House Hunters International - General Discussion

[jumper sage]

Iceland:

The brother was very typical of someone who is "helping" with the search and then projects his own ideals on her search.  His smirks made me want to reach through the tv and smack him.

Brighton:

"I must live by the sea".  What an ass.  Just think during winter with the wind blowing, salt blowing and icy walks.  Yep, great idea for little girls.

[Ohwell]

While I can see how some might not have liked him, I kinda liked the Iceland dudebro; I liked the house-hunting sister too.

Edited October 15, 2016 by Ohwell

[magemaud]

Iceland episode: I was totally distracted by Christina's (?) 60's hairstyle. She'd get a lot more "natural light" if she were to trim those heavy bangs that came down to the middle of her nose! 

[AuntiePam]

magemaud, chuckle. 

It was surprising that for all her talk about light, she chose the basement apartment.  It had a lot of light for a basement, but wouldn't she have more light in an upper level?  I suppose it depends on what's across the way, if there are tall buildings obstructing the light. 

I wondered why she was buying and not renting. 

[magemaud]

Auntie Pam: Even though the basement apartment had large rectangular windows, wouldn't just more than a couple inches of snow totally block them? And you're right, I never can understand people buying property in a foreign location right away. Then again, knowing how fake all this is, maybe she had been renting there for a few months and was ready to buy her own place. 

[Ohwell]

I got the impression the Iceland woman had been there for a while, maybe several months, before she decided to buy.  She just seemed much to comfortable to have just gotten there. 

[mojito]

Iceland:

I had no problem with the brother. He was just assuming a role to create that pseudo tension of one person wanting one thing, the other person wanting something totally different. His smirks were probably because he knew the whole setup was bogus and he would have no say in what his sister chose, and he probably didn't care either. The bangs were distracting to me when she looked at the first place, but they were shorter afterwards. Although there are a zillion reasons for the differences, I was a little amused by the difference in the siblings' complexions. Fresh from Austin, she was pale and he had clearly recently been in the sun.

I thought she had some decent choices, but I couldn't imagine paying $250K for places that seemed like ordinary apartments. But then, I'm here and I've never been there. 

This was yet another incident where the backstory raised more questions than it explained. In the end, she stated that she had a couple of projects in the works, but no work. Something like that. Yet she drops 250K on a place to live. Skip the backstory and stop arousing my curiosity, HHI. 

[truther]

21 hours ago, mojito said:

Iceland:

I had no problem with the brother. He was just assuming a role to create that pseudo tension of one person wanting one thing, the other person wanting something totally different. His smirks were probably because he knew the whole setup was bogus and he would have no say in what his sister chose, and he probably didn't care either. The bangs were distracting to me when she looked at the first place, but they were shorter afterwards. Although there are a zillion reasons for the differences, I was a little amused by the difference in the siblings' complexions. Fresh from Austin, she was pale and he had clearly recently been in the sun.

Yeah, I'm sure he was smirking because he had to fly out to Iceland to visit his sister who lives there in the house she bought years ago but then pretend to be looking for new places just so she could be on TV.  I'd be laughing if I had to walk into my sister's place and act like I'd never seen it before.  And then to say the usual HH stuff about fridges and countertops.  

[TVForever]

Yeah, watching the brother in Iceland made me realize how good at "playing the role" most HHIs are. He almost seemed embarrassed at having to say the lines he was given- it's not usually so obvious. 

I actually liked the basement apartment.It had good space and light, and it seemed that the privacy issue probably wasnt quite what we were being led to believe. I wish we were given the real backstory though--she obviously has been in the country awhile--why not just tell us that? The decision to move to Iceland is interesting enough without making stuff up.

Edited October 17, 2016 by TVForever

[TVForever]

On 10/13/2016 at 2:12 PM, SmithW6079 said:

I'm not so sure about the "dating supermodels" thing. I was sure his lady friend who accompanied him was his girlfriend (and she kept hinting about him inviting her over), but when they showed him making dinner for a friend, it was a guy.

