House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[AlleC17]

I wouldn't consider 2 miles all *that* close really.  It's a long walk carrying stuff, especially if it's a really hot day.  Not so bad going, but coming back you would be all sweaty, hot and miserable.  lol  Bikes would be fine, but then you have to worry about them getting stolen.  I can walk or bike to the beach from my home, but rarely do so.

[Babalooie]

Thanks for the info, juliet73.  If I had that Astroturf in my FL yard, it would be moldy in no time.  Too humid here.  I think the UF football field had it one time, but it had regular quality maintenance.  I liked house #2.

[AuntiePam]

I couldn't believe it.  The Raleigh couple (nice people) with two little girls -- he says he wants a house with a nice yard, where the girls can have room to play and explore.  She says she doesn't want a "cookie cutter" house, the kind where if you come home drunk, you could walk into the wrong place.

So what do they end up with?  A cookie cutter house on a busy corner, a tiny yard, next to an apparently well-traveled sidewalk (pedestrian walks by during filming and waves hello).  The fence gives zero privacy.  There is no room for the girls to play, definitely nothing to explore.  That stone fire pit takes up most of the yard.  I saw no space for guests or even family to sit outside. 

They should have taken the girls with them and asked their opinion.  They might have liked the idea of tossing their toys over that third floor railing, but I bet they would have liked the big yard at the Colonial a lot better. 

[Albino]

13 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

I couldn't believe it.  The Raleigh couple (nice people) with two little girls -- he says he wants a house with a nice yard, where the girls can have room to play and explore.  She says she doesn't want a "cookie cutter" house, the kind where if you come home drunk, you could walk into the wrong place.

So what do they end up with?  A cookie cutter house on a busy corner, a tiny yard, next to an apparently well-traveled sidewalk (pedestrian walks by during filming and waves hello).  The fence gives zero privacy.  There is no room for the girls to play, definitely nothing to explore.  That stone fire pit takes up most of the yard.  I saw no space for guests or even family to sit outside. 

They should have taken the girls with them and asked their opinion.  They might have liked the idea of tossing their toys over that third floor railing, but I bet they would have liked the big yard at the Colonial a lot better. 

For some reason this episode bored the hell out of me.  And that back yard!  Yikes.  There have been many episodes set in Raleigh...I know there are nicer houses in their price range.

My only other observation would be that when I was a kid and decided to toss a toy over the railing...it would be the last time I would ever do it.  My mother would have put an immediate end to it with one of her looks LOL

Edited July 29, 2016 by Albino

[aguabella]

Yes, thinking about LB, 2 miles may as well be 8 (to me, anyway) when it comes to hauling beach gear for a small child.  I got the impression it was primarily about that neighborhood.  Sure, they might not have seen the other place that was described as 2 miles from the beach during their actual house hunt but the window bars don't spur RE sales.  Also, the guy volunteered during the drama-filled decision scene (lol) that their choice was close to work.

Hmmm, guess my taste is different.  Yes, the wife was nice-looking but in that flight attendant way, if that makes sense.  (I fly frequently on business.)  Way too much makeup - for me, anyway.

They also didn't volunteer, IIRC, that they had a gc relative!  No wonder they had that place down to the studs so quickly!  Agree, they're definitely WATN candidates.  HH frequently films in LA so perhaps it's already in the can.

WRT the kids, like many step-parents, noticed she said, "I have" two older children plus an 8 yo.  So, don't know if the older children were his bio-kids.  Understandable - many steps use that phraseology to make their partner's kids feel at home.  But, if they plan on staying at said home??  Anyone up for couch surfing, lol??

Edited July 29, 2016 by aguabella

[AuntiePam]

And another thing -- what work needed to be done in the Colonial?  I think the wife made a comment about the wood floor not being wood, or the right kind of wood.  It was under budget by about $25K. 

They paid more for the Victorian, although how it could be called Victorian, I don't know.  It was tall, that's all.  Tall doesn't equal Victorian.

[Ottis]

  ON 7/22/2016 AT 4:05 PM, CHESSIEGAL SAID:

"Re:  young folks buying expensive houses. We sold our last house for $650K to 20 somethings - she had just finished residency at Georgetown Hospital and had a job at NIH. He was a sales rep for IBM. Between the 2 of them, they were pulling down over $300K/year. They had plenty of money for a down payment, even had the original hardwoods redone before they moved in. Location and jobs - makes a difference."

