House Hunters International - General Discussion

[chessiegal]

I love the Australian episodes. I've been once, to Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Cairns. It was a wonderful experience, and like seeing scenery from there. I like the Caribbean episodes because I love my visits to the Virgin Islands (BVI and American) and would love to live in a warm climate like that all year, especially with the wonderful sailing there. And why am I resisting my husband's wish to take our sailboat there? Hmmm.....

 

ETA: Bill Bryson wrote a very entertaining book on his travels in Australia titled "In a Sunburned Country" . A great read.

.

Edited May 23, 2015 by chessiegal

[Mittengirl]

I am tired of Paris, Rome, London and all of Asia. I don't mind the Caribbean or any other tropical locations.

I wish they would stick to buyers, not renters. They should only do renters in situations where foreigners cannot buy in a particular location.

[KLovestoShop]

Does it seem that lately, there have been more people who look at the properties and wind up not choosing any of them? I wonder if this is part of the scripted stuff or if the buyers surprise the producers by not choosing anything?

[Bazinga]

Your first paragraph says you can definitively make sense of the episode.  In all seriousness, the scenario you describe constitutes international parental abduction, a federal crime, punishable by probably 6-10 years in a federal penitentiary, IMHO.  If true, I hope someone with direct knowledge contacts the fbi b/c crimes are already being committed.

The post prior to mine asked if anyone could make sense of this weird situation.  I facetiously said I can and gave my opinion.  The word "definitely" was never used by me.  I was giving an opinion of a situation presented to me by your oft mentioned 'tptb'.  The situation, as presented by the couple on the show, did not make sense to me and I extrapolated a scenario that made more sense to me.  I was giving MY sense of the situation; MY opinion, as that is what this forum is about, of what was presented to me.  I even went back to edit the post to clarify that I had no personal knowledge after people seemed to think I actually knew they were divorcing.  Sometimes the tone of a comment can get lost in the written word.  That is why I went back to clarify.  As an aside, the tone of your posts are certainly not getting lost in the written word.  If I were able, I would edit to remove the whole post from days prior, as it seems to bother you so much even now.  Alas, I cannot.  That means I actually have to reply to you in order to defend myself from being accused of accusing someone of criminal activity.  

 

First, "in all seriousness," it would not be "parental abduction" or a "federal crime" for the wife, a parent, to take the minor children out of the country, with or without the other parent's permission, sans an existing court order regarding custody.  It is helpful to have a note from the other parent, though, when leaving the country, giving permission.  In this case, she had the dad's permission, as presented on the show, so, honestly, I don't know what your point even is regarding kidnapping and abduction, as I never suggested any such thing.  Your post, as it pertains to me, therefore, is built on a faulty foundation. 

 

To further explain the original post, I was postulating that, if there were to be a divorce (excuse me for not seeing a lot of love on display or even mentioned), the children having already taken up residence out of the US, might be of aid if there was a custody fight with the wife wanting the children to remain overseas.  I certainly didn't say she was kidnapping them.  I was suggesting a possible scenario for the future was being set up based on actions that didn't make sense on their face.  Excuse me for not backing the idea, as presented, of the mom and kids living away, long-term, from what appeared to be a loving father in order to get closer to their mother's roots.  I did not accuse the wife of committing any federal crime.  For some reason you did suggest a crime was committed and should be reported.  The rest of my post explained why I had issues with the story as presented.  You can cut and paste part of a much longer post, but it does not make your overall point correct.  Making up your own 'straw man' of what I wrote at will, so you can then knock it down, does not make your argument right.  I take exception. 

 

(I just went back and reread a post of yours from May 9, 2015 at 12:32 am.  You actually did the same thing I did in not "buying" the scenario presented in one episode, and coming up with your own.   I don't understand your problem with others doing what you yourself often do here.  You might know a lot about real estate, which I have often thought insightful, but that does not mean others are not entitled to opinions that you do not agree with.)

 

Second, I didn't ask to be brought into your ongoing battle with everyone else on this forum.  I have not attacked you.  I will say that your original post reprimanding someone for giving their opinion, was the first time on this forum I actually clicked the report to a mod button.  That was before anyone else even took up the banner defending the person you were attacking.  I did not report you because I am actually nice.  I was actually planning on not participating in this ongoing fight.

