House Hunters International - General Discussion

[doodlebug]

32 minutes ago, Kathcart said:

LOL about all the comments re: Ricardo. I wish I'd known to play the Ricardo Drinking Game. "Ricardo won't like that kitchen" "Ricardo will love that windowsill" "There's not enough counter space for Ricardo" "Ricardo likes The Wizard of Oz" and of course "Ricardo is about to break up our friendship."

Amazing how well she knew Ricardo's likes and dislikes when it came to housing considering they'd never even resided on the same continent before.

[Ohwell]

3 hours ago, mojito said:

Mom jeans are great for the majority of the population. Only a minority of people look good in low-risers. The zipper area is too often puckered and then there are the people spilling over the top. You ever sit in bleachers behind people wearing those things? Low-rise jeans are a good example for why it is said that just because they make it in your size, doesn't mean you should buy them.

Not to dwell on the topic, but there is a middle ground style between high-waisted mom jeans and low riders.  Now maybe she just had them hiked up too high, but they looked strange on her.  And her shoes were weird-looking with the jeans.  JMHO.

And since I'm in fashion critic mode, I'll also add that Hannah's coat looked about two sizes too big for her.  The only thing I can say about Ricardo is that he looks like he's a good vegetable chopper. 

That was a strange trio.

Edited August 18, 2018 by Ohwell

[OFDgal]

18 hours ago, rlc said:

Riccardo, Riccardo, Riccardo.

 

Every time she said, Ricardo would/wouldn't like this, I said, Fck Ricardo!

[QuinnM]

There was a tv show called Hello Sweden written by Amy Poehler’s brother that was really very funny.  There were running jokes on all the apartments having all white walls and the fact that NO ONE, NO ONE wears shoes on the wood floors.  So pretty funny to see all the white walls and house hunters in socks.

[TVForever]

1 minute ago, QuinnM said:

There was a tv show called Hello Sweden written by Amy Poehler’s brother that was really very funny.  There were running jokes on all the apartments having all white walls and the fact that NO ONE, NO ONE wears shoes on the wood floors.  So pretty funny to see all the white walls and house hunters in socks.

I loved that show! I hated that it didn’t get a longer run, but it was so quirky that I wasn’t surprised that it couldn’t get a big enough audience quickly enough.

[Thumper]

1 hour ago, QuinnM said:

There was a tv show called Hello Sweden written by Amy Poehler’s brother that was really very funny.  There were running jokes on all the apartments having all white walls and the fact that NO ONE, NO ONE wears shoes on the wood floors.  So pretty funny to see all the white walls and house hunters in socks.

Ha!  In Minnesota, we are all used to removing our shoes (especially in the winter).  Must be the Scandinavian influence.

[7-Zark-7]

Oh, I liked "Welcome To Sweden". Short lived, but sweet.

Hannibal Hanna is actually stylish. There was a street fashion push to bring back the 90s mom jean that has been taken up by designers lately, and oversized coats are very nordic. If you look at Stockholm's Fall Fashion Weeks in recent years, you'll see many of them.

My boyfriend and I on the episode:

Bf: "I thought Ricardo was gay." 

Me: "Hanna probably talked him out of it."

[Ohwell]

8 minutes ago, 7-Zark-7 said:

Hannibal Hanna is actually stylish. There was a street fashion push to bring back the 90s mom jean that has been taken up by designers lately, and oversized coats are very nordic. If you look at Stockholm's Fall Fashion Weeks in recent years, you'll see many of them.

Those are interesting things to know about Nordic fashion.  I kinda hope it stays over there though.

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, Ohwell said:

Those are interesting things to know about Nordic fashion.  I kinda hope it stays over there though.

90s mom jeans are trendy here in the US as well. 

Edited August 19, 2018 by biakbiak

[Ohwell]

38 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

90s mom jeans are trendy here in the US as well. 

