House Hunters International - General Discussion

[ECM1231]

15 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

Brisbane, Aus. How old is she? She's worried about falls? When she's not trying to be a teenager. Instead of worrying about having space for a renter, why not scale back on her budget? I can't be too hard on her, she loves ice cream. And she didn't give in to her kids. To her credit, they were not bratty.

I thought it funny that the son called his mom vain yet he was the one constantly posing for selfies. They were a very attractive family. I missed seeing the inside of the  resort house, house #2, because my husband came in and started talking to me. It was 420K and had the pool. The mom's objection was that she'd have to invest money for an accessory dwelling unit. However she paid 40K more for the small house with no pool. Wouldn't the 40K more than cover the cost of getting a rental unit added?

Also, why is Brisbane much more affordable than other cities in Australia? I thought it was a fairly large city and most of the other areas we have seen are so much more expensive.

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, ECM1231 said:

I thought it funny that the son called his mom vain yet he was the one constantly posing for selfies. They were a very attractive family. I missed seeing the inside of the  resort house, house #2, because my husband came in and started talking to me. It was 420K and had the pool. The mom's objection was that she'd have to invest money for an accessory dwelling unit. However she paid 40K more for the small house with no pool. Wouldn't the 40K more than cover the cost of getting a rental unit added?

Also, why is Brisbane much more affordable than other cities in Australia? I thought it was a fairly large city and most of the other areas we have seen are so much more expensive.

They moved from Auckland, NZ. I believe they said Brisbane was more affordable than Auckland. 
I wonder how much it would have cost to put plumbing and electric plus a kitchen and bathroom into that shed at the “resort house”? 
Good to see Jesse James the OZ cowboy again!

[Grizzly]

14 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Good to see Jesse James the OZ cowboy again!

He has gotten much more comfortable in front of the camera. The first time I saw him, he was so monotone and wooden. Now I enjoy seeing him.

[Grrarrggh]

I couldn't believe that it would cost more to fix up that garage than it would to buy the duplex. Typical HH machinations. 

[Crashcourse]

I thought the Brisbane family was nice but I was kind of skeeved out with the son flipping his mom around like she was his girlfriend.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Crashcourse
"his" not "him"

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 7/16/2021 at 2:29 PM, seacliffsal said:

I wasn't impressed with any of the offerings in Dublin and I usually love the options in Ireland.  I was surprised they couldn't find better properties for $3000/month.  The last option had an amazing atrium but the apartments wasn't good (the bathroom looked old and dirty). 

I hated the atrium.  It reminded me of the Holiday Inn Holidome from when I was a kid (there's also one in the movie Terms of Endearment).  I'm not a huge fan of apartments that don't open to the outside, and I think the atrium would be really loud and echo-y, and I shudder at the sound of slamming doors.

[kirklandia]

5 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I hated the atrium.  It reminded me of the Holiday Inn Holidome 

It made me think of some recent articles I have seen about reimagining failing shopping malls as housing. An interesting   solution.

I remember, in an episode of Parts Unknown or No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain was visiting an extremely remote location where the entire village lived in one building.  I remember it as mall-like, with a shared indoor space that they used as a common area.  It must've been in a challenging climate.  They had some sort of festival, maybe to honor him, with dancing and eating and plenty of drinking.

I could have the details wrong – can anybody help me out here?

Edited July 22, 2021 by kirklandia

[LittleIggy]

Bangkok: How often does the HH think he is going to have visitors? Just get an inflatable mattress to put in the spare bedroom. The big guy was funny.

[Kenzie]

5 hours ago, kirklandia said:

It made me think of some recent articles I have seen about reimagining failing shopping malls as housing. An interesting   solution.

I remember, in an episode of Parts Unknown or No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain was visiting an extremely remote location where the entire village lived in one building.  I remember it as mall-like, with a shared indoor space that they used as a common area.  It must've been in a challenging climate.  They had some sort of festival, maybe to honor him, with dancing and eating and plenty of drinking.

I could have the details wrong – can anybody help me out here?

Yes, that was a 2012 episode of No Reservations shot in Malaysia. Living communally in close quarters in that traditional long house would have to either take a lot of respect for privacy or a very open attitude to the lack of privacy. I still miss Tony. 

[MartyQui]

19 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

The big guy was funny.

Am I bad for thinking I wanted to dig my fingers into his beard?  It was delicious. And I don’t normally like beards.

I think he picked a good apartment.
 

