House Hunters: Buying in the USA

[NYGirl]

I believe last night in Phoenix was a rerun..I vaguely remember the bitchy wife, having hated her first time around.  She was ridiculous in the things she wanted to change, even with the price at the high end of their budget and the finishes being perfectly fine.

He annoyed me too but too a lesser extent.

I got the impression she nagged him to get engaged.

[juliet73]

1 hour ago, Ottis said:

Nice sleuthing, magemaud! So are Dani and Kim the same woman? Or did he somehow get divorced, remarried and STILL could buy another expensive vacation home? If so, owning an auto racing business must pay well.

From what I read online, Dani is his ex wife.  Kim is his current girlfriend. He owns a house in Indy and Telluride and Key West. He sold the smaller Key West home (1st HH appearance) and bought another one in Key West (3rd HH appearance).  He doesn't own the car racing business, he's just a driver.  The business he owns involves valve pipes for heating and cooling as well as other supplies. 

Yes, I need a hobby :) 

[laredhead]

Juliet73, you have a hobby -  HH sleuthing, LOL.  Great detective work by you and Magemaud.  I vaguely remember the first Key West episode.  Now I will have to locate it and watch it today.  

[topanga]

On 1/10/2017 at 0:02 AM, juliet73 said:

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. 

I felt the same way. He annoyed me at first: he didn't want to take care of a yard, and the idea of having a snowy driveweay (in Salt Lake City!) freaked him out. But learning how he broke his arm made me realize that the guy knows he's a klutz and can't handle physical tasks. Although I agree that he probably uses this as an excuse why he can't do anything!

On 1/14/2017 at 0:04 AM, mojito said:

@Babalooie, the trend continues.

Charlotte, NC. 

Normal couple. He was hung up on only a 15-minute (not 18-minute) drive, but otherwise, quite a normal couple. HH, we like people like this. Stop annoying us with slapworthy couples. In this episode, their wants weren't too opposite. She wanted a ranch, he wanted something modern but a ranch wasn't out of the question. She wanted something small, and he seemed okay with small.

Tonight I learned that tract homes of the 2000s are "cookie cutter" but tract homes of the 1960s aren't. 

I also liked all three houses. And I liked the woman's southern accent. It was charming without sounding annoying or forced. And by forced, I mean over-emphasized. The way many New Yorkers talk when they're telling people how great New York City is compared to the rest of the crappy world.   --Jeez, I've managed to possibly insult southerners and New Yorkers. My bad. 

And I guess this is a pet peeve: when the real estate agent says a house was built in 2006, and one of the house hunters sucks in their breath and says, "Hmmm. Kind of dated."

[mojito]

Quote

 In every scene she appeared to be posing, shoulders back, boobs out and legs in a weird (yes, masculine) stance.

I've been trying to avoid this angle of the conversation, but this comment really nailed all the thoughts I was keeping to myself (and I had many).

Kim's stance was so noticeably wide that I stood up to check my own stance. At my most casual my feet were a foot apart; her stance was much wider. She was really strutting hers stuff and was very much into the belted/cinched waistline look to accentuate something but....Okay, I'll say no more. I've already crossed my own line.

[Tara1665]

Austin couple... she annoyed,  but I loved the realtor!

[AuntiePam]

14 minutes ago, Tara1665 said:

Austin couple... she annoyed,  but I loved the realtor!

That was a fun episode.  It didn't hurt that the husband was cute as hell.  They really seemed to enjoy each other's company. 

But it was weird to see someone asking for white appliances and laminate countertops. 

[juliet73]

Austin wife was super annoying! I understand wanting vintage/charm, but come on!! She could compromise...a lot!  Soapstone counters are timeless. The pink bathroom could be reglazed...still original, but now updated.  The bar and the floor definitely needed to be taken out. I hope the husband is getting a hood soon.  Their smoke detectors must go off constantly! In the meantime,  open the windows!!! Or cook your meat outside on the grill!! 