Not where I live. ; )

[IrishImport]

Couple buying bar in Granada, Nicaragua -  was just catching up on shows I hadn't seen yet -  I looked up Reilly's Bar in Granada after seeing that show (yes it was an odd one!) and that bar burned down a few months ago - in fact most of the block burned. Suspicious "electrical fire."  It's on their FB page and someone started a GoFundMe to help them rebuild.  It talks about how they called the fire department and it took ages for a fire truck to come, which then ran out of water -  went somewhere to refill - and then ran out of gas to get back to the fire.  Yikes. 

[ML89]

43 minutes ago, 7-Zark-7 said:

My boyfriend and I on the episode:

Bf: "I thought Ricardo was gay." 

Me: "Hanna probably talked him out of it."

Perfect, also true. My mom thought the same thing about Ricardo. 

[mojito]

Quote

Not to dwell on the topic, but there is a middle ground style between high-waisted mom jeans and low riders.  Now maybe she just had them hiked up too high, but they looked strange on her.  And her shoes were weird-looking with the jeans.  JMHO.

I've been surprised to see what people have called Mom jeans. Yes, there are those late-80s, early 90s jeans that were very high waisted. But pants with lower rises are also called Mom jeans by many a snarky person. Remember when Obama was accused of wearing them? 

About Ricardo....I have to admit, I was quite surprised to see him in the flesh. How much you want to bet the women's relationships lasts a lot longer? 

Quote

Couple buying bar in Granada, Nicaragua -  was just catching up on shows I hadn't seen yet -  I looked up Reilly's Bar in Granada after seeing that show (yes it was an odd one!) and that bar burned down a few months ago - in fact most of the block burned. Suspicious "electrical fire."  It's on their FB page and someone started a GoFundMe to help them rebuild.  It talks about how they called the fire department and it took ages for a fire truck to come, which then ran out of water -  went somewhere to refill - and then ran out of gas to get back to the fire.  Yikes. 

What a turn of events. You think about the political turmoil and what ruins their plans is poor public works and services.

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, IrishImport said:

Couple buying bar in Granada, Nicaragua -  was just catching up on shows I hadn't seen yet -  I looked up Reilly's Bar in Granada after seeing that show (yes it was an odd one!) and that bar burned down a few months ago - in fact most of the block burned. Suspicious "electrical fire."  It's on their FB page and someone started a GoFundMe to help them rebuild.  It talks about how they called the fire department and it took ages for a fire truck to come, which then ran out of water -  went somewhere to refill - and then ran out of gas to get back to the fire.  Yikes. 

Guess they didn’t have insurance. Could they get it down there?

[kstar821]

Quote

 

My boyfriend and I on the episode:

Bf: "I thought Ricardo was gay." 

 

YES!  I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw him and thought Ricardo was totally gay. 

[LennieBriscoe]

Seychelles:

So who was surprised by the "we're in love" revelation, after their sitting in vehicles with their arms along the seatbacks and the local guide's referring to how close HE lived to one choice?  ?

But for the HH to say she'd not heard before of these islands? ?

I wasn't crazy about any of the three places,  but she did pick the best one. 

[sempervivum]

15 hours ago, mojito said:

What a turn of events. You think about the political turmoil and what ruins their plans is poor public works and services.

Huh. You think those 2 things might be related? But property and cost of living is cheaper than in someplace stable, so they threw the dice.

This reminds me of the retirees who decide to start bnb's in beautiful places with primitive infrastructure, who seem to want to ignore the likelihood that they end up clutching their chest and dying while waiting for the local ambulance to show up. But look at that ocean view!!

[MarthaEllisanne]

Sweden: Come and knock on our door.  We've been waiting for you.........

Sweden: Yep, gaydar was pinging all over the place and not just with Ricardo.  

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, MarthaEllisanne said:

Sweden: Come and knock on our door.  We've been waiting for you.........

Sweden: Yep, gaydar was pinging all over the place and not just with Ricardo.  

Yeah, I thought the two women were a couple at first.

[IrishImport]

1 hour ago, sempervivum said:

Huh. You think those 2 things might be related? But property and cost of living is cheaper than in someplace stable, so they threw the dice.

