House Hunters International - General Discussion

[Ohwell]

Ok, thanks.  It's a good thing he's a "successful business executive" because, based on her singing, they would have starved if they had tried to make a living with a band.

[buttersister]

Emily and Jason moved from Austin to Tortola because she got a teaching job at "a international school." Lord help them all.

[Pickles]

Buttersister, I was just coming here to post the same thing! Could not believe my ears.

[TVForever]

Just watched the episode with the costume designer that moved to Ostuni, Italy. She was fun, her daughter, not so much. Yes Mom, choose your home for YOU. Cute place, but I just couldn't with that kitchen and bath. I got claustrophobic just watching it on TV. I liked the first place better. But I know, she was probably living in this place for 3 years already! I still love you, HHI!

[NYGirl]

God I wanted to slap the daughter for trying to guilt the mother into taking the beach house.

[Vivigirl10]

Wow....is Charlie a boy in a bubble?  Because once again, how can he function in a world that is so not "child friendly"?  Nice daughter, guiding her Mom to make a choice based on King Charlie's visits twice a year.  Ugh.

 

House Hunters deployed their old favorite and ever unsuccessful "hide the current furnishings under some sheets to throw off the scent" method.  Momma had already been living there forever.

 

 

Cute place, but I just couldn't with that kitchen and bath. I got claustrophobic just watching it on TV.

   Me too!  I was also confused by the bath.  There was a full bath somewhere else, right?  Or did I miss it and she had to shower at the local gym?

[biakbiak]

I was curious why the daughter had a British accent if her mother had lived in LA for more than 40 years.

[laredhead]

I thought I heard her say that her daughter lives in England and that's one reason she wanted to move to Italy.  It would be closer to her daughter and her family.

[biakbiak]

Het daughter does live in England now, my point is that if she grew up with her mother she would have been raised in LA for most if not all of her life sense her mother had lived there for more than 40 years.

[buttersister]

Daughter may have picked up the Madonna British accent.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I liked the Mormon family in Germany last night. Wondered what the dad did for a living, did they ever say beyond working for a NATO hospital? The woman's comment along the lines of "this is such a beautiful house, it's like an American house but here in Germany!" was a little weird, but overall they seemed positive and realistic.

[Mrs. P.]

I liked the Mormon family in Germany last night. Wondered what the dad did for a living, did they ever say beyond working for a NATO hospital? The woman's comment along the lines of "this is such a beautiful house, it's like an American house but here in Germany!" was a little weird, but overall they seemed positive and realistic.

I think there was a quick mention that the dad was to be the administrator of the hospital.

Since they chose the 'barn house,' I hope they can make 1 bathroom for 7 people work.

[TVForever]

oops...

Edited July 8, 2015 by TVForever

[KLovestoShop]

Personally, I think the Germany couple was completely insane to choose the one bathroom house. The problems with one toilet will only get worse as time goes on. And while I fully concede that moving 5 kids to a foreign country is their choice, I think it's equally weird to do so. I mean, if he's a qualified hospital administrator, and knowing how healthcare is expanding in the USA, I wonder why one pulls up stakes with five kids, and then moves into a too small house with one toilet.

[Babalooie]

The barn house in Germany had two half-baths, also.  Other than scheduling when to have a bath or shower (some in the morning, some at night), they could manage okay with the two additional half-baths.

[biakbiak]

Yeah when the realtor slipped in the two half baths I figured that was the house they would go with especially because the main bath had a seperate shower and a hand shower in the bathtub.

[Dawning]

Having grown up in a family with 6 kids and in a house with one and a half baths (both small), every time she whined about how they would ever make it work with just one (large) bath (plus two halfs), it irritated me. Is it a pain sometimes? Sure. Welcome to life. But it's not that big of a deal. That, and her oft-repeated concerns that her children were immediately going to launch themselves or something else over the pretty high balcony railing in that loft as soon as she turned her back made it a less pleasant episode for me to watch. Seriously??