     -----------

Hinting? That woman was as subtle as a Mack truck. I was fully expecting the " three months later " scene to reveal that he had to give up his bachelor dreams because he and the house hunter friend ( Oksana? I'm blanking on the name) is now his girlfriend, and he's enjoying getting to know Sweden with her. To my surprise, she didn't appear in the " after" at all, not even in the group get together. Oops. Guess he didn't pick up on her "hinting". Or maybe he did, lol.

Edited October 17, 2016 by TVForever

[IrishImport]

So..  I love watching HHI for the peek at other places around the world, but it finally hit me...  9 times out of ten it's the unfurnished or partly furnished place that they "pick" ....  So why do they bother moving all their stuff out at all? If there were three furnished places, it would at least maintain the pretense of suspense!  And save a lot of time and trouble. It's not like we know what their furniture looks like? I suppose it would ruin the "three months later" shots though ( More like 24 hours...I was disappointed when I realized they usually don't go back later really.)  I suppose that's it! 

[abbyzenn]

Iceland - the backstory given on the show certainly raised questions.   I know that some of Game of Thrones is filmed there so I kept expecting that to come up at the end that she was working on it.  I'm not actually sure what her "work" in film is = is she the writer or producer or cameraman?  When I think film industry Iceland doesn't come to mind at all.

Also curious as to why she wanted to buy - especially if she didn't have a job.  I've been to Iceland (gorgeous country) but that city is certainly small that the suburbs wouldn't really be very far from the city center.  When I was there I took a local bus from one end to the other end of the line and then back into the city = I find that a good way to sightsee without it costing much.  That bus route went to an area that looked like the third house and it was only maybe 15-20 minutes from the city.  Just a side note -= when the bus got to the end of the line it and we didn't get off the bus driver was rather perplexed - when we explained what we were doing he was okay with it and locked us on the bus while he went into his house for maybe 15 minutes. 

Brighton episode - the guy seemed very nervous talking.  Can't believe how obsessed he was about being close to the sea.  Just looking out the window at the grass and greenery would be a change from Arizona.

[Mu Shu]

On October 15, 2016 at 6:44 PM, magemaud said:

Iceland episode: I was totally distracted by Christina's (?) 60's hairstyle. She'd get a lot more "natural light" if she were to trim those heavy bangs that came down to the middle of her nose! 

Oh god I just wanted to reach through the TV and give her a damn side bang.  But she wasn't awful, and sort of looked like me if her eyes had been fatter and squinchier.

man, Iceland is expensive.  For 250 k, you can get a lot more in Florida, and we have better weather and job opportunities .   I guess it's because there is only so much buildable space there?  Also, since the population is so small, there must be big competition for existing jobs.  Is it easy to move there?   Probably one of the most interesting places I've seen on this show.

[vesperholly]

OMGah! I looked up the Niagara Falls > Aruba couple because I'm from Western NY. Their family owns the catering company that used to cater my old company's Christmas parties! Their food is delicious - amazing baked chicken. The couple was cute.

[Malvina]

Hamilton New Zealand. "Girls, girls, girls".

[proserpina65]

It was probably a re-run, but I just saw an episode with a couple with 2 small children moving from Denver to Barcelona so that he could write a book about the city.  (Yeah, right.)  I very quickly wanted to smack them.  They were the absolute textbook example of entitlement.  At the first apartment she raved over the gas stove, stating that they didn't have one back in Denver, but at the second place she complained about the lack of a gas stove, exclaiming how difficult it would be to use an electric stove for all the cooking she does.  Bitch, didn't you just say you didn't have gas back in Denver?

I didn't mind him so much at first, but his reaction to their agent thinking that his wife's demands were unreasonable for their budget (Wife: "Am I asking too much?", agent: shrugs and starts to go "Yeah, pretty much", husband: a forceful "No.") annoyed the crap out of me.  And don't get me started on the "We have to be close to the beach but we need lots of space and a terrace" - there are parks all over Barcelona, within very easy walking distance of just about every neighborhood there.

I did like the place they chose, though.  I liked all three, really, but the first one was the one I liked the most.

