House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[AlleC17]

4 hours ago, izabella said:

Washington Park, the area where that house is, is sketchy and dangerous.  It's becoming slightly less so, maybe, but I sure as hell would not live there if I could live somewhere else.  There's a reason that awesome house is so inexpensive.  The reason there were all those empty lots?  Those were all falling-down, dangerous houses, in a community filled with crime and drugs.  Also used to be near a massive housing project which has been demolished.  Grocery stores and amenities are almost non-existent, public transportation is nearby but it can be dangerous to go there.  Hyde Park and the University of Chicago is blocks away, but you won't find ANYONE from the university crossing the Park border except to drive through (as quickly as possible) to get to the Dan Ryan expressway.  Yeah, maybe they're trying to clean it up now since real estate in Hyde Park-Kenwood is so expensive, but "safe" is not a word I'd use for it.

http://crime.chicagotribune.com/chicago/community/washington-park

That makes sense then.  Like how the realtor stated it was 'an up and coming area' without including the 'if you can survive it!' part.  Good thing they knew the city. 

[Thumper]

Can anyone tell me which place the woman in Philly chose tonight?  I missed the ending and am wondering if Mom won out with the house in the suburbs.  (I have my doubts.). The buyer was a building preservationist.  Thanks for any info!

[NYGirl]

Thumper ..to her mother's dismay she took House #1, the row house on the skinny street with no parking.  Paid full price too.

Edited January 6, 2017 by NYGirl

[suebee12]

I really enjoyed the Philadelphia show tonight! Why? Because when they got to the South Philly rowhouse, all I could think of was American Bandstand! Yes, I am old but I can remember watching every afternoon! And of course when they showed the area, in my mind, I could picture Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon,James Darren and Fabian sitting on their front stoops! American Bandstand visited their homes and showed us how they lived....what fun that was! Anyone else recall the American Bandstand years in Philly?

I loved the house she chose and she could finish the basement for extra room. I laughed when she said her mother drove down to see her and actually parked on the street! I do hope she removed the decals from the front windows though!

[JasmineFlower]

Strange episode from Philly in some ways. First, not strange, but way too much Philly accent for me and that's from someone who is used to it even if I've never warmed up to it. It felt like it was in stereo with them talking so much. But second, they said where the first place was, where the second place was, and left out where the third place was, all while implying that it was in the suburbs, when it was not in the suburbs. @Thumper seems to confirm this was heavily implied in the episode by asking about if she chose the house in the suburbs.

I found that really strange. While all they said was 30 minutes from her target area, they acted like it was the suburbs, meanwhile there's probably only one suburb that looks like the homes they showed there really, and that price was way too high for that suburb as it's a tad sketch and gets confused with being part of the not high-end section of the city its adjacent to and so it's not commanding that kind of list price. So, I rewound the episode to hear that they said its "close to the suburbs" and the mom said she "feels like she's in the suburbs" - not sure why, it doesn't look like any Philly burbs, those yards alone aren't indicative of what you get once you leave the city even by a few blocks, not to mention that twins are rare and the look of that street was more like the city than a suburb. So, not sure why they kept going on and on about the suburbs and didn't show one and then implied heavily that the one place really was in the burbs. It was odd. And really unclear why they gave the neighborhoods of the first two, but not the final one.

She mentioned wanting to be near public transportation. I hope she meant the bus and possibly the subway line. I found it a strange thing to mention that and then say your target neighborhoods are Fishtown and South Philly. The latter is better for that but still not the best, and the former not so much, which is why you could see the highway behind them in one of the shots.

At first I thought it would be interesting to see her "after" given she was so against anything cookie cutter. Well, it certainly wasn't cookie cutter, but her taste level was highly questionable from where I stand. I'd trust her architectural eye only when it comes to the bones, like the exterior and the hardwoods, because those paint colors and details were a major miss. Mighty lackluster "after" for sure.

[biakbiak]

I guess I spent so much time with my friend from Philly and his parents over the holidays that I am inoculated because I barely noticed them.

I didn't likthe kitchen in the one she went with but I probably would have chosen it agony stained the the cabinets and switched out the countertop for a solid surface because I hate tile in the kitchen.

