House Hunters International - General Discussion

[Grizzly]

Brussels. This realtor is quite the character. I like the husband. The wife doesn't seem to have much of a personality. Maybe it's just that she speaks in a monotone. The apartments were all decent. And we didn't get the it needs to be close to my work refrain.

[aghst]

14 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Brussels. This realtor is quite the character. I like the husband. The wife doesn't seem to have much of a personality. Maybe it's just that she speaks in a monotone. The apartments were all decent. And we didn't get the it needs to be close to my work refrain.

He did talk up parking.

They wanted to live in the center so that she could bike to work and other places.

He kept talking about unique character.  Well that third home was unique but too far away.  She got over the furniture she didn't like -- not modern or new enough -- for the location..

Brussels is suppose to be expensive because all those members of the European Parliament can increase housing demand, though maybe that's more in the outlying area where the EP is located.

They seemed to enjoy moving around, 8 countries in 10 years.  No children and don't seem to be looking to have any, though he mentioned once that this place would be good for children and she said nothing.

But it's his job that has him moving all over the place, Manila to Brussels is some range.  He must like the job and moving around. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

6 hours ago, aghst said:

They seemed to enjoy moving around, 8 countries in 10 years.  No children and don't seem to be looking to have any, though he mentioned once that this place would be good for children and she said nothing.

But it's his job that has him moving all over the place, Manila to Brussels is some range.  He must like the job and moving around. 

I think it would be fantastic to move around like that for a job.  I'd get to deeply experience all these different places, and have a relatively soft landing in each one because of the job. 

[DonnaMae]

I knew they wouldn't choose the second apartment with no furniture.  Since they only stay in one place for a couple of years, it would make no sense to spend a lot of money on furniture.  The first apartment seemed perfect to me, and it had space for a car.

[aghst]

Vancouver to Prague originally aired May 2020.

Couple moved to travel.  She had a travel blog and he was an X-ray tech whose father passed away recently so he wanted to travel since his father never did.

She went on and on about these ornate ceilings in a tiny place and demanding history but they chose the lowest priced apt.

Searched their names and found her blog.  They got engaged less than 2 months ago.  She describes their trips in detail.  They’ve been dating for 5 years and traveling together for 3 or 4 years together.

She has a long post about their HHI experience:

https://teaspoonofadventure.com/house-hunters-international/

There is another post about moving to Prague on a 1-year visa which allowed them to work, though I don’t think they got local jobs.

TBH, she seemed to be the dominant one on the episode, always shutting down what he wanted.  Either they were pretending or he doesn’t mind IRL.

 

[chocolatine]

On 12/11/2020 at 11:52 AM, Grizzly said:

He didn't exactly look how I picture a German car salesman to look. 😏

Not a salesman at a Mercedes or BMW dealership, but he wouldn't look out of place at a used car lot.

I enjoy Kevin as much as anyone, but it always baffles me that he pops up all over Germany - it's a big country, at least by European standards. Last week it was Berlin and now Stuttgart, a 400-mile distance. I want to know where he actually lives/works. He has a slight southern accent, and I noticed in the Berlin episode he said "servus" when he entered a cafe with the HHs; that greeting is specific to Bavaria and Austria, so he either lives/works in Bavaria or grew up there.

Edited December 14, 2020 by chocolatine

[TVForever]

5 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I enjoy Kevin as much as anyone, but it always baffles me that he pops up all over Germany - it's a big country, at least by European standards. Last week it was Berlin and now Stuttgart, a 400-mile distance. I want to know where he actually lives/works. He has a slight southern accent, and I noticed in the Berlin episode he said "servus" when he entered a cafe with the HHs; that greeting is specific to Bavaria and Austria, so he either lives/works in Bavaria or grew up there.

I'm sure the producers have realized that Kevin (Baby Elvis) has become a fan favorite, and will now work with him in most of the episodes from the area now. Since these aren't technically "real" home searches, it doesn't really matter that Kevin wouldn't realistically work in cities 400 miles apart. Just like I love the France episodes as much for the possibility of seeing Adrian as much as seeing more houses in France, or seeing Richard in the England episodes , or the quirky blond realtor in Amsterdam. or Richard the Silver Fox in Spain. Once the producers hit on a fan fave, they're going to stick with them for awhile. Most of those realtors couldn't realistically be working in most of the cities as those episodes show ( or maybe they do-admittedly I only have real knowledge of how realtors work in the US), but for the American TV audience, it doesn't matter that much.

