House Hunters International - General Discussion

[aguabella]

11 hours ago, debraran said:

Thanks, this is her main page from that site https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/76223539

I found watching many house shows over the years and tiny house shows, many get sold or they have rentals in mind from the start. When they make it easy to look them up, re "John and Mary Parks of Boston MA" vs "John and Mary of MA"the either have a blog or Airbnb or something they are selling.  A recent Italy couple was art. If the producers don't mind, it's fine but I feel they should just say it from the start.

Thanks for posting the add'l page, debraran.  I just pulled up the photos to check out her design.

I agree about the episodes, debraran, but I understand why the producers try to maintain the show as drama.  Otherwise, we'd be viewing one AirBnb after another!

I believe they'd lose viewers and rating points, if the show was strictly commercial.  It does set up a ridiculous cat-and-mouse game, doesn't it?

[aguabella]

On ‎7‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 0:03 AM, MsTree said:

Are you referring to things like the lonely TV mount in the living room? ;-)

No, definitely not.  That's been mentioned here many times, previously.  I have limited time to post so I try to hit new topics.  Everyone else covers the episodes so well that more of the same doesn't seem necessary, to me.

Also, that's one of the simple "tells", i.e. one of the HH clues that I assume most of the veteran HH viewers here already know.  If they don't, from reading back the thread, I don't want to spoil it for them!

Instead of the tells, I'm more interested in the actual production, i.e. how the episodes are made - the filming procedures.  (Hope that makes sense.)

Sorry to be so slow - too busy with work and business travel to post so just saw your previous message.

[scrb]

Just saw the San Francisco to Austria episode.  A couple with two toddlers who give up high-paying jobs in the Bay Area to open a pension or B&B in Austria.

http://www.hgtv.com/shows/house-hunters-international/episodes/bed-and-breakfast-in-austria

 

This is their pension:

http://www.karlsdorferhof.at

 

Not the most popular part of Austria.  It's quite a distance from Vienna or Salzburg, in a region bordering NE Italy and Slovenia.

I guess that's why the properties were all around $600-650k for 10-20 bedrooms and an owner unit.

Just got back from Austria, visiting beautiful alpine villages and lakes.  They all offer skiing and spectacular hiking and biking in the summer, as well as the history of old cities like Innsbruck and Salzburg.

I imagine it's tough to draw foreign visitors to that region.  Maybe more from other parts of Austria or the neighboring countries.  Room rates are reasonable, 30-40 Euros a night including breakfast.

[MsTree]

9 hours ago, aguabella said:

Also, that's one of the simple "tells", i.e. one of the HH clues that I assume most of the veteran HH viewers here already know.  If they don't, from reading back the thread, I don't want to spoil it for them!

Well, I would like to know what other "tells" there are. You can put it in a spoiler bar if you don't want to spoil it for others, but my guess is that most of us would like to know what you know.

[debraran]

I'm always interested in seeing clues etc. as to the home picked.  Sometimes I'm right, sometimes not. With kids, it's hard to get rid of everything if a home is emptied (which some families had to do to be on show) and if they have 3 kids and the bedrooms are set up for kids, wallpaper, etc., backyard is equipped for kids, swings, etc., that is usually the home they pick.

I don't think the 15 minutes of fame and 1000 (that wasn't verified) is worth it to have your home lost for days and furniture removed and all that since most people are living in the home they choose already.  For others, it's fun and they want the video to watch later and laugh at.

[Schnickelfritz]

Fullerton to Puerto Vallarta

The dog's real name...

http://www.hisignbrea.com/pug.html

[Ohwell]

Couple moving to Costa Rica with their two sons:  They were looking for a place to live and a retreat for visitors.  I guess the place they chose was nice, although I wasn't interested in any of the houses.  They probably have a website advertising their "retreat."  Wife had a nice body, especially after having two children, I couldn't believe those abs.  She didn't waste a minute not showing it off, including the final reveal in a teeny bikini.  Husband might be a nice guy but he looked like a hopped up serial killer.  The tats didn't help.

[chocolatine]

That "retreat" was a joke. They built a bunch of cottages five feet apart, and then there's the 500sf unit right underneath the family's apartment. That's not what comes to mind when I think of "Costa Rican retreat". And it's not even walking distance to the beach. If I had an extra $300,000 lying around though, I wouldn't mind having the first house as a vacation home.

