House Hunters International - General Discussion

[Pine]

I hope that all the Australian House Hunters truly love where they are, since the entire country is on complete shutdown.  

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 9/17/2021 at 3:05 AM, aghst said:

They chose Korea over returning to the US and were willing to put their younger child into a local school rather than an international school.

But maybe it’s better for his pilot career to be in Korea.

They can’t speak the language or know how to take the subway but there must be some other base families to socialize with.

I think Korea over the U.S. is a great choice.  They get to move to a foreign country, but have lots of support, both institutional and social.  I think it's wonderful they're putting the younger kid in a local school.  What a great opportunity.

Sure beats the hell out of spending three years at Fort Hood in Texas.

The main thing I know Korea for these days is its superb internet infrastructure, so I do wonder if the wife's gaming had something to do with their choice.

And...I was thinking that a calm demeanor would be an asset for a pilot, but this guy took it to a whole nother level.  On the one hand, he seems like he would handle a mid-air emergency just the same as he handles starting his car in the morning, but then again, wouldn't military pilots benefit from more of an edge?

 

1 hour ago, tessaray said:

I assume mainly via ads. Just like Youtubers make money off the number of eyeballs they have. Though some are probably influencers getting paid directly.  

They also make money via direct payments from fans, which despite the misogyny in the community, might prove to be an advantage for a skilled and telegenic female player.

I watched a Tetris tournament the other day on ESPN.  I was transfixed, but then again, I remember getting a Gameboy when I was in my 30s, and would sit there and play Tetris (poorly) until my contacts stuck to my eyes.  The gaming setups for the boys in the tournament looked pleasingly low-tech--a chair in their bedroom, and not even a comfortable looking chair.  Ah, youth.

 

 

[LittleIggy]

Korea: Yeah, I think it’s cool that the younger kid is going to a local school. He can learn Korean quickly that way. I wondered if the two kids spoke German.

[LittleIggy]

Oz: The wife looked as if she could be the younger sister of Alex Guarnaschelli. 
Costa Rica: Wonder what the age difference is?

[proserpina65]

On 9/16/2021 at 8:07 AM, Cetacean said:

Way too big for one person.

Eh, what one person considers too big, I consider just fine for one person.  I, too, would've wanted to be at the beach.

On 9/16/2021 at 11:02 PM, Grizzly said:

Bribie Island, Australia. Does Molly look older than Sean? What does this guy have against a little yard work? Get a job and you can hire someone. Those kitchens don't look that outdated. Does he do the cooking? Sure that condo was spectacular, but I think Molly is looking for some privacy after living with resort guests. Nice trade off, she gets what she wants and he can have a boat.

I was with Sean on the yard work.  I hate it.

[Grrarrggh]

I really liked the Costa Rica pair. I wonder if he taught at ODU?

[Grizzly]

Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. We need to go to Germany and check on Kevin. At least he doesn't have to put up with this couple that want everything. Are they going to give their daughter the main bed and bath? Couldn't she have stayed with friends for senior year? And does this part of Germany not have parks? Derrick is getting tiresome with wanting a yard to play football with his boys. Play ball in the house.

[Thumper]

7 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. We need to go to Germany and check on Kevin. At least he doesn't have to put up with this couple that want everything. Are they going to give their daughter the main bed and bath? Couldn't she have stayed with friends for senior year? And does this part of Germany not have parks? Derrick is getting tiresome with wanting a yard to play football with his boys. Play ball in the house.

I missed which house they chose. Can someone tell me?  I could not tell from the ending.  Was it #3?  Figured it must not have been the one that was located farther away.
Yeah, it seemed that the daughter was going to get the “main” bedroom with en-suite bath — because they promised  her since she’d miss her senior year in high school back home.  Wow — nice for her!  And those bathrooms were big!  I get it but I also shake my head, having shared a bathroom with 9 others growing up, and somehow survived.

[lgprimes]

Positively drooling over the French Riviera tonight (what is Adrian doing way down there??!).

 Such a gorgeous part of the world and the properties were MUCH more affordable than I would have imagined! I’m ready to pack my bags.

[buttersister]

Quote

Play ball in the house.

