House Hunters International - General Discussion

[mojito]

Liked the Croatia couple. He's got to be one of the best HHI spousal sports ever. He seemed quite willing to go with the flow of Croatian style, too.

 

Just saw the guy couple moving from San Diego to Melbourne. When told that one home would be a ten-minute walk to the tram, 20 minutes to the CBD, he made a comment like "We're from San Diego and we don't walk much". This is a case where I'm sure the selective editing came into play, because he really sounded like a jerk saying that.

 

Okay, count me in as someone sick and tired of He/She: wants modern vs He/She wants contemporary.

 

Here's something that irritates me a bit: the couple that talks to a third party by staring at each other as they speak (usually the more submissive one does this). Geez, speak for yourself, don't look for validation, you're a grownup!

[truther]

Just saw the guy couple moving from San Diego to Melbourne. When told that one home would be a ten-minute walk to the tram, 20 minutes to the CBD, he made a comment like "We're from San Diego and we don't walk much". This is a case where I'm sure the selective editing came into play, because he really sounded like a jerk saying that.

Yeah those guys were bizarre.  They kept going on about the massive culture shock of moving halfway around the world, and how they needed to treat themselves to a fancy home to compensate, without seemingly realizing that going from San Diego to Melbourne is like moving from the Upper West Side to the Village.  I suppose you'll have to find a new bagel place but otherwise no, it's really not a big deal.  And Melbourne is one of the most livable cities on the planet so they've really got nothing to complain about. 

 

Which also went to the episode's subtext that Melbourne was surprisingly expensive.  Why wouldn't it be?  It was as though these two just assumed that the farther away, distance-wise, one got from America the lower the standards of living would be.  I, too, kept thinking they were jerks. 

[DownTheShore]

One thing I did like about those guys, though, was that they seemed to be happy and comfortable together.  Ditto the Croatia couple.  For too many of the couples on that show, I just scratch my head wondering why they are together.

 

I did find it amusing with the guys, when the one told the real estate agent how much they were willing to spend, looking as though he was naming a king's ransom amount, and the agent responded, to paraphrase, "no, that's not going to be enough".

 

I did like that first home that they looked at with that modern kitchen and the surprisingly glassed-in back wall.  I really like that wall-of-glass look in homes.  That would be great on a dreary day - plenty of light.  Though, does it get dreary in Melbourne?

[mojito]

Watching HHI/HH, it's painfully clear to me how spoiled we Americans (maybe Canadians, too) have become.

 

We have to have our own back yard place for kids to play in because despite the fact that our kids are always sitting in front of a back-lighted screen, we need a soccer field in the back in the event they go outside, and let's face it, the park down the street is full of commoners and we and our kids would be too tired from the 5-minute walk to engage in whatever activity we'd plan to engage in in the park.  We have to have a designated place for a steady flow of guests to sleep in because a clean, separate area of their own that's shared with the ironing board and some still-taped-up moving boxes is not luxurious enough and they'll go home and tell everyone that they stayed rent-free in an exotic location with sun and warm temps while it snowed two feet in Buffalo, but slept on a comfortable sofa-sleeper with a desk chair not four feet away. When we have guests, our kids can't double up for a week because it would traumatize them and remind them that we're not running a hotel and that we can't make temporary sacrifices. We are incapable of cooking alone, because we get lonely and might miss all the action going on with the people in the next room who are passing along vital information and the year's best jokes. We have American dollars, surely they'd rent all the things we want because let's face it, our needs are special, and our dollars must be, too.

Edited October 12, 2014 by mojito

[truther]

One thing I did like about those guys, though, was that they seemed to be happy and comfortable together.  Ditto the Croatia couple.  For too many of the couples on that show, I just scratch my head wondering why they are together.

 

I did find it amusing with the guys, when the one told the real estate agent how much they were willing to spend, looking as though he was naming a king's ransom amount, and the agent responded, to paraphrase, "no, that's not going to be enough".

