House Hunters International - General Discussion

[aghst]

I give the woman house hunter credit for not breaking the budget and going along with the hubby who wanted to minimize spending for what may be a short-term home.

They may love going down to Mexico but are they prepared to live there all the time?

Also, pretty interesting background, she was a cop and the only woman undercover cop.  So she wants to write a book about it.

 

[Chit Chat]

17 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Started reading on here and almost didn't catch which they picked. I think it was #2.

Yes, they chose house (condo) #2.  I liked the first property, but it was under construction, so I can understand the hesitancy about moving there.  I liked the architecture of the that one though. 

The one they chose was pretty nice, although it does need a little updating, but even if they choose not to remodel, it's still a nice, spacious place for them.

The 3rd option (house with a rooftop terrace) was really nice, but it seemed like too big of a space for them.  There was a big bedroom on the upstairs level that was accessed by going outside and up the stairs.  That might be an issue during bad weather.  They seemed to be happy with their choice and being close to town and the beach.  

[Pine]

The excop and techie to Cabo was kind of sad to me to be honest.  They must have never had any children, and didn't seem to have any family or friends.  I never heard them say anything about, oh when our friends come down...the inlaws would love this.  I can only imagine because of her work, they didn't mention anyone else to protect them, but, the show isn't mandatory.  Added...not even a pet.  Just odd.

Edited March 16 by Pine
add on

[aghst]

I think they met relatively late in life.

Did they say they saw this move as a way to live together more or spend more time together?

Looks like she was mainly going to work on her book while he may still be working remotely.

 

[sskrill]

On 3/14/2024 at 7:34 PM, BAForever said:

The vocal fry on San Jose del Cabo realtor Ashley 3 name was insane. And giving them a couple nickname was embarrassing. No idea which they chose and don't care.

I had this recorded .. I'm 5 mins in and her stupid voice is the reason I'm here.  Omg I would have walked away within 5 mins of meeting her - she would never get a commission out of me.  She sounds like a stupid teenager.

I was in SJDC not long ago - to me its much nicer than CSL.  I recognized a store where I bought baby powder in the background 😆 

He said they'd only been married 10 yrs. They both look at least mid to late 40s, so I'm guessing they had decided no children by then anyway.

 

[laredhead]

The realtor in the SJDC Mexico episode sounds like a parody of a character with vocal fry, up speak, and valley girl voice.  I couldn't be a client of hers just on her voice alone.  I wonder if she's a genuine realtor, or some tourist they picked up on the beach for this gig?  I really didn't care which place the couple chose, but he really emphasized their being together all the time when he described their life there.

[chessiegal]

If they give the first and last name of the "real estate agent", it's easy enough to find them. Sometimes on HHI they give first and last name of the hunters, so you usually can also find them.

[Grizzly]

Hamilton, New Zealand. Such a pretty country, wish it weren't so far away. I'll be lucky to get to Hawaii someday, never mind NZ. Daro can come clean my house, won't stress me at all. Loved their dogs. 2 guys and 2 dogs, so glad they didn't get the new box.

[Chit Chat]

20 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Hamilton, New Zealand. Such a pretty country, wish it weren't so far away. I'll be lucky to get to Hawaii someday, never mind NZ. Daro can come clean my house, won't stress me at all. Loved their dogs. 2 guys and 2 dogs, so glad they didn't get the new box.

Daro's nitpicking of the kitchen cabinets in the second house was a bit silly.  I guess he didn't like that one too much at first sight, but it appears that they made a good choice.

I did not like the container home for them.  There was a house in their backyard, and my biggest complaint would be the bathroom being in the living room.  I prefer a bathroom to be out of the line of sight from the kitchen & living room.  I enjoyed seeing that area of New Zealand.  It was pretty.   

[aghst]

Ontario to Maastricht - a very young couple, unmarried but moving to the Netherlands for a masters program for her — she says she wants to be a doctor but instead of medical school she is going for a masters degree in neuropsychology.

