House Hunters International - General Discussion

[LBS]

I missed the backstory to the Netherlands couple.  Have they been married for very long?  They looked and acted so much in love.  I liked how they didn't bicker or passive aggressively put their partner down.   I thought that the house they picked was a really good compromise because I do think he was correct that she'll want to be closer to town after the initial buzz of moving wears off.

[mojito]

Quote

I missed the backstory to the Netherlands couple.  Have they been married for very long?

Whirlwind romance. I think they've known each other for a couple years.

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

Whirlwind romance. I think they've known each other for a couple years.

I could have sworn I heard them say they got married after knowing each other for 11 weeks, but somebody correct me if I'm wrong.  At any rate, it was a whirlwind romance.  I did like that they kept holding hands.   

[slasherboy]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I could have sworn I heard them say they got married after knowing each other for 11 weeks, but somebody correct me if I'm wrong.  At any rate, it was a whirlwind romance.  I did like that they kept holding hands.   

You're correct.  They met, fell in love immediately, and married after 11 weeks.  I liked them too.  Every time the man said he wanted her to live near the city so she would have stuff to do and not be lonely, etc., I kept waiting for her to say, "But I don't want to live near the city!  I know what I want, darling."  But again, producer driven and that wouldn't be following the script.  I love the Netherlands.

[mojito]

They married quickly, she moved to Albuquerque, and now they've moved to the Netherlands. I don't have the episode anymore, but I think it all began within the last two years.

Edited March 13, 2018 by mojito

[chocolatine]

7 hours ago, LBS said:

I thought that the house they picked was a really good compromise because I do think he was correct that she'll want to be closer to town after the initial buzz of moving wears off.

The Netherlands are very small, so even when you're "out in the country" the nearest town is usually within a short driving or biking distance. She did sound a bit sheltered though when she asked him if other European countries also have markets, and later said it was a challenge to get used to the metric system and European currency. I hope she can befriend some of the other military wives in the area who've been living there for a while and can help her adjust.

[Kohola3]

24 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

She did sound a bit sheltered though when she asked him if other European countries also have markets, and later said it was a challenge to get used to the metric system and European currency.

She did say she'd spent her entire life in Cleveland until she married.  I would imagine that since her husband has a high ranking, she'll be doing a lot of networking with the wives in the area.  They tend to form pretty tight communities.

[Scout Finch]

On 2/24/2018 at 1:15 PM, Ohwell said:

Ghent couple:  The wife was annoying with her talk about the cats but, I swear, the guy had a slow and creepy voice and sounded like what my idea of a serial killer would be. 

My two cats are family but the only time they factor into choosing a new place is just that pets must be allowed. As for the husband, glad I'm not the only one who found him a bit creepy and actually couldn't help wondering if they've found the bodies of missing women buried in the basement of the house they lived in back in the States yet!

I snickered at the beginning of the Abbateggio, Italy episode when the woman said that she was downsizing and then made a downward motion with her hand over her inflated chest.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Scout Finch

[mojito]

This must be a "new" repeat if I'm the first one getting to this one:

Sidney to Off-the-Beaten Path Somewhere in  Cambodia, Family of 4

Well, I guess this couple will think twice the next time they use the words "simple" and "living" together. I don't think a HH episode ever made me chuckle so much. They wanted a "western" home with yard and three bedrooms for $500. I wondered if the agent found himself thinking, "Okay, western-style home. That means hot water. Hope they're not fussy about private showers, flushing toilets, or fully-attached outer walls." I looked at the woman sideways when she considered the unhappy fact that the boys would have to share a room. 

Note to self: if involved in building project in Cambodia, make arrangements for livable housing on location first. 

[laredhead]

Mojito, I caught the last couple of minutes of the Cambodia episode when it recorded with the HH episode after.  My DVR listing is not coordinating with the TV Guide or the Uverse schedule.  I have seen some reviews here about new episodes that my DVR isn't recording.  I have it set for new episodes only, but the Cambodia episode date on the DVR blurb indicates is was shown a few months ago, but I never saw it.  I guess I'll just set the DVR to record every episode of HH & HHI for the next couple of weeks to be sure I get all of them. 

[chocolatine]

I consider myself adaptable and low-maintenance, but even I would balk at living in a shack with partial walls and a "manual" shower. But then of course, I'm not picking up my life and moving to a remote Cambodian island. 

[mojito]

Red, these carriers seem to use a unique, complex mathematical equation to determine what is "new".  Maybe it's a TX-LA thang.  ?