[chocolatine]

11 hours ago, izabella said:

Washington Park, the area where that house is, is sketchy and dangerous.  It's becoming slightly less so, maybe, but I sure as hell would not live there if I could live somewhere else.  There's a reason that awesome house is so inexpensive.  The reason there were all those empty lots?  Those were all falling-down, dangerous houses, in a community filled with crime and drugs.  Also used to be near a massive housing project which has been demolished.  Grocery stores and amenities are almost non-existent, public transportation is nearby but it can be dangerous to go there.  Hyde Park and the University of Chicago is blocks away, but you won't find ANYONE from the university crossing the Park border except to drive through (as quickly as possible) to get to the Dan Ryan expressway.  Yeah, maybe they're trying to clean it up now since real estate in Hyde Park-Kenwood is so expensive, but "safe" is not a word I'd use for it.

http://crime.chicagotribune.com/chicago/community/washington-park

I've never been to Chicago, but I thought that area looked really sketchy with the empty lot on one side and a run-down apartment building on the other. I got an uneasy feeling just watching it on TV. The townhouse they ended up buying seemed like a great starter home, and way under budget to boot.

[Empress1]

7 hours ago, JasmineFlower said:

Strange episode from Philly in some ways. First, not strange, but way too much Philly accent for me and that's from someone who is used to it even if I've never warmed up to it. It felt like it was in stereo with them talking so much. But second, they said where the first place was, where the second place was, and left out where the third place was, all while implying that it was in the suburbs, when it was not in the suburbs. @Thumper seems to confirm this was heavily implied in the episode by asking about if she chose the house in the suburbs.

I found that really strange. While all they said was 30 minutes from her target area, they acted like it was the suburbs, meanwhile there's probably only one suburb that looks like the homes they showed there really, and that price was way too high for that suburb as it's a tad sketch and gets confused with being part of the not high-end section of the city its adjacent to and so it's not commanding that kind of list price. So, I rewound the episode to hear that they said its "close to the suburbs" and the mom said she "feels like she's in the suburbs" - not sure why, it doesn't look like any Philly burbs, those yards alone aren't indicative of what you get once you leave the city even by a few blocks, not to mention that twins are rare and the look of that street was more like the city than a suburb. So, not sure why they kept going on and on about the suburbs and didn't show one and then implied heavily that the one place really was in the burbs. It was odd. And really unclear why they gave the neighborhoods of the first two, but not the final one.

She mentioned wanting to be near public transportation. I hope she meant the bus and possibly the subway line. I found it a strange thing to mention that and then say your target neighborhoods are Fishtown and South Philly. The latter is better for that but still not the best, and the former not so much, which is why you could see the highway behind them in one of the shots.

At first I thought it would be interesting to see her "after" given she was so against anything cookie cutter. Well, it certainly wasn't cookie cutter, but her taste level was highly questionable from where I stand. I'd trust her architectural eye only when it comes to the bones, like the exterior and the hardwoods, because those paint colors and details were a major miss. Mighty lackluster "after" for sure.

Yeah, all three of them had pronounced Philly accents. I'm like you - used to it but don't care for it (and glad I don't have one).

The third place was definitely not in the suburbs. I was thinking West Philly. The exterior of that house wasn't great and I also thought it was way too big for one person (I think it was 2600 square feet). There are lots of neighborhoods in Philly proper where you can have a driveway and a garage but not in south Philly or Fishtown, where the buyer was looking. If you live near Broad St. in South Philly you can do OK with public transportation, but one of my biggest complaints about my hometown is that its public transportation system isn't as good as it should be for a city its size.

Totally agree about her taste level - I thought the house looked pretty bad when she moved in and had added her touches to it (the ribbon trim in the floor was gorgeous though, I noticed that right away). I didn't like the doors she had put on her closet and I thought her headboard was hideous. I also would have swapped out the tile counters in the kitchen - I find grout annoying to clean. 

