House Hunters International - General Discussion

[Dirge]

Beaconsfield England - wow. I was so glad that the vets chose the house right in town. I was baffled by the husband's insistence on size and amenities, though at least he made the right choice in the end. His surprise about what a difference "walkability" made, makes me wonder how much he was involved in the day-to-day running of the household in Texas. Even though he and his wife were both veterinary surgeons, he seemed to have no interest in how long it would take to get the kids to school, get groceries, etc. 

What an adventure for that family. 

[aghst]

Or he was going to be the advocate for something other than the choice that they ultimately made.

For the sake of the show, so that there's some potential for conflict or uncertainty about what their choice was going to be.

As they do often in HHI episodes.

[debbie311]

On 5/21/2024 at 11:58 AM, StatisticalOutlier said:

Again, the boy grew up in Houston and doesn't know how to drive.  I understand people who grow up in New York City not learning to drive because it's actually easier to get around via public transport than in a car.  But Houston couldn't be more different. 

If you learn when you're in high school, the only financial burden other than driving lessons is adding the kid on the family's auto insurance.  That's not necessarily insignificant, but the kid doesn't need to have his own car.  Back in the day, hardly any of us had our own cars in high school.

I guess kids don't drive up and down the drag all night any more.  Boy, that was fun, even with the oil embargo in the 1970s.  Where there's a will, there's a way, and there was a strong will to drive up and down the drag.

Not only that, but back in "my day" (the 60's) there was a fair amount of parking going on with couples. Times have changed ...

[Grizzly]

Vanuatu. Justine wants to find a beach house off the grid but wants a proper bathroom. Doesn't want neighbors but would prefer to be closer to town. She is complaining about everything, I felt bad for Sam. 

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Vanuatu. Justine wants to find a beach house off the grid but wants a proper bathroom. Doesn't want neighbors but would prefer to be closer to town. She is complaining about everything, I felt bad for Sam. 

Yep. He was trying to keep his cool, but you could see he was exasperated. 280K for essentially a shack? No running water? Not even a makeshift kitchen. No refrigerator?  I wish we'd seen if Justine had done anything to the inside of the house. It was interesting to learn about the U.S. military bases that had been built three during WW II.

[surfgirl]

Justine is an idiot. Knowing that region, I laughed and laughed when Sam said 'no spiders and snakes'. Hahaha, you bet your dumb ass there's spiders and snakes, like you wouldn't believe lady! Ahe won't last 6 months. I mean, how the hell do you NOT know that you need a mosquito net and more importantly, Why! Hello Dengue Fever, Hello Malaria. What a dummy. I felt like I was watching a bad comedy show.

"Can I get food delivered here?" NO dimwit. It's a small island off the mainland of one of thr most undeveloped Pacific Island nations! They don't have Uber and they don't have Door Dash. This woman is making me ragey.

Edited May 29 by surfgirl

[buttersister]

I liked Sam. That’s all. (The island is probably nice, as Sam lives around there somewhere.)

eta: ok, I guess I’m wondering when she had time for her own family, unless her all-consuming job with the 1%s was just the past several years and her kids are grown. 

Maybe it would have been better to have her midlife crisis/nervous breakdown off camera?

Edited May 29 by buttersister

[snarts]

Vanuatu: WTF was that? A retired delivery nurse/nanny who raised four kids in London yet somehow saved every dime wants to live off the grid. She chooses this remote island because it's close to her home county, Australia. 

For an underdeveloped country, the prices were much higher than expected. #1 is in the middle of the island, far from any beach, and is basically a shack on some acreage with no indoor toilet. $200k.

#2 is beachfront shack with covered bathroom, no plumbing, on the far side of an already remote island, for $280k

#3 is is close to "town" also beachfront and looks like a real home. It's still technically off the grid but has a solar power and a propane oven in a fully outfitted kitchen. It's also $280k.

Inexplicably, she chooses #2 I guess because she didn't want any neighbors. The reveal shows her daily routine of firing up a generator so she can pump buckets of water to flush the toilet. 

This had to be a joke, right? 

Edited May 29 by snarts
Corrected choice

[CrazyInAlabama]

They've shown Vanuatu before, several years ago.   The prices are in line with what they were then.    And the housing conditions are just like they were before too.      Lovely place, but I would have chosen another place in Australia, or New Zealand. 