[seacliffsal]

I found the Thailand episode to be fun and entertaining.  I didn't really care for the house hunter at first, but he loosened up during the episode and seemed like a fun, nice guy.  However, I think Mark, his friend, really helped bring the fun side out of him.  Mark was delightful.  Snack drawer, dance studio, etc.  I also liked the apartment he chose even though the first one was also really nice.

[BrownBear2012]

On 7/20/2021 at 11:03 PM, Grizzly said:

Brisbane, Aus. How old is she? She's worried about falls? When she's not trying to be a teenager. Instead of worrying about having space for a renter, why not scale back on her budget? I can't be too hard on her, she loves ice cream. And she didn't give in to her kids. To her credit, they were not bratty.

I disagree…I thought they were bratty. The girl was precocious and kept interrupting her mom with commentary that was either embarrassing to her mom or inappropriate. She needed to learn some manners. The brother was snotty…he had a “tude” and when she said he would have to mow the lawn he said “No…I’ll be playing basketball”…in a very rude way. At the end she asked if he had done his homework and he said “no, but I’ll still get good grades”…these two brats treat her like crap…the girl demanding a pool and the brother giving her attitude and posing for selfies. As a single mom she better toughen up a bit and quit acting like their big sister.

Edited July 23, 2021 by BrownBear2012

[LittleIggy]

Brisbane: Yeah, mom needs to be mom and not her kids’ cool friend.

[TVForever]

On 7/22/2021 at 12:35 AM, LittleIggy said:

 The big guy was funny.

 

12 hours ago, MartyQui said:

Am I bad for thinking I wanted to dig my fingers into his beard?  It was delicious. And I don’t normally like beards.

I think he picked a good apartment.
 

Did he remind anyone else of Ben Napier from Home Town?

[BrownBear2012]

On 7/17/2021 at 1:20 PM, LittleIggy said:

The atrium place’s kitchen was dirty and old, too. 😳

Yeah...what a dump. You'd think the property manager would have it cleaned up and repairs made before showing it. That would be a red flag for me as to the care and concern management has for it's apartments. All in all I was not impressed at all with the places they looked at and Dublin looked kind of drab and dreary.

[LittleIggy]

Netherlands: That loft level with the bed had what appeared to be a plexiglass (couldn’t have been glass) panel floor. So don’t wear a skirt if you have company! 😬

[aghst]

Brisbane mom may have been too close to the kids but she says she was shy growing up so her children seems to have helped her get out of her shell a bit.

They sounded like Kiwis too.  She did choose the most expensive one but made more sense with rental income in place.

Thailand was fun, spent a little more, found some friends.  Seemed to truly like living overseas, at least for awhile, first Nairobi now Bangkok.  
 

Maastricht, she seemed to give in to make the bf happy, having to do the longer commute.  Those stairs to the loft, you have to concentrate not to fall off.

Like the agent Floor.  Maybe she and Sarah flip coins on which one does the episode whenever they’re doing an episode in the Netherlands.

New graphics and a 3D map with some tower rising upwards.

[ArtFossil]

Netherlands:

From ghoulies and ghosties
And California upspeak
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!

[laredhead]

Maastricht couple seemed to not be on the same page as to where their relationship was going judging by his comments.  I didn't get the idea that he's ready to become a permanent couple.  As for the housing options, I think the 2nd one was the best choice.  The one they chose is close to where he wants to live, but that place is small, and those stairs are just waiting for one misstep by someone.   

[LittleIggy]

54 minutes ago, laredhead said:

Maastricht couple seemed to not be on the same page as to where their relationship was going judging by his comments.  I didn't get the idea that he's ready to become a permanent couple.  As for the housing options, I think the 2nd one was the best choice.  The one they chose is close to where he wants to live, but that place is small, and those stairs are just waiting for one misstep by someone.   

Well, he’s paying for it so...

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Well, he’s paying for it so...

So is she. 

[LittleIggy]

8 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

So is she. 

They kept saying they were living off his savings until he got a job (which he did).

Edited July 25, 2021 by LittleIggy

[aghst]

Hmm, that's quite a commitment if he's willing to pay for her housing and food.

What about her school costs, tuition, books, etc.

[Grrarrggh]

4 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

They kept saying they were living off his savings until he got a job (which he did).

Did they? I thought they said our savings. Or he may have said "his" but that might have just been his pov. I'll have to rewatch. 

[amarante]

How do people study abroad in a graduate program when they don’t know the language? In the US foreign grad students generally have to take the test measuring proficiency in English. 

[LittleIggy]

39 minutes ago, amarante said:

How do people study abroad in a graduate program when they don’t know the language? In the US foreign grad students generally have to take the test measuring proficiency in English. 

I’ve wondered about that, too. Maybe some programs are taught in English. Foreign students entering undergrad programs here have to have English proficiency too.