Edited January 20, 2017 by juliet73

[mojito]

Some people seem to equate "cookie cutter" with contemporary. The home the Austin couple bought looks like thousands and thousands of homes built throughout Texas (and probably Oklahoma) in the 1970s including my extended neighborhood. In my area, there are maybe 8 different models, and over the years, people have updated their windows, paint, and landscape but basically, they look like they were all built at the same time, by the same developer. Not knocking the homes. As a matter of fact, they are deceptively large as they seem as deep as they are wide and many have 4 bedrooms. But to act like these homes are unique is ludicrous. They look like most of the other middle-class neighborhoods that sprung up in that decade. A unique home would be one that was built in the 1950s and before, and to be honest, except for extremely old homes (designated historical in my city), I would be hard-pressed to find a neighborhood like that.

It's cute, though, that the wife sees a home built in the 70s as one with soul when many people would declare those homes as the beginning of homes with no character. 

Edited January 20, 2017 by mojito

[ByaNose]

I had no idea that Katie Holmes had to moved to Austin. Who knew? I liked the rooftop deck. It would be a great party hangout. Also, "Katie" was rather depressing. Jeez! Why so dour?

[chessiegal]

I cracked up in the Austin episode when the wife declared #2 as "so 70s, and the real estate agent told her it was built in 1981. Ha! While not far off, she wasn't even born then.
 

[juliet73]

Ugh about the Boston girl!! She looked like Jennifer Lawrence and talked like Kim Kardashian!! She's 25 looking for her first home. She wanted a "sexy" condo.  Which apparently means: federal style building, granite, ss appliances, a grand entrance, an island, walk in closets, chandeliers, wood floors, walls that do not need to be painted and enough room for her and maybe a potential roommate to spread out! All for $300k! She is the reason people loathe millennials!!! 

[morgan]

I missed the Boston girl.  Was she in Boston proper?

[chocolatine]

34 minutes ago, morgan said:

I missed the Boston girl.  Was she in Boston proper?

I'm not familiar with Boston, but she said she was looking in the North Shore area because the city was too expensive. She ended up buying a 2-bed, 1.5-bath townhouse in Woburn (sp?). List price was $329k, but she paid $350k because there were multiple offers.

[morgan]

Thank you.  Yes she is well out of the city there.  I was wondering with that budget!  

[NYGirl]

4 hours ago, juliet73 said:

Ugh about the Boston girl!! She looked like Jennifer Lawrence and talked like Kim Kardashian!! She's 25 looking for her first home. She wanted a "sexy" condo.  Which apparently means: federal style building, granite, ss appliances, a grand entrance, an island, walk in closets, chandeliers, wood floors, walls that do not need to be painted and enough room for her and maybe a potential roommate to spread out! All for $300k! She is the reason people loathe millennials!!! 

You forgot the 2 bathrooms she had to have.

[KAOS Agent]

I was amused at Boston girl's description of painting a wall as a "big project". She can't handle anything that big. I give the realtor props for not laughing in her face. 

[CocoaGoddess]

Has anyone discussed the super hot husband from the White Bear Lake, MN episode? I swear I'm sitting here with my mouth hanging open not even paying attention to the houses ... is that how they're made in Minnesota? 

[QuinnM]

Quote

I swear I'm sitting here with my mouth hanging open not even paying attention to the houses ... is that how they're made in Minnesota? 

Yes I believe I've answered this before.  They are all tall and blonde and athletic.  They run on all the paths and bike 50 each way to work year round.  I want them all to go back to Sweden where their ancestors first came from since I'm tired of looking at peoples belts.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I had to delete the Boston episode about 1 minute in, I think she mentioned 3 of 5 phrases/words on my "Zero Tolerance" policy

1. Glam
2. Diva
3. Princess
4. Home brewing
5. Man cave

[Tara1665]

Indiana couple tonight...holy crap, they were both obnoxious.  Also,  why were they yelling? I kept turning down my TV  but it didn't help until I hit mute

[Sun-Bun]

FINALLY, a true Manhattan episode, and with typical New York-style real estate sharks and a cute rich gay couple to boot---seriously, these rare NYC HH episodes make me desperately miss the all-too-short-lived HGTV show "Selling New York". Why did that show have to go off the air? God I miss it.

