House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[topanga]

On 10/18/2016 at 6:44 PM, Ohwell said:

I thought the modern house was butt ugly.  Actually, the only one that looked halfway nice was the one she chose.

I actually liked the modern Philadelphia house--the inside of it, anyway. On the outside, it stuck out like a sore thumb from the other row houses. But the interior was beautiful. And I wouldn't mind the stairs--I'd get in shape, at least. 

ETA: I did like the condo she ultimately chose. But where are they going to deliver her packages????

 

I recently watched a repeat episode (I think it was a repeat) with the Chicago couple looking for a home in the Northern suburbs of Chicago. They were a very pleasant couple. He's a software engineer, and average salaries in Chicago are about $95,000. She's an actuary, and salaries in the Chicago area can be around $100,000. Of course they can be higher depending on their tenure with their companies, seniority, etc. So the total household income from their jobs would be about $200,000/year (maybe slightly higher). 

So how in the heck can this couple afford a million-dollar home? Either one or both of them must come from money, they're debt-free, or both.  Or maybe they've saved every extra penny from the time they graduated college and now have a nice little nest egg. More power to them, I guess. 

Edited October 20, 2016 by topanga

[JasmineFlower]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

The Alabama episode last night. The husband and wife were both 27. They had been married seven years! Do people really get married that young in this day and age? 

They do, especially in the South, Mountain West, and Midwest, but this is also a different case. He was in the military and it is definitely not out of the ordinary for them to marry young and before going overseas. I suspect that may have played some role in the timing here.

[biakbiak]

ETA: I did like the condo she ultimately chose. But where are they going to deliver her packages????

The one she chose had a foyer so the mailman most likely has a key to put the mail inside since there wasn't mailboxes on the outside and depending how the buzzer system is set up she might be able to buzz other deliveries in from her cell phone.

[JasmineFlower]

The couple in Kansas City, I wish them well. But I was really not feeling the realtor. I think they said she was the wife's cousin. She seemed to be going out of her way to make the husband feel like a fish out of water in homebuying process and just that he's a bit odd in general. Maybe it wasn't that bad, but she didn't sit right with me. No, he shouldn't have jumped on the bed, but the same thing would have happened had he just sat on the bed which isn't nearly as ridiculous of a possibility. It's not a known thing that homes may be staged with things that aren't actual firm beds, and this wasn't a model home in a planned community, so dismissively saying you only usually tell kids that's the case, didn't go over well with me. I agree with him, tell that to everyone, that's got nothing to do with being a first time homeowner. I was definitely partial to him with his modest background and this being a big step he never thought he'd be able to take. Seemed to me she could put her uppity attitude and dislike of her cousin's husband aside and be professional enough not to laugh at things he didn't know and not act like the only people who were on his level were children. Personally, I'd be surprised if she won over any clients with this appearance and I assume that's part of the goal with landing on HH. 

[ByaNose]

5 hours ago, JasmineFlower said:

The couple in Kansas City, I wish them well. But I was really not feeling the realtor. I think they said she was the wife's cousin. She seemed to be going out of her way to make the husband feel like a fish out of water in homebuying process and just that he's a bit odd in general. Maybe it wasn't that bad, but she didn't sit right with me. No, he shouldn't have jumped on the bed, but the same thing would have happened had he just sat on the bed which isn't nearly as ridiculous of a possibility. It's not a known thing that homes may be staged with things that aren't actual firm beds, and this wasn't a model home in a planned community, so dismissively saying you only usually tell kids that's the case, didn't go over well with me. I agree with him, tell that to everyone, that's got nothing to do with being a first time homeowner. I was definitely partial to him with his modest background and this being a big step he never thought he'd be able to take. Seemed to me she could put her uppity attitude and dislike of her cousin's husband aside and be professional enough not to laugh at things he didn't know and not act like the only people who were on his level were children. Personally, I'd be surprised if she won over any clients with this appearance and I assume that's part of the goal with landing on HH. 

