House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[AuntiePam]

The couple last night in Plano, Texas -- I liked the layout of the house they chose, but I've never seen hardwood floors in that mottled gray color.  Made me wonder if it was a problem with my TV.  Or if the people who renovated it got a really good deal on that stuff, because I thought it was ugly. 

The husband was skeptical about buying an "old" house, built in 1972.  Me, I'd be more concerned about a new build.  A house that's stood for 40+ years has been through many seasons and a few families.  Unless there are cracks in the foundation or sloping floors, or the mechanicals haven't been updated, the house will be fine.  But a new build, if the contractor cut corners, you'll be the first to find out, and unless there's a warranty, you're stuck. 

[Kohola3]

26 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

The couple last night in Plano, Texas

"Must have a fireplace....you don't need a fireplace in Texas". "Oh, a pool!!!!!...........A pool it too much work"  Repeat every 5 minutes throughout entire show.   If I had made a drinking game of each time the fireplace or pool was mentioned, I'd be in detox today.

They couldn't possibly have considered either of the first 2 houses with having 3 dogs.  Seriously, a tiny strip of grass for them?  That would be a pooper scooper job daily.

[AuntiePam]

Yeah, they were a nice, cute couple but boring -- the husband looked uncomfortable with the cameras. 

I just figured out what that gray flooring reminded me of -- unpainted barn wood.  It was surprising that neither of them commented on it.  Maybe because it was in the house they chose. 

[Mittengirl]

I would have purchased the first house in Plano just so I could have that adorable dog snout poking through the fence at me.

[Christine]

The Plano wife is the one who wanted a house that looked "Kardashian", if I'm not mistaken.  I thought to myself, "so YOU're the reason why they're popular".

[ByaNose]

For some reason, I don't picture the husband with the wife. The house they chose was nice. I was really disappointed with the "farm table". It looked cheap, homemade and really narrow. The way she was going on & on about it I thought it would have been huge. She should have really talked to Joanna Gaines & had Clint make it. LOL!!!!

[laredhead]

The gray floor in the Plano house did not go with the paint color on the wall, or maybe the color on my TV isn't accurate.  I also hated the color of the carpet upstairs.  I agree with the husband about that step in the master bedroom.  It is a major tripping hazard.  I was also surprised by the small size of the much referred to farm table and the seating looked like 2 folding chairs and a bench.  When I eat, I want a back on the chair I'm sitting in and not have the feeling that I'm eating at a picnic table.  Overall I liked the house and the updates that were done.  

The wife needs to expand her vocabulary to find other words to use when she doesn't like something.  I lost track of the number of times she said "I'm not huge on. . ." whatever - light granite, light cabinets, tile, the mantle, etc. 

[ByaNose]

Where does HH find these woman? A lot of the men deserves medals. The couple needed a custom house with 25 bedrooms and a basement for 100" television. They were sooooooooo annoying! Good lord!

[AuntiePam]

Sometimes it's producer-driven, but the Indianapolis woman was way too natural at being self-centered.  Let the man have his big yard and his riding mower! 

I couldn't understand why she described one of the houses as Cape Cod style.  And those houses with the tall narrow entrances -- they're just as "cookie-cutter" (sorry!) as any other "custom" home. 

[KAOS Agent]

I was just amused at the wife being all about having another baby and the husband being like yeah, not happening. 

[magemaud]

1 hour ago, AuntiePam said:

I couldn't understand why she described one of the houses as Cape Cod style. 

I know! Here's the common definition of what makes a house a "cape": "A Cape Cod is a style of house originating in New England in the 17th century. It is a low, broad, frame building, generally a story and a half high, with a moderately steep, pitched roof with end gables, a large central chimney and very little ornamentation." I don't think it would be possible to design a house that was a two full story brick front McMansion AND a Cape Cod at the same time! And who knew that my street, with a mix of contemporary, Victorian, colonial, ranch, bi-level, CAPE COD, etc. architecture is considered a CUSTOM neighborhood! 

Edited to add: And between her vocal fry AND nasal Midwestern twang, I was ready to hit the mute button

Edited September 30, 2016 by magemaud

[speac]

Tonight's episode sent me to http://www.mcmansionhell.com/ to see how many McMansion points they accumulated.  I get so annoyed at people who say for our budget we want XY and Z but insist on a neighborhood that they can only buy X.  In the end those huge houses are often more of a boat anchor than a home.

