House Hunters International - General Discussion

[Grizzly]

Cork, Ireland. I have to really concentrate to understand the realtor. There was no doubt the wife was getting what she wanted.

[pep4]

Ireland - For gawd's sake, put a Cork in it!

I'm always surprised how many couples don't realize that when the HGTV producers hand them a script, tell them to have opposite wants, to disagree about everything, and make every flaw sound like the end of the world, that they'll come off looking terrible.

[buttersister]

Imagine my surprise when the husband “finally” admitted he actually wanted his wife to be happy with their move and not stuck in the middle of nowhere.🤣🤣🤣🤨
 

Edited June 11, 2021 by buttersister

[Cetacean]

The repetition of their demands is getting on my last never.  If I took a swig every time that guy say "my cows" last night I would never have stayed awake until the end.  

They want totally different things.  We get it.  But do they have to remind us of their demands as they pull up at every place and after each commercial? 

I love an Irish accent. 

[Crashcourse]

I was so excited to see this episode because I visited Cork several years ago.  It's a beautiful city, and one thing I'll always remember is that the McDonald's there had the best burger I'd ever eaten.  I think the beef was much better.  Also a short bus ride to Blarney Castle but once I saw how they kissed the stone I said "nah," lol. 

Back to the episode, the guy got on my nerves with his repetitive wants.  I looked him up and he's a SVP for SolarWinds.  I thought the wife looked worn out and nervous, after living with kids in so many places, including Singapore and now Cork. 

I did love the realtor's Irish accent even if I couldn't understand him sometimes. 

[seacliffsal]

I was very interested in the fact that both the husband and wife mentioned how she had hired help in Singapore.  It explained to me why she looked so nervous/anxious throughout the episode as she was probably imagining not being able to have as much help in Ireland (higher labor costs?).  Anyway, she didn't seem excited in the least which is too bad because they have a really nice home in a lovely country with amazing residents.  

[Dehumidifier]

I liked the pull down upper hanging rod in one of the Irish closets shown. 

[Grrarrggh]

I wanted to slap the Cork dad. He talks about work/life balance but he wants a home office?! 

[LittleIggy]

5 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

I wanted to slap the Cork dad. He talks about work/life balance but he wants a home office?! 

The wife annoyed me because she looked so miserable most of the time. Hey, lady, lots of us would love to move to Ireland.

[Crashcourse]

Yes, a move to Ireland sounds great, but I think she looked miserable because they had moved around a lot before moving there.  Plus getting the kids settled and in school with each move.  She might look and feel better if they settle down in Ireland.   

Edited June 12, 2021 by Crashcourse

[amarante]

The cost of household help in places like Singapore is extremely cheap. The cost of household help in Ireland would be equivalent to the US - she could probably afford a cleaning lady once a week but certainly not a live in or even a daily.

I wondered how the father of her children felt about having the children live in foreign countries for all those years. And conversely as I recall his children lived with the mother in the US so they have had not much contact with the non-custodial parents for a significant portion of their lives.

At least their housing budget reflected what they wanted and/or needed.

[Grrarrggh]

15 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

The wife annoyed me because she looked so miserable most of the time. Hey, lady, lots of us would love to move to Ireland.

I don't think she looked miserable. She looked anxious. I would be too. Plus there's that unwritten rule that women always need to be smiling. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/05/22/men-telling-women-smile

[Cetacean]

17 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

The wife annoyed me because she looked so miserable most of the time. Hey, lady, lots of us would love to move to Ireland.

Well, not everyone is the same and it appeared that they had been hauling households all over the world.  That might wear thin for a lot of people - she might not be unhappy about Ireland but about moving to ANY country.  It would be quite a change in culture moving from Singapore to Ireland and with small kids.

Especially if your spouse is obsessed with cows.

[buttersister]

I thought she looked tired. I didn’t catch how many kids of the family of ten (said the guide, I missed the opening) were living with them, but I’d be tired, too. Hope she’s not a home schooler.

His wanting a fantasy farm in the country, with the office, was hilarious. Who was going to take care of the animals? I think the Mrs. knew it wasn’t her. Wasn’t happening. 

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

Yes, a move to Ireland sounds great, but I think she looked miserable because they had moved around a lot before moving there.  Plus getting the kids settled and in school with each move.  She might look and feel better if they settle down in Ireland.   

A lot? I heard about only a couple of places. When I was a kid we moved about every two years. Now that a lot!

