House Hunters International - General Discussion

[Mrs. P.]

@DownTheShore that article was so interesting! Thanks for sharing.

I've never lived in a house without a garbage disposal. In fact all the apartments I've lived in have had them too. I use mine all the time. Maybe it's the area I live in?

I am also accustomed to having and using a garbage disposal. In fact, I can't remember being in a home that didn't have one. I've lived in Texas almost all my life. Maybe they are more common here than in other areas.

[ramble]

@Mrs. P. I've lived in Arkansas, Oklahoma & Texas so maybe you're right about the general area.

[Lawgiver]

I mean, I knew that HH and HHI is rigged, but that rigged? Where they had actually owned the house and never really bought one? That is disappointing! It's a scam! (which I knew, really).

 

Sometimes I wonder if they show the real estate agents' homes on HHI just to get a comparison to what the homeowners really get. 

[LazyToaster]

I like my garbage disposal, but it certainly wouldn't be a key to happiness, aka a deal breaker. Especially if I were moving to another country or culture. People drive me nuts when they have unreasonable demands.

[OSM Mom]

What always intrigues me is the people who are moving to a foreign country, where they don't know anyone, at least one of them doesn't speak the language, yet they want to have a place that has plenty of room for entertaining. I always wonder, "who do they plan to entertain?".

Well all their friends and family from their home country of course. All these people who have money and time to fly to a foreign country to visit their loved ones.

[chessiegal]

I've lived in Maryland most of my adult life, with a stint in the Atlanta area. I'd never had a house or apartment without a garbage disposal. I don't think it's a regional thing.

 

That HHI has a fake story line is a given. What's more amazing is when you find something that is really true, or someone who has lived there for less than 6 months.

 

[Bastet]

Most of my food waste goes in my compost bin, but I do like having a garbage disposal for the rest simply for convenience.  But I never miss having one when I travel.  While they're somewhat ubiquitous in much of America (and a fair bit of Canada, it seems),  they're not common in the rest of the world.  I think "We have to build a house around a garbage disposal because kitchens don't come with them over here" was one of HHI's stupidest storylines yet.

[Peanutbuttercup]

So was I the only one not buying it with the two "roommates" looking for a 2 bedroom apartment in Cape Verde and they kept stressing that they needed separate bedrooms? Reminded me of the two women who moved from Canada to Finland and kept insisting they wanted separate bedrooms (though they somehow ended up with just one, go figure).

[Lawgiver]

I watched an episode about Iceland that was online at HGTV.com. I was only half listening and heard the introduction as Icelander Thor and his wife, comedian Mary. I kept expecting the hear something funny come out of her mouth, but didn't. I only realized that I had, in fact, misheard Canadian. I kept wondering through the whole episode how she was going to find work in Reikjavik as an English speaking, not particularly funny person. I finally twigged to the Canadian thing when she introduced another ex-pat Canadian friend.

[DownTheShore]

I was wondering about the two bedroom thing in Cape Verde, too.  They were sitting much closer together than just plain friends normally do.  I was thinking that perhaps gay/lesbian couples are not looked on with favor, so I looked it up in Wiki:

 

 

The U.S. Department of State's 2010 Human Rights Report found that "legal provisions helped provide protection for homosexual conduct; however, societal discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity continued to be a problem. There were no lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender persons' organizations active in the country."

 

So it looks like while same sex activity is legal and there are provisions in the law regarding anti-discrimination in employment, there's no marriage allowed, or recognition of couplehood, or adoption of children allowed.  So if they are in a relationship, then they have to be discreet about it.

Something that aggravates me when I watch HHI are the wives who balk at living 30 minutes or so away from their children's schools, when they are not working themselves,  (It  seems like all those children always go to the local "International School").  And because they don't want to drive that distance, they wind up picking a home that requires their husband to commute an hour or more to his job.  I mean, what else do they have to do during the day that the travel time to the school is so onerous?  I occasionally pick up my niece and nephew from school, and for me it's a 45 minute drive; it's no big deal.

Edited May 29, 2014 by DownTheShore

[DownTheShore]

I always get a laugh from the couples/families who move down to Central America and who are entranced by the fact that there are monkeys hopping around the trees.  I remember one family that was shown basically an open-air home that didn't seem to have any doors or glass in the windows, and there were monkeys in the trees.  I was wondering how they'd react if they woke up in the morning and there was a monkey in their bedroom or in their kitchen?

