My Lottery Dream Home - General Discussion

[AnnaRose]

3 minutes ago, DC Gal in VA said:

I have always said that I am 100% NOT interested in winning a very expensive item like a house or "dream" car and would definitely take the cash option.

Case in point: about 20 or so years ago there was some contest where the grand prize was a Ferrari which I believe was valued at around $200,000. A big discussion ensued at my then workplace about how great it would be to win that car. I remember saying absolutely not and a Miss Know-it-All have me grief about saying that. I said that's because I live in Virginia.

In today's dollars in Arlington, Virginia, a $200,000 vehicle will cost you $18,300 up front; that's $10,000 (5% for every $100 in value) in property tax and $8,300 in a one-time sales and use tax of 4.15%. All of this would be in addition to the usual costs for tags, registration, inspection sticker, etc. Also, I don't even want to know what the annual cost of car insurance for a Ferrari would be. BTW, property tax is an annual expense in Virginia for as long as you own your vehicle unless it's an o!d "hoopty" LOL! So that would be a bill of well over $20,000 you'd have to shell out after winning your "free" car.

Thanks but no thanks; just gimme the cash.

Oh definitely.  And you would also need to pay income taxes, in addition to property and sales taxes, which in my area would be almost an additional $65,000!

[DC Gal in VA]

Just now, AnnaRose said:

Oh definitely.  And you would also need to pay income taxes, in addition to property and sales taxes, which in my area would be almost an additional $65,000!

Hi AnnaRose. Good point. My poor old tired greying brain cells just thought about that AFTER I posted, LOL! Geez, I don't even want to think about how much that would be for state and federal taxes yikes! Like I said, just gimme the straight up cash and then I could easily deduct whatever income taxes are due from that amount and call it a day. 😊

[debraran]

I remember when game shows were a hot item and my mom told me how some winners on Price is Right etc couldn't afford to keep all the items they won. Same reasons, you "won" the car but can't take it until you pay taxes on it and then it's getting it to your home and paying property taxes later, etc. They were usually $$$ cars too.

When Oprah gave cars away 14 years ago, she paid registration and sales tax but there was a gift tax (so many taxes) they had to pay. An article said:

https://www.motor1.com/features/132327/oprah-car-giveaway-didnt-know/1744567/

pg 6 said :

6. Most expenses were paid by the show, but not all

The Oprah Winfrey Show paid the sales tax and registration for each car, but not the gift tax, which could be up to $7,000 for some audience members. While the show did offer a cash prize for those who didn’t want to or couldn’t pay the gift tax, some audience members complained to the press, which devastated the producers.

[DC Gal in VA]

47 minutes ago, debraran said:

I remember when game shows were a hot item and my mom told me how some winners on Price is Right etc couldn't afford to keep all the items they won. Same reasons, you "won" the car but can't take it until you pay taxes on it and then it's getting it to your home and paying property taxes later, etc. They were usually $$$ cars too.

When Oprah gave cars away 14 years ago, she paid registration and sales tax but there was a gift tax (so many taxes) they had to pay. An article said:

https://www.motor1.com/features/132327/oprah-car-giveaway-didnt-know/1744567/

pg 6 said :

6. Most expenses were paid by the show, but not all

The Oprah Winfrey Show paid the sales tax and registration for each car, but not the gift tax, which could be up to $7,000 for some audience members. While the show did offer a cash prize for those who didn’t want to or couldn’t pay the gift tax, some audience members complained to the press, which devastated the producers.

OMG debraran I guess the old saying "No good deed goes unpunished" especially rings true in that case. What on Earth could anyone complain about? Can't afford the car then take the cash option and use part of that money to pay whatever taxes you owe. One would still end up with more money than they started with. Geez!😒

Edited April 14, 2019 by DC Gal in VA
Typo.

[AuntieDiane6]

1 hour ago, DC Gal in VA said:

The Oprah Winfrey Show paid the sales tax and registration for each car, but not the gift tax, which could be up to $7,000 for some audience members. While the show did offer a cash prize for those who didn’t want to or couldn’t pay the gift tax,

The gift tax is a tax on the amount OVER the $14,000 a person is allowed to give to someone else.  Those cars didn't look to be more than $20,000 (They were CHEVYs!) so the gift tax would only hit the $6,000.   I don't know about the property tax on the car--in NY, there is no property tax on vehicles!!  After Oprah paid sales tax, I would pay only $80 a year for the registration. (It would be lower but I wanted a vanity plate)  The reason NY has no property tax on vehicles is that NY has an income tax.