I just thought it was great you could buy a nice little house under $180,000. I'm so used to the bigger budgets on HH. They seemed like a nice couple and hopefully the movie theater room is all done. LOL!!!

[KLovestoShop]

I had a very different take on the Kansas City couple.  I thought he was "acting" like a country bumpkin all for the show.  I mean, I don't know anyone who actually jumps on a bed like he did and I didn't mind the realtor's comment about not having to worry about warning adults to not jump on furniture.  Plus, I didn't like his attitude about doing yard work.  But at least he admitted a couple of times that he sounds lazy when he makes the comments about not wanting a big yard. But what I've NEVER liked on any show is when people step into the bathtub, especially with their shoes on.  Why does anyone have to sit in a tub when you're looking at real estate?  

[Kohola3]

Quote

But what I've NEVER liked on any show is when people step into the bathtub, especially with their shoes on. 

That's just disgusting.  And the owners would have no idea that they need to bleach their bathtub upon coming home.  No need for that at all.

[AuntiePam]

I liked Steven from Kansas City.  He was involved, and funny, and he seemed to honestly care about what his wife wanted, and he was so tickled to be able to own a home.  He was being realistic about all the work involved in caring for a big yard.   Our yard is only half the size of theirs, and getting the leaves off the yard is very time-consuming.  Unless you have a mower with a bagger, it will kill your back. 

So a staged bed doesn't have a real mattress?  I didn't know that.

Had to notice that house with all the bookcases -- with actual books in them!  That's rare. 

[vesperholly]

It wasn't so much the staged bed that annoyed me (juvenile but whatever) but that they just walked out of the room with nary an attempt to fix it! I certainly hope they did after the cameras were off.

I was on the market just recently and in my smaller city, staging home is just not a thing - especially at that price point. They're either empty or full of the owner's furniture.

[Mu Shu]

House Hunters-Hoarders.  We could see them choose a new home, and see what it looks like with the hoard moved in.  

[SPLAIN]

On 10/19/2016 at 10:42 PM, KLovestoShop said:

I don't understand why they feel the need to divide HH up into separate notions.  It's really stupid, IMHO.  They're all just house hunters in different configurations.   So what's next---- HH Single Women, HH Divorcees, HH LBGT, HH Big People, HH Spoiled Wives?  But I will say, I will not watch the Family edition as I disliked kids on shows like this.  There's no way kids should control the house the family buys.  And those three girls were a pain in the butt  

 

Glad I am not the only one who was so turned off by the family edition. It is bad enough when people put the needs of the dog when deciding on what home to buy. I don't need to see children put in their two cents. Hell, they are not even putting in two cents as much as it was all about what they wanted. Screw you HGTV for ever putting this garbage on.

[laredhead]

WRT the Kansas City episode, the house they chose is very small.  From previous discussions here, it is my understanding that the 1100 sq foot size does not take into the account the unfinished basement area which might add another 400 or so square feet to the size of the house when it is finished.  Still, the rooms upstairs are very small.  I think they are going to still feel like they are living in their relative's basement based on size.  I also would not want to have to walk through the garage to go to the movie room in the basement area once it is finished.  House #3 was the best of the group, IMO.

I was a bit distracted by all of the tattoos on Steven's arms and kept wondering what they all said.  

[buttersister]

Stay the hell out of the bathtub. Keep the hell off of the bed. HH! Every time someone climbs into the tub I think this better already be theirs!

Quote

an enormous fund for "maintenance"

Depends. A full-time union door and maintenance staff can be the majority of a large operating budget in the middle of, say, Chicago. Add a gym, other amenities and a some major projects budgeted without special assessments for a 40-year-old building, and suddenly, $1M isn't too much.

[sistersledge]

Ugh that family with the three girls! They made a mistake in not choosing the house with the blue carpeting and view. BIG. MISTAKE. Then again, we know they already were in escrow for the other one so... 

And the girls also get a say in the house? I don't think so.

Had to laugh last night at the super nerdy couple in San Diego. They were fine, just odd.