 

Third, one of us might actually be a lawyer and know that I am allowed to give my opinion of someone's actions as shown on broadcast TV.  I did not accuse anyone of criminal behavior nor do I think MY scenario is criminal behavior.  No, I don't think I am required to seek out her obscure blog or be aware that tptb are presenting drama not reality.  I commented on what I saw.  I gave my opinion.  That is the purpose of this forum.  I don't think people giving polite opinions deserve to be continually reprimanded by someone who disagrees.  I don't even understand your personal stake in this particular story. 

 

Fourth, you often append your comments with 'IMHO'.  Meaning "in my humble opinion."  FYI, your opinions are never humble, even if you do put the 'H' in.

 

ETA: Mods, apologies in advance, but I did not take kindly to the accusation being thrown my way.  I did not accuse anyone of committing a "federal crime" and I do not take such an accusation lightly even in an anonymous forum.  I do not think I have to allow such an accusation to stand without reply.  Yes, I took it personal as the post I am responding to made it personal by starting with "Your first paragraph", not just stating a counterpoint.  Remove if not deemed appropriate, but I had to get this out.  Feel free to also remove my original post, as it seems to bother some.

Edited May 23, 2015 by Bazinga

[Andyourlittledog2]

Surely there must be places in the world that are remote and peaceful other than the Moroccan desert. The HH was pleasant enough but I honestly don't see a lot of other artists sharing her vision to live/vacation in a sweltering, dry, bug-infested place that requires an 8-hour drive to get to. Just watching it made me thirsty.

 

Perhaps I'm too paranoid but to me older single Western women could think twice about living in isolation in the middle of a part of the world where women without male protectors are at special risk and for which the entire region is rather politically precarious at the moment, with the fundamentalism spreading etc.  I don't know. Morocco?  Really?  And she's no spring chicken either. I really liked that large black insect the camera kept following around though. 

 

I understand the desire for open space and quiet and reenerginzing and having an artist's retreat etc. She should check out New Mexico, perhaps? Not the Saharan desert... 

 

Very weird offshoot of HHI. I am looking forward to more of them. 

[abbyzenn]

Re the Oslo episode:  I couldn't concentrate on the houses because I kept looking at the realtor's face.  It just didn't look real.

 

Amsterdam episode:  All those places had great living room/kitchen areas.  It would be hard to get used to such steep stairs like going up to that bedroom in the first one.  Especially since the bath was downtstairs and as someone goes has to go during the night, I could imagine falling down those stairs a lot (maybe just once because the fall would kill me)

 

Malta episode:  If I was just starting out in a photography business yes Malta is exactly the place I'd think of! And how well could she be doing if her budget was only $600.   I wonder if she really had the boyfriend first and was just relocating to be with him.  The last two places looked like places you'd rent by the week or for a month - not a home.  The first one would drive me nuts with no windows (or just that little one high up) in the living areas.  I wouldn't want to live in a cave.

[izabella]

That Morocco episode was really wacky.  Where is that woman going to get food?  Medical treatment for scary insect bites? Or how about mammograms?  Or skin cancer screenings for all that unbearable sun?  And who in the world would go there to pay her stay in a shack? 

 

And what in the world is she going to be doing all day?

[Ohwell]

Perhaps I'm too paranoid but to me older single Western women could think twice about living in isolation in the middle of a part of the world where women without male protectors are at special risk and for which the entire region is rather politically precarious at the moment, with the fundamentalism spreading etc.  I don't know. Morocco?  Really?  And she's no spring chicken either. I really liked that large black insect the camera kept following around though.

I wondered if the Moroccan guy who was helping her find a place, who then became her "business partner," was actually something more.   Otherwise, yeah, I wouldn't want to be a single woman living in Morocco.

[JasmineFlower]

I don't like the Australian episodes much either. I know they are different countries so maybe this isn't surprising, but I've found the couple of New Zealand ones that I've seen more interesting than the Australian ones. I also don't like as many of the African, Caribbean and Central America ones.

 

I like seeing basically all of Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and many parts of South America. I would love to see places in Europe that they haven't spent as much time in like Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, Czech Republic, Slovakia and maybe a few in Serbia, Poland, and the Baltic Countries. I wouldn't mind seeing more Canadian ones, especially in places other than Toronto and Vancouver, which you can mostly get from other shows.