I loved *all* the properties despite the usual Manhattan((so much money for so little space)) sticker-shock. I was actually surprised "Alphabet City" had gotten so high and desirable suddenly; wasn't it not too long ago fairly unsafe and considered farther away then some parts of Brooklyn even?

I adored what the guys chose and how they decorated their space. Must be so damned nice to own a posh, comfy little NYC crash pad and be so stylishly bicoastal....I'm willing to bet that the cute front deck along with the under 1m price is what sold them on that place.

[AuntiePam]

3 hours ago, Tara1665 said:

Indiana couple tonight...holy crap, they were both obnoxious.  Also,  why were they yelling? I kept turning down my TV  but it didn't help until I hit mute

ITA, but they did choose the right house.  Husband is an idiot, worrying about buying a 100+ year old house.  "What's behind the walls?"  Well, probably a lot of oak beams and supports -- none of the composite "wood" found in newer houses.  (Actually, I don't know what kind of wood is used to build new houses -- I just know that  hardwoods were plentiful 100 years ago -- those places were built to last.)   If it wasn't structurally sound, the owner wouldn't have gone to the expense of renovation.  

[Bastet]

35 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

Husband is an idiot, worrying about buying a 100+ year old house.  "What's behind the walls?"

Craftsmanship and materials the likes of which you simply will not find in a new build?

I'd so much rather update as necessary, building on a foundation that used best available practices and materials at the time, than deal with something where the starting point was "cut as many corners as will still pass inspection."

Depending on how long one intends to stay in a home, it can certainly be a reasonable concern to look at what updates have already been done in an older home vs. those which will fall on the buyer, but "Eek, an old house -- is it held together by string and spit?!" people annoy me. 

[Dawning]

8 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

Husband is an idiot, worrying about buying a 100+ year old house.  "What's behind the walls?" 

I completely agree about the old-house phobia making me roll my eyes, but when they actually buy the old house, it doesn't bother me as much because then I figure it's just for the show. I loved that house and was glad they bought it, and they didn't bother me overly much.

And as someone who bought a 100+ year old house in which the main drain line completely disintegrated about 6 months later ($$$), there can be legitimate concerns. (Still love my house though.)

[Ottis]

9 hours ago, Sun-Bun said:

FINALLY, a true Manhattan episode, and with typical New York-style real estate sharks and a cute rich gay couple to boot---seriously, these rare NYC HH episodes make me desperately miss the all-too-short-lived HGTV show "Selling New York". Why did that show have to go off the air? God I miss it.

YMMV, I guess. I find NYC to be the least interesting locale, given you pay ridiculous amounts of money for shoe boxes and the "privilege" of living with a bazillion other people around you at all times. . I suppose there is a sort of morbid interest in seeing how ridiculous it can get - "Oh wow, $1.5 million and it has TWO bedrooms, too - fantastic!" - but that's about as far as I go.

Maybe Columbus guy should talk more with his wife about having kids. Not sure she was nearly as onboard as he was.

[laredhead]

I was fooled by which house the Indiana couple would buy.  I thought for sure they would go for the new build since it really did have everything they wanted, including that basement which was ideal since it had an unfinished portion and a finished area.  I would love to have a storage area like that in my house, which doesn't have an attic large enough to store anything.  I guess outdoor space was more important to them than they let on, other than having a place to put a grill.  It will be a great space for them to raise their 3 future children.  The husband was very tall, and that first house made him look like a giant.

Was the Manhattan episode a new one? 

[twinks]

11 hours ago, Sun-Bun said:

FINALLY, a true Manhattan episode, and with typical New York-style real estate sharks and a cute rich gay couple to boot---seriously, these rare NYC HH episodes make me desperately miss the all-too-short-lived HGTV show "Selling New York". Why did that show have to go off the air? God I miss it.

I loved *all* the properties despite the usual Manhattan((so much money for so little space)) sticker-shock. I was actually surprised "Alphabet City" had gotten so high and desirable suddenly; wasn't it not too long ago fairly unsafe and considered farther away then some parts of Brooklyn even?

I adored what the guys chose and how they decorated their space. Must be so damned nice to own a posh, comfy little NYC crash pad and be so stylishly bicoastal....I'm willing to bet that the cute front deck along with the under 1m price is what sold them on that place.