 

I did like that first home that they looked at with that modern kitchen and the surprisingly glassed-in back wall.  I really like that wall-of-glass look in homes.  That would be great on a dreary day - plenty of light.  Though, does it get dreary in Melbourne?

Yeah, it can get dreary in the winter, and a lot of places don't have much heating so those 45 degree overcast winter days can feel pretty rough.

 

You're right though about the guys themselves.  Overall they seemed very pleasant.  Just suffered from the usual HHI storyline.

[mojito]

I thought, "How cool it must be to have a talent like singing because you can seek out people easily when you move somewhere else, and have an instant bond." The guys quickly found a community.

[DownTheShore]

I've never lived in a house or an apt. that has had the extra space for a guest room.  When my nephews were kids and would have weekend sleepovers at my house, I used to put quilts and pillows down on the floor for them.  When my sister occasionally sleeps over, she sleeps on the living room sofa (not sofa bed).  And you know, everyone manages/ed to sleep like a log.  AND - we all use(d) the same bathroom!  Horrors!

 

Thinking about it, I actually only know one person who has a dedicated "guest room".  Property taxes in my state are a killer, so I suppose most folks of middle class persuasion tend to buy/rent places that contain the square footage that they actually need, not that they might need.

[wisteria]

Yup. What gets me is when these people ostensibly on a tight budget are willing to spend a significant amount more for a guest room that might seldom be used. I get that you want to have your friends and family close, but are they really going to get visitors more than a few weeks per year? That said, one thing I liked about the Croatian couple was that their guest room concerns were quite practical, since his older parents would indeed have trouble with all those stairs.

[DownTheShore]

I have to laugh at the ones that look at the second bedroom that they want to use as a guest room for all those people coming over to visit them from whatever their home countries are, and it's a tiny room with bunkbeds and they are appalled and say that it's not suitable.  Hello!  You're going to save whatever guests you have the cost of hotel rooms for however long they're staying with you, not to mention food and other incidental costs - like laundry.  They should be happy that they have a free place to stay, not be upset that they can't sleep in the same bed.

[mojito]

I'm sure many a guest leaves in a huff and checks into the Four Seasons instead. Then there are those who book the next flight out of the Caribbean and return to Cleveland where it's five degrees below but they at least they get their own room.

Edited October 14, 2014 by mojito

[mojito]

HHI Swaziland. Talk about getting a geography lesson. I get really annoyed with people (HHI and Americans in general) who seem to think that Africa is a country, and don't even make the effort to identify a country name. For instance, watching the NY Marathon. There's an Egyptian in third (they're a special breed, apparently), a French man in second, and an African in first. He's the one with the black skin... I just watched an HHI where it was stated that these two guys met in "Africa". So I was feeling kind of sheepish when I really didn't know in which part of Africa Swaziland was in.

 

She's been roughing it in the bush for 2 years; he's a Swaziland city boy. Okay, let me wrap my head around this one. She's looking forward to indoor plumbing and a stove, but is reluctant to be so close to neighbors. His family will allow her to marry him traditionally, which involves proving that she's good enough for him.

 

I wish I were half as game and open-minded as this lady was.

[DownTheShore]

You know what I liked about them?  She was telling the realtor what he wants, and he was telling the realtor what she wants - rather than "I want" all the time.

 

I was really wondering what the drive time was for that furthest but new home?  I looked up Mbabane  - the population is about 94,000 over 60 square miles.  My town is about 101,000 over 30 square miles.  So I mean, how long can it take to drive wherever he has to go to work?

 

Looked like the one they chose was right next to some sort of correctional facility, what with those high walls blocking the view and the razor wire on the ground.

 

I had to laugh at the end when she said that his family started a school and they just happened to need an art and computer teacher, so she got the job.

[BearCat49]

I got the impression that they just wanted to get what they liked; they would've purchased the $200K property if it had struck their fantasy. It seemed to me that the agent didn't really know what their price range was so he just tried to find decent properties. Then they realized that they'd have to spend the big bucks afterall, which they had. Lucky them.

