House Hunters International - General Discussion

[buttersister]

YT making me more aware of couples making content their livelihood. Nice work if you can get it? Cannot imagine sharing like that, but narcissism isn't on my list of conditions. I did chuckle during the scenes of the husband practicing Muy Thai--having seen people really go at it, that was quaint. I think he liked the sound of it more than anything else. I'd never heard of Krabi, can't tell if $700 for that third place was a deal or a lot.

[aghst]

It's across the bay from Phuket, I think about the same distance to the Phi Phi islands.

It may not be as popular.  Not sure if it has an airport.

Phuket seems to have more of a party atmosphere with all kinds of bars and clubs.  I'm sure Krabi has them as well but maybe not as much?

[Jodithgrace]

At least the couple wasn’t krabi. 
I was pleased to see how concerned they were with baby safety. Pools are a big hazard, especially with a toddler. I’d be worried all the time, and that doesn’t make for a good working from home environment. 
Thailand looks beautiful. It’s one of the places I’d still love to visit. ( I’m 71 and the clock is ticking for that kind of a trip)

[snarts]

Stockhom, Sweden:  Was the Wilmington, NC teacher & city planner moving to Sweden episode not new?  My DVR picked it up.

He seemed sad & angry about the move.  No idea what they pay educators in Sweden but it's not cheap to live there so I did wonder why they didn't wait until he had a job in hand as well.  Interesting that he trying to move into the tech sector.

I loved the attic apartment in the city center but understand why the went with the less expensive (boring) place in the suburbs.

[Grrarrggh]

I liked the Stockholm couple. They seemed to have a great relationship and each got in a few good, sarcastic/snarky yet not mean comments. 

[aghst]

21 hours ago, snarts said:

Stockhom, Sweden:  Was the Wilmington, NC teacher & city planner moving to Sweden episode not new?  My DVR picked it up.

He seemed sad & angry about the move.  No idea what they pay educators in Sweden but it's not cheap to live there so I did wonder why they didn't wait until he had a job in hand as well.  Interesting that he trying to move into the tech sector.

I loved the attic apartment in the city center but understand why the went with the less expensive (boring) place in the suburbs.

17 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

I liked the Stockholm couple. They seemed to have a great relationship and each got in a few good, sarcastic/snarky yet not mean comments. 

Yeah they seem to enjoy sparring playfully.

I don't know if he's angry.  They must have made the calculus that this was a worthwhile move for them and had good confidence that he'd be able to make the career change.

She was discontent with changes to her job and he may very well have experienced dissatisfaction as well.  But he seemed to enjoy Stockholm old town.

I have dim memories of my one and only visit there, the old town is really small and is literally an island or kind of like a peninsula with a thin connection, surrounded by other islands.

But outside the old town, there are a lot of modern buildings because a lot of old buildings were demolished in the '60s.

So he may appreciate the old town but probably didn't really have to be as close to it as he talked about all the time.

Seems like budget and space made the decision.

[Jodithgrace]

My DVR is now picking up one new episode on Tuesday nights, and two new episodes on Thursday nights! An embarrassment of riches. 

Stockholm couple. I’ve visited Stockholm and it was fun to see the apartments. I think they chose wisely, considering their budget, and the flat they chose was fun, with the random green oven. She can walk to work and he can take the ferry into town. 

Stockholm  has a very weird reputation. When we were in Copenhagen and Oslo, people kept telling us, “Oh, don’t visit Stockholm. It’s awful.” Also Fredrik Bachman, the Swedish author uses “being from Stockholm” as an insult. However, we found Stockholm to be perfectly lovely. Of course, we don’t have to live there. 

[QQQQ]

The Stockholm husband reminded me of an actor but I can't put my finger on who... At first I thought Ron Livingston but that's not it. Mark Ruffalo? Someone on SVU?

At any rate, something seemed off in their relationship. I wonder how much time she spends trying to explain his 'humor' to friends, family, co-workers. To me, he just came off as petulant. 

And if she believes teaching in Sweden doesn't involve paperwork and is mostly student contact, I think she's in for a rude awakening. I was wondering if she'll be eligible for Sweden's generous parental leave. Here's info on both areas: https://www.lararforbundet.se/artiklar/teachers-working-hours.

Edited October 23, 2022 by QQQQ

[cinsays]

14 hours ago, aghst said:

Yeah they seem to enjoy sparring playfully.

I don't know if he's angry.  They must have made the calculus that this was a worthwhile move for them and had good confidence that he'd be able to make the career change.