[iggysaurus]

Re: multiple posts a few pages back about not enjoying the Australia episodes ... I agree, and I think it's because Australian homes are not "foreign" enough, for lack of a better description. Australia doesn't seem that different from the US in a lot of ways. There isn't a distinctive cultural difference, or at least not as much as European countries. And it's kind of the same with the resort/island areas they feature on the show. Not that the Central American or island countries don't have unique local culture in some areas, but the places featured on HH seem to be very touristy and Americanized (and therefore bland, to me). Thus, you don't really see anything that makes you feel like you're getting a glimpse into another way of life or a fascinating bit of culture.  This is just my (American) perspective, it may not be the same reasons for others obviously! But I watch HHI in hopes of getting to see homes and cultures that are markedly different than anything I'd see in the US.

 

If there was a show that was like a more realistic version of HHI, where everything wasn't faked for the cameras and following a very specific formula each time, and featured more actual information about what it's like to move to a new culture and try to find a place to live -- that would be my favorite show ever.  Too bad true "reality TV" just doesn't exist.

[laredhead]

Heads up for all of us HH Where Are They Now lovers.  Beginning this coming Monday, there will be episodes each night through Friday.  I think most of them are HH International episodes.  Check your TV listings to verify. 

[buttersister]

Oh, goodie. Monday, revisit Belize, East Sussex and "dream jobs in Johannesburg"; Tuesday, Costa Rica, Germany and Ireland; Wednesday they're in the U.S. in Las Vegas, Destin Fla and Wilmington, N.C. (Did I loathe the Destin people?). That's as far as my Comcast guide goes at the moment.

 

Aw, I guess nobody demos any of Adrian's places in Paris (she's already handled that, merci).

[SmithW6079]

Re: The girl moving to Malta to "start" a photography business. Man, she was annoying, and all I could keep thinking was that she came across as a typical spoiled American. The realtor certainly seemed annoyed with her and her demands.

I actually liked the "basic" apartment the best: it was right in a neighborhood; it had a view of the ocean, with a two outdoor spaces; and it was under budget.

I just wrote an article on the Knights of Malta, so it seemed serendipitous to come across this episode.

I'm guessing that the boyfriend she just "started" dating was there all along, and that's why she moved. Sometimes when I see these episodes with people who just decide to move to new countries (not those whose companies transfer them) I wonder about that country's immigration policies and how easy it is to get residency.

Edited July 11, 2015 by SmithW6079

[NYGirl]

Yes the girl that moved to Malta was definitely annoying.   She said something like..."the bathrooms in Michigan are larger" which made me roll my eyes.  She was also a bit whiny.

 

You could definitely tell that she wasn't looking for anything traditional.  But meanwhile I LOVED that first apartment.  And it was pretty cheap too.

[sofaslug]

I haven't seen the show in a while but I did catch the Malta episode. I, too, have wondered about immigration policies where people could just move to these countries. Not only that, she had never been to Malta and had no idea of the realities of living there. I would think it would be smart to make a couple of exploratory trips there. There was something a bit "off" (to me) about her interactions with the model she was shooting on the beach.

Anyway, I prefer HHI to regular HH because I like to see the day-to-day living of people outside of the US. It makes me nuts to hear the house hunters bitch & moan about some of the homes. Miss Malta wasn't happy that she had to remember to turn on the hot water heater to take a shower and that the space was so small. How much bathroom space do you need?

Her "living there" reveal after a few months was mind of dull. Most times the transformations are pretty charming. Hers appeared to still be pretty basic.

[wisteria]

Ulaanbaatar: loved the location, wanted to smack the couple. Millions of couples manage to get ready simultaneously each morning, even when they leave for work at the same time. Needing a dedicated yoga room is totally reasonable. And he will definitely hit the big time as a photographer, even though that industry is struggling because everyone with a smartphone and Instagram now thinks they're Ansel Adams.

On the plus side, it's nice to see someone who is actually a certified teacher instead of some untrained dilettante who thinks they can do my career on a whim while they travel the world. (Yes, I am irrationally bitter.)

Oh! And they were the first couple in ages to never mention needing a guest room, even though she has family that might visit.

[SmithW6079]

Her "living there" reveal after a few months was mind of dull. Most times the transformations are pretty charming. Hers appeared to still be pretty basic.

That's why I think she was already dating the boyfriend and moved to Malta to be with him, although I wonder why they didn't use that story line; they have before. Maybe he didn't want to be part of the show. Also, the ending bugged me because she's apparently doing a photo shoot with a little point-and-shoot digital camera (at least she had an SLR when they showed her taking photos "back home").