 

Or the ones who move down to places like Nicauragua or Guatemala where in recent memory there has been a civil war, and they wonder why the windows of the homes have those metal grillwork on them.  My rule of thumb is if most of the population has machetes, then that's not a place where I'm going to relocate - lol.

 

I always wonder what the local population thinks about the influx of foreign homeowners buying up property and raising the housing prices.  I think it's funny how the Americans, Canadians and Europeans are always called ex-pats on the show, yet in real-life in the USA, we never refer to the influx of foreigners into our neighborhoods nicely as "ex-pats".  It's usually "those damn ____".

[LazyToaster]

I would be afraid of plunking down money in a foreign country for property, what if you wake up some day and are told - no, you don't own it now, sorry - you must leave now. I guess it would depend on where it is.

[DownTheShore]

Here's a HHI pet peeve - couples moving to tropical climates who are upset that there is no oven in the kitchen.  They all lament that they won't be able to cook a Thanksgiving turkey.

 

The first thing I always wonder is - is turkey meat even available in that country?  Then I wonder if they have ever heard of countertop ovens?  I use my oven often, but that wouldn't be a make or break thing for me since I know that there are workarounds.

 

A definite no-go for me would be any place where they have one of those squat-over-a-hole toilets instead of a flush toilet.  Or where water or electricity is available for only part of the day.  I did the no-central-heating, no hot water thing as a kid - I don't want to relive that.  I realized how much that influenced me when I realized that I rarely turn on the hot water faucet when washing my face and hands; there was never any point to do so when I was a kid because it ran cold water so I never got into the habit of using it.

[QuinnM]

Here's a HHI pet peeve - couples moving to tropical climates who are upset that there is no oven in the kitchen.  They all lament that they won't be able to cook a Thanksgiving turkey.

 

There was a lawyer moving to Rome.  Anyone remember her?  I follow her on instagram (romeifyouwantto) and occasionally read her blog.  She did a hysterical piece on buying a turkey for Thanksgiving in a small apt oven.  The butcher understood what she needed for her American holiday, sent her home to measure her oven, called her back to have her look at a turkey he ordered for another customer to see if she needed the same size, just hysterical.  But it is a little slice of home.  The hardest thing to find is cranberries.  I actually brought bags of fresh cranberries to the UK for all my ex-pat friends.  They acted like I had arrived with gold bars.

[Lola16]

HHI has the Currie family from Scotland who is moving to Australia.  Tim's a doctor with bushy eyebrows and Donna's a real estate agent who thinks she will be a model once they move. She acts and looks like Courtney Stodden trying to be Joanna Kruppa. They have a young daughter, perhaps around 8 years old.  I've seen this episode many times and it never ceases to amuse me to see the wife act like a "model" complete with awkward poses where she over arches her back and thrusts out her tiny belly to the finger twirling of her over bleached hair to the pounds of spackled on make-up and what she thinks are sexy expressions. Guess this an audition tape.

http://www.modelmayhem.com/2593753

 

Some googling and we discover that Donna is a bar promotion model and spends a lot of time in bars in Miami.

 

What a weird arrangement.
 

[Taylorh2]

I finally had my aha! moment while watching last night. I was always wondering why when the show is filming in overseas locations are the Realtors always (90% of the time) White? I always ask myself 'wouldn't the realitors be native to the country ?  Why are they usually White ?

 

Then it finally dawned on me that this show is fake and that the HH are not realy house hunting, so they show probably doesn't actually hire a "Realtor" to show them 3 houses.

[DownTheShore]

@lola16 - I always laugh when I see that episode with that wife who wants to be a model.  I was talking about it with a friend a couple of weeks ago, as a matter of fact.  I guffaw every time she strikes a pose for the camera.  That is such a silly episode.

 

------------

I always wonder what happened with that guy Ira, who worked for the government and moved to Jarnac France.  His home in Jarnac has been up for sale for several years now; it was up for sale not long after the show he was in aired.   I recognised the interior (remember his wine barrel?) and that yard area that has part of the old town wall: http://www.charente-immobilier.com/rm/listings/l1020.html

[snoogerbot]

We travel to Italy frequently and there are "squat over" toilets everywhere; came across one in a posh restaurant in Milan in the Montenapoleone area.  They do flush.  Used to travel with a friend who had to completely disrobe from the waist down in order to squat, but it's the healthiest way for one's body to "eliminate".  You do need good balance.

 

Haven't noticed any in private homes.  Private homes and hotel bathrooms always have bidets.

[Lola16]

I finally had my aha! moment while watching last night. I was always wondering why when the show is filming in overseas locations are the Realtors always (90% of the time) White? I always ask myself 'wouldn't the realitors be native to the country ?  Why are they usually White ?