He says she’s serious, has a career and life plan and she says as attractive as he is, he’s not the player she thought he was.

He grew up in a big city and wants to be near city center while she grew up in a farm and wants to be in a suburb near her school, which is 30 minute bike ride from the city center.

He wants a short commute to selling sneakers while she wants to walk to school and live somewhere where it’s quiet so she could study, say she will have to do a lot of studying.

They want two bedrooms because she repeatedly says their families will visit.  He cares most about location.  She also wants a large kitchen, wants modern while he wants traditional Dutch design.

To his credit he doesn’t say “character” though it’s very obvious when they make their choice, that they’re going by the standard HHI playbook of a couple wanting different locations, different esthetics (modern vs. traditional) and usual HHI tropes like room to host visiting family.

House 1 is in a residential area, close to her school.  At $1450, just over their $1400 budget.  They like the mix of modern and traditional design, how renovated and roomy.  He doesn’t like the location, too far to get to his sneaker job.

House 2 is just a 1 bedroom, near the city center, long commute to school for her, easy commute for him.  It’s roomy so maybe they can put a bed in the bathroom for when they have family from back home visiting.  Yes, in the bathroom, which is extra large because it was converted from a bedroom.  Only $1300 though.

House 3 is half way between city center and her university.  It’s 3 bedrooms 2 baths, more than what they asked her and way above budget at. $1600.  They like the house but the guy seem unconvinced about the location, again residential and closer to sneaker job than House 1 but still not close.

They eliminate House 3 as the rent is too much.  He gallantly offers to bike 30 minutes to his sneakers job so that she could be near her school.  But she says he sacrificed to come “across the world” with her so they will choose House 2.

They hug.  Not very affectionate, don’t seem to kiss during episode.  Only at end hold hands.  They both met in college and she talked about finishing up her college degree so she can proceed with masters program.  Presumably he finished college as well but he is taking a retail job right away instead of looking for potential career track opportunities?

Thats a pretty big sacrifice by him yet they don’t seem that into each other or maybe they’re not into PDA.

Their parents are probably financing this move because there’s no talk that they worked and saved money.  He admits his sneaker job doesn’t pay much.

Floor didn’t do anything notable like jump in the lake, she just noted that they’re very young.  She was more business-like, not her usual personality.

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, aghst said:

Their parents are probably financing this move because there’s no talk that they worked and saved money.  He admits his sneaker job doesn’t pay much.

He did say something early on about being the one providing the financial support but I assume there's either money from the parents or she's getting a housing stipend as part of her program.

[Pi237]

Loved the simple, clean lines of the houses they saw. Everything looked modern & uncluttered. So nice there. This couple seemed like brother & sister tho. 

[Chit Chat]

On 3/22/2024 at 9:00 AM, aghst said:

They eliminate House 3 as the rent is too much.

I loved that house, but I understand that it was a bit pricey for them.  He didn't like the quiet neighborhood anyway.  :( 

I liked all 3 houses.  They looked nicer and more functional than some homes we've seen on this show!  I hope that the longer bike ride in the winter isn't a problem for her.  They didn't show any public transportation being available.

One thing I've noticed with most of the folks relocating to other countries is the ease of bike riding to and from the city center.  Finding a sidewalk where I'm at is a rarity!!  

[chessiegal]

I had a colleague who was an avid biker. She and her partner took a month-long vacation biking around the Netherlands. 

[Chit Chat]

On 3/22/2024 at 9:00 AM, aghst said:

Floor didn’t do anything notable like jump in the lake, she just noted that they’re very young.  She was more business-like, not her usual personality.

I like her bubbly personality!  Maybe she thought she should be more serious. Either way, I'm glad when she's the Realtor showing properties.

[seacliffsal]

I really enjoyed this Netherlands episode.  No bickering or in-fighting by the couple.  Beautiful homes/apartment and scenery.  Overall, a nice episode.

Generally, in many Masters and Doctoral programs, there may be more independent researching/analysis/writing than actual in-class time, so she may only be attending her university a few days a week rather than everyday, so the more central location may make more sense for them.