I did love Sam the realtor though, he certainly had a tough challenge with the buyer. 

Edited May 29 by CrazyInAlabama

[laredhead]

I think the Vanuatu woman should have taken some of the $$ she had saved and checked into a small, exclusive resort for about a month to recharge her mental batteries, instead of flying halfway around the world to a remote island.  HHI producers must have thought they struck gold when this woman applied for the show.  In response to someone's previous question, it was noted that Sam, the realtor, lived on a nearby island and not on the same one where Justine is living.

There was a 2nd episode about a couple moving from the San Francisco area to Christchurch, New Zealand.  They supposedly had no jobs, and were buying a million dollar house.  I think you have to have a job to move to NZ permanently, but I may be wrong.  I'm sure they made a nice profit from the sale of their house in California.  The wife mentioned 'bench tops' a couple of times instead of counters (the American reference) which was sort of a give away that they had lived there for a while.  The dog was cool.      

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, snarts said:

Inexplicably, she chooses #3,

She chose #2. 

[surfgirl]

As if Super Nutter Justine wasn't making me angry enough, I then sat through the couple who moved their kids to NZ. Man, they were a couple, weren't they?!? He was such a prick, Mr. I Know It All. I love when one of the couple points out stupid shit like he did with that second BEAUTIFUL traditional home that was - say it with me everyone - completely renovated throughout, and yet he kept yammering on about 'Yes but it's an OLD house and it will need a lot of repairs and upkeep!' Hey dimwit, it was just completely reno'd, you'll be fine. And you can find people to do repairs if need be. Trust me dude, nobody is looking at you and thinking you're a mister fix-it, not even your realtor! And his wife, what a sour, dour person she was, though if I was married to him I'd probably be like her too. I felt sorry for the dog because she clearly has no clue about how to interact with a dog, but in the end that pupper looked like he was doing alright lounging on the sofa with the kids and dumb dad. Where do they find these people?!

[Crashcourse]

That Vanuatu woman was......strange.  She said she had four adult children, so does she expect for them to travel there to visit?  They certainly couldn't stay in that shack she bought.  Or since she stressed living alone and off the grid, will she ever travel to see them?

[proserpina65]

5 hours ago, snarts said:

This had to be a joke, right? 

There have been times when I've dreamt of living on a deserted island beach, but then I realize that means no indoor plumbing, so . . . 

[65mickey]

I kept falling asleep during Vanuatu.  But didn't she say that there was no refrigerator. Did she even have running water or electricity?  Also it looked like she had to go up some pretty scary stairs to get to the bedroom. What in the hell would she do if she has to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? If she falls down and breaks her leg or worse she might wish that she has some friendly neighbors. A single woman out in the middle of no where. I'd love to know if she is still living there. 

[Pi237]

Justine: ‘I want to live off grid,

but I hate camping…where are the

lights?….where is the stove?….where 

do I sleep?….i don’t want to be near

people why is it so far from a store?’

I’d like Justine to explain what she thinks ‘off grid’ means.

Didn’t she watch Survivor: Vanuatu? 🤣

[Pi237]

5 hours ago, laredhead said:

I think the Vanuatu woman should have taken some of the $$ she had saved and checked into a small, exclusive resort for about a month to recharge her mental batteries, instead of flying halfway around the world to a remote island.  

Agree 100%. She kept saying ‘it’s not like what I saw on the internet’   She just wants some peace and quiet for a while, but still have all the modern conveniences aka a vacation without kids.  I don’t see her living the Vanuatu lifestyle for long. She’s too used to every need being met at will. (Not that I blame her. Just think she was a bit delusional)

 

Edited May 29 by Pi237

[buttersister]

So Sam lives on a different island than Justine—whew. Heh, bet she never saw his island. 

Appreciate the info that the prices were actual and consistent, but $300k for a camp out—not even glamping 😳

She kept saying “ off-grid.” I do not think it means what she thought it means.

[65mickey]

With the way she kept going on about not wanting neighbors you would think that her neighbors were going to beat her door down and drag her out to party with them. Justine you are just not that popular.   

[Crashcourse]

And what is she going to do if something breaks down in that shack and she needs help fixing it?  Not to mention if she gets hurt and needs medical help.  I wonder if she's even still living there. 

[chessiegal]

Having a next-door neighbor with a swimming pool who has 20 or more of her friends and relatives who stay for the weekend, sometimes getting rowdy and drunk, and blaring a radio, I get the not wanting to be near neighbors!