[JasmineFlower]

Re: Washington Park. While I wouldn't say it's a great area at all, I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as others have said. I'm not saying it's even good overall. And I don't disagree that it's sketchy. But as is the case with a ton of Chicago, there are better pockets and there are more dangerous pockets, and the area isn't a 4-block radius. And the idea that no one at University of Chicago would ever be caught there is completely inaccurate and painting people there with a very narrow brush.  Bringing up the housing project is strange assuming you mean Robert Taylor, because yeah it wasn't far away, but it was also demolished over 10 years ago, so that's really in the past. No reason to bring that up, it has dangerous and not so bad areas without that as a factor. Comiskey/US Cellular Field is near there too and actually standing, but that wasn't mentioned. Neither was the fact that the area is the home to the DuSable Museum, one of the great museums in Chicago that has served as a model for African-American History museums around the country. And there are stores near there. Not cute shops that so many buyers want, but it's not as if there are zero shopping centers nearby and they aren't totally trashed or anything. So, I understand not wanting to call that area great, I don't think it is either at all. But let's not overstate things, because that definitely is how it reads to me. The area isn't great, it's not at all like Hyde Park or even Kenwood, but those are undeniably very close by.

For those wondering, no, I'm not from Washington Park. Not even from South Side or even Chicago. But I lived in Chicago for several years, went to school there, and visit regularly. I don't have a problem stating how an area is sketch or dangerous at times, this felt like more than that. And while I agree that I wouldn't buy in Washington Park if I had other options, you know where else I wouldn't buy? In most of Rogers Park, where the couple bought their place. Certainly a good deal better than Washington Park overall, but it gets a pass too often just because it's North Side. It's got sketchy parts too, not as many and definitely not as dangerous on the whole, but Rogers Park has always been a place I would suggest someone rent if they were cool with the area, not buy. I've seen crime occurring there with my own two eyes and I don't just mean a random drug deal and not just once either, but multiple times. So let's not act like this couple's budget was taking them to the best, most sought-after sections of the city.

[JasmineFlower]

46 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

The third place was definitely not in the suburbs. I was thinking West Philly. The exterior of that house wasn't great and I also thought it was way too big for one person (I think it was 2600 square feet). There are lots of neighborhoods in Philly proper where you can have a driveway and a garage but not in south Philly or Fishtown, where the buyer was looking. If you live near Broad St. in South Philly you can do OK with public transportation, but one of my biggest complaints about my hometown is that its public transportation system isn't as good as it should be for a city its size.

Totally agree about her taste level - I thought the house looked pretty bad when she moved in and had added her touches to it (the ribbon trim in the floor was gorgeous though, I noticed that right away). I didn't like the doors she had put on her closet and I thought her headboard was hideous. I also would have swapped out the tile counters in the kitchen - I find grout annoying to clean. 

I think this is correct on area. My best guess was that it was either close to the Baltimore Avenue area in West Philly but several blocks past Clark Park since that would be more expensive, or closer to the Overbrook area in West Philly not too far from City Line. But it was really hard to figure out because of the generic 30 minutes from target. Not even sure which target that means since Fishtown and South Philly aren't anywhere close to neighboring each other. So, to that end, there's the possibility that it could be like an East Oak Lane home as well, since there was some resemblance in architecture, though I didn't think that was where it was.

And yes, I agree about the public transportation, but streets that look like hers aren't typically super close to Broad, I know they can be, but usually they are several blocks in. She's going to be taking a bus to get to the subway or train more often than not. Interesting that she never mentioned distance to work as much as she was talking about what she did.

I love ribbon detail on hardwoods. Those were pre-existing though, so I can't give her credit. I was confused by the headboard more than anything else, and it wasn't my taste at all. And the closet doors, I guess I thought, she went through the trouble of getting custom doors and that's what she went with? I had a look of confusion on my face during her final segment.

[ByaNose]

10 hours ago, JasmineFlower said:

Strange episode from Philly in some ways. First, not strange, but way too much Philly accent for me and that's from someone who is used to it even if I've never warmed up to it. It felt like it was in stereo with them talking so much. But second, they said where the first place was, where the second place was, and left out where the third place was, all while implying that it was in the suburbs, when it was not in the suburbs. @Thumper seems to confirm this was heavily implied in the episode by asking about if she chose the house in the suburbs.