[AlleC17]

15 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

It was probably a re-run, but I just saw an episode with a couple with 2 small children moving from Denver to Barcelona so that he could write a book about the city.  (Yeah, right.)  I very quickly wanted to smack them.  They were the absolute textbook example of entitlement.  At the first apartment she raved over the gas stove, stating that they didn't have one back in Denver, but at the second place she complained about the lack of a gas stove, exclaiming how difficult it would be to use an electric stove for all the cooking she does.  Bitch, didn't you just say you didn't have gas back in Denver?

I didn't mind him so much at first, but his reaction to their agent thinking that his wife's demands were unreasonable for their budget (Wife: "Am I asking too much?", agent: shrugs and starts to go "Yeah, pretty much", husband: a forceful "No.") annoyed the crap out of me.  And don't get me started on the "We have to be close to the beach but we need lots of space and a terrace" - there are parks all over Barcelona, within very easy walking distance of just about every neighborhood there.

I did like the place they chose, though.  I liked all three, really, but the first one was the one I liked the most.

That comment about the electric stove made me want to throw something at my TV.  Such a dumb thing to say as she did just admit they didn't have one!  And the other comment you mention pissed me off too.  If you want all that, then you need to pay the going rate.  No one is going to just say , oh, but you are such nice people, so I will lower my rent just for you.  Oh...she also didn't like how the children would have to share a bed in the first house, but never mentioned that at all when looking at the third one.  At least be consistent with the idiotic manufactured issues. 

I did like the place they chose, but if they are all stuffed in there together all day, wouldn't they get on each others nerves pretty soon?  After all, the husband has no separate office space for his writing.  How will they live? /sarcasm

[mojito]

Salzburg, Austria.

The couple took the apartment that backed up to a cemetery. She initially said she didn't like ghosts, so it was surprising that they selected this place. But the cemetery was so pretty.  I mean scenic. Plus, there was a park nearby. It was all so green. I would have gladly taken that apartment, and the wife admitted at the end that the cemetery was a perk. 

[Kohola3]

Quote

I would have gladly taken that apartment, and the wife admitted at the end that the cemetery was a perk. 

Heck, yes!  Not a single noise complaint about the neighbors.

[izabella]

I'd rather live next to a cemetery than a golf course!

[Spunkygal]

Regarding the Salzburg episode: I love old cemeteries and that was one of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen. I would have definitely chosen that apartment. At first I was irritated at the wife when she kept talking about ghosts and later said something about having a seance. But I now think it was just part of the manufactured drama that the producers require. And that bakery they visited? I would weigh 500 lbs by the time I returned to the states.

[AlleC17]

I was chanting 'cemetery' while they were deliberating lol.  Glad they got it.  How far away was that first place?  I thought I heard 20 minute train ride, which is not a bad commute at all, but then no mention was made of how far the station was from the house and his work place.  That place was gorgeous though, so I really would have pushed for that if he really did only have a 20 minute commute.

[QuinnM]

Quote

As someone who has lived with that the same kitchen (brought to the world by ikea) the top part was the fridge and the bottom part was a freezer . So it was while it wasnt an "American sized" fridge it is about the size of most American apartment refrigerator/freezers. 

Hey, hey, hey.  I have that refrigerator in America.  They are 24" and made by Miehle and Kitchen Aide (I think).  They hold as much food as a standard 34".  In face the freezer has more space.  They are much taller.  But in a small kitchen that 10" of counter and cabinets means a lot.  But then I have a gas stove so ha, ha.

[KLovestoShop]

There was something about the Salzburg husband that bothered me.  All whiney about a commute and having to do his philosophy studying so far from home.  I wonder how long his commute is back in the old USA?  And they always want "city center" despite the fact that their budget doesn't allow it, and every realtor tells them that exact thing.  You want all the US amenities, you want city center and you have a small budget.  Get over it or else, up your budget !!!!!!

[Dewey Decimate]

At first I thought the Salzburg couple was cute (hate people who dance around or apologize for meeting online), but that flipped as the ep went on. Her twee little house hunting dress and his "hard work" as a philosopher made my eyes roll across the floor. No offense to philosophy majors - and I think it's a good course for a rounded lib arts ed - but "hard work"? You're not in a coal mine, dude; you're shown lounging around reading a "History of Philosophy" booklet. Those two kinda reeked of white privilege. But had a cute kid.

