House Hunters International - General Discussion

[CherryAmes]

4 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Tubs = sitting in butt water. Yuck.

No real difference between a tub and a swimming pool except in a tub you're usually going solo so the only butt involved is your own!

[BlossomCulp]

5 minutes ago, CherryAmes said:

No real difference between a tub and a swimming pool except in a tub you're usually going solo so the only butt involved is your own!

LOL.  And at least in a bath tub you're not worrying about anyone peeing, pooping, bleeding or vomiting in the water!  Seriously, my daughter worked as a lifeguard at our local pool for a few years and the stories she told about what went into the water made me rethink ever going swimming in a public pool again!

Edited September 4, 2017 by BlossomCulp

[Kohola3]

Well, if a swimming pool is chlorinated, there is a big difference. Plus a pool has a thousand times more water. 

[doodlebug]

11 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Well, if a swimming pool is chlorinated, there is a big difference. Plus a pool has a thousand times more water. 

Yeah, but there's nothing stopping anyone from giving the tub a good scrub prior to bathing.

[BlossomCulp]

4 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Yeah, but there's nothing stopping anyone from giving the tub a good scrub prior to bathing.

For that matter if anything gross goes into a public pool it's everyone out of the water while they clean it.  Just having chlorine in it doesn't mean they leave the poop for the filters to filter! Pee, well there's probably a lot of pee that ends up swirling around in the water.  Apologies for the gross hijack :).

[Diane M]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Tubs = sitting in butt water. Yuck.

And sitting in dirty water.  I don't like tubs for that reason.  I would have to have a telephone shower attached to the faucet to rinse off the soap and dirt.

[debraran]

2 hours ago, Diane M said:

And sitting in dirty water.  I don't like tubs for that reason.  I would have to have a telephone shower attached to the faucet to rinse off the soap and dirt.

We had that, my kids would be filthy and then say the water was dirty and it was kind of sensible. So we had a hand shower with attachment to get the dirtier water off or soap and that transitioned to regular showers. I never could relax in a tub, not my thing, but a fancy shower like I've seen in some of these shows, I'd love that. ; )

Edited September 4, 2017 by debraran

[Gam2]

We had a jetted tub in the house we bought 3 years ago. I did a lot of research on those. There something called biofilm in the pipes underneath the tub that most people think can be killed by running bleach/water through the jets. Not true. I consulted our plumber about this and he said "Remove that nasty thing. You'll never be able to sanitize it completely". So we did that and had a large shower built and just love it. Just our experience with it but I wouldn't bathe in one of those if my life depended on it.

[Ohwell]

I remember a discussion about tub vs. shower either in HH or HHI, so can we take it to small talk now?  

[useryikes]

House Hunters Off the Grid - why?  This is soooo boring!  Shacks in the middle of nowhere - come on!

[MsProudSooner]

HHI Budapest - they honestly expect us to believe they didn't tell their 17-year-old daughter that they were moving there until they got there?   Not very believable. 

[debraran]

8 hours ago, MsProudSooner said:

HHI Budapest - they honestly expect us to believe they didn't tell their 17-year-old daughter that they were moving there until they got there?   Not very believable. 

That had to be the worst staged problem, you uproot your kid and not plan anything, please, that borders on child abuse. She seemed quite happy being the one to help pick out the home they already had. lol  Mom's in real estate and I think they were there in 2016. If you just want the show for a peek into the country, homes, etc. it's fine, they really don't need the stories to be complicated.

 

She seems very much her own woman, lot done at her age. http://www.biancabonomolo.com/me.html

Edited September 6, 2017 by debraran

[mojito]

HHI Budapest.

Going along with the background story, and realizing that a lot of time passed after they picked their home, I was impressed that the daughter, Bianca,  was filmed putting her best foot forward, given the circumstances. It would have been so easy to portray her as petulant and negative but they didn't.

If Minnie Driver were ever a suspect in a crime, they could have placed Bianca in the police lineup as a decoy. She might be a dead ringer for a police artist rendering. (Been watching a lot of L&O reruns lately.)