[topanga]

Thailand--I think this was a new one. The woman from Houston who moved to LA then to Thailand to teach--I'm always happy to see POC on HHI, but man, this lady was exhausting. I don't think I could stand being around her for more than 5 minutes before I'd have to escape somewhere quiet to recharge. She was very nice but, once again, exhausting. 

I'm glad she finally accepted that she doesn't need to live in Bangkok. She's not going to be partying 24/7, so it's better to live closer to her job. 

I do wonder how she's going to manage with just a hot plate and a microwave. Then again, if she doesn't cook much, then that's probably all she needs. 

[abbyzenn]

Topanga - My brother lived in Thailand for about 7 years.  He says most people don't cook - it's cheaper to eat at the plentiful street markets/restaurants.  The food is local - plenty of vegetables and fruits - much healthier than in US.  It's not unusual to meet friends and go to eat at several places instead of staying all evening at one place.

Brussels episode - that 3rd place was tiny.  The couch was tucked under the stairway with the dining table taking up most of the room.  Nice couple and I think it would be interesting to move around (speaking as someone who grew up as a Navy brat).

Italy - this episode was discussed earlier - mother moving to Italy where her son had been living for 3 years at a boarding school.  I actually liked the woman but the son seemed so lifeless even his voice was a monotone.

I'm just getting back into watching this show since it seemed for awhile it wasn't regularly scheduled and I could never find it.  

[swissair100]

14 hours ago, chocolatine said:

He has a slight southern accent, and I noticed in the Berlin episode he said "servus" when he entered a cafe with the HHs; that greeting is specific to Bavaria and Austria, so he either lives/works in Bavaria or grew up there.

I believe he is from Bad Wiessee, so yes. He has an interesting background & turned his life around 10 years ago (good for him).

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by swissair100

[chocolatine]

9 hours ago, TVForever said:

I'm sure the producers have realized that Kevin (Baby Elvis) has become a fan favorite, and will now work with him in most of the episodes from the area now. Since these aren't technically "real" home searches, it doesn't really matter that Kevin wouldn't realistically work in cities 400 miles apart. Just like I love the France episodes as much for the possibility of seeing Adrian as much as seeing more houses in France, or seeing Richard in the England episodes , or the quirky blond realtor in Amsterdam. or Richard the Silver Fox in Spain. Once the producers hit on a fan fave, they're going to stick with them for awhile. Most of those realtors couldn't realistically be working in most of the cities as those episodes show ( or maybe they do-admittedly I only have real knowledge of how realtors work in the US), but for the American TV audience, it doesn't matter that much.

But Sarah/Adrian/Richard mostly stick to Amsterdam/Paris/London, respectively, and it's apparent that each of them knows their city very well. Kevin is not even trying to pretend that he knows his locations, other than Captain Obvious comments like "this apartment is in Mitte so it's centrally located" ("Mitte" literally means "center"). Don't get me wrong, he's charming and really nice to look at, but I'm sure there are other attractive and charming realtors with better local knowledge.

1 hour ago, swissair100 said:

I believe he is from Bad Wiessee, so yes. He has an interesting background & turned his life around 10 years ago (good for him).

I just googled him and it looks like he's based in Munich, so he's stayed close to home. I didn't find anything about his background though - is there a link you can share?

[Bluesky]

On 12/10/2020 at 3:03 PM, Crashcourse said:

I really liked the Thailand guy, loved the realtor.  They were delightful together and I liked their back and forth quips.  If she isn't married, I'd ship those two.  The niece was adorable.

Oh yeah, the third place made the most sense.

He reminded me of David Thewlis on season 3 of Fargo, the guy who played villain Vargas.  He had the same voice and inflections.   

[Kiddvideo]

Atlanta to Amsterdam. FIVE bedrooms? So two bedrooms should be empty for 50 weeks (or 46 or 48 whatever) weeks a year so grandparents from both sides can have their own bedroom when they visit. The kids are small. Not going to kill them to double-up for a couple weeks a year to save $8,400. Was surprised the wife was willing to bike around town and wasn’t demanding a car and driver. Hell, was surprised the wife wasn’t demanding a live-in au pair/housekeeper.