I found that really strange. While all they said was 30 minutes from her target area, they acted like it was the suburbs, meanwhile there's probably only one suburb that looks like the homes they showed there really, and that price was way too high for that suburb as it's a tad sketch and gets confused with being part of the not high-end section of the city its adjacent to and so it's not commanding that kind of list price. So, I rewound the episode to hear that they said its "close to the suburbs" and the mom said she "feels like she's in the suburbs" - not sure why, it doesn't look like any Philly burbs, those yards alone aren't indicative of what you get once you leave the city even by a few blocks, not to mention that twins are rare and the look of that street was more like the city than a suburb. So, not sure why they kept going on and on about the suburbs and didn't show one and then implied heavily that the one place really was in the burbs. It was odd. And really unclear why they gave the neighborhoods of the first two, but not the final one.

She mentioned wanting to be near public transportation. I hope she meant the bus and possibly the subway line. I found it a strange thing to mention that and then say your target neighborhoods are Fishtown and South Philly. The latter is better for that but still not the best, and the former not so much, which is why you could see the highway behind them in one of the shots.

At first I thought it would be interesting to see her "after" given she was so against anything cookie cutter. Well, it certainly wasn't cookie cutter, but her taste level was highly questionable from where I stand. I'd trust her architectural eye only when it comes to the bones, like the exterior and the hardwoods, because those paint colors and details were a major miss. Mighty lackluster "after" for sure.

I'm from the (real) suburbs of Philadelphia and that 3rd un-mentioned location house isn't in the suburbs. I'm not sure why they were being so cagey about the location when HH lies about everything else. LOL!!! The girl and her mother seemed nice enough but the daughter has horrible taste is design and decor. The paint colors and closet doors were hideous. The paint colors were so dark. I wish her well with her new home but you couldn't pay me to live there unless it was in the upscale Society Hill, Rittenhouse Square area or some other expensive location. If I'm living in the city I'm going to live in style.

[laredhead]

Wasn't the first house in Philly the one with the horrid concrete back "yard"? It was so small, that it's hard to call it a yard.  No one seemed to have any privacy fencing, just chain link and one of my first improvements would be to hide all of the neighbor's junky looking back patios with a privacy fence.  It looked like there might be a storage shed at the back of the patio, but nothing was mentioned about it.  I did not like the color she painted the living room/dining area, but it's her house not mine.  The color was too dark for me, and I have stated before when row houses were featured, that I'm not a fan of them.  They are too small and confining for my taste.  I did appreciate the dynamic between the mom and the young woman and there was no drama which was a plus.  

[Ohwell]

Those Philly houses and neighborhoods were downright depressing-looking.  Kind of reminds me of the crappy, dangerous neighborhoods in DC with rowhouses that the millennials find "charming."  To each his own though.

[Thumper]

Thanks for the info on the Philly episode, NYGirl!

I wondered about that third house in the "suburb," but hey I live in MN and thought maybe that's a Philly suburb. Good to know my instincts were right.

[Vivigirl10]

So happy others too were less than impressed with Miss Philly's paint choices, closet doors and headboard.  I liked her, but I sure didn't like her design aesthetic!!

[JasmineFlower]

7 hours ago, Thumper said:

Thanks for the info on the Philly episode, NYGirl!

I wondered about that third house in the "suburb," but hey I live in MN and thought maybe that's a Philly suburb. Good to know my instincts were right.

This is what bothered me. I know the difference, but I know Philly. Most people watching won't and when they said a house in the suburbs and showed that house, I was like, excuse me? That's NOT a Philly suburb. By and large, Philly suburbs are downright picturesque because none near the city are new, so there's a lot of tree-lined streets, quite a few stone and brick homes, etc., this isn't cookie-cutter land until you are well outside of the city. And while I didn't mind the street, that backyard? Terrible. Very bad impression to put on Philly suburbs, when I've literally never seen yards like that outside of Philly proper. People watch this show and get an impression of any given area, it's good promotion for the many cities, so I wasn't a fan of how it seemed like they were painting the suburbs in a poor light to me.

