House Hunters International - General Discussion

[ML89]

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I finally watched the Amsterdam couple and while I didn’t like them I didn’t like the realtor either, I can understand being annoyed with them because their wishlist was too much for their budget but she kept saying they didn’t need a third bedroom because she was currently pregnant. I mean if they were renting I could sort of see her point but looking 2 or 3 years ahead if not longer is pretty common when buying.

Also, they were spending a million and I’d want a lot for that, too, frankly. I get expensive city blah blah but someone would damn well hear me complain about a million bucks not getting me a washer and dryer. 

[Ohwell]

You can complain all you want, but if a million bucks won't get you what you want in a certain city, then it is what it is.  Either accept that or move someplace else.

[debraran]

These aren't HHI but if you enjoy the house shows, they gave me a chuckle. The first one hits on tiny houses also.

[kirklandia]

Expat memoirs may be a dime a dozen, but anyone interested in San Miguel de Allende should read this book!  I was surprised it is less than 20 years old - that town has gotten really popular really fast.

[Pickles]

The Kansas City moving to Australia, so the mom could go to dental school. I am guessing she could not get into any US school, but how does this work? She finishes school in 4-5 years in Australia, moves back to KC and has to take US boards. This just all seems crazy to me. The wife seemed to enjoy her time on tv. Lol. 

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

The Kansas City moving to Australia, so the mom could go to dental school. I am guessing she could not get into any US school, but how does this work? She finishes school in 4-5 years in Australia, moves back to KC and has to take US boards. This just all seems crazy to me. The wife seemed to enjoy her time on tv. Lol. 

For real! I was wondering why she had to go to Oz for dental school. The kids were surprisingly unannoying.

[biakbiak]

A quick google search even with living expenses indicates it can be  both cheaper and more difficult to get into than in the US plus they are in demand there so you would most likely qualify for a work Visa after graduation.

Edited May 29, 2019 by biakbiak

[Mittengirl]

The KC to Australia couple sure were impressed with themselves, weren’t they?  You are moving to Australia for dental school, not colonizing Mars.   It doesn’t make you amazing.

[abbyzenn]

Boy was I shocked the KC to Cairns chose the apartment - thought for sure they'd pick house 1.  Can't believe she had to go to Australia for dental school.  I thought the husband and kids were okay but the wife was a pain - and to be catty couldn't stand the yellow hair.  I don't think they mentioned schooling for the kids.

I watched this one because I've been to Cairns (back in 2001).  It reminded me a lot of Hawaii but boy was it hot and humid (was there in September).

[Mittengirl]

Something I have wondered about moving to Australia - since their summer is our winter, if a kid from the US moved there at the end of our school year (beginning of our summer) would they have to start school right away in Australia (their fall)?  I am making the assumption their school year runs from early fall through late spring.  

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, Mittengirl said:

am making the assumption their school year runs from early fall through late spring.  

Australian schools are year round and start in January with breaks between terms, there are four, and end in December.

Edited May 29, 2019 by biakbiak

[ECM1231]

Well, I was pretty impressed with the 40 year-old mom/wife who uprooted her family to go to dental school.  I took a very short break after completing my bachelor's degree to attend graduate school and that was only for a Master's degree. Dental school is at least 3 years f/t, right?  IDK if I were 40 and married with a f/t job and 2 about to be teenage kids, that I'd have the energy to start a whole new career, much less move halfway across the world! I give her a lot of credit. Their kids were so cute, and I loved the son's  ginger hair. I also thought the daughter was very well-spoken for  her age. I guess their budget was pretty tight, though, b/c I'd have sprung for the extra $150/month and chosen house #1. 

[Pickles]

I looked up the KC to Australia mom. She got her college degree in 2015. I would imagine she spent the next 2-3 years trying to get into the dental school in her city (it is the same school as her undergrad). It is super competitive now to get into dental/med/vet school. 

[Ohwell]

Australia couple:  did they say what the husband did?

[biakbiak]

9 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Australia couple:  did they say what the husband did?

He worked for a railway company they didn’t specify in what capacity.

i wouldn’t presume that her going to school in Australia meant she couldn’t get in in the US. 

Edited May 29, 2019 by biakbiak

[Ohwell]

Thanks.  That's an interesting job, working for a railway company.

[Thumper]

Tonight's episode in Amsterdam -- is the episode more about them, or their "realtor," former Bachelor Arie???  Ick.  Too many Bachelor references and photos of him and his wife.

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, Thumper said:

Tonight's episode in Amsterdam -- is the episode more about them, or their "realtor," former Bachelor Arie???  Ick.  Too many Bachelor references and photos of him and his wife.

Yeah, too many references to a show I will never watch. 

Why is there generally a big pay cut when someone transfers to a European division of the company they work for? Will the wife be working, too? 

[biakbiak]

I don’t watch The Bachelor but my boyfriend is a huge car guy so knows of his father and so I was googling and discovered that realtor/bachelor Arie and his wife (?) had their baby today so well planned HGTV!

