House Hunters International - General Discussion

[SmithW6079]

On 6/10/2016 at 0:43 PM, Bronx Babe said:

"New" 2016 episode: Santa Barbara to Belize.  Woman wants to concentrate on her art in a long-desired tropical location. She buys an apartment conveniently situated across the street from a b&b where they "allow" her to paint outside.  I looked this person up -- Jessea Gay Marie.  Turns out she's been the hotel manager at Belize Bed and Breakfast for two years since June of 2014.

But apparently, she really is an artist. I saw she had some crowdfunding page up for art supplies, because apparently, Belize had no such thing as paints and pencils and brushes. 

Good for her to get a job working in a tropical paradise. 

[Kohola3]

Gads, I HATE people who thing the world should provide for their lives.  Crowdfunding to support herself?  That's disgusting. I hope she didn't get a red dime.

[SmithW6079]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

Gads, I HATE people who thing the world should provide for their lives.  Crowdfunding to support herself?  That's disgusting. I hope she didn't get a red dime.

She asked for $5000, but got $260. Unless you're raising funds for charity or to fund a business project or help with severe medical expenses, I hate those personal begging pages too.

[Bronx Babe]

17 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

But apparently, she really is an artist. I saw she had some crowdfunding page up for art supplies, because apparently, Belize had no such thing as paints and pencils and brushes. 

Good for her to get a job working in a tropical paradise. 

Yes, she's got an extensive art background as well as an academic one.  But of course any suggestion that Jessea was a college professor would not have fit with the producer-driven "drama".

[Amethyst]

Saw the couple going to Tel-Aviv.  No question about which property they were taking.  That girl was getting her beach view no matter what.  Such an insufferable brat.  Her sly "We didn't move here to play it safe" wasn't fooling anyone.  Damn the commute, the extra cost, or the lack of space, she wanted her beach view.  At least she got a job so she could help with the rent.

[buttercupia]

House hunter international renovation in sweden-sundermanland? was that it:? man, that husband was amazing. cheerful, hardworking. creative, resilient, resourceful. that family was everything american families moving abroad usually aren't. and he did an amazing job on the house!

[proserpina65]

The couple moving to Milan with their young daughter were surprisingly low on the DRAHMAH.  I liked the place they chose a lot.  Maybe not quite as much as the first apartment, but the bathroom in that one was very tiny, so I don't blame them for eliminating it first.

[SmithW6079]

I liked the Bordeaux couple. There was no drama. I felt sorry for the guy -- he hit his head in all the apartments. The second apartment was cool, but really dark. I liked the little set-up for their son,  Christian. Did you know his name was Christian? They only mentioned the kid's name at least a dozen times in the last scene. 

I know he said he wanted more free time, but working at a restaurant or wine bar would demand more time and odd hours. Of course, it was all a lie anyway -- he was an instructor at a local college, and she was a graphic designer. 

[Albino]

On 6/14/2016 at 10:31 PM, Amethyst said:

Saw the couple going to Tel-Aviv.  No question about which property they were taking.  That girl was getting her beach view no matter what.  Such an insufferable brat.  Her sly "We didn't move here to play it safe" wasn't fooling anyone.  Damn the commute, the extra cost, or the lack of space, she wanted her beach view.  At least she got a job so she could help with the rent.

Happy wife, happy life!

Those Tel-Aviv apartments were some of the worst I've seen on HHI.  There was not one that had any feature or view that impressed me.  Except maybe the one that had the bomb shelter right next door.

[Babalooie]

Couple buying in USVI:  During the intro the wife said that she was wanting to simplify, but then while looking at houses the husband tells us that she doesn't understand the cost of  renovation.  I guess she changed her mind about simplifying.

[laredhead]

I could never live in the place the Bordeaux couple chose because I found it claustrophobic even on TV.  I can only imagine what it's like to live there and how dark it must be when the lights are off.  Reminded me of a cave.  Is this another one of those story lines where the people aren't really moving there for the rest of their lives and are only there for about a year?  If you are only going to be somewhere for a year, you can probably tolerate a living space that is less than ideal. 

