House Hunters International - General Discussion

[ML89]

Cruise ship to Merida: I got tickled at the tiny cruise ship in the ocean as their "start" location - whoever does the graphics for HHI is terrific. But yeah, I'd've remained a nomad with those choices. 

London to Paris - as ugly American as it might have been, I was with the guy on the bathrooms. I didn't really like the whole set of them but I was with him on that front. That was the best they could do for that much money? See also Perth below.

Ossinging to Surrey - that house with the ferry was crazy. I'd be worried that my laundry would fall into my cooking.

Irvine to Perth - I cannot believe the amount of money that place cost, when it really wasn't much of anything. I did like it best of the three.

16 hours ago, doodlebug said:

The one guy is a vet who specializes in dermatology (who knew?) while the other was an MD in family practice. T

Agree on the who knew, I had no idea. They were a fun couple with that line about being fixed up because they were the only gay men all the friends knew.

[Kohola3]

Vets who specialize in dermatology also treat animal allergies.  My dog has been seeing a derm for many years and gets allergy shots!

[debraran]

On 7/6/2018 at 9:40 AM, doodlebug said:

Yes, I saw it as the wife having a career that required living overseas and frequent moves for advancement.  It happens, lots of kids have the same issues and their parents don't have the resources hers do (military families, for example).  The girl was going to a private international school where there were undoubtedly plenty of other kids in the same boat, she has access to horses and riding; she's going to meet a lot of other kids and learn how to make friends.  Also, Paris and London are only 3 hours apart by chunnel, she's old enough to be able to hop the train and visit friends on weekends and holidays.  Her parents seem to be very aware of the difficulties her mother's career presents and are more than willing to help her adjust.

I, too, love London and would be thrilled to live there, but Paris ain't bad, either.

I felt you could see the "real" issues weren't. For a teen to even be on the show, she was cool with it and I felt sorry for her for a second when the realtor said she was "difficult" too with demands...it was lame though and something to laugh at with her friends.  I did think they'd go with the third apartment with horses for a while but the first home suited them.  I agree, if the daughter was younger, 10, it would be harder but she'll be around International kids her age and her parents have money to afford that school. With the Internet, trains, etc., you never are as far as years ago. I met a girl in grade school who's dad traveled all the time in the military. We had to write and that always died off after a while, but did look forward to the mail back then.

Edited July 8, 2018 by debraran

[LittleIggy]

Amsterdam to Dublin: The baby was so cute. Loved how big fridges and grills were termed “American.” ?

[LittleIggy]

Madrid: More teaching mill teachers! I liked the apartment they picked. It was cute. 

[sempervivum]

Madrid- Another big oaf who throws himself onto random sofas and beds, another wife who thinks she can only 'experience' a new culture by living in the city center, because of course there is NO Spanish culture outside the city limits.

That place with the street-level windows was frightening; what would they do in the event of a fire? Those windows all had metal grates that didn't look like they could be opened.

[laredhead]

Harking back to the Merida episode about the food/travel bloggers, I finally watched it last night.  I saw the discoloration on the outside courtyard walls.  That might have been mildew and not black mold.  I don't know what the year round climate and humidity levels are in Merida, but here in south Louisiana, if you have a white or light colored stucco/brick/plaster wall, you are going to see what we refer to as mildew.  A yearly pressure wash with bleach will take care of it instantly.  High humidity and shade are great combinations for it.  I didn't see any evidence of it inside any of the houses, which was good.  The peeling paint was not so good.  Interesting that the landlords there just take the rent $$, but don't provide basic maintenance.  Wonder what happens if there is a plumbing problem or something really expensive happens. 

I'm glad he got a well equipped kitchen, and she gave in on the pool requirement.

[StatisticalOutlier]

8 hours ago, sempervivum said:

That place with the street-level windows was frightening; what would they do in the event of a fire? Those windows all had metal grates that didn't look like they could be opened.

Run like hell out the door? 

I noticed they were riding around Madrid in a Go Car.  Mr. Outlier and I got one in San Francisco and it was more fun than a person should be allowed to have.  Of course, we were cheating the system there because being motorized on those hills is the height of luxury, but even on the flats, it was a gas.  I'd noticed that they have them in some kind of random places, including Spain.  If you're ever somewhere they have them, do it.