[Booklady1017]

On 4/13/2019 at 2:20 AM, kirklandia said:

I am always drawn to the open-air living homes they show in warm climates.  However I also react badly to the bites of tropical insects.  Then I think about - curious monkeys, hungry birds, snakes and lizards on the move,  pesky rodents....  Humans with bad intentions.

On 4/12/2019 at 9:37 PM, DC Gal in VA said:

Just watched an older episode A Mexican Dream with a lovely couple from Sacramento. They were looking for a vacation home in Mexico and of course as usual David knocked it out of the ballpark. But what really grabbed me was their forever home, absolutely stunning. They finally settled on a gorgeous home with 360 degrees of great views, including the beach, from a fantastic rooftop setting.

They loved it but the fly in the ointment for me though was the location. It was literally in the middle of nowhere since the home I picked for them, hee, had too many neighbors close by for their tastes. The problems I would personally have was a) no internet, I mean, how could I live without my PTV pals 😊 and b) there have been so many reports about Americans being targets for criminals in Mexico, I would prefer to have neighbors so we can look out for each.

But they were so happy and I am totally happy for them.

I agree with all your points. I remember their house and it was lovely and I thought so too that I wouldn't have picked the house they picked because it was so remote even though it was nice.

[BookWoman56]

I finally tracked down the episode for what has been my favorite house of the series, which it turns out was season 1, episode 2, in which the winners have won around $11MM, and go for a farm of sorts in Stillwater, MN. Although I had no use for the barn the wife was going to use for agility training for dogs, I loved the 40 or so acres and the house itself. There were some interesting architectural features without it being too over the top, and unlike some of the houses in a rural setting, the house itself didn't have a rustic feel to it. If I were to win that kind of money, that's what I'd go with in terms of acreage for seclusion purposes and a lot of square footage. 

With the discussion around the costs of using winnings to buy a house, my guess would be that for many of the winners, it's not like they're going from paying no property taxes to all of a sudden paying property taxes on a house worth $500K or so. So if a couple already had a house in the $250K range, and then with their lottery winnings of say, $2MM, end up with a house for $400K, I'd think as long as they continue working, they should have enough of a cushion to pay the increased property taxes. I also don't see why having a larger house would necessitate extra expenses such as a lawn/pool person or cleaning services, if those services weren't already being used. Maybe I'm getting the wrong impression, but most of the winners I've seen on the show seem like they're going to be doing their own housework and yard work. Maybe they're going to have a cleaning service come in once a month or something, but plenty of people do that without having won the lottery. I think it comes down more to how realistic people are about how much they've won and what they can do with it, versus thinking that winning a million dollars means you can spend like crazy every day. With the Stillwater couple, for example, I think they spent about 20% max of their win on the new house, leaving them with a good amount even after taxes were withheld. 

[DC Gal in VA]

On 1/2/2019 at 6:10 AM, debraran said:

Just watched the single dad episode. Cute kid.  He said "him and his then girlfriend bought tickets"  I hope they each bought their own because if they pooled money, he should share.  : )

And his "Mostly single?" What is that? lol

David's initial outfit was distracting, print on print in red plaid and flowers but he was nice and seemed comfortable. I enjoyed the banter between them.  I agree, concrete in first condo was a deal breaker with a kid but it was lovely and had a great basement area to play in. If there was a nearby park, not so bad.

There was 2 doors in the basement of second house, I looked hard since like you, would think that wasn't just a problem but maybe a safety issue.

I liked the cape, grew up in one, but 365,000 seemed steep. I liked the room, small but usable, the yard was fine.  Everyone is different, but why pick a house that you want to knock down an outside wall and is higher priced to begin with? I liked it "as is" and I hope he enjoys it with his son. I feel especially with having to pay people to landscape, less is best.  Since he owned this home already (spare room is set up for a kid) he will probably leave it be for now. He seems busy and would want less stress.