@Ohwell the areas she was looking in are popular in recent years with people in her price range, but her budget was low for the more desirable city neighborhoods and needed to tick up to look at places with better overall neighborhood aesthetics. There are great neighborhoods less than 5 minutes from the place she chose and you'd likely enjoy the aesthetics of more, but she needed an additional $100k or so on that budget to just get a 2 bedroom in those areas, let alone 3 bedrooms, and that's an estimate on the low end.

[Dejana]

Normally, I'm not a fan of when someone complains about the countertops, but I couldn't blame last night's buyer for being unimpressed. More than half a million in West Virginia? Show me the granite! The second house felt so cramped, and the woman's horror about the urinal in the basement was pretty funny. What in the world, a workaround for a bathroom shortage as 10 kids got ready for school at the same time? I do hope that deck got fixed before everyone was standing around underneath it at the end.

Edited January 7, 2017 by Dejana

[txvoodoo]

On 1/6/2017 at 11:15 AM, Thumper said:

Thanks for the info on the Philly episode, NYGirl!

I wondered about that third house in the "suburb," but hey I live in MN and thought maybe that's a Philly suburb. Good to know my instincts were right.

There are Philly suburbs that have homes similar to that, but yeah, that wasn't one.

On 1/6/2017 at 11:38 AM, Kiki620 said:

So happy others too were less than impressed with Miss Philly's paint choices, closet doors and headboard.  I liked her, but I sure didn't like her design aesthetic!!

I thought they were just unharmonious. She had a very rustic headboard with a 1950s-style French Provincial nightstand. I mean, eclecticism is fine but she doesn't have the knack of combining things.

I also laughed at her admiring the rosettes in the millwork. Those were SO not original to that house. I know because my grandmother, 2 aunts, godmother all live(d) in rowhouses like that, probably within a few blocks of it. Very different woodwork styles. She did luck out on the inlaid floors, though. So many of those were taken out at different times.  If you're lucky, they only covered them with wall-to-wall carpet. 

[ByaNose]

The WV couple were kind of annoying but I've seen worse. They had met online. Maybe, I should try that. Anyhoo, the house they picked was nice and they were able to lower the asking price. Hopefully, the large deck will be fixed soon. It looked nice when they were sitting under it but awfully brace doing so. I guess the real danger if someone was actually on it. I didn't care for the 3 sided fireplace between the family room & kitchen. Way to 90's for me. I too was shocked that the house with that asking price had laminated countertops. It must have been an older couple selling their home after many years. I mean they didn't even have tile countertops. It was green laminate. Yikes!!

[KLovestoShop]

I don't live all that far from West Virginia, but no had no idea that their real estate prices were so out of whack.  I agreed with the husband that cheap laminate for $525K is nuts.  But someone needs to give the wife a lesson on what's rustic.  None of those houses were rustic, by any sense.  

[Ohwell]

I remember seeing an older episode where the buyers expressed sticker shock since they were in West Virginia, and the real estate agent said that if you're in or near a college town, the prices are higher than one would think.

[ByaNose]

21 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

Okay I finished the Chicago episode and I still love the guy! I loved that he said he would put up with cats because he loved her. And his comments about the cats not paying rent still in the new home. And that she said Well it's a mortgage now. I loved that he couldn't jump up very high in the basement when he was doing his crouch down jump ups! I liked the place they picked, the whole area, it looked well kept and spacious. 

I read the comments above about the stand alone house, about the area. That was a fantastic house to me.  When the empty lot was mentioned I expected it to be a mess but it was cleared and loaded with green grass. The area looked to be like it was on its way to improving, going by that house and lot. The other houses looked huge so I hope that the area does thrive. 

The Chico, California couple. They were meh, as were the houses. 

The Minnesota couple. I knew it was the yellow house when the realtor told them the barn couldn't be shown because it was full of the owners stuff. I hated the house. I hate when houses are just slapped on with crap and it is called something. Like that reclaimed wood all over the house, in stupid places made it some style of architecture. It is like when builders build their houses using leftover stuff from their jobs. Mish mash stuff irks me. That is why the Philly woman irked me. She had a degree in architecture ( or something, please correct me) and that should, in my mind translate to being able to properly design the interior decorating style. You want to stay true to the period with the bones of the house and then you do Hobby Lobby/Ashley Furniture/ garage sale decorating? Okay. I just lost respect for your degree. haha.

eta full disclosure, I have an Ashley Furniture couch and chair and I love it! But it fits the style of my house so it works. That Ashley dining room set does not go in that row house!