Yup...  I didn't want to make assumptions about third-world countries and all that but yes, you don't have the services that you have in the U.S. (which often have their own problems) but there they can be really unreliable. For various reasons.  I confess the first thing I thought of is they didn't pay protection money, or enough of it, and their place burned down. They said something about how the main owner of the building had a bit of insurance, which is rare there, but it wasn't enough to cover much. I know someone who moved to Guatemala for the HH mantra - "slow down, enjoy life, in a beautiful place, for a lot less money" and he was back in the U.S within 2 years.  Too much graft, bribery, corruption.  So, in relation to House Hunters, yes, we enjoy the TV show, and the little bits of reality (real people!) but the TV show just plays into anyone's fantasy of a fresh start in 30 minutes.  I enjoy the shows very much - just have to remind myself they don't show the whole story.  Every time I get the itch to move!  

[irisheyes]

4 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Seychelles:

So who was surprised by the "we're in love" revelation, after their sitting in vehicles with their arms along the seatbacks and the local guide's referring to how close HE lived to one choice?  ?

But for the HH to say she'd not heard before of these islands? ?

I wasn't crazy about any of the three places,  but she did pick the best one. 

I hope he doesn’t get too attached, cause she was totally in the middle of a mid-life crisis. She’ll flit to something new in a year.

And, again with the people moving to a foreign country with no job!  How do they get a visa?

[Thumper]

8 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Huh. You think those 2 things might be related? But property and cost of living is cheaper than in someplace stable, so they threw the dice.

This reminds me of the retirees who decide to start bnb's in beautiful places with primitive infrastructure, who seem to want to ignore the likelihood that they end up clutching their chest and dying while waiting for the local ambulance to show up. But look at that ocean view!!

Yeah, I always think about healthcare.  And I'm 60 -- but also rather cautious!

[LittleIggy]

9 hours ago, irisheyes said:

I hope he doesn’t get too attached, cause she was totally in the middle of a mid-life crisis. She’ll flit to something new in a year.

And, again with the people moving to a foreign country with no job!  How do they get a visa?

What was her previous job anyway? Something to do with fisheries?

[Kohola3]

15 hours ago, IrishImport said:

I didn't want to make assumptions about third-world countries and all that but yes, you don't have the services that you have in the U.S. (which often have their own problems) but there they can be really unreliable. For various reasons.

Always my first thought since, as a flight nurse, I have transported people from a LOT of third world countries and the health care in most cases would make your hair curl.  Things we take for granted in the US are nowhere to be found.  Some have equipment I saw we used back in the 60's.  Health care should be the first thing you'd look into no matter what age you are. 

And if you have kids, the schools and their curriculum.

[Dewey Decimate]

I'm usually pretty quick to criticize the peeps on these shows, and the extroverted aesthetician in Germany seemed an easy mark, but something about the way the husband got really broken up when talking about the dogs made me guess that she's actually sensitive. She seemed upbeat (maybe even a little "too") on camera, which I figured might be what someone with his personality needs. I thought they were actually a decent match.

And my very first thought when they showed the two big dogs in the wedding pic was "where's the other one?" Felt so bad for the guy (and her too, as I'm guessing she was quite upset as well, just couldn't tell beneath the shininess).

[Kohola3]

Another "we came to Zanzibar to live in the culture" but chose a place that can be found in any American city.  Plus taking a big old master for the two of them and making the kids share the other small bedroom.  And no yard.  What a crock.

[LittleIggy]

Zanzibar: OMG, I hated that whiny wife! She sure didn’t come across as a world traveler. How is a fully furnished house not “move-in ready” just because you don’t like the furniture? Has she ever heard of slip covers? I bet the kids would have preferred the place with beach and pool.

[mojito]

Zanzibar

I understand how the wife felt about the places that she saw. I wouldn't feel very comfortable in the first two homes either. The furniture was so haphazard, uncomfortable-looking, and too plentiful. I found the kitchens to be passable, though. The place they chose did look pretty spacious even though there were only two bedrooms. Seems you could come up with a partition for the baby's space; the parents' bedroom was certainly large enough. 