She was discontent with changes to her job and he may very well have experienced dissatisfaction as well.  But he seemed to enjoy Stockholm old town.

I have dim memories of my one and only visit there, the old town is really small and is literally an island or kind of like a peninsula with a thin connection, surrounded by other islands.

But outside the old town, there are a lot of modern buildings because a lot of old buildings were demolished in the '60s.

So he may appreciate the old town but probably didn't really have to be as close to it as he talked about all the time.

Seems like budget and space made the decision.

maybe i was in a foul mood and read the room wrong, but i didn't read their sparring interaction as playful at all

looked to me like they really didn't like each other, was humoring him for having an opinion and she thought he was below her

i was shocked that they were planning to have a baby.  poor kid.

on a superficial note, was she a lot older than him?

[mojito]

Krabi, Thailand

It's interesting to read comments here before watching an episode. I look for things posted and am often baffled by the comments. Anyway, I thought the couple was just fine, and I think it's great that, at least for now, they can live their lives the way they want, even if they call themselves "influencers." I guess a lot of people are easily influenced by perky people extolling a lifestyle that I suspect isn't nearly as fabulous as described, and frequently not very profitable. But I tend to be cynical and practical. Good for them, though, if it works for them.

[BAForever]

1 minute ago, mojito said:

Krabi, Thailand

It's interesting to read comments here before watching an episode. I look for things posted and am often baffled by the comments. Anyway, I thought the couple was just fine, and I think it's great that, at least for now, they can live their lives the way they want, even if they call themselves "influencers." I guess a lot of people are easily influenced by perky people extolling a lifestyle that I suspect isn't nearly as fabulous as described, and frequently not very profitable. But I tend to be cynical and practical. Good for them, though, if it works for them.

I see your point Mojito. It might have been a great episode and I usually like Thailand episodes.

I think my biggest gripe is them using HHI as a way to get more followers, more clicks, etc. 

But then I really have no desire to be on TV and would never apply to be on a show. Good for them for following their dream.

[Grizzly]

Paris. Was Adrian on vacation? She'd have some snarky remarks about this hunter's wishlist and budget. So long as the comfort of her elderly dogs is top of her mind, I'll cut Tricia some slack. I'm glad her obsession with the Latin Quarter didn't make her go over budget.

[Thumper]

Oh, she was too much.  I sure understand her needing a break from being a psychologist on a military base, and I thought her “sound bath” relaxation was cool.  But needing to be around “creatives,” the beret, and hauling two dogs around????  I know it’s unpopular not to love dogs,  but  all I could think of was meeting her for lunch or whatever and having the dogs there!  And two big dogs in a tiny apartment.     Bless her heart for lifting that big dog and taking him in the wagon.  Not my cup of tea.  
 

[aghst]

Surprised to hear the 5th quarter is more expensive than the 7th.

Latin quarter should have a lot of university students?  Do many of them live in apts or are there dorms in the city center?

Sounds like for all her talk, she went for more value, ruling out the most expensive place.

[mojito]

Paris

The HH ultimately picked the apartment that was best, I think. Fifteen-minute walks to her desired location sounds like a small price to pay to save a good chunk of money. 

This lady reminded me of women who still fantasize about being a princess or being treated like one, only she wants to channel Gertrude Stein and host salons in the itty-bitty apartment she could afford. She ditched the beret in the final scene; maybe she realized that no one else besides her dog (and Adrian) seemed to be wearing one. She seems to be living in a dream world; I hope things go as she wants. 

[aghst]

The 15 minutes was from the place she didn't choose.

But I don't think it's that far from the 7th to the Latin Quarter either.  Especially if she takes a bus or the metro.

The better value was the one in the 15th, cost less for a bigger place.  But may not have amenities right outside the building like cafes and stores.

[eel21788]

3 hours ago, mojito said:

Paris

This lady reminded me of women who still fantasize about being a princess or being treated like one, only she wants to channel Gertrude Stein and host salons in the itty-bitty apartment she could afford. . .She seems to be living in a dream world; I hope things go as she wants. 

Apparently, she was able to finish her book:

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-fragrance-of-wanderlust-how-to-capture-the-essence-of-travel-in-our-everyday-lives_dr-tricia-wolanin/20587180/#edition=21969234&idiq=32033998

It's about how to live like a tourist in your hometown, yet she had to go to Paris to finish writing it. Hypocrite much?

[chocolatine]

I couldn't stop rolling my eyes at Tricia constantly comparing herself to Hemingway (as if!) and wanting to be around "young creatives" when she herself is neither young nor creative. And don't get me started on the tired old cliche that one needs to be in Paris in order to be "inspired" to write a book.