[NoReally]

23 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

They didn't show any public transportation being available.

I wondered about that, too. Isn't there an alternative to cycling year-round? No buses? No trains?

[LexieLily]

California to Uvita, Costa Rica: I'm sick so I'm not in the best mood and have less patience than usual but I wanted to smack this woman five minutes into the episode. Moved her family including two young boys to Costa Rica [the jungle, she was very specific about that] based on vibes or dreams or what have you so she could start (START!) a holistic wellness/lifestyle business. Did I mention the business hadn't even started yet aside from Husband helping her with website content? They picked House #2 that was $200/month over budget despite them having no money and depending on savings to finance the move and rental budget, and the house they chose was up in the mountains twenty minutes away from the nearest pharmacy/shops/etc. (They timed the drive down). The road itself was janky and they'd get tired of that drive within the first few weeks, I'm sure. 

[chessiegal]

The Costa Rica woman was a flake. I'm sure holistic medicine has a place, but what credentials did she have? Far as I could tell, none.

[Crashcourse]

The Costa Rica wife was annoying as hell and the husband was stupid for going along with her holistic jungle life crap.

I felt sorry for those kids being isolated in the jungle, especially the older son who'd probably want playmates.  

[laredhead]

Maybe the Costa Rica couple are back in the states, and that was just like a "gap year" for them from their life in California.  I haven't seen the episode, and might just erase it because it sounds like one that I wouldn't be interested in watching.

[Crashcourse]

Hopefully, it's just a gap year.

[ArtFossil]

California to Costa Rica. I hated the wife with the fire of a thousand nuns. (TWOP!) And no, I do not want to be in your presence to receive your energy (her words) because you are a complete twit. (“I honor the wish list, not the budget.”).

There was that moment when the husband wondered “what if we need a pharmacy?” but otherwise there was no consideration of their children and what it would mean to them to be so isolated.

Finally, both parents were riding in the car without seat belts. I guess they are fine with being dead or brain damaged for their children. Wear your fxxking seatbelt! Yes, even if you’re being filmed.

Edited March 28 by ArtFossil

[Kenzie]

19 hours ago, chessiegal said:

The Costa Rica woman was a flake. I'm sure holistic medicine has a place, but what credentials did she have? Far as I could tell, none.

Sigh.

Yet another couple of airheads who haven't done their homework and want to start a business in a tropical country already completely saturated with holistic "healers", spas, "life counselors" and yoga gurus. 

The realtor knows it's a doomed project but smiles and goes along for what is probably a very familiar ride - renting homes to half-baked dreamers.

[thugsdaddy]

The CA to Costa Rica lady had me waiting the entire episode for her to also add that she was a vegan.  She checked all the other boxes of a person I'd avoid.

[aghst]

That hair ...

Appears they could afford well more than their budget than the husband let on and they were willing to pay for amenities.

Husband didn't really push for the cheapest option.

[aghst]

London to Eindhoven.  First of all the pronunciation of the city name is nothing like I imagined it.

Family of 5 moving for her promotion.  Husband will freelance.  They want 5 bedrooms, yard near city center where her office is for their $900k budget.  Also need parking.

Marianne the wife tells Floor it’s a permanent move.

House 1 is in the forest outside city center with 5 bedrooms, 4 baths.  Has plenty of outdoor space but Anish the husband finds the maintenance daunting.  They don’t like the small cut off kitchen and the layout of the bedrooms including one with en-suite bathroom but no doors.  They complain the rooms are dark because the tall trees block the light coming into the house.

House 2 is near city center, a neighborhood that they like more than the isolated first house.  But while there’s a yard and a large terrace upstairs, they can be seen by passerby’s on the busy road the house is on.  Plus no parking and just 1 bedroom.

House 3 is a villa near the airport but has 7 bedrooms and 2 baths, roomy inside and a big garden.  Parking also but the catch is plane noise, which Floor says they will get used to in weeks.