Edited March 15, 2018 by mojito

[biakbiak]

It cracked me up that one of the words they were shown learning in their Polish language lesson was kiwi, turns out it's also kiwi in Polish! I liked all three of the apartments but they went with the one that made since for them.

[chocolatine]

Raleigh, NC to Wroclaw, Poland: The wife said that reading labels in the grocery store will be difficult, so she and her husband will go out to eat a lot. So Polish menus are somehow easier to read than Polish grocery store labels? And Polish produce, baked goods, meat/fish, dairy, etc., look so different from their American counterparts that she needs labels to be able to identify them?

[mojito]

NC to Poland

The wife said she didn't cook much. Odd that she initially commented that the kitchen of the place they rented wasn't open to another room and they would all (including dogs) collect in this small space while she cooked. Okay.

I liked their simple wish list: space for walking the dogs, close to work. No mention of entertaining space or room for the family who would be coming to visit. I'm glad that those Lab/Lab mixes-looking dogs got water to play in. 

[Dewey Decimate]

I'm checking my house for an Invasion of the Body Snatchers pod, because for some peculiar reason I actually enjoyed the ample-breasted Texas woman moving to Italy! Totally not the typical kind of friend I could see myself making, but I liked her calm voice, self-assurance, and almost drag-queen-like bearing. I guess she did end up in a seemingly quiet, isolated place, but then realized... damn, I could almost picture myself in that situation someday, and think I might LOVE it.

[Irlandesa]

On 3/13/2018 at 1:53 PM, Ohwell said:

I could have sworn I heard them say they got married after knowing each other for 11 weeks, but somebody correct me if I'm wrong.  At any rate, it was a whirlwind romance.  I did like that they kept holding hands.   

I think 11 weeks was between engagement and marriage.  They were long distance.  Their first date lasted a couple of days.  Their second is when they got engaged.  11 weeks later they were married and she moved to NM.  So I think they knew each other longer than 11 weeks but not by much.  They've been together two years.

[Zizzlezazzle]

On 3/14/2018 at 3:52 PM, mojito said:

This must be a "new" repeat if I'm the first one getting to this one:

Sidney to Off-the-Beaten Path Somewhere in  Cambodia, Family of 4

Well, I guess this couple will think twice the next time they use the words "simple" and "living" together. I don't think a HH episode ever made me chuckle so much. They wanted a "western" home with yard and three bedrooms for $500. I wondered if the agent found himself thinking, "Okay, western-style home. That means hot water. Hope they're not fussy about private showers, flushing toilets, or fully-attached outer walls." I looked at the woman sideways when she considered the unhappy fact that the boys would have to share a room. 

Note to self: if involved in building project in Cambodia, make arrangements for livable housing on location first. 

YESSS! I was yelling some choice words at the TV. God, these people were socially obtuse jerks. I felt badly for the agent. I believe the guy mentioned something about his friend who had already opened a nearby resort being the one to encourage them to build another resort to be ahead of the supposed tourism boom (better hope he's right). If the comforts of western living are so important to them, why not just make an arrangement for the family to stay at his buddy's resort for a few months while the other is being built? Or wait to to move the family out until the new one is nearly finished (it looked like they had barely broken ground)?

"So I would have to fix this thing MYSELF? So I'm paying over our budget and there's no oven or hot water?" These are not unreasonable complaints for the average renter, obviously, but when you are moving someplace where so many people clearly live MUCH simpler, you can shut your pie hole about a leak in the ceiling and having to dump some chemicals in your backyard pool. 

[Christine]

Agoura Hills to Chianti couple.  The show can't even mention the name of the "butcher"?  Dario Cecchini?  He's kind of famous in certain circles.

Dario Cecchini

[mojito]

Agoura Hills, CA to Chianti Couple

I appreciated that the wife tried to put her best foot forward when evaluating the homes. Kitchens were smallish, but her only real criticisms were about the old cabinets and bathroom in the smaller places, which is understandable. 

I guess he's an illustrator of some sort, so that's nice they can retreat to a foreign country in their 50s and not have to worry about the 8 to 5 hustle. Kudos.

[laredhead]

Ah, to live on Ireland would be one of my real estate dreams.  I could have listened to the real estate agent talk all night, even if he was just reciting the phone book.  I was surprised that the buyer chose the house with the most rural location, but the setting was beautiful.  I was amused that she kept wanting Irish "charm", but in her mind that seemed to be a small stone house with a coal/peat fireplace, less than up to date amenities, etc.  So funny that Americans want what they have read about in old books, but the residents of the country like to update their houses just as we do in the United States for the most part. 