[Empress1]

7 hours ago, KAOS Agent said:

I was just amused at the wife being all about having another baby and the husband being like yeah, not happening. 

"I'm good with four bedrooms." I laughed.

[izabella]

Oh, boy, I must have been in a bad mood when I watched the Indiana couple because I wanted to smack her every two minutes.  No, bitch, your two-kid family does not need 5000+ square feet and 5 or 6 bedrooms!  Especially when the house has a separate office already! 

And ohno!  Where will you possibly entertain guests since the basement rec room is only 2000 square feet?  I know, I know, having a living room, family room, and gigantic "dream" kitchen is not enough entertaining space - you need a BAR in the basement rec room and it's unfinished without the BAR, so people can't possibly use it!  How in the world do you manage to get through every day with such shocking adversity and terrible deprivation?

[awaken]

Boston suburbs couple who ended up with a non-vintage, rural, non-neighborhood house over budget- everything was "Hyooooj!"

[juliet73]

4 hours ago, izabella said:

Oh, boy, I must have been in a bad mood when I watched the Indiana couple because I wanted to smack her every two minutes.  No, bitch, your two-kid family does not need 5000+ square feet and 5 or 6 bedrooms!  Especially when the house has a separate office already! 

And ohno!  Where will you possibly entertain guests since the basement rec room is only 2000 square feet?  I know, I know, having a living room, family room, and gigantic "dream" kitchen is not enough entertaining space - you need a BAR in the basement rec room and it's unfinished without the BAR, so people can't possibly use it!  How in the world do you manage to get through every day with such shocking adversity and terrible deprivation?

YES!!!! I wasn't in a bad mood watching it...she just bugged!! 

When they did the follow up,  the rooms they showed seemed quite empty. I guess I don't realize why they needed to live at "South Fork" when it is just 2 adults and 2 small children. 

[laredhead]

Indiana woman who wanted a farmhouse table makes 2 in a row for HH women wanting that particular item.  That woman wouldn't live in a Cape Cod style house because they aren't 5,000 sf.  I have no idea what she was looking at when she said that gianormous, generic house reminded her of a Cape Cod.  There was absolutely nothing wrong with the kitchen in the house they chose other than it didn't have white cabinets.  She was fine as long as she got everything she wanted, and all her husband wanted was a large lot so that he could have his riding mower.  The woman should stop and think how lucky she is to have a husband who wants to mow the yard.  Yes, by the time the episode was over I was tired of her creaky voice and never ending whining about everything she wanted.  We should start a thread that gives prizes to the most brow beaten husbands.    

[magemaud]

5 hours ago, izabella said:

you need a BAR in the basement rec room and it's unfinished without the BAR, so people can't possibly use it! 

Not just a "piece of furniture" kind of bar that you could plop into a corner somewhere, but a WET bar with stools! Isn't that kind of "frat house decor" anyway? 

As a former teacher, I wouldn't like to live in the same area as my students. And as far as wanting her kids to attend the school where she works (instead of where they live), sometimes school districts allow teachers to bring their kids to the school where they work as part of the benefits.  

[vesperholly]

4 hours ago, laredhead said:

That woman wouldn't live in a Cape Cod style house because they aren't 5,000 sf.  I have no idea what she was looking at when she said that gianormous, generic house reminded her of a Cape Cod.

Maybe she associates dormer windows with Cape Cods? That's the only thing I could possibly think of. But not dormer windows in a THIRD FLOOR, lol. My house is a 1940s Cape (with the back raised, mercifully) and the front half is all slanty ceilings and there's no attic - or dormers for that matter. And 1300 sq ft.

She was spoiled rotten and her brows were wack. Did they say what the husband does for a living? Not affording those McMansions on a teacher's salary.

[Ohwell]

8 hours ago, vesperholly said:

Did they say what the husband does for a living? Not affording those McMansions on a teacher's salary.

I think the husband was in accounting/finance for some large company. 