[DownTheShore]

That whole Malta episode was "off" from start to finish. For someone who's lifelong dream was living in Malta (why?) she seemed to be totally disinterested in its history, language, and culture.

How did she manage to get a work permit? How was she affording staying there? I'm also thinking that the boyfriend came first and the "dream of Malta" second.

I would have chosen that stone-walled apartment, but to be fair, perhaps it looked more attractive and brighter than it actually was because of the camera lights needed for shooting the scenes .

Edited July 16, 2015 by DownTheShore

[aemom]

I would like to see some Canadian shows. I know it is just right up there, but I like seeing Canada. I used to love watching Property Shop. Anyone know what happened to Tatiana? I thought she was going to have an office in California and start doing shows there but she is gone off the tv as far as I know.

Tatiana still has her real estate company and still sells houses, but she's not on TV anymore.

[aemom]

Well, I really miss her show and wish she would start another show.

She actually got her TV start on a few episodes of Buy Me (I really miss that show), and she then decided to start her own realty company. She was popular on her episodes so I think that HGTV approached her to do Property Shop. I think that she felt it would be good publicity to drum up business. Then the show was canceled and her company has grown quite a bit. She probably doesn't have time for TV shows anymore.

She is quite the character - perfect for TV.

[DownTheShore]

I was watching one of those "where are they now" episodes and was suprised to learn that those two opera singers who moved to France split up. IIRC, she was the one who pushed for the more suburban locale, and nixed the location that was at least across from the train station which would have been convenient for him, since he needed to get into the city. She also wanted the fixer because it had "charm".

I had to laugh at the Colorado family who moved to Belize (he retired from the Fire Dept. and she quit a city job) . Their circle of friends looked to be completely made up of ex-pats, as did their son's friends. So much for a new culture. They also created an apartment downstairs for their kid who looked about 16 to live in on his own, which I thought was odd. They also managed to afford a weekend getaway place - to get away from their perpetual vacation place (?!). He must be getting some healthy pension...

Edited July 18, 2015 by DownTheShore

[CherryAmes]

He must be getting some healthy pension...

 

Heh, I feel like that a lot watching these shows - healthy pension, fantastic salary, wealthy parents, did they win a lottery etc.  I cannot get my mind around the kind of money some people, who seem to live lives very similar to mine, manage to have when it comes to relocating for work (when "work" isn't footing the bill)  or for retirement.  What am I doing wrong?? 

Edited July 18, 2015 by CherryAmes

[laredhead]

DownTheShore, I wondered if the location of the house where the opera singers lived had something to to with their breakup. Always interesting to find out what has happened to the people who have appeared on the show.

 

In the case of the Colorado family that moved to Belize, I thought giving the 16-year old some space of his own was probably a good idea.  i don't remember how large the main portion of the house was, but he now has a private space that so many teenagers wish they had.  I lived in a townhouse when my son was in his teens, and my bedroom was on the first floor.  He had a bedroom, a den and a full bathroom on the second floor that he occupied.  He still talks about it being an "awesome" setup and he's now 35.  I did think it was funny that they bought a 2nd house as a weekend get away, and my thoughts were the same - get away from what?  Maybe they also rent it out, but they did not indicate that.  If they have visitors, you know all those people that everyone claims will visit, it would make a nice place for them to stay.  He must have a nicer pension as a Denver firefighter than I received after 40 years of state service elsewhere.

[DownTheShore]

He looked too young for the normal pension age (55). If he went out on a firefighters total disability pension, looks like he'd get at least 70% of his salary.

[DownTheShore]

On the WATN? episode set in Israel, the single woman with the loft had the stairs redone so that they were narrower and were those open-air, suspended-platform type AND SHE NOW HAS TWO SMALL CHILDREN!

And surprisingly, she didn't seem concerned in the least about them falling through. She put up a baby gate on the upstairs access to the stairs. LOL Style and practicality.

[scrb]

The WATDN eps don't seem to air regularly and they wouldn't show up on a search in my TiVo.

Would like to see them but they're no less fake than regular HHI?

[PRgal]

I recently saw a repeat where a couple is moving to Germany.  The wife had never been outside of the US except for a trip or two to the Caribbean (I think she's from South Carolina or somewhere like that) and was really annoying.  I had the vibe she wanted an American style home, but really, if you're going to live in Europe, LIVE THE EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE!  So what if there aren't many suburban type homes?  Try something new and get an apartment, if that's what people there do. 