"Yes, that's why it doesn't phase me.  Lots of DINK's twentysomethings in NYC, where both have six figure incomes."

Clearly people who live in very expensive cities tend to have higher incomes, and therefore can afford more (though what they can buy for that more is less than what it buys in other places). But many of these 20 and 30 somethings buying $500K homes are not in just NY and California. It's Texas, it's the Carolinas, etc. And some have jobs like "IT support" or "marketing manager.' I want to know how they do it. There's a reason so many HH:International people are in finance; those jobs pay a lot. But some of these others ... one episode they were a firefighter and a teacher or some such. I don't get it.

Edited July 29, 2016 by Ottis

[Neurochick]

On 7/28/2016 at 11:32 AM, Ohwell said:

Another thing that bugged me about the Long Beach woman was the opening when she just had to give their ages, like she wanted us to know that he was one year younger than she was.  Big whoop.  Also, didn't she say that she had two older children who were in college?  I guess we were supposed to think how great she looked for having college-aged children?  I just thought she was angling for compliments.

Maybe, but she DID look good for having two college aged children.   I don't see anything wrong with knowing you look good.  I detest fake humility.

I get wanting to live near the beach, that makes complete sense to me, 8 miles to the beach is just too fucking far.

[Natalie68]

On 7/28/2016 at 7:37 AM, NYGirl said:

She annoyed me too.  I giggled when she said she didn't want the built ins and the realtor told her it was part of the craftsman.  At the end she said she'd put in her own built ins.

i just wonder where her other children will sleep when they come to visit.

I realize these aren't my homes so not my decision but it kills me when they take these beautiful historic homes and bitch about what actually is cool about them and shows the time period.  Buy new construction and leave the vintage homes to people that appreciate them and won't change them to oatmeal open floor plans.  I am always yelling at the screen when the people live somewhere it gets cold and complain about small rooms in vintage homes.  Listen you half wit, there were rooms with walls and were closed off to hold warmth.  Or they want tall ceilings in open floor plans.  Welcome to very high heating bills.  

[aguabella]

WRT the LB woman and those built-ins, I noticed they weren't particularly nice built-ins (as mentioned upthread) and gave her a pass - this time!  Let's think positively and assume she donated them so Habitat can pass them along to another Craftsman fan.  Hopefully she'll find a good carpenter and replace them with a nicer version of Craftsman built-ins that remain true to the original character of the home.

I try to give these show participants the same pass WRT kitchen cabinets.  Sure, if possible / practicable, I'd prefer them saved for use in another space, e.g. a garage or donated but not all cabinets are worth reusing in an updated kitchen.  I've noticed many times when touring homes that seemingly nice kitchen cabinets actually consist of hardwood fronts covering up cheap particle board boxes. 

Oops - guess the above comment is a bit of a crossover to HHR but relates to WATN for the LB episode. 

Edited July 29, 2016 by aguabella

[aguabella]

Yes, the Raleigh, NC couple and/or their realtor labelled that home as a Victorian primarily b/c it had a peaked roof.  If the builder installed a cheap built-in in the l/r, would they have called it a Craftsman?  Or, how 'bout if the wife indicated she was looking for a Craftsman??  If you ask me, they toured 3 cookie cutter boxes and the labels, for the most part, are simply cheap marketing ploys. 

Yes, she indicated the l/r flooring was fake so it was probably laminate.  I'd say the biggest flooring problem was the 1st floor's mish-mash including laminate, lino and carpet.  The home would feel larger and more cohesive with consistent flooring.  Besides the flooring, they had a few other small changes on the reno list.  My guess is that home, being in the next suburb over, if they toured it on their RL house hunt (doubtful), it would have been rejected b/c of its location.

Looked like their girls were having fun in the yard.  They can plant either a wall of tall bushes or fast-growing junipers for added privacy, if necessary.  Or, their parents could spring for a new fence.  That's, to me, one of the main problems with corner lots, i.e. increased / 2-sided traffic.  Many value them b/c it's typically a larger lot size.  Depressing, huh - that's all they got.  But - if you prefer a newer home, it's not surprising.