 

Then it finally dawned on me that this show is fake and that the HH are not realy house hunting, so they show probably doesn't actually hire a "Realtor" to show them 3 houses.

It's not unusual to have an expat be the realtor.  Some of the earlier HHI had Americans going to foreign countries to sell real estate.

 

@lola16 - I always laugh when I see that episode with that wife who wants to be a model.  I was talking about it with a friend a couple of weeks ago, as a matter of fact.  I guffaw every time she strikes a pose for the camera.  That is such a silly episode.

 

------------

I always wonder what happened with that guy Ira, who worked for the government and moved to Jarnac France.  His home in Jarnac has been up for sale for several years now; it was up for sale not long after the show he was in aired.   I recognised the interior (remember his wine barrel?) and that yard area that has part of the old town wall: http://www.charente-immobilier.com/rm/listings/l1020.html

Such as odd couple but every time I see the episode and Donna is posing in that cheap pink dress that she wears through-out the episode, I just laugh.

[Rhondinella]

It's not unusual to have an expat be the realtor

 

 

I always assumed that was because they needed someone who spoke decent English, which, depending on the country, could severely limit the number of choices.

[scrb]

Saw the episode of the Aussie couple moving to Lake Garda.  Nice properties for around $1000 a month.

 

I think one criteria is how close to an airport the place is.  I've seen real estate sites that list driving time to nearest airport.

 

That is one thing of interest to Americans wanting to live in Europe, that they can get on flight of 2 hours or less and reach just about anywhere.  Could be one reason Paris and other big cities are so expensive, that they are an attraction on their own but also gateways to the rest of Europe.

Wanted to add that HGTV has gotten lazy about putting details on particular episodes on their website.

 

The older HHI had a Resources section after the episode summary, often with name of the agent and their contact info.

 

They don't do that anymore.  Maybe because the agents are actors now more and more?

 

Would have liked to have seen the contact info. or the web site of the agent in Lake Garda.

[katalizt]

I'm originally from Colombia; I always wanted to see the show go there, so I was thrilled to catch an episode there, in Medellin, a couple of weeks ago.

The husband was Colombian,had lived in the US for many years, and decided to return, with his American wife. They were looking outside the city for a home with a lot of land to grow trees or something. I loved the houses, they all felt genuine to me, they had a character, they were uniquely Colombian; plus, one was at the top of a hill and had spectacular views.

I was really happy with that episode, and I'm glad the couple was looking for that type of house, which let the show show off so much more of the location than if they were looking for an apartment in the city.

Edited June 3, 2014 by katalizt

[DownTheShore]

They just had another one set in Colombia, this time in Bogota.  That was interesting, and it was good to see that Colombia has gotten safer.  I think that as an American, my ideas about countries are set by whatever the socio/political/economic situation is the last time the country got any major US news coverage.  And since we have really poor news coverage in the US regarding what is happening in the countries south of us, those impressions are usually years out of date.

[DownTheShore]

A question to all of you - would you ever consider an apartment in a foreign city if it was on a floor any higher than second or third in a building without an elevator?

 

I've seen those episodes with those couples who take the top floor apartments under the roof and have to walk up 100+ stairs to get to it, and I just imagine lugging groceries and purchases up all those stairs and I wonder how soon they are going to get tired of that?

[Amethyst]

A question to all of you - would you ever consider an apartment in a foreign city if it was on a floor any higher than second or third in a building without an elevator?

 

While I would hate it, I don't think I would have much choice, price-wise.  Buyers are always saying they want the international feel in their new home, but they forget that a lot of older homes (especially in Europe) do not have elevators for buildings that are six floors and under.  Plus, American refrigerators tend to be larger than fridges in other countries, so I probably wouldn't be doing as much grocery shopping at one time like I do in the states.  

 

Back to the topic, it depends.  If I was as high as the sixth floor, it would take some getting used to, but I could probably live with it.  Any higher than that would give me pause. 

[Bastet]

I'd do up to about the fifth or sixth floor, too, especially if I would mostly be shopping at the local "bodega" and thus only picking up one or two meal's worth of food at once.  But, then, do I have to haul my laundry up and down as well (probably, and laundry just isn't something I'm willing to outsource) ... if I'm commuting by bicycle, can I leave that locked up downstairs or will I have to haul that up and down ...?  For a vacation or sabbatical home of a year, no problem.  For years on end, probably not.