[Peanutbuttercup]

I liked the couple moving to Bordeaux. I also wondered if this was a temporary move -- just randomly going there and getting a job as a university lecturer seems a little too pat. Plus their apartment just had a temporary vibe to it, with the curtained off spaces and so on. And I agree @laredhead, it felt claustrophobic.

Their son was really cute. I am usually completely impervious to whatever charms children are supposed to have, but he was absolutely adorable and seemed like a good child, not an insufferable brat. Probably because of the lack of exposure to television (and I do realize it's weird for me to write that on a tv forum that I frequent because I love tv so much). Anyway, I hope they do well and are happy and get to stay in France if they like it there.

[izabella]

On 6/15/2016 at 10:22 AM, buttercupia said:

House hunter international renovation in sweden-sundermanland? was that it:? man, that husband was amazing. cheerful, hardworking. creative, resilient, resourceful. that family was everything american families moving abroad usually aren't. and he did an amazing job on the house!

I couldn't believe their reno costs were less than $15,000, and it seems a lot of that went to paying people to remove the asbestos shingle siding on the exterior. 

And yes, the husband was amazingly cheeful.  At one point, he was saying that his back was really sore, but then he laughed cheerfully.  I'm pretty sure the couple is originally from the UK, so not Americans

[buttersister]

Good bet. Sorry, fellow Americans. But U.S. HHI participants are frequently whiny, "how come this isn't like my McMansion in Texas" folk.

[SmithW6079]

On 6/17/2016 at 9:59 PM, buttersister said:

Good bet. Sorry, fellow Americans. But U.S. HHI participants are frequently whiny, "how come this isn't like my McMansion in Texas" folk.

Well, yes. That's why I prefer foreign nationals or ex-pats of other countries, although I don't think they show many foreign nationals searching for homes in their own country. (My favorite was the Czech or Slovak young couple looking for their first apartment together, and they were so thrilled with what they got. It would have driven the American self-entitled special little snowflakes crazy with how small it was.) I especially hate the ones looking for a vacation home.

On 6/17/2016 at 8:05 PM, Peanutbuttercup said:

I liked the couple moving to Bordeaux. I also wondered if this was a temporary move -- just randomly going there and getting a job as a university lecturer seems a little too pat. Plus their apartment just had a temporary vibe to it, with the curtained off spaces and so on. And I agree @laredhead, it felt claustrophobic.

I've never been under the impression that all of these moves are permanent forever and ever amen. If I had a chance to live in not-America for a year or two,  I'd jump at it. 

[Pickles]

The young couple tonight moving to Puerto Rico. They had a $700k budget?! What do they do for a living? She is a photographer, but what does he do? 

[Albino]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

The young couple tonight moving to Puerto Rico. They had a $700k budget?! What do they do for a living? She is a photographer, but what does he do? 

It was something online (not very helpful, I realize).  And I know he made lots of money because he reminded viewers of it several times.  Not sure why but I don't think their getting married is such a good idea LOL.  They weren't too bad though.

[buttersister]

For a moment there, I was going to tell her to run for it (he was practically eye-rolling about her wants/needs in one of the houses). In the end, I'm guessing that was producer-driven. Remembering he'd already bought the over-budget place, his protestations were almost laughable.

[OpieTaylor]

2 hours ago, Pickles said:

The young couple tonight moving to Puerto Rico. They had a $700k budget?! What do they do for a living? She is a photographer, but what does he do? 

He said he's an online marketer and operates several websites (???). I was wondering if it might be online gambling-related because I think a lot of those websites operate out of Costa Rica.  But this was Puerto Rico, which is American, so may not be legal - so who knows!