[DownTheShore]

Sydney to Cambodia: 

If he is building a resort,  why didn't he build a manager's home first?  If they are planning to manage it,  then they will be living there.  If he's going to hire a manager,  then the manager will have to live on the premises to manage those vacation huts - so again,  the family can live there while the huts are being constructed before the manager is hired. 

The way he bitched and moaned about a hour's commute each way to the jobsite,  oh brother!  It's a heck of a lot closer than a plane ride to Sydney once a month. 

It really didn't look like that island locale had any infrastructure that would hold tourists' attention.  Nor did the work crew seem to make much progress.  I wonder if it was all a sham? 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 

While I'm here and complaining about things, don't TPTB realize that when their "buyers" automatically use the term "shops" for stores and "garden" for yard,  that we know that they haven't just wandered over to whatever European country they're supposedly buying a home in? 

[mojito]

San Diego to Donegal, Ireland

I sense a major trauma behind this move. She wants to live in a foreign country out in the boonies with her dogs. I think she picked the nicest house, and, like Red commented, she has a fairy tale idea of what it's like to live in far away places, expecting that people in older homes abroad don't like to modernize. HHI, show episodes of people moving to North America for the first time. I'd love to hear what they have to say.

[laredhead]

Mojito, I doubt that very many people moving to the U.S. complain about the larger houses, closets, central heat, etc.   Now I could understand their complaints about inadequate mass transportation, walkability to stores and restaurants in many places, and probably a few other things.

[AuntiePam]

3 hours ago, mojito said:

 HHI, show episodes of people moving to North America for the first time. I'd love to hear what they have to say.

I was just thinking the same thing!

Would they complain about the high cost of heating and cooling our open spaces, and the lack of privacy?  Or the time needed to care for our huge yards, oops, gardens? 

Would they be looking for a home that they think represents the region -- brownstones in NYC, shotguns in New Orleans, gingerbread Victorians in San Francisco, Craftsmen in Seattle, ranches in the west, lots of stucco in the southwest.  Or maybe they're smarter than that. 

Yeah, we need to see a reverse sometime.

[slasherboy]

What do you think they would expect in the Southern United States?  Grand plantations like those from "Gone With the Wind"?  I'd be curious to know the answer too.

Many years ago I moved from my home state of Kentucky to Los Angeles.  One of my co-workers was surprised I wasn't barefooted all the time and I'm talking about a smart woman with a really good job, not some nincompoop living in the woods or in a cave.  And at Thanksgiving, in all seriousness, she asked if we would be going out to catch our own turkey.

Hand to God.

[chocolatine]

As someone who's actually moved to the US (Seattle, WA) from Germany in 2009, I can tell you guys what my impressions were:

1. I saw my first "open floorpan" in the US (in a newly-built apartment building). Everywhere I've lived or visited before (i.e. most of Europe), the kitchen was always separate from the living room. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I prefer an open floorpan to the tiny galley kitchens I've had before.

2. I was shocked that the washer in my brand-new apartment was top-loading and only had three temperature settings: cold, warm, and hot. With German washing machines you set the exact temperature you want, even with older models. In Europe you always hear how the Americans love all the latest high-tech gadgets, so I was expecting a tricked-out front-loading washer.

3. Closets in bedrooms: The one in my first apartment wasn't even a walk-in, but I've never had one before, so I was overjoyed. No more overstuffed armoires!

4. Having a dryer and dishwasher in a one-bedroom apartment. You don't usually find those in smaller apartments in Europe, so that was great too.

5. Forced air heat. HATE. IT. I much prefer radiators.

I recently moved from Seattle to NYC and noticed that the apartments tend to be more "old-school" here, more similar to Europe.

[Ohwell]

9 hours ago, chocolatine said:

5. Forced air heat. HATE. IT. I much prefer radiators.

I'm in the U.S. and as a kid we lived in apartments with radiators.  I know they're "old" but I miss them.   The forced air heat just dries out my hair and skin. 

[Pickles]

Just saw the end of last night's episode with the Sinatra impersonator moving to Mexico, I believe. Didn't we have the Elvis impersonator doing the same thing not long ago? Interesting. The guy last night said the Vegas jobs were drying up--no longer interested in big band music there. 

[chocolatine]

If I never see another "people with no experience in hospitality opening a B&B in Costa Rica" or "impersonator moving to Mexico" episode, it will be too soon.