I just re-watched that episode too debraran. Glad to have found your post after skimming all of the 2018 posts looking for comments on this one.

Like you and others here, I was mystified by the "mostly single" comment but chalked it up to him being coy.

What I was really wondering about was his lottery back story. He said that he and his then girlfriend (his son's mom?) were on a date night so he got pizza and SHE got the lottery tickets. If that's so, how did he end up with all of the winnings which was definitely implied during the show?

Also, even though it's the 21st century, women are usually the ones that end up with the child but he was referred to as a single dad and seemed to have primary (even sole?) custody. Now, maybe it's for perfectly good reasons: she decided that she wasn't ready to be a full-time mom or maybe she's working her way through college and has two low paying jobs but he's a well-paid lawyer. Just wondered how that came about.

Edited to add: just watched the beginning of this episode and he specifically said about discovering that it was a million dollar winning lottery ticket that "we found out that we won." Hmmmmm, it just gets curiouser and curiouser.

Edited April 20, 2019 by DC Gal in VA
Additional comments.

[blueray]

I watched this yesterday. I was surprised when she went with the third house as the bathroom was a mess. I personally would have went with the second house. But I guess she did say she didn't mind a fixer upper.

[debraran]

I haven't seen new one yet, I usually watch it later and it's not on my "on demand" . I did find this looking for it online. A blooper tape:

https://www.hgtv.com/shows/my-lottery-dream-home

[BookWoman56]

On 4/20/2019 at 11:37 AM, debraran said:

I haven't seen new one yet, I usually watch it later and it's not on my "on demand" . I did find this looking for it online. A blooper tape:

https://www.hgtv.com/shows/my-lottery-dream-home

Thanks for the link; the blooper tape was entertaining.

One of the things I like about this show is that it's generally free from drama (other than the faux drama of which house the winner will choose). Admittedly a lot of the lack of drama is the nature of the show itself, but I get the feeling that David wouldn't be comfortable in a situation where there's a lot of stress and anxiety. I try to imagine him doing a show like Love It or List It where it seems like half the time, the clients are throwing a hissy fit that they have to fix major structural problems rather than spend all their renovation budget on an upscale master bath, and the other half consists of the two co-hosts sniping at each other (even thought it's mostly in jest).  I can't help feeling that he'd walk out on some of those clients. I also like that he gives credit to the local realtors for being able to come up with listings that match the winner's wish list; he's not pretending that he went out looking for houses on his own. But I think two things sell this show for me: It's nice looking at houses with interesting features that are usually well above the average buyer's price range; and David has an engaging personality.  It seems like he takes the job seriously of finding these people a house that they really will love, but he doesn't take himself too seriously.

Edited April 21, 2019 by BookWoman56

[debraran]

3 hours ago, BookWoman56 said:

Thanks for the link; the blooper tape was entertaining.

One of the things I like about this show is that it's generally free from drama (other than the faux drama of which house the winner will choose). Admittedly a lot of the lack of drama is the nature of the show itself, but I get the feeling that David wouldn't be comfortable in a situation where there's a lot of stress and anxiety. I try to imagine him doing a show like Love It or List It where it seems like half the time, the clients are throwing a hissy fit that they have to fix major structural problems rather than spend all their renovation budget on an upscale master bath, and the other half consists of the two co-hosts sniping at each other (even thought it's mostly in jest).  I can't help feeling that he'd walk out on some of those clients. I also like that he gives credit to the local realtors for being able to come up with listings that match the winner's wish list; he's not pretending that he went out looking for houses on his own. But I think two things sell this show for me: It's nice looking at houses with interesting features that are usually well above the average buyer's price range; and David has an engaging personality.  It seems like he takes the job seriously of finding these people a house that they really will love, but he doesn't take himself too seriously.

I agree, he tries to make it entertaining. He started taking 4 houses, just to make it seem like he narrowed it to three and sometimes when it's so obvious what they took, he jokes a little..."Oh look they have a swing already" 😉 He is really looking for a place in Florida for his dream home and you can tell when he really loves an area.