2 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

I don't think she looked miserable. She looked anxious. I would be too. Plus there's that unwritten rule that women always need to be smiling. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/05/22/men-telling-women-smile

Who said anything about her smiling? I’m a woman so I know all about that. I just said she looked miserable.

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

A lot? I heard about only a couple of places. When I was a kid we moved about every two years. Now that a lot!

I think Singapore was the last place they moved to before Ireland, but I think there were other places as well.  Everyone's experiences might be different.  

[LittleIggy]

6 hours ago, buttersister said:

I thought she looked tired. I didn’t catch how many kids of the family of ten (said the guide, I missed the opening) were living with them, but I’d be tired, too. Hope she’s not a home schooler.

His wanting a fantasy farm in the country, with the office, was hilarious. Who was going to take care of the animals? I think the Mrs. knew it wasn’t her. Wasn’t happening. 

I didn’t hear him say he wanted to have a farm or own animals. He just liked living somewhere where he could be near farms and cows. I would too since it was only 15 minutes from Cork.

[aghst]

James the realtor has done other Ireland episodes.  But looks like they have someone else for Dublin.

He has a cheeky sense of humor as I recall from the other episodes but in this one, the only comment I recall is when he was showing the Irish stove in the first house and said it's for making Irish stew, which around there (Ireland) they call "stew."

🙂

I went to Cork for a business trip which lasted a couple of weeks.  Walked around the city which was fine but didn't get out into the countryside.  Might have enjoyed it more had I did.

This was before Game of Thrones made a lot of landmarks there famous.

It was in the winter though, just before spring, so the weather wasn't the best, though it's not some sunny place, even though I think Cork is part of the Irish Riviera as they call it.

Only thing I noticed was just about every day I was there, Paris was like 10 degrees warmer and sunnier.

But now I want to see the hills and the coast line.

Normal People was set in Ireland but they didn't show off the countryside.

[TVForever]

On 6/12/2021 at 6:16 PM, buttersister said:

I thought she looked tired. I didn’t catch how many kids of the family of ten (said the guide, I missed the opening) were living with them, but I’d be tired, too. Hope she’s not a home schooler.

His wanting a fantasy farm in the country, with the office, was hilarious. Who was going to take care of the animals? I think the Mrs. knew it wasn’t her. Wasn’t happening. 

5 kids live with them, the other three live in NC with their mother.

[abbyzenn]

Cork, Ireland:

I thought they said they'd been married for 5 years so I don't think other than Singapore they had moved (and they were coming to Ireland from Singapore I think).

That first house was nice outside and the rooms space inside was fine but oh my the decor was a nightmare.  I get annoyed when the house hunters complain about the color of bathroom tile or a perfectly fine kitchen that would have to be a gut job but that house was a nightmare.  Laughed when the woman said about the carpet that it looked like someone had thrown up.

I found the woman annoying.  Again the talk about being able to walk to stores, cafes, etc - she had 3 year old twins (who she was afraid of them riding their bikes at the first house) so how often is she going to go to a cafe or shopping?

[Cetacean]

1 hour ago, abbyzenn said:

...how often is she going to go to a cafe or shopping?

Unless the area has a mega grocery, probably a lot.  In some parts of Europe you only shop for what you need in the small local stores necessitating multiple trips a week.  Not saying that's how it was in the site they chose but it can be a concern.  The cafes not so much with all of those kids to haul around.

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, Cetacean said:

Not saying that's how it was in the site they chose but it can be a concern. 

Especially when the fridges are smaller. 

[LittleIggy]

Mexico: That Tulum place was beautiful, but I knew the wife would get her way. Why move to another country just to live at a golf resort? And how is a view of a golf course such a big deal. Looks as if their new friends were a bunch of ex-pat white people. Luis the realtor was cute! 

[seacliffsal]

LIttleIggy, I had the same thought about how the home they chose was different from anything in the U.S. with a warm climate and golf view.  Tulum is not as developed as other areas (have been to the ruins there).  I often wonder how long people really stay in the locations they choose-and they bought rather than rented.  Oh, and I also wondered what the HOA costs were in addition to the $400,000 purchase price.

[aghst]

From the aerial shots, you saw thin strip of white buildings between forest and coast so it's all jungle behind them and coast in the front?

They ran just enough power along the coastal road to supply them?

House maintenance must be brutal, between the coastal humidity and then the dampness of the jungle behind.

Interesting that the husband referred to conflict leading to arguments and him having learned from past experience to avoid that.

He's a former cop though so who knew he'd be a believer in conflict resolution?