[Crashcourse]

I didn't get a vibe of there being rowdy neighbors on that island.  Personally, I'd still rather have someone in the area in case of an emergency, or maybe just someone to say "hi" to occasionally. 

I just think she was strange. 

[Kenzie]

2 hours ago, 65mickey said:

With the way she kept going on about not wanting neighbors you would think that her neighbors were going to beat her door down and drag her out to party with them.

If it hadn't been for advertising her exact location on TV, I was beginning to think she was hiding from Scotland Yard or Interpol when she chose that remote shack over a real home for the same price. 

[Pine]

I just couldn't finish Justine.  She seems like she really wants to live like the top 1%, on a tap water budget, while showing disdain for the top 1%.

Her personality and treatment of Sam was quite rude.

. 

[surfgirl]

9 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

And what is she going to do if something breaks down in that shack and she needs help fixing it?  Not to mention if she gets hurt and needs medical help.  I wonder if she's even still living there. 

My best guess is she'll call Sam. Poor guy doesn't realize what he's in for. Then again, he will require some sort of payment beyond free coconuts so...maybe it's a little tit for tat sitch?

Edited May 30 by surfgirl

[Pi237]

8 minutes ago, surfgirl said:

My best guess is she'll call Sam. Poor guy doesn't realize what hes in for

Exactly what I thought when she said "& you'll be here tomorrow to help me" like it wasn't even a question.  He answered her so nicely, 'yes, I will' and I was yelling, Run, Sam! Run!    

Then, I saw her being brought to shore on a boat,and I thought -I bet that boat owner never had to cross as many times as he's had since Justine moved in. 

[laredhead]

She said she has become an on-line nanny when internet is available.  How does that work?  Does she give advice?  Do people pay for that type of service?  So many questions about the entire situation.    

[65mickey]

Didn't Sam tell her that the town was about an hour away from her place? How does she get into town to purchase food and supplies? What happens if she get really sick as in needing surgery in the middle of the night? For me it would be too creepy at night to stay in that open air dwelling. 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Costa Rica episode is so interesting.    The realtor, Sarah is always fun.   

How little research did the house hunter do before moving there?   How do you have a $1,000 budget for a fully furnished rental, and be shocked at what it covers?   The second place for $1600 ($600 over budget) is lovely.    The first house with only one bedroom is the only one in their budget.    Third one is $1100.   Jungle house would need a lot of stuff to buy.   She picks the jungle house, on budget.   

I bet the 10 year-old daughter's skin care and other routines could have paid the difference for the third place with that fantastic pool. 

Edited May 30 by CrazyInAlabama

[buttersister]

People figure out what you are, Justine, which is why you’ll be forking over the 20 grand you didn’t pay for that temporary abode. CC: Sam, boat driver, etc.

[aghst]

Yeah, that was my thought, medical help and needing supplies.

Like how much fuel can she transport to the home to run that generator?  On those small boats?

Who's going to carry those?  Even the tank they showed her using to fuel the generator, when full, would be pretty heavy and then carrying it on and off the boat.

Maybe she couldn't afford a place in Australia.  But wanting to be out alone in the middle of nowhere?  Guess she was being honest about that.

 

[aghst]

The NZ episode, they didn't want to be off the grid, that's for sure.  Of course the kids have to go to school.

We had a recent episode about the teen soccer player and his mother.  They moved into the Christchurch area, the home they chose with the views is probably not even 10 miles from the CBD, where this couple will be working.

Very easy to get to scenic hikes and such and I agree with the mother about the appeal of NZ not having predators.  Like I'm wary of hiking in the near wilderness in CA because there are mountain lions relatively close to the Bay Area towns and if you go up to the Sierra Nevada, you could encounter bears.

These people either had money or had high-paying jobs lined up, even though she said they were currently living off their savings.

Maybe they made enough money in CA that their NZ jobs are low-pressure, lesser-paying jobs, just enough to pay the bills.

I  think the two homes they chose from, either would have been fine but they saved some money by choosing the lower-priced one.

I don't know what daily traffic is like in the Christchurch CBD, especially at rush hour, but should both of them bike to work?  The chances of either being hit and seriously injured or killed are probably low but they're not zero.

For the sake of their children, maybe only one of them should commute by bike?

