glimpse into a couple's relationship. I know they're all acting, but there's some stuff you can't fake.

  • Love 6
aguabella

aguabella

1 hour ago, SmithW6079 said:

Because we like looking at different types of houses in different areas. Unless your question was rhetorical 

You guessed it - it was rhetorical!  But that's o.k. - no worries.

I've watched HH, HHI, HHR, THH ...  literally since Day 1 - probably b/c of my professional background.

At this point, it feels like a nasty habit I wouldn't be able to break, if I tried!

  • Love 3
aguabella

aguabella

1 hour ago, ByaNose said:

What she/he said. LOL!!! I like looking at the houses. To this day I still don't pick the right house in the end. It's a game show to me. LOL!!!

The producers consider it part reality show and part game show.

I could probably give you a few more clues for guessing but don't know if you'd want them!

  • Love 1
aguabella

aguabella

10 hours ago, aguabella said:

Everybody remember the swine flu outbreak around, what, 2009?  Mexico resorts and vacation properties were pretty much vacant that year, in my understanding.  This year, many travelers to South America are very concerned about zika.

 

Interrupted last night when posting about zika.  Returned this a.m. to finish the paragraph but the new system doesn't allow late edits.

Anyway, just wanted to mention that Mexico is Level 2 (heightened awareness) b/c of around 6 (IIRC) zika cases but unfortunately, travelers often lump them in with SA.  In any event, it's another risk factor for vacation home buyers.

My current understanding is that Mexico hopes to increase tourism by about 2% this year (v. last year).  The Rio Olympics is forecasting attendance problems so we'll see ...

aguabella

aguabella

(edited)
1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

I like seeing what housing costs in different parts of the country, particularly in parts that I'm totally unfamiliar with, and different architectural and decorating tastes. That's why I get really bored when a hunter is like "I want new construction!" There have been several shows where I can't tell the houses apart - those are the worst ones, to me.

Also sometimes you can get a glimpse into a couple's relationship. I know they're all acting, but there's some stuff you can't fake.

Agreed, I believe most of us enjoy comparing housing costs and h/o tastes.  Yes, the cookie cutter subdivision homes are the worst, to me!

Fortunately, the producers figured out early on that they shouldn't fake the closed sale prices - too easy to verify.  I believe it's important to remember, however, that the editing period is 6 months.  IRL those prices wouldn't be considered comps.

I try to ignore many of the relationship issues, although I agree that some things can't be faked.  Participants have commented that they figured out the fastest way to shorten the long filming sessions was to disagree about the homes, i.e. create conflict for the producers!

Edited by aguabella
  • Love 1
Albino

Albino

16 minutes ago, Tara1665 said:

Mario Atlanta guy.. did y'all know his parents have a summer home???

Or that he has African artifacts???

Or that he wants an African style house and they have grand entrances with two stories?

Really?  How did I miss that!?!?  Would love to hear more about the African artifacts!  I hope he found a home with a proper place to display his African artifacts.  Because he has them.  

  • Love 7
topanga

topanga

(edited)
12 hours ago, Peanutbuttercup said:

I was tempted to watch the Mario episode just because his co-hunting friend was gorgeous (RAWR) but the previews convinced me he was insufferable and the houses were boring, so I deleted him and his beautiful friend.

 

21 hours ago, Tara1665 said:

Mario Atlanta guy.. did y'all know his parents have a summer home???

Or that he has African artifacts???

Or that he wants an African style house and they have grand entrances with two stories?

 

Thank God I didn't play a drinking game with those buzzwords. I would have alcohol poisoning.

Yes, he was annoying. I'm assuming his house hunting friend was a platonic friend and that he's gay? I couldn't tell for sure. 

His friend was indeed pretty. I suffered through the episode just so I could see her pop in. I liked all three houses that he considered, but I couldn't believe he chose the home with the hour-long commute to work. I thought that's what he was trying to leave behind by moving out of his PARENTS' SUMMER HOME.

 

Quote

Yes, please do!

Are you sure? It can take some of the fun out of guessing. Because when I see one of those clues, I'm like, "Well, now I know which house they're choosing."

Edited by topanga
  • Love 2
StaceyNotStacie

StaceyNotStacie

Mario didn't bother me, although I was only half paying attention to the episode. 

Did anyone watch the triplet parents episode. The wife was completely unlikeable. She just bugged me with all of that talk about the staircase. She's the mother of newborn triplets and she was worried about having a grand staircase to take pictures of them at prom. I was surprised that they bought the house that they did because I figured she would whine and complain until she got that damn staircase. 

  • Love 6
Empress1

Empress1

23 minutes ago, topanga said:

Yes, he was annoying. I'm assuming his house hunting friend was a platonic friend and that he's gay? I couldn't tell for sure. 

His friend was indeed pretty. I suffered through the episode just so I could see her pop in. I liked all three houses that he considered, but I couldn't believe he chose the home with the hour-long commute to work. I thought that's what he was trying to leave behind by moving out of his PARENTS' SUMMER HOME.

She was a platonic friend (she lived across the country), they'd been friends since college. No mention of whether or not he was gay.