 

All that being said, I think some of my dislike has to do with the homeowners buying and sometimes there being similar tone in a region. Ones moving to Africa, more often than not, I roll my eyes at their reasons for moving, as they seem incomplete and short sighted. The Moroccan off the grid is one example, and there was a successful radio DJ moving with her new husband who inspired that reaction, he wanted to live in a remote area despite him being away weeks and months at a time and her being completely unfamiliar with the area. I've also seen a few give some great reasons for being there and I've enjoyed those episodes a lot more, making me think that has a lot to do with it at times.

 

Same with Australia, I've seen a many cold fishes who I just don't care for their personalities at all or feel very stuck up. I've also seen too many brats that I don't particularly like, with many of the women being like "our budget is $500k, but I'm willing to blow that out of the water, this $750k house has everything I want!" and the husband/fiance/boyfriend seems to desperately want to stay under budget and I tend to wonder if they are getting in way, way over their heads. The dynamics tend to be a bit off in too many of the Australia ones I've seen I guess, so when one of those episodes come on, I'm definitely more apt to change the channel than other locales.

 

Don't get me wrong, the other areas like Europe can have annoying homeowners as well, but for some reason, it doesn't bother me as much. It may be because I don't always care for the homes in some of the other areas or they seem similar to what I've seen before, so they hold less appeal and I focus more on the couple, who come up lacking. Not sure. Certainly the history of Europe's architecture is one of the main reasons I love seeing episodes there though.

Edited May 23, 2015 by JasmineFlower

[laredhead]

With regard to the episodes in Australia, I was shocked at first to find out how much housing costs there, whether it be rental or purchased.  Residents must spend the majority of their income on a roof over their heads.  Maybe there are other things that are less expensive that kind of balances that out, but unless their incomes are proportional to housing costs, then they are skimping on other things that we in the U.S. take for granted.

 

Abbyzen, I had the same impression about the choices in the Malta episode.  The first unit made me uncomfortable with those two tiny windows.  I would have felt trapped, although she said it was charming.  If I wanted to start a photography business, I doubt that Malta would even be on my radar either. Everyone always expresses the desire to have a view.  The Australian woman the other night must have said the word "view" 25 times during that episode.  A view is way down on my list of priorities as evidenced by the view from my kitchen of my backyard, and the view from my living room of my across the street neighbor.            

[scrb]

Everything is expensive in Australia because they have to import things there.  For similar reasons, Hawaii is expensive too.

 

On top of that, Australia has had an economic boom, mainly due to mining I believe.  I visited Sydney in 2010 and their unemployment rate at the time was like 5% when the rest of the developed world was around 10%.

 

There can be extreme weather (like big red sand storm in Sydney) there but generally very pleasant.

 

Housing prices are high because of the boom and a lot of immigrants vying for limited housing stock.  The exchange rate between the USD and Australian Dollar was bad when I visited but I saw 2-3 million suburban homes, which had small lots, probably about 2000 sq. foot at the most.  There were articles about how rest of the world had a housing bubble bust and it was inevitable a bust would happen in Australia as well.

 

I don't believe that has happened.

[zxy556575]

I was kind of surprised how expensive those houses in Fiji were, considering that Taveuni is primarily an agricultural island. The husband seemed like he basically wanted to be a beachcomber so he wouldn't have to work any more. Not sure what kind of "odd jobs" he thinks will support his family for the foreseeable future but good luck to them.

 

The "realtor" trying to sell them on the convenience of living right next to the village store with the loud generator day and night -- nice try.

 

This is my own bias speaking because I lived in the South Pacific and Micronesia for 10 years, but I couldn't bear it there without air conditioning. Those damned louvered windows offer zero security and as you noticed, no screens. Mosquito netting is right.

[biakbiak]

I have spent a lot of time in Morocco travelled by myself throughout and know plenty of single western women who live there without the protection of a man and feel perfectly safe. In the place she went to I would recommend even a western male to have a local business partner simply for navigating local village rules but I am sure she will be perfectly fine and deal with her health and food like many others who have done similar things.

[laredhead]

Lordonia, I did notice the windows with no screens.  I have seen this in many of the Caribbean houses as well.  I live in south Louisiana and there is no way I would ever have a house w/o screens to keep out mosquitoes, flies and other insects.  I think the first home project I would ask the husband to do if I were the wife, is to build some screens for the windows.  Even though the house was not right on the beach, there seemed to be a breeze most of the time.  We did not have a/c in our house when I was a child, and without a breeze the heat and humidity can be miserable.  I've seen a few HH's "glistening" on some of the Caribbean episodes in houses that did not have a/c.  Wonder if they will stay there when their children are older and school becomes a factor, or if they will move back to Australia?    