Did they ever say where their jobs were?  That's one thing that bugs me, kind of like not mentioning HOA fees.  The house out in the sticks may be a few hundred dollars less, and it may be convenient to mass transit, but that mass transit isn't going to be free.  If you have to take it every day to get to work, then it's going to add up, especially if two people are using it daily.  If one option has you paying for transit every day from the suburbs and the other option doesn't because you can walk or bike, then that could be a significant difference in how much the apartment actually costs you to live there.

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Did they ever say where their jobs were? 

They said they both got jobs teaching English.

[biakbiak]

10 hours ago, sempervivum said:

place with the street-level windows was frightening; what would they do in the event of a fire? Those windows all had metal grates that didn't look like they could be opened

Given the building wasn’t that old, they most likely had a quick release mechanism.

[StatisticalOutlier]

57 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

They said they both got jobs teaching English.

Right, but where were the jobs?  Close to the center of town?  Within non-transit commute of any of the choices, which would affect the bottom line of how much the place actually costs?

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Right, but where were the jobs?  Close to the center of town?  Within non-transit commute of any of the choices, which would affect the bottom line of how much the place actually costs?

They didn’t say which I thought was odd. I was amused when the wife who spoke some Spanish asked hubby how he would manage if she wasn’t around to translate. Good grief, you’re in Madrid not some isolated mountain village. I survived three months in China (not in a touristy city) speaking no Mandarin. You point a lot, carry around a little dictionary, and learn a few basic terms. And you rely on the kindness of people! ?

[StatisticalOutlier]

18 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

I was amused when the wife who spoke some Spanish

That reminded me...when the wife was explaining why she wanted to improve her Spanish, she was talking in regular American until she said her mother was from Guatemala, and "Guatemala" came out like Mr. Van Dreesen used to say "Nicaragua" on Beavis & Butt-Head. 

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

Spanish asked hubby how he would manage if she wasn’t around to translate. Good grief, you’re in Madrid not some isolated mountain village. I survived three months in China (not in a touristy city) speaking no Mandarin. You point a lot, carry around a little dictionary, and learn a few basic terms. And you rely on the kindness of people!

Given how whiny he was and they both agreed she was the only reason he left the house, I think it would be a problem for him.

[izabella]

That husband did NOT want to live in Madrid.  The wife would NOT let up on anything she wanted.  I can't imagine how much whining she did to get him to move, so I'm not surprised how much whining he did about being there.  Their apartment was cute, but I did not like that couple.  They would get on my nerves in under a minute.

Edited July 11, 2018 by izabella

[Patti Jean]

The Madrid couple reminded me of a couple I knew growing up.  They dated in high school and in college and married.  Several years and 2 kids later, they divorced. Their dynamics remind me of these two.  The wife embarked on her own "Eat, Pray, Love" adventure, and he stayed in the area they settled in and seems pretty happy.

I see a similar outcome for these two.  He's going to get tired of her cutesy, free spirit persona and get out of town.  I know I was pretty sick of her in 30 minutes.

[LittleIggy]

Chang Rai: I really liked the friend. He was telling it like it is. Loved the bit about “nobody is going to fly around the world to visit you” and if they do hotels are cheap here. ? How much money does that dude have to live on anyway? He wasn’t old. His friend better watch out that he doesn’t fall for some young Thai hottie who wants to help him spend his?! ?

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

Chang Rai: I

Chiang Mai not Chiang Rai, the latter is where the soccer team was rescued and about 3 1/2 hours from The former.

the friend annoyed the hell out of me, he was so crazy negative though I didn’t like either.

[Scout Finch]

Thailand guy has Gary Busey eyes. I couldn't help but wonder if there's some other reason why he suddenly needed to leave town and get as far away as possible. I also expected to hear him say something about how women in the U.S. are too independent.

Edited July 12, 2018 by Scout Finch

[Kohola3]

3 hours ago, Scout Finch said:

I couldn't help but wonder if there's some other reason why he suddenly needed to leave town and get as far away as possible.

Especially since he supposedly has enough money to live out his life without working.  Can anyone say "embezzlement"?

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Especially since he supposedly has enough money to live out his life without working.  Can anyone say "embezzlement"?