Can this show find (or edit) people who aren’t dumbasses or assholes? I’m getting tired of the same storylines.

[buttersister]

51 minutes ago, Kiddvideo said:

Was surprised the wife was willing to bike around town and wasn’t demanding a car and driver. Hell, was surprised the wife wasn’t demanding a live-in au pair/housekeeper.

On camera.

[LittleIggy]

On 12/14/2020 at 9:01 AM, TVForever said:

I'm sure the producers have realized that Kevin (Baby Elvis) has become a fan favorite, and will now work with him in most of the episodes from the area now. Since these aren't technically "real" home searches, it doesn't really matter that Kevin wouldn't realistically work in cities 400 miles apart. Just like I love the France episodes as much for the possibility of seeing Adrian as much as seeing more houses in France, or seeing Richard in the England episodes , or the quirky blond realtor in Amsterdam. or Richard the Silver Fox in Spain. Once the producers hit on a fan fave, they're going to stick with them for awhile. Most of those realtors couldn't realistically be working in most of the cities as those episodes show ( or maybe they do-admittedly I only have real knowledge of how realtors work in the US), but for the American TV audience, it doesn't matter that much.

People are using my Baby Elvis and Silver Fox (it’s Nick though) nicknames. Does that make me a social media influencer? 😉😆

Amsterdam: The wife annoyed me. Guess she was meant to by insisting on five bedrooms for a married couple and two small children. 🙄 I didn’t see “Dutch charm” in that house. It looked as modern and generic as the place they picked. Liked Sarah’s snark, as usual.

[NYGirl]

The Amsterdam realtor was something else.  She was snarking on that couple left and right!  I was kind of shocked to tell the truth.

That being said my son and I couldn't understand why 5 bedrooms and how the husband being budget conscious would allow it.  The wife probably didn't know how to even be with her children which is why she was complaining so much about giving up her insurance job.

[Malvina]

18 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

Atlanta to Amsterdam. FIVE bedrooms? So two bedrooms should be empty for 50 weeks (or 46 or 48 whatever) weeks a year so grandparents from both sides can have their own bedroom when they visit. The kids are small. Not going to kill them to double-up for a couple weeks a year to save $8,400. Was surprised the wife was willing to bike around town and wasn’t demanding a car and driver. Hell, was surprised the wife wasn’t demanding a live-in au pair/housekeeper.

Can this show find (or edit) people who aren’t dumbasses or assholes? I’m getting tired of the same storylines.

Husband works for major US airline, transatlantic part  “managing all the revenue aspects of the business”. I wonder if there’s anything to manage now.

[Grizzly]

Dublin. Whoa that bathroom with the tile. I like it but it being on the floor too, is a bit much. They're going to the north side! I think economically that makes the most sense.

[buttersister]

Oy, rerun of the insufferable man-child PJ in Cabo. Two women divorced you? Really?! 

[sempervivum]

Dublin- really, the place they chose is a $750K house with basically no closet/storage in any of the bedrooms, strange bathroom tiles (in both baths) and the train going by right on the other side of the wall!

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wonder how much the house on the train tracks would cost if the train was a greater distance away?    No storage, I see a lot of wardrobe closet purchases in their future.       I would have kept on looking, but on the North side with better housing for their budget.  

[aghst]

23 hours ago, NYGirl said:

The Amsterdam realtor was something else.  She was snarking on that couple left and right!  I was kind of shocked to tell the truth.

That being said my son and I couldn't understand why 5 bedrooms and how the husband being budget conscious would allow it.  The wife probably didn't know how to even be with her children which is why she was complaining so much about giving up her insurance job.

I thought the 5-bedroom demand was a put on.

But I am assuming they got a huge housing allowance from his employer.  She didn't sacrifice her own career so much as it was a big opportunity for hubby, more than making up for loss of her income or the potential to do so in a few years.

That 5-bedroom was also in a good central location if she really planned to go hang out in cafes and museums all the time with her two young kids in tow.