Yeah, with that nice bonus room in house #3, I noticed the older boy playing his video games, which I'm sure made him almost as happy as his sister. Small town Germany? Parks galore. I was fine with the daughter getting her own bathroom--couldn't be easy to leave your friends at that age--she didn't seem spoiled and if she was whining about leaving, it would have been included. Of course, living in Europe is a great opportunity for her, but at 16? Sure it didn't seem like it back in Kansas.

The realtor was okay, but I miss Kevin, too.

Edited September 22, 2021 by buttersister

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. We need to go to Germany and check on Kevin. At least he doesn't have to put up with this couple that want everything. Are they going to give their daughter the main bed and bath? Couldn't she have stayed with friends for senior year? And does this part of Germany not have parks? Derrick is getting tiresome with wanting a yard to play football with his boys. Play ball in the house.

I’m packing right now! Where is my sweetie! 😱

[Grizzly]

Arnhem, Netherlands. I'm really warming up to Floor. She is exhibiting a sly sense of humor. She is definitely going to need a magic wand. They want to feel like they're in Europe but prefer the place that doesn't feel like Europe because of the size. I knew he could do window boxes on the balcony.

[Grizzly]

Perth, Australia. Frankly, I'm a little tired of Australia. Didn't pay too much attention to the hunt. They did have a unique meet cute story. That was a lot of wine! And they should get a dog to keep her company. Not sure how her being close to shops, cafes, and restaurants will save them money.

Edited September 23, 2021 by Grizzly
Everyone calls them shops, not stores.

[Grrarrggh]

The Arnhem buyer has obviously never heard of planters. 

[aghst]

On 9/21/2021 at 8:01 PM, Grizzly said:

Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. We need to go to Germany and check on Kevin. At least he doesn't have to put up with this couple that want everything. Are they going to give their daughter the main bed and bath? Couldn't she have stayed with friends for senior year? And does this part of Germany not have parks? Derrick is getting tiresome with wanting a yard to play football with his boys. Play ball in the house.

Geneva is not doing any dishes!

She checked for dishwasher in every home.

 

[Crashcourse]

I'm getting tired of Australia, too.

[Dehumidifier]

I had no idea that there were no quiet places or places with a view anywhere near New York until I just started rolling the Sutherland Shire Australia episode from Monday night. 🙄 Did she live in the middle of Times Square?

Edited September 24, 2021 by Dehumidifier
*near

[Grizzly]

London. Richard! Are we Americans all the same? Everyone wants to be near shops and have charm, but don't want to hear traffic noise or have people potentially look at them. Matt has pretty eyes. Brittany does too. Glad they thought of the dog when making their decision. Wonder if they'll name the baby Richard?

[LittleIggy]

The Noosa Hinterlands were gorgeous. Is the MD wife not going to practice medicine anymore and just start pushing herbs and yoga? 
The cabin made of shipping containers was awesome. Stunning view!

[aghst]

On 9/21/2021 at 8:56 PM, lgprimes said:

Positively drooling over the French Riviera tonight (what is Adrian doing way down there??!).

 Such a gorgeous part of the world and the properties were MUCH more affordable than I would have imagined! I’m ready to pack my bags.

I'm not seeing any new recently aired episodes from France with Adrian.

Could this have been a repeat?

[Crashcourse]

I'll just hide in the closet by myself because I have a really unpopular opinion.  I like Richard's personality but I think his beard and moustache are absolutely hideous.   I can't stand to look at him, especially when he's talking. 

[Bastet]

41 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I'll just hide in the closet by myself because I have a really unpopular opinion.  I like Richard's personality but I think his beard and moustache are absolutely hideous.   I can't stand to look at him, especially when he's talking. 

Scoot over.

I hate facial hair in general, so it's not a surprise I dislike his, but I find it aggressively awful.

[seacliffsal]

Oh nooooooos, the Netherlands couple didn't want the yard that the upstairs neighbors could (barely) look at, but chose the balcony apartment that everyone on the other side of the fence could see.  Hmmmm...

[aghst]

On 9/22/2021 at 7:37 PM, Grizzly said:

Arnhem, Netherlands. I'm really warming up to Floor. She is exhibiting a sly sense of humor. She is definitely going to need a magic wand. They want to feel like they're in Europe but prefer the place that doesn't feel like Europe because of the size. I knew he could do window boxes on the balcony.

Yeah she got that balcony in a nondescript building overlooking other apartment blocks.

I guess it’s convenient for having a beverage out there, get some air.