Edited March 22, 2018 by chocolatine

[Kiddvideo]

The impersonator and his wife moving from the beach without water in Las Vegas to a beach with water in Mexico. Too much try. This wasn't a House Hunters episode insomuch as it was a demo reel. I also don't want to hear how she picked him up in her bikini at the pool in their swinging singles condo community. Allusions to divorcee sex when I'm watching real estate porn gets me sooo hot. Bow chicka bow bow barf. 

[rhofmovalley]

3 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

The impersonator and his wife moving from the beach without water in Las Vegas to a beach with water in Mexico. Too much try. This wasn't a House Hunters episode insomuch as it was a demo reel. I also don't want to hear how she picked him up in her bikini at the pool in their swinging singles condo community. Allusions to divorcee sex when I'm watching real estate porn gets me sooo hot. Bow chicka bow bow barf. 

He was right though...there is no demand at all for his type of entertainment in Vegas anymore. Kids don't know who Frank Sinatra was and they weren't born when Reagan was president. And their parents are going to see Menopause: The Musical, Celine Dion or Gladys Knight. Or, if they're my age they're going to Punk Rock Bowling or to see Bon Jovi.

[magemaud]

Tampa to Brussels family: What a breath of fresh air! A very likable family with totally reasonable expectations and a realistic budget, who treated each other with respect and calmly discussed the pros and cons of the various properties. No whining or bickering! No drama! Eager to embrace another culture, the wife even spoke French! More programs like this, please! 

[abbyzenn]

Woman moving to Donegal:  She was nice and I liked all 3 houses.  But the backstory was certainly another shaky story.  She's sold her business and moved to another country with no job, picked Donegal because as a tourist she met this woman who has become her friend (I didn't get the impression it was a romance) and wants to live out in the boonies.  No mention of trying to find a job so is she going to live the rest of her life all her savings - if so that must have been quite some business.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 3/17/2018 at 4:03 PM, DownTheShore said:

While I'm here and complaining about things, don't TPTB realize that when their "buyers" automatically use the term "shops" for stores and "garden" for yard,  that we know that they haven't just wandered over to whatever European country they're supposedly buying a home in? 

That never occurred to me.  Excellent observation.

[seacliffsal]

The Frank Sinatra guy, just like the Elvis guy, was a bit too try hard for me.  His John Wayne impersonation may have had Wayne's speech pattern but after that really didn't sound like him.  I really am surprised that the acts (Sinatra and Elvis) that no longer have an audience in Vegas apparently have an audience in Mexico.  Who knew?  It's also a bit sad to me that these entertainers end up chasing jobs in resorts out of the U.S. in order to stay relevant.  I know changing careers is difficult, but at what point does someone finally determine that there is no longer a demand for what they do?

I couldn't believe the Cambodia episode.  The wife really seemed surprised that the standard of living was so very different.  I also wonder how they will be able to build their resort when the one layer brick layout they showed us looked so small and they were building it in such a labor intensive and slow way.

Edited March 22, 2018 by seacliffsal

[Dejana]

6 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

The Frank Sinatra guy, just like the Elvis guy, was a bit too try hard for me.  His John Wayne impersonation may have had Wayne's speech pattern but after that really didn't sound like him.  I really am surprised that the acts (Sinatra and Elvis) that no longer have an audience in Vegas apparently have an audience in Mexico.  Who knew?  It's also a bit sad to me that these entertainers end up chasing jobs in resorts out of the U.S. in order to stay relevant.  I know changing careers is difficult, but at what point does someone finally determine that there is no longer a demand for what they do?

They probably play to retired Americans visiting/living in Mexico. For old school Elvis or Sinatra impersonators, I suppose it's easier to say that Las Vegas has changed than to acknowledge that the natural audience for Elvis and Sinatra impersonators is dwindling.

[BlossomCulp]

Has anyone seen the South Africa couple moving to Malaysia?  I missed the beginning but they were looking at very inexpensive properties - by anyone's standards!! - and kept stressing they had moved there to save money.  They end up in the IMO least nice place but had lots of good reasons why it was the best choice (mainly of course because the really nice property that ticked all their boxes wasn't really available).  Anyway they were nice and reasonable (comparatively speaking) but she was there as a teacher and he was supposedly going to work from home in some high tech job or another so the inability to pay $400 a month for a really nice house just made no sense to me at all.  

[Pickles]

The episode last night. Was it Germany? Omg, that wife was so snarky, I thought. Saying how the husband had made them uproot their lives, how he didn't understand what it was like to be at home with the kids all day because he got to go to work, etc. I didn't understand why they had three children, when neither of them seemed to enjoy being around them! 