BTW, I'm 99.9999% certain the part of "pedestrian" was played by a crew member.  During the shoot, the crew would have stopped anyone happening by.**  Plus, unless he was wired for sound, viewers wouldn't have heard his line on camera.  And, they do 3 takes of everything, i.e. from each direction.  Unlikely that a random individual would take 30 minutes or more out of their life.  Hope the guy has his SAG card and received the appropriate bonus for his role, including the line!

** Hmmm, wonder if the crew missed someone and decided it was a nice twist to highlight the tiny yard.  So, they drafted one of the crew guys for the role.  If the editing gods liked it, we might see it again.  OTOH, given the tight reality TV budgets, I doubt they'll spring for add'l crew bonuses!

Edited July 30, 2016 by aguabella

[juliet73]

Raleigh episode was meh. I had to chuckle when they were referring to the homes as Victorian, etc.  Umm, nope. They were all typical tract homes. Tract home 1, tract home 2, tract home 3.   The husband annoyed me.  He was complaining that they would NEVER use a dining room except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.  But then they buy the house where the only eating area is a dining room, with the exception of the breakfast bar at the other end of the kitchen.  Then they weren't too happy about the YEARLY $100 HOA fee at the first house because there was no pool, etc.  Uh, yeah, for $100 a year, you're basically paying to live in a well kept neighborhood.  $600+ a year will get a pool/amenities.  The first thing I would do, if I moved into their house, would be to build a 6ft fence on the walking path side.    

[megwhite]

ugh! the Raleigh couple were something else, I liked  that they picked the house that did not have anything on there list, with the smallest yard I've ever seen, but I did like they had no problem with the girls sharing a room, and didn't seem to demanding.

[drafan]

On 7/28/2016 at 3:49 PM, juliet73 said:

 

Even though  I preferred the more spacious updated 2nd home,  the backyard/alley would have been a deal breaker for me. 

LOL. I LOVE those back alleys....every time I see one, I'm completely enthralled that they still exist. I probably would've picked that house JUST for the back alley.

[AuntiePam]

2 hours ago, drafan said:

LOL. I LOVE those back alleys....every time I see one, I'm completely enthralled that they still exist. I probably would've picked that house JUST for the back alley.

I like alleys too.  Sometimes they come in handy, especially if your house is on a busy street.  That neighborhood must not have been too good, if they were worried about someone snatching their kids from the alley.

[slasherboy]

This.

 

[KLovestoShop]

What is it with so many parents, mostly moms, who freak out over their kids and how a house is built.  I was watching some previous shows and so many mothers say things like "I have to be in the kitchen, so I want an open floor plan so I can watch the kids".  Or the best one last night where they HAD to have a single story house because their 18 month old jumps off everything and would climb on a railing and would jump off from the second floor if they had a two story, or he would stand on the top step and try and jump down to the bottom.  Um, what the hell is an 18 month old doing jumping off things already, and why can't the parents actually parent and stop the kid from jumping off anything, and stop him from climbing on railings?  When you give up control of your kid, you get what you deserve. 

[Homily]

I am house hunting right now and I'll be honest there are some floor plans I've seen that I would never buy if I had young kids in the house but that said I just do not get this need some parents have to basically live in one big room because they have to see their kids at all times.   The toddler stage passes really quickly and I just don't think most parents genuinely want to spend all their time in one big room with a couple of teenagers -- and their teenagers friends!

[Peanutbuttercup]

On 7/28/2016 at 11:16 PM, AuntiePam said:

They paid more for the Victorian, although how it could be called Victorian, I don't know.  It was tall, that's all.  Tall doesn't equal Victorian.

All the mis-identification of architectural styles on the various iterations of House Hunters is going to make me pull my hair out. There was *no* Craftsman house shown in the Raleigh episode. No Victorian. There wasn't even a true Colonial! And the couple on HHR this past Saturday calling one of their houses a "ranch" style house was ludicrous.

[dga28]

19 hours ago, slasherboy said:

This.

