House Hunters International - General Discussion

[proserpina65]

On 3/11/2022 at 8:24 PM, javajeanelaine said:

I would’ve picked the Wimbledon  house, hands-down.

I'd have gone for the first Fulham house for me, but for that family, yeah, the Wimbledon house was probably the best for them.

18 hours ago, aghst said:

In the US, people move out of places like Manhattan and go for some place with more space to raise a family.

Some people do, plenty of others don't.  It's perfectly possible to raise children in an urban environment.

 

[mojito]

On 3/12/2022 at 11:35 AM, aghst said:

Problem is you're competing for housing with an international market, so you hear about the oligarchs and sheiks in London but probably a lot of mere millionaires come from similar countries and bid up prices.

In the US and Canada, you're competing with corporations. In Atlanta, 40% of home sales are going to corporations. They purchase the homes, then rent them out at a premium. All you gotta do is offer a few dollars more and pay cash, and you've eliminated your competition, which, unfortunately, is a private person/family. Corporations vs average citizens. You can't buy and rent is skyrocketing. 

It's tough all over.

[Grizzly]

Nosara, Costa Rica. Ugh don't like what the wife is wearing. Homeschooling 4 kids? And he works from home too. That's a lot of togetherness. They sold their home in Southern California, wonder why their budget isn't larger. Sarah is working hard. How can they say the container house has more space when he doesn't have an office and there's no backyard? Call bs on their budget, house is a way over and that custom homeschool built-in looked pricey.

[LittleIggy]

Costa Rica: I liked the second house the best. Putting up kitchen cabinets wouldn’t cost a fortune. 

[aghst]

All those homes in Nosara were too small for that family.

In 5 years or so, the oldest girls would be complaining about having to share rooms and one bathroom for 4 girls.

But husband talked up investment when choosing that container home so maybe they expect to make money on that home and move up to a larger home.

She talked about downsizing and simplifying their life, getting rid of "things" and how if they stayed in California they'd have to get more things for their children, like technology.

OK it sounds like money is tight, not just that they want to go Green Acres or Mosquito Coast.

Maybe 4 children was more than they bargained for?

The girls are always wearing the same outfits.  Maybe they got a good deal on those swimsuits or clothes or maybe they were home-made?

 

[Thumper]

I’d like to know how long they stay there.  The dad didn’t have the quiet space he said he needed for his work (whatever he does ).  Looked like he was working in the kitchen.

It was interesting how limited their options were.

[mojito]

1 hour ago, Thumper said:

I’d like to know how long they stay there.  The dad didn’t have the quiet space he said he needed for his work (whatever he does ).  

Me, too. And not just that container home, Costa Rica.

He said he had a background in executive marketing roles and that he was a consultant. I hope he's generating money doing those important-sounding vague things.

I'm guessing they have moved to CR for financial reasons. Maybe now they're mortgage-free. 

Homeschooling sounds horrible for both the mother and the kids. Geez, how does anyone get any "me" time? 

 

 

 

[amarante]

10 hours ago, aghst said:

 

Maybe 4 children was more than they bargained for?

 

 

I assume when there are largish families with the same sex that they wanted to have one of the opposite gender. I bet they would have stopped at three or even two if there had been a boy. 

[debbie311]

On 3/16/2022 at 8:36 AM, aghst said:

She talked about downsizing and simplifying their life, getting rid of "things" and how if they stayed in California they'd have to get more things for their children, like technology.

OK it sounds like money is tight, not just that they want to go Green Acres or Mosquito Coast.

Maybe 4 children was more than they bargained for?

The girls are always wearing the same outfits.  Maybe they got a good deal on those swimsuits or clothes or maybe they were home-made?

 

As if you can't downsize and get rid of things in California.  One of my pet peeves on HHI.  People who feel they need to move out of the country to simplify their lives or have more "family time." I live in California.  There are plenty of people who are able to do this.

And they are going to need technology for home-schooling those girls, especially as they get older.  Maybe they will go to private school there when they reach high-school age? Because in order to get into college, they will need college prep courses, foreign language, math and science, etc. How does a home-schooler do that out in the middle of nowhere? All online? How about socialization with other kids? I just see their children as being disadvantaged by moving to the jungle in CR.

[mojito]

5 hours ago, debbie311 said:

As if you can't downsize and get rid of things in California.  One of my pet peeves on HHI.  People who feel they need to move out of the country to simplify their lives or have more "family time." I live in California.  There are plenty of people who are able to do this.

Initially, I wondered if this was a quote from one of my earlier posts!