[Quof]

I just can't with these people anymore.  I'm watching the family moving from the US to Iceland, where the wife lived as a teen and where her parents run a radio station (religious, but they're not allowed to say that).  She wants the house to be just like their house in the US. She wants either furnished, or lots of closets.  WTF kind of trade off is that?  Because she hears laundry rooms are often downstairs, she figures she needs a house with a view.  Again, WTF? These people seriously need some new script writers, because they're clearly struggling to come up with some talking points. 

[DownTheShore]

I'm watching the one with Danielle the blonde fashion designer from NYC and her boyfriend Jared and their two Pomeranian dogs, who wants to move her business to London.  He supposedly has some renovation business that he plans to run from the UK; that has me wondering how, exactly, he's going to do that?  If I was in the US and hiring someone to do renovations, I sure wouldn't want the person to be living overseas.

 

I personally can't stand her - she seems to be such a cliche of a hard-nosed fashion b*tch.  She's always over-ruling whatever her boyfriend wants or suggests, forcefully.  The dynamics of their relationship are interesting; I'm guessing that he is younger than she is, and that she is the main breadwinner.  I really felt sorry for Toby the Realtor with that pair.

 

My guess is that somewhere along the line Jared is going to find a woman less emasculating than Danielle.

[ChlcGirl]

I just watched the most obnoxious couple ever on HHI. They lived in NYC and wanted to move to London. She was a fashion designer and he was basically her bitch boy. Seriously, the man had no balls or soul left.

Nothing was good enough for these two and the realtor showed them lovely flats.

I'm watching the one with Danielle the blonde fashion designer from NYC and her boyfriend Jared and their two Pomeranian dogs, who wants to move her business to London.  He supposedly has some renovation business that he plans to run from the UK; that has me wondering how, exactly, he's going to do that?  If I was in the US and hiring someone to do renovations, I sure wouldn't want the person to be living overseas.

 

I personally can't stand her - she seems to be such a cliche of a hard-nosed fashion b*tch.  She's always over-ruling whatever her boyfriend wants or suggests, forcefully.  The dynamics of their relationship are interesting; I'm guessing that he is younger than she is, and that she is the main breadwinner.  I really felt sorry for Toby the Realtor with that pair.

 

My guess is that somewhere along the line Jared is going to find a woman less emasculating than Danielle.

I JUST posted something about them!! Weren't they heinous??? And what was her beef with white kitchen cabinets??

[DownTheShore]

I just can't with these people anymore.  I'm watching the family moving from the US to Iceland, where the wife lived as a teen and where her parents run a radio station (religious, but they're not allowed to say that).  She wants the house to be just like their house in the US. She wants either furnished, or lots of closets.  WTF kind of trade off is that?  Because she hears laundry rooms are often downstairs, she figures she needs a house with a view.  Again, WTF? These people seriously need some new script writers, because they're clearly struggling to come up with some talking points. 

 

She's the one who wanted a view, and then who was afraid that her children were going to fall off the balcony, right?  Or fall off that concrete porch or whatever it was, on the first house?

 

I'm beginning to take a perverse pleasure in the shows where the wife wants a home exactly like an American one and it can't be obtained on their budget.  I do feel some sympathy for those spouses who've had to uproot themselves and their families to follow their husband's job overseas, and I can understand wanting to have the familiar around oneself in a foreign land, but some of them are just so unrealistic that - even though it is mean of me - I like to see them being forced out of their comfort zone.

[Enigma X]

DownTheShore and ChlcGirl, I rushed over to talk about this ridiculously stereotypical American couple. (These two actually look like brother and sister.) If they truly are as annoying as they were portrayed on HHI, I hope Londoners realize that we are not all like that.

[DownTheShore]

I just watched the most obnoxious couple ever on HHI. They lived in NYC and wanted to move to London. She was a fashion designer and he was basically her bitch boy. Seriously, the man had no balls or soul left.

Nothing was good enough for these two and the realtor showed them lovely flats.

I JUST posted something about them!! Weren't they heinous??? And what was her beef with white kitchen cabinets??

LOL!

 

I have no idea what her problem was with the white cabinets - it didn't look like she was going to use the kitchen much anyway; he seemed to be the one more concerned with kitchens.  I think that she just had such a set image in her mind about what she wanted - that whole exposed brick thing, for example.  It must have been a real blow to her ego when they couldn't afford Chelsea.

 

He just about screamed "boy toy", didn't he? 

DownTheShore and ChlcGirl, I rushed over to talk about this ridiculously stereotypical American couple. (These two actually look like brother and sister.) If they truly are as annoying as they were portrayed on HHI, I hope Londoners realize that we are not all like that.