[TVForever]

He looked too young for the normal pension age (55). If he went out on a firefighters total disability pension, looks like he'd get at least 70% of his salary.

        Not necessarily. Although it may be different now, a lot of firefighters and police officers his age started on the job right out of high school or shortly after. Many of them were able put in 20 years, retire, and still be young enough to start another career, or at least be able to live relatively comfortably at a young age, especially if they move to a place with a lower cost of living, like Belize.

[TVForever]

DownTheShore, I wondered if the location of the house where the opera singers lived had something to to with their breakup. Always interesting to find out what has happened to the people who have appeared on the show.

 

In the case of the Colorado family that moved to Belize, I thought giving the 16-year old some space of his own was probably a good idea.  i don't remember how large the main portion of the house was, but he now has a private space that so many teenagers wish they had.  I lived in a townhouse when my son was in his teens, and my bedroom was on the first floor.  He had a bedroom, a den and a full bathroom on the second floor that he occupied.  He still talks about it being an "awesome" setup and he's now 35.  I did think it was funny that they bought a 2nd house as a weekend get away, and my thoughts were the same - get away from what?  Maybe they also rent it out, but they did not indicate that.  If they have visitors, you know all those people that everyone claims will visit, it would make a nice place for them to stay.  He must have a nicer pension as a Denver firefighter than I received after 40 years of state service elsewhere.

   

       I'm pretty sure they bought that second place as an investment/vacation rental property. Because you're right, with the possible exception of Belize City, there's nowhere in that country that's so "busy-busy" that you need a 2nd home to get away from it all. I think that at this point, the producers/scriptwriters are actually making the "Which part of this story is true" thing we all love to discuss as much a part of the show as the "Which property did they choose/which should they have chosen" part. It seems that they're thinking if they can't beat us, then join us!

[izabella]

I had to remind myself last night during the New Delhi episode that the back stories on this show are faked, because I wanted to throw things at my tv at the end.  

 

The woman had just gotten her journalism degree, and got a job in Delhi.  So her boyfriend somehow managed to convince his employer in Portland that he could do his job from Delhi, though they agreed only if he would work during US daytime hours.  So, because Delhi is 12 hours ahead, dude will be working nights while his girlfriend works days.

 

I thought that was a big enough concession for him to make (moving to India + working the night shift).  I guess that wasn't enough for her, because she rejected the two bedroom apartment which would give her boyfriend a room to call his office because the place was $100 over budget.  Apparently, she really, really, really really wanted to be able to split the rental costs with her boyfriend, you know, pull her own weight.  She couldn't afford an extra $50 per month so her extremely accommodating boyfriend can get a decent space to work from?

 

So they ended up in a one-bedroom and his office is a cubby, a closet, tiny with closed in walls and no space to even stretch his arms.  They showed him in his dark cubby hole working and I got claustrophobic just looking at it.  I hope this was all fake, because otherwise?  Boyfriend needs to wise up and stop being so accommodating, or just get "doormat" tattooed on his forehead.

[DownTheShore]

They showed a repeat tonight of that odd episode of the family from Wellington FL moving down to Panama to immerse themselves in the culture, while the dad continues to work in the US as a dentist during the week.

The kids didn't want to relocate, the mom wanted basically an American home, and insisted that the two kids could not share a bedroom - while the father thought they could.

Did that turn out to be only a temporary stay there? They were paying $3700/mo rent for that place and had to furnish it besides.

[mageineer]

I have seen many episodes of HH and HHI, and this episode (FL to Panama for no apparent reason) was the first that made me take to the internet to see if anyone knew what the living crap was going on here! My parents and I were completely floored by this couple!

 

They wanted to move to Panama so their kids could learn spanish... but they live in Florida. I'm sure there are many ways to allow your kids to learn spanish (multilingual schools, for one). They kept saying they wanted it for their kids, but how could that possibly be the sole motivator?

 

Also, "the only way" they could afford the move was for the husband to commute back and forth BETWEEN PANAMA AND FLORIDA? Whaaaaat? How does that make any sense? He isn't some crazy, high-powered executive or anything, he's a dentist! And, wouldn't that cost a ton of money? And, if the move was so pricey, why were they looking at such large homes, and then on homes even further above their budget than that, and then pick the most expensive home which they also had to furnish?