It annoys me, too, that people blame a place instead of evaluating their own choices and a need to comply with their peers (which you know they probably tell their children not to do). Getting away from crowds, crime, pollution, and traffic is one thing, but getting away from materialism? If you don't like it, don't participate in the purchasing of things. 

I suspect many of these people are unable to keep up with the Joneses, know it, and move where there aren't many Joneses around or where they can become the Joneses.

[aghst]

Maybe their daughters were socializing with other kids who had iPhones already.

I think it's a valid reaction, not to want to give their young kids an expensive piece of technology.

They could hand down their older phones like many people do.

But maybe they just didn't think it would be good for their kids at their ages.  There has certainly been media coverage about how things like phones and social media had adverse effects on emotional health of young teen girls, for instance.

[Cetacean]

7 hours ago, debbie311 said:

How does a home-schooler do that out in the middle of nowhere?

I admit to being mystified as to how home schooling works. How can one parent be knowledgeable in everything for all ages of kids?  I realize that there are online curricula and lesson plans but how can you go from teaching reading to a first grader to teaching physics to a teen in the same day?  Seems like the home schooling crowd, especially those without internet access, would end up with poorly educated kids. 

The home schoolers in my rural area are mainly fundy church types - the girls don't "need" an education because they are expected to marry in their late teens and the boys are supposed to do manual labor of some type, usually alongside the father.  They don't want the kids fluent in anything considered worldly such as art, music, or science.

Obviously there are exceptions to every rule but no way in hell would I take on educating my own kids.

That whole CR storyline smelled fishy to me.

[deirdra]

19 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

That whole CR storyline smelled fishy to me.

Perhaps they were leaving California to escape from creditors.

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, Cetacean said:

8 hours ago, debbie311 said:

How does a home-schooler do that out in the middle of nowhere?

I admit to being mystified as to how home schooling works. How can one parent be knowledgeable in everything for all ages of kids?  I realize that there are online curricula and lesson plans but how can you go from teaching reading to a first grader to teaching physics to a teen in the same day?  Seems like the home schooling crowd, especially those without internet access, would end up with poorly educated kids. 

I am the proud grandmother of 7 homeschooled grands until 8th grade. When they tested to get into private school, they made it getting into AP classes, and are getting straight As. Their mother is very organized and at one point was a teacher. It can be done.

[Crashcourse]

34 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Their mother is very organized and at one point was a teacher.

But that's the difference.

[LittleIggy]

France: I want to go to the Valley of the Monkeys! 🐒 I liked the second property best. Of course, it already had cats! 
On a shallow note, that woman’s mouth scared me! 😬

Edited March 18, 2022 by LittleIggy

[cinsays]

12 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

But that's the difference.

yeah, and the mother, excuse me "career mom", seemed a little mentally off to me.  could be just me, i just didn't like her.

[Cetacean]

14 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I am the proud grandmother of 7 homeschooled grands until 8th grade. When they tested to get into private school, they made it getting into AP classes, and are getting straight As.

Hence my statement:  Obviously there are exceptions to every rule ...

Career Mom just didn't seem to have the wherewithal to handle that many kids especially if there was no apparent plan for formal schooling after a certain age.

[Jodithgrace]

Who knew there were monkeys in France? They seemed like a really nice couple, though they didn’t mention exactly how they got together, since it seems that they were both married to other people when they met. No judgment from me, I’m just nosy.

I’ve been to a few bed and breakfasts in Europe.  They differ widely in accommodations. We stayed in one, where it seemed like we threw the owners out of their own bedroom. There were cloths draped over all their personal stuff on the bureaus, etc.  It was weird, but thankfully just for one night, and the breakfast room was delightful. 
 

So, more power to them if they can get it all up and running. 

 

 

 

 

 

[tessaray]

15 hours ago, Cetacean said:

I admit to being mystified as to how home schooling works. How can one parent be knowledgeable in everything for all ages of kids?  I realize that there are online curricula and lesson plans but how can you go from teaching reading to a first grader to teaching physics to a teen in the same day?  Seems like the home schooling crowd, especially those without internet access, would end up with poorly educated kids. 

The home schoolers in my rural area are mainly fundy church types - the girls don't "need" an education because they are expected to marry in their late teens and the boys are supposed to do manual labor of some type, usually alongside the father.  They don't want the kids fluent in anything considered worldly such as art, music, or science.

Obviously there are exceptions to every rule but no way in hell would I take on educating my own kids.

That whole CR storyline smelled fishy to me.