[KLovestoShop]

Auntie Pam, I've seen those gray floors in a lot of houses recently.  They've used it a couple of times on Property Bros, Fixer Upper, and Love It or List It.  You have to look carefully because some of those floors are actually tile made to look like wood.  I was out looking for new floors for our bathroom and I saw those gray floors and the salesperson said it's become a very popular look, especially knowing that gray paint is one of the most popular colors for walls.  The tile really does look like wood with all the bumps and striations.  

Hated the Carmel wife.  She's obviously a spoiled brat who doesn't know a Cape Cod from a Caped Crusader.  She sounds like one of those who wants to show off to all their friends.  

One thing always bugs me about these home buyers, the mantra of "we need such and such for entertaining".  How much entertaining do people do?  I hardly think they're entertaining every week as that would get expensive.  But that seems to be the driving force for all home purchases.  I live in a subdivision of about 200 houses and not one seems to entertain a lot except for the holiday season.  We don't entertain all that much either, so I don't get all this "we need huge space for entertaining".  

The woman who wanted a house that looks Kardashian, and then said their budget was $200,000, I nearly spit out my coffee.  Yeah, right.  $200K won't buy a Kartrashian custom closet, much less a whole house filled with bling.  

Edited October 1, 2016 by KLovestoShop

[Empress1]

I guess it depends on what your definition of entertaining is. I have friends that have people over a lot (they have a toddler so they don't get out that much) but it's very informal, and it's not a lot of people. I'm in a book club that meets once a month (not at the same person's place every month); is that entertaining? I also know some observant Jews that have Shabbat dinners every week. When I hear "entertaining" I think big formal dinners, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, and no one I know is doing that every week - who has that kind of time?

The guy in the Tampa couple last night was hot. The woman was a little princess-y, not wanting to do any work.

[magemaud]

11 hours ago, vesperholly said:

Maybe she associates dormer windows with Cape Cods? That's the only thing I could possibly think of.

That's what I thought, too. But many times those 3rd story dormers are totally fake or on the unfinished attic floor, just there for the exterior "look." She said something about the Cape Cod house looking "homey." Nothing like a pretentious two story entrance to welcome guests! 

[JasmineFlower]

The episode with the couple looking in Tampa had me happy they weren't married and hoping this nice, cute guy would run for the hills sooner than later. Princess isn't going to be happy with anything. I enjoyed the realtor who couldn't even control an eye roll toward the end of one of the house tours at this chick's whiny complaining. She really needs a reality check on her budget and where she is in her life vs. what her parents had when she was growing up.

I wish we could see the kitchen once they paint the cabinets white as she keeps pushing. I'd love to see her realize that plan isn't the best with the new light granite countertops she demanded, the white appliances they aren't replacing anytime soon that don't contrast well at all with the new countertops, and the white and light beige walls nearby. It's going to look terribly washed out and a design misstep and I'd dearly love seeing her face when she sees she should have left it alone after the initial work they did.

[AuntiePam]

JasmineFlower, yep.  My husband wondered why the guy in Tampa didn't run off with the realtor.  She was cute and funny and had her head on straight.

I've never lived in a place with shared walls, so will always be biased toward single-family homes.  I really liked the concrete block house in Tampa, even though there was no garage.

I'm curious about painting cabinets.  Won't the cabinets have to be sanded down to bare wood for the new paint to stick?  That's probably easy to do with flat-front cabinets, but if the cabinets have any detail at all, a professional will have to do the work. 

[vesperholly]

I didn't understand the insistence on a "hurricane-proof" home. Tampa gets a ton of rain, but rarely gets hit with the big hurricanes because of its location.

"Tampa Bay has not seen the landfall of any hurricane since 1946, and has not taken a hit from a major hurricane since 1921."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_the_Tampa_Bay_area

It's like they just randomly pick BS sticking points to create false conflict.

[Ohwell]

5 hours ago, Empress1 said:

The guy in the Tampa couple last night was hot.

Yes.

I missed the last few minutes of the episode, but did they say anything about becoming engaged?  Otherwise, I just don't understand them buying a house together. 

Edited October 1, 2016 by Ohwell

[laredhead]

Ohwell, the Tampa couple did not say anything about getting engaged, in fact in the last scene he emphasized that they "are just having fun".  Did not sound like an engagement was in the near future.  Sounded to me like he wanted another motorcycle and some fun years first.  