I've given up the idea of biking because you share the roads with people and you're pretty much trusting that there won't be some drunken or reckless driver with whom you may cross paths someday.

That includes e-bikes, which look like fun.  But I rather walk for exercise or drive when I need to carry heavy stuff or go beyond 2-3 miles from home.

[LexieLily]

The Virginia to Brasilito, Costa Rica episode was strange. I didn't buy the reason she gave for wanting to move, Mia was obnoxious the entire time (I feel bad saying that about a ten-year-old child, but it's true) and seemed to rule the roost over her mom, and they ended up with a one-bedroom house.

[chessiegal]

9 hours ago, LexieLily said:

Mia was obnoxious the entire time

From the first words out of her mouth to the last. I think Mom described Mia as strong-willed or something to that effect. That mother's strong-willed child is this viewer's spoiled brat.

[CrazyInAlabama]

15 hours ago, 65mickey said:

Didn't Sam tell her that the town was about an hour away from her place? How does she get into town to purchase food and supplies? What happens if she get really sick as in needing surgery in the middle of the night? For me it would be too creepy at night to stay in that open air dwelling. 

 

I searched, and except for general practitioners, critical medical care requires evacuation to Australia or New Zealand.  

[seacliffsal]

These last few episodes have featured some, ahem, 'interesting' house hunters.  The woman in the shack without neighbors?  There must be way more to her story-and online nannying?  Something seems amiss.  

And Meghan and Mia?  Again, there must be more to the story.  I cringe whenever young children are heavily featured in these episodes because what the parent(s) may consider cute or charming, I don't.  

And I am so tired of house hunters acting like they had no idea how much they would have to spend.  Too much 'if I go live somewhere else it still be super cheap...'  I am surprised how expensive some of these markets are, but if I was moving somewhere, I would definitely have an accurate idea of how much housing (and other things) would cost.

[proserpina65]

22 hours ago, 65mickey said:

With the way she kept going on about not wanting neighbors you would think that her neighbors were going to beat her door down and drag her out to party with them. Justine you are just not that popular.   

OMG, there were two neighbors within walking distance.  TWO.  However would she survive! 😒

[proserpina65]

19 hours ago, laredhead said:

She said she has become an on-line nanny when internet is available.  How does that work?  Does she give advice?  Do people pay for that type of service?  So many questions about the entire situation.    

https://www.babysittersportdouglas.com.au/information/

Not sure how old the website is, but here's an article from 2023 in the Sydney Herald:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/more-than-a-babysitter-less-than-a-nanny-the-rise-of-mother-s-helpers-20230520-p5d9wq.html

[surfgirl]

I looked at the above links and on the Nanny website, it has no About Us, wouldn't that be the #1 thing you would put on a website for parents looking for nanny's for their children?!? Anyhoo, there is an Instagram link and the second most recent post has a talking head with dear old "Jus", she's green screened in front of a very nice, modern looking room so if she is still living in her grass shack in Vanuatu, she's being at best disingenuous about where she is as the head of this so-called agency. Methinks she went back to Brisbane though. No way there aren't HUGE spiders and snakes there, and that was her biggest concern.

Last night I watched a re run of that annoying AF family from Michigan where the over bearing mother moved them to Iceland against their will. Mind you, I get that she wanted her children to be resilient and unafraid of change, those are good things to foster and encourage in children and adults. But man, that mom was a royal PITA. The way the dad spoke about her, they should have stayed in Michigan and gotten themselves into couples counseling instead of selling everything they owned and moving to Iceland.

WHY are so many HHs annoyingly stupid people now? Remember when that Suzanne Whang was the hostess? It seemed like people were more normal back then. Now, everyone wants their 15 minutes of famedom.

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, surfgirl said:

WHY are so many HHs annoyingly stupid people now? Remember when that Suzanne Whang was the hostess? It seemed like people were more normal back then. Now, everyone wants their 15 minutes of famedom.

I hear what you're saying, but Suzanne Whang had nothing to do with who appeared on HH. It has everything to do with the producers and their production company. 

Sadly, Suzanne passed in 2019.

[LexieLily]

1 hour ago, surfgirl said:

Last night I watched a re run of that annoying AF family from Michigan where the over bearing mother moved them to Iceland against their will. Mind you, I get that she wanted her children to be resilient and unafraid of change, those are good things to foster and encourage in children and adults. But man, that mom was a royal PITA. The way the dad spoke about her, they should have stayed in Michigan and gotten themselves into couples counseling instead of selling everything they owned and moving to Iceland.