And, the Philly girls DIY headboard was ugly. It didn't go with the period of the house and didn't even look rustic. It was 3-4 different stains which were just ugly. I'm from the Philly area so I'm allowed to say that. LOL!!!

[Ottis]

Quote

Can anyone tell me which place the woman in Philly chose tonight?  I missed the ending and am wondering if Mom won out with the house in the suburbs.  (I have my doubts.). The buyer was a building preservationist.  Thanks for any info!

We joked that her choice should have been, "I want to move away from Philly." Not one of our favorite cities. And with no parking, we would never visit that house!

Quote

I remember seeing an older episode where the buyers expressed sticker shock since they were in West Virginia, and the real estate agent said that if you're in or near a college town, the prices are higher than one would think.

True, and even with that, they must have been looking at some of the most expensive areas of the city. $500k plus for W. Va? No. Plus you have to deal with all the couch-burning Mountineer fans. The professor was very attractive. I wonder how that plays out in her classes.

[juliet73]

SLC episode: The husband and wife were nice...dorky, but nice.  I thought he was a little annoying about not wanting to take care of a yard, etc until they showed him at the end. He broke his arm pushing down trash in a residential garbage can! What?!?! The wife will probably have to take out the trash every time now. 

Louisville episode: Mother and son - both were pleasant and respectful.  I liked the first house a lot! Early 1900s, I think. I didn't understand when she said it lacked character and she would have to add it? According to her, because all the rooms were painted the same color and all had the same ORIGINAL wood floors, it was lacking character? It had a parlor!! And the son points out the overgrown weeded paver patio needs to be replaced as well as the cracked driveway and she waves them off and says, "oh, they're fine."  lol! Not really, but OK. 

[AuntiePam]

1 hour ago, juliet73 said:

Louisville episode: Mother and son - both were pleasant and respectful.  I liked the first house a lot! Early 1900s, I think. I didn't understand when she said it lacked character and she would have to add it? According to her, because all the rooms were painted the same color and all had the same ORIGINAL wood floors, it was lacking character? It had a parlor!! And the son points out the overgrown weeded paver patio needs to be replaced as well as the cracked driveway and she waves them off and says, "oh, they're fine."  lol! Not really, but OK. 

I liked them too, and I also liked the first house.  I think they said it was built in 1927 -- the little Victorian was built in 1900.  As for her comment about the lack of character -- that puzzled me too.  Maybe she was looking for built-ins.  ??  The weedy patio -- that's what RoundUp is for -- or if chemicals are a no-no, then Borax and water will kill just about anything.  The cracked driveway -- not pretty to look at but not cracked enough to be uneven or dangerous. 

The new build she bought was a good fit for her. 

[laredhead]

The Salt Lake City guy didn't want to be encumbered with any house or yard chores that would interfere with his video gaming, IMO.  The yellow walls in that house literally glowed.  I cannot imagine whatever possessed someone to paint even one wall that color, much less entire rooms.  That was a nice townhouse for the money and space offered, and the fact that it had access to the common ground which he did not have to maintain was probably the real reason they bought it.

I loved the first house that the Louisville woman looked at, and I thought she would buy it.  I was surprised that she chose a 3,000+ sf new build.  It did have almost a 1,000 sf basement, and I wondered if her son was planning to move in there.  She said she chose it because it was near the airport and she travels for work each week, and I guess that's more important at this point in her life than being within walking distance of shops and restaurants.  The other house would have put her closer to her brother and parents.   

[Babalooie]

AuntiePam,  I came here to make the same comment about that little invention called RoundUp.  The cracks wouldn't have bothered me, either, because here in FL that's a way of life because the ground is always settling.   I LOVED the third house.  It had a homey and familiar feel.

[Empress1]

The third Louisville house was my favorite too. I thought the new build was too big.

[Mittengirl]

I have a question for those familiar with townhouse/condo set-ups like the one they bought in SLC.  I know the HOA takes care of the common areas like the big park, but would they really mow that little postage stamp of grass within the individual fenced areas attached to each unit?  