Now did they hire someone to do the housekeeping?  Because they probably hired house cleaners for that McMansion in Atlanta.

Sarah keeps having to tell house hunters that European homes are smaller so of course she's going to snark.  She said she's also from the "South of America" so she knows they're used to relatively affordable but big homes.

 

[aghst]

2 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Dublin- really, the place they chose is a $750K house with basically no closet/storage in any of the bedrooms, strange bathroom tiles (in both baths) and the train going by right on the other side of the wall!

I thought it was the condo, the second choice, which didn't have closets.

I think the third one had closets but a lot of nooks which made her keep asking why couldn't they make the room square.  Fiancee said they could put mirrors or little furniture in those nooks and she agreed.  Never knew that's what nooks were for.

I wonder if they played up this north vs. south of Liffey River cultural divide thing.  I think in previous Dublin episodes, I don't recall it being talked about too much.  I can see him preferring to be near his family and friends and customary haunts.

But is it difficult to travel across the river?  He did have a car, a Miata convertible -- interesting choice for Ireland.

This is at least the second HHI episode where the realtor drove separately from the house hunters and she was describing the place to them over speakerphone.  So without them saying it, this was HHI's way of saying they were distancing?

But they didn't wear masks or anything.  In another episode, I recall the realtor walking along with a couple and he or she was keeping a distance from the couple.  Of course once they go inside the home they're yakking at each other without masks.

[StatisticalOutlier]

4 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Dublin- really, the place they chose is a $750K house with basically no closet/storage in any of the bedrooms, strange bathroom tiles (in both baths) and the train going by right on the other side of the wall!

I liked how the realtor said it was convenient having the train so close by.  Uh, just because a train runs 30 feet from your property doesn't mean you can actually get on it nearby, and that's what matters.

 

2 hours ago, aghst said:

I wonder if they played up this north vs. south of Liffey River cultural divide thing.  I think in previous Dublin episodes, I don't recall it being talked about too much. 

I wondered if it had something to do with religion, because I'm fairly ignorant about Ireland and was thinking about Northern Ireland and all that.  I did find an article that explains how it came about (hint: nothing to do with religion).  The writer may be full of shit, but it makes sense to me:

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/ireland/articles/whats-with-dublins-north-south-divide/

I did some more poking around and have to say, Dublin is one good-looking city. 

Edited December 17, 2020 by StatisticalOutlier

[DonnaMae]

Why are houses built without closets?  I understand that this happened in the past when people didn't have many clothes, but now it doesn't make sense.  Wardrobes or armoires don't hold much.

[Grizzly]

Birmingham. The city looked an intriguing blend of old and new build. First apartment might have been better if on a higher floor. I didn't think the furniture was that bad in #3. And that was a great view. Only problem is I didn't see a TV. 😉

[abbyzenn]

Amsterdam - boy that was an annoying woman.  Funny that in one of the houses (and I think it was the one they took) one of the bedrooms had only a single bed and she said it just wouldn't do (Right - neither kid who looked under the age of 5 could sleep in a single bed) and then in the end her mother comes alone to visit - couldn't she sleep in a single bed?

Also she kept harping that the place they eventually picked just didn't have that Dutch character but the one she wanted did.  What Dutch character did the $6000 a month house have?  It looked just as modern as the one they ended up picking.  She just strikes me as the type of person that doesn't care what something is just as long as it is the most expensive.  Also I'm not sure how much those kids will remember of Amsterdam - they were pretty young and they're only there for 3 years - so I don't get all the talk of giving the kids a cultural experience.. 

 

Dublin - that woman was also annoying although not as bad as Amsterdam.  I can't believe that in all of Dublin for $850,000 those three places were picked.  

[StatisticalOutlier]

14 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Birmingham. The city looked an intriguing blend of old and new build. First apartment might have been better if on a higher floor. I didn't think the furniture was that bad in #3. And that was a great view.

I love these little glimpses of the cities. 

I didn't love the furniture in #3, but that couch looked like it would be great to lie on, all stretched out.  And overlooking the canal would be wonderful.

I liked both the the HHs.  The woman seemed content to do her art instead of working, and definitely didn't bitch about it.  Good for her. 

I didn't like that the realtor constantly said "actually." 