[mojito]

Santa Teresa, Costa Rica.

I liked when they asked the man cutting fish how old he was (seemed a rather forward thing to ask of a stranger, but I suspect they thought he was in his 80s) and they marveled at his being 73. Only thing is he said 63. I give them credit for having some Spanish under their belts.

[swissair100]

Copenhagen Taylor..... I am EX-HAUS-TED just listening to him! LOUD & Obnoxious - I was cringing. He was over 30 but the way he acted & spoke, you'd think he's still in college.  But I love Copenhagen, so always good to see a HHI episode there.

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, swissair100 said:

Copenhagen Taylor..... I am EX-HAUS-TED just listening to him! LOUD & Obnoxious - I was cringing. He was over 30 but the way he acted & spoke, you'd think he's still in college.  But I love Copenhagen, so always good to see a HHI episode there.

Meanwhile, he looked a good decade past 30 to me.  It's also getting tiresome seeing people moving to Europe who are utterly stunned to discover that the rooms are small  and older buildings mean amenities like showers and dishwashers have been added much later and might be kinda quirky.  Not to mention acting bratty when what they want  costs more than what they want to pay.

Edited October 11, 2017 by doodlebug

[Mittengirl]

Don’t forget their disappointment upon learning that it might be noisy living in center city.  Gee, ya think?  I mean, I would expect the area with all of the must-have shops and pubs would be as silent as a forest glade.

Even Denmark guy’s friend seemed a bit exasperated with his overgrown frat bro persona.

[biakbiak]

Taylor could be Pete Holmes younger brother.

[chocolatine]

Virginia to Copenhagen guy was a typical "tech bro" - thinks he's so clever and special and is completely oblivious that he comes across as a douchebag to everyone else. I wanted to slap him when he said cleaning floors was "not a thing" for him.

Edited October 11, 2017 by chocolatine

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Virginia to Copenhagen guy was a typical "tech bro" - thinks he's so clever and special and is completely oblivious that he comes across as a douchebag to everyone else. I wanted to slap him when he said cleaning floors was "not a thing" for him.

He really was an a**.  As far as cleaning floors, what was he planning to do even if they weren't natural wood?  For a guy who whined and complained about how unfair it all was that he couldn't get exactly what he wanted, where he wanted and at the price he wanted; surely he wasn't planning on paying someone else to do his cleaning.  He really did seem to think he was extra super duper special despite all evidence to the contrary; guys like him are a dime a dozen. Perhaps that's why he was moving to Europe, he'd run out of American women to chase and hoped that Danish women might be charmed by douchiness .  I think not.

Edited October 11, 2017 by doodlebug
too many commas

[Babalooie]

MAN-CHILD with two last names must be the spoiled son of a DC politician or something and I am on board with all of you who found him grating.   Copenhagen girls, stay away from him!  Compared to American standards, any of those place would take some adjusting. 

[doodlebug]

6 minutes ago, Babalooie said:

MAN-CHILD with two last names must be the spoiled son of a DC politician or something and I am on board with all of you who found him grating.   Copenhagen girls, stay away from him!  Compared to American standards, any of those place would take some adjusting. 

Considering the side eye he was getting from the realtor, who was adorable, I don't think Danish women are going to be fooled by him.  His poor friend seemed mortified by a lot of his behavior.  And, yes, it would be an adjustment to go from living in an American style home to a European (or other foreign) domicile; but he didn't need to be so condescending about it. 

[Jordan61]

My god, that guy was a douche. All I kept thinking was, THIS is why people hate Americans.

[SmithW6079]

42 minutes ago, Jordan61 said:

My god, that guy was a douche. All I kept thinking was, THIS is why people hate Americans.

Well, these days, there are a lot of reasons, but Taylor was a humungous dick all on his own.

[Shibori]

All those companies he started can't have been that successful if all he could afford was a junior one bedroom!

[biakbiak]

15 minutes ago, Shibori said:

All those companies he started can't have been that successful if all he could afford was a junior one bedroom!

He got a two bedroom in the city center with a large dining room and large living room, the junior one bedroom was just a decoy that he immediately disregarded.