[WendyCR72]

Consider this just a reminder that this board employs an ignore feature. If you (universally speaking) wish to ignore someone and scrolling doesn't cut it, I strongly urge and respectfully ask that you put it to use.

 

This forum is filled with different opinions and different personalities. And not all will mesh, it's just a fact. But accusations and counter-posts only perpetuate a vicious circle, and it detracts from putting some intelligent observations and snark - which you all seem great at - where it belongs: On the airing episodes.

 

So please, let's concentrate on the show particulars and try to leave the overly-personal spec about posters, first and foremost, and participants outside of the house hunting and arguments stemming from such to a minimum. If for some reason there is still an issue, please refrain from calling out/attacking people and PM me or report the post using that little red triangle with the exclamation point in the right-hand corner.

 

Thanks for your cooperation, carry on, and a Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all!

[Andyourlittledog2]

I have spent a lot of time in Morocco travelled by myself throughout and know plenty of single western women who live there without the protection of a man and feel perfectly safe. In the place she went to I would recommend even a western male to have a local business partner simply for navigating local village rules but I am sure she will be perfectly fine and deal with her health and food like many others who have done similar things.

Well, I don't have that experience to draw upon but I think that simply visiting there or living there in a more populated area would be a much different thing than going out into very isolated sparsely populated areas where tourists and westerners are generally few if any. And not just visiting but investing a good chunk of money on a whole artists' retreat that would require reliable water, food, security, etc and making that a long term plan for your life during late middle age, while alone.....that to me seems like an entirely different proposition.  It just seems dangerous long term to me, considering the social and political climate of that area of the world and how things change so quickly over there lately. I might have felt differently fifteen years ago but now I just don't see it as a good investment of my money, time, and future. Obviously, the artist involved has no such concerns.  Even her friend was worried.  

 

Again, perhaps I'm just more risk averse than some. But it seems like a foolish plan to me. Still, it was fun watching her blithely look at properties and wonder whether they really do need a roof or if that ready to use well is a necessity or not.  Artists! What are you gonna do, amirite?  /jk

[biakbiak]

Well, I don't have that experience to draw upon but I think that simply visiting there or living there in a more populated area would be a much different thing than going out into very isolated sparsely populated areas where tourists and westerners are generally few if any. And not just visiting but investing a good chunk of money on a whole artists' retreat that would require reliable water, food, security, etc and making that a long term plan for your life during late middle age, while alone.....that to me seems like an entirely different proposition.  It just seems dangerous long term to me, considering the social and political climate of that area of the world and how things change so quickly over there lately. I might have felt differently fifteen years ago but now I just don't see it as a good investment of my money, time, and future. Obviously, the artist involved has no such concerns.  Even her friend was worried.  

 

Again, perhaps I'm just more risk averse than some. But it seems like a foolish plan to me. Still, it was fun watching her blithely look at properties and wonder whether they really do need a roof or if that ready to use well is a necessity or not.  Artists! What are you gonna do, amirite?  /jk

And I being a person who has spent a ton of time in a place that didn't make me fear for the Hh was trying to point out that there were crazy assumptions being made about what it us to be "western" white and a woman in Morroco. Clearly she lasted a decent amount of time because the before and after was a good amount of time.

[Andyourlittledog2]

And I being a person who has spent a ton of time in a place that didn't make me fear for the Hh was trying to point out that there were crazy assumptions being made about what it us to be "western" white and a woman in Morroco. Clearly she lasted a decent amount of time because the before and after was a good amount of time.

 

 

I think where we are really missing each other is that I'm more concerned about the future and not necessarily the immediate present.  Her location seems nuts long term to me. And property like that is a long term proposition not just for today.  It's a huge risk.  But we can agree to disagree, obviously we aren't going to have a meeting of the minds on the subject. 

[DownTheShore]

Re the Off-The-Grid Australian woman who wanted to build an artists' retreat out in the desert in Morocco for 20K. Isn't the middle of Australia basically a desert? Wonder why she didn't build there, unless it was because of the easier access for potential European customers to Morocco rather to Australia?