 

I watch HH and HHI to see houses and neighbourhoods in other parts of the country/world and see how other people live. I don't much care about the drama of the couples' lives. But I cannot stop thinking about how weird this is and have found myself speculating how and why this would be a thing. I feel a bit bad about it so I won't post the things I've come up with (not yet, at least), but I'm just dying to know if anyone has follow-up or additional info, or just wants to ponder and speculate with me. Truly left me speechless. Until I wrote this post. :D

[laredhead]

Izabella and Downtheshore, I think there was discussion about both of the episodes you just saw a few pages back when they originally aired.  I may be getting confused on the India episode, but I think someone researched it and found out the woman was already back in the U.S.    

[NYGirl]

Ugh imagine my surprise when I saw Dr. Dickface dentist last night.  I hate him.

 

Back to back with New Delhi with the cheapskate girlfriend who won't go for $50 a month..basically a little over $1.00 a day so her boyfriend/husband could have a quiet place to work.

 

It's been a crappy week on HHI for me.

[Dawning]

Yeah, that Panama episode was weird. I wasn't paying all that much attention and missed the fact that he was still practicing in Florida and commuting every week, which takes it from being weird to being completely insane and inexplicable. 

 

The New Delhi girlfriend drove me nuts, too. I think the worst thing about it is that her entire motivation was to be "fair" to her boyfriend by paying the full half of the rent. So it's somehow fairer to force your boyfriend to work in a tiny corner of the living room than to let him have the office he so clearly needed?? Did she ever consider asking him if he'd be okay with covering a little more of the rent if it meant he could have an office, if she really couldn't afford it? It drives me crazy when people talk about how they want to do things to be "fair" or whatever to other people, but it's really all about making them feel good about themselves.  

[DownTheShore]

She was just odd, as was the backstory. She just graduated with a communications degree and she's hired to teach the staff how to run a new TV station? Who hires a newbie to do that? They are betting their future on someone whose only practical experience was probably working in her college TV station - if they had one?

[Emmi331]

I was underwhelmed by the family moving to Panama.  I lived in Panama for 26 years, and can tell you their children will experience little or no "culture" living in a downtown high rise or in a gated community.  There are plenty of nice houses/apartments to rent in Panama City in much more "typical" neighborhoods where the family might actually interact with the locals on a daily basis.  I'm just hoping they will get out of their luxurious enclave and visit Panama's Interior, the Canal area, the beautiful jungles and beaches.  The way things looked here, though, they could have saved a ton of money and simply moved from Wellington to nearby Miami, where there's already plenty of "Hispanic" culture.  Regrettably, the Mom seemed she'd fit right in with the "raviblancas" - a Panamanian expression meaning spoiled, well-to-do white women.  I hope I'm wrong - Panama has so much to offer!

[wisteria]

I suspect the producers told the student in Malaysia to play up the hair thing because it was funny and cute.

 

It was not funny or cute.

 

I suppose that some of her demands were reasonable (water pressure, overcrowding, air conditioning, etc...), but I didn't give a damn because I was so annoyed by the hair thing. My favorite part was the ending when her housemates in headscarves rolled their eyes while she boiled water to wash her damn hair.

[biakbiak]

I suppose that some of her demands were reasonable (water pressure, overcrowding, air conditioning, etc...), but I didn't give a damn because I was so annoyed by the hair thing. My favorite part was the ending when her housemates in headscarves rolled their eyes while she boiled water to wash her damn hair.

When I lived in Indonesia boiling water to mix into the cold water in the bucket was standing operating procedure even for women who wore hijabs. Unless it was so hot that dunking your head in a cold bucket of water felt good.

Lucky the house I lived in the longest had a shower with the luxury of hot water, okay usually lukewarm water but still better than the bucket.

Edited July 29, 2015 by biakbiak

[DownTheShore]

I would have just gotten a short haircut, but I guess she is very vain about her hair.

Thinking of the heat and humidity in Indonesia, the thought of that much hot hair on my head, neck and shoulders - ugh!

[Ohwell]

In addition to the hair obsession, the woman moving to Indonesia was just too hyper and cutesy for my taste.  She made my teeth hurt just looking at her opening her eyes so wide.

[DownTheShore]

They said that she wants to be a polyglot, but did they say what she plans to use all those languages for? Is she just a professional student?