Auntie Pam, I have painted cabinets before, and will never do it again.  It's time consuming, and if you do not prepare the surfaces properly, the paint will not last and it will look like an amateur job.  Sure you might save a few hundred dollars, but what is your time worth?  After my cabinet painting experience, I would definitely hire a professional if I planned to paint cabinets again in the future.

I liked the concrete block house too, but if Tampa gets a lot of rain, I wonder how leak proof that flat roof is.  Flat roofs here in south Louisiana are a nightmare to maintain because of our heavy rainfall.

[Empress1]

I would definitely call in the pros to paint cabinets! It doesn't seem like an easy job.

I hope that Tampa couple is on the same page about their future because otherwise it'll be a messy situation to untangle when they split.

[chessiegal]

When I retired, I took the training necessary to get a real estate license for something to do. Our instructor recommended that people not married or related by blood use a real estate attorney to set up a joint purchase. Avoids a potential mess.

[JasmineFlower]

Agree about the hurricane concerns being out of place given Tampa is on the Gulf side and rarely sees that kind of storm or damage. BUT, in the beginning the guy mentioned he grew up in Florida, and I felt like he said he was from the other side of the state, he mentioned the area saying two names and I'm blanking on them, but I think it could have been near Vero Beach area. So, my guess? He's paranoid about hurricanes from growing up on the oceanside of the state that does get hit more often.

Definitely no mention of marriage, no hint of an engagement. They were on the swim team in college together and started dating their senior year and have been together for 3 years. Anyone not married, even if it's just friends, should definitely consult an attorney and get papers drawn up detailing their joint tenancy if they are buying together and putting more than one name down on the mortgage and deed. I'm thinking very few do this even though it's not cumbersome and typically not overly expensive. There was an epic Real Estate Intervention episode where the clearly abusive boyfriend was attempting to keep his ex-girlfriend tied to him by pushing off the sale of their place and sabotaging her attempts to get it ready to sale. So yeah, it can get very messy, financially and emotionally.

I agree with others, I liked the first place the most. I was not paying attention to the flat roof though. If there's no pitch, that would be a reason for me to pass on the place.

[Pathetica]

As usual I am days behind. But the woman chiropractor - the one who is a single mother of a seven year old who needed separate space from her daughter. For gawds sake single mom needs private space from 7 year old. I really could not get past that so thought her decision stupid and comments moronic. 

[Neurochick]

I watched a probably old episode where a couple was moving from Brooklyn to Westchester county.  I couldn't stand either one of them.  The woman was like, "I grew up in a colonial, to me a colonial is Westchester" while the man kept complaining about taxes and then there was the  issue with the long commute.  I shook my head and thought, "Just move to Duchess County, Beacon is a wonderful town, and the train stops right there." 

They both wanted a pool and I just shook my head.  "Why do you want a pool, you're living in NY, maybe you'll be able to use it one month out of the year, sure this past summer was real hot, but most summers aren't that hot.

They both were so awful I didn't even know which house they chose.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Neurochick

[topanga]

1 hour ago, Neurochick said:

I watched a probably old episode where a couple was moving from Brooklyn to Westchester county.  I couldn't stand either one of them.  The woman was like, "I grew up in a colonial, to me a colonial is Westchester" while the man kept complaining about taxes and then there was the  issue with the long commute.  I shook my head and thought, "Just move to Duchess County, Beacon is a wonderful town, and the train stops right there." 

They both wanted a pool and I just shook my head.  "Why do you want a pool, you're living in NY, maybe you'll be able to use it one month out of the year, sure this past summer was real hot, but most summers aren't that hot.

They both were so awful I didn't even know which house they chose.

I remember that couple. They seemed to have money to burn. Because didn't they end up choosing the home with the highest taxes?

[AuntiePam]

3 hours ago, Neurochick said:

They both were so awful I didn't even know which house they chose.

I think I remember that one.  If I remember right, the house they chose was the least pretentious, and the smallest. 