[KLovestoShop]

I didn't like the wife in the San Juan show.  I found her to be a snotty, spoiled brat, especially at the end when she said "I got what I wanted.  He finally fell in line".  While it might be producer driven, that comment made her look like a real spoiled snowflake.  I bet she gets him to spend thousands and thousands on her renovations so that she can make the house her own.  

[SmithW6079]

6 hours ago, OpieTaylor said:

He said he's an online marketer and operates several websites (???). I was wondering if it might be online gambling-related because I think a lot of those websites operate out of Costa Rica.  But this was Puerto Rico, which is American, so may not be legal - so who knows!

Could be porn.

[Pickles]

Thanks for all of the info about the Puerto Rico episode everyone. I did not see the very beginning and then was just kind of half way watching. I did not really like the wife/girlfriend either. She came off as stubborn and entitled to me. But, he was unappealing too.

[AlleC17]

I didn't care much for the couple moving to PR.  Did you know she wanted a fixer upper so she could 'make it her own' and 'put her own stamp on it'?  Those expressions now make me want to scream.  Choosing decorations and furniture, paintings and such also are ways of expressing one's style and taste.  You don't need to gut the kitchen.  The $700k house they chose actually did need updating though, so gut away.  I hope it cost them more than $200k though.  lol 

[Flyin.Bryan]

I found the web guy much worse than his fiancée. She was naïve, but she was like 22 years old so it's understandable. Most of us didn't have a clue at that age. He was like 30 and clearly had nothing but disdain for her. I have no idea why he's marrying her when he doesn't respect her even a little. 

[Albino]

4 hours ago, Flyin.Bryan said:

I found the web guy much worse than his fiancée. She was naïve, but she was like 22 years old so it's understandable. Most of us didn't have a clue at that age. He was like 30 and clearly had nothing but disdain for her. I have no idea why he's marrying her when he doesn't respect her even a little. 

Did you know he makes a lot of money?  He makes a lot of money.  So much money that going over the 700K limit didn't bother him at all.  Because he makes a lot of money.

[buttersister]

Hope the fiancée closes the deal and spends a lot of money. Lots and lots of his money. 

[Kohola3]

AND gets the house in the divorce.

[SmithW6079]

I really don't recall the guy in the Puerto Rico episode mentioning his money all that often, but I was also only paying half-attention anyway. I found the fiancee annoying, and I could see why he seemed to disdainful of her -- she was a brat and definitely spoiled. It was all about her and what she wanted in a house. For god's sake, she was making faces at the realtor in the opening when the boyfriend was saying what he would like in a house.

That being said, I did like that she was cognizant of some budgetary considerations, and I think the second house, which was on budget, was the best house for them. I could seem them renting out the second-floor unit on Airbnb and making some extra cash. The third house was gorgeous, but really, how do two people need all that much room? I was rolling my eyes at the stairs complaint in the first house, until she mentioned the dogs. I'll give them that one, especially as those large dogs get older and have difficulty navigating up and down.

Also, kudos to the show for talking about Puerto Rico's financial difficulties. I don't know if any shows have done that before. I don't think for example, we'll get any episodes taking place in Venezuela anytime soon. 

Interesting stuff about Dan Anton: 

This blog post claims he's a fraud and con artist, as does this Ripoff Report.

He did a CNN iReport a couple of years ago. Those are user generated, so take it with a grain of salt.

[Albino]

Ugh...nervous mom is nervous.  Couple with 3 kids moving from Oregon to Penang, Malaysia. They feel Penang is very different from the Pacific Northwest!  Neither seemed especially psyched.

Wife is fearful of:

• Heights - nothing over 6 stories, and even then...scary
• Water - kids could cannonball into pool and easily drown
• New places - not sure what to expect
• Crowded places - not sure what to expect
• Balcony-access in kids' rooms
• Thunderstorms and dark clouds
• Echoes
• Gas stove uses propane.  Is this safe?
• Change in general
• Her own shadow

Husband finally convinced her to rent something that wasn't exactly like their home in Oregon.  