 

Late post on Canary Islands - yes, as you guys noted in multiple previous posts, it was obvious which home they'd selected.  We all know (in actual reality, that is) the participants have chosen a home in advance and closed on it.  My understanding is that HHI (as opposed to HH) typically assigns realtors to the homeowners.  Don't know but perhaps the filming requirements (e.g. their version of SAG) are stricter overseas.

 

My thought was that the UK couple had already purchased the property and started on the construction project so the realtor simply appeared for promotional purposes, i.e. to advertise his own Tenerife vacation properties, with no possible commission deal.  It sounded as if they had RE connections of their own so they may have purchased the property privately.  ETA:  In addition, I noticed that the episode's realtor hadn't either shown them the construction project or ever appeared on camera at it, IIRC.

 

I'm merely speculating but that was my (potential) explanation for the wide disparity in the home values and the lack of any definitive budget.  It was obvious (to me, anyway) that their budget was far greater than 200K and probably at least $1M.  I never believed that they would purchase one of the lower priced properties and a potential renovation sounded like that episode's red herring.

 

JMHO

Edited October 16, 2014 by BearCat49

[mojito]

 

I had to laugh at the end when she said that his family started a school and they just happened to need an art and computer teacher, so she got the job.

They really kept us in the dark about this couple. She did volunteer work, but they didn't say what her area of expertise was. She could be a high school dropout for all we know!

 

I noticed the razor wire, too, but it didn't register what it could be for. They had a great view from that house, but I still would've gone for the new home. Hubby-to-be would have to listen to books on tape to make his commute more bearable.  ;)

Edited October 15, 2014 by mojito

[biakbiak]

My understanding is that HHI (as opposed to HH) typically assigns realtors to the homeowners.  Don't know but perhaps the filming requirements (e.g. their version of SAG) are stricter overseas.

 

I don't know if that is the case. There have been several instances when the realtor is simply a homeowners friend. Also, these type of shows aren't under SAG restrictions and its usually much easier to film in other countries.

[Hana Chan]

I've always chuckled over the insistence on needing extra bedrooms for the one or two times a year you may actually need the room. When you consider how much extra you're going to pay per month for that extra room, it would be cheaper to put your visitors up in a hotel for a few days. No joke.

 

My favorite episodes are places that I've actually visited and would love to live in, but Jesus Christ on a cracker... Americans can be such spoiled twats when facing how people actually live (and live relatively comfortably) without a lot of the space and amenities that Americans demand as must haves. One episode always stands out to me is the military family relocating to Okinawa. I've been to Japan before and I would happily hock an organ or two for the chance to live there. I would want to live in a more traditional Japanese home because I grew to love how uncluttered they were and sleeping on a futon in a tatami room. But this heifer couldn't stop blabbing about wanting a house like they had in their fly-over state (turning her nose up at a gorgeous traditional home with beautiful local woodworking and tatami rooms). They got their American-style home but what a waste that is. You get to live in this amazing country and the first thing you want to do is insulate yourself from having to deal with too much foreign stuff.

[BearCat49]

I don't know if that is the case. There have been several instances when the realtor is simply a homeowners friend. Also, these type of shows aren't under SAG restrictions and its usually much easier to film in other countries.

 

HHI is no longer a new version of HH so over the years tptb have developed more contacts and from what I've read, they're faking far fewer things.  They no longer need to.   Incidentally, the impression I received was that the fakery happened a few times but not that much.  (That is, other than the typical reality television fakery that occurs each and every episode!) 

 

My information was derived from various blog postings and articles I've read about the local ministers and filming boards who needed to have the wheels greased and probably demanded a few $$$ (lol), prior to the commencement of filming.

 

BTW, I posted, "their version of SAG".  I don't get the impression that it's "much easier" to film in other countries but don't know for sure.  What's the source of your information, biakbiak?   

 

I don't personally have the time to research every episode but when I do, I usually find the backstories and other information far more interesting than the episodes, themselves.  And, I enjoy learning about the process of how tptb produce 22 minutes of cable TV and the hoops they jump through to make it happen.