First two homes are $900k, on budget, and house 3 is $870k.

They eliminate House 1.  Anish wasn’t going to do all the yard work and the oldest kid was only 9.

They like some aspects of House 2 but lack of privacy and parking.

So they choose House 3, both say they love the move to the Netherlands, the more relaxed pace.

Marianne says they had central London on their doorstep.  If their home had several bedrooms, they probably sold the London home for a lot more than the $900k budget they set.  She talked about going out as a family to a cafe or bakery but looks like they don’t get that in their new home.

[Grizzly]

If the Costa Rica couple sold a place in California, that might be giving them the seed money. CR must be the healthiest country in the world with everyone going there to start wellness retreats. Not my vibe. Now excuse me while I go make spaghetti for dinner.

[buttersister]

The New Zealand bunch. I was surprised they took the beach place. I mean, their visitors can get a hotel or b&b place, but while he staked out a corner somewhere for work, she, with the nervous clients got bubkes. 

Edited March 29 by buttersister

[Grizzly]

Auckland, New Zealand. Just wanted to say I appreciate Vish being so well dressed. Some of these realtors have been getting very casual in their appearance. Also liked Mika and Mila's green tops. Not sure I would have given up space to get that close to the beach. 

[LexieLily]

I don't think it mattered in the end what house they chose. Those two teenagers (high-school aged?) are going back to the States the minute the year their dad bargained them all into is over if not before.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I agree.  I would have chosen house #2, for the space, and that hot tub.  The husband has no where to work, the wife doesn't have what she need either, so I'm guessing there's a workspace rental close by, and that's why they wanted something where the kids can walk to school from the house.     

I bet the kids wil come back to the U.S. for college, and I don't like that the father or stepfather lied about coming back to the U.S..    He's never intending to leave New Zealand, so if the wife wants to come back to the U.S it will be alone, or to rejoin the kids when they leave.  I think that was why she kept talking about the company's investors being nervous about her moving out of the U.S.      I think he's fooling himself, if he thinks the kids are staying in New Zealand forever.    

[BAForever]

Shocked they picked the beach. Agree kids are short timers there. I would have picker the beach too. Hope hubby said it kiddingly that he told them all a year, but really was planning forever.  If not, that's  crappy. 

[proserpina65]

14 hours ago, aghst said:

They don’t like the small cut off kitchen and the layout of the bedrooms including one with en-suite bathroom but no doors.  

While I found them rather annoying overall, I have to agree about that bathroom.  Sorry, but bathrooms have sounds and smells I do not want in the bedroom.

13 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Not sure I would have given up space to get that close to the beach. 

I absolutely would, especially if it's not forever.

[Pine]

I was so happy that the NZ lover got the beach.  I think that the kids and wife will love it too.

Costa Rica chick was crazy, and her earrings looked like plastic fishing lures, the squid like ones.  Yuck, haha.

London to Netherlands family chose the right home.  But, did we see all of the bedrooms? 

 

[LexieLily]

9 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I bet the kids will come back to the U.S. for college, and I don't like that the father or stepfather lied about coming back to the U.S. He's never intending to leave New Zealand, so if the wife wants to come back to the U.S it will be alone, or to rejoin the kids when they leave. I think that was why she kept talking about the company's investors being nervous about her moving out of the U.S. I think he's fooling himself, if he thinks the kids are staying in New Zealand forever.    

The more I think about it the more absolutely annoyed I am by the father/stepfather and don't see how this won't end with resentment from every side. Especially by the kids. It didn't seem like they got any say in the move in the first place, the house chosen or the school they went to (the boy had a line about "their parents saying this was the best school or whatever"). Editing plays a part, of course, but editing can't put words in your mouth that you didn't say, and when the wife/kids watch this episode back they'll get to hear their husband/father saying that him getting beach access was more important to him than whether or not the house was within walking distance of the school. 

The kids don't have their school, their friends or their support system (how many times in a year will Wife's family come to visit?) and the amount of times the father/stepfather worried out loud that the family wouldn't like this move in the end it probably wasn't a joke. 