[chocolatine]

The Budapest episode was a head scratcher. Why drag a child who's presumably in her senior year across the globe if the parents didn't have time-sensitive job offers in Budapest? Wouldn't it have been more sensible to let her finish high school in Toronto? Or was the plan for her to go to university in the EU and they needed to establish EU residency? There seemed to be a lot they didn't tell us. She did seem very composed for a teenager who was supposedly dragged to another country against her will.

[debraran]

1 hour ago, chocolatine said:

The Budapest episode was a head scratcher. Why drag a child who's presumably in her senior year across the globe if the parents didn't have time-sensitive job offers in Budapest? Wouldn't it have been more sensible to let her finish high school in Toronto? Or was the plan for her to go to university in the EU and they needed to establish EU residency? There seemed to be a lot they didn't tell us. She did seem very composed for a teenager who was supposedly dragged to another country against her will.

If you look at FB or other pages, they had this planned it seems. She was probably in both countries a lot since Mom's family is there. She seems very independent and had college planned, etc.  Mom is in realestate, not sure of Dad but she has her own web pages and even pics of the HHI show

[chocolatine]

4 hours ago, debraran said:

If you look at FB or other pages, they had this planned it seems.

So the show lied to us? Say it ain't so!

[Neurochick]

No one talking about the Chicago to Costa Rica episode.  I hated her voice, I wonder if the husband was an actor, he had beautiful eyes and looked a decade younger than his wife.

Edited September 8, 2017 by Neurochick

[TVForever]

5 hours ago, Neurochick said:

No one talking about the Chicago to Costa Rica episode.  I hated her voice, I wonder if the husband was an actor, he had beautiful eyes and looked a decade younger than his wife.

I'll take a seat at that table. I wondered the same about the husband. He just seemed so young to be the father of those kids too. Did they mention what they did for a living? I didn't catch the first few minutes of the episode. They certainly seemed too young for the "retiring and slowing down in another country" storyline; they seemed young enough to still have to work for a living, but their location seemed so remote.

[debraran]

12 minutes ago, TVForever said:

I'll take a seat at that table. I wondered the same about the husband. He just seemed so young to be the father of those kids too. Did they mention what they did for a living? I didn't catch the first few minutes of the episode. They certainly seemed too young for the "retiring and slowing down in another country" storyline; they seemed young enough to still have to work for a living, but their location seemed so remote.

I need to catch that again also. They wanted a reasonable 1300 a month or less rent, but what were they doing for work or were they just rich?

[Neurochick]

18 minutes ago, debraran said:

I need to catch that again also. They wanted a reasonable 1300 a month or less rent, but what were they doing for work or were they just rich?

They never said what either of them did for a living.

Its not that I'm nosy but it is a reasonable question.

[doodlebug]

46 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

They never said what either of them did for a living.

Its not that I'm nosy but it is a reasonable question.

The husband kept saying that they both had demanding careers back in Chicago and wanted out of the rat race while their kids were still young.  They had sold their home in the Chicago suburbs and were planning to use that money to finance the trip.  He specifically said neither one was planning to work in Costa Rica.  Either, they were only staying for a couple years or they had a trust fund or inheritance they didn't mention.

[debraran]

9 hours ago, doodlebug said:

The husband kept saying that they both had demanding careers back in Chicago and wanted out of the rat race while their kids were still young.  They had sold their home in the Chicago suburbs and were planning to use that money to finance the trip.  He specifically said neither one was planning to work in Costa Rica.  Either, they were only staying for a couple years or they had a trust fund or inheritance they didn't mention.

I think you have to assume that, you don't live in Costa Rica until your money from home runs out and then move back to the more expensive states. "Demanding" careers usually need you to feed them a bit, not say you were on vacation for 2 years, but I'm sure they have it figured out. Either they were rich growing up with trust funds or inherited money, they didn't seem stupid, maybe needed a break for other reasons not for TV fantasy also. I envy the freedom to do that and the ability to not miss the "norm" of home.

OR...horrors, it was a lie and this is a long vacation and AirBNB/vacation home, but why not just say that?

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

I think you have to assume that, you don't live in Costa Rica until your money from home runs out and then move back to the more expensive states. "Demanding" careers usually need you to feed them a bit, not say you were on vacation for 2 years, but I'm sure they have it figured out. Either they were rich growing up with trust funds or inherited money, they didn't seem stupid, maybe needed a break for other reasons not for TV fantasy also. I envy the freedom to do that and the ability to not miss the "norm" of home.