Floor is certainly a contrast from Sarah.  Both can be enjoyable depending on one’s mood.  She looks like a rocker chick, must have done some traveling in her younger days, very comfortable speaking English.

[aghst]

22 hours ago, Grizzly said:

London. Richard! Are we Americans all the same? Everyone wants to be near shops and have charm, but don't want to hear traffic noise or have people potentially look at them. Matt has pretty eyes. Brittany does too. Glad they thought of the dog when making their decision. Wonder if they'll name the baby Richard?

Seems like the decision was driven by price but Notting Hill was $200 more though it adds up.

She drove him to get the dog, the cat, start a family, move to London.  Reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where George complained of not having hand in his relationship — “I don’t have any hand, she has the (upper) hand!”

So it was surprising that she agreed with him to take the cheaper house.  But maybe $200 more on top of the $300 over their target was just too much.

I think it’s one of the few times a hunter opted into a longer commute, as opposed to being gaslit but their partner into it.

Regarding Richard’s beard, he definitely let it grow.  He must not have liked wearing masks.

 

Edited September 25, 2021 by aghst

[Cetacean]

6 hours ago, Bastet said:

Scoot over.

Table for three.  I can always imagine food getting in there.  Ugh.

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, aghst said:

I think it’s one of the few times a hunter opted into a longer commute, as opposed to being gaslit but their partner into it.

I think gaslit is a bit extreme. I'm sure I wouldn't want my partner a long commute away while I was home with a newborn. That 4th trimester is brutal. 

[LittleIggy]

9 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I'll just hide in the closet by myself because I have a really unpopular opinion.  I like Richard's personality but I think his beard and moustache are absolutely hideous.   I can't stand to look at him, especially when he's talking. 

I love Richard, but I hate his beard. It is too bushy. I was thinking tonight, while watching the new episode, that he needs to take a weed-whacker to it! I’m not big on facial hair, but a well-trimmed beard can be sexy. Think Alan Rickman in Diehard. 😍

[buttersister]

I love watching Richard. I dislike facial hair in general, his is no exception.

 I enjoy the realtors who are legit, know what they’re talking about and exhibit good humor dealing with these HHs. 

[laredhead]

I watched the latest London episode and Australian episode last night, and thought the comparison of the couples was interesting.  The couple who moved to Australia (he was from Ireland, and she was from Ohio) had not known each other very long before they married, and moved to Australia.  He was a paramedic with the goal of going to medical school to be a doctor, and she was a designer who liked DIY projects.  They were spending $500,000 on a house!  There was some hidden money there I think.  The woman was very emotional when she spoke about leaving her family to move halfway around the world, and the man at one point, said maybe they got married too soon, when they were each describing what they wanted in a house.  The vibe between them just didn't feel comfortable to me.  I hope their marriage works, and she enjoys the pool she wanted so much.  

As for the London couple, I think they had a good partnership.  Someone mentioned upthread that the husband said his wife had encouraged him to take the job and move to London.  They both seemed to be pretty much in agreement with the type of place they wanted, and I think their relationship showed more maturity and insight into each other's goals, and the reality of becoming parents.  I enjoyed that episode more than the Australian one because there wasn't any bickering.  I liked the apartment they chose, and it's always nice to see Richard and hear his take on the HH's.         

[LittleIggy]

Oz: Since the wife had design and DIY skills, I kept thinking “get a place with projects so she can keep busy.”

[QQQQ]

20 hours ago, Cetacean said:

Table for three.  I can always imagine food getting in there.  Ugh.

It reminds me of Wooly Willy, the magnetic kids' game.

[aghst]

The Perth episode she talked a big game about all the renovations and redesigning she was going to do.

Then supposedly 3 months later, she’d mostly hung out at the pool and took a little retail job.

Maybe she was auditioning for her own HGTV show, since they seem to have a lot of shows featuring young women redesigning and remodeling.

Or maybe she should have spent time developing skills for a career type of job unless she wants her aspiring doctor husband to provide for her.

 

In the London suburbs episode, Richard kept saying they needed to raise their budget.  Sounded like money was tight, that he’d still have his college car and had it shipped over.

They were also having their furniture shipped over as well.

He found the extra $70k because she wasn’t driving him to the rail station and the kids to school.

Or the budgets claimed on this show are fictional.