They seemed to be two extremely self-centered people.  Not to mention clichéd, with the two small yappy dogs.

 

I found her fascinating to look at, because strip away the bleached hair and heavy eye makeup and she is an extremely plain person, especially with those thin lips.  It was interesting to see how she transformed herself to give the initial first impression of attractiveness, that really wasn't there once you looked hard.

[Enigma X]

 

It was interesting to see how she transformed herself to give the initial first impression of attractiveness, that really wasn't there once you looked hard.

Hah! I had the same exact thought.

[formerlyfreedom]

I just watched the same episode, and didn't they introduce them by saying he followed his college crush to New York? And what kind of renovation business can you run from across an ocean?

 

The only thing that redeemed her for me was that she did make the right choice for the dogs - I was waiting for her to jump on that last apartment, and just have him be the one to take the dogs out all the time. But yes, please, all you folks in the UK, not all of us Americans are like that! In fact, most of us aren't!

[ChlcGirl]

Hah! I had the same exact thought.

I gave a horrified squeal when they did the first close up of her face. It is so rare that you find someone where their outside so perfectly looks like their inside.

She really thought she was fabulous, and she really was not. *Shudder*

[DownTheShore]

She was simply scary.

Ah, now we have the one with Ollie and Ingrid up in the Artic Circle, off the grid in Norway.  This one completely baffles me; I just don't understand Ollie's desire to rough it to that extent.

[cecelia45]

I may be too cautious, but regarding the walk up apartments, my son had a sprained ankle when he was very young, and had to use crutches for several months. I hurt my foot several years ago, and also needed back surgery. How could anyone, young or old, ever manage to walk up several flight of steps whenever unexpected injuries, like ours, happen? I guess maybe the buyers or renters don't think about those kinds of things, but you never know when an injury could cause real problems with climbing several flights of steps. I don't blame anyone who prefers to live in an apartment building with an elevator! JMHO

[DownTheShore]

They're young, so they still think that they are immortal - lol.

[OSM Mom]

The flip side of that are the young healthy ones who can't manage stairs at all. They sound lazy.

[scrb]

I've stayed in B&Bs in Europe and avoid ones without elevators.  Typically put in 10 miles of walking a day so no need to return to the accommodation only to have to walk up several flights of stairs, which are typically made of stone or marble, which is a lot harder on you than wooden stairs.

[DownTheShore]

The flip side of that are the young healthy ones who can't manage stairs at all. They sound lazy.

 

And they're the ones who always seem to want the buildings with exercise facilities in them.  Hello!  Stairs = Exercise!  LOL

 

Then again, the women in those kind of couples always seem to go house-hunting wearing stiletto heels.

[puppytoes]

Just watched the episode this week about the retired figure skate teacher who moved to Spain. I would like to know how someone is able to permanently move to another country. What are the residency requirements to become a permanent resident in Europe? The show always glosses over that info. They make it look like the person is moving from one state to another.

[scrb]

Some countries like Italy will issue residency visas if you demonstrate financial means, so that you won't try to work.

[biakbiak]

Spain also has residency permits and you can even get a visa if you are self-employed.

[Taylorh2]

Last night's show about the couple in Ireland. She's an American and he's from Ireland. I think the opened up a book about professors and copied the look because he had it down pat. LOL!

[DownTheShore]

She's the only prospective buyer I've ever seen who carried around a pocketbook in each and every scene.  Made me think of the Queen.

 

Just saw an episode set in Italy where, of course, the couple took the top floor apartment, instead of the beautiful and cheaper one near a more heavily-touristy area.

[ChelseaNH]

I wonder sometimes if the house hunters are kicking themselves -- "Where the hell was this gem when we were looking for real?"

[LazyToaster]

The couple in Ireland (he is a professor) - she was so dang determined that he was going to do DIY projects.  I kind of felt sorry for him even though she was likeable enough.  I could tell he really didn't want to do it.  However, at the end it seemed like they were doing ok and the house was nice. 

[jcbrown]

The Easter Island episode was just odd. The couple didn't really seem to have a language in common (he was Swedish and spoke pretty good English; she was from Easter Island and spoke quite broken English). She seemed a bit dim and I don't think they ever said anything about the business he was starting except that it would require Internet access. Then they look at three places and end up staying in the leaky-roofed, Internet-free house built by her family. I don't think I've seen another episode where the HHs decided not to move, after all. And so much for his business, whatever it was.

[laredhead]

The Easter Island husband was going to start a tourism business on the island and she was giving surfing lessons.