Anyone hazard a guess how much that finished compound actually cost her? I was thinking, when she was looking at properties that I bet those villagers in that last property she looked at were hoping that she wouldn't buy it. Wasn't there just one well in the "village"? I was wondering how it would be able to supply water to the additional people she would be bringing into the area?

I have to say, I did laugh to myself when she rhapsodized over how refreshing and stimulating the earlier trip she took to Morocco was, because she so falls into the stereotyped age of older single women who go to Morocco for a fling with the rentable boy toys there.

It was mentioned that her driver who later became her business partner did have a family.

Heat and bugs in a desert would severely affect my Muse adversely, I'm afraid.

Edited May 25, 2015 by DownTheShore

[TwirlyGirly]

<snip>

I have to say, I did laugh to myself when she rhapsodized over how refreshing and stimulating the earlier trip she took to Morocco was, because she so falls into the stereotyped age of older single women who go to Morocco for a fling with the rentable boy toys there.

<snip>

 

 

"Rentable boy toys"? In Morocco? Really? Now where did I put that passport??

 

LOL!

[ChelleGame]

 

 

I can't explain why but I usually have no interest in the episodes from Australia. I don't know why that country doesn't interest me.

 

 

Ditto. Australia, Central/South America and Caribbean are usually the ones I skip. I did love the recent Amsterdam episode and wish we could see a little more of the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

Edited May 26, 2015 by ChelleGame

[DownTheShore]

The Australian ones don't do anything for me either.  Maybe it's because so many of them were singles from Canada or the UK going over there seemingly without a job or any major life plans other than to live near a beach, or else it's a couple who wants wants a house with "character" but winds up with a generic house because those character houses are usually too small for all their needs.  I know there's been a number of different scenarios, but when lumping them together in my mind, those are the two storylines that most come to mind.

 

I always wonder about the folks who want to live on the beach.  I mean, aren't sharks and jellyfish attacks much more of a concern on the Australian shores than in the US?  Wouldn't they have to go to a lifeguarded beach to swim safely, even if they had a house that let them roll right out of bed into the ocean?

[chessiegal]

The Australian ones don't do anything for me either.  Maybe it's because so many of them were singles from Canada or the UK going over there seemingly without a job or any major life plans other than to live near a beach, or else it's a couple who wants wants a house with "character" but winds up with a generic house because those character houses are usually too small for all their needs.  I know there's been a number of different scenarios, but when lumping them together in my mind, those are the two storylines that most come to mind.

 

I always wonder about the folks who want to live on the beach.  I mean, aren't sharks and jellyfish attacks much more of a concern on the Australian shores than in the US?  Wouldn't they have to go to a lifeguarded beach to swim safely, even if they had a house that let them roll right out of bed into the ocean?

When I was in Australia,  went to the beach in Adelaide and don't remember lifeguards, nor concerns about sharks or jellyfish. When I was in Cairns, I went on an excursion to the Great Barrier Reef, where I went snorkeling, with no fear of being attacked by anything. Beautiful country - enjoyed all of my visit. 

[DownTheShore]

Maybe I've been watching too many of those gloom-and-doom nature shows, then.

[Vivigirl10]

"Wowwwwwwww"...."Gorgeoussssssssss"...."Thank you, Lover"......Rolling around on a circular bed!.......Knee-high leather boots!  I felt like I needed a shower after that episode.  

[TVForever]

"Wowwwwwwww"...."Gorgeoussssssssss"...."Thank you, Lover"......Rolling around on a circular bed!.......Knee-high leather boots!  I felt like I needed a shower after that episode.  

      

Just finished watching it a few minutes ago (my recording). I know EXACTLY what you mean. Good-natured couple, but boy, did I giggle with embarassment through much of the episode.

[stanleyk]

Just finished watching it a few minutes ago (my recording). I know EXACTLY what you mean. Good-natured couple, but boy, did I giggle with embarassment through much of the episode.

 

They were delightfully trashy. They were good-natured enough that I couldn't actually hate them, but they certainly gave me some reasons to. They hit some classic HH peeves: "you can get more toys!" "the closet's only big enough for my clothes!" "stainless steel!" but their ultimate choice was at least practical. I can imagine it's challenging to find a big enough closet for multiple pairs of thigh-high boots.

 

It does genuinely rankle me, though, when a couple goes on and on about how difficult it will be to transition from an enormous five-bedroom house and how they need the garage space and all that nonsense, especially since they were living apart most of the week. The wife seemed a little more practical about it (and her view won out), but it seemed like the guy just wanted a big house as a status symbol. 