[BookWoman56]

Another big plus for me is that he actually listens to what the client wants, rather than imposing his own design preferences on them. He occasionally will show the client  a property with features that the client didn’t ask for, but he usually comments about that decision and his rationale. IMO this show is a welcome change from various design shows where the designer is hellbent on using a specific design style regardless of whether it aligns with the client’s request. Essentially, if the client wants an upscale house with an open floor plan, or wants a more modest house that needs some work, that’s what David focuses on instead of a cookie cutter house. 

[chessiegal]

Y'all do realize the winners on this show have already purchased the property.

[debraran]

They have to have something in mind or in it since the "real" closing etc is much slower than usual.  A few shows back, the Milford CT guy had been in his almost a year, he got a condo. He was easy to look up being in state. His winnings and house price/what he paid was accurate and although I disagreed with choice, "maybe" the ones David showed him weren't shown to him then.

Edited April 21, 2019 by debraran

[ForReal]

On 4/19/2019 at 7:34 PM, DC Gal in VA said:

Also, even though it's the 21st century, women are usually the ones that end up with the child but he was referred to as a single dad and seemed to have primary (even sole?) custody. Hmmmmm, it just gets curiouser and curiouser.

That struck me, too. If you are single and you are a parent, then I guess technically you are a single parent, but generally that implies that you are parenting alone with primary custody. It was not at all clear what the deal was with this guy. Not that we need to know the details, but it seems like it could have been a bit misleading about his situation.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I really liked the man in Louisiana, on the new show last night.    What a great story, couch surfing, to $2 million.     I liked the three houses, especially the new build, but the third property, with two houses was spectacular.     

The first house was an obvious decoy, with the possibility of flooding.   I bet that house has been flooded several times, in spite of the earth wall to stop it.    It was still a nice house, but a total deal breaker with the flood possibility.   

I bet the single dad in Virginia was primary caretaker for the little boy, and the mother was the part time parent.     It could be it was a temporary solution too.   I've known people who were on long term training or grad school, so would have very little time for a child, so they are part time for a while.    

Edited April 27, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[Kenzie]

7 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I bet that house has been flooded several times, in spite of the earth wall to stop it. 

Also, for me, the usual attraction to living by a river - the view - was lost by having the earth berm that was hiding it. 

[javajeanelaine]

I enjoyed the Louisiana family.  The house hunter was well loved and it was smart to get the property with the guest house for when they visit.

[debraran]

16 hours ago, javajeanelaine said:

I enjoyed the Louisiana family.  The house hunter was well loved and it was smart to get the property with the guest house for when they visit.

I liked them too, not the "wow" houses David likes but I know he enjoyed them and I'm sure had some good food!

Edited April 30, 2019 by debraran

[CrazyInAlabama]

I liked the Punta Gorda man, and his friends tonight.     I know a lot of people won't like the mobile home he picked, but the codes in Florida require a solid foundations, and tie downs, and they withstand hurricanes, and other storms very well.   I like that it was a raised foundation too.   I noticed the house he bought had a fully screened lanai too, and that's a great idea.  I knew that when David said it was in the friend's subdivision, that it was the one he would pick.       I wasn't thrilled with the second house.    The third house was nice, but I didn't like the carpet, interspersed with the tile.   

[debraran]

8 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I liked the Punta Gorda man, and his friends tonight.     I know a lot of people won't like the mobile home he picked, but the codes in Florida require a solid foundations, and tie downs, and they withstand hurricanes, and other storms very well.   I like that it was a raised foundation too.   I noticed the house he bought had a fully screened lanai too, and that's a great idea.  I knew that when David said it was in the friend's subdivision, that it was the one he would pick.       I wasn't thrilled with the second house.    The third house was nice, but I didn't like the carpet, interspersed with the tile.   