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, amarante said:

How do people study abroad in a graduate program when they don’t know the language? In the US foreign grad students generally have to take the test measuring proficiency in English. 

The universities that are chosen have English language programmes. 

[Grizzly]

Nottingham, England. Darn, I was hoping for Richard. How brave of them to take on that reno without knowing what they're doing. I guess it is all about location.

[chocolatine]

On 7/8/2021 at 2:47 PM, Dehumidifier said:

B) Europeans are not religious nowadays.

That's completely false, at least in Germany. The Christian Democrats are one of the two majority political parties. Plenty of Germans, including young people (Gen-X and millennials), are devout Catholics or Evangelicals. They're just not "in your face" about it, don't proselytize, and don't spout bigoted views in the name of religion.

On 7/9/2021 at 1:21 PM, Bastet said:

If you're too embarrassed to say on national TV that's what you're doing, maybe evaluate your life choices.

She said she's an EA to a CEO, which is true according to the website linked above. She just neglected to mention the nature of the organization that the CEO runs.

On 7/22/2021 at 1:28 AM, Kenzie said:

Yes, that was a 2012 episode of No Reservations shot in Malaysia. Living communally in close quarters in that traditional long house would have to either take a lot of respect for privacy or a very open attitude to the lack of privacy.

Judging by my own experience in Soviet communal apartments as well as a German refugee center, it's most definitely the latter. "Privacy" is not even a concept in those situations.

On 7/27/2021 at 10:32 AM, amarante said:

How do people study abroad in a graduate program when they don’t know the language? In the US foreign grad students generally have to take the test measuring proficiency in English. 

In the Netherlands many university programs are taught in English. There are a lot of international students *and* faculty. The son of a family friend lives in Germany but works as a lecturer in Maastricht, and since he's not fluent in Dutch he teaches in English.

Edited July 28, 2021 by chocolatine

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Nottingham, England. Darn, I was hoping for Richard. How brave of them to take on that reno without knowing what they're doing. I guess it is all about location.

I got tired of her sniping at him. I assume it was in a joking way, but it still annoyed me.

[Meowwww]

10 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I got tired of her sniping at him. I assume it was in a joking way, but it still annoyed me.

I got tired of her American expectations (and I’m American) and the faces she was making. 

[Dehumidifier]

1 hour ago, Meowwww said:

I got tired of her American expectations (and I’m American) and the faces she was making. 

Halfway through; switched to the news. She is obnoxious. Not sure I'm going back. Hope for his sake it was nerves on her part.

[Grrarrggh]

3 hours ago, Dehumidifier said:

Halfway through; switched to the news. She is obnoxious. Not sure I'm going back. Hope for his sake it was nerves on her part.

I think this one was down to the editor. He seemed just as snarky but, per usual, it was the woman who came off looking the worst. 

[seacliffsal]

So, first she tells us she did a semester abroad in England and loved it, then she states "in America we put flowers in vases."  So, which is it?  Love England or want to act all offended that things are different?  Even with producers prompting them, I am amazed that house hunters allow themselves to be shown in such a negative light.

[Grrarrggh]

22 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

So, first she tells us she did a semester abroad in England and loved it, then she states "in America we put flowers in vases."  So, which is it?  Love England or want to act all offended that things are different?  Even with producers prompting them, I am amazed that house hunters allow themselves to be shown in such a negative light.

I think a lot of it is different opinions on humour. I thought that was a funny comment as did my British husband. And loving a country doesn't mean you have to accept everything with blind devotion. 

[jacksgirl]

She was annoying. Have a feeling her mommy and daddy are footing bill for house. They did pick the best choice- location was the decider. 

[LittleIggy]

Perth: If the fiancée is hoping that she and her man will get their own place once they get married, she may be in for a rude awakening!

[debbie311]

Nottingham.  She was obnoxious, with her constant bullying of her partner.  Or husband?  Don't remember if they were married or not.

[Grizzly]

Valencia, Spain. Wow, what a back story. You'd think Katharine would concentrate on what would make him happy. All the places seem lovely. The realtor really made this episode. "This is Steve happy 😶 and this is Steve unhappy 😶." Glad Steve was good humored and played along.

[LittleIggy]

Loved the realtor in Valencia! He was funny and a silver fox. As a retired FBI agent, wouldn’t Steve have a pension?

[cinsays]

On 7/28/2021 at 12:53 AM, LittleIggy said:

I got tired of her sniping at him. I assume it was in a joking way, but it still annoyed me.

Yikes.