OR...horrors, it was a lie and this is a long vacation and AirBNB/vacation home, but why not just say that?

I do know a couple, both physicians, who uprooted their 3 teens and moved to Belize for a couple years because they felt the kids were getting too attached to material things.  They both found work while there, though. Yep, both parents were kinda hippie/boho types.  The kids are grown, all college grads, and doing well; so I guess it worked.

On the show, the family was from Chicago , not an inexpensive city. When they return, assuming they will, they are going to have to spend a bundle re establishing their lives. The kids will need entire wardrobes for seasons other than summer.   They will need enough dough to find a place to live, even if they plan to rent. I would hope they put some household furnishings in storage or that is going to be very pricey.

[Neurochick]

I wonder if most people who watch this show are as curious about the financial status of the participants, as we seem to be.  I don't think it's about being nosy, but if the narrative is, "family of five moves to Costa Rica for an indefinite time," there will be questions.

Edited September 9, 2017 by Neurochick

[laredhead]

Does anyone know what the San Francisco couple moving to Austria to buy a B&B did in SF?  I reran the first part twice and never heard an answer to that. 

The wife wanted more family time, which I think she stated multiple times.  I don't think running a B&B would give you more family time.  not only are you taking care of your small family, you now have to cater to 12 people (I think the one they chose had 12 rooms) 24/7, and supervise people to help you do that.  No, thank you, but I'm not the small business owner type.  Wonder how they are going to work with only 2 bedrooms, but I'm guessing since the children are very young, they can share a room for a couple of more years until an addition or remodel can be made. 

I did hear that her parents were German, but his accent was a bit of a mystery.  Irish?

[Lawgiver]

I thought Irish as well. 

[scrb]

3 hours ago, laredhead said:

Does anyone know what the San Francisco couple moving to Austria to buy a B&B did in SF?  I reran the first part twice and never heard an answer to that. 

The wife wanted more family time, which I think she stated multiple times.  I don't think running a B&B would give you more family time.  not only are you taking care of your small family, you now have to cater to 12 people (I think the one they chose had 12 rooms) 24/7, and supervise people to help you do that.  No, thank you, but I'm not the small business owner type.  Wonder how they are going to work with only 2 bedrooms, but I'm guessing since the children are very young, they can share a room for a couple of more years until an addition or remodel can be made. 

I did hear that her parents were German, but his accent was a bit of a mystery.  Irish?

I just returned from a trip in Austria.  B&Bs aren't that big of a thing there.

Instead they have pensions and gasthof or guesthouses, which I believe go way back historically.

A lot of thees guesthouses, especially in smaller villages, offer full-service restaurants as well as guest rooms.  In fact, one of the best things is that they offer half-board stays, meaning they will rent you the room, give you breakfast and dinner.  The dinner is at a specific time but otherwise, it can be a pretty good deal.

Same thing in Switzerland, when you stay in the alpine villages.

In many small towns like Hallstatt, which sees busloads of tourists come through, there are no chain restaurants or too many dedicated restaurants.  Most of the restaurants are part of gasthofs.

Unless that couple was planning to run a B&B in a bigger city with many dining options, they would almost have to offer a dinner as well as a breakfast menu.

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, scrb said:

just returned from a trip in Austria.  B&Bs aren't that big of a thing there.

I believe they just used the term B and B for the show because they also used pension and guesthouse. 

[Neurochick]

9 hours ago, laredhead said:

Does anyone know what the San Francisco couple moving to Austria to buy a B&B did in SF?  I reran the first part twice and never heard an answer to that. 

The wife wanted more family time, which I think she stated multiple times.  I don't think running a B&B would give you more family time.  not only are you taking care of your small family, you now have to cater to 12 people (I think the one they chose had 12 rooms) 24/7, and supervise people to help you do that.  No, thank you, but I'm not the small business owner type.  Wonder how they are going to work with only 2 bedrooms, but I'm guessing since the children are very young, they can share a room for a couple of more years until an addition or remodel can be made. 