[Kohola3]

10 hours ago, Thumper said:

Tonight's episode in Amsterdam -- is the episode more about them, or their "realtor," former Bachelor Arie???  

I never watched (nor ever will watch) that crap but even so, the minute they announced it I turned it off.  No city in the world is worth watching such a cheesy tactic.

[Ohwell]

I liked the "Arie the Bachelor" twist for the Amsterdam episode.  From what I saw last night, he seems to be a good realtor.

[TVForever]

I didn't mind the Bachelor twist either. In fact, I thought it was cool when he gave us the reminder that being The Bachelor was just a moment (my words), and that being a realtor was, in fact, his day job (again, my words).

That said, the Bachelor references got old quickly. Still enjoyed the episode though.

And how perfect was the timing IRL that his and Lauren's baby was born the day that their episode aired?

Edited May 30, 2019 by TVForever

[Ohwell]

I liked all the Bachelor references, lol.  However, if he's going to be *the* realtor for future Amsterdam episodes (like Richard for the England ones) then I hope he's done with any Bachelor references. 

[ECM1231]

Aww, I was really excited to come here today and post about Bachelor Arie's appearance last night as I am a long-time fan of the franchise, although not a fan of Arie.  At first I enjoyed the cheesy Bachelor references but then Arie went and overdid it.  Congrats to Arie and Lauren on the birth of their child, which is a blessing. I liked Arie as the lead until he humiliated his first choice, Becca, on national television.  Then I was done with him. I don't wish anyone ill but I just find it so odd that all of these people are so thirsty and will do anything to extend their 15 minutes of fame.

I'm glad the husband opened up his wallet and went a bit over budget as I think that was the best choice for them.

[biakbiak]

4 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I liked the "Arie the Bachelor" twist for the Amsterdam episode.  From what I saw last night, he seems to be a good realtor.

As with all these eps it’s all fake so all I cant comment on that he was a bad actor delivering his lines  or the worlds most passive agent even though he is apparently a realtor in Arizona! 

Edited May 30, 2019 by biakbiak

[Ohwell]

6 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

As with all these eps it’s all fake so all I cant comment on that he was a bad actor delivering his lines  or the worlds most passive agent even though he is apparently a realtor in Arizona! 

Well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I liked him.

[biakbiak]

3 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I liked him.

Apparently he and his wife areSM influencers so you can easily find content if he didn’t make you fall asleep.

[Ohwell]

4 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Apparently he and his wife areSM influencers so you can easily find content if he didn’t make you fall asleep.

I'm not on any social media.  When I said I liked him I meant in reference to HHI.  

Are we done?

[biakbiak]

14 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I'm not on any social media.  When I said I liked him I meant in reference to HHI.  

Are we done?

Huh? Pointing out to people who liked him could easily follow him.

Edited May 30, 2019 by biakbiak

[LittleIggy]

Malta: I really liked that house. I agree that the zebra sofas needed slipcovers. Wonder what they did for a living. Sounded as if they moved there without jobs.

[Ohwell]

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Malta: I really liked that house. I agree that the zebra sofas needed slipcovers. Wonder what they did for a living. Sounded as if they moved there without jobs.

The most annoying thing about these HHI shows is that, in many cases, the employment situation is a mystery. 

[Chippings]

Malta -- Something sort of galled me at the beginning of the episode which we see every single time, but it got me to thinking.  We know the whole deal is staged, and the people already have chosen a place.  But it struck me as unnecessarily phony at the initial "meeting" when the realtor, of Malta, asks the clients, from the UK, "How much do you want to spend?" and they reply "One thousand dollars."    No ..   None of these people functions in any way in dollars, and it's just so faux to insult our intelligence by play-acting as if it meant something to them.

Given that the viewers are used to dollars, we still do know that in other places they have other currencies -  HGTV, Why can't you have your clients reply in the currency of the place where they are, and show a streamer across the screen showing its equivalent in dollars??  It would make the 'story' a little more realistic, and we could figure out how much the amount is in our experience.  

HGTV, anybody listening ??   I wonder if they ever did consider that ..  

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, Chippings said:

HGTV, Why can't you have your clients reply in the currency of the place where they are, and show a streamer across the screen showing its equivalent in dollars?? 

Back when I watched this show regularly, I complained about that all the time (on the TWoP forum).  It assumes such a lack of attention and an "Oh, no, something foreign!" aversion in the audience, and there may be something to that, but I would think the average viewer wouldn't be confused, and might even find it interesting to learn a little something.

[javajeanelaine]

I also found Arie the realtor tiresome and did he have to make Bachelor references all through the show?  Ugh.

[Booklady1017]

On 5/29/2019 at 12:51 AM, LittleIggy said:

For real! I was wondering why she had to go to Oz for dental school. The kids were surprisingly unannoying.

I wasn’t sure either and I agree about the kids.