I don't see this ending in the picture-perfect experience of everybody loving New Zealand as much as he does that the father wanted so badly. The episode came across as them moving because HE wanted to move, the rest of the family be damned, and I agree that the wife will be following the kids back to the U.S. as soon as possible.

[chessiegal]

RE: Costa Rica. I knew someone who wintered there to get away from winter weather (Mid-Atlantic region, so not severe, but the older I get the more I dislike cold weather.) They said the cost-of-living was lower than the US. I see that as an attraction. Not for me though. I sure as hell would not go there for some hippy dippy spa.

[aghst]

13 hours ago, BAForever said:

Shocked they picked the beach. Agree kids are short timers there. I would have picker the beach too. Hope hubby said it kiddingly that he told them all a year, but really was planning forever.  If not, that's  crappy. 

Beach kind of reinforces it as a vacation.

Especially if they have to make compromises to adapt to a smaller home.

Both parents are working remotely on CA time.

So it does seem like an adventure, not a serious move.

 

[kirklandia]

On 3/29/2024 at 1:35 PM, chessiegal said:

RE: Costa Rica. I knew someone who wintered there to get away from winter weather (Mid-Atlantic region, so not severe).

I have friends from Maine who bought a summer home in Costa Rica.  Not on the  beach. They were in the highlands, in the interior, on Lake Arenal. Gorgeous views of the water and the volcano. 

They are serious birders, and invited me to visit.  It was the trip of a lifetime! We went on a number of birding excursions to different locations. 

The roads are definitely a concern. We always left at dawn and had to be back before dark. I asked if crime was the issue (when I went on a birding tour in Guatemala, we had armed guards for protection on the tourist bus and the more remote trails!)

They told me it was the condition of the roads. We did encounter random road closures for repairs, got lost once trying to find a way around it. And I don't think they are lit at night.

They lived outside a small village in an area with a fair number of expats. Not particularly remote. But crime was an issue there.  They had a secure area where they locked up any valuables when they left the house (a previous guest had a laptop stolen ). I was looking forward to hearing the monkeys and birds at dawn, but they said we needed to close and lock the patio doors and windows at night.

My friends sold their house - after their next-door neighbor (a woman who lived alone) was tied up and robbed in a home invasion.

 

Edited March 31 by kirklandia

[proserpina65]

On 3/29/2024 at 2:58 PM, LexieLily said:

The episode came across as them moving because HE wanted to move, the rest of the family be damned

And honestly, there's nothing wrong with that.  Many moves, both within a country and abroad, are because one adult in the family wants it.  Especially when it's a short-term move, which is what this one was presented as being.

Plus, this show is fake as hell, so the narrative given in the episode probably only bore a very limited resemblance to the truth anyway.  (I'll confess to being a bit biased because I absolutely would've insisted on the place right by the beach.)

[Chit Chat]

On 3/29/2024 at 1:58 PM, LexieLily said:

The episode came across as them moving because HE wanted to move, the rest of the family be damned, and I agree that the wife will be following the kids back to the U.S. as soon as possible.

His wife & family didn't seem upset about the move.  Hopefully they will end up loving New Zealand as much as he does, and they all live happily ever after!! :) 

[Grizzly]

Tamarindo, Costa Rica.  A catamaran business, something other than a wellness retreat. 🙄 Sounds like they didn't research the cost of housing. Sarah will set them straight on what their money can get them. I think  they made the right choice.

[aghst]

Ohio to Bellarine Peninsula, Australia.  A couple with two young children, one of them autistic, which requires the wife to be full-time home school teacher and caretaker.

They're moving for the husband's job, which transferred to Melbourne.  However he will also be working from home and she insists they be close to the beach if they're doing this move.

So Bellarine Peninsula is 50-60 miles from central Melbourne and he needs to be near public transportation to make this work.  She wants either beachfront or within walking distance.  She promised the kids they'd go to the beach a lot.