I really didn't get how setting up her classroom was such a project that the wife couldn't put any effort into setting up her family's home.

"Culture" to many people simply means huddling with other ex-pats in your ex-pat community and being polite to street vendors.

Any of you geezers/geezerettes find yourselves singing a few bars of the theme to "Patty Duke Show"? 

[LennieBriscoe]

Zanzibar: 

Bad choice. Could have had more bedrooms,  a yard,  a pool,  and the beach right there. 

[biakbiak]

The pool beach house was likely not actually available so I won’t fault them for that. I will fault her for being annoying about everything. I was shocked when they mentioned how much traveling they had done because she didn’t seem the type.

[Kohola3]

8 hours ago, mojito said:

"Culture" to many people simply means huddling with other ex-pats in your ex-pat community and being polite to street vendors.

Totally agree.

And for all of the traveling they supposedly did, she was all "I don't need the STTRRREEEESSSSS" when every one of those places was already furnished.  What did she have to do?  Did they stay in 5 star hotels everywhere they went?  Selfish twit.

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Zanzibar: 

Bad choice. Could have had more bedrooms,  a yard,  a pool,  and the beach right there. 

But they would have to have SHARED the outdoor spaces! ?

[biakbiak]

If I were to go on this show my number 1 requirement would be that the decoys have all least comparable pros and cons because otherwise you just look like an idiot! 

[sempervivum]

Zanzibar- it's funny that on the usual 'tropical paradise' house hunt, the homes often have NO ovens at all, yet here 2 of the houses had 3 ovens.  They do a lot of baking in Zanzibar?

Were these two doing the usual 'randomly teaching English' thing, or were they actually real teachers at the international school? I'm never sure if international schools are for ex pat kids or can anyone go to them (assuming they pay tuition)? 

Edited August 21, 2018 by sempervivum

[LittleIggy]

4 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Zanzibar- it's funny that on the usual 'tropical paradise' house hunt, the homes often have NO ovens at all, yet here 2 of the houses had 3 ovens.  They do a lot of baking in Zanzibar?

Were these two doing the usual 'randomly teaching English' thing, or were they actually real teachers at the international school? I'm never sure if international schools are for ex pat kids or can anyone go to them (assuming they pay tuition)? 

A real international school “promotes international education, in an international environment, either by adopting a curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate, Edexcel or Cambridge International Examinations, or by following a national curriculum different from that of the school's country of residence.” It can have both expat and local students. The couple would need to be licensed teachers in order to teach in a real (I’m using that term because there are phony ones) international school.

I’m still amazed at the wife’s attitude. You would think she had never seen a small, non-American sized fridge in all her travels. Guess the international schools they had taught at before had provided luxe accommodations.

[Kohola3]

10 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

Guess the international schools they had taught at before had provided luxe accommodations.

Did they say she (or was it both) taught everywhere they went?   Hadn't they been to more than 20 countries?  Given their ages, surely there were not in each one long enough to teach a full class.

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Did they say she (or was it both) taught everywhere they went?   Hadn't they been to more than 20 countries?  Given their ages, surely there were not in each one long enough to teach a full class.

They said the boys had been to that many countries not that they taught in that many. So i imagine they traveled to countries on vacation or weekends. If they taught in Europe and Asia for a year or two each they could easily hit that many.

Edited August 21, 2018 by biakbiak

[LittleIggy]

I googled the International School in Zanzibar. The teachers are almost all Americans according to one site. The teaching contracts are for two years. Bet the “baby” in the master bedroom will get old long before that contract is up!

[mojito]

Florida to Solothurn, Switzerland

The husband didn't care much about the budget, just about having a place that will impress other people. The place they picked with those "exposed" beams... Those beams look like they were just randomly added to the place and didn't at all look like a remnant of past construction, just beams someone tacked into place at an attempt to show some sort of old world "style". 

[ForReal]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

Florida to Solothurn, Switzerland

The husband didn't care much about the budget, just about having a place that will impress other people.