 

ETA: part of that $800 HOA might have included taxes and or utilities. We just moved out of a high rise outside of NYC and I know the monthly fee included taxes, all utilities and maintenance. (We only rented). I know the mom was annoying but she was right in terms of resale value and safety. 

The best part of the episode was when they were complaining about seeing neighbors, the realtor responded very deflated: "that's... that's how it works"...lol

Edited October 22, 2016 by sistersledge

[laredhead]

The house in the San Diego episode was a dead give away because never once did either one mention the brightly painted walls in each room.  I knew it was the house they bought and painted already.  Most HH's would have commented immediately on the color scheme and how much paint was going to be needed to cover some of those dark colors.  The husband seemed nice and friendly, but the wife seemed a bit of a "negative Nancy" to me.  She certainly wasn't about sharing anything from an office to a bathroom sink.   

[juliet73]

San Diego wife was annoying with her double sink demands. Every house they looked at had 2 bathrooms. They have no kids so I didn't understand why they each couldn't have their own bathroom. 

I liked the Murphy bed/desk.  I've never seen one like that before. Note to all future HHs...you don't need a separate office and a separate guest room. Quit demanding a 5 bedroom house for a family of three!! 

[AuntiePam]

4 hours ago, laredhead said:

The house in the San Diego episode was a dead give away because never once did either one mention the brightly painted walls in each room.  I knew it was the house they bought and painted already.  Most HH's would have commented immediately on the color scheme and how much paint was going to be needed to cover some of those dark colors.  The husband seemed nice and friendly, but the wife seemed a bit of a "negative Nancy" to me.  She certainly wasn't about sharing anything from an office to a bathroom sink.   

Me too.  And she was one of those people whose facial features matched her attitude -- she had a hang-dog droopy look around her eyes and mouth.  You just know she'll find fault, wherever she can. 

[sistersledge]

Yes! I now remember she was totally a Debbie downer... 

[ByaNose]

19 hours ago, juliet73 said:

San Diego wife was annoying with her double sink demands. Every house they looked at had 2 bathrooms. They have no kids so I didn't understand why they each couldn't have their own bathroom. 

I liked the Murphy bed/desk.  I've never seen one like that before. Note to all future HHs...you don't need a separate office and a separate guest room. Quit demanding a 5 bedroom house for a family of three!! 

I want that Murphy bed/desk. I've never seen one. I was hoping they would say where they got it in the credits. LOL!!!

[Kohola3]

I have a great one that has bookcases on the left side, the bed in the middle, and a desk with bookshelves above and storage below on the right  My dad built if for me years ago.  Takes up the whole wall but with the bed up the room has tons of room.  I only use the bed for guests.

[JasmineFlower]

On 10/21/2016 at 10:32 PM, laredhead said:

WRT the Kansas City episode, the house they chose is very small.  From previous discussions here, it is my understanding that the 1100 sq foot size does not take into the account the unfinished basement area which might add another 400 or so square feet to the size of the house when it is finished.  Still, the rooms upstairs are very small.  I think they are going to still feel like they are living in their relative's basement based on size.  I also would not want to have to walk through the garage to go to the movie room in the basement area once it is finished.  House #3 was the best of the group, IMO.

I was a bit distracted by all of the tattoos on Steven's arms and kept wondering what they all said.  

Didn't they choose the split level? I can tell you having grown up in one for several years, many split level homes use their square footage much better than many other style homes. I've seen many homes with over 2200 sq ft. that didn't seem to have much more space than a 1400 sq. ft. split level outside of a larger kitchen footprint and one additional bath or half bath. Seriously. And that is certainly the case if the home in comparison contains a sizable staircase such as a colonial. So, I wouldn't assume the house is too small strictly based on sq. ft. alone as seems to be overly encouraged sometimes. The flow of a home and how the sq. ft. is used can contribute greatly into a how big or small a home feels. I remember the house they chose seemingly clearly smaller than the others, but by no means so small they'd quickly grow out of it or comparable to living in a basement apartment.