Both public and private schools can turn out poorly educated young adults.

My husband and I homeschooled our 4 kids. Well, more unschooled. I was not very organized or dedicated to emulating a school environment, so it suited us better. (And Dad got the advanced math tutoring.) They took the GED as soon as they turned 17 and went straight into community college. 3 of the 4 have very technical careers. 

I've noticed homeschooling is popular these days with military families and others who move a lot, including ex-pats. While you lose that local interaction, there is less upheaval for the kids. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

17 hours ago, mojito said:

Getting away from crowds, crime, pollution, and traffic is one thing, but getting away from materialism? If you don't like it, don't participate in the purchasing of things.

I couldn't agree more, but I bet it's hard for some people, especially if you have kids.  Even though I eschew all of it now, I remember what it was like being young and caring about what everybody else was doing and wearing, and wanting to fit in.

And maybe it's so hard for some people they have to take themselves out of that environment and be somewhere where they're not tempted.  I'm happily nonmaterialistic, so it's not an issue for me.  That said, I make a conscious decision not to keep my favorite candy in the house, which is probably not that different from what they're doing, on a theoretical level.

15 hours ago, Cetacean said:

I realize that there are online curricula and lesson plans but how can you go from teaching reading to a first grader to teaching physics to a teen in the same day? 

Just hand it over to the kid.  I have an old boyfriend who was raised Amish, and went to school only until 8th grade, I think it was.  This would be around 1960.  He sent off for a high school correspondence course, and taught himself.  Including algebra! 

He got accepted to college (a "famous football school," as he referred to it), and eventually became a lawyer. 

Probably just to show his parents they were wrong.  😀

3 minutes ago, tessaray said:

I've noticed homeschooling is popular these days with military families and others who move a lot, including ex-pats. While you lose that local interaction, there is less upheaval for the kids. 

I understand the trauma of upheaval, but think the local interaction would be so enriching.  But maybe it's the sort of thing the victims appreciate only in hindsight.

However, the HH family was apparently going there to stay, so it wouldn't be constant upheaval for them. 

And actually, going to the local school is not unlike moving to a new town when you have a job waiting for you there.  It gives you a place to be and some structure built in, and makes you part of the community immediately.

[aghst]

Charante, France the main thing is the river?

I don't remember the main town they were talking about, was it Fléac, which is near the Charente river.

But that area seems to be away from bigger tourist draws like Boreaux 90 minutes to the SW, Cognac about 45 minutes to the west and Limoges, 90 minutes to the east.

So prices are relatively low, buys a lot of property.

I wonder when they launched their B&B.  During the pandemic, would they want to live next to their guests, even have common areas like a lounge in which to mix with strangers?

Plus the set up was that some of the rooms would have to share bathrooms.  Even before the pandemic, that wouldn't be so appealing.

The one they chose had the best location and probably best living situation for them.  She didn't like the second one with a curtain separating the bed from the lounge.

I don't think the monkeys are native to this region or France.  It sounds like they brought them in to preserve some endangered species as well as become a tourist attractions.  Wiki refers to 5 births of some endangered species but the rest probably would have been imported.

 

[Grizzly]

Charente, France. What I didn't understand was they were leaving Brussels to get away from the hustle and bustle. Doesn't Belgium have any rural areas? Sure, if you can move to France, why not. But they made it sound like it was their only option. I would never want to run a B&B, you're always working.

[mojito]

Charente, France

Maybe I wasn't paying close attention. I got the sense that the couple's heart was more into living in the south of France (not southern France or south France, but the south of France) than running a B&B. Like @Grizzly said, you're always working when you run a B&B. 

I was hoping that this would be another one of those HHI episodes where the Brits were buying some ruin on the continent to convert to something livable. It's shocking how cheap it can be to purchase rural properties in France and Spain. If only I didn't live in the south of the US.

[aghst]

Belgium does have rural areas but it's much smaller than France.

So maybe comes down to costs.  They're both quitting their jobs and they can buy properties large enough for running a B&B in France more easily than in Belgium, perhaps.

The place itself doesn't seem to be much of a draw, other than people wanting a real slow pace holiday along the river.

But it's not too far from more popular tourist destinations so maybe that's the idea.

I think they said he at least spent time in the summers with his family in the south of France?

So maybe they have enough familiarity with the area.

It doesn't have appeal to me, doesn't seem to have as many amenities as more popular areas.

But I remember my grandparents talking about just getting away from the city and spending summers in the country, not doing things but just spending slow, long days.