 

JMHO

Edited October 15, 2014 by BearCat49

[biakbiak]

I don't get the impression that it's "much easier" to film in other countries but don't know for sure.  What's the source of your information, biakbiak?

Knowing people who have filmed reality shows in other countries and the US and my friend being on the board of SAG-AFTRA. My point about SAG-AFTRA was that is these specific type of reality shows where it's one shot filming are not covered by union contracts (if the countries even have union contracts for any type of filming-which many don't hence why a ton of small films film in Eastern Block countries) for the people on screen. 

Edited October 15, 2014 by biakbiak

[BearCat49]

Knowing people who have filmed reality shows in other countries and the US and my friend being on the board of SAG-AFTRA. My point about SAG-AFTRA was that is these specific type of reality shows where it's one shot filming are not covered by union contracts (if the countries even have union contracts for any type of filming-which many don't hence why a ton of small films film in Eastern Block countries) for the people on screen. 

 

I realize that SAG doesn't cover a 1 shot, reality show appearance.  Wasn't necessarily referring to a traditional union, per se, but possibly a local minister's requirements that certain realtors be cast in order to facilitate/expedite filming.  And, the requirements may differ for HHI's production of their standard 4-6 episodes, filmed over a relatively short period of time, compared to a feature film that requires a huge staff and significant local infrastructure.

 

Am trying to determine the main reason that HHI apparently assigns realtors.  That's been a frequent comment in the participant blog postings the last couple of years, IIRC. 

 

Unfortunately, blog postings, in general, have become less frequent.  My belief, confirmed by a few people, is that tptb tightened up their non-disclosure agreement b/c of the negative press they received if/when participants blabbed about the fakery.

 

(Sorry, digressed WRT frequency of blog postings.)  Not referring, BTW, to certain people, e.g. Adrian Leeds, who must have a promotional contract, given HHI's frequent showcasing of her firm's vacation properties.  OTOH, a few other realtor appearances did appear promotional.  For example, both the recent diver and his gf's bro worked in the travel tourism industry.   The Canary Islands episode appeared to contain vacation homes. 

 

Not convinced that travel marketing/promotion covers all of it, however.  Casting might explain some of it.  Unless things have changed recently, most HGTV programs contain an age (e.g. 40, IIRC) cutoff on their applications.  Wouldn't surprise me to hear that HHI desires photogenic, beautiful people to attract viewers.  So, casting, including ageism, could explain some of it.

 

Anyone have other ideas?

Edited October 16, 2014 by BearCat49

[Honey]

No posts about the spoiled brat "Day Trader" purchasing a home in Columbia?  I wanted to hack off his stupid ponytail.  He actually said "We're day traders, we don't have a budget".  Asshat.

[NYGirl]

I am hoping Day Trade bit off more than he can chew because he needs to take a big fall.

[sugarbaker design]

Does that mean that no one is enrolling in Marcello's Medellin Day Trading School?

[mojito]

What did you think about the NJ couple purchasing a home in Curacao? One in college, two right behind, and this guy insists on purchasing a second home. His wife, the financial adviser, advised against it.

 

What is this need to own? Now you'll feel that you have to take all of your vacations to that same spot every year. I've lived in paradise. It gets boring. You'll want to go somewhere else. And you don't have to fly that far for sand and surf anyway.

 

Splurge on thousands of dollars per year on a fantastic hotel with beach in the tropics, different places, and don't spend more and have to worry about the property every time a hurricane hits or the political climate changes.

 

As for Medellin Marcello.....he just warrants a huge eye roll and head shake from me.

 

I don't even have old money, but I sure do like to look down on new money!

[ChelseaNH]

I was assuming that "day trader" meant "pump and dump stock scammer."

[Tunia]

I was assuming that "day trader" meant "pump and dump stock scammer."

I was thinking more along the lines of "drug cartel".

[DownTheShore]

I couldn't even finish watching that Curacao couple.  I was going to do something violent to the TV if I heard her say "...as a financial advisor..." one more time!