 

whats silly is basing what type of house you buy on most likely hosting guests 4 or 5 days a year...lol

[dga28]

1 hour ago, Peanutbuttercup said:

All the mis-identification of architectural styles on the various iterations of House Hunters is going to make me pull my hair out. There was *no* Craftsman house shown in the Raleigh episode. No Victorian. There wasn't even a true Colonial! And the couple on HHR this past Saturday calling one of their houses a "ranch" style house was ludicrous.

i am watching one now where the girl wants an old colonial with character but complains that the house is small, low on facilities, the basement is dark and creepy, etc......

these people are idiots...must be a low IQ requirement to go on this show.

[Empress1]

The St. Louis couple was another who wanted a lot for a little, although I was surprised at how far their budget went. They didn't want to do any work at all. The house they chose was cute though. The woman looked like Mila Kunis.

[Babalooie]

St. Louis girl, who paints in a black blazer?  Yes, I know it was for the camera, but geez!  I would have chosen that house, too.

[laredhead]

St. Louis couple needed to learn the meaning of compromise, and she needed to learn the definition of "colonial".  I can't remember which house they toured where the laundry was in the basement (maybe all of them), and when they walked into what looked like a very large room where the washer & dryer were located, she said it felt "tight".  Really?  The room looked 20 feet long on TV.  She just didn't want to do laundry in a basement.  The MCM house was very small, only about 1,050 sf if I remember correctly, so yes, the rooms were going to be small.  I've said it several times, a 3 bedroom house isn't going to feel large and grand if it has less than 1500 sf people.  These HH's must have skipped elementary math in school.

The house they chose was the best compromise for both of them, IMO.  Looked like the hubby was able to cook perfectly well on that white stove and setting dishes on the laminate counters.  Granite counters and stainless appliances will make the food a whole lot better - snark.  I kept telling the wife to smile.  She did not look like a happy person.  Maybe she was a brooding artist.  I liked the grandmother, who seemed to have a very colorful kitchen.

[topanga]

8 hours ago, laredhead said:

St. Louis couple needed to learn the meaning of compromise, and she needed to learn the definition of "colonial".  I can't remember which house they toured where the laundry was in the basement (maybe all of them), and when they walked into what looked like a very large room where the washer & dryer were located, she said it felt "tight".  Really?  The room looked 20 feet long on TV.  She just didn't want to do laundry in a basement.  The MCM house was very small, only about 1,050 sf if I remember correctly, so yes, the rooms were going to be small.  I've said it several times, a 3 bedroom house isn't going to feel large and grand if it has less than 1500 sf people.  These HH's must have skipped elementary math in school.

The house they chose was the best compromise for both of them, IMO.  Looked like the hubby was able to cook perfectly well on that white stove and setting dishes on the laminate counters.  Granite counters and stainless appliances will make the food a whole lot better - snark.  I kept telling the wife to smile.  She did not look like a happy person.  Maybe she was a brooding artist.  I liked the grandmother, who seemed to have a very colorful kitchen.

But then the wife gave the disclaimer at the end about the need to compromise, in house-hunting, in their marriage, and in life. Maybe it was BS, or maybe it was her way of saying that everything she'd whined about during the episode was producer-driven.

And I liked at the end when the grandmother asked, "Where's my room?" and the couple started laughing--but never answered her. I guess they didn't want to tell Grandma that her room was back at her own friggin' house!

[Ohwell]

34 minutes ago, topanga said:

And I liked at the end when the grandmother asked, "Where's my room?" and the couple started laughing--but never answered her. I guess they didn't want to tell Grandma that her room was back at her own friggin' house!

When grandma said "Where's my room?" I said uh oh.  Grandma might be tired of living in her house.  Grandma might not be joking.

[NYGirl]

Last nights Toledo Ohio kitchen has to be the most hideous ever shown on this show.   I really liked the couple. No drama, no complaints, just wanting nice size rooms for their family.

[CocoaGoddess]

I am super annoyed that I can't find the Marcellus episode on the HGTV app! They're usually really good about putting recently aired episodes on there! Boo!

I did watch the Long Beach episode, and I completely agree with the woman tearing out all of the craftsman details--they looked cheap and thrown together, and I seriously doubt that they were even original to the house. But it's nice to know that you can get a house like that for that price so close to the beach. 