I found her to be very disagreeable and I am hoping he soon tires of her and they split. There was nothing at all cute or funny about her constant whining and acting like an entitled princess.

[chessiegal]

10 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Loved the realtor in Valencia! He was funny and a silver fox. As a retired FBI agent, wouldn’t Steve have a pension?

Absolutely. I'm a retired federal employee, and it's a delightful guarantee. Which also includes reasonable cost health insurance, can't be turned away.

And federal law enforcement agents can retire after 20 years. I had to work longer.

[Grrarrggh]

6 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Absolutely. I'm a retired federal employee, and it's a delightful guarantee. Which also includes reasonable cost health insurance, can't be turned away.

And federal law enforcement agents can retire after 20 years. I had to work longer.

He might have also gotten money from the 9/11 fund. 

[aghst]

On 7/29/2021 at 9:38 PM, LittleIggy said:

Loved the realtor in Valencia! He was funny and a silver fox. As a retired FBI agent, wouldn’t Steve have a pension?

 

16 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Absolutely. I'm a retired federal employee, and it's a delightful guarantee. Which also includes reasonable cost health insurance, can't be turned away.

And federal law enforcement agents can retire after 20 years. I had to work longer.

Maybe they're maintaining their home back in Virginia.

And by the housing market in VA, the $2400 they're paying is probably a lot lower than what they were paying back home, unless they've paid off that home already.

They'd have to pay utilities, property taxes and other incidentals to keep a home back in the US.  Or maybe they're helping out their kids too.

They said they'd stay one year and then think about applying for citizenship so this could just be a trial for them.  Especially if he has to come back to see his doctors in the US to check up on his cancer.

But the home they chose, seems to be more for the longer term, with her plans to have her whole family over.  If they were staying one year, the children would visit them maybe once or twice at the most?

If they stay longer than a year, then the bigger space would make more sense.

I suspect they had better resources than he let on, so they can easily afford this apartment.  Plus they're not talking about living an expensive lifestyle like traveling every weekend or every other weekend, like some other HHs have talked about doing once they're in Europe.

The home they chose is a great value for the money.  Thing that would add costs is getting  a car for frequent road trips, because the parking in the center of an old European city can get very expensive.

It's interesting that many of the Spain episodes seem to gravitate to Valencia.  Probably more affordable than Madrid and Barcelona, better weather than Madrid, maybe not as convenient for flying in and out of, especially from the US, as those other cities.

 

[chocolatine]

On 7/28/2021 at 9:44 PM, LittleIggy said:

Perth: If the fiancée is hoping that she and her man will get their own place once they get married, she may be in for a rude awakening!

I thought the brothers were very cute, but I felt bad for the fiancée as well. They said they planned to have seven people living on the same property: the three brothers, first brother's fiancée, and second brother's girlfriend in the main house, all sharing one bathroom, and the parents in the yet-to-be-built in-law unit. I'm also from Eastern Europe and grew up in the close family bonds, multi-generational living culture, but that would be too much closeness even for me.

I think this plan *has* to be temporary, because as soon as one of the couples start having kids, they'll run out of space. Probably the real plan is that it's just the parents and the oldest son buying the property (they mentioned in the intro that the parents are contributing a large chunk of the money, and the older brother is the only one with a full-time job), and that the two younger brothers will be living there just for a couple of years until they can afford to buy or rent places of their own.

[Grizzly]

Amsterdam. I'm not sure I'd leave Hawaii to live in Amsterdam. But I guess when you're young and unencumbered, try it. Is Allison wearing mom jeans? It's fun how well she and Sarah get along. Can't believe she thinks she could make that cramped boat work. #3 had the best space but those stairs. I was thinking she could get a job to pay the extra $100.

[LittleIggy]

Amsterdam: I didn’t think Option 2 looked dark. She must be an only child if her parents are paying her rent for her when she is 25. Wonder who paid for all her trips abroad?

[Grizzly]

14 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Amsterdam: I didn’t think Option 2 looked dark. She must be an only child if her parents are paying her rent for her when she is 25. Wonder who paid for all her trips abroad?

Not that there's anything wrong with being an only child and living at your parents' till you're 24. 😉

[Grrarrggh]

Amsterdam hunter, between surviving cancer and having a family that doesn't exactly look poor (Honolulu is expensive) I don't blame her or her family. And she wasn't asking for 3k a month or something. Plus, she's going to school and working. Seems good to me. 

[Texasmom1970]

Amsterdam house hunter. I did not think much about her living with her parents or them helping her because my 22 year old she lives with me. 

My youngest daughter passed away three years ago, she was 12. It makes us want to spend more time together because we know how precious it is and I know she will be off on her own soon.