 

I actually can understand wanting to own a vacation property - especially down in the islands where you basically can have year-round vacation rentals.  That's going to recoup the investment much faster than say the Jersey shore, where there's usually about a 10-12 week rental season.  And unless some horrific hurricane hits there (I don't think it's in the normal path for them, anyway) they're just going to have the normal expenses of a managed rental property.  They obviously had enough money to budget for a vacation home in the first place, even knowing that college expenses were going to increase.

 

Get those scholarships, loans and grants, kids!  LOL

[TVForever]

HHI Swaziland. Talk about getting a geography lesson. I get really annoyed with people (HHI and Americans in general) who seem to think that Africa is a country, and don't even make the effort to identify a country name. For instance, watching the NY Marathon. There's an Egyptian in third (they're a special breed, apparently), a French man in second, and an African in first. He's the one with the black skin... I just watched an HHI where it was stated that these two guys met in "Africa". So I was feeling kind of sheepish when I really didn't know in which part of Africa Swaziland was in.

 

She's been roughing it in the bush for 2 years; he's a Swaziland city boy. Okay, let me wrap my head around this one. She's looking forward to indoor plumbing and a stove, but is reluctant to be so close to neighbors. His family will allow her to marry him traditionally, which involves proving that she's good enough for him.

 

I wish I were half as game and open-minded as this lady was.

I liked this couple. They just seemed really cute and enjoyed each others' company. This is another episode where I wish the producers had waited a little longer to do the followup- I was hoping we would get to see pictures of their traditional Swazi wedding.

[TVForever]

I've always chuckled over the insistence on needing extra bedrooms for the one or two times a year you may actually need the room. When you consider how much extra you're going to pay per month for that extra room, it would be cheaper to put your visitors up in a hotel for a few days. No joke.

 

My favorite episodes are places that I've actually visited and would love to live in, but Jesus Christ on a cracker... Americans can be such spoiled twats when facing how people actually live (and live relatively comfortably) without a lot of the space and amenities that Americans demand as must haves. One episode always stands out to me is the military family relocating to Okinawa. I've been to Japan before and I would happily hock an organ or two for the chance to live there. I would want to live in a more traditional Japanese home because I grew to love how uncluttered they were and sleeping on a futon in a tatami room. But this heifer couldn't stop blabbing about wanting a house like they had in their fly-over state (turning her nose up at a gorgeous traditional home with beautiful local woodworking and tatami rooms). They got their American-style home but what a waste that is. You get to live in this amazing country and the first thing you want to do is insulate yourself from having to deal with too much foreign stuff.

Funny you should mention that Japan episode. My brother and I STILL scream like banshees about the wife in that episode. We try to cut her a little slack because she's a military spouse who obviously didn't have a say in moving to Japan (and seemingly would never leave Ohio if she didn't have to), but REALLY! Go with the flow, lady, you married a military guy. You don't know where you'll end up.

[NYGirl]

Yay to Adrian Leeds last night in Paris.  Boo to the selfish stay at home wife who just had to be near the city center for her photography and who cares if her husband has a long commute to work.

 

I absolutely LOVE the Paris episodes..what a beautiful city.  But..that third apartment?  The area looked like all high rises.  I'd never seen that area before.

[TVForever]

Can Pie Town please just give Adrian Leeds her own show? My absolute favorite realtor on HHI, with a close second being Nina Fennessy from some episodes in the Caribbean ( I think St John, someone please correct me if you remember).

[DownTheShore]

I like Toby in London, too.  He seems to handle the American buyers/renters with aplomb and tact, while still making the point that the ones that are idiots are behaving idiotically.

[BradandJanet]

Adrian Leeds is awesome. I love her clothes and her gentle ways of helping clueless house hunters get a grip on reality.

 

I bet myself that the latest American in Paris wife would get her way. She looked much older and much more "worldly" than her husband, the one who was paying for this venture. He didn't stand a chance. 

 

Paris has huge blocks of high rise apartments in the suburbs. Still, I don't know why hubby had to drive to work (and complain about it) or why the artsy princess couldn't hop on a subway to get wherever she wanted to go. I kept waiting for the backstory that never came. 

