House Hunters International - General Discussion

[film noire]

Saw a rerun of the Australian couple moving to Da Nang, so the husband could start a fashion business.

They picked the apartment with the gigantic windowed bathroom wall: the toilet was across from the bed through the uncurtained glass window.  I'm not super-squeamish, but even some kind of privacy element would not fix that for me (knowing my husband was facing me, even behind curtains, as he went about his (non-fashion!) business....)

They just had a baby (and moved!) while in lockdown in Vietnam, and seem pretty happy:

 

Edited October 24, 2020 by film noire

[Dehumidifier]

Couple buying in St. John, VI. Nice to see Brooklyn people that aren't hipsters and don't live in a gentrified neighborhood. Both had good paying jobs too. No yoga teachers or collage artists.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Dehumidifier
Taking "s" off St. John. Different island!

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 10/24/2020 at 1:02 PM, Dehumidifier said:

I was distracted by the god-awful purple lipstick. matching her hair bow no less.

I started feeling kind of bad because it occurred to me that her posture is because of some weird version of scoliosis or something, and I don't want to rag on someone for something they can't do anything about.  But that lipstick was 100% her choice, so I'm gonna lump the posture in with it.  What I'm really hoping is that she sees the show and goes, "Oh my god I can't believe my posture!"  But I have a feeling she's seen ample footage of herself already.

[buttersister]

IT pro moving to Costa Rico AWAY from her mother. That’s it. Lovely home at least two days away from Mama Harpy. P.S., Mom, there are no $5 handbags.

[Kiddvideo]

Anna and Cy in Vietnam: They seemed respectful of each other, but for people with so much international experience they hadn't given much thought about all the other places they'd need to travel to other than school/work/restaurants. So she still had to drive all over, and he had a 45 minute commute each way. Basically, they unintentionally picked the worst option, and I think that's why he made the joke (passive-aggressively and shown twice on camera) about compromising meant neither of them would be happy.

[Grizzly]

13 hours ago, buttersister said:

IT pro moving to Costa Rico AWAY from her mother. That’s it. Lovely home at least two days away from Mama Harpy. P.S., Mom, there are no $5 handbags.

And there are poisonous snakes in Texas.

[amarante]

11 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

Anna and Cy in Vietnam: They seemed respectful of each other, but for people with so much international experience they hadn't given much thought about all the other places they'd need to travel to other than school/work/restaurants. So she still had to drive all over, and he had a 45 minute commute each way. Basically, they unintentionally picked the worst option, and I think that's why he made the joke (passive-aggressively and shown twice on camera) about compromising meant neither of them would be happy.

They chose the place which was closest to the pre-school in the ex-pat neighborhood. Putting kids in a car and driving them to pre-school every day made no sense. And they would be far away from their classmates.

Not much sympathy for the guy with his 45 minute commute. Many people have commutes of that length or longer especially when they have children and move to the suburbs. 

Given that they chose the place next to the pre-school their choice made perfect sense. Presumably there are also groceries and other establishments needed day to day. She had also mentioned pediatricians for example as part of her research and English speaking doctors are probably centered in that area as well.

I don't know where else they would need to go on a frequent basis. Many people - especially those with children - don't live in the center of the hot spots. I grew up in Brooklyn and we went into Manhattan for the museums, Lincoln Center and department store shopping. But there was no need to go there on a daily basis as there was day to day commerce in our neighborhood. I did commute Into Manhattan from seventh grade to attend one of the specialized schools and I fled to Manhattan to live as soon as I graduated and started working.

[MartyQui]

15 hours ago, buttersister said:

IT pro moving to Costa Rico AWAY from her mother. That’s it. Lovely home at least two days away from Mama Harpy. P.S., Mom, there are no $5 handbags.

Well, there are if you’re shopping at Goodwill.  I’m not surprised she wanted to move away from Mom.  

[ArtFossil]

Breda, Netherlands couple: their hostility toward each other was hard to watch. I suspect losing a child may have caused this dynamic, but whatever the cause, I hope they get counseling because to me at least it didn't look like their marriage could last.

Sigh. I just want to see the buildings, food, street life . . . .

[Dehumidifier]

1 hour ago, ArtFossil said:

Breda, Netherlands couple: their hostility toward each other was hard to watch. I suspect losing a child may have caused this dynamic, but whatever the cause, I hope they get counseling because to me at least it didn't look like their marriage could last.