[aghst]

23 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I couldn't stop rolling my eyes at Tricia constantly comparing herself to Hemingway (as if!) and wanting to be around "young creatives" when she herself is neither young nor creative. And don't get me started on the tired old cliche that one needs to be in Paris in order to be "inspired" to write a book.

Yeah a bit cliched.  I wonder if this is where the writers crafted this narrative as the reason for her to move.

For all we know she really didn't care that much about the Latin Quarter.  She certainly had no hesitation to eliminate that one choice, which they probably dug up to present in the episode.

[StatisticalOutlier]

1 hour ago, eel21788 said:

Apparently, she was able to finish her book:

It has five stars on Amazon!  Or, well, it has one review, and that review gave it five stars.  And it starts with, "Let me start by saying I’m not into reading books. The last book I read was Salem’s Lot, and that was a long time ago."

[eel21788]

2 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I couldn't stop rolling my eyes at Tricia constantly comparing herself to Hemingway (as if!) 

I don't recall Hemingway having ever written a self-help book; however, it has been a long time since I took English Lit.

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

It has five stars on Amazon!  Or, well, it has one review, and that review gave it five stars. 

That was probably her sister.

[seacliffsal]

I get very frustrated with people who use the term "creative" to make themselves higher than others.  What creativity?  Then be a single mom/dad working two jobs while raising their families or many, many, many other examples I could give.  Tricia certainly filled this trope as at one of the flats she stated that there weren't any creatives there in the neighborhood.  How would she know this?  Did she interview all of the residents?  She also referred to "people like me."  Sigh.

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, eel21788 said:

I don't recall Hemingway having ever written a self-help book; however, it has been a long time since I took English Lit.

It's been a while for me too yet I still know a few unfortunate men who follow Hemingway as if he did write self-help.... Though from my memory he wrote self-harm books.

Edited October 26, 2022 by Grrarrggh

[buttersister]

Oh dear, Tricia. Also, WTF? Pulling a wagonload of old dogs (I love dogs) in berets around Paris? Yoga and sound baths made the most sense, tbh. 

When Hemingway was in Paris in the early 1920s, he lived in the 5th (Latin Quarter) because it was cheap and filled with small cafes and others like him, Stein, Toklas, Satre, etc.  I, too, enjoyed roaming the streets, bookstores and cafes of The Lost Generation, who are all long gone. It's history, so I guess that's where they all came up with the story, er, fantasy.

The 15th is next to the 7th (bougie? LOL! Legit rich.), with more room. But when you shlep around old dogs, one of whom can't walk, even crossing the Seine would be a deal breaker for her. But hey, I love staying in the 7th--it's lovely, with lots of good restaurants, small cafes, Rue Cler, Champs de Mars, enjoy.

Adrian would have taken Tricia to the Marais. So many creative people there! LOL!

[aghst]

But I think people who haven't visited Paris or studied literature and art of that period may not be familiar with the lore about them in Paris in that period.

Of course Paris has drawn generations of artists at different times, such as Picasso in the 1900s.

So maybe the producers think this is some novel story they can tell and that's probably true for a lot of viewers.  Certainly if they didn't think Tricia talking about Hemingway so much was interesting, they could have edited that out.

Yeah the 7th is really nice.  You see the skyline there, especially the golden dome of the Invalides (where Napoleon's tomb is) from different angles, not to mention the Eiffel Tower of course.  There's the Rodin Museum which is popular and it has a garden and I recall seeing the golden dome from there as well.

I've usually stayed in the 6th when I visited, like being near the Luxembourg Garden.

The 15th, not sure where the apt is but it borders on the 6th and the 7th so it's a high-traffic area with Gare Montparnasse and proximity to the Luxembourg Garden.

But the street they showed looked residential and quiet, which may or may not be a good thing depending on the person.  She probably might have to walk a couple of blocks to reach the cafes and restaurants.

[StatisticalOutlier]

1 hour ago, buttersister said:

Adrian would have taken Tricia to the Marais. So many creative people there! LOL!

But are they creatives™? 

[mojito]

3 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

How would she know this?  

Because they weren't wearing berets. Duh.

[Grrarrggh]

The Paris hunter should have asked herself: if Hemmingway were to move to Paris in 2020 where would he live? But I wish her luck. 

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

The Paris hunter should have asked herself: if Hemmingway were to move to Paris in 2020 where would he live? But I wish her luck. 