[laredhead]

Nashville buyers last night were low maintenance compared to many others we have seen.  I knew they were going to buy the first one since it was the only house with no furniture in it.  I liked house #3 best, but as I said, it was a red herring.  The house they bought needed some curb appeal and the yard was in need of TLC.  I hope they are able to find time to do that because a little elbow grease, like mowing the grass and edging the driveway, would improve the exterior look of the house a lot.

[Empress1]

I loved the Nashville woman's outfits, especially printed skirt and the style of the yellow-green skirt she wore, but not the color (only because it would be a horrible color on me). The color of the dress she wore at the end is one of my favorites, although I would have skipped the vest. I liked house #3 best too though, particularly the way the bathroom was staged. I think I would have gone a different route with the cabinets than taking the doors off - painted them and/or swapped out the finishes if I wasn't going to replace them right away. I like the look of glass doors, but not no doors. The guy was cute.

[AuntiePam]

Was the episode in Southfield, Michigan new?  Dad was helping his daughter with the hunt, and he was extremely concerned about the number of doors.  I always fast-forward the intro so didn't hear why -- I assume it was for exits in case of fire.  ??   Me, that's just more doors to worry about keeping locked. 

She had good choices in her price range.  What I didn't understand was she said the house she chose -- $115K -- had multiple offers.  But since the appraiser set the value as the same as the asking price, she refused to raise her offer and she got it for $115K.  So were there multiple offers or not?  Because if there were, the sellers would have chosen a higher offer. 

[Albino]

1 hour ago, AuntiePam said:

She had good choices in her price range.  What I didn't understand was she said the house she chose -- $115K -- had multiple offers.  But since the appraiser set the value as the same as the asking price, she refused to raise her offer and she got it for $115K.  So were there multiple offers or not?  Because if there were, the sellers would have chosen a higher offer. 

Not an expert, but I think you cannot sell a house for more than it's appraised.  Hopefully someone smarter than me - which is virtually the entire board - can correct this if I'm wrong.  I liked the dad a lot...especially when he called her out for being a prima donna lol.  And yeah...3 doors are just 3 more ways for burglars to break in.  And most of them IIRC were all clustered in the same general area so...not so useful.

No offense to anyone who lives in Detroit, but wow...the whole area just looks so drab and tired and abandoned.  Hopefully there will be a renaissance soon and the city will become vibrant and alive again.

Edited August 5, 2016 by Albino

[laredhead]

You can sell a house for more than its appraised value, but a bank will not lend more than the appraised value.  If the buyer is depending on the mortgage to cover the entire cost of the house, and cannot come up with the amount above the appraised value, then it would be impossible to buy the property like that.   There might be a case where someone really wants a particular house and is willing to ante up the extra $$ above the appraisal value for the house, but I don't think that happens very often.  I also don't think it would be very wise to do that except in an unusual situation, such as rapidly rising property values, because if you ever tried to sell the property for what you paid (above the appraised value), and it did not appraise for what you paid for it originally, then you will lose money on the transaction unless you find a prospective buyer who will also pay more.  Hope this makes sense - it did when I wrote it.      

Edited August 5, 2016 by laredhead
Clarification

[Empress1]

39 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

Was the episode in Southfield, Michigan new?  Dad was helping his daughter with the hunt, and he was extremely concerned about the number of doors.  I always fast-forward the intro so didn't hear why -- I assume it was for exits in case of fire.  ??   Me, that's just more doors to worry about keeping locked. 

She had good choices in her price range.  What I didn't understand was she said the house she chose -- $115K -- had multiple offers.  But since the appraiser set the value as the same as the asking price, she refused to raise her offer and she got it for $115K.  So were there multiple offers or not?  Because if there were, the sellers would have chosen a higher offer. 

It was about safety - if there was an emergency, she'd have lots of exit options. He's not wrong, although I can't say I've ever given that that much thought. I liked him. He had a lot of good project ideas!

I fell out looking at that basement with the random shower in the middle of the room and the separate toilet. That looked crazy! The ranch was the best choice. Her little boy was adorable.