[LittleIggy]

London: It didn’t appear that the husband was moving for an academic position in London. At least that’s how it appeared to me. A university was never mentioned.

[StatisticalOutlier]

20 hours ago, aghst said:

Or the budgets claimed on this show are fictional.

Apparently the bathrooms are.  We didn't see a single one in London.  Probably helps keep the rent down, but I'd worry about cholera.

[Jodithgrace]

Perth wife was all about the building and remodeling she was going to do. But every time the husband complained about the maintenance of a pool, I kept waiting for wife to chime in with "I'll do the pool maintenance!" But she didn't. And sure enough, in the happily ever after, hubby is skimming the pool and builder wife is "supervising." 

Sigh. I mean she wanted the pool, why couldn't she maintain it? 

[proserpina65]

On 9/22/2021 at 11:08 PM, Grizzly said:

Perth, Australia. Frankly, I'm a little tired of Australia. Didn't pay too much attention to the hunt. They did have a unique meet cute story. That was a lot of wine! And they should get a dog to keep her company. Not sure how her being close to shops, cafes, and restaurants will save them money.

Maybe they won't need a second car in order to get to grocery stores?  That's usually what they mean when they talk about being close to shops.

On 9/23/2021 at 5:16 PM, Crashcourse said:

I'm getting tired of Australia, too.

I'm not tired of Australia, but I do wish they'd use a few more places IN the country, not just the same few cities/towns.  Like, I could do without seeing Noosa for a little while.

On 9/24/2021 at 12:30 AM, LittleIggy said:

The Noosa Hinterlands were gorgeous. Is the MD wife not going to practice medicine anymore and just start pushing herbs and yoga? 
The cabin made of shipping containers was awesome. Stunning view!

I wanted to watch that one for the visuals, but just couldn't with the stupid holistic crap.

On 9/24/2021 at 2:11 AM, aghst said:

I'm not seeing any new recently aired episodes from France with Adrian.

Could this have been a repeat?

It was.  This was the episode where the "second bedroom" was a weird bed in a bathroom, literally right next to the toilet.

On 9/24/2021 at 9:22 PM, aghst said:

Seems like the decision was driven by price but Notting Hill was $200 more though it adds up.

That was the one with the crazy wallpaper, right?  I don't think I could've lived with that.

On 9/26/2021 at 12:28 AM, LittleIggy said:

London: It didn’t appear that the husband was moving for an academic position in London. At least that’s how it appeared to me. A university was never mentioned.

Maybe aghst was talking about a different episode?  The one I saw didn't involve the suburbs at all and there weren't any kids yet.

 

[LittleIggy]

47 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

 

Maybe aghst was talking about a different episode?  The one I saw didn't involve the suburbs at all and there weren't any kids yet.

 

No, we were referring to the same episode. The husband was a professor of finance in the US, but no mention was made of an academic job in London, just a job in finance.

[proserpina65]

3 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

No, we were referring to the same episode. The husband was a professor of finance in the US, but no mention was made of an academic job in London, just a job in finance.

Okay, maybe I'm the one who saw a different episode then.

[Rootbeer]

5 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Maybe they won't need a second car in order to get to grocery stores?  That's usually what they mean when they talk about being close to shops.

I'm not tired of Australia, but I do wish they'd use a few more places IN the country, not just the same few cities/towns.  Like, I could do without seeing Noosa for a little while.

 

 

The major problem I have with Australia is that I think the houses are generally kind of boring and uninteresting.  I much prefer the architectural styles seen in Europe and Asia.

[Chicken Fingers]

On 9/21/2021 at 11:13 PM, Thumper said:

I missed which house they chose. Can someone tell me?  I could not tell from the ending.  Was it #3?  Figured it must not have been the one that was located farther away.
Yeah, it seemed that the daughter was going to get the “main” bedroom with en-suite bath — because they promised  her since she’d miss her senior year in high school back home.  Wow — nice for her!  And those bathrooms were big!  I get it but I also shake my head, having shared a bathroom with 9 others growing up, and somehow survived.

Right? I was a military brat and moved countries in both middle school and then in late high school, and my parents wouldn't have dreamed of giving me their room to make up for anything. It was all Shape up or ship out! at my house.