Sigh. I just want to see the buildings, food, street life . . . .

I think she didn't like having to give up her school principal job for his career move.

[dbell1]

Norwood and the psychic. I went between love and loathe with them. I loved his energy and creativity, but the constant “the vibe is haunted” from her got too much. And by the end, it was like a pilot for a potential tv show. 

[Kiddvideo]

5 hours ago, amarante said:

They chose the place which was closest to the pre-school in the ex-pat neighborhood. Putting kids in a car and driving them to pre-school every day made no sense. And they would be far away from their classmates.

Not much sympathy for the guy with his 45 minute commute. Many people have commutes of that length or longer especially when they have children and move to the suburbs. 

Given that they chose the place next to the pre-school their choice made perfect sense. Presumably there are also groceries and other establishments needed day to day. She had also mentioned pediatricians for example as part of her research and English speaking doctors are probably centered in that area as well.

I don't know where else they would need to go on a frequent basis. Many people - especially those with children - don't live in the center of the hot spots. I grew up in Brooklyn and we went into Manhattan for the museums, Lincoln Center and department store shopping. But there was no need to go there on a daily basis as there was day to day commerce in our neighborhood. I did commute Into Manhattan from seventh grade to attend one of the specialized schools and I fled to Manhattan to live as soon as I graduated and started working.

They both have to deal with the thing they didn't want, and neither was effusive in the after interview. I wonder if they'll be in Vietnam long enough to move now they have a better sense of their day-to-day life.

[Grizzly]

Bangkok. Just wow. At that price he could have gotten a second apartment for his clothes. Going to have to Google him.

[Grrarrggh]

22 hours ago, buttersister said:

IT pro moving to Costa Rico AWAY from her mother. That’s it. Lovely home at least two days away from Mama Harpy. P.S., Mom, there are no $5 handbags.

Better $5 than wasting $2500 imo. Then again, I rely on pockets... lol. 

[Grizzly]

Anyone else find themselves humming "One Night in Bangkok"? Just me?

[chessiegal]

10 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Bangkok. Just wow. At that price he could have gotten a second apartment for his clothes. Going to have to Google him.

My husband googled him at the start of the show. He's quite the character.

[TVForever]

10 hours ago, dbell1 said:

Norwood and the psychic. I went between love and loathe with them. I loved his energy and creativity, but the constant “the vibe is haunted” from her got too much. And by the end, it was like a pilot for a potential tv show. 

 

4 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

My husband googled him at the start of the show. He's quite the character.

Don't know why, but as EXTRA as he was, it seemed genuine. We've all seen so many of these HHs who seem like they're auditioning for their own show ( I agree with you on that psychic, Dbell!)  Norwood seemed like that's exactly how he is when he wakes up in the morning, lol! 

[StatisticalOutlier]

10 hours ago, dbell1 said:

Norwood and the psychic. I went between love and loathe with them.

No vacillation here.  Loathe.   That laugh.  I was dreading the end of sentences because I knew he was going to laugh.

And did I somehow miss the rest of his clothes?  All I saw was the two racks, but I may have been distracted by searching for the bathrooms they're somehow loath to show on HHI.  Except, apparently, if it's made of glass and in the bedroom.

[Schnickelfritz]

Bangkok - Norwood and his psychic friend.

I looked her up (Debbie Creagh) and they are quite the pair. They do "spiritual readings" together on the Book of Face. I must say they seem to enjoy life. BUT she looks so much better on line than she did on the show. That make up was a bit much.

Interesting article on Norwood's former digs. I wish I could find the listing pics. Apparently the interior was quite something. Imagine that. I also wish the pictures of his estate sale were still available. He sold the house in 2012.

https://la.curbed.com/2011/10/3/10436986/inside-the-house-of-davids-with-owner-norwood-young-1

Norwood has also been on a few other reality shows - including Botched for a bad nose job.

 

 

[snarts]

2 hours ago, Schnickelfritz said:

Norwood has also been on a few other reality shows - including Botched for a bad nose job.

 

THANK YOU! I knew I'd seen him on something else.

[HeShallBMySquishy]

On 10/23/2020 at 1:06 PM, Crashcourse said:

I wish the realtor had asked that woman, "What specifically does Dutch charm look like to you so that I can show you what you'd like?"  I'm betting the woman couldn't even give her a detailed answer.