I can't watch this yet but Lottery Dream Home had a mobile home? That doesn't seem to fit the show. I know he's had very small homes, one kind of run down with an older woman but I'm sure there is more to the story.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Punta Gorda home hunters were looking at 55+ communities, and a lot are mobile homes, where you own the mobile, but pay lot rent to the park.     Or you're buying in to the park, with a membership that's actually cheaper than lot rent.       Rent or membership usually includes some utilities, like water and sewer, and may include outside maintenance.     The fees also include security (very important if you're a snow bird, or travel a lot), and amenities such as, pools, golf courses, and shuffleboard, or pickleball courts, and bocce ball courts.     The mobiles in Florida have tie downs, and solid foundations, so they are very secure.    I don't know if people are allowed to stay in the very secure ones during evacuations, or if they have to go to shelters.       Some mobiles have regular tile wall board, hardwood floors, and all kinds of upscale amenities.    The raised foundation makes maintenance easier too.  

I loved the hairdresser winning $750k, and moving to Nevada.   I do love a place without personal income tax.     I think she'll love Henderson, NV, and I like that she's spending a nice amount, but still keeping to a budget.      I like her friend too.     

The first one was OK, but I thought it seemed a little cramped.     I live two houses from the tiny pool where I'm living, and I think she would quickly get sick of shrieking from the pool right near the living room.   

The second one, the condo was cute, and I did like the vaulted ceilings.     I loved the bedroom sizes, the finishes, and the huge master bath.    When David mentioned the furniture staying, I knew that was the one she bought, but I think she'll be very happy there.  

 I love the third, single family in Green Valley, but wish the kitchen was bigger.    I like the rooms, and the fact that it's a stand alone house.      She could spend a few thousand, put artificial turf out back, and an outdoor kitchen, and it would be spectacular.        

Edited May 11, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[LizBug]

On 3/9/2019 at 10:06 PM, sue450 said:

 the newer the episode the more tattoos david has...He has so many on his arm it just looks like a giant mishmash, I find it distracting, but he is a funny guy!...

I've noticed that, too.  But, also noticed that in the more recent episodes, he's more covered up with long sleeves and jackets and crew neck or turtleneck shirts ... even in Las Vegas where his client is wearing dresses with spaghetti straps.  On another episode, it looks like the hand tats have been covered with concealer of some sort.  

Still think he's doing a great job working with such a variety of people and their requests.

[linthia]

I love the show and David, but one thing he does drives me nuts. Whenever a local real estate agent hands him a listing sheet, he draws a circle around the picture and maybe the price with his finger. Is that some kind of OCD thing he has? Or am I OCD because it drives me crazy?

[ByaNose]

I’m hoping the lady from Vegas who won the $750,000 scratch off gets a hair cut. I think she can afford it now. The condo was nice and not outrageously expensive. 

[LizBug]

On 5/11/2019 at 9:11 PM, ByaNose said:

I’m hoping the lady from Vegas who won the $750,000 scratch off gets a hair cut. I think she can afford it now. The condo was nice and not outrageously expensive. 

LOL ... the lady from Vegas is a hairdresser.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

I have always hated a hairstyle with bangs covering the eyes, but since it's not my hair, then I guess I should get over that.   

Since the lady works where they fit wigs for cancer patients, and other people with thinning or missing hair, then I guess I should give her some slack.     

Friday the 17th new episode, another professional poker player?    Isn't this the fourth or fifth in the past two seasons?    I like their budget $550k to $650k is nice for a change.  

I really liked the first house, and like that the wife mentioned a pool fence.    The second house was nice, but the lack of back yard neighbors is a great feature.       The third one has such a great kitchen, and I really like it.      The second house was a great choice, they really faked me out on the third one with the child proofing, and the cribs everywhere.  

Edited May 18, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved the Cape Coral Florida couple last night.    They were so cute, and they were both very realistic about budget, and what they wanted to spend it on.    

The first house was nice, but it would have been pricey to build a pool, and birdcage enclosure for it, and who knows if that's still allowed in that community.    The second house was nice, but too crowded for my taste, but I loved the pool. 

The third one, the two story, was perfect, and I'm glad they own that one.    The outside area, and the pool is spectacular.    

Edited June 1, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[debraran]

8 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I loved the Cape Coral Florida couple last night.    They were so cute, and they were both very realistic about budget, and what they wanted to spend it on.    

The first house was nice, but it would have been pricey to build a pool, and birdcage enclosure for it, and who knows if that's still allowed in that community.    The second house was nice, but too crowded for my taste, but I loved the pool. 