[Booklady1017]

On 5/29/2019 at 10:53 PM, Thumper said:

Tonight's episode in Amsterdam -- is the episode more about them, or their "realtor," former Bachelor Arie???  Ick.  Too many Bachelor references and photos of him and his wife.

Yeah it was over the top about the Bachelor references.

On 5/29/2019 at 1:38 PM, ECM1231 said:

Well, I was pretty impressed with the 40 year-old mom/wife who uprooted her family to go to dental school.  I took a very short break after completing my bachelor's degree to attend graduate school and that was only for a Master's degree. Dental school is at least 3 years f/t, right?  IDK if I were 40 and married with a f/t job and 2 about to be teenage kids, that I'd have the energy to start a whole new career, much less move halfway across the world! I give her a lot of credit. Their kids were so cute, and I loved the son's  ginger hair. I also thought the daughter was very well-spoken for  her age. I guess their budget was pretty tight, though, b/c I'd have sprung for the extra $150/month and chosen house #1. 

I liked this family especially after seeing that annoying couple in Mexico.

[Booklady1017]

On 5/31/2019 at 12:32 AM, LittleIggy said:

Malta: I really liked that house. I agree that the zebra sofas needed slipcovers. Wonder what they did for a living. Sounded as if they moved there without jobs.

I was trying to figure out their previous employment and I don’t think they had jobs lined up in Malta either.

[Koalagirl]

I’ve been to Malta so I’m always excited when a HHI episode features an episode from there.  It’s a fascinating country and incredibly picturesque!

[proserpina65]

On ‎05‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 9:52 PM, ML89 said:

Also, they were spending a million and I’d want a lot for that, too, frankly. I get expensive city blah blah but someone would damn well hear me complain about a million bucks not getting me a washer and dryer. 

The reality was that a million dollars wasn't going to get them everything they wanted in downtown Amsterdam.  They had to make compromises, and since the only place with 3 bedrooms met fewer of their requirements, it was smart to eliminate that one.  Unless they moved to a less downtown location.

To be honest, I was a little surprised at how little one gets for the money there, but location IS everything.

Edited June 3, 2019 by proserpina65

[LittleIggy]

Puerto Vallarta: The guy going on about how much his deceased mother would want a colonial style place was annoying. The way he was carrying on, I expected her ghost to be joining them.

[Pickles]

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Puerto Vallarta: The guy going on about how much his deceased mother would want a colonial style place was annoying. The way he was carrying on, I expected her ghost to be joining them.

That was pretty odd. I just couldn't stick with it. I turned it off before they made their choice. I didn't really need to hear about one of them having 34 speedo swimsuits. Lol.

[Kohola3]

25 minutes ago, Pickles said:

I didn't really need to hear about one of them having 34 speedo swimsuits.

And watching them having their picture taken in Speedo suits at the end was vomit inducing.

"Mom would have loved this", blah, blah, blah.  And then putting a plaque on a chair for her - get real.

[javajeanelaine]

I thought the references to his Mom were sweet.

[Booklady1017]

13 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Puerto Vallarta: The guy going on about how much his deceased mother would want a colonial style place was annoying. The way he was carrying on, I expected her ghost to be joining them.

That's nice what he wanted to do, but I admit it was getting to be a bit much to hear him talk about it every other minute.

[ML89]

Puerto Vallarta - I just want to know what they do for a living that allows them to live in Austin and buy a $600k second home in Mexico. Did mom leave that guy the money?

[Booklady1017]

4 hours ago, ML89 said:

Puerto Vallarta - I just want to know what they do for a living that allows them to live in Austin and buy a $600k second home in Mexico. Did mom leave that guy the money?

Good question ML!

[LittleIggy]

St. Croix: I found the wife grating. She griped about the real estate guy picking over budget houses then wanted the most expensive place. And the “This is a third bedroom?” Uh, yeah, a bed fit in there just fine. How much more does a guest need?

[Ohwell]

St. Croix lady annoyed me because she kept yammering on and on about dogs.  We get it.  You love dogs.  She also kept talking about entertaining, and I can imagine the dogs would be sitting at the table with the guests.  I forget which house they chose, I think it was the most remote one.  If so, that was the best choice because the neighbors won't have to deal with them because they looked like they could be kind of overbearing.  

[Pickles]

St Croix wife annoyed me too. Who does so much entertaining? Did they even know anyone on St Croix? And the dogs. Omg. She wants to rescue all of the dogs. The husband did not seem that comfortable with the move. He was worried about the money, didn't like the water, etc. 

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, Ohwell said:

St. Croix lady annoyed me because she kept yammering on and on about dogs.  We get it.  You love dogs.  She also kept talking about entertaining, and I can imagine the dogs would be sitting at the table with the guests.  I forget which house they chose, I think it was the most remote one.  If so, that was the best choice because the neighbors won't have to deal with them because they looked like they could be kind of overbearing.  

They actually bought the most expensive place, the one with the big yard for the dogs!

I bet the husband will get bored after awhile. Relatively young to be retired.