[Spunkygal]

Sacramento to Munich: enjoyed the couple. They were not one of the OTT spoiled demanding American families that we usually see. I would have loved any of the three apartments and thought they chose the right one for them. Their daughter was so pretty and really calm for a five year old. The mom and daughter looked adorable in their dirndls at the end. I'm adding Munich to my travel bucket list. So no snark here!

[debraran]

I'd love to watch to Brighton show, my daughter is living there while in grad school. Can't seem to find any information on times, etc. on site.

[toodles]

So I just watched the mother and son in roatan.  Moving the kid to roatan so he could drop out of college to figure out what he wants to do?  It includes diving, hanging out at bars and cooking on nothing but a gas stove.  So the house needed a pool, close to the beach, close to bars and town, and an ocean view.  And he didn't want to schlep his diving gear too far either.

This kid was the one of the most obnoxious people I've seen on this show in a long time.  And for this show, that's saying something.

[meep.meep]

Having not actually seen the episode, from your description I'd say that those were the mother's criteria for her vacation home in Roatan, and the kid is just an enabler.

[toodles]

4 hours ago, meep.meep said:

Having not actually seen the episode, from your description I'd say that those were the mother's criteria for her vacation home in Roatan, and the kid is just an enabler.

Well, not really.  The kid was the main whiner about the house.

[awaken]

The Sicily  episode – it made me sad to hear about the major reduction in population due to emigration and the effect on the economy there.  The place looked like an absolute ghost town. Sad to think of those beautiful buildings empty. It didn't even seem like there were any shops or activity going on – or maybe they were just filming during a quiet time of day. 

I had had to laugh at the "studio apartment"- an absolutely crumbling hole in the wall! I was afraid it was going to fall in on them. Loved it when the woman said "I love all the exposed stone!" Ha!!

[JasmineFlower]

Sydney episode. LOVED that the realtor said "$2,000/month? Furnished with a pool? OUCH!!!" It was perfect. Stop bringing your weak ass budget over here with this 4 bedroom, fully furnished with a pool requests. Where are you getting that in Denver? Yet it's available in world class Sydney? Come now people. Didn't like the wife at all. Husband is sweet to want to please his wife to literally give up control of his entire life to her running, but I felt sorry for him more than proud to see he wanted to please her. And I can't stand that she promised her kid a pool. I wish that was for the show, but I just know it wasn't. Glad they went with the furnished air-conditioned house without the pool that would save them money.

I was very uncomfortable with the wife's desperate need to connect with her mom to the point of uprooting her family to move around the world to see a woman more regularly who didn't both to live near you for the last 28 years and must have ditched you since you and your husband are calling her absent for almost 30 years. It felt like a child who was given up for adoption locating a birth parent and moving to where they live to reconnect and I'm never interested in those shows either. The clearly retired mother didn't come to Denver for extended vacations, which couldn't be the hardest thing in the world, yet this woman can't seem to take the hint, just wants acceptance and to reconnect with her mother. So, I repeat. Uncomfortable. I'm guessing this will not bother others, but it's just not my thing. I remember another episode where a woman moved to Germany to reconnect with her father and this felt way, way more uncomfortable to me, and the Germany situation was a lot stranger so that's saying something.

[Fiddler1]

I was waiting for somebody to comment on the Sydney one.  With as many times as he talked about pleasing his wife and how if she isn't happy nobody is happy?  Yikes.   I got kind of a strange vibe off the mother thing too.  And I had to look it up to realize that a few hundred people a year name their male offspring "Anakin."  :)

[AlleC17]

Yikes, haven't watched the Sydney one yet, but had been looking forward to it until I read these posts, lol.  Yeah, I think I am going to find it uncomfortable too.

[mojito]

Quote

 And I had to look it up to realize that a few hundred people a year name their male offspring "Anakin."  :)

How many people name their male offspring "Aladdin"? That, too, was a new one for me.