As for Steve and the yard work. Sometimes people complaining about a yard might seem annoying, but this was a completely justified problem in this instance. First, they were not looking at townhomes with a small square backyard that barely requires attention, these were larger backyards, ones that had they been located in CA or AZ, there would have been talk about easily including a pool and still having a great size backyard. Second, he openly admitted to living his entire life in modest apartments, meaning he has never taken care of a yard in his life, nor managed the maintenance of a home. So, him being concerned about yard size came across to me as being cautious and responsible, aware of his own background, and not at all lazy. I think people who have lived in homes most or all of their life may be underestimating the jump in responsibility and time commitment it takes to go from apartment rental to home ownership when you have no prior example of it in your life, not even as a kid watching your parents, aunts, or uncles do it.

Edited October 24, 2016 by JasmineFlower

[Pine]

San Diego couple looked like they were closely related.  Also, quit with the chandelier being too low, we all know that it goes over a table.  Cute and happy dog, liked his name too.  Otherwise I liked this couple.

[ByaNose]

Cincinnati Maggie buying her first house seemed very nice and I liked the house she picked. The big story though is her hot doppelgänger (Jason Statham) brother, Nick. He seemed sort of perfect, likable & not a jerk. What was he doing on HH? LOL!!!!

[NYGirl]

What is this family edition that you speak of?  I was out of the country on a cruise last week so I missed what feels like a ton of episodes.  I need to hit the TiVo box and fast!

I did watch the Cincinnati Maggie last night and she really annoyed me.  I didn't like the fact that her so nice brother was the realtor.  She was a nitpick and taking it out on him.  Also this episode annoyed the crap out of me because the third house was all that and a bag of chips with everything she wanted...even the price range.  So what does she do?  Picks the first house, the one she complained about.

[juliet73]

Cinn vet: She was horrible!  What a Negative Nancy. Her realtor brother was nice and remained totally professional. If that were my sister,  I would have told her to shut her mouth after about two minutes of her constant bitchin'! 

[AuntiePam]

12 hours ago, ByaNose said:

Cincinnati Maggie buying her first house seemed very nice and I liked the house she picked. The big story though is her hot doppelgänger (Jason Statham) brother, Nick. He seemed sort of perfect, likable & not a jerk. What was he doing on HH? LOL!!!!

I liked her too.  It was a pleasant surprise that she didn't complain about the lack of granite countertops.  She didn't like the white tile countertop in the house she chose, but she didn't complain about the one in the other house, whatever that gray material was.   

[Ohwell]

Cincinnati brother was a house-flipper before he became a real estate agent, so I got the feeling that the houses he showed her were the some of the ones he flipped.  He just seemed too familiar with them.   I liked him though.  Her?  Not so much.

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

Cincinnati brother was a house-flipper before he became a real estate agent, so I got the feeling that the houses he showed her were the some of the ones he flipped.  He just seemed too familiar with them.   I liked him though.  Her?  Not so much.

It's funny because I Googled (Yes, I have no life) his first name (they didn't give a last name), realitor and Cincinnatti and couldn't find him. He looked familar to me, too. I'm not sure if he flipped on HGTV before or something but he did look familar. You'd think a guy name Nick with a beard who is a realitor would be easy to find. LOL!!!

[mojito]

Cincinnati brother and sister. I spent far too much time figuring out the color of their eyes! Can't remember much about the houses.

[magemaud]

If tonight's HH drinking game was to take a shot every time Bethlehem Matt said the word "work" (as in "I don't want to do any work" or "Painting? That's a lot of work" or "Taking care of a pool? That's too much work!") we'd all be s**t-faced by the end of the show. The guy didn't want to do ANYTHING to his "forever home," so I guess his idea was to buy a place, move in, then keep it frozen in time for the next thirty or so years? That unfinished basement was a blank canvas that he could complete over time, even sooner if he was in such a rush to "get away from THIS ONE!" as he rolled his eyes at his wife. Another case of the wishlist and budget (the second most used word in the episode) not being at all realistic. And I thought he acted like a smug, lazy, asshat. 