[Albino]

31 minutes ago, laredhead said:

You can sell a house for more than its appraised value, but a bank will not lend more than the appraised value.  If the buyer is depending on the mortgage to cover the entire cost of the house, and cannot come up with the amount above the appraised value, then it would be impossible to buy the property like that.   There might be a case where someone really wants a particular house and is willing to ante up the extra $$ above the appraisal value for the house, but I don't think that happens very often.  I also don't think it would be very wise to do that except in an unusual situation, such as rapidly rising property values, because if you ever tried to sell the property for what you paid (above the appraised value), and it did not appraise for what you paid for it originally, then you will lose money on the transaction unless you find a prospective buyer who will also pay more.  Hope this makes sense - it did when I wrote it.      

Thank you laredhead.  I knew there was a bank involved somewhere!

[snarts]

Quote

No offense to anyone who lives in Detroit, but wow...the whole area just looks so drab and tired and abandoned.  Hopefully there will be a renaissance soon and the city will become vibrant and alive again.

It was Michigan in Winter, so I'll give you drab.  I travel for work, and it looked like any other snow covered midwestern/northeastern town.   Southfield is a suburb of Detroit, and a well-kept one at that.  There was nothing abandoned looking in the episode.  The opening shots showed boaters, with the back from commercial shots at a library and restaurant.  

You also might want to make a visit to Detroit.  On my last trip, there were construction trains all over downtown and nary a reservation available at any of the new restaurants on Open Table.  The bars were packed...on a Thursday.  

I was amazed at the price point on a 3 bedroom all brick home.  Glad she chose that one because the two story was a mess.  She offered over asking due to the multiple offer situation but that once they had selected her bid, the appraisal came in at $115k.  She said that she wouldn't pay more than the appraised price and sellers accepted the $115k.  They had the option to put the house back on the market at that point but didn't, likely because they would be required to disclose the appraised value and thus unlikely to receive any higher bids.  Most likely, her situation (down payment/financing/earnest $) were better then the next highest bidder.

Fell asleep during the Nashville episode.  Were they looking downtown or in one of the burbs?

[KLovestoShop]

More doors also means more ways for people to break in.  Her father was way beyond concerned with safety issues, but Southfield has crime issues.  I have lots of family that live in southeast Michigan, and a lot of those Detroit suburbs have seen a big rise in crime including places that used to be very safe including Birmingham, Southfield and even Royal Oak, where my aunt used to teach.  Downtown Detroit has been cleaned out since they held the Super Bowl, but now the crime has moved to the 'Burbs.  

[aguabella]

5 hours ago, laredhead said:

You can sell a house for more than its appraised value, but a bank will not lend more than the appraised value.  If the buyer is depending on the mortgage to cover the entire cost of the house, and cannot come up with the amount above the appraised value, then it would be impossible to buy the property like that.   There might be a case where someone really wants a particular house and is willing to ante up the extra $$ above the appraisal value for the house, but I don't think that happens very often.  I also don't think it would be very wise to do that except in an unusual situation, such as rapidly rising property values, because if you ever tried to sell the property for what you paid (above the appraised value), and it did not appraise for what you paid for it originally, then you will lose money on the transaction unless you find a prospective buyer who will also pay more.  Hope this makes sense - it did when I wrote it.      

 

4 hours ago, Albino said:

Thank you laredhead.  I knew there was a bank involved somewhere!

Good post, laredhead!  Just a minor clarification.  You said "a bank will not lend more than the appraised value".  Technically, to reduce their risk, they will not lend more the appraised value less a required downpayment.  I know you alluded to it in your next sentence, i.e. buyer "depending on the mortgage to cover the entire cost of the house" but any buyer would be hard-pressed to locate 100% financing these days, IMHO.  As probably most posters know, a standard loan program would require 20% down but others may require 10% and FHA loans or Veterans' programs sometimes come in around the 3% range.

That said, if the buyer doesn't exercise their (typically) standard appraisal clause and back out of the purchase, a few other options exist.  1)  The parties can negotiate with the appraiser, providing other comps.  (Good luck with that one!)  2)  The buyer, if creditworthy, can apply for other loan programs and take their chances with their appraisers.  Might want to keep the add'l comps handy for this option!  3)  Subject to the first lender's approval, the seller could provide supplemental financing, i.e. a 2nd mortgage, considering again, to the buyer's creditworthiness.

BTW, if buyer and seller agree on option 3), it's not that surprising to see a first lender approve it.  Why?  Well, the existence of a 2nd mortgage actually protects the 1st.  If the buyer defaults on the 1st and foreclosure is looming, the 2nd mortgage holder, i.e. the seller, might actually cover the buyer's payment default.  Again, why?  Well, if they don't and the 1st forecloses, the 2nd mortgage holder (the seller), is wiped out.