Their budget is $3000 a month for a home by the beach or within walking distance, 4 bedrooms because they need two office areas, one for the husband and one to home-school the 8-year old autistic son.

Homes they saw are all some distance from the beach.  The closest is about 15-minutes away.  They choose budget and space which meets their space requirements, a home that is the furthest from the beach, because the reasoning is that they have to deal with the space every day and when they do go to the beach, they have to pack up a lot of stuff so they need to pack it up in a car anyways.

This is a real move, says they've sold their home and cars back in small town/suburban OH. 

They're happy to get away from the winters.

[Chit Chat]

On 4/5/2024 at 12:01 PM, aghst said:

They choose budget and space which meets their space requirements, a home that is the furthest from the beach, because the reasoning is that they have to deal with the space every day and when they do go to the beach, they have to pack up a lot of stuff so they need to pack it up in a car anyways.

I think that they made a wise choice based on their needs.  It's a really nice house that they chose.  IIRC, it had a little more yard space than the other two.  

I didn't like that this couple corrected the Realtor with his pronunciation of 'peninsHula.'  There is no 'h' they both proclaimed!!  I thought that was rude. 

[Chit Chat]

On 4/4/2024 at 9:32 PM, Grizzly said:

Tamarindo, Costa Rica.  A catamaran business, something other than a wellness retreat. 🙄 Sounds like they didn't research the cost of housing. Sarah will set them straight on what their money can get them. I think  they made the right choice.

Seems like a lot of people who are relocating abroad don't research home prices very well.  I liked the condo, but since they needed more space for the family, that wasn't going to work.  I liked the locale of it though - close to their business and to town.  The container house was nice, but it was too small and didn't seem to have much privacy in the home.  I'm not sure how well insulated those are.  The pool was under a tree, so they'd have to scoop out leaves daily.

I liked the secluded home they chose.  The view was gorgeous!  I do admire people like this couple who have an idea for a business and are brave enough to make a move like that.  I hope their business is a success and their family continues to thrive there!

[LexieLily]

Nashville to Paris was a weird episode, not only for the fact that they chose to move to an entirely different country when Wife is eight months pregnant with Baby #2. 

It was strange because the story the realtor gave was that the listing for the third house fell through so they ended up looking at a different house than the one they'd planned. The dorm-style kitchen had no oven or stove, it had a washer but no dryer and the bedroom in the attic had no closet yet the toddler was apparently supposed to sleep up there. Both the house hunters and the realtor hated on first look and no one even pretended like it was a viable option for the search. 

They ended up choosing the second choice they looked at, the apartment closest to the city center that had a metro-station nearby that would take Wife straight to work. There was a yard in the back for the two hundred-pound (each) Golden Retrievers, but it had no bathtub. The end scene had the Husband procuring a large bucket/shipping container (?) from somewhere, which, okay, that might work for the first couple of weeks or months with a newborn but not so much with a toddler. (Baby #1 was almost two, they said.) Husband was going to be a Stay-at-Home Dad and the house had only two bedrooms. 

Edited April 11 by LexieLily

[aghst]

One of my DVRs recorded what appears to be a Paris episode on the 10th of April.

But my cloud DVR didn't.

Anyone else get this Paris episode?

 

 

[chessiegal]

3 hours ago, aghst said:

Anyone else get this Paris episode?

Yes, we watched the Paris episode with Adrian. I wonder how long the couple had really been in the country.

[BAForever]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

Yes, we watched the Paris episode with Adrian. I wonder how long the couple had really been in the country.

Me too @chessiegal. Can't fly at 8 months pregnant. They didn't seem to match as a couple. Bet it's a short term move.

[chessiegal]

8 minutes ago, BAForever said:

Me too @chessiegal. Can't fly at 8 months pregnant. They didn't seem to match as a couple. Bet it's a short term move.

Well, you don't have to fly to get to Europe. The 3 times I've been we took the Queen Mary 2. I hate to fly. 

I don't remember what job opportunity she got that prompted the move, but I agree they'd probably been there awhile.