[JasmineFlower]

I remember that Westchester County couple as well I believe if the husband was looking for his American dream home and he was Russian or Ukrainian born and possibly having that culture in common with his soon to be wife. In the episode I remember, they barely seemed to like one another so I remember trying to come up with things they had in common other than generally misplaced high opinions of themselves. If this is the right episode, there's discussion of the episode a few pages back, pretty sure this originally aired towards the end of August/beginning of September. And the pool is mentioned because of the costs the realtor was floating. I'm not advocating for a pool, but you can certainly use it for much longer than one month a year. This hot year notwithstanding, many people with pools in the area use it for more than 4 months a year regularly.

Also, to me they did not have money to burn in the least. They had a rather paltry budget for what they truly wanted in Westchester (very spacious, updated, land, I think a finished basement if he's the one obsessed with a pool table) and that pushed them further out with the longer commute. High taxes are just a given, some places are a bit lower, but none of them are low. In the area it's just a given, so choosing a place with higher taxes is no sign of money to burn, just the reality of living there.

Edited October 3, 2016 by JasmineFlower

[KLovestoShop]

On the early HH today, I just couldn't take the Texas wife and her picky ways.  When I first saw her, with the down turned mouth, I thought she looked so grumpy, and she fulfilled that with her attitude.   There wasn't much that she liked in any of the houses, but when she made the comment that her outfit was wider than the closet, that did it for me.  But it seemed they chose the house based solely on the pool, because she hated everything else about it.  

[juliet73]

TX episode: the wife looked older than mid 30's. She was so odd! I doubt the producers told her to act or say certain things.  I think it was all her!  I liked her because she was so weird, but would I want to be her realtor or friend? No way!! But she was entertaining!  The husband was so laid back and mellow. The daughter wasn't holding anything back.  Nothing like admitting your family is nuts and your brother pees all over the bathroom floor! 

I loved the third house and all the windows! It was nice to see 3 empty houses for once. The "after" of their dining room was absolutely awful!! The rest of house looked pretty good.  I'm surprised the floors weren't changed out yet. 

[ByaNose]

Yeah, the wife was, um, different?! I couldn't really get into the House Hunt because I was too busy looking away from her. LOL!!!

I did like the 10:00 pm show with the D.C. Attorney. She seemed very sensible and bought a nice brick town home that needed some work. It was a short sale but didn't turn into a nightmare. She had some design style and the place turned out pretty nice. I was a little unsure what the first floor entry room would be. It was sort of right there when you walked in. She made it a little sitting room. I think an office would have been too there and open.  One question. Where did the refurbished blue barn door go to? There was a light. Was it the garage? A closet? A powder room? 

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, ByaNose said:

Yeah, the wife was, um, different?! I couldn't really get into the House Hunt because I was too busy looking away from her. LOL!!!

I did like the 10:00 pm show with the D.C. Attorney. She seemed very sensible and bought a nice brick town home that needed some work. It was a short sale but didn't turn into a nightmare. She had some design style and the place turned out pretty nice. I was a little unsure what the first floor entry room would be. It was sort of right there when you walked in. She made it a little sitting room. I think an office would have been too there and open.  One question. Where did the refurbished blue barn door go to? There was a light. Was it the garage? A closet? A powder room? 

The barn door went to a large walk in closet.

[ByaNose]

On ‎8‎/‎15‎/‎2016 at 11:10 PM, Albino said:

For all that is holy, House Hunters - please never ever feature a pre-teen girl on the show ever ever again.  I wanted to slap her after 5 minutes.  And I know she was seriously coached but I don't need no stinkin' kid complaining about old kitchen appliances or ooohing over granite, especially when it appears the only thing she makes is cookies.  It's not cute and there's nothing "awwwww..." about it. Her older brother, however, was pretty awesome.

Now that I've got that out of my system...I'm talking about the new episode featuring the always-disappointed mom with the un-cute daughter and extremely likable son moving to Panama City, Fl.  All 3 houses looked like crap to me (but thank God each had a "Teen Room").  

Mom (who teaches cheerleading!) was almost as bad as her daughter.  I actually recoiled when she walked into the master bath in house #3 and said how much she loved the reclaimed wood "feature wall".  (Which, by the way, was totally inappropriate in this rundown ranch, as was the - you guessed it! - barn door leading the the master suite.)  Who says feature wall?  Who?  (Property Brothers don't count.)