[jcbrown]

 

don't know why hubby had to drive to work (and complain about it) or why the artsy princess couldn't hop on a subway to get wherever she wanted to go. I kept waiting for the backstory that never came.

I was wondering the same things, BradandJanet (love your username--I used to play Columbia). My husband used to live in Paris and when they finally showed where the guy's office was on a map, he said he was not sure it would be so easy to get public transit to go that far out. But yes, I did not get why it was not possible for the layabout photographer princess to hop on the metro to get into the city. They made a point of mentioning the proximity of metro stops for all the suburban properties they looked at, didn't they? Having a car in Paris is more a liability than anything, is my understanding and experience. 

[DownTheShore]

It's interesting to watch those couples to see which ones actually compromise, and which ones guilt the other into getting the property they prefer.

 

There are the women who guilt the man into a long commute to work because either:

a) they can't drive more than 10 minutes to take the children to school, and/or...

b) they gave up all their American comforts/job to follow their husband to a foreign country, and/or...

c) they simply must experience all the cultural pursuits available in the city center without having to travel to it, and/or...

d) they must have space to entertain

 

There are the men who guilt the women into moving into a smaller place closer to their work because either:

a) they can't bear going over the pre-established housing budget, and/or...

b) they don't want to have to do any yardwork, and/or...

c) they simply must be able to walk or bike to their job

 

Of course, the genders are reversible depending on which partner/spouse actually has the job in the foreign country.

[KLovestoShop]

Whenever they do an HHI from Paris, why do they always use the same real estate woman? Is she the only realtor in Paris?

[Rhondinella]

Warning, rant about to ensue:

 

Just watched an episode on Netflix (don't know how long ago it aired) with a couple moving to Belgium.  I was interested because I'm American but used to live in Belgium.  So I enjoyed seeing some of the sights again (although I don't remember EVER seeing a house in Belgium as big as the ones these people were shown--they must have been built specifically for ex-pats).

 

Aaaanyway, here's the rant part:  When they went back for the final section where they show them in their new house they did this whole segment with the dad going to the grocery story and he was complaining about how long it takes him to shop compared to America cause he can't read any of the labels.  But they specifically said that they had been there "several months" at this point.  "Several months" and you still haven't figure out the French or Dutch word for "milk"?  It's not rocket science!  I mean, I get being confused at first, cause I certainly was as well, even though I was taking language classes.  But after "several months"?  Yeah, I could handle the basics of the grocery store and even carry on brief conversations by that point.  And this was BEFORE cell phones with internet access that allow you to look words up. So that really irked me, because it means that either a) this guy is really, really stupid (a possibility I'm not ruling out); or b) he is following the time-honored example of Americans everywhere who basically refuse to learn the local language and expect everyone to speak in English and all signs and labels to be in English (much more likely). 

 

I ran into more than a few of these types during my years there; it was especially common with military families, even the ones who lived in the community among "real people" as opposed to on the base where they didn't have to mix with the locals.  I just never figured out how they survived?  I mean, I'm not saying you have to be fluent (I never was, not conversationally anyway; I was and still am able to read Dutch fairly fluently), but you'd think you'd want to make an effort to at least learn enough to make your life easier.   

 

So in summary: Americans suck.  Not that that's a newsflash for anyone who's watched this show.

[DownTheShore]

Actually, the same thing happens in the U.S. with immigrants who move here but never interact with people outside their own ethnic enclave. When I would interview them in the course of my job, I'd often find out that they had been here for 10-20 years but never bothered to learn English.

So I don't think that behavior is exclusive to Americans, more of a case of a particular personality type never really being forced to learn the language because others around them were willing to interact with English speakers on their behalf. Just check out Little Odessa, Little Havana, or any Chinatown for examples.

[DownTheShore]

I watched that Paris episode with the Canadian artist. I just knew that she was going to pick that blank dump with the daycare storage cubbies. Frankly IMO, her artwork didn't add any character or interest to that apt. I would have taken either of the other two apts over the one she chose, any day.