They confused me.  I understood them wanting to leave San Francisco because they wanted more space for their family, but did they have to move all the way to Austria for that?  Why not open a B&B on California?

[mojito]

I thought the SF couple was baffling, too. We had no indication that they had any experience in the hospitality field, and I can't imagine taking care of so many guests at once could allow you much family time. I was stunned that this guy wanted 10-20 rooms on the lake for $600K or so. I don't see operating a B&B as being a relaxed way to make a living. Cooking, serving,  making beds, cleaning bathrooms, etc.  for house guests would not at all be my cup of tea.

Any comments on the two ladies moving to that Italian village? I'm not sure there was any mention of where they came from. I wondered what, besides painting scenery (one of the two liked painting landscapes) would keep them busy. 

[jcbrown]

56 minutes ago, mojito said:

Any comments on the two ladies moving to that Italian village? I'm not sure there was any mention of where they came from. I wondered what, besides painting scenery (one of the two liked painting landscapes) would keep them busy. 

I liked them a lot and thought that real estate is really on sale wherever they bought! So cheap!

[Ohwell]

I worry about earthquakes in those quaint Italian villages.  The scenery was beautiful but I wouldn't live there. 

[debraran]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

I thought the SF couple was baffling, too. We had no indication that they had any experience in the hospitality field, and I can't imagine taking care of so many guests at once could allow you much family time. I was stunned that this guy wanted 10-20 rooms on the lake for $600K or so. I don't see operating a B&B as being a relaxed way to make a living. Cooking, serving,  making beds, cleaning bathrooms, etc.  for house guests would not at all be my cup of tea.

Any comments on the two ladies moving to that Italian village? I'm not sure there was any mention of where they came from. I wondered what, besides painting scenery (one of the two liked painting landscapes) would keep them busy. 

That was a crazy tour with the 2 ladies...those older homes are unique. That first Italian home with 3 balconies and although dated, had a certain charm. If the plaster was fixed and painted, probably would have made a better presentation. They did a nice job with it in update. As in another Italian village show ( I copied youtube in previous post) they are usually very old and worn in these small towns. The second home for the price was quite lovely. It looked like a family lived there with children and probably lent it out. The third wasn't bad either . I know Robin paints and I  think photography is also a hobby. They both might. If you google Robin's name she has an art page. At their age to travel and relax, it must be nice. I'm sure they do work also, maybe from home, but at those prices, they can get a lot of bang for the buck.

Edited September 10, 2017 by debraran

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, mojito said:

Any comments on the two ladies moving to that Italian village? I'm not sure there was any mention of where they came from. I wondered what, besides painting scenery (one of the two liked painting landscapes) would keep them busy. 

There's an error in the description of the episode in my cable guide that says "a man and his partner."  I know Chris calls Robin "Rob" a couple of times but c'mon.  They're from Orlando

I always like to see how cheap some of these houses are and what character is just right outside their window and door. 

[AnnaRose]

30 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

There's an error in the description of the episode in my cable guide that says "a man and his partner."  I know Chris calls Robin "Rob" a couple of times but c'mon.  They're from Orlando.

Yeah, I was expecting to see a man and his partner moving to Italy.

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

I worry about earthquakes in those quaint Italian villages.  The scenery was beautiful but I wouldn't live there. 

Same here!!

[doodlebug]

14 hours ago, laredhead said:

Does anyone know what the San Francisco couple moving to Austria to buy a B&B did in SF?  I reran the first part twice and never heard an answer to that. 

The wife wanted more family time, which I think she stated multiple times.  I don't think running a B&B would give you more family time.  not only are you taking care of your small family, you now have to cater to 12 people (I think the one they chose had 12 rooms) 24/7, and supervise people to help you do that.  No, thank you, but I'm not the small business owner type.  Wonder how they are going to work with only 2 bedrooms, but I'm guessing since the children are very young, they can share a room for a couple of more years until an addition or remodel can be made. 

I did hear that her parents were German, but his accent was a bit of a mystery.  Irish?

They didn't specifically say what they did in SF, they did say that, with real estate prices in SF, they would never be able to afford to buy; so it appears they weren't trust funders.