Seems like a lot of these house hunters who move to Mexico or Central America are from border states like TX or western states so they've been to these countries enough times that they know what they're getting into by moving there.

Or they think they know.

Seems like they were both really into turtles?

Edited June 17, 2021 by aghst

[jacksgirl]

Watching graphic traveling from Australia to Thailand, and I'm like "wouldn't it be shorter to go the other direction instead of 3/4th plus around the Earth?" Yep, it definately is.

Edited June 18, 2021 by jacksgirl

[Grizzly]

Pai, Thailand. It's strange to me that people would want to leave Australia in order to be creative. But to each their own. The places were nice. All the bathrooms seemed very modern while the kitchens weren't. Nice that both women agreed some apart space was important to their relationship. And learning the Thai language was so important to both of them, very refreshing. Don't know if I could be that close to roosters. I like to sleep.

[StatisticalOutlier]

11 hours ago, Grizzly said:

All the bathrooms seemed very modern while the kitchens weren't.

I thought that one cement-looking bathroom was weird.  It had all this square footage, and the shower was opposite the toilet (which I guess would help keep the toilet clean?), crammed down at the end, and there was no sink in there. 

I'm trying to decide whether I heard "create/creative" or "drawing" more.  And at one point there was a shot from behind one of them and she had all these tattoos that looked randomly placed, and right after that one of them said they tattoo each other.  I don't know why that would obviate thoughtful placement.

[Ambrosefolly]

19 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Pai, Thailand. It's strange to me that people would want to leave Australia in order to be creative. But to each their own. The places were nice. All the bathrooms seemed very modern while the kitchens weren't. Nice that both women agreed some apart space was important to their relationship. And learning the Thai language was so important to both of them, very refreshing. Don't know if I could be that close to roosters. I like to sleep.

I think it was the low cost of living & Jane being part Thai would contribute to their creativity. I've heard that Australia is super expensive so they would have had to keep the jobs they had and their passion project would have to take a backseat. I know I am pretty spent after working my regular job that pays the bills, so I keep putting off doing artwork. 

[LittleIggy]

Pai, Thailand: Fun fact: Those rings the women wear around their necks don’t make their necks longer. The rings push down their collar bones which make their necks look longer.

[Rootbeer]

On 6/17/2021 at 11:02 PM, Grizzly said:

Pai, Thailand. It's strange to me that people would want to leave Australia in order to be creative. But to each their own. The places were nice. All the bathrooms seemed very modern while the kitchens weren't. Nice that both women agreed some apart space was important to their relationship. And learning the Thai language was so important to both of them, very refreshing. Don't know if I could be that close to roosters. I like to sleep.

They were leaving because they'd raised some money through Crowd Funding so that they could quit their jobs and be 'creative'.  That money will go a whole lot farther in Thailand.  They weren't going to find a 2 bedroom apartment anywhere in Australia for $400/month.

It helped that one of them had family ties to Thailand.  Since she spoke the language as a young child, it may be easy for her to pick it up again.  I suspect, based on the way they spoke of their 'creativity', that neither of them had ever lived on the proceeds from any drawing or writing that they had managed to sell in the past and they'll end up returning to Australia as soon as their donations dry up.  The arts are a tough way to make a living and it didn't seem like they had a real plan to develop a business with it.

We see a lot of people on this show who are looking to live in Southeast Asia and be 'creative' because it is relatively cheap to live there.

[Grrarrggh]

6 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

They were leaving because they'd raised some money through Crowd Funding so that they could quit their jobs and be 'creative'.  

Website? I'm curious about their art. 

[Rootbeer]

23 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

Website? I'm curious about their art. 

They said they used a crowd funding site, they didn't say which one.  Kickstarter and Indiegogo are two of the bigger ones but there are literally dozens of them.  There is even one called Crowd Funder. I don't know if there are any specifically for those hoping to work in the arts; but I wouldn't be surprised if there was.

Edited June 20, 2021 by Rootbeer

[amarante]

Not being judgmental ha ha but why in the world would someone donate to people who wanted to make oracle cards and pursue their interest in the "arts". If the poetry the woman read was any indication, she clearly lacks any true poetic inspiration.

I don't generally fund anyone on a gofundme type of website - even those who seem to have genuine medical or other issues - because there are so many scams. But I truly wouldn't use my charity to fund people who want to "pursue their passion" LOL

All power to them as no shame in not wanting to be part of the corporate rat race but I also don't feel wildly sympathetic enough to give them money.