Oh man, that lack of specificity is incredibly irritating. Asking someone for specifics, and getting a blank stare in return, tells me a lot about that someone, mainly that they simply parrot what they've heard on TV or seen on social media without actually forming an opinion of their own.

It's mostly why I only watch this show as background, if ever, and if there's nothing else on.

[aghst]

Liked the Amsterdam episode of the young couple with a Iggy the dog.
 

much more reasonable prices than I recall from other Amsterdam episodes and of course you had Sarah the agent, as chipper as ever.

They must wait for sunlight, especially in places like Amsterdam, in order to show how great the light is in the places they show.  Of course a lot of the time in Amsterdam, it isn’t bright enough outside to light up the interiors.

 

 

[jcbrown]

13 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Anyone else find themselves humming "One Night in Bangkok"? Just me?

Nope, not just you. Even my husband, who was barely paying attention popped up with a spontaneous line.

Norwood was a LOT. I still found him sort of interesting. Her Debbie Downer bullshit psychic schtick, on the other hand, no thanks ("oh no, there are spirits in this building!" So "spirits" here is code for, "you can't afford it?").

[Grrarrggh]

Re the Bangkok "psychic", what kind of energy or aura is "old" exactly?

[chessiegal]

14 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

Re the Bangkok "psychic", what kind of energy or aura is "old" exactly?

I had a colleague that bought an old colonial era home in Virginia. She claims to have seen a woman dressed in colonial era clothes in the house. I'd say that's kind of old.

[StatisticalOutlier]

I really like those houses in Merida that are long and skinny and you walk through a courtyard to get to the bedroom.  I assumed she wasn't going to get that one, since the contractor was along for the hunt, but I'm glad they showed it. 

 

[LittleIggy]

I would like a follow-up on that remodel in Merida.

[Gyppo]

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

 

I would like a follow-up on that remodel in Merida

 

That’s what my wife said! Didn’t they use to do follow up shows way back when?

I enjoyed the fact the Merida contractor was Welsh, and they still had to subtitle him once.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Merida house would be great for an update, but I don't think they do those any more.            I think a long time ago they had a previous episode in Mexico with two men, and they bought a virtual ruin, and showed what it looked like after, and it was spectacular.  

I loved the second place that was so turnkey.   You could always replace the tile, a room at a time.   I could see the potential with the first one, but the third one didn't appeal to me at all.     The third place didn't have the back yard space the house hunter wanted, and I just didn't like it.   

Edited October 30, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, Gyppo said:

That’s what my wife said! Didn’t they use to do follow up shows way back when?

It depends on how long they wait to show the "later" part of the episode. I've seen episodes where we see the house hunting and then the we get 9 months later and see the remodel.  And so it's all within the same episode.

And then there was the subseries that I loved "Where are they now" which looked back at former house hunters and showed us the remodels or new builds.

[Dehumidifier]

2 hours ago, Gyppo said:

That’s what my wife said! Didn’t they use to do follow up shows way back when?

I enjoyed the fact the Merida contractor was Welsh, and they still had to subtitle him once.

Welsh? I thought Irish but Welsh explains why I couldn't understand 90% of what he said. Was anyone but me dying to hear him speak Spanish? I was wondering if English speaking Mexicans who are used to American English speakers could understand him. Apparently the architect at the end could.

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The Merida house would be great for an update, but I don't think they do those any more.            I think a long time ago they had a previous episode in Mexico with two men, and they bought a virtual ruin, and showed what it looked like after, and it was spectacular.  

I loved the second place that was so turnkey.   You could always replace the tile, a room at a time.   I could see the potential with the first one, but the third one didn't appeal to me at all.  

The third place looked like it was in a bad neighborhood.

[TVForever]

5 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

It depends on how long they wait to show the "later" part of the episode. I've seen episodes where we see the house hunting and then the we get 9 months later and see the remodel.  And so it's all within the same episode.

And then there was the subseries that I loved "Where are they now" which looked back at former house hunters and showed us the remodels or new builds.

For some reason, you’ll only get a random smattering of those “update” episodes every now and then. They’re my favorites. I’d be happy if it were a regular series, even if it were done as 1 or 2 episodes per month. 

[javajeanelaine]

Do they go anyplace other than Merida in Mexico?  It seems like they go there frequently.

[StatisticalOutlier]

21 minutes ago, javajeanelaine said:

Do they go anyplace other than Merida in Mexico?  It seems like they go there frequently.