Edited October 26, 2016 by magemaud

[laredhead]

I recorded it and watched it very late, but I kept falling asleep.  Why didn't they choose the house with the pool?  Wasn't it cheaper?  Of course, we will never know the real reason and it might not have been in a desired school district or something like that, but it seemed to have everything they wanted including a finished basement, except for a large kitchen.  The scene with him sitting in that unfinished basement with only a TV, a chair and a rug looked odd.  At least the walls have insulation so it's probably not cold and damp there.  She had a continual smile during the entire episode, and he had an allergy to work.  I don't think they ever said exactly what he did, but he must travel a lot during the week with his job which might be the reason he didn't want to buy a house that needed work.

At any rate, I agree with you, "magemaud", about buyers who want move in ready and evidently plan on the house staying that way for the entire time they live there.

I noticed there was a blindingly white vinyl fence enclosing the back yard in the final reveal scene.  I wonder if he installed it - lol.

[Ohwell]

Aaaand, yet again, there was a HH wife with the annoying, high-pitched, whiny voice.  Bethelem wife's voice made me change the channel after about 10 minutes. 

[AuntiePam]

39 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Aaaand, yet again, there was a HH wife with the annoying, high-pitched, whiny voice.  Bethelem wife's voice made me change the channel after about 10 minutes. 

Her voice was definitely annoying, but what made me Delete without waiting to see what they chose was her "I win" attitude.  Not to mention yet again someone looking at a clean, functional kitchen in a house within their price range and immediately bellowing "This is a total gut job!" 

The whole "outdated" schtick bugs me no end.  Update the damn kitchen if you're planning to sell, but to update just for the sake of updating is so "keeping up with the Joneses". 

[NYGirl]

Boy that Bethlehem couple was annoying.  He was the biggest whiner yet.   It was a sad sight to see him sitting in that unfinished basement in his "media" room. lol  I hated the way he talked about his wife, calling her "this one here".  She probably is annoying with projects which is what turned him off.

I've noticed lately that the third house always meets their needs, price, location, type, etc.  Yet they never choose it.  More often than not they will choose the first house.  It would be nice if they'd choose #3 once in awhile.

Another thing..don't these couples decide ahead of time what they want?  San Diego couple for instance.  He wants dark cabinets and black appliances and she wants white with stainless.  Really?  These poor realtors.

[slasherboy]

On 10/24/2016 at 2:30 PM, Pine said:

 Cute and happy dog, liked his name too.

What was the dog's name?

[NYGirl]

6 hours ago, slasherboy said:

What was the dog's name?

Was it something like Soda?

[vesperholly]

11 hours ago, NYGirl said:

Boy that Bethlehem couple was annoying.  He was the biggest whiner yet.   It was a sad sight to see him sitting in that unfinished basement in his "media" room. lol  I hated the way he talked about his wife, calling her "this one here".  She probably is annoying with projects which is what turned him off.

I've noticed lately that the third house always meets their needs, price, location, type, etc.  Yet they never choose it.  More often than not they will choose the first house.  It would be nice if they'd choose #3 once in awhile.

Another thing..don't these couples decide ahead of time what they want?  San Diego couple for instance.  He wants dark cabinets and black appliances and she wants white with stainless.  Really?  These poor realtors.

Mrs Bethlehem was totally one of those women who have a Pinterest board called "Honey Do".

The show is filmed "backwards" in that they buyers have already purchased the house, and the shopping is faked out by touring two other homes in addition to their own. I find it kind of hilarious because quite a few buyers end up touring way more suitable houses that have come onto the market after they've made their decision.

[KLovestoShop]

Couldn't stand either of the Bethlehem couple.  She was whiney with an obnoxious voice, and he was a lazy, condescending putz.  I don't see that couple lasting very long.  

[Clover]

Bethlehem couple - Knew they'd picked the 1st house because of the alphabet painted on the wall in the first room inside the door (toy room for daughter).  Although why would you want to pick a room right inside the front door for that purpose unless you have a day care or preschool?  Hated the wife's voice, and her attitude regarding anything she didn't like.  Always here's another thing "YOU can fix" to her husband.  Why not "WE can fix"?  ARRGH.  Felt sorry for her 2nd grade students; they have to listen to that voice all day.