I tried to picture Hemingway on HHI insisting that he needs a kitchen with an oven, and I just couldn't.

[deirdra]

I wonder if Tricia practiced living as a tourist in her hometown wearing berets?

I haven't been to Paris since 1987, but remember walking around where creatives (some in berets) were painting and had to stifle my laughter.  

[eel21788]

15 hours ago, aghst said:

Yeah the 7th is really nice.  You see the skyline there, especially the golden dome of the Invalides (where Napoleon's tomb is) from different angles, not to mention the Eiffel Tower of course. 

I thought the Eiffel Tower was ugly. I called it the Awful Tower. The Arc De Triomphe would have made a much better symbol by which all the world recognizes Paris.

[aghst]

It was panned by critics when it was first built.

But it's been popular to both residents and visitors over the years.

You can see it from all parts of the city, especially at night.

[chessiegal]

We couldn't take a dinner cruise the first time we were in Paris because the Seine was flooding. When we went back the next year, we did take a dinner cruise that left near the Eiffel Tower. When we were finished, the tower was lit up and looked so beautiful. I could go back to Paris again and again, but I think those days are over for me.

I hope the young lady enjoyed her time in Paris.

[buttersister]

The old joke when it was first built was the answer to where's the best view in Paris. It's from the Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower), because you couldn't see it from there. (Joke aside, lunch at the Jules Verne is memorable, especially with a window seat.)

We were once at the tower for Bastille Day's after-dark fireworks, with a soundtrack of Nessa Dorma by Pavarotti and Callas. La best thing ever. And not a beret in sight.

More power to Tricia in the 7th. But honey, writing groups are everywhere around Paris.

[jcbrown]

18 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I tried to picture Hemingway on HHI insisting that he needs a kitchen with an oven, and I just couldn't.

Now, if Sylvia Plath were househunting in Paris, she would definitely want an oven.

I'll see myself out.

(my degree and graduate work is all in English with a focus on women writers so I kid, I kid.)

This HH in Paris and her berets and her dog berets. Poor dog. And I was surprised she keyed in on Hemingway with no mention of Stein, Toklas, or others. I expect she'll take up bullfighting next.

Edited October 28, 2022 by jcbrown

[chessiegal]

Just now, jcbrown said:

Now, if Sylvia Plath were househunting in Paris, she would definitely want an oven.

In the words of Lorelai Gilmore - did anyone ever consider that Sylvia Plath was just cold? 😅

[buttersister]

Illinois to Ireland. I liked her.

Can't say the kitchen in house #2 was beautiful or gorgeous, or however they exaggerated about it, but the house works for them. The kid who has to triple up with siblings during American grandparent's visit will have mixed feelings about that time, but hey, no way he was going that far over budget for her folks (and they weren't going to spring for the difference). GrandparentsPalooza! 

Curious about his job in coffee, seeing as how he previously worked for his father-in-law.

[StatisticalOutlier]

9 hours ago, buttersister said:

Illinois to Ireland. I liked her.

She had a very appealing face.  It was round even when she was younger and skinnier, and is just more round now.  It makes her look like the friendliest person on earth.

[TVForever]

16 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

She had a very appealing face.  It was round even when she was younger and skinnier, and is just more round now.  It makes her look like the friendliest person on earth.

And she just seemed so positive, which was great because hubby was so Debbie Downer serious. And their kids were so cute!

And the house they chose was great.

[Crashcourse]

Ireland wife was pleasant looking, but she kept harping on about her parents needing to stay with them when they visit.  I understood the husband not wanting to spend extra money just so they could visit (maybe?) once a year.  

[buttersister]

Battle of the Grandparents! Having the time and means to travel sounded to me like her parents would be frequent visitors (they were also used to being with the little kiddos). Also, nice lady had lived steps away from them in Wheaton, so, yeah. He may have been a Danny Downer, but his folks successfully lobbied for the move and while I'm not saying he wanted them to have exclusivity (not saying that), his "how often?" comment was almost wishfully rhetorical. LOL! Look how easy it is to read into all kinds of things on the TV. The winners? The kiddos--and all the grands.

[ECM1231]

7 hours ago, TVForever said:

And she just seemed so positive, which was great because hubby was so Debbie Downer serious. And their kids were so cute!

And the house they chose was great.

The kids really were very cute!  I could see both sides. It did seem like the maternal grandparents would be visiting frequently, so I understood the wife wanting them to have a dedicated bedroom. The husband didn't want to spend the extra money for the 4th bedroom, which was understandable, but I didn't care for his solution about putting them up in a hotel. I liked their compromise.