The third one, the two story, was perfect, and I'm glad they own that one.    The outside area, and the pool is spectacular.    

I loved the third one the best. Really nice. Fireplace and 2 stories, I wonder if it was built by someone who came from the north. ; )

Nice couple and you can tell David liked them. I liked he used savvy a few times, maybe trying to tell others to be the same.

[ByaNose]

I do think it’s funny that they thank David for finding the house(s). Obviously, they don’t watch the show where David’s meets up with the local realtor. They spent a good chunk of their winnings for the house. Impressive!

Edited June 3, 2019 by ByaNose

[ForReal]

17 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I do think it’s funny that they thank David for finding the house(s). Obviously, they don’t watch the show where David’s the local realtor. They spent a good chunk of of their winnings for the house. Impressive!

It always strikes me as interesting when the buyers thank David so profusely. In the big scheme of things, he doesn't do all that much, and he certainly gets paid well, and not by them. I figure they get prompted to thank him.

[ForReal]

On 5/11/2019 at 12:30 PM, linthia said:

I love the show and David, but one thing he does drives me nuts. Whenever a local real estate agent hands him a listing sheet, he draws a circle around the picture and maybe the price with his finger. Is that some kind of OCD thing he has? Or am I OCD because it drives me crazy?

Ever since I read this, I watch to see if he does it. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I can't not watch to see if he does it, now, so there we are.

I know from having worked as a real estate agent that property listings can be printed in different formats so that the pertinent information (listing price, days on the market, square footage) might not be in the same place every time, so that you have to scan for the information. That may not be what he's doing, but I do recall having to do that back when I was an agent.

[chessiegal]

Plus when you're a buyer, you don't pay a real estate agent. The seller pays the fees.

[ForReal]

I could still see thanking your buyer's agent for finding and showing you lots of properties, but David isn't doing all that.

[chessiegal]

8 minutes ago, ForReal said:

I could still see thanking your buyer's agent for finding and showing you lots of properties, but David isn't doing all that.

So true! I worked with the agent we bought our current house with for 3 years. I have declared him the best, most patient agent ever. I lost count of the number of homes he sent our way. We basically dismissed a lot just looking at the online listings, did drive bys for others. I think we did walk throughs of 10 houses. But he earned his commission. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved the Delaware couple on tonight's show, and loved that their budget was so sensible.        

The first house with all of the amenities, was very nice, but it wasn't all one story.    

The second was in such a great location, and I loved the outdoor space, and the single level living. 

The third was nice, but David was right, the lack of outdoor space was a big drawback, plus it had the second story.      

[ECM1231]

23 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I loved the Delaware couple on tonight's show, and loved that their budget was so sensible.        

The first house with all of the amenities, was very nice, but it wasn't all one story.    

The second was in such a great location, and I loved the outdoor space, and the single level living. 

The third was nice, but David was right, the lack of outdoor space was a big drawback, plus it had the second story.      

I fell asleep. Which did they choose?

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Delaware chose the second one, the one where they asked about getting the furnishings.    When they did that I knew they were going with the second one, but I still love looking at all of the houses.    It was also the house that had the most covered and screened outdoor areas.   

[BookWoman56]

On 4/21/2019 at 4:51 PM, chessiegal said:

Y'all do realize the winners on this show have already purchased the property.

That's inherent in the structure of any of these shows. They're not going to show the viewers a bunch of properties, then  have the client make a bid on it, only to be outbid or something and have no property to show off at the end. But given that David's clients have already got a contract on a property or have already taken possession of it, he does make an effort to show properties that the clients  might have been interested in if they were still actively looking. The show essentially recreates the search the clients went through, just refreshing the alternatives they considered. Especially given the underlying structure of the show, I'm appreciative that David typically shows other properties that the clients might find appealing based on their stated preferences, rather than having the house already under contract/bought, plus two other properties that are in the same price range but reflect David's own personal preferences.