Agree. I know the areas they looked in and was a bit surprised Alphabet has improved that much. Liked their choice.

[StatisticalOutlier]

4 hours ago, laredhead said:

Was the Manhattan episode a new one? 

My on-screen guide says it's 2017, for what that's worth. 

 

5 hours ago, Ottis said:

YMMV, I guess. I find NYC to be the least interesting locale, given you pay ridiculous amounts of money for shoe boxes and the "privilege" of living with a bazillion other people around you at all times. . I suppose there is a sort of morbid interest in seeing how ridiculous it can get - "Oh wow, $1.5 million and it has TWO bedrooms, too - fantastic!" - but that's about as far as I go.

I enjoy the NYC episodes because I prefer smaller houses/apartments.  When I hear that someone's budget is over about $600,000 in any part of the country except NYC or San Francisco, I usually tune out because it will probably be a big house, and probably a new something with turrets, which I'm not interested in.  If I never see another house in the Steiner Ranch subdivision of Austin it will be too soon.

Also, if they say Alphabet City or the street signs show Avenue C and 5th Street, you know exactly where (and what) they're talking about.  That can sometimes happen in other places, but usually more generally--like if they say they're in the Royal Oak suburb of Detroit.  Royal Oak has an identity, much like neighborhoods in NYC have an identity, but the neighborhoods in NYC are much smaller and easier to be more specific about. 

 

14 hours ago, Sun-Bun said:

I loved *all* the properties despite the usual Manhattan((so much money for so little space)) sticker-shock. I was actually surprised "Alphabet City" had gotten so high and desirable suddenly; wasn't it not too long ago fairly unsafe and considered farther away then some parts of Brooklyn even?

Everything else got higher and more desirable, so I guess it's Alphabet City's turn.  Since it doesn't have a subway stop, it is more isolated than some parts of Brooklyn.

[Empress1]

I lived in Alphabet City, although we just called it the East Village. The closest subway stop was the F/V at 2nd Ave (I lived on Ave. B so the walk to/from the subway wasn't so bad). The NYC couple also had their Palm Springs house hunt featured on the show. I thought they looked familiar and then when one of them said they had a Palm Springs place, it clicked. They are clearly doing very well for themselves. 

18 hours ago, Bastet said:

Craftsmanship and materials the likes of which you simply will not find in a new build?

I'd so much rather update as necessary, building on a foundation that used best available practices and materials at the time, than deal with something where the starting point was "cut as many corners as will still pass inspection."

Depending on how long one intends to stay in a home, it can certainly be a reasonable concern to look at what updates have already been done in an older home vs. those which will fall on the buyer, but "Eek, an old house -- is it held together by string and spit?!" people annoy me. 

I agree. When people are like "Yikes, it's old!" I'm like, " ... It's still standing, right?" I was pleased that the Indiana couple chose the old house - usually they go for the new construction, and I thought they'd stay with that tradition since the guy kept harping on it. I thought the house was beautiful, although that was too much land for me.

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I lived in Alphabet City, although we just called it the East Village. The closest subway stop was the F/V at 2nd Ave (I lived on Ave. B so the walk to/from the subway wasn't so bad). The NYC couple also had their Palm Springs house hunt featured on the show. I thought they looked familiar and then when one of them said they had a Palm Springs place, it clicked. They are clearly doing very well for themselves. 

I agree. When people are like "Yikes, it's old!" I'm like, " ... It's still standing, right?" I was pleased that the Indiana couple chose the old house - usually they go for the new construction, and I thought they'd stay with that tradition since the guy kept harping on it. I thought the house was beautiful, although that was too much land for me.

I recognized these guys from their previous HH appearance. Actually, I remembered the house in Palm Springs more but it's the same thing. LOL!!! I wanted them to chose the 3rd condo with the private rooftop deck. I'm all about outdoor living. I wonder who landed that property?! The asking price was 1.3 million. Yikes! The place they did pick was nice and seemed sufficient for their needs when they pop into the city. The "kitchen" was  crazy small and I didn't understand the two different backsplashes next to each other. One was blue & the other was brown. Kind of odd. I also liked their carpet tile. I didn't know they were back in. It seems like everyone gets an area rug from PB, Target or IKEA these days. BTW! I would like to have their money, too. Could someone help make that happen? LOL!!!