My mom had 2 siblings that lived in the city, about an hour away from us, but only blocks away from each other. Mom's youngest sibling lived around the corner from us. There was a total of 8 cousins from the 4 siblings. On Christmas Eve our Brooklyn relations would come to our house for dinner. 2 aunts, 2 uncles, 4 cousins, and my aunt's parents, who lived above her. That's 10 people. In the evening the families would split up and half would go to sleep at my aunt's house around the corner. My bedroom had a twin bed as did my sister's. The adults would take our bedrooms, as well as the recliners in the living room. My 2 cousins, my sister and I would sleep in sleeping bags on the living room floor. The next day we'd all head around the corner for Christmas dinner.

If that wasn't crazy enough, the next week we would repeat it all again for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, but we'd drive to Brooklyn. Crazy, no? But so much fun! I miss those days!

So, to me, I don't understand why a guest room would be a deal breaker. Don't kids like to camp out any more? Or sleep on a couch?

[Crashcourse]

5 hours ago, buttersister said:

Battle of the Grandparents! Having the time and means to travel sounded to me like her parents would be frequent visitors (they were also used to being with the little kiddos). Also, nice lady had lived steps away from them in Wheaton, so, yeah

And that might have been why the husband wanted them to stay in a hotel.  He'd probably seen enough of his in-laws in Wheaton.  

Battle of the Grandparents, indeed!

[Thumper]

Yeah, one of us always gave up our bedroom when guests came to stay.  It was just understood and not really a big deal.   
 

[Bastet]

We didn't have a dedicated guest room when I was a kid, we had a sofa bed in the office.  So if we had weekend guests (which wasn't common, thankfully), I took that sofa bed and the guests got my bed.

I've done the same thing; no guest room, just a mildly uncomfortable bed option in my office, as I prefer to put my few guests up at a local hotel.  (But if someone just wants to crash overnight, they're welcome to.)

In general I think it's silly to pay year-round for a guest room that will be unused less than it's used, but if you're talking about rotating grandparents, I can understand considering a dedicated guest room.  It still doesn't seem a big deal to shove the kids (with those young spines that can sleep anywhere) somewhere else in the house for the visit in order to provide the grandparents with a proper bedroom, though.

Edited October 29, 2022 by Bastet

[Notabug]

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

We didn't have a dedicated guest room when I was a kid, we had a sofa bed in the office.  So if we had weekend guests (which wasn't common, thankfully), I took that sofa bed and the guests got my bed.

I've done the same thing; no guest room, just a mildly uncomfortable bed option in my office, as I prefer to put my few guests up at a local hotel.  (But if someone just wants to crash overnight, they're welcome to.)

In general I think it's silly to pay year-round for a guest room that will be unused less than it's used, but if you're talking about rotating grandparents, I can understand considering a dedicated guest room.  It still doesn't seem a big deal to shove the kids (with those young spines that can sleep anywhere) somewhere else in the house for the visit in order to provide the grandparents with a proper bedroom, though.

When I was a kid, we gave up our beds and either slept on the sofa or in sleeping bags on the floor when houseguests came.  However, most of our guests didn't stay more than a few days at a time.  I would imagine that her parents, having traveled from Chicago, will be staying for weeks at a time which will get old; particularly if they visit while the kids are still in school and there is a homework and bedtime routine that needs to be kept.  Much harder when all the kids, at whatever age, are in the same bedroom.

If her parents are planning extended stays in Ireland; then an Air BnB is probably a good option for them and it sounds like they could afford it.

[mojito]

I’d love to stay in a hotel room on somebody else’s dime. Show of hands…who thinks he would offer to pay guests’ hotel stay when they're actually coming in for a visit?

Edited October 30, 2022 by mojito
More specific question.

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

I’d love to stay in a hotel room on somebody else’s dime. Show of hands…who thinks he would offer to pay guests’ hotel stay?

He did say he would pay.  I think he's just tired of being so close to them for so long. 

[Bastet]

That's a good point on the probable length of these visits; in that case, even if I had a dedicated guest room, I'd rather go the rental house route (presumably, they wouldn't want to stay in a hotel that long).  That's too much togetherness and disruption of routine, otherwise (for everyone).  

[mojito]

On 10/27/2022 at 7:26 PM, jcbrown said:

This HH in Paris and her berets and her dog berets. Poor dog. And I was surprised she keyed in on Hemingway with no mention of Stein, Toklas, or others. I expect she'll take up bullfighting next.

And this won't end well...