They ended up buying rundown ranch #2 and mom immediately put up an equally inappropriate reclaimed wood feature wall in the living room.   

 

7 hours ago, biakbiak said:

The barn door went to a large walk in closet.

Thanks. I totally missed that. I must have blacked out. LOL!!!

[Ohwell]

I knew the P.G. County attorney wasn't going to pick that house in DC.  Based on her low budget and from the looks of that house, it was in either far NE or far SE, and I don't mean the areas that are "gentrified" either.  Sure, the real estate agent said the metro stop was close.  Problem is, one would have had to dodge bullets to get to and from there.   Not sure that cute little single family was in the best neighborhood in P.G. county either, so the townhouse was the best/safest choice.

She did have me laughing in the beginning when she said she got her apartment online and since it was on "Pennsylvania Avenue," she assumed it wasn't far from the White House.  I can just imagine the look on her face when she got to DC and was driving along Pennsylvania Avenue until she got into the "real" neighborhoods which are nowhere near the niceness of where the President lives, lol. 

[Empress1]

10 hours ago, juliet73 said:

TX episode: the wife looked older than mid 30's. She was so odd! I doubt the producers told her to act or say certain things.  I think it was all her!  I liked her because she was so weird, but would I want to be her realtor or friend? No way!! But she was entertaining!  The husband was so laid back and mellow. The daughter wasn't holding anything back.  Nothing like admitting your family is nuts and your brother pees all over the bathroom floor! 

I loved the third house and all the windows! It was nice to see 3 empty houses for once. The "after" of their dining room was absolutely awful!! The rest of house looked pretty good.  I'm surprised the floors weren't changed out yet. 

She did look older. Before they said their ages I assumed she was a good ten years older than her husband. She was also a big old pill, and I didn't like most of the "after" decorating. The daughter was pretty and funny though. (She's right about peeing on the floor! Not cute.)

I liked the DC lawyer. She seemed like someone I'd be friends with. Her townhouse was cute, and it did seem like the best choice. It's the rare hunter that is concerned about having too much space!

[Pickles]

Episode tonight with the couple moving from Chicago to Manchester, UK for his job. OMG, That wife was a B! And he was a doormat! Because she had to give up her job and was going to be home all day with the DOG, she forced him to go with a house in the country---an hour commute each way to/from his job! WTH?! The house was totally modern inside, so no english charm. A yard in back for the precious dog that seemed to be the wife's first priority, yet she complained about having to take care of him. She didn't want to walk the dog, so she needed this house so she could let him out in the yard and watch from inside the house. Here's an idea. Move closer to Manchester, get a leash for the dog and get your fat ass out of the house! What was wrong with her?? I loved how she said she always won any disagreements they had. I guess she does. He had zero backbone.

[vesperholly]

Agreed! High school sweethearts aka the first girl he boned. She probably wanted to hide her cute, sociable husband out in the country so he doesn't get stolen by a nice English girl. "Her dog"? Her soft voice was creepy too. The first house was perfect. 

[Ohwell]

wrong thread

Edited October 5, 2016 by Ohwell

[Pickles]

Sorry I posted in the wrong thread. I was so enraged with the Chicago woman moving to Manchester that I lost my head. 

[awaken]

I also noticed the oddly soft voice of the Manchester wife. She seemed miserable to be moving, lonely, and out of place even in the follow up. Which may be compounded by living far from the city and her partner's work, with just the dog for company. 

Edited October 7, 2016 by awaken

[Pickles]

Tonight's family moving from NY to Greenville, SC. I thought for sure they would go with the first house. It was so pretty on the outside with the brick and the side loading garage that the wife wanted. The wife did not like the look of the exterior of house #2 with brick only on the front and the garage doors on the front of the house. It was way under budget, so they saved a lot of money by choosing it. 

[vesperholly]

She didn't sound Buffalo to me at all, more of a downstate accent (I live here!). At least they both seemed like fairly normal people. I bet they got a hell of a price when they sold their house because the market has been great here for the past year or two.

Their pick really surprised me because of the negativity about the outside of the house. The inside was nice, though.

Edited October 7, 2016 by vesperholly