[Pine]

On 9/25/2021 at 6:09 AM, laredhead said:

I watched the latest London episode and Australian episode last night, and thought the comparison of the couples was interesting.  The couple who moved to Australia (he was from Ireland, and she was from Ohio) had not known each other very long before they married, and moved to Australia.  He was a paramedic with the goal of going to medical school to be a doctor, and she was a designer who liked DIY projects.  They were spending $500,000 on a house!  There was some hidden money there I think.  The woman was very emotional when she spoke about leaving her family to move halfway around the world, and the man at one point, said maybe they got married too soon, when they were each describing what they wanted in a house.  The vibe between them just didn't feel comfortable to me.  I hope their marriage works, and she enjoys the pool she wanted so much.  

I didn't realize that they are already married.  I worry too.  If she doesn't run home in 3 years, then they will stick together.  (engaged to someone in another country and lived there for a few years, went home, glad I didn't wed.)

[proserpina65]

20 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

The major problem I have with Australia is that I think the houses are generally kind of boring and uninteresting.  I much prefer the architectural styles seen in Europe and Asia.

I don't totally disagree with you there.  I much prefer the European episodes.  (I have no interest in Asia at all.)  But generally I like the scenery in the Australia ones.

[amarante]

21 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

The major problem I have with Australia is that I think the houses are generally kind of boring and uninteresting.  I much prefer the architectural styles seen in Europe and Asia.

I agree. For the most part they resemble the most banal of the US homes.

I wonder if the pandemic has impacted where they can shoot. I DVR HH International and HH and there are generally two HH International almost every night and there is only one HH - and often there are HH International shows broadcast on nights when there is no HH broadcast.

The Mexican resort episodes are fairly boring as well unless the house hunters are spending a LOT of money so there is some house porn. But the generic low budget homes are of little interest to me.

[aghst]

I don't know, I don't see tract homes in the Australian episodes.

One obvious difference is a lot of them have these doors which open to the backyard all the way.

That's not really common in the US, I don't think.  Maybe they are in the Sunbelt states.  But my guess is in those places, they just shut the door and blast the AC.

Most of the homes featured in the Australian episodes have usually been renovated, so they look clean.  Compare and contrast to regular HH episodes.

In general, the homes they show seem roomier and more modern than those in the European episodes.

[Grrarrggh]

On 9/25/2021 at 9:08 PM, aghst said:

In the London suburbs episode, Richard kept saying they needed to raise their budget.  Sounded like money was tight, that he’d still have his college car and had it shipped over. They were also having their furniture shipped over as well. He found the extra $70k because she wasn’t driving him to the rail station and the kids to school. Or the budgets claimed on this show are fictional.

He said in the beginning he was getting a good pay rise for this new job, which makes sense as the City does pay well. And it seemed he shipped the car over for sentimental reasons, not budgetary ones. 

[Crashcourse]

Amsterdam:  I liked the couple and the place they chose, but I couldn't help looking at Floor trying to walk in those really high espadrilles she was wearing.  I thought she might snap an ankle.

[aghst]

Amsterdam, they chose the most expensive one.

Closest to the kids' school but far away from the city center she wanted to be in.

She was worried about getting a job after living 15 years in the US.  Maybe she didn't establish much of a career in The Netherlands before she went to the US.

One of those rare cases where the American home they used to live in was smaller than some of the choices shown.

 

Playa del Carmen - either the house hunters were really playing up their differences or one of them really relented.  They were trashing the choices which they knew their partner liked the best.

During the deliberations, they didn't tip which way they were going to go but they went for the most expensive, the furthest away from town, so probably additional expense of needing a car.

Interesting, they were going to open a concierge business to help basically Americans navigate moving to Mexico, like all the bureaucracy and such,

So they were going to help house hunters find homes?

[LittleIggy]

11 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I don't totally disagree with you there.  I much prefer the European episodes.  (I have no interest in Asia at all.)  But generally I like the scenery in the Australia ones.

I would love to see more episodes in Asia and Latin America.

Amsterdam: The couple with two children moving from NYC…am I the only one who could have sworn he was gay? 

[MartyQui]

9 hours ago, aghst said:

So they were going to help house hunters find homes?

It sounded like they were going to help with the settling in part…immigration, how to set up utilities, etc.  I’ve read David Liebowitz’ Paris book, and it sounds like there are a lot of differences there compared to the US, probably the same in every country.