ETA:  If my client's the buyer, however, I'd tell them to move on.  Usually, they'll find another property that they like even more!  A buyer must be seriously in love with a property to take these risks.  I believe you make $$$ when you buy properties - not when you sell.

Hope that makes sense.  Just a little more info ... if anyone's interested. 

Edited August 5, 2016 by aguabella

[mojito]

Did anyone else raise an eyebrow when the Southfield lady stated in the beginning that she liked Craftsman homes because of their open floorplans?

Checked and actually she said she liked Craftsman and the open floor plan.

Edited August 6, 2016 by mojito
correction

[aguabella]

On ‎8‎/‎1‎/‎2016 at 7:14 PM, dga28 said:

i am watching one now where the girl wants an old colonial with character but complains that the house is small, low on facilities, the basement is dark and creepy, etc......

these people are idiots...must be a low IQ requirement to go on this show.

Hopefully she was smart enough to read and fully comprehend her participant contract, understanding that the semi-scripted lines and editing process might ultimately result in negative message board opinions!

[Kohola3]

Quote

Did anyone else raise an eyebrow when the Southfield lady stated in the beginning that she liked Craftsman homes because of their open floorplans?

Another painfully uninformed buyer.  HH needs to give every one of these rubes a primer on types of houses so they don't look so pitifully stupid.

[Albino]

12 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Another painfully uninformed buyer.  HH needs to give every one of these rubes a primer on types of houses so they don't look so pitifully stupid.

I feel like all of these buyers just spout mindless cliches they've heard on HGTV.  No one ever says "open concept" or "tray ceiling" or "farmhouse sink" on their own.  (Well, maybe they do now after 10 years of brainwashing!)  Seriously, if I hear one more homeowner say "open concept" I'm going to reach through my TV and punch them in the throat.  

And what do half of these Craftsman-loving buyers do?  Tear out the built-ins!

Edited August 6, 2016 by Albino

[aguabella]

4 minutes ago, Albino said:

I feel like all of these buyers just spout mindless cliches they've heard on HGTV.  No one ever says "open concept" or "tray ceiling" or "farmhouse sink" on their own.  (Well, maybe they do now after 10 years of brainwashing!)  Seriously, if I hear one more homeowner say "open concept" I'm going to reach through my TV and punch them in the throat.  

And what do half of these Craftsman-loving buyers do?  Tear out the built-ins!

You need a new TV, right?  There's one in your near future, lol!

[AuntiePam]

I'm still slightly confused on the Southfield house, with the multiple offers.   If my bank approved a loan for $115K, and I have a 20% cash down payment, and the appraisal is $115K, it'd be okay to offer more than $115K? 

[aguabella]

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 8:01 PM, juliet73 said:

Raleigh episode was meh. I had to chuckle when they were referring to the homes as Victorian, etc.  Umm, nope. They were all typical tract homes. Tract home 1, tract home 2, tract home 3.   The husband annoyed me.  He was complaining that they would NEVER use a dining room except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.  But then they buy the house where the only eating area is a dining room, with the exception of the breakfast bar at the other end of the kitchen.  Then they weren't too happy about the YEARLY $100 HOA fee at the first house because there was no pool, etc.  Uh, yeah, for $100 a year, you're basically paying to live in a well kept neighborhood.  $600+ a year will get a pool/amenities.  The first thing I would do, if I moved into their house, would be to build a 6ft fence on the walking path side.    

We were on the same wavelength, again, juliet73 - I'd mentioned the tract home boxes and suggested either tall plantings and/or a privacy fence.

Realized after posting that I wasn't focusing on their HOA - probably b/c it was a sf home and a whopping $100 so no significant amenities.  Thinking about their HOA, however, I had to revise my opinion WRT a fence addition.

Instead of building a fence, I have a feeling the first thing you'd do after closing escrow would be applying to either the HOA's design review board (if they have one) and/or the association board.  B/c it's an exterior fence, my educated guess is that said application would be immediately denied.

Most HOA's specify both fence heights and required materials.  In fact, it's probably why none of the previous homeowners had replaced that fence over the years.