They once took me to a place with no electricity and I HATED it, even as a little kid.  No TV or anything but pitch black by 8 PM.  Good if you want to stargaze and maybe take photos of galaxies  but not good for anything else.

 

[LittleIggy]

The Valley of the Monkeys is a wildlife refuge. The monkeys and apes were brought there. No Gallic monkeys!

[Rootbeer]

On 3/17/2022 at 11:14 PM, LittleIggy said:

France: I want to go to the Valley of the Monkeys! 🐒 I liked the second property best. Of course, it already had cats! 
On a shallow note, that woman’s mouth scared me! 😬

I also want to visit the monkeys.  And, I am just as shallow as you; the first time she opened her mouth to speak, I was stunned.  Not to criticize her looks, but her huge mouth was much too big for rest of her face, kinda shocking, at first.

I am also surprised at how many people think it will be ever so relaxing and easy to run a B&B and that it will be their ticket to a peaceful life.  Having known a couple people who owned them, the 24/7/365 aspect as well as dealing with a demanding clientele doesn't seem compatible with a slower pace.

Edited March 19, 2022 by Rootbeer

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

And, I am just as shallow as you; the first time she opened her mouth to speak, I was stunned.  Not to criticize her looks, but her huge mouth was much too big for rest of her face, kinda shocking, at first.

I didn't notice her because of her husband's serial killer haircut. 

[buttersister]

Quote

The place itself doesn't seem to be much of a draw, other than people wanting a real slow pace holiday along the river.

Charente has the town of Cognac, so tours there would be a thing if they're anywhere near. I think by slower pace of life they meant not going to an office and living in a bustling city. They'll still be working hard, but for themselves and no commute.😀

[ML89]

7 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

I am also surprised at how many people think it will be ever so relaxing and easy to run a B&B and that it will be their ticket to a peaceful life.  Having known a couple people who owned them, the 24/7/365 aspect as well as dealing with a demanding clientele doesn't seem compatible with a slower pace.

I knew someone who flew jets in the Vietnam War and he said running a B&B was infinitely harder and worse.

[laredhead]

I watched the France B&B episode last night.  The countryside looked beautiful, and would be a place I would love to visit.  Running a B&B sounds like it would be one of the last things on my list of things to do for a living.  The only way I would ever consider it, it to be able to live in a separate building, hire a cook, and hire a couple of house keepers.  I would also need to have reliable repair people on call for the inevitable toilet overflow, kitchen drain emergency, roof leak, etc. especially in a rural area like that.  I'm not anti-social, but I don't want to live in a house with strangers, and have to cook and clean up after them.  I have no idea how much free time an owner would have, because other than not renting it out for specified times, you would be on call all the time.  I wonder how successful they have been.  Has anyone been able to find their B&B location and information?

Edited March 20, 2022 by laredhead
Correcting spelling

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm watching the most awkward episode "Dressing up in Kaiserslautern".  Google says:  Sep 23, 2020.

Quote

S146:E15 Dressing Up in Kaiserslautern. Free | TV-G | Sep 23, 2020 | 22m. A Louisiana couple follow his military transfer to Kaiserslautern, Germany; she's giving up her job for the move and starting a fashion and style blog, so she hopes to find a home with plenty of space for her clothes, as well as room for their pets.

The realtor in this one is a real asshole.  She keeps calling the woman of the couple "A spoiled picky pink princess" right to her face. Meanwhile the woman in the couple is completely reasonable saying things like, I prefer hardwood floors over tile, and I don't really like this light fixture.  But she definitely likes some of the places overall, like the first one, because it's so large, and the last one.  All she really cares about is storage space.  I can relate.

The realtor keeps repeating, in every single segment, "You're a spoiled pink princess."  It's really uncomfortable.  Now the husband is uncomfortable too and defending his wife.

Oh god now the husband is agreeing with the realtor.  

Edited March 21, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

Now I'm watching "Adventures in Antwerp, Belgium" from 2018.

Quote

A family follows a job transfer to Antwerp, Belgium, but has different ideas on how to get the full experience. She wants a home with Belgian charm in the heart of the action, but he's looking for a suburban home that guarantees a short commute.  Air date: May 14, 2018

The realtor says that this couple wants such different things that if they can't make it work, they should get a divorce (To the camera).  Now, this time I agree with the realtor.  The husband is an insufferable asshole.  The wife is moving for HIS JOB and will be taking care of the kids but he doesn't even give 1% of a fuck about what she likes.  What is the point of moving to Antwerp and sticking your wife in the suburbs where she has no access to the city while you work?