[Empress1]

I fell out at "thank you, lover." It just cracked me up. And those thigh-high boots weren't working for me. It was nice that they seemed to actively enjoy each other though. I've seen a few couples on these shows where I'm like, why are y'all together?

I did like that she was vetoing places that were too big, especially since the maintenance was going to fall to her. Made a lot of sense.

"Thank you, lover." Ha!

[Christine]

More toys but no place to store them - can't store the toys he has now - weren't they downsizing to a condo in Arizona as well?  She had an impressive physique but her face was gaunt.  I guess there's some truth to the saying your fanny or your face after 40.

[laredhead]

Yes, they were downsizing to a condo for him to live in Monday to Friday.  I'm sure they were paying for off site storage in Mexico for the 2nd car, the ATV and whatever else they owned.  Kayaks?  Jet ski?  I wonder how long that 3-1/2 hour each way commute is going to last before they move somewhere together.  Maybe he takes off at noon on Friday to get a head start on the weekend.  Anyone familiar with the roads in that area?  I believe the narrator said only 60 miles of the commute would be in Mexico.  So many questions. 

[biakbiak]

As someone who went to Space Camp back in the day, Space Camp Turkey?!?!

[truther]

As someone who went to Space Camp back in the day, Space Camp Turkey?!?!

I wonder if the whole thing was essentially an infomercial.  Usually the show goes out of its way to obscure the HH's real reasons for moving somewhere, especially when it relates to their job.  The show never mentions a specific employer.  You'll see episodes about a family, say, moving overseas somewhere to "enjoy the culture" and only on here will we find out that in fact they're missionaries or something.  (Religion seems especially taboo on this show.)  So it was a bit jarring to see the episode be so upfront about "Space Camp Turkey."

[iMonrey]

Couple moving to Warwick, England last night: I was surprised they chose that house with all the stairs considering they have an 18-month old and another baby on the way. That seemed like the least practical house for a small child and a pregnant woman. I get that it's sort of fascinating to have a 500 year old house but realistically how much of that house is still original? Probably some of the decorative beams and that's about it. I think they bought it for the location and that's about it. 

[Kiddvideo]

...I get that it's sort of fascinating to have a 500 year old house but realistically how much of that house is still original? Probably some of the decorative beams and that's about it. I think they bought it for the location and that's about it.

But it had charm dang it! Lol. Was there any dialogue other than her saying "oh wow" every time they entered a new room and him declaring whether something did or did not have charm?

Speaking about one note Hunters: Did you know the couple moving to Sweden has "small children"? They don't have kids or toddlers or anything like that. They have small children.

Edited June 5, 2015 by Kiddvideo

[Babalooie]

Regarding the couple moving to Sweden, I would also like to ask how they can afford a place that expensive with one income.  Did they say what the blonde woman would be doing for a job?  She had been a bartender in NY.

[laredhead]

With regard to the episode about the couple moving to Sweden, the blonde woman was the native Swede, so she may have been able to be employed at a higher paying job than what she had in the U.S., while the American woman probably cannot work as we have learned from previous HHI episodes about Americans moving to other countries.  I did not hear anything about what the American woman did for a living in New York.  I did like the American's woman's comment that children could be reared safely in a place with a balcony when the Swedish woman expressed concern about the balcony at one of the houses.  They had an apartment in New York which they sold, and they might have made a good profit on that sale, but $700,000 is still a lot of money.  I liked the shot at the end of one of the twins pushing her sister in a stroller.

[izabella]

Couple moving to Warwick, England last night: I was surprised they chose that house with all the stairs considering they have an 18-month old and another baby on the way. That seemed like the least practical house for a small child and a pregnant woman.

 

I also wondered what happened to, "We need parking for two cars."  The place they chose didn't have any parking.

 

I didn't understand why they would need two cars anyway to begin with, but then it wasn't even mentioned.  I guess they don't need any cars when his job is 5 minutes away and so is the shopping area.

[NYGirl]

I finally caught up and just watched the Warwick family.  I laughed when she said not having a dishwasher may likely be a deal breaker because I knew that was the house they ended up with.  I have to say she decorated it very nice and I was kind of jealous as I'd give anything to live anywhere in England.  It's my most favorite place in the whole wide world.