I suspect the HOA hopes to enhance the feeling of community among their residents.  It reminds me that it would have been a great idea for the Raleigh buyers to return to the neighborhood, say on an evening or weekend, without their realtor (to make it informal), prior to closing escrow.  That way, they could have walked the neighborhood and (hopefully) spoken to some of the residents to inquire about any problems in the area and specifically, ask if the HOA's easy to work with.  It's always amazing what people will tell you, if you simply ask them!

It's a good idea for any buyers, if you ask me, to visit neighborhoods at various times of the day.  That way, they can decide if it feels like home, to them.

[laredhead]

Aguabella, good advice to visit a neighborhood at various times during day and night and during the week and on weekends.  Several years ago, I was interested in buying a house and went to see it 3 times during weekdays.  It was also in the summer time.  The house was located in a nice neighborhood about 2 blocks from two of the largest Catholic schools in our city.  The seller and I could not agree on a price after haggling back and forth for a couple of weeks and I walked away and bought another house.  A few months later during the school year, I drove by the first house and the entire street in front of the house was lined with cars of school students.  There was not enough parking for students on the school campuses, so the overflow parked on the side streets surrounding the schools.  I had no idea that was the situation when I looked in that area, and since I was house shopping in the summer time school was out.  So glad I did not buy that house.  

[Albino]

18 hours ago, snarts said:

It was Michigan in Winter, so I'll give you drab.  I travel for work, and it looked like any other snow covered midwestern/northeastern town.   Southfield is a suburb of Detroit, and a well-kept one at that.  There was nothing abandoned looking in the episode.  The opening shots showed boaters, with the back from commercial shots at a library and restaurant.  

You also might want to make a visit to Detroit.  On my last trip, there were construction trains all over downtown and nary a reservation available at any of the new restaurants on Open Table.  The bars were packed...on a Thursday.  

Thanks for the update, snarts.  Glad to hear that!

[dga28]

15 hours ago, laredhead said:

Aguabella, good advice to visit a neighborhood at various times during day and night and during the week and on weekends.  Several years ago, I was interested in buying a house and went to see it 3 times during weekdays.  It was also in the summer time.  The house was located in a nice neighborhood about 2 blocks from two of the largest Catholic schools in our city.  The seller and I could not agree on a price after haggling back and forth for a couple of weeks and I walked away and bought another house.  A few months later during the school year, I drove by the first house and the entire street in front of the house was lined with cars of school students.  There was not enough parking for students on the school campuses, so the overflow parked on the side streets surrounding the schools.  I had no idea that was the situation when I looked in that area, and since I was house shopping in the summer time school was out.  So glad I did not buy that house.  

i would never buy a house next to a school for that reason and others.  the closer proximity you are to one, the more prone you are to childish pranks and vandalism.

[dga28]

17 hours ago, Albino said:

I feel like all of these buyers just spout mindless cliches they've heard on HGTV.  No one ever says "open concept" or "tray ceiling" or "farmhouse sink" on their own.  (Well, maybe they do now after 10 years of brainwashing!)  Seriously, if I hear one more homeowner say "open concept" I'm going to reach through my TV and punch them in the throat.  

And what do half of these Craftsman-loving buyers do?  Tear out the built-ins!

i cringe every time i hear the term "open concept" also.   i believe its a Canadian term popularized by some of the Canadian HGTV hosts...

in the US and elsewhere, people just say Open floor plan..which became popular due to people trying to mimic loft type living. 

[AuntiePam]

39 minutes ago, dga28 said:

i cringe every time i hear the term "open concept" also.   i believe its a Canadian term popularized by some of the Canadian HGTV hosts...

in the US and elsewhere, people just say Open floor plan..which became popular due to people trying to mimic loft type living. 

Is that how it started?  I've always wondered how a design becomes popular.  Does it start with buyers or builders?  And how much influence comes from availability and cost of materials?   Older houses in river towns use a lot of brick, for example. 

"Open floor plan" -- are they cheaper because there are fewer walls and doors?  Open plans also allow for larger pieces of furniture. 

Something else that's puzzling to me -- if family sizes are getting smaller, why do so many houses have four or five bedrooms and three or four bathrooms?