He said he owned his own business and had sold it and his house to finance the move, not sure how he could've embezzled from himself.  I wouldn't be surprised to discover part of his reason for moving to Thailand was to escape alimony or child support, though.  I found him really annoying in an ugly American way.  He needed an ice maker in the fridge because it was too difficult to fill ice cube trays?  He needed extra rooms because he was used to living in a large house and couldn't be expected to adjust to smaller living spaces?  I thought his friend was the voice of reason, but I wasn't surprised he didn't listen to him.

[Kohola3]

31 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

He said he owned his own business and had sold it and his house to finance the move...

Missed that part!  Still something fishy - as you said it might be child support or some such.

If you have to keep comparing you new place to "my American house" then you probably should have just stayed there.

[mojito]

Chiang Mai

Initially, I liked the friend and thought he was the voice of reason. But as the show went on, I started understanding (I think) the house hunter. 1. He said he spent his whole life in Fairfax (I'm guessing VA). He's not used to city living and it didn't seem that important to him. 2.  The friend really doesn't know the guy's finances and maybe he's much better off than the friend so spending extra money isn't the strain on his finances as it might be for the friend. 3. Two bedrooms probably was a considerable downsize for him, especially considering that his home might've had a basement and a garage.

So in the end, I cut this guy more slack.

I, too, wondered what he was running away from. My thoughts were, in this order: back taxes, law suit, unexpected paternity, scary ex. 

I hope he really is footloose and fancy free, though. I would feel more comfortable riding my motorcycle in western Canada and US and would wander down to Mexico if I was feeling more adventurous (Baja would probably be as daring as I would get).

Madrid

Commute to work was not a consideration in the house hunt, so it would seem that they're doing on-line tutoring. And let's face it, if you're going to teach someone in Poland how to speak English, you'd do it better from a European locale.  ?  Sarcasm aside, it's occurred to me that it would be easier to be in a closer time zone.  I took a peak at info on these jobs. 

[Mittengirl]

Oh. My. God.  London to Australia lady had to cut all the pine cones off her Christmas decorations!  How will she ever recover from that trauma? I hope she is getting therapy.   

[mojito]

UK to Brisbane

The wife was annoying with her worries about the kids adjusting. Good grief, those kids were so young, they'd be like a pet. Where the parent goes, they'd be happy. I have to admit, I was hoping the poor guy was going to get his pool. When the wife talked about the pine cones, I wondered if she was going to start crying. At least she got over the stairs thing.

[doodlebug]

3 hours ago, mojito said:

UK to Brisbane

The wife was annoying with her worries about the kids adjusting. Good grief, those kids were so young, they'd be like a pet. Where the parent goes, they'd be happy. I have to admit, I was hoping the poor guy was going to get his pool. When the wife talked about the pine cones, I wondered if she was going to start crying. At least she got over the stairs thing.

I thought I must've missed something when she kept going on and on about how tough it was for the kids to move to Australia.  One's a toddler, the other is an infant, for goodness' sakes, they won't even remember.  And her husband kept saying that the move was going to give him a better work schedule and more time at home.  Sounded like a great thing for the kids and they wouldn't even have a new language to learn.  And, once again, somebody else obsessed with their kids having to climb stairs.  Good lord, as if the stairs were going to be covered in broken glass and rusty nails!  Finally, her husband was the voice of reason and pointed out that a couple of childproof gates on the stairs should solve the problem.

I do understand why she didn't want a pool with such young kids, though. 

[LittleIggy]

Brisbane: Wish the poor guy had gotten his pool.

Lucerne: Glad the husband got the place he wanted. The wife annoyed me. If you are so creative, you can decorate a space so it doesn’t look like a “white box.”

[Ohwell]

Lucerne:  I changed the channel after about 10 minutes because the wife got on my nerves with her affectations and her speech patterns, trying to impress us with how artistic and creative she was.  And that damn scarf around her neck, cuz you know that means a person is "artistic."  Ugh.  

[doodlebug]

16 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Lucerne:  I changed the channel after about 10 minutes because the wife got on my nerves with her affectations and her speech patterns, trying to impress us with how artistic and creative she was.  And that damn scarf around her neck, cuz you know that means a person is "artistic."  Ugh.  