The gates in the fences looked small and the "yards" were tiny; no way would you get a riding mower in there.  And each homeowner would have to make sure all the toys and furniture were moved to the paved area and any dogs were in the house and any locks put on to keep kids in would have to be unlocked.  Plus, it seems like a massive time suck to go in and out of each little grassy cell with a walk-behind mower.

[Ohwell]

42 minutes ago, Mittengirl said:

I have a question for those familiar with townhouse/condo set-ups like the one they bought in SLC.  I know the HOA takes care of the common areas like the big park, but would they really mow that little postage stamp of grass within the individual fenced areas attached to each unit?  

The gates in the fences looked small and the "yards" were tiny; no way would you get a riding mower in there.  And each homeowner would have to make sure all the toys and furniture were moved to the paved area and any dogs were in the house and any locks put on to keep kids in would have to be unlocked.  Plus, it seems like a massive time suck to go in and out of each little grassy cell with a walk-behind mower.

I wondered about that as well.  Maybe things are different in SLC but like you said, I just don't see lawn maintenance people getting in there.  I thought maybe the HHers just misunderstood the script they were supposed to go by, and didn't understand the difference between their own space and "common area." As a townhouse owner with a postage-stamp sized fenced in back yard, I can say that my HOA does not take care of it.  It's considered "my" space to take care of, and the HOA fee covers the common areas in the development.

[Totale]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

The third Louisville house was my favorite too. I thought the new build was too big.

And just like the other two Louisville episodes I've seen this year, the buyer ends up in a bourgeois crackerbox a half hour away from town, which is not inconsiderable in a city the size of Louisville.  The first and third homes may actually have been in town or certainly nearby.  There are cool Victorians close to the city center I'd like to see inside of, and I'm lost why HH keeps heading out to the suburbs to showcase these modern builder grade palaces instead.

[twinks]

Not sure how it works in their HOA, but if it's a condo (in many places), they do not own any part of the outside and it's taken care of by the HOA. A friend of mine living in a townhouse/condo has her exterior maintained my the HOA. There certainly could be an agreement which states the homeowner takes care of the yard.

[laredhead]

I have owned 4 townhouses over the years, and in all of them, the owner was responsible for the maintenance of their small patio/garden area.  The HOA fee took care of the common area.  When I heard it stated on the SLC episode that the HOA took care of all yard maintenance, and the husband got excited, I thought to myself that was probably incorrect and that the realtor should have clarified that the owner was responsible for the patio area of their own unit.  As I said in my earlier post about this episode, the husband gave me the impression he didn't want to lift a finger to do anything toward maintaining the exterior of any place they bought.    

[biakbiak]

22 minutes ago, laredhead said:

I have owned 4 townhouses over the years, and in all of them, the owner was responsible for the maintenance of their small patio/garden area.  The HOA fee took care of the common area.  When I heard it stated on the SLC episode that the HOA took care of all yard maintenance, and the husband got excited, I thought to myself that was probably incorrect and that the realtor should have clarified that the owner was responsible for the patio area of their own unit.  As I said in my earlier post about this episode, the husband gave me the impression he didn't want to lift a finger to do anything toward maintaining the exterior of any place they bought.    

It definitely depends on the complex/development my cousin lives in one that the HOA takes care of everything including their fenced backyard because of this her neighbors are almost evenly split between retirees and people who travel extensively for work.

[ByaNose]

Ding! Ding! Ding! I think we have found the most annoying HH (Gainesville, FL) wife......EVER! The voice! The teeth! The constant talking! OMG! I feel bad for the husband. That said, he seems happy. Yikes!

Edited January 11, 2017 by ByaNose

[KLovestoShop]

OMG, Byanose,  the Gainesville wife has to be the MOST obnoxious person ever on HH, and that says a lot because we've seen our share of obnoxious.  That nasal vocal fry hurt my ears.  

[camom]

I had to turn the channel after 5 minutes.  Just couldn't take that voice!

[chocolatine]

3 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

That nasal vocal fry hurt my ears.  