[swissair100]

Quote

I recognized these guys from their previous HH appearance.

Actually, this NYC house search is (IIRC) their 4th appearance on HH/HHI. They've bought homes in Buenos Aires, LA, Palm Springs & ofc now, NYC. They have different style preferences & even though the RE husband always had a bigger budget, they never appeared overbearing & came off as a "nice" couple.  

[magemaud]

What's with all the repeat customers on these programs? Instead of 15 minutes, the NYC guys have gotten an entire hour of fame! Last week it was Kurt in Key West's third appearance and there are other couples who have been featured more than once, and they are always the ones with the big budgets. 

[ByaNose]

I guess HH is happy with certain previous couples. They probably were easy to work with, camera ready & had money to spend. I'm guessing the casual viewer would notice someone has appeared before on HH. I've been watching for so long that several seem familar but my memory isn't that great that I automatically remember when & where I saw them. That's why I come here for. LOL!!!!

[laredhead]

Last night's episode about the couple in Connecticut who were hobby farmers was different.  Now I want a pet goat.

I loved the color of the house they bought, but everytime I see a huge house like that with wood siding, all I can think of is how much it's going to cost to repaint it every few years.  They said they were both registered nurses, so I'm guessing they make a good combined salary, but aren't property taxes there really high?  This is the type of info I want rather than telling me the buyers can't choose between craftsman and contemporary.   I hope they revisit this couple in a few years and let us see what they've done with that property and the house.    

[roseslg]

1 hour ago, laredhead said:

Last night's episode about the couple in Connecticut who were hobby farmers was different.  Now I want a pet goat.

I loved the color of the house they bought, but everytime I see a huge house like that with wood siding, all I can think of is how much it's going to cost to repaint it every few years.  They said they were both registered nurses, so I'm guessing they make a good combined salary, but aren't property taxes there really high?  This is the type of info I want rather than telling me the buyers can't choose between craftsman and contemporary.   I hope they revisit this couple in a few years and let us see what they've done with that property and the house.    

Which house did they pick?  I was watching chopped, so I missed that bit. 

[laredhead]

Roseslg, they bought the big red house, #1.  From what we saw, it had an updated kitchen, over 2,000 sf of living area, was not 100+ years old and 11 acres of land listed for $375,000 but they got it for around $355,000 I think.  I thought it sounded like a lot of land and a big house with a nice kitchen for a great price.    

[roseslg]

@laredhead, thanks!  That seems to best match their needs.  How do people find the time to take care of all these animals and still work full time jobs?  I can barely take care of a toddler!

[chessiegal]

I have a feeling the care and feeding of goats is not nearly the work of the same for a toddler (based on watching my step-daughters toddlers). ;-)

[roseslg]

@chessiegal, goats don't know the word no :).  

I missed the NYC one, but my friend gave me a recap.  We lamented on the fact that we never see any good mid-range NYC apartments.  How about someone looking for something that's 300k?  It's doable (I did it).  Let's see some outerboroughs, take us to Queens, or the Bronx.  

[AuntiePam]

Those farmhouses were fun to look at.  I think it was the third one -- the least expensive -- that had electric baseboard heaters in all the rooms.  I was surprised they didn't comment on that -- it's an issue for furniture placement..  But then HH'ers never seem to think about mechanicals anyway.

Loved the house they chose and was glad to see some outdoor space in the back, since there was no porch on the front. 

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, roseslg said:

How do people find the time to take care of all these animals and still work full time jobs?  I can barely take care of a toddler!

I wondered about that myself.  They talked about the work they did--raising the animals, growing vegetables, beekeeping--and I wondered how in the world they could hold down full time jobs.  Maybe one of them works part time?  They plan on having children but I don't know how in the world they'll have time to raise them, lol.