[biakbiak]

She wasn't afraid of her kids doing cannonballs she knew that they were going to do them and the place she complained about them doing cannonballs with what was stated as a pool in transition, she only objected initially because the pool was only partially filled as they were making it more of a pool from a water feature. 

Also, she was the one driving g in Penang so she isn't that fearful. 

[KLovestoShop]

The Penang mother was afraid of balconies, but not of a pool without a fence to keep the kids out of the pool should no adult be around.  Those kids could open the patio door and fall right into the pool because it was so close to the house. We in the US have a law that mandates either a free standing fence or a fence that separates the back door of the house from the pool.  

And what was with the comment about the furniture in the really fancy house because one table in the entryway had square edges?  Don't most houses have square tables of some kind, like end tables, coffee tables and dining tables?  

[biakbiak]

12 minutes ago, KLovestoShop said:

The Penang mother was afraid of balconies, but not of a pool without a fence to keep the kids out of the pool should no adult be around.  Those kids could open the patio door and fall right into the pool because it was so close to the house. We in the US have a law that mandates either a free standing fence or a fence that separates the back door of the house from the pool.  

And what was with the comment about the furniture in the really fancy house because one table in the entryway had square edges?  Don't most houses have square tables of some kind, like end tables, coffee tables and dining tables?  

Some states and other local municipalities have laws about pool fences but it is not close to universal in the US. 

I imagine they were just coming up with talking points to say why they didn't want to go with the last two places. They went with the one that had the pool in the complex but not near the apartment.

[Kohola3]

Quote

Don't most houses have square tables of some kind, like end tables, coffee tables and dining tables?  

Oh, I'm sure all the little special snowflakes are living in a world with all rounded corners.  Mommy wouldn't want them harmed by everyday furniture and appliances.  

If you brain yourself one time on the edge of a table you are unlikely to repeat that behavior. Natural selection, baby, natural selection.  

[speac]

Actually I thought the parents had good points about the furniture and balcony in the apartment they didn't select.  They didn't want that particular apartment because the furniture was very high end and not kid friendly not so much as a safety matter but expensive and appeared fragile.  Kids need to be able to live in a space and not constantly have to worry about the furniture.  It's one thing to have one or two rooms that are off limit for every day play because of better furniture but not the whole apartment. Also that swimming pool was absolutely scary looking for a family for young kids-when filled it would be one of those infinity edge types--in a high rise. I have to admit that like that mother I am afraid of heights and I could never have been comfortable even with my nearly grown kids in it, no matter what other problems there might have been.  

[TwirlyGirly]

On ‎6‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 10:19 PM, Albino said:

Did you know he makes a lot of money?  He makes a lot of money.  So much money that going over the 700K limit didn't bother him at all.  Because he makes a lot of money.

Hey! Is he related to The Donald?

[SmithW6079]

1 hour ago, TwirlyGirly said:

Hey! Is he related to The Donald?

No. If he were, he'd be making yuuuuuge amounts of money.

[buttersister]

Something odd about the Penang couple---they kept chirping that they wanted to have and expose their children to adventure, but nothing I saw (except maybe the attempt to introduce the kids to Indonesian food at a restaurant), made me think anyone was ready for this. Did they mention a job transfer, cause I missed that. Bugged when they initially turned up their noses at the thought of sharing a swimming pool with the neighbors. Of the expensive high-rise. Behind some gate, no doubt.

[aguabella]

Don't know if anyone's interested in taking the plunge and purchasing foreign RE.  I wrote a quick post about it and Mexico on the regular, HH thread.  I barely scratched the surface but, if you're interested, read on:

 

Because of HHI, I believe HGTV glamorizes the purchase of foreign RE.  In real life, it comes with multiple, significant, additional risks, i.e. in addition to the risks inherent in any RE transaction.  One major risk, in virtually every other country, is exchange risk.  Anyone here own property in the UK?

Also, RE transactions may function very differently away from the U.S.  Many nations don't allow foreign ownership of RE.  Mexico is actually a good example of these issues.