She said she grew up in Bulgaria. She must have learned English by watching The Nanny.

[Kohola3]

And what was with the horror at the nature preserve?  Did she think Bigfoot would be at her back door?

[Babalooie]

I live in the area.  We have lizards, albino geckos, moles, armadillos, destructive squirrels, and snakes on a daily basis.  Being native N. Floridians, we're used to it.  I would have sworn that the wife was from Transylvania.

[AuntiePam]

I kinda liked the Gainesville wife.  She was bubbly and enthusiastic and found something positive to say about all three properties.  Her voice didn't bother me that much.  Her accent was a lot like the actress who played Shae (Tyrion's whore girlfriend) in Game of Thrones.

I did question the husband's desire for a fixer-upper.  It seemed like he was going to be way too busy (on call) to have much time for chores.

[mojito]

The Gainsville wife was fine. It's hard for me to knock people for things that they really can't help, like voice, skin, homeliness, etc. This episode featured perhaps the only pool I've ever seen on HH that I might consider. I think I liked the first house the most, but I'm not into archery and don't car much for baths.

Question for everyone here: If you were on HH or HHI, would you be able to come to this board to read the comments people made about your episode? 

[AuntiePam]

50 minutes ago, mojito said:

Question for everyone here: If you were on HH or HHI, would you be able to come to this board to read the comments people made about your episode? 

I wouldn't be able to resist, but I'm sure I'd regret it.  What would be worse is if my house was on the show -- it'd be a total "gut job". 

Taking this to small talk.

[juliet73]

13 hours ago, mojito said:

 

Question for everyone here: If you were on HH or HHI, would you be able to come to this board to read the comments people made about your episode? 

I would totally come on and probably reply to every comment!  I think someone was on HHI and replied to some of the comments about the episode he was on.  I can't remember much about it except his daughter had a "different" name and people were snarking about it. He responded very respectfully about the daughter's name and also explained how they still live out there,  etc. 

[Pickles]

I am surprised the Gainesville couple was buying a house, if they were only going to be there three years. I would be happy renting a townhouse or condo for that amount of time.

[Kohola3]

38 minutes ago, Pickles said:

I am surprised the Gainesville couple was buying a house, if they were only going to be there three years. I would be happy renting a townhouse or condo for that amount of time.

But then you couldn't have your 15 minutes of fame as a Reality TV Celebrity.

[Empress1]

6 hours ago, Pickles said:

I am surprised the Gainesville couple was buying a house, if they were only going to be there three years. I would be happy renting a townhouse or condo for that amount of time.

I had the same thought. If I knew definitively that I was going to be in a place for only a finite amount of time and it was, say, three years or less, I'd rent. My uncle did his residency in LA and stayed (he's been there for decades, raised his kids there), so I thought maybe the Gainesville couple was planning to stay put after his residency. But he seemed pretty adamant that they'd be leaving as soon as his residency was over.

[Pickles]

I just watched the Louisville mother and son. Did not like the house she chose. Not much curb appeal. She said it was five minutes from the highway, so I guess that was very important to her. It was 3300 sq ft for one person. Really big! Plus, mowing that yard. Ugh. I did like the mother and son. They were really pleasant.

[chocolatine]

4 hours ago, Pickles said:

I just watched the Louisville mother and son. Did not like the house she chose. Not much curb appeal. She said it was five minutes from the highway, so I guess that was very important to her. It was 3300 sq ft for one person. Really big! Plus, mowing that yard. Ugh. I did like the mother and son. They were really pleasant.

I wasn't a fan of the house either, but she said she had to travel for work every week and needed to be close to the airport. As someone who currently travels for work every two weeks on 7am flights, I can totally sympathize. 

[ByaNose]

9 hours ago, Pickles said:

I just watched the Louisville mother and son. Did not like the house she chose. Not much curb appeal. She said it was five minutes from the highway, so I guess that was very important to her. It was 3300 sq ft for one person. Really big! Plus, mowing that yard. Ugh. I did like the mother and son. They were really pleasant.

Is she the one that was using the large dinning room as an office? It seemed so big for one (older) person. Of course, if she can afford it then why not. I'm only 52 and I want to downsize not up upsize.