[mojito]

I liked the Connecticut couple a lot. Their interests have to do with growing and making things. No talk of "shops and bars". And they're obviously pretty handy, too. I thought he was going overboard with all the land he wanted. 40 acres (without a mule) is a lot to take care of. Nice that the wife got her old style home, which was built in 1978. 

[Ohwell]

I liked them, too, but I still wonder how they can do all that stuff and have jobs. 

[AuntiePam]

23 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I liked them, too, but I still wonder how they can do all that stuff and have jobs. 

Priorities.  I got more done around the house and yard when I was working full-time than after I retired.  If you know that you only have X hours to get something done, you don't waste those hours.  It's when you have the spare time that nothing gets done.  Weird.

[laredhead]

AuntiePam, I agree with you.  I used to be the most efficient person in the world (or so I thought) when I worked.   Of course, I had not found this and other forums at that time either. 

I forgot about the house they chose having a pool too.  I'm still amazed at the price of that house considering the size and amenities.  Wonder if it was a foreclosure or located in a really undesirable area. 

[chocolatine]

Having seen the NYC and CT episodes back to back was really interesting, since I'm considering a move to the greater NYC area from the West Coast. I didn't know CT had such beautiful rural areas where you could get acreage for less than $400k. Does anyone know how far that area is from NYC and/or a major airport? Would it be feasible for commuting?

Edited January 26, 2017 by chocolatine

[vesperholly]

24 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

Having seen the NYC and CT episodes back to back was really interesting, since I'm considering a move to the greater NYC area from the West Coast. I didn't know CT had such beautiful rural areas where you could get acreage for less than $400k. Does anyone know how far that area is from NYC and/or a major airport? Would it be feasible for commuting?

That episode was in Southeastern CT, which is a good 2.5-hour drive from NYC one way - not figuring for traffic. Not sure about trains. IMO that's not a reasonable daily commute. The nearest airports would be Providence RI or Hartford CT, neither of which are particularly "major". I think you could go further west in CT, still get decent prices and make a much better drive into the city.

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, vesperholly said:

That episode was in Southeastern CT, which is a good 2.5-hour drive from NYC one way - not figuring for traffic. Not sure about trains. IMO that's not a reasonable daily commute. The nearest airports would be Providence RI or Hartford CT, neither of which are particularly "major". I think you could go further west in CT, still get decent prices and make a much better drive into the city.

Bradley is the second largest airport in New England after Logan, so it's doable for most business travlers. 

Edited January 26, 2017 by biakbiak

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 1/24/2017 at 6:41 AM, Dawning said:

And as someone who bought a 100+ year old house in which the main drain line completely disintegrated about 6 months later ($$$), there can be legitimate concerns. (Still love my house though.)

Yeah, I think that's what the Columbus guy was referring to as being unsure what was behind the walls.  The construction might be better, but the wiring and things like that are old and might also be inadequate for today's needs. 

 

On 1/24/2017 at 7:06 AM, Ottis said:

Maybe Columbus guy should talk more with his wife about having kids. Not sure she was nearly as onboard as he was.

I read your comment before watching the episode, and I watched her reaction whenever he'd mention having a bunch of kids.  It enhanced my viewing experience.

Columbus, Indiana, is an interesting place.  I was there a while back playing tourist (they have improbably amazing modern architecture, and lots of it, some of which was shown in the episode), and it was raining so I hung out in the visitor's center talking to the old ladies for a while.  It's the headquarters for Cummins diesel engines, so there has always been a disproportionate number of highly educated engineers for such a small town, and these days a lot of them are Indian, adding a level of diversity to the area.  And there's not enough housing for them in Columbus, so a lot of them are living south of Indianapolis in the new developments there, and they're running shuttles for them, like they do in Silicon Valley.

 

On 1/24/2017 at 7:55 PM, ByaNose said:

I wanted them [NYC] to chose the 3rd condo with the private rooftop deck. I'm all about outdoor living. I wonder who landed that property?! The asking price was 1.3 million. Yikes! The place they did pick was nice and seemed sufficient for their needs when they pop into the city. The "kitchen" was  crazy small

And not helped by that enormous washer and dryer.   If ever a space called out for one of those European combo washer/dryers, this was it.

I literally gasped when I saw that private rooftop deck.