My commute limit is 45 minutes. I've had a 90-minute commute before (three forms of public transportation) and it was horrible. It takes a lot out of you. An hour commute would be a deal-breaker for me. Also, I know his friend was going to come into town often but does HE travel for work a lot? That's the only way I could see being excited about being close to the airport. I would be worried about noise from flight patterns.

I found myself bored by the couple with triplets. I kept getting confused about their budget because he wanted to spend a lot more than she did (and with three kids the same age, I'd definitely err on the conservative side of the budget).

  • Love 1
magemaud

magemaud

Quote

Did anyone watch the triplet parents episode. The wife was completely unlikeable. She just bugged me with all of that talk about the staircase. She's the mother of newborn triplets and she was worried about having a grand staircase to take pictures of them at prom. 

IKR! How many times did she mention the grand prom-worthy staircase, an event probably at least sixteen years in the future! I must admit the first time I toured my current house and saw the foyer and stairs I mentally started decorating it for Christmas but at least that's a yearly event. At this point, I have now decorated it for 35 Christmases as well as taken a handful of prom pics. I can also imagine Triplet Mom as already dreaming of the day when her daughters pledge her college sorority. 

  • Love 3
juliet73

juliet73

(edited)

Triplet mom annoyed me too with her staircase, but at least she was more conservative about the price. HE bugged me way more. 2500 sq ft is too small according to him.  The beautiful pool in the first house was too small. He needed to get over himself! Plus, his price range was $200k more than hers?  So I'm thinking he loves to live paycheck to paycheck and be house poor so everyone will think he has more money than he actually does.  Maybe he should take that "extra" $200k and invest it so the triplets can have a college fund.  Ugh! He was such a douche! 

Edited by juliet73
  • Love 3
laredhead

laredhead

Babalooie, I also noticed the Range Rover and thought that was an expensive vehicle.  I wonder how long it will be big enough with all of the stuff needed for triplets - strollers, car seats, etc.  I'm always curious about the vehicles the buyers have, especially the ones who say they have to stick to a low budget, and then show up in an expensive car.  Of course, leases are cheap in some cases, but a paid off car is even cheaper.  

I get that the dad wanted a big, nice house given his story about growing up in foster homes.  A house to him means stability and his ability to provide for his family.  I do wonder what he does for a living though, because he said he works in the "fashion industry".

There certainly is a huge difference in prices between Bakersfield and the LA area.  Anyone know what Bakersfield is like as a place to live?

  • Love 3
NYGirl

NYGirl

I actually like the Bakersfield couple.  Right away I felt sorry for him for his childhood so he didn't annoy me at all.  She was way more annoying with her staircase talk.  I was talking to the TV saying "really??" while thinking this has to be producer driven.  I am now thinking it probably wasn't!  Could she be that annoying?

OMG those triplets were so cute.  I wanted the whole half hour to be about just them.
 

  • Love 2
ByaNose

ByaNose

9 hours ago, Pickles said:

I didn't mind the triplet couple. I just hope they get a fence around that pool before those babies are mobile! 

That's the first thing I thought of. I have no kids but what is the rule on that? If you have a pool do you have to have a fence? Just for my family alone I would but is it a law? Anyway, the house was nice and once the blue walls were painted it looked very nice. The triplets!!! Can HGTV create a show for them? Maybe, HH Renovation can go back and do a room for them....for free!!!! Can you imagine an instant day care in your house....everyday!!!! LOL!!!!

  • Love 1
ByaNose

ByaNose

35 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Triplet couple:  I actually liked the blue walls.  I know the color would have been limiting in terms of the furniture colors, but I thought the blue was much better than the sanitary white walls.

I guess they could have left one of the blue walls as an acent. I've seen worse colors of blue used inside but this wasn't one of them. It was just too much for the whole place.

  • Love 2
Totale

Totale

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

Triplet couple:  I actually liked the blue walls.  I know the color would have been limiting in terms of the furniture colors, but I thought the blue was much better than the sanitary white walls.

And then there was the one upstairs bedroom where somebody dosed the blue boy painter with LSD.  I don't mind unsubtle colors but that would be a bit much in the morning.

  • Love 4
Albino

Albino

6 hours ago, ByaNose said:

That's the first thing I thought of. I have no kids but what is the rule on that? If you have a pool do you have to have a fence? Just for my family alone I would but is it a law? Anyway, the house was nice and once the blue walls were painted it looked very nice. The triplets!!! Can HGTV create a show for them? Maybe, HH Renovation can go back and do a room for them....for free!!!! Can you imagine an instant day care in your house....everyday!!!! LOL!!!!

I think a fence is required.  IIRC, even if a neighborhood kid sneaks into your pool and drowns you're liable.

My suggestion is to bring in Mike Holmes, who would end up re-glazing the entire pool, regrading the surrounding area, installing a safety fence with another fence around that fence, re-caulking all the windows on the house because he noticed moisture build-up, redoing the entire HVAC system because one room was chilly, putting on a new roof and possibly re-drywalling the entire house because there was a patch of mold in the basement.  It would only take 6 months. 

  • Love 3
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...