 

I like that they were in town and neither complained.  Although he was upset at the idea of a 30 minute commute in the Avon house.  I live in NYC...going across down is more than that!!!

[iMonrey]

The couple was from Kansas though so they're used to zero commute time.

 

Again I was baffled by the choice of the couple moving to Sweden. An apartment? When you have twin 18-month olds? Really? I mean it's one thing if that's all they could find but if you have the option of a real house with some outdoor space, pick that. Kids are rambunctious, they need room to run around.

[meep.meep]

I wondered why proximity to the Swedish one's family wasn't an issue.  If you sell real estate in NYC, move your family with "small children" across the pond, and settle in Sweden, wouldn't you want to be close to the cheap babysitters?  There was some mention at the beginning of how they couldn't live forever off the profits from selling their place in NYC.

[Bastet]

I need to start paying attention again to upcoming HHI episodes so I can tune in for locations I'd like to see.  I've been to Warwick Castle and spent several hours wandering around the town afterward.  I like watching episodes set in places I've been.  In an Edinburgh episode, I recognized one of the homes they looked at (it was a new building I'd stumbled across on a stroll, memorable for how out of place it was).

[izabella]

I like that they were in town and neither complained.  Although he was upset at the idea of a 30 minute commute in the Avon house.  I live in NYC...going across down is more than that!!!

 

Yes, they are immersing themselves in the lifestyle and culture, and I'm sure they'll have a blast.  They're not in Kansas anymore!

[Pickles]

The episode with the couple moving to Sweden--someone asked what they did for a living. During the episode, I googled their names (have forgotten them now!). The brunette was a film maker. It looked like the Swedish woman was now working for the Swedish government. Their little twins were adorable!

[NYGirl]

Ok..dickface...you'd rather your kids squeeze by your car in the garage to actually get in the house..just to be in the "city center".  The wife wanted the suburban house so it would be an easier move for the kids.  She said she didn't mind driving them to school as it would give her something to do.  What's the problem?  You could just see that he was controlling.

[CherryAmes]

Ok I know the whole back story is faked up for TV but why do people use their real name when they must know nosy people are going to google them?  Saw an episode dated 2014 tonight about a young couple moving to Leeds.  They make a big deal about how the couple just got married and how the girl doesn't have a job.  5 seconds of googling confirms they actually do live in Leeds but that they married in 2012 and that the girl has been employed in Leeds since January of 2013 which even allowing for the show being filmed long before it is aired still doesn't really make sense for the back story the producers claim. Just wanted that tension of the American wanting the champagne house on a beer budget and the English husband being torn between making the wife happy and sticking to a really low budget.

[laredhead]

I just watched the Iowa to France episode, and got the impression that the wife was not happy with the move.  She had a couple of snarky comments about not having any friends, and when he said the dining room in one place was big enough to entertain, she asked him who he was planning to entertain since they had no friends there.  Just seemed to be some tension between the two of them.  Actually, I think the tension was all one way on her part because he was intent on getting his way about the location of the house.  Wonder if they are already back in the U.S.?

Edited June 10, 2015 by laredhead

[biakbiak]

They don't have persimmons in Iowa?

[abbyzenn]

Actually the Iowa to France wife gained points with me when she replied to his remark about the dining room being big enough to entertain - who are we going to entertain we don't know anyone.  I always roll my eyes when the house hunters are moving to a foreign country, don't know anyone, yet need a big place to "entertain."

I liked the guy until he said they NEEDED 5 bedrooms and a bath for EACH.  Although they only had 2 kids and I don't think ever mentioned about anyone coming to visit them.  I think they got the 5 bedrooms (or maybe it was 4) but the kids had to SHARE a bathroom - what horrors!!!

I envy all these people that get a job in Europe and get to live there - it's so wasted on so many of them.

[iMonrey]

I just saw the one where the couple moved from Chicago to Scotland. I have to say they were a breath of fresh air compared to some of the more demanding Americans we often see on this show (and right after a HH episode featuring the worst in this kind of behavior). I appreciate that the wife was reasonable enough not to expect her husband to commute an hour each way every day just so she could live out her rural dream. That said, the rural countryside house was spectacular. On the outside it looked like something out of a fairy tale. Too bad it was too far away, but that poor guy would have been banging his head against the doorways anyway.

Edited June 12, 2015 by iMonrey

[Bronx Babe]

London to Australia wife compared her sweet hunky Aussie husband to a wombat. "He even smells like one".