These places are all gorgeous.  I am dreamily sighing at everything.  Their budget is $2200 USD a month.

Okay good, in the end the wife got her way.  Haha!  I know that sometimes the buyers and renters 'act for the camera' for the sake of drama but this was way too over the top.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[proserpina65]

On 3/18/2022 at 12:09 PM, Jodithgrace said:

Who knew there were monkeys in France? They seemed like a really nice couple, though they didn’t mention exactly how they got together, since it seems that they were both married to other people when they met. No judgment from me, I’m just nosy.

I’ve been to a few bed and breakfasts in Europe.  They differ widely in accommodations. We stayed in one, where it seemed like we threw the owners out of their own bedroom. There were cloths draped over all their personal stuff on the bureaus, etc.  It was weird, but thankfully just for one night, and the breakfast room was delightful. 
 

So, more power to them if they can get it all up and running. 

 

 

 

 

 

That couple were remarkably reasonable about their budget, needs/wants and expectations.  They were pleasant and neither had a weird voice or anything.  Not much drama at all.  Which I liked.

I don't think I could stay at a B&B that close to free-roaming monkeys.  They kinda freak me out a bit.  Although there were some cute little ones, sort of golden brown.

On 3/18/2022 at 12:58 PM, aghst said:

Plus the set up was that some of the rooms would have to share bathrooms.  Even before the pandemic, that wouldn't be so appealing.

That's not uncommon for B&Bs.  I've rarely stayed in one where I've had a bathroom to myself.  Most people who frequent B&Bs know they're going to be sharing bathrooms.  At least at my level of price.

On 3/18/2022 at 4:34 PM, aghst said:

The place itself doesn't seem to be much of a draw, other than people wanting a real slow pace holiday along the river.

Sounds like there are water activities like kayaking.  That would definitely draw a certain sporty type of tourist.

 

[Grizzly]

Glasgow, Scotland. Funny seeing the Aussies all bundled up and the realtor was wearing a blazer. With house #2, it was right on budget but Julian said it was too expensive. Why set that as the budget? And then they pick the 1 bathroom place far away from the train. I'm very confused.

[Cetacean]

9 hours ago, Grizzly said:

And then they pick the 1 bathroom place far away from the train. I'm very confused.

I always have to remember that the the selected house is one they are already living in.  Why they pick two more decoys that are much nicer or a more appropriate choice is what confuses me. 

A half hour walk to the train and then the ride to work?  Seems nuts to me.

[aghst]

Glasgow, I guess money was their main criterium.

He says he doesn't have to work as many hours as he used to back in Australia.

If he's really doing construction as opposed to being a foreman, probably not something he can do indefinitely.

They seemed like a happy family, always smiling.  But that may be mostly for the cameras, at least for the parents.

Has to be a big change from Brisbane to Scotland.  They may have liked seeing snow and the seasons but how long does that novelty last after being used to living in a place with a lot of sun?

Maybe this isn't a long-term move unless they plan to travel around the UK and Europe.  She expressed interest in that but budget constraints could make that more difficult.

[mojito]

Glasgow

I agree with those who are confused by the home they picked. I'm not sure what being next door to a train station entails, and that seemed like the only possible downside to place #2. It seemed like a quiet area. 

Nice couple, a nice family. HHI could edit out the silly, selfish, or irrelevant things that kids might say; I'd be interested in hearing kids' thoughts about their new homes in their new countries. I'd like to know how these kids felt about moving to Scotland: change in landscape, weather, even accents. I suppose that would be another show, the oft-requested "HHI: Where Are They Now?"

Glasgow might be charming, but it wouldn't be my cup of tea. If I was so enamored with a fireplace, I'd settle for a YouTube video of a fireplace on a cool Brisbane night and that would be that. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I just watched "Digital Nomading in Vietnam".  The guy creeped me out by asking his (Vietnamese, female) realtor "Do Vietnamese girls like American guys?  .... Asking for a friend."  

At the end of the episode, HE'S DATING HER 😭😭😭😭😭

Quote

S156.E7

Digital Nomading in Vietnam

Episode aired Jan 5, 2021

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[aghst]

Might be one of these cases of fake agents.

Where are you seeing these old episodes, on the app or probably they run repeat episodes during odd hours?

 

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I have HGTV in Canada.  They rerun them constantly.  I also have like 200 episodes saved on my PVR to watch.

I think they often air at 8 and 11 PM EST (House Hunters International) and then 8:30 and 11:30 PM EST for House Hunters.