On a slightly similar tangent, I also don't understand why people claim they need a vacation home which they have to fly with because they can't "unwind" at home. While it is nice to take a vacation, I have no difficulty "unwinding" at home and sometimes packing and traveling is more of an effort than doing a staycation. I would probably invest my money in a primary residence that was super comfortable to hang out in.

[Grrarrggh]

The Thailand house hunters www.kickstarter.com/projects/mahasak/a-multi-sensory-oracle-deck-experience/  Since I've seen people who happen to be born rich launch much stupider projects or "businesses" with other people's money, I don't begrudge them at all. 

[Crashcourse]

I don't begrudge them, I just wouldn't give them a penny.  

[amarante]

I don't think anyone begrudges them - each to their own but as posted they would not be anyone I would donate money to - there are so many people and issues that need money - I am not going to support mediocre artists following their "dream". Let their parents subsidize them if they want them to live out their dreams. 

[Grizzly]

Tennessee to Costa Rico. I love this guy, "Rock". He's chill, and the most important thing to him is his dog. "Your breakfast ain't that good." I died laughing.

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Tennessee to Costa Rico. I love this guy, "Rock". He's chill, and the most important thing to him is his dog. "Your breakfast ain't that good." I died laughing.

Rock was awesome, wasn’t he? I cracked up when he looked at the dinner check and was like, $30! It’s just a fish! 😁 I’m glad he got the house he wanted. Egypt the dog was cute. I figured the girlfriend was going to teach in a classroom so that was why they moved to CR. Nope, she was teaching online.

[biakbiak]

I wonder how far the bay changed because it certainly didn’t look like the beach was only a 5 minute walk to the beach based on the view and elevation from the house they went with.

 

Edited June 24, 2021 by biakbiak

[jacksgirl]

Costa Rico couple, I really wanted to like them, but she was annoying- they worked so hard and should get what they deserve? Wow. Entitled a bit? And I don't know if they have the knowledge, work ethic and charisma to be successful travel bloggers. Plus, I hate the term "ex-Pats". You are immigrants to Costa Rico. To say something nice, I did like their realtor. 

Edited June 24, 2021 by jacksgirl

[eel21788]

3 hours ago, jacksgirl said:

 I hate the term "ex-Pats". You are immigrants to Costa Rica. 

My understanding of ex-pat is that you have given up your US (or Canadian or Australian, or etc.) citizenship and intend to live elsewhere permanently. That doesn't apply to most of the people on this show who want to call themselves "ex-pat."

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, eel21788 said:

My understanding of ex-pat is that you have given up your US (or Canadian or Australian, or etc.) citizenship and intend to live elsewhere permanently. That doesn't apply to most of the people on this show who want to call themselves "ex-pat."

No,  an expatriate is “a person who lives outside their native country” (Oxford). No giving up of citizenship involved.

[amarante]

I think ex-pats aren't really immigrants because many of them don't really move to the country with the same degree of making new roots in the country as an immigrant does.

Many of them in places like Dubai, for example, are there purely because they work for international companies and/or have a skill set that is needed. When they no longer work they generally leave the country.

And then there are the HH who are either retired or are living in the country without actually working there officially. Some of them have short term positions in schools for international students or native students whose families want them to have that kind of enhancing international education.

[Texasmom1970]

Is it wrong of me i was happy the hubby got his choice of home in Costa Rica because his wife, uggh!

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, Texasmom1970 said:

Is it wrong of me i was happy the hubby got his choice of home in Costa Rica because his wife, uggh!

They weren’t married. I mean she was the one with job and her issue was a practical one that it was a completely open space and that can easily get annoying for the person working from home and the person who has to stay quiet as many people found out in 2020. I liked both of them. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by biakbiak

[Grizzly]

French Riviera. Adrian has a large territory. Would that last place be considered a 2 bed/2 bath? She thinks stairs equals the French Riviera? Wait until she's hauling the baby, the dog and groceries up those stairs every day.

[edie3]

22 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Rock was awesome, wasn’t he?

He could be a comedian! I loved his honesty. He was very realistic, too.

Edited June 25, 2021 by edie3

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, edie3 said:

He could be a comedian! I loved his honesty. He was very realistic, too.

Bet Rock (and Egypt the dog) is why people watch their video blog.

[buttersister]

So nice to see Adrian again. Hilarious that they got the place with a million steps and a young child—normally, in Paris, that’s a major bitch and frequently a deal-killer. But not always! Location + awesome view = voila!