I thought the family picked the best home for them. Despite what the husband said about nobody being happy unless Kimmy was happy, she didn't come off as demanding or pushy. Sad thing about the mother. The reasons for the separation are many, so no judgment there. Hope they can patch things up.  

[izabella]

18 hours ago, JasmineFlower said:

And I can't stand that she promised her kid a pool. I wish that was for the show, but I just know it wasn't. Glad they went with the furnished air-conditioned house without the pool that would save them money.

Don't feel bad for the kid about the pool.  They showed the community pool a couple blocks away, so that's bigger than a backyard pool would be, and he'll meet other kids and make friends.

[biakbiak]

The house with the pool was actually the only one on budget.

[magemaud]

Chicago to Lisbon newlyweds--the one thing on their wishlist that was non-negotiable was "room for a PING PONG TABLE? (which ended up in the dining room) Now, I've heard everything! 

And, I pity the neighbors...

Edited October 26, 2016 by magemaud

[JasmineFlower]

8 hours ago, biakbiak said:

The house with the pool was actually the only one on budget.

Right, but it didn't have a stitch of furniture in it and they had no furniture of their own for the 4 bedroom house they wanted. We've seen a few too many couples now who seem to set a budget that almost seems realistic, but then throw out things like fully furnished and don't seem to want to acknowledge that adds to the cost quite a bit. Not wanting to spend tens of thousands on furniture should lead anyone to realize that having that inclded comes at a cost. The house they got - 3 bedroom, 2 bath, furnished, no pool - was a lot more realistic for their budget. And though location wasn't mentioned much this episode outside of talking about the growth of that part of the city in the Sydney intro, the house they chose was further out which I'm sure added to not being too far over budget.

To clarify on my previous comments about the pool. I don't feel bad about the boy not getting a pool. I hate that a parent would make a promise to a kid that they have no idea whether or not they can keep.

[mojito]

Quote

And, I pity the neighbors...

I kind of pity the marriage. I'm sure she was scripted, but the wife wanting a Chicago apartment was annoying as was his need to a traditional Lisbon place. Sometimes I wonder if Americans think anything unusual and old is traditional. Is the real estate agent thinking, "I've never seen anything so weird before, but if you want to call it 'traditional', be my guest."

[AlleC17]

The voice on the Lisbon wife made me want to scream.  Gah, I couldn't stand it!  I think they thought they were being cute with the 'I am winning this conversation' bit, but it made me want to punch both of them in the throat.  Oh, and when he stated that the real estate guy 'wasn't delivering' because he was showing them places over their budget?  Grrrr...hey asshole, your budget and expectations were what wasn't delivering.  I did like the place they ended up with, as it was spacious and had a really nice patio. 

Edited October 26, 2016 by AlleC17

[KLovestoShop]

I didn't understand the Bonaire couple at all.  I mean, she has her dream house, right on the water, but he says he's scared of the cost at $725K, they are shown one that's a lot cheaper, but they take the house for $700K that's not on the water and not the wife's dream house.  She said the dream house would be in her head for the rest of her life, but he said no and they didn't choose the cheapest house but one for $700K?   Yeah, I know they had to pay cash, but when you're talking a price that high, what would an extra $25K mean, especially when you know they probably could have negotiated the final price.  

[chocolatine]

I thought Sydney wife was annoying, but I also felt bad for her. Having been abandoned by her mother obviously did a number on her. Of course I don't know the circumstances, but it seems pretty cold to abandon one's own child when she's 11 and go decades without seeing her.

It was completely stupid to promise the kids a pool before she's even seen any properties and gotten a feel for the local real estate market. I'm glad that common sense prevailed and they got the furnished, not too expensive place with air conditioning.

Edited October 27, 2016 by chocolatine

[JasmineFlower]

1 hour ago, KLovestoShop said:

I didn't understand the Bonaire couple at all.  I mean, she has her dream house, right on the water, but he says he's scared of the cost at $725K, they are shown one that's a lot cheaper, but they take the house for $700K that's not on the water and not the wife's dream house.  She said the dream house would be in her head for the rest of her life, but he said no and they didn't choose the cheapest house but one for $700K?   Yeah, I know they had to pay cash, but when you're talking a price that high, what would an extra $25K mean, especially when you know they probably could have negotiated the final price.  