 

4 hours ago, mojito said:

I thought the SF couple was baffling, too. We had no indication that they had any experience in the hospitality field, and I can't imagine taking care of so many guests at once could allow you much family time. I was stunned that this guy wanted 10-20 rooms on the lake for $600K or so. I don't see operating a B&B as being a relaxed way to make a living. Cooking, serving,  making beds, cleaning bathrooms, etc.  for house guests would not at all be my cup of tea.

Any comments on the two ladies moving to that Italian village? I'm not sure there was any mention of where they came from. I wondered what, besides painting scenery (one of the two liked painting landscapes) would keep them busy. 

At one point, when talking about running the pension with the restaurant; the husband said something about having the experience to run these business, so he was apparently in the hospitality/restaurant business at some point.  However, I agree, running a large B&B with 10 or more rooms was going to be awfully time-consuming and the wife's assumption that she'd be spending her days hanging out with the kids in their apartment seemed unrealistic.  Unless they plan to hire multiple employees to cover every shift right off the bat, she's going to need to be around to answer the phones, help with cleaning and prep, and generally be available for guests much of the time.  With that many rooms, it isn't going to be a job for just one person.

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I worry about earthquakes in those quaint Italian villages.  The scenery was beautiful but I wouldn't live there. 

I side-eyed the realtor every time he shrugged off a crack as "not structural". I wouldn't just take his word for it with such old houses.

Earthquake risks aside, I just don't see the appeal of living in such a tiny village. It's fun to visit one - like going back in time - but there's so little to do there on a daily basis. I understand people wanting a "slower pace of life", but that would be way too slow for me. My ideal life in a foreign country would be to live in a large or mid-sized city with a rich history and culture and take frequent day trips to explore the smaller towns and villages.

[scrb]

Well some people want a slower pace, at least for awhile.

But I'm also wary of staying in those old stone buildings.

Properties in smaller towns are probably cheaper though.  A lot of these places have been depopulated, with the young people moving to cities.  So you may be able to find bargains.

Of course people pay more for the convenience of being in cities.  I think properties within an hour of airports command higher prices than those further away.

Tuscan hill towns look picture-perfect when you visit them.  But you realize you will be climbing hills and stairs daily.  I remember one HHI years ago in Ronda, Spain where one of the properties was surrounded by mountains.  But the house hunters rightly noticed that there were a lot of steps they'd have to navigate outside the home and in the neighborhood.

[mojito]

Austin to Valencia, Spain.

Musicians with 7 kids. They found a place within their $1400 budget, and kudos to them for sticking to their budget and making the bold move. I didn't get a feel for what kind of music they played. Perhaps country? I could never be comfortable in the place they picked. It looked so grungy and depressing. I would've chosen the place that was $1500, but of course, I wouldn't have 7 children in tow.

Does anyone else wonder if many of these ex-pats are escaping bill collectors?

[Thumper]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

Austin to Valencia, Spain.

Musicians with 7 kids. They found a place within their $1400 budget, and kudos to them for sticking to their budget and making the bold move. I didn't get a feel for what kind of music they played. Perhaps country? I could never be comfortable in the place they picked. It looked so grungy and depressing. I would've chosen the place that was $1500, but of course, I wouldn't have 7 children in tow.

Does anyone else wonder if many of these ex-pats are escaping bill collectors?

I thought they were an interesting family, too.  I wondered if all their music-making was loud for the neighbors??  ?

[Mittengirl]

When they were playing their "music", to me they sounded like a bunch of kids let loose in a band room.  Are they really trying to make money as a band?   

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, Thumper said:

I thought they were an interesting family, too.  I wondered if all their music-making was loud for the neighbors??  ?

It looked like they were playing in a studio. The husband said he has a friend in Valencia who owns a studio - maybe that was part of the motivation to move if studio time in Valencia is much cheaper than in Austin. 

 

1 hour ago, Mittengirl said:

When they were playing their "music", to me they sounded like a bunch of kids let loose in a band room.  Are they really trying to make money as a band?   

They reminded me a little bit of The Kelly Family, who were somewhat famous in Europe in the 80s and 90s. The Kellys are also a big musical family who moved to Spain from the US. Their music is not my cup of tea, but they had a large following.