I mean, with that studio apt with the great terrace, all she had to do would be to change out the doorway curtain on the bathroom with a lined heavy velvet one and that would muffle sound much better. Change out the bed for a sofa-bed et voilà!

[Rhondinella]

So I don't think that behavior is exclusive to Americans, more of a case of a particular personality type never really being forced to learn the language because others around them were willing to interact with English speakers on their behalf.

 

 

Oh I agree.  It's certainly not exclusive to Americans in other countries.  And I certainly understand the urge to hole up in your little enclave where things are familiar. To me it's not so much a matter of them not being "forced" to learn the language, but the fact that they don't seem to even be willing to TRY to learn even a little.  That smacks of self-centeredness no matter who it is.

[caci]

I love traveling and wish I could do more.  But I am usually over it after awhile and am ready to come home.  I watch HHI and see people going to another country to live and wonder how long they stay actually stay there.  The vacation people I get.  The ones who say they permantly want to move, I'm curious about.  I mean, they say how new and exciting everything is, but doesn't the extra ordinary becomes ordinary after awhile?  Can't you get just as bored and just as stressed in a foreign country?  Even in a tropical one with all the surf and sun?  I've aways wondered how many of the house hunters move back home once the excitement wears off and they become lonely for family.  Also, it's one thing to maybe vacation in a place where you can't speak the language, but long term must be tough after awhile.  I would just really love to know how many stay and how many go back to wherever they were from.

[DownTheShore]

I wonder about those women who relocate to another country to work in animal shelters or to make jewelry or teach yoga.  They are so happy and joyous when we meet them, but I wonder if they ever develop the social/emotional circles that everyone needs?

 

I also wonder about those couples who are living together for the first time and decide to do so in another country (thinking of that recent American woman in Roatan who only knew the guy for 6 weeks and decided to move there).  I wonder if their relationships become strained or strengthened?

 

I also wonder, at times, about that Mormon couple that moved to England so that he could design race cars and she could read her beloved Jane Austen.  I wonder if she's finally re-read all the books and what she's doing with all her free time, or if she's already started to pop out babies?

 

I wonder about that American couple who bought that ruin up on a cliff on Italy's Amalfi coast, the one where the building actually was a total ruin and the only way to get building supplies up the cliff was by donkey?

 

I wonder about that woman from Savannah who moved to England with her English husband and wanted to live in the quintessential English cottage until it was forcibly brought home to her that the family couldn't fit in one.  She dropped her Southern accent and was affecting a pseudo-British accent so fast, I wonder if she's finally become unintelligible to her family back in the States?

 

I wonder if the American family who relocated to Cairo Egypt because the husband wanted his son to attend the same soccer school that he did, made it safely through the events of the Arab Spring?

[mojito]

Iowa to Zambia. Nice to see the wife be so open-minded. He'd already been to Zambia and they were coming for his job. She was okay with so many things. They were planning to have their little boy and girl share a room. In the end, he left the decision to her and she chose the rustic place for $500 a month even though she liked the city place for $1200 a month. What a nice couple. I hope all goes well for them (I admit it; I don't feel this way about everyone and would like an HHI show called "HHI: They Fell Flat On Their Faces" Featuring some of my least favorite people.

[izabella]

I felt a little bad for the kid in the Mt. Prospect (Chicago suburb) to Santiago, Chile couple.  I understand that's where the husband was from and he wanted his son to grow up knowing how to kick a soccer ball, but that kid has no green space, yard, or much play area in that small apartment they chose.  Maybe they'll move when the baby gets older, but imagining an active toddler in a two room apartment makes me want to tear my hair out - Calgon, take me away!

 

I also thought about the husband saying he was an engineer but couldn't work as one in the US?  Why would that be?  We have foreign engineers all over - Silicon Valley is full of them, for example.  If his degree isn't recognized in the US, then won't his son have that same problem when he tries to come back to the country he was born in?

 

I always wonder about the long term impact on the kids when these families move around the world with them. 