They've started to stop telling us the price they get the home for in the "After" in some of these Mexican and Caribbean location episodes (I have a theory about why this is). But, my guess in this case? The house they got was not $700k when they bought it, think they likely offered something like $575k or $600k and it was accepted. Seen like a dozen episodes now where Americans just low ball the house they want and see it accepted at or near their low ball bid. Thinking the same happened here and the $25k difference is actually a lot greater.

[morgan]

Also haven't they already owned the house they end up buying on these shows?  So they weren't really choosing.  Maybe had that $725k house been around when they were really looking they might have gone for it.

[juliet73]

On 10/26/2016 at 1:33 PM, AlleC17 said:

The voice on the Lisbon wife made me want to scream.  Gah, I couldn't stand it!  I think they thought they were being cute with the 'I am winning this conversation' bit, but it made me want to punch both of them in the throat.  Oh, and when he stated that the real estate guy 'wasn't delivering' because he was showing them places over their budget?  Grrrr...hey asshole, your budget and expectations were what wasn't delivering.  I did like the place they ended up with, as it was spacious and had a really nice patio. 

Yes to all of this!! I wanted to push them both off the balcony because of her annoying Kardashian voice and because he was acting like a complete tool! Plus, he complained about one of the apts being too far from the office. What office?!  He said he can work anywhere in the world.  He was such a douche in so many ways! 

[proserpina65]

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 0:23 PM, izabella said:

I'd rather live next to a cemetery than a golf course!

I know it's not a logical thing, but I could never live in a house or apartment from which I could see a cemetery, because zombies.

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 0:31 PM, Spunkygal said:

Regarding the Salzburg episode: I love old cemeteries and that was one of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen. I would have definitely chosen that apartment. At first I was irritated at the wife when she kept talking about ghosts and later said something about having a seance. But I now think it was just part of the manufactured drama that the producers require. And that bakery they visited? I would weigh 500 lbs by the time I returned to the states.

I like visiting them in the day light, but can barely drive past them at night.  Irrational fears are still fears.

[proserpina65]

On ‎10‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 1:14 AM, magemaud said:

Chicago to Lisbon newlyweds--the one thing on their wishlist that was non-negotiable was "room for a PING PONG TABLE? (which ended up in the dining room) Now, I've heard everything! 

And, I pity the neighbors...

They were annoying as hell, him with his "Sebastiao isn't showing us what we want" crap and her with the "I want it to be like Chicago" whining.  Then stay in Chicago, honey.  That said, I liked the place they picked, even if it was way over budget.  Wouldn't have put a ping pong table in the room with the "outdated" (read: traditional and probably antique) tiled fireplace - that would've been my living room.

[AuntiePam]

15 hours ago, JasmineFlower said:

They've started to stop telling us the price they get the home for in the "After" in some of these Mexican and Caribbean location episodes (I have a theory about why this is). But, my guess in this case? The house they got was not $700k when they bought it, think they likely offered something like $575k or $600k and it was accepted. Seen like a dozen episodes now where Americans just low ball the house they want and see it accepted at or near their low ball bid. Thinking the same happened here and the $25k difference is actually a lot greater.

Probably true, but if so, the show is making us question the buyers' decision.  Like klovestoshop said, we're thinking they gave up their dream house for a very small savings.  Nice couple though.  I'd never heard of Bonaire.

[JasmineFlower]

8 hours ago, morgan said:

Also haven't they already owned the house they end up buying on these shows?  So they weren't really choosing.  Maybe had that $725k house been around when they were really looking they might have gone for it.

Here, I really think money played a factor, given other shows we've seen in the Caribbean where the higher priced homes get low balled and accepted. But in general on HH and HHI, this is what I think happens when we see a house that literally is in line with everything the couple said they wanted. That they are in this house shooting the show thinking, "Are you freaking kidding me?!? Why wasn't this house listed 3 months ago when we were still looking!"