[twinks]

When considering the other 2 apts, the rent he's paying for a large place in the city was reasonable.

[Vivigirl10]

I thought "Obnoxious Copenhagen Dude-Bro" crossed the line and went beyond your typical douche. Did anyone else think he had the potential to be scary?? Yikes, I thought he snapped at the realtor a few times in a way that gave a glimpse at a temper or the ability to be really demeaning. I couldn't wait to read the comments here!

[mojito]

Copenhagen.

I thought the guy was a likable jerk. His willingness to admit when he was wrong and accept reality and bend a little were his redeeming values for me. 

 

Greystones, Ireland.

The couple purchased the nicest place. But as it was over budget and he was minimally employed, I thought the place was excessive. I don't like parents who project their desires on the kids. Right, those little kids would be so much happier because as pre-schoolers, they have strong preferences and would forever regret getting the pleasant, smaller rental. And speaking of rentals, the two of them talked about those places as though they were going to purchase them. He talked about needing to do something about the windows because they were old, and she said that this large closet of wood would need to be painted white. Yet Another Annoying American (AAA) overseas. 

[biakbiak]

If the Irish husband called that shitty subdivision house where most of the view was the rest of the subdivision the "sea view" house I was going to throw something at the screen and clearly the house the went with was always in the budget because he did have at least a part time job.

[Kohola3]

Quote

And speaking of rentals, the two of them talked about those places as though they were going to purchase them. He talked about needing to do something about the windows because they were old, and she said that this large closet of wood would need to be painted white. 

I was thinking the same thing.  You don't replace old windows in a rental, do you?  Unless the whole story was phony and they were actually buying;  they acted like it was going to be their lifelong home - did someone forget the back story and recite the wrong lines? 

Nice place but what's with ex-pats projecting American "needs" on houses in other countries?  How many Irish homes have a separate playroom for the kids toys?  When did that become a thing?  We played in our rooms or the living room and put the toys away at night. Of course, we didn't have enough toys to stock a Toys R Us, either.

[wovenloaf]

9 hours ago, mojito said:

And speaking of rentals, the two of them talked about those places as though they were going to purchase them. He talked about needing to do something about the windows because they were old, and she said that this large closet of wood would need to be painted white. Yet Another Annoying American (AAA) overseas. 

Yeah, I kind of got the impression they were buying not renting also.  It's not the first time I've had that impression on this show, even though people were supposedly "renting."  I think sometimes on the HHI show the producers present it as renting because they think it will make it simpler for viewers if people are talking in terms of a monthly payment in American dollars?  I don't know why it would be so hard to just present the total budget as American dollars rather than Euros (or just say what it is in Euros, whatever), but maybe the producers think we're dumb. 

I do prefer the episodes where people are actually looking at larger homes, as opposed to the ones with students looking at tiny apartments and muttering about how there's no oven over and over. 

[Kohola3]

Quote

I don't know why it would be so hard to just present the total budget as American dollars rather than Euros (or just say what it is in Euros, whatever), but maybe the producers think we're dumb. 

They do present purchase prices in US dollars.  The Realtor says "$XXXXXX in US dollars".

Just now, Kohola3 said:

They do present purchase prices in US dollars.  The Realtor says "$XXXXXX US".

[doodlebug]

Just now, Kohola3 said:

They do present purchase prices in US dollars.  The Realtor says "$XXXXXX in US dollars".

Yes, but in most of the international episodes, they present it as X dollars in monthly rent, not as the purchase price.  That makes it really confusing when the prospective tenants/buyers start complaining about stuff like old windows or countertops and how much it will cost to fix them.  If they're renting, they wouldn't be worried about paying for stuff like that and, if they are buying, it is far more relevant and informative to give us a purchase price rather than a monthly rental which is perhaps a mortgage payment.  After all, if it is a rental, they can always move when they can afford a more updated place (same thing with a house, actually). 

[badhaggis]

Greystones wife was such an ugly American stereotype. I really hope she was putting on an act for the cameras.

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, badhaggis said:

Greystones wife was such an ugly American stereotype. I really hope she was putting on an act for the cameras.

Since they clearly  already had the house it seems most likely. I thought it was the husband who was an annoying asshat.