Yeah, he sure came across as shallow. I get that when one person is fixated on keeping to the budget, that doesn't necessarily have any bearing on what they can actually afford and that it's usually a function of that person's comfort level with spending in general. But this guy, I wouldn't trust him with the check book. I'm glad they didn't pick the first place.

[sempervivum]

Switzerland- I didn't understand exactly what the husband was getting at, when he kept saying that the Swiss don't want cheap places because they think they must not be any good (or something). He was really ass-ing it up for the camera, I thought. They were a really attractive (looking) couple. Another yoga teacher, though /eyeroll.

We have a Swiss neighbor (married to an American) who is always enthusing about how very lucky he feels to be a homeowner, as it would have been almost impossible for him back in his home country.

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, mojito said:

Florida to Solothurn, Switzerland

The husband didn't care much about the budget, just about having a place that will impress other people. The place they picked with those "exposed" beams... Those beams look like they were just randomly added to the place and didn't at all look like a remnant of past construction, just beams someone tacked into place at an attempt to show some sort of old world "style". 

They picked the $1700/month apartment, not one of the exposed beam places. I liked the one they picked better than the ones with the ugly, in the way beams and slanted ceilings. 

[abbyzenn]

Solothurn couple:  The two apartments with the beams were very odd.  It was like those beams were just tacked up here and there with no purpose.  Almost anyone would be hitting their heads on some of those beams.  I did chuckle in the one apartment w/ the spiral staircase (and another one which didn't look like it had a railing) that there was no mention of how dangerous it would be for their two year old son.  I'll admit I was surprised that they went for the low cost apartment - but it was the most practical - no beams, huge rooms, great views of the mountains and not just rooftops.

[TVForever]

Unpopular Opinion Alert, lol!

i liked the Fl to Switzerland couple. We don’t often get to see the husband “playing “ the diva role, and he played it well. Despite that, they had an easygoing way between them. I liked all three places, and am always on board for the more practical choice. Like she said, in a few years, if she’s working, they can “upgrade”. I put that in quotes because I thought that apartment was just fine. Home is what you make it, and decoration can really make the difference.

On a related note:

There do seem to be an awful lot of yoga teaching HHs lately. Anybody out there with real world experience, can people really make a living teaching yoga? Or can you only swing it if you’re also married to a man who earns enough to afford nearly 3k/month on his income alone ( another common thread for these yoga teaching HHs)?

[biakbiak]

3 minutes ago, TVForever said:

can people really make a living teaching yoga?

Three of my friends are yoga teachers and make good money. One owns a very popular studio and makes more than her lawyer wife.

[Irlandesa]

Usually I prefer the more expensive house porn options but the slanted ceilings made both places feel clausterphobic even if I did like the exposed beams.  I thought the third option would even have an outdoor area that they were focusing on in the previews but no such luck.  I would have gone with what they chose.

I did absolutely love how picturesque it was with the quaint buildings and touch of fresh white snow.  I was happier seeing them outside than in any of the apartments.

[mojito]

Guess I was falling asleep on the Switzerland episode. Glad they picked the suspicious $1700 place that didn't seem expensive enough for hubby.

Yoga definitely seems to be a big thing now for these HHs. Remember not long ago when HH USA women were requesting a room for "crafts"? That lasted about a few minutes.

Edited August 22, 2018 by mojito

[LittleIggy]

Canada to Utrecht: The girl was not a brat which was refreshing. Glad she got her cat! Dad annoyed me with his “where will I put my office so I can write my novel” ?. Dude, JK Rowling didn’t have an office when she started writing the HP books. Plus she had small kids.

[Babalooie]

15 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Canada to Utrecht: The girl was not a brat which was refreshing.

Yes, and the mother's voice was soothing, rather than the usual vocal fry (Kardashian voice).  All the houses seemed too similar for me to make a choice.

[mojito]

Ottawa to Ultrecht:

Interesting how much less drama there was with a couple purchasing a home vs couples merely renting an apartment. His need for space and good lighting for his writing room was silly. You would've thought he would be chiseling tablets instead of clicking keys on a (backlit) laptop. The girl was very nice. The family seemed to have turned into instant Europeans. Good for them.