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, Clover said:

Felt sorry for her 2nd grade students; they have to listen to that voice all day.

Yup.  Poor kids!

[MsProudSooner]

Do the House Hunters get paid for appearing in an episode?

[AuntiePam]

The North Carolina couple who bought the over-budget house with the "lake view" -- again we see HH's telling us what they want,  what they don't want and what their budget is and then choosing the house that fits neither their budget nor their wants.  I give up. 

[JasmineFlower]

The Charlotte area couple annoyed a bit. Their CA house probably was $750k on the low end and they seemed to be under the impression they were moving to 1995 Charlotte wanting the world for $350k including an upgrade  from their pretty darn nice CA home. I get wanting to spend less and take advantage of the lower cost of living, but they seemed to over correct given the wife's clear assertions, because in case you missed her saying it 20 times - she wants an upgrade in house and in lifestyle with this move. Wasn't feeling them and the wife's voice definitely bugged and she was talking a lot.

However, in general, I'm confused by the shooting of this episode. The couple got closer to what they wanted than I thought, but that was also because the opening of this HH threw me off greatly. They spent the entire opening basically talking about and walking the Uptown area of Charlotte, including looking at the homes and pointing out different things they liked and didn't like, which makes one think that's where they are searching for a home. But then they start driving out to the suburbs in South Carolina... Huh? What's going on here? Yeah, I know it's not too too far out and part of the Charlotte metro area, but what's with that opening? I get highlighting Charlotte briefly, and that's fine to start, but don't look at architecture and home exteriors in in-city Uptown then go to out-of-state suburbia for the home search and act like this is somehow not a big switcheroo. The homes they saw were in order located in a SC suburb, a NC suburb, and a SC suburb.

Their budget makes way, way more sense when settling down in the suburbs, but especially in South Carolina. Still overkill for some perfect model home with 3,000 sq ft. and a huge backyard with not many neighbors and everything else they wanted. But disappointing overall that they started the episode making it seem like we'd be seeing in-town Charlotte this episode and not coming anywhere close to delivering it to the point of going out of state. They don't have people introduce themselves in Chicago and then tour the exteriors of greystones in Wicker Park and then skip out to NW Indiana to look for homes. Strange production choices in this episode for sure.

[ByaNose]

5 hours ago, JasmineFlower said:

The Charlotte area couple annoyed a bit. Their CA house probably was $750k on the low end and they seemed to be under the impression they were moving to 1995 Charlotte wanting the world for $350k including an upgrade  from their pretty darn nice CA home. I get wanting to spend less and take advantage of the lower cost of living, but they seemed to over correct given the wife's clear assertions, because in case you missed her saying it 20 times - she wants an upgrade in house and in lifestyle with this move. Wasn't feeling them and the wife's voice definitely bugged and she was talking a lot.

However, in general, I'm confused by the shooting of this episode. The couple got closer to what they wanted than I thought, but that was also because the opening of this HH threw me off greatly. They spent the entire opening basically talking about and walking the Uptown area of Charlotte, including looking at the homes and pointing out different things they liked and didn't like, which makes one think that's where they are searching for a home. But then they start driving out to the suburbs in South Carolina... Huh? What's going on here? Yeah, I know it's not too too far out and part of the Charlotte metro area, but what's with that opening? I get highlighting Charlotte briefly, and that's fine to start, but don't look at architecture and home exteriors in in-city Uptown then go to out-of-state suburbia for the home search and act like this is somehow not a big switcheroo. The homes they saw were in order located in a SC suburb, a NC suburb, and a SC suburb.

Their budget makes way, way more sense when settling down in the suburbs, but especially in South Carolina. Still overkill for some perfect model home with 3,000 sq ft. and a huge backyard with not many neighbors and everything else they wanted. But disappointing overall that they started the episode making it seem like we'd be seeing in-town Charlotte this episode and not coming anywhere close to delivering it to the point of going out of state. They don't have people introduce themselves in Chicago and then tour the exteriors of greystones in Wicker Park and then skip out to NW Indiana to look for homes. Strange production choices in this episode for sure.