Then randomly they'll have marathons.

Edited March 24, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[aghst]

Ah I got about 80 episodes of HH on mine, recorded as new.

Only watching the last segment and I still can't keep up.

Probably will delete them without watching.

[amarante]

18 minutes ago, aghst said:

Ah I got about 80 episodes of HH on mine, recorded as new.

Only watching the last segment and I still can't keep up.

Probably will delete them without watching.

I find that recording HH and HHI to be very strange.

I have two DVR cable boxes but the boxes are different. One will record more shows even though I have them both programmed for "new only". 

Some of them are so unmemorable - well most of them are unmemorable - and so I often can't remember viewing them. 🤷🏼‍♀️ but it is extremely odd that the DVR boxes somehow "read" the programming differently.

[Ms Blue Jay]

3 hours ago, aghst said:

Ah I got about 80 episodes of HH on mine, recorded as new.

Only watching the last segment and I still can't keep up.

Probably will delete them without watching.

On St. Patrick's Day, they reran like 10 Ireland episodes!  I recorded them all.

[proserpina65]

On 3/22/2022 at 11:03 PM, Grizzly said:

Glasgow, Scotland. Funny seeing the Aussies all bundled up and the realtor was wearing a blazer. With house #2, it was right on budget but Julian said it was too expensive. Why set that as the budget? And then they pick the 1 bathroom place far away from the train. I'm very confused.

I think the top of the budget is sometimes what they can stretch to afford but not really what they're comfortable with.  (And of course, we know they're already living in the place they "choose" on the show.)

I liked the first place but did question the practicality of the bathroom situation and location for them.  The family itself was okay, although I did find the wife's voice a little annoying.

23 hours ago, mojito said:

Glasgow might be charming, but it wouldn't be my cup of tea.

Scotland is a lovely place.  To visit.  In the summer.  I wouldn't want to live there in the winter.  Although, to be fair, I don't think I'd want to live in Brisbane year round either.  Melbourne or Adelaide, sure.

[Grizzly]

Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Another corporate couple looking to slow down by running a B&B. Sarah, oh I don't get many requests to look for B&Bs. 🙄

Nick has striking eyes. These properties look more like resorts than what I envision B&Bs to be. They all seem ideal. Not sure what they needed to do to the place they bought to get it ready for renters.

[Thumper]

I think B&Bs are so.much.work!!!  I don’t know how much free time they’ll have once they actually start up.  But good luck to them!

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, Thumper said:

I think B&Bs are so.much.work!!!  I don’t know how much free time they’ll have once they actually start up.  But good luck to them!

No kidding. Are they going to do the cooking, property maintenance, and housekeeping themselves (which I assume they are)? If so, they might look back fondly upon their corporate jobs. 😏  

I liked the first place best. The place she didn’t like because of the owners’ living area made me think “Lady, how much leisure space do you think you will need when you will be busy tending to guests?”

Edited March 25, 2022 by LittleIggy

[aghst]

Tamarindo couple are not married, don’t plan to, but pooling their savings to buy a property in CR.

He’s concerned about turning the capital invested into an income stream, wants a good return so wanted at least 3 rental units.

She wants a nice place to live in, like 3 bedroom and 2 baths with ocean views.  She liked the first property but thought the rooms were more hotel like.  Second property, the owners cast wasn’t up to her standards.  So she pushed him into property 3.

Timing is key.  Maybe CR tourism didn’t slow down too much during the pandemic but sharing space with strangers is probably not optimal.

How much do they know the hospitality market in that area?  For instance, do their clients generally rent cars or is there reliable public transportation to homes #1 and #3?
 

How much income can they get in town vs. more outlying areas?  Maybe being close to the beach is what most of their potential clients want, which would work for #3.

But if they wanted to go to dinner in town or maybe some organized tours or activities which start in town, then #1 and #3 may be bad options.

[mojito]

CO (I think) to Costa Rica

House 3 looked like a mistake to me. Of course, I think getting away from hectic lives to open a B&B is a mistake, too, because they know nothing about the business. In the end, she decided that having just the two rental units would be a good start for them. I imagine that running a B&B is just as much work as staying home all day with small children. Your work is never done. At least kids won't care if their beds aren't made or their bathrooms aren't cleaned each day, and they can often be fed cereal for breakfast (don't know how that stuff ever fueled my mornings as a child). You have two kitchenette areas, too, so additional cleaning related to people eating in the room. Pool maintenance. (shudder)

Horeseback riding in shorts and sandals? Amateurs...