[blueray]

14 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Birmingham. The city looked an intriguing blend of old and new build. First apartment might have been better if on a higher floor. I didn't think the furniture was that bad in #3. And that was a great view. Only problem is I didn't see a TV. 😉

I didn't either. I was thinking just switch the couch with the table. It makes more sense to have the table next to the kitchen, then put the couch in the corner to see the TV. And that's exactly what they ended up doing ;). 

[ArtFossil]

On 12/15/2020 at 11:24 PM, Kiddvideo said:

Atlanta to Amsterdam. FIVE bedrooms? So two bedrooms should be empty for 50 weeks (or 46 or 48 whatever) weeks a year so grandparents from both sides can have their own bedroom when they visit. The kids are small. Not going to kill them to double-up for a couple weeks a year to save $8,400. Was surprised the wife was willing to bike around town and wasn’t demanding a car and driver. Hell, was surprised the wife wasn’t demanding a live-in au pair/housekeeper.

Can this show find (or edit) people who aren’t dumbasses or assholes? I’m getting tired of the same storylines.

For me, I pre-hate any woman with spiral curls, so I loathed her as soon as I saw her. (Someone could redeem herself; she did not.)

[blueray]

11 hours ago, ArtFossil said:

For me, I pre-hate any woman with spiral curls, so I loathed her as soon as I saw her. (Someone could redeem herself; she did not.)

as someone who has natural curly hair, I take offense to that lol. My hair can make spiral curls when it is really rainy and humid with me doing nothing to it. But yeah, she was annoying in that episode.

Edited December 19, 2020 by blueray

[Neurochick]

On 12/3/2020 at 12:51 AM, LittleIggy said:

Yeah, I was like, you aren’t in the US, heifer. Taking German in high school must have been an easy A for her since one parent was German. The saving grace of the episode was my sweetie Kevin! He’s a doll! 😍

She was awful, awful, awful.  However, I got the feeling she does all the heavy lifting in that relationship and he lets her.

17 hours ago, ArtFossil said:

For me, I pre-hate any woman with spiral curls, so I loathed her as soon as I saw her. (Someone could redeem herself; she did not.)

What's wrong with spiral curls.  Curly girl here and a bit offended.

[ArtFossil]

11 hours ago, blueray said:

as someone who has natural curly hair, I take offense to that lol. My hair can make spiral curls when it is really rainy and humid with me doing nothing to it. But yeah, she was annoying in that episode.

Your natural spiral curls will always have a place in my heart. 🥰

4 hours ago, Neurochick said:

She was awful, awful, awful.  However, I got the feeling she does all the heavy lifting in that relationship and he lets her.

What's wrong with spiral curls.  Curly girl here and a bit offended.

You are a goddess. She was not naturally curly. 

Edited December 20, 2020 by ArtFossil

[LittleIggy]

8 hours ago, Neurochick said:

She was awful, awful, awful.  However, I got the feeling she does all the heavy lifting in that relationship and he lets her.

What's wrong with spiral curls.  Curly girl here and a bit offended.

Nothing at all! I used to pay the bucks and endure the stinky perm lotion to have spiral curls! I plan on doing it again when the pandemic is over. 😁

[sskrill]

Dulbin - I wanted to punch Kalifornia Kendall.  That poor man "I'm trying to take his opinion into consideration because he's my partner and thats what you're supposed to do, but in the end I will pick the house".  Ugh.

I lived in Dublin for a year when I was a kid - both Northside (Sutton, Shielmartin Road) and Southside (Booterstown, Castle Court) and its a really nice city.  Both areas are easily accessible by train. 

I went back 2 years ago to visit - the house we lived in in Sutton was an exact duplicate of that first house - leaded windows included - personally I think it gives the house character and charm, and hearing her describe them as "bars" as if if was security bars was just stupid.

Dubliners are some of the nicest people.  When I was walking back to the Sutton train station a car pulled over and a woman hopped out to ask if I was ok - I need a double knee replacement so I hobble when its been a long day.  She insisted they drive me to the train station and would not take no for an answer.  Funny enough I grew up in NJ and they had lived in NJ for a while for his job.  I didn't even get their names, but I still love them 🙂 

[chessiegal]

7 hours ago, sskrill said:

the house we lived in in Sutton was an exact duplicate of that first house - leaded windows included - personally I think it gives the house character and charm, and hearing her describe them as "bars" as if if was security bars was just stupid.