[Spunkygal]

Texas to Burgundy: I enjoyed this episode! Cute little couple, gorgeous French realtor (ooh la la!) and a precious house at the end. I want to be their friend. And they weren't in a rush to do a ton of reno. The wife said "it will come in time." That's my opinion too! 

[laredhead]

I also liked the Texas to Burgundy episode.  I liked seeing the pictures of them in high school and then later when they were young and traveling.  He was so emotional at the thought of leaving his daughters & grandchildren to go live in France.  I guess they are planning to live there full time in the future, but sounds like for now they will just stay there a few months of the year and rent it out the rest of the time.  Lovely area and yes, the realtor was very good looking.

[debraran]

I did also. I think the word "beam" was way overused but they were so cute I forgave them.  : )   Realtor was adorable but not as charming as some of the others.  I liked the first house and think it looked very nice. The bathroom in their bedroom (was it was the only one?) was odd but the toilet wasn't exposed, just the shower/sink. Very pretty area. My daughter was in Brittany for a year and for her age, the villages were pretty but got boring. I think for them, it would be perfect.

It's been a while since they had a nice, fresh, realistic couple. I hope there are more in the future.

[biakbiak]

7 hours ago, debraran said:

The bathroom in their bedroom (was it was the only one?) was odd but the toilet wasn't exposed, just the shower/sink.

No it was a two bathroom house.

A medieval European martial arts affecinado who needs room to swing swords! Other than that they weren't too bad.

[Ohwell]

I like all three of those apartments in Barcelona.  The couple was pretty nice, I just hope the husband is careful with those swords! 

[debraran]

I liked all 3 too, the second was very nice but I would be leery of the terrace with a young child, left alone one minute, he can climb on a chair and get hurt. Having a washer and dryer is a plus in Europe so that was nice too. I hope he isn't swinging those swords too much around his son, a good workout but different.  I feel they were kind of nice/ boring so they played the sword hobby up a lot.  Poor dad home with the baby, has to have his down time for his sanity. They never seem to care as much with the women staying home, if they want to be close to town, they are asking too much. ; )

[Neurochick]

On 10/12/2017 at 11:41 PM, badhaggis said:

Greystones wife was such an ugly American stereotype. I really hope she was putting on an act for the cameras.

She came off as spoiled and entitled.  One who thinks their shit doesn’t stink.

[hisbunkie]

16 hours ago, Neurochick said:

She came off as spoiled and entitled.  One who thinks their shit doesn’t stink.

And the husband was not that bright. How is a rental a money pit?  It’s a rental, you don’t do the upkeep people. You don’t weatherproof the windows and you don’t get to paint built ins. 

[abbyzenn]

Just catching up with this week's episodes.

Copenhagen - I didn't mind the guy.  THe one he picked was nice but I would have gone with the one the realtor called junior suite - the living room and kitchen were fairly large and I liked the courtyard.

Greystones - I just kept screaming at my TV Lady why didn't you stay in Texas!  Kinda funny how in the initial bit she talked about things not being so important but she needed rooms that were a gazillion sq feet. and another one that talks about old charm but wants everything new.  So annoying.

Burgundy - couple were very nice.  I'd guess they don't end up living there year round cause they're gonna miss the grandsons too much - at least until the boys become teenagers!  I remember some older episodes of French country places and I'm surprised at the low prices but then I have absolutely no idea how close you are to a city.  I would think they'd have to learn French because I wouldn't think English is too common in those places.

[pep4]

Hawke's Bay, NZ:

Wow, gorgeous landscapes!  I tuned in late, did they ever mention what actual town or area they were at?  Because Hawke's Bay is the NZ equivalent of a state, about the size of NJ or MA.

Edited October 16, 2017 by pep4

[doodlebug]

11 minutes ago, pep4 said:

Hawke's Bay, NZ:

Wow, gorgeous landscapes!  I tuned in late, did they ever mention what actual town or area they were at?  Because Hawke's Bay is the NZ equivalent of a state, about the size of NJ or MA.

The first house was 20 minutes from Havelok which was seemingly the place where they were hoping to find jobs. The second house was near a village called Poukawa.

Edited October 16, 2017 by doodlebug

[mojito]

CA to Nicaragua.