Iceland episode bothered me as much as it did the first time and the exchange in front of House #3 (Wife: "It's what we were looking for." / Husband: "It's what YOU were looking for.") summed up the episode for me. Did the husband and wife like each other at all, much less respect each other? The end-episode tag scene said they enrolled the kids in an Icelandic school and traveled what appeared like every weekend so do the boys have new friends at all? Wife made it a point to say that "Teddy" was doing well, was that the middle son that locked himself in his room when he first was told about the move? (How "willing" were the two younger boys to share a room, I wonder?) How are they paying for all of this travel if she doesn't have a job?

I really would like a follow-up to this one to see when they end up moving back to Michigan, with or without the wife!

[Crashcourse]

Oops.

Edited May 30 by Crashcourse

[Pi237]

These last few house hunters seem to be moving against their will. Of course, most of this is fake, so that might have something to do with it. Still enjoy seeing homes in other countries, so-worth it. 
 

Mia had some sass, but was probably encouraged to play that up by the producers. Doesn’t take much, a lot of kids act out in front of other people at that age. I remember reading an article years ago about how scary 12 year old girls can be. 🤣  I’m more concerned about a child being so invested in a skin care routine. That only gets more expensive and is the mark of someone watching too many influencer videos. Lol

[debbie311]

On 5/29/2024 at 10:47 AM, Pi237 said:

Didn’t she watch Survivor: Vanuatu? 🤣

LOL I said to my husband, this looks like a place for Survivor! I forgot about this!

What a very strange person.  How did she raise four children while being a full-time live-in nanny?  And she saved everything? With four children?  She came across as stupid.  "Are there bugs and snakes?"  Lady, you have to walk for an hour through a jungle to get to the beach, what do you think? She didn't want to be around people - at all.  I guess that includes her children, because i don't see them visiting her. I don't know, for some reason I found myself angry watching this.

[AnnMarie17]

On 5/31/2024 at 11:45 AM, debbie311 said:

What a very strange person.  How did she raise four children while being a full-time live-in nanny?  And she saved everything? With four children?  She came across as stupid.  "Are there bugs and snakes?"  Lady, you have to walk for an hour through a jungle to get to the beach, what do you think? She didn't want to be around people - at all.  I guess that includes her children, because i don't see them visiting her. I don't know, for some reason I found myself angry watching this.

I lost my cool when she was upset about one of the kitchens and asked if she could get food delivered because she doesn't really cook.  She was taking the piss, right?  That whole episode was one big wind-up. 

[surfgirl]

4 hours ago, AnnMarie17 said:

I lost my cool when she was upset about one of the kitchens and asked if she could get food delivered because she doesn't really cook.  She was taking the piss, right?  That whole episode was one big wind-up. 

Sadly, I think she was being serious.

ETA: A google search revealed that supposedly there are no endemic spiders or snakes living in Vanuatu, though I find that really difficult to believe.

Edited June 3 by surfgirl

[debbie311]

Sara Heggar will be returning to HHI tonight. First show since she moved back to Amsterdam. She's one of my favorites.

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 6/3/2024 at 1:39 PM, surfgirl said:

Sadly, I think she was being serious.

ETA: A google search revealed that supposedly there are no endemic spiders or snakes living in Vanuatu, though I find that really difficult to believe.

Only one place has a dangerous snake.   However, there are centipedes, and they do sting.    

[aghst]

2 hours ago, debbie311 said:

Sara Heggar will be returning to HHI tonight. First show since she moved back to Amsterdam. She's one of my favorites.

Oh looking forward to that.  Strong chance of her generating comments here.

47 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Only one place has a dangerous snake.   However, there are centipedes, and they do sting.    

That's why the recent NZ house hunter mentioned that as one of her top reasons for moving to Christchurch, because there weren't predators there nor snakes and insects which could be fatal.

[Grizzly]

Stockholm, Sweden. We don't go here very often and I wish I could enjoy it but these 2 need a reality check. Steve geeking out over the ship was cute but if he needs to ask if it's a king-sized bed, then he's never had one. I can't get over Julia's figure, such a great shape with her tiny waist. Hmm the piano at #3 that they didn't comment on might have been a giveaway. They fooled me!