Exactly. When she called those barred windows, we both gave a WTF? Seemed like such a dismissive and ignorant remark.

[momo]

When the hunters complain about plain walls.  I think they have paint and pictures in other countries, don't they?

"Charm." Aggghhhhhh.

[Lemons]

On 12/20/2020 at 3:13 AM, sskrill said:

 

Dubliners are some of the nicest people.  When I was walking back to the Sutton train station a car pulled over and a woman hopped out to ask if I was ok - I need a double knee replacement so I hobble when its been a long day.  She insisted they drive me to the train station and would not take no for an answer.  Funny enough I grew up in NJ and they had lived in NJ for a while for his job.  I didn't even get their names, but I still love them 🙂 

That actually happened to me twice in the US.  Once when I was on crutches a woman stopped and gave me a ride.  Once when I was limping from an accident a police car stopped and gave me a ride (I had like 2 or 3 more miles to walk).    So Americans are alright too!

[LittleIggy]

Nice to see the funny Thai real estate lady again. I love her! I doubt Canadian white boy rapper will have much of a musical career in Thailand. 🙄

[buttersister]

Whoa is that guy annoying. Guessed he’d pick #3 because realtor, who I love, didn’t tell him to get his feet the hell off that couch.

[blueray]

That guy was horrible. I found him very annoying and muted every time he "preformed". It's not just that I hate rap music but I think he was also terrible and had such a smug attitude. I was so glad when she told him off when he complained about the mud. And also $50 over equals about $600. Which if you moving across the world shouldn't break the bank, if that's the case maybe you shouldn't be moving or get a real job (that isn't I work sometimes). 

[snarts]

Cliff the Canadian rapper took himself far too seriously.  Plus, I often side-eye gumpy awkward guys who move to Thailand.

[sempervivum]

Canada to island in Thailand- Come on, for $50 less than the first place, he's willing to duck every time he walks through the living room, and the 'sofa' is barely a chair? Also, why is his English-teaching income so spotty?

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, sempervivum said:

Canada to island in Thailand- Come on, for $50 less than the first place, he's willing to duck every time he walks through the living room, and the 'sofa' is barely a chair? Also, why is his English-teaching income so spotty?

Because amateur English teachers are a dime a dozen there.

I couldn’t believe he didn’t know what a daybed was and had never heard of it before. 🙄

Edited December 23, 2020 by LittleIggy

[aghst]

That guy in Thailand probably really needed the money that HHI paid him.

Every dime counts, because he didn't like what he was doing in Canada so he moved to a place with much cheaper cost of living.

They say the place has beautiful white sand beaches but the only beach I recall seeing had reddish brown sand.

The agent did another Thai episode too, I think.

[WI GIRL56]

I have a  part-time job teaching English to kids in China, via the internet.  I also have a full time job, so it is more for fun.  The hours are really spotty.  I only want to teach 12 classes a week.  Some weeks I am full but for June and July I had 0.  So the income is very sporadic.

It was nice to see the realtor again in Thailand.  She is so pretty and a wicked sense of humor.  Surprised he picked the low ceiling house and his rap was awful.

[javajeanelaine]

I just couldn't take the rapping.  And he could have had a nice apt for $50 more. Stupid white boy.

[Grizzly]

Australia. Realtor Lucas is quite animated. Not sure how I feel about this couple. Santi makes a good point about wanting to spend time with the kids instead of doing projects. Some renos Gerry wanted would blow their budget in house 1. House 2 was a good compromise.

[LittleIggy]

Oz: I love Lucas’s accent and his blue eyes. HHI has a good set of real estate people for their regular countries. I hope Lucas and Lala in Thailand will become regulars like Adrian and my boyfriend Kevin.

[blueray]

I liked the Australian episode. My husband and I were having fun with all the different accents. The realtor had a Steve Irwin accent which was great :). It was interesting that the kids had different accents, the daughter sounded american and the son sounded british. We figured that they learned English while they were traveling and since they were different ages they picked up the accents of the country they were in at certain age.