It's my understanding that Mexico (technically) doesn't allow foreign ownership of either beachfront property / any property within 62 miles of the border.  Sure, you can get around it by holding the property in either a corporate or trust ownership form but that requires a local attorney plus annual reports and fees.  Oh, and, BTW, in that situation, the bank holds the trust deed on your behalf, even if the property was purchased outright, for cash.

Everybody remember the swine flu outbreak around, what, 2009?  Mexico resorts and vacation properties were pretty much vacant that year, in my understanding.  This year, many travelers to South America are very concerned about zika.

And financing RE purchases overseas?  Frequently, cash is required.  (I've heard that financing is even scarcer for foreign RE purchases since 2008.)

Needless to say, HGTV doesn't have the time to cover these things in 22 minutes.  I wonder how many buyers receive a few surprises if/when they actually get serious about foreign RE investment.

Edited June 29, 2016 by aguabella

[aguabella]

10 hours ago, aguabella said:

Everybody remember the swine flu outbreak around, what, 2009?  Mexico resorts and vacation properties were pretty much vacant that year, in my understanding.  This year, many travelers to South America are very concerned about zika.

 

Interrupted when posting last night about zika and the new system won't allow an edit.  To finish out the paragraph - just wanted to mention that Mexico has had a few zika cases but is currently Level 2 (heightened awareness).  Many potential travelers often, erroneously and unfortunately, lump them in with SA when they consider vacation spots. In short, it's another risk to Mexico vacation home buyers hoping to rent their properties out. 

To clarify - sorry about the incompletion.

[NYGirl]

I started off hating just the wife in last night's England episode and ended up hating both of them.  He was so pretentious!  She wanted English charm (surprise!!!) and he wanted a yard to grill.  He scoffed at the best option (#3) because it was on a street that..you know..people walked by and stuff but had all the charm they needed.  They considered the yard too small which is crazy.  You could bbq back there fine..There was even room for a table and stuff.  I couldn't fall asleep after that and had to watch the umpteenth rerun of Joanna and Chip's antics.

[Albino]

2 hours ago, NYGirl said:

I started off hating just the wife in last night's England episode and ended up hating both of them.  He was so pretentious!  She wanted English charm (surprise!!!) and he wanted a yard to grill.  He scoffed at the best option (#3) because it was on a street that..you know..people walked by and stuff but had all the charm they needed.  They considered the yard too small which is crazy.  You could bbq back there fine..There was even room for a table and stuff.  I couldn't fall asleep after that and had to watch the umpteenth rerun of Joanna and Chip's antics.

Not to mention that she demanded 4 bedrooms/4 baths because all their kids and all their friends would be constantly visiting.  Despite having jobs and school and lives of their own and airfare and stuff.  Her husband hit the nail on the head when he muttered that 99% of the time it would be just the two of them.

There was something creepy about the end when it showed her fussing over and fluffing up all the (empty and unused) beds in the house.

I have to admit that they did a nice job decorating the home.  Which makes me wonder why he was so put out by the fact that the home was $200 over budget.  Obviously they have the money to buy their own new outdoor furniture, living room sofas, tables, toss pillows and what looks to be about $4000 in sheets and comforters for all those (empty and unused) beds.

[mojito]

Her idea of an English kitchen and mine are totally different. I guess for her, an English kitchen is an American kitchen in England. I didn't understand her idea of "English charm". All it took was some beams in the ceiling.

[buttersister]

OMG, this Netherlands couple---her voice grated like me making potato latkes for Hannukah. Her reaction to that third house was (priceless) editing---he complains about it being way over budget and way far away from work and she looks at him with that "and so...what ever could be your point?" face. Of course, they go with the in-city apartment that she couldn't see herself in. Look again, honey.