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, Pickles said:

I didn't understand why they had three children, when neither of them seemed to enjoy being around them! 

And her insistence on having a large yard to get away from them.  Was she planning on locking outside all day?  With kids that age you'd think she'd want to at least keep an eye on them. While it's "so hard to be around them", it's a whole lot easier to round them up in a small space than that great big yard.

Not sure what "losing my license" was all about either.  Lots of nurses take time off for various reasons and we don't automatically lose our license as long as we keep up with the mandates of our state licensing boards.

[hisbunkie]

Quote

Not sure what "losing my license" was all about either.  Lots of nurses take time off for various reasons and we don't automatically lose our license as long as we keep up with the mandates of our state licensing boards.

I understood what she meant.  She would have to come back yearly for training in order to keep her credentials up to date. Not sure how realistic it will be for her to come back with three small children. 

[doodlebug]

11 minutes ago, hisbunkie said:

I understood what she meant.  She would have to come back yearly for training in order to keep her credentials up to date. Not sure how realistic it will be for her to come back with three small children. 

Most continuing nursing education can be done online.  She wouldn’t have any problem keeping her license current. It also seems her hubby is a civilian employee of the US Army hospital at Landstuhl.  They hire civilian nurses, too.  I had a friend, an RN, whose hubby was an Army dentist.  While stationed at Landstuhl, she worked part time as a labor and delivery nurse at the Army hospital.  It is hard to find qualified medical staffing for these places and the Army is more than happy to help civilians get the appropriate licensure and maintain their certifications.  She said she was a nurse practitioner and that should make her even more valuable, If think.

And, yes, I found her attitude off-putting. Why did she have 3 kids if she can’t stand to spend time with them?

[Kohola3]

19 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Most continuing nursing education can be done online.

Precisely.  That's why the whole thing was silly.

[rhofmovalley]

My guess is she will end up going back to work to get away from the children I presume she CHOSE to have.

I have to wonder why she acted so surprised that children have a lot of energy and need lots of supervision.  It made me wonder who's been raising the children all these years...

[chocolatine]

50 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

It also seems her hubby is a civilian employee of the US Army hospital at Landstuhl.  They hire civilian nurses, too.  I had a friend, an RN, whose hubby was an Army dentist.  While stationed at Landstuhl, she worked part time as a labor and delivery nurse at the Army hospital.  It is hard to find qualified medical staffing for these places and the Army is more than happy to help civilians get the appropriate licensure and maintain their certifications.  She said she was a nurse practitioner and that should make her even more valuable, If think.

That's exactly what I thought when the husband said he had a job at Landstuhl - why didn't he get a package deal for the two of them right away? And I'm sure the children would be much happier in one of Germany's many excellent daycare centers than at home with a mother who seems to resent them.

[doodlebug]

6 minutes ago, rhofmovalley said:

My guess is she will end up going back to work to get away from the children I presume she CHOSE to have.

I have to wonder why she acted so surprised that children have a lot of energy and need lots of supervision.  It made me wonder who's been raising the children all these years...

Somehow, I think grandma, grandpa and possibly an au pair were doing the heavy lifting while mommy worked/recovered from working.  She really sounded like she didn’t have much patience with her kids.

[biakbiak]

I wonder what she is going to do with the kids in winter.

[chocolatine]

1 minute ago, biakbiak said:

I wonder what she is going to do with the kids in winter.

Dress them warmly and still make them go outside.

[Pine]

Along with the child hating, snarking wife....the husband was way too concerned with laminate flooring!!!  LOL, like he would really care, and it's a rental.  Too much scripting.  I cannot imagine a Nurse Practitioner hating her children that much in real life.  JMHO of course. 

[doodlebug]

1 minute ago, Pine said:

Along with the child hating, snarking wife....the husband was way too concerned with laminate flooring!!!  LOL, like he would really care, and it's a rental.  Too much scripting.  I cannot imagine a Nurse Practitioner hating her children that much in real life.  JMHO of course. 

I have a hard time believing any parent would be so completely clueless as to what to do with their kids during the day if he/she wasn’t working.  Surely, there’ve been some weekends, holidays, illnesses when she was home with her kids; what did she do then?  The two boys looked old enough for school, even the little girl should’ve been ready for preschool. She was hardly going to be ‘stuck’ with them all day. Her insistence that they would need to be outside playing all the time so she could be alone was pretty sad.  When they saw the house with the master on a different floor than the other bedrooms, I thought she’d jump at it.  Maybe she can put some barbed wire in front of the door or a moat with alligators to keep those pesky kids away!