[Neurochick]

1 hour ago, Mittengirl said:

When they were playing their "music", to me they sounded like a bunch of kids let loose in a band room.  Are they really trying to make money as a band?   

I thought they owned a car dealership in Texas; don't know if they were trying to make money as a family band.

 

4 hours ago, mojito said:

Does anyone else wonder if many of these ex-pats are escaping bill collectors?

If they are, they're fools to go on TV.

[mojito]

Quote

I thought they owned a car dealership in Texas; don't know if they were trying to make money as a family band.

I believe there were some words about them being in the transportation business in Texas. I wondered at the time if they were involved with Uber or delivering packages for Amazon or some sort of bike/car sharing venture. They stated something about being able to continue doing this overseas, so I suspect they're involved in some new/non-traditional kind of transportation business. I don't sense that they have much money pouring in from Austin. 

Quote

If they are, they're fools to go on TV.

We've already established that fact about many people on HH/HHI.   I suspect that unless something big like a credit card company is involved, people can escape a lot of bills by moving overseas. 

They definitely didn't put their best musical foot forward in that short clip with them and their instruments. Maybe they'll become Spain's Partridge Family and become TV stars.

I was impressed with the father's Spanish. Impressive pronunciation.

[doodlebug]

26 minutes ago, mojito said:

I believe there were some words about them being in the transportation business in Texas. I wondered at the time if they were involved with Uber or delivering packages for Amazon or some sort of bike/car sharing venture. They stated something about being able to continue doing this overseas, so I suspect they're involved in some new/non-traditional kind of transportation business. I don't sense that they have much money pouring in from Austin. 

I was impressed with the father's Spanish. Impressive pronunciation.

They said they were in the car business back in Texas and had hired someone to manage it while they were overseas and were planning on using the income from that to help support themselves. I got the impression that music was more of a hobby/dream for them.

I was also impressed that the father, at least, was a fluent Spanish-speaker and it looked like they were teaching their kids the language, too.  So many times on this show, it appears that folks are moving to other countries without even considering addressing the language issues before they get there.

I agree, the apartment they chose was kind of dark and depressing though it did have some nice outdoor space on the terrace.

[Kohola3]

A lot of Texans speak fluent Spanish and I'm glad they can communicate in their new neighborhood. I always think "ugly American" when ex-pats expect there to be a lot of English speakers in their new country.  At least make an effort, folks.

[HZAnita]

So, because I'm nosy (and jealous that I'm not opening a B&B in Europe), I always Google the HHI families.  LinkedIn is great. :)  I loved the family in Valencia.  My family has had the opportunity to live overseas for a few years, but I regret that we didn't get to do it again when my kids got old enough to really appreciate it, so I really admire that they pulled this off while the family is all together and the oldest haven't taken off for college yet.

[debraran]

7 hours ago, HZAnita said:

So, because I'm nosy (and jealous that I'm not opening a B&B in Europe), I always Google the HHI families.  LinkedIn is great. :)  I loved the family in Valencia.  My family has had the opportunity to live overseas for a few years, but I regret that we didn't get to do it again when my kids got old enough to really appreciate it, so I really admire that they pulled this off while the family is all together and the oldest haven't taken off for college yet.

http://www.selfiehashtag.com/SelfieUserMedia/4684843991

I hope the people watching the company do a good job, it is a little nerve wracking to be away and let someone run your business alone. Great experience for the kids and even if ugly, great space for all of them, where do you get so many bedrooms?

[Pine]

San Francisco to Amsterdam. 

Ugh.  Love their dogs.  Gagy owners.  Poodles are intelligent, and easy to keep and train.  They were just trying people to me, kind of ugly American.. . . . Vocal fry, trying to be ultra hipster.  

The minute they complained about the covered sconce cords on the stone walls, I knew.  I just didn't like them.  Sorry.

Edited September 12, 2017 by Pine

[Ohwell]

SF to Amsterdam:  I've got nothing against dogs but I got so tired of them talking about the fucking dogs.  And that guy's purple print shirt with the stand-up collar just annoyed the hell out of me.  I kept wondering where did he get that stupid shirt from?  I hated him and the wife.  Just save the dogs. 

Ultra hipster, indeed.