I thought it was odd that they wanted Charlotte charm but bought a lake house. Not that a lake house is thing but it didn't fit the scenario they were painting at the beginning while drinking coffee at the outdoor cafe. The setup package was just weird. IMO!

[laredhead]

As the episode went on and on, and the Charlotte wife kept saying she wanted to upgrade her lifestyle and house with the move, I liked her less and less, especially since they showed pictures of their California house which looked very nice.  The straw that broke the camel's back for me was when she declared more than once that the solid surface counters in the bathrooms were cheap and would have to go, and that she could not tolerate "linoleum" on the floors and that would have to go, etc.  If something wasn't granite or tile (be it ceramic, porcelain, or travertine) it was cheap in her opinion.  First of all, some people can't afford those high end finishes, but they should not be considered cheap for installing what they can afford.  Secondly, maybe the owners like that type of counter or floor and someone should not look down their nose and call it cheap.  She would have a fit if she saw the counters and floors in my house which are a combination of porcelain, real wood, laminate, Formica, cultured marble, and yes, one piece of granite.  Some of it was in the house when I purchased it and some has been installed by me over the years as I could afford it, but none of it was "cheap".  I don't normally get on my soapbox about these shows, but for some reason this one got to me.

In the closing scene they did admit that they had more money for a house purchase than they said they had at the beginning of the show, so that indicates they sold their house in California for a very nice profit.  I was so over her by the end of the show I don't remember if the house they bought was perfect in her eyes.

[Kohola3]

Believe me, there is nothing at all cheap about solid surface countertops!  I could have had granite (which I hate) for the same price.  These idiots are just showing that they have been brainwashed by these types of shows to believe the only "high end" finishes are hardwood, granite and stainless steel.  They have obviously never shopped or priced anything but they blather on like they know something.

[juliet73]

5 hours ago, laredhead said:

As the episode went on and on, and the Charlotte wife kept saying she wanted to upgrade her lifestyle and house with the move, I liked her less and less, especially since they showed pictures of their California house which looked very nice.  The straw that broke the camel's back for me was when she declared more than once that the solid surface counters in the bathrooms were cheap and would have to go, and that she could not tolerate "linoleum" on the floors and that would have to go, etc.  If something wasn't granite or tile (be it ceramic, porcelain, or travertine) it was cheap in her opinion.  First of all, some people can't afford those high end finishes, but they should not be considered cheap for installing what they can afford.  Secondly, maybe the owners like that type of counter or floor and someone should not look down their nose and call it cheap.  She would have a fit if she saw the counters and floors in my house which are a combination of porcelain, real wood, laminate, Formica, cultured marble, and yes, one piece of granite.  Some of it was in the house when I purchased it and some has been installed by me over the years as I could afford it, but none of it was "cheap".  I don't normally get on my soapbox about these shows, but for some reason this one got to me.

In the closing scene they did admit that they had more money for a house purchase than they said they had at the beginning of the show, so that indicates they sold their house in California for a very nice profit.  I was so over her by the end of the show I don't remember if the house they bought was perfect in her eyes.

Yes!!!  She bugged me big time!  He wasn't much better.  At the last house he complained that  the  2600+ Sq ft house was going to be tight and they needed to be smart about where everything was going to go because of lack of space.  Seriously?!  They are a family of 3! And the 3rd is an infant!  They both need to get over themselves! 

[KLovestoShop]

The Charlotte couple might have sold their California house for a good price, but we don't know how much equity they had in it.  Perhaps they had to pay off a pretty big mortgage.  

[Empress1]

I liked the DC bachelorette and want to see her on a "where are they now" ep. That's a big job she's taken on!

[Ohwell]

DC bachelorette lives in a rough neighborhood but since she's on the mayor's staff, she might get some police protection.  I think that she might have gotten a break on the price due to DC's first time homebuyers program, because that was quite a reduction in price.  I think it went down from something like $249k to $189k?