I know a couple whose HHI episode in Mexico was on about a year ago.  I can't remember the name of the town, but it's not Merida.  (And for the record, they bought the house in Mexico a couple of years before the episode was taped.)

[amarante]

1 hour ago, javajeanelaine said:

Do they go anyplace other than Merida in Mexico?  It seems like they go there frequently.

They go most regularly to the Baja Peninsula.

They have had a few episodes in Mexico City. I think the two hairdresser sisters was set in Mexico City

[LittleIggy]

On 10/29/2020 at 10:02 AM, StatisticalOutlier said:

No vacillation here.  Loathe.   That laugh.  I was dreading the end of sentences because I knew he was going to laugh.

 

OMG yes! That affected laugh drove me nuts. I couldn’t stand him or his “psychic” friend. They can stay in Thailand.

[CrazyInAlabama]

They've shown Playa del Carmen, and Tullem (spelling?), but a lot end up on Mexico Life or whatever it's called now.    Sometimes they show more of the after with renovations, or show exactly what they're going to do on that series, instead of HHI.   

[StatisticalOutlier]

14 hours ago, amarante said:

They have had a few episodes in Mexico City. I think the two hairdresser sisters was set in Mexico City

Of course!  I'm like "How could I forget?" but that sounds like I think forgetting about the two hairdresser sisters is a bad thing. 

[aghst]

Could have been an HHI episode but HGTV has made it a series, premiering 11/6/20, called My Big Italian Adventure.

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/01/929636226/actor-buys-a-crumbling-home-for-1-euro-and-it-turns-into-a-big-italian-adventure

Lorraine Bracco of The Sopranos and Goodfellas buys a home in Sicily for 1 Euro, with the promise to spend thousands to renovate it.  Bracco says that her ancestors are from Sicily and that she’s a big HGTV fan.

 

[chessiegal]

The first episode of My Big Italian Adventure aired last Friday, October 30. It took over the Selling the Big Easy time slot. It was okay.

[Dehumidifier]

4 hours ago, chessiegal said:

The first episode of My Big Italian Adventure aired last Friday, October 30. It took over the Selling the Big Easy time slot. It was okay.

The show was OK but boy, is Lorraine Bracco hyper or what? The floor tile they preserved -- gorgeous. All the rooms they finished -- gorgeous too.

[tessaray]

I have created a topic for My Big Italian Adventure.  Please take any further discussion there.

 

 

[Grizzly]

Amsterdam. Omigod I love this realtor! "Don't be so delicate." When the wife said she could see herself living in Europe and then rattled off her wish list, I'm thinking, no you won't like living in Europe.

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Amsterdam. Omigod I love this realtor! "Don't be so delicate." When the wife said she could see herself living in Europe and then rattled off her wish list, I'm thinking, no you won't like living in Europe.

Yikes, not only was she a quintessential ugly American but they had the guts to lie about researching prices. 

[LittleIggy]

Italy: Are we to assume the husband/father is dead? The kid came across as spoiled, but I guess having to listen to his mother tell that story about his miraculous conception to anyone who will listen merits giving him a break. That little doggie was totes adorbs.

[chessiegal]

The Tuscany episode was a head scratcher. No mention of the whereabouts or fate of the father of the miraculous conception. The son who wanted a "cool" room had been living in Italy for 4 years - where was he living?

[Irlandesa]

The "father" was probably the bishop who touched her. 

8 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

where was he living?

He said he went to boarding school in Italy.

[LittleIggy]

41 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

The "father" was probably the bishop who touched her. 

He said he went to boarding school in Italy.

I think the toucher was just a monk! 😆

[Dehumidifier]

I just watched this. She said went to Italy with her husband. The monk took her to the altar and the congregation said a rosary for her. When she returned to the US she was pregnant. Sort of Hilary's story of how she and Bill created Chelsea while on vacation. Not digging the anti-Catholic jibes here.

4 hours ago, chessiegal said:

The Tuscany episode was a head scratcher. No mention of the whereabouts or fate of the father of the miraculous conception. The son who wanted a "cool" room had been living in Italy for 4 years - where was he living?

The son went to Italy for a 3 month soccer program when he was 14, loved it so much, begged her to stay. Said he was living in a boarding school for three years.

[LittleIggy]

Italy: Maybe she and the husband divorced, and she doesn’t want to say that since the miraculous conception is credited to a Roman Catholic rite.