Couldn't believe it when one of the guys pointed out a lone house up a hill, maybe 1/5 of a mile away as a negative, because the occupants could look down on them? What??? I guess they were fishing for negatives, because this is the house they eventually purchased. I liked that this couple wanted to go off the beaten path. I sure hope they've done research on how their lifestyle will be received by their neighbors. You wouldn't want to be a stranger in paradise surrounded by people who are offended by homosexuality. At least in America, you know you have protection, and, of course, you speak the language.

[doodlebug]

4 hours ago, mojito said:

CA to Nicaragua.

Couldn't believe it when one of the guys pointed out a lone house up a hill, maybe 1/5 of a mile away as a negative, because the occupants could look down on them? What??? I guess they were fishing for negatives, because this is the house they eventually purchased. I liked that this couple wanted to go off the beaten path. I sure hope they've done research on how their lifestyle will be received by their neighbors. You wouldn't want to be a stranger in paradise surrounded by people who are offended by homosexuality. At least in America, you know you have protection, and, of course, you speak the language.

They also didn't want tenants for privacy reasons and preferred a private pool over a community one.  Some people just like their privacy, and, of course, not knowing what attitudes might be in Nicaragua, perhaps they were concerned that their lifestyle would be viewed askance and it was just easier not to interact closely with the locals than to worry about it.  I do agree, however, that house was really quite far away and unless there was a telescope trained on their home, nobody was going to be seeing much of anything from there.

[juliet73]

PA to Belize:  That woman was awful!!! She was soooo rude to her husband.  In the beginning, they said they never saw each other or talked to one another and that was one of the reasons why they were moving.  If I were her husband, I wouldn't want to talk to her either!!  

They were looking at condos and she complained about everything!! She doesn't see the need for a dining room table since there's a breakfast bar right there with bar stools she doesn't like.  She doesn't like the orange paint color in the bathroom, but that's the only thing the husband does like.  Guess what?  She paints over it with a horrendous jungle mural!  They have 3 dogs, and husband doesn't like one of the homes because it has way too many steps outside.  Since he's older and has to walk up and down the stair multiple times a day with all the dogs, he's concerned about safety.  Wife snaps back "Who cares about the stairs?"  He says they won't be working so they need to be careful with money because they are just living off their savings. She doesn't care about the budget...it's pretty much non existent in her mind.  They look at a condo that's $75K over budget, he's worried that it's too much money.  Wife says "it's ONLY $75k over!!" 

I give it a month before the wife "accidentally" falls down those stairs. 

[Mittengirl]

I couldn’t figure out why the husband thought that spending more time with his wife was a good idea.   I wonder if they will be able to make friends in Belize that stick around after more than a few hours?  Wife seems like one of those people who seem fun at first, but then get on your nerves and you never want to see them again.

[SmithW6079]

On 10/20/2017 at 10:42 AM, juliet73 said:

PA to Belize:  That woman was awful!!! She was soooo rude to her husband.  In the beginning, they said they never saw each other or talked to one another and that was one of the reasons why they were moving.  If I were her husband, I wouldn't want to talk to her either!!  

 

18 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I couldn’t figure out why the husband thought that spending more time with his wife was a good idea.   I wonder if they will be able to make friends in Belize that stick around after more than a few hours?  Wife seems like one of those people who seem fun at first, but then get on your nerves and you never want to see them again.

I couldn't even watch this episode because the wife was so unpleasant in the trailers and the intro scene.

[mojito]

Quote

I give it a month before the wife "accidentally" falls down those stairs. 

She will soon be swimming with the fishes, no doubt. 

[chocolatine]

Atlanta to Adelaide: Lovely couple with three teenage/pre-teen daughters. The beachfront apartment they picked is the home of my dreams. They went over budget and had two of the girls share a room (gasp!), but the place is absolutely worth it. It was $3100/month for a modern 3-bed/2-bath with a huge balcony, which seems like great value.

[laredhead]

I thought for sure that the Atlanta to Adelaide couple were going to choose House #3 because it had that beautiful yard, a pool, and enough bedrooms for everyone.  Plus the kids seemed to make themselves at home on the trampoline in the backyard during the tour.  I was surprised that they chose the beach apartment, but it is a beautiful place to live.  Can anyone tell us if that part of Australia experiences storms of tropical storm strength?  That would be my only concern about living so close to the water.