[Albino]

2 hours ago, buttersister said:

OMG, this Netherlands couple---her voice grated like me making potato latkes for Hannukah. Her reaction to that third house was (priceless) editing---he complains about it being way over budget and way far away from work and she looks at him with that "and so...what ever could be your point?" face. Of course, they go with the in-city apartment that she couldn't see herself in. Look again, honey.

The Very Tall Husband seemed like such a nice, normal guy, too.  Not sure how he can stand that baby whiny voice 24/7.  It made all her complaints - and there were many - seem 100 times more annoying. "This is not how it is in the States."  "I'm used to something bigger".  "I really wanted 3 bedrooms".  And her 'helpless little me' act about the oven/microwave was infuriating.   Living abroad was her "dream"...but only if the space was exactly like the big American home they left.  I did appreciate the snarky realtor.  Loved when she finally just told Helpless Baby Voice "You'll get used to it."

Cute baby though.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Albino

[Ohwell]

"Helpless Baby Voice," indeed.  I don't know how anyone can listen to her for more than 30 seconds.

8 hours ago, Albino said:

 And her 'helpless little me' act about the oven/microwave was infuriating.

That about sent me over the edge.

[magemaud]

I remember a big discussion of Netherlands' Wife HBV, coupled with "up talk" when the episode first aired. 

[laredhead]

I watched the Copenhagen to Cape Town South Africa episode, and laughed when the wife seemed dumbfounded by a toaster oven.  Said she had never seen one of those before.  She was looking for a "proper oven".  I didn't realize toaster ovens were that rare. 

The scenery, especially the beach shots, is beautiful there.   

[Natalie68]

14 hours ago, Albino said:

The Very Tall Husband seemed like such a nice, normal guy, too.  Not sure how he can stand that baby whiny voice 24/7.  It made all her complaints - and there were many - seem 100 times more annoying. "This is not how it is in the States."  "I'm used to something bigger".  "I really wanted 3 bedrooms".  And her 'helpless little me' act about the oven/microwave was infuriating.   Living abroad was her "dream"...but only if the space was exactly like the big American home they left.  I did appreciate the snarky realtor.  Loved when she finally just told Helpless Baby Voice "You'll get used to it."

Cute baby though.

I saw this ep the 1st time it was on and jeezus the wife bugged the shit outta me!  Why do these people NOT seem to google 'size of typical rental in XYZ country' or 'typically how much is rent in XYZ country' or say stuff like 'man I could never cook in a kitchen that small' ignoring the fact the home is hundreds of years old and perhaps has been cooked in a time or two.  Total rubes I tell ya.  But this peach was especially on my nerves.  There is a reason I would not be good as a real estate agent.  My snark would get me fired immediately.

[SmithW6079]

On 7/1/2016 at 0:21 PM, laredhead said:

I watched the Copenhagen to Cape Town South Africa episode, and laughed when the wife seemed dumbfounded by a toaster oven.  Said she had never seen one of those before.  She was looking for a "proper oven".  I didn't realize toaster ovens were that rare. 

The scenery, especially the beach shots, is beautiful there.   

It was some kind of weird hybrid, because it had two burners on top. I think that passed for the stove/oven in that first flat. There was something similar in the second or third house too.

Her complaining about upstairs neighbors made me wonder if she knew what apartment living entailed. 

The third house was weird, with the bedroom as the front room. If I lived there, I think I'd put in a Murphy bed, so at least you could put the bed up out of the way. 

If they didn't take the house close to her school, it kind of made the husband into a whiny bitch with his need to live near mommy and daddy. Even her saying they could go every weekend was pathetic. Forty minutes or so is not a big deal.

I agree, South Africa looks beautiful. 

[juliet73]

I watched the Mexico episode with the photographer and the pharmaceutical sales rep. If saying their baby's name Easton was a drinking game...I'd be dead from alcohol poisoning.  She was trippin' because there was a dead cockroach in the shower and says "Welcome to Mexico!"  Seriously?! We have cockroaches in the US and Canada. I did like the condo they chose and it was worth going over budget by $100.