I spent a brief period many years ago working for a firm of realtors.  My experience was that potential buyers would come in with their wish list, and the realtor would generally go along with those wishes in terms of number of bedrooms and so forth, but then proceed to show the potential buyer the realtor's own listings that had been on the market the longest.  Those listings would more or less match what the client was looking for, but the realtor often didn't make the effort to find the "ideal" home for the buyer, and in my experience at least, often pushed the buyer to look at homes that were either at the very top end of their budget or exceeded it. I suspect things have changed a good bit, with the advent of Zillow and similar sites, along with many more buyers getting prequalified and knowing exactly what their budget is, but I suspect there are still realtors out there pushing properties less because they think those are ideal for the buyer and more because they're older listings that the realtor wants off the books. 

Finally, I appreciate that David makes the attempt to include houses have some visual interest, knowing those houses are for the viewers' benefit. I've seen some features that I like and that I would probably include on my own wish list, but also some features that I realized are definite non-starters for me. Similarly, he's quick to point out that some surface items can be changed quickly and inexpensively, such as wall colors.

[debraran]

4 hours ago, BookWoman56 said:

That's inherent in the structure of any of these shows. They're not going to show the viewers a bunch of properties, then  have the client make a bid on it, only to be outbid or something and have no property to show off at the end. But given that David's clients have already got a contract on a property or have already taken possession of it, he does make an effort to show properties that the clients  might have been interested in if they were still actively looking. The show essentially recreates the search the clients went through, just refreshing the alternatives they considered. Especially given the underlying structure of the show, I'm appreciative that David typically shows other properties that the clients might find appealing based on their stated preferences, rather than having the house already under contract/bought, plus two other properties that are in the same price range but reflect David's own personal preferences.

I spent a brief period many years ago working for a firm of realtors.  My experience was that potential buyers would come in with their wish list, and the realtor would generally go along with those wishes in terms of number of bedrooms and so forth, but then proceed to show the potential buyer the realtor's own listings that had been on the market the longest.  Those listings would more or less match what the client was looking for, but the realtor often didn't make the effort to find the "ideal" home for the buyer, and in my experience at least, often pushed the buyer to look at homes that were either at the very top end of their budget or exceeded it. I suspect things have changed a good bit, with the advent of Zillow and similar sites, along with many more buyers getting prequalified and knowing exactly what their budget is, but I suspect there are still realtors out there pushing properties less because they think those are ideal for the buyer and more because they're older listings that the realtor wants off the books. 

Finally, I appreciate that David makes the attempt to include houses have some visual interest, knowing those houses are for the viewers' benefit. I've seen some features that I like and that I would probably include on my own wish list, but also some features that I realized are definite non-starters for me. Similarly, he's quick to point out that some surface items can be changed quickly and inexpensively, such as wall colors.

That's true with realtors, at least years ago. I had some that gave me indigestion. Being a mixed couple in the 80's, we had realtors that would redline us, others that didn't but only listened to basic needs. We were approved for much more than we wanted to spend but we said we wanted a mortgage on one salary. I knew I wanted to take some time off with our child and unknownto me then, I had twins 3 years later!.  She kept showing us top of budget or over and reminding us of our approval.  She showed us homes that needed more work than the one we bought when we said we weren't too handy. She sighed when we picked something 60,000 cheaper than her pick, but it helped later to know we could cut back on things but be able to pay our mortgage/taxes just fine.

It's fun to watch new places and I like when they are sensible. It's not my money but it almost makes me anxious to see a couple buy a huge home with 600,000 after taxes and not have the job to keep up with it. Of course it is TV, so much we don't know.

[chessiegal]

In Maryland, there are seller's agents and buyer's agents. As a buyer, you would want to work with a buyer's agent, who by law, has a fiduciary duty to the buyer and can't push properties their brokerage is trying to get off the books. At one point we were looking for property in North Carolina, and the agent had us sign a notice that we understood she was working as a buyer's agent.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved the young couple in Boston last night.     It's always funny to me to see what the home shoppers say is a big master, depending on the area.     I liked the third house, that they 'chose', it was the nicest one to me, and I think with the yard, they chose very well.    

[Irlandesa]

Did they ever say what she did? I know he was a hair stylist.  Since they only won a million and likely received less after taxes, it sounds like they basically spent the whole amount on a house.  I hope they earn enough to support the cost, even though they likely won't be overwhelmed by utilities since the houses didn't look too big.