[joanofarch4]

Oh, my; I could not believe that woman (being financed by her parents) in Paris turned down that ADORABLE studio with the wall mural, massive balcony with iconic view, and enchanting bathroom...  My suspicion was that it was because the mural artist was more talented than she...  Paris is wasted on the wrong people!

[DownTheShore]

She could have created a fabric wall that would have covered that mural, if she wasn't allowed to paint over it.

I have to say, after my first look at her, I thought to myself, "she'll be either married or living with someone within two years".

[Peanutbuttercup]

I felt sorry for the baby in Chile too, but because of how dead-set his father seemed to be that his son will play soccer, will love soccer, will be a great soccer player . . . what if the kid has two left feet, or hates soccer and just wants to do water color or something? It makes me sad when I see parents expecting that their children will be little mini-me's. Also I wonder if the dad would have been so fanatical about the baby growing up to play soccer if he had a daughter rather than a son.

On an even pickier note, while I really liked the couple moving to Zambia, I hated to see the mom riding in the car with the seat belt under her arm. That is so dangerous - it's a great way to end up with a lacerated liver and spleen and possibly a spinal fracture as well. Especially as a parent, you'd think she'd want to both protect herself so she can be healthy and alive and continue to take care of her children, as well as modeling safe behavior for them.

But overall, yeah, that was a really good episode. And I actually liked the woman moving to Paris who rejected the studio apartment with the mural (or at least pretend-rejected it for tv purposes). I hated that apartment, thought the mural was awful -- I would have gone with her choice. Plus Adrian Leeds! You can't go wrong with an Adrian episode. She needs her own show!

[scrb]

Saw a Paris episode with a French realtor.

 

The hunters were a couple of opera singers and they could only afford to live outside of Paris, a 12-minute train ride away.

[laredhead]

While I love the Paris episodes, some of those apartments make me claustrophobic.  No wonder so many people meet at cafes and restaurants.  Their homes cannot accommodate more than one or two people.   

Edited October 24, 2014 by laredhead

[abbyzenn]

Re the artist in Paris episode.

I wouldn't have taken that studio with the big balcony.  The place didn't have room for a couch - it had the bed and a table/chairs and one other lounging type chair.  I wouldn't always want to sit on the bed or at the eating table.  And although the balcony was certainly large and nice, Paris isn't the outdoor all year type of place that you could use that as your living room.

I was shocked that she went so below budget since that is something we so rarely see on this show.  Liked that she wasn't  appalled at that teeny tiny kitchen.  I would have chosen that place too from the 3 that we were shown - although I don't really remember the 3rd one.

[joanofarch4]

I love traveling and wish I could do more.  But I am usually over it after awhile and am ready to come home.  I watch HHI and see people going to another country to live and wonder how long they stay actually stay there.  The vacation people I get.  The ones who say they permantly want to move, I'm curious about.  I mean, they say how new and exciting everything is, but doesn't the extra ordinary becomes ordinary after awhile?  Can't you get just as bored and just as stressed in a foreign country?  Even in a tropical one with all the surf and sun?  I've aways wondered how many of the house hunters move back home once the excitement wears off and they become lonely for family.  Also, it's one thing to maybe vacation in a place where you can't speak the language, but long term must be tough after awhile.  I would just really love to know how many stay and how many go back to wherever they were from.

There was another one of these on my DVR yesterday; the laid-back Englishman married to the Type A American, moving to Spain because she's SO BUSY in America (when she isn't working, she's volunteering, etc.) and Spain's way of life is so much slower...  My worry is that not only are these people congenitally incapable of relaxing (if you want a less frenetic pace and way of life, just learn to say "no" in America; you can adopt whatever lifestyle you want right where you already live -- no, really!) and will carry on their frantic, hyperactive ways overseas, but that if enough ex-Pats follow this path, eventually OVER THERE will be exactly like OVER HERE...  I loved their "solution" to the house the wife insisted on having for view: buy the elderly parents a sleeper sofa!  That'll shorten the visits.