[ForReal]

On 6/9/2019 at 3:03 PM, chessiegal said:

In Maryland, there are seller's agents and buyer's agents. As a buyer, you would want to work with a buyer's agent, who by law, has a fiduciary duty to the buyer and can't push properties their brokerage is trying to get off the books. At one point we were looking for property in North Carolina, and the agent had us sign a notice that we understood she was working as a buyer's agent.

That's probably not the protection you think it is. It would be hard to prove that an agent that is pushing their own brokerage's properties is not doing their fiduciary duty unless they flat-out refused to show other properties, in which case you'd dump the agent. We have the same laws in our state, but having been an agent and a broker, I don't think it would change the behavior of such an agent. In my experience, an agent's main goal is to sell ANY property to get a commission -- unless the market is crazy, which it has been here, no agent would risk losing the entire commission to push a higher priced property. That said, they will show higher priced properties given the opportunity, which can be self-serving. Sometimes the buyer should refuse to view them if they don't want to pay that much, but sometimes the price is flexible and can be negotiated down to your budget, so you can get more house than you thought for not as much more as you'd expect.

In our area, there was a sense that if you belonged to a big brokerage, you'd have a better chance of getting your buyer's offer accepted for an in-house listing. In reality, that benefitted the broker, who would get a percentage of both the buying and selling agents' commissions, but it didn't do much for the agents. If I had a listing and an outside buyer's agent brought me a better offer, I'd advise my clients to go for the better offer, which could  coincidentally be better for me if the price was higher. Again, the main goal was to close a deal.

[KLovestoShop]

On 6/15/2019 at 2:36 PM, Irlandesa said:

Did they ever say what she did? I know he was a hair stylist.  Since they only won a million and likely received less after taxes, it sounds like they basically spent the whole amount on a house.  I hope they earn enough to support the cost, even though they likely won't be overwhelmed by utilities since the houses didn't look too big.

I don’t think she works, especially with all those kids.  With winning “only” a million, after taxes they will get less than what they’re spending on the house.  I bet they’re mortgaging half the cost.  But even with that, I wonder how they’ll afford the payments and high taxes?  I don’t think hair stylists make a lot of money to support 6 kids.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tonight's new episode in Virginia Beach is a first, they received $100,000 from a settlement, from a life changing event.    I really like the couple. 

I like the first house, but the island should be on the edge of the dining area, and turned sideways, or a big peninsula with room for bar stools.    I love the pool, but it needs a fence ASAP.   

The second house is cute, but the kitchen is small, and the pool is absolutely green.     I think it's over priced too.   

The third house is lovely.   I like some separation in living areas.   The counter tops will need to be upgraded,    I think David forgot to mention, you can rip out the little pony or half walls, but when they're over hardwood floors you'll have to patch the floors too.      That's one of the biggest private pools I've ever seen on one of these shows.    It's going to be pricey to fence it, but definitely worth it.    That's their choice, and I really love it.  

[debraran]

For some reason my cable "on demand" hasn't been showing any new ones and online I can't find them either. Sooner or later they all come at once.  That sounds like a new spin on lottery winnings since you can't always get them.

[ByaNose]

I guess the show is running low on million dollar winners. The $100,000 settlement was a weird storyline. The house is basically what I have. I don’t watch this show to see people buy homes I own or could buy. LOL!! Also, David’s tattoos are gross. 

[debraran]

1 hour ago, ByaNose said:

I guess the show is running low on million dollar winners. The $100,000 settlement was a weird storyline. The house is basically what I have. I don’t watch this show to see people buy homes I own or could buy. LOL!! Also, David’s tattoos are gross. 

I think it's not that there are no big winners, but people would want to go on and go on after they find a home. You really need to want your 15 minutes of fame to buy a home for you or your kids and then pretend to look at 2 others in the area (and hope they don't make yours look bad) and then have the home you picked look not too lived in.  Then thank David for finding it for you and a local realtor you might have used.  : p

A woman who did HHI in England said she had to get rid of so much furniture and kids stuff to pretend she didn't find he place yet, they did it for her but what a drag. She did get her half hour though and a youtube tutorial on how it was done later.

Edited June 22, 2019 by debraran