When someone claims to be so artistic and creative that they cannot possibly exist in a space that doesn't fit their definition of 'quirky' and 'unconventional'; I immediately presume that they are neither artistic nor creative since someone bringing those qualities to the table would easily be able to see the possibilities in any space, no matter how mundane.  At the end, when she was bragging about how she'd transformed the boring interior with her amazing artistic skills and we got a shot of the 3 pillows she'd added to the sofa; I laughed out loud.  I had no idea that a couple of throw pillows were so difficult to select without the proper artistic taste and flair.

[chessiegal]

I thought they were in Lausaane, not Lucerne.

[biakbiak]

33 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I thought they were in Lausaane, not Lucerne.

They were.

[Ohwell]

49 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I thought they were in Lausaane, not Lucerne.

Yes, they were.  Still didn't matter to me because the woman annoyed me so. 

[biakbiak]

I found the husband equally whining about how old the third apartment was.

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

I had no idea that a couple of throw pillows were so difficult to select without the proper artistic taste and flair.

Well, I must be on an artistic par with Picasso - I have throw pillows on not only two chairs but on my bed.  Yowser!

If you feel the need to label yourself, you don't usually fit the label to the rest of the world.

[biakbiak]

One weird thing is that she said she have lived in the Bay Area for so many years but the dance company/studio that she taught at is in Lincoln, NB.

[StatisticalOutlier]

3 hours ago, doodlebug said:

I had no idea that a couple of throw pillows were so difficult to select without the proper artistic taste and flair.

They are for me!  I have no artistic taste or flair and the thought of buying a throw pillow paralyzes me.

[Mu Shu]

6 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Lucerne:  I changed the channel after about 10 minutes because the wife got on my nerves with her affectations and her speech patterns, trying to impress us with how artistic and creative she was.  And that damn scarf around her neck, cuz you know that means a person is "artistic."  Ugh.  

God she was awful.  Pretentious, dull, and full of herself.  Leaving the unwashed masses of the US for the oh so cultured and superior Europe!  Wait until she finds out that the Swiss think she’s a dullard and that they’re laughing at her, not with her.  She’s an asshole, and her husband is a henpecked yutz with a whiny, nasal drone. 

[izabella]

I understand wanting a little local charm in your house, but that Lausanne apartment had had ALL the local charm right there.  That huge balcony with all of Lausanne spread out in front of them was amazing.  "It's better to live in the ugliest house on the block than to live across the street from it." 

Also, they are in the middle of Europe.  So much easy access to art, music and all things creative.  Go to the museums, go to concerts, check out the street artists, fill your home with local art and music and wine and enjoy that wonderful view of local charm and character.  Buy paintings, rugs and tapestries, dish towels, blankets and pillows.  Layer the charm in the kitchen with French pepper mills, Swiss garlic presses, and a freaking Italian Bialetti moka pot!  For an artistic person, I'd have expected more imagination.

[Christine]

I don't believe that the dance school was named in her name.  She has a LinkedIn profile mentioning another dance school name plus the fact she is a technical writer.  I assumed he works (worked?) for Lawrence Livermore Labs.

[awaken]

Someone should have gently clued in Lausanne lady that one needs to blend the orange facial makeup in with the rest of her skin, or go down a couple shades!  Face and neck were two very different colors!  

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, Christine said:

I don't believe that the dance school was named in her name.  She has a LinkedIn profile mentioning another dance school name plus the fact she is a technical writer.  I assumed he works (worked?) for Lawrence Livermore Labs.

But that’s a federal facility, and it said he was offered a transfer to Lausanne. 

I thought the third house would be an interesting place to stay on vacation, but not to live in. It was too dark.

[jcbrown]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

But that’s a federal facility, and it said he was offered a transfer to Lausanne. 

Plus he complained about his commute. I figured he worked in Silicon Valley somewhere.

[Irlandesa]

14 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I thought the third house would be an interesting place to stay on vacation, but not to live in. It was too dark.

And it probably was a vacation rental that likely goes for 4500 a week instead of a month.  I guess I can't imagine passing up living in a place so unique and beautiful.  Yes, it seems like a long commute but I've been in a train in that area and it's a gorgeous trip.

On 7/14/2018 at 10:49 AM, biakbiak said:

I found the husband equally whining about how old the third apartment was.

Yes, I especially got a kick out of when he was conflating the age of the house with the age of the appliances. I don't know how old the oven was (although it presented well on TV) but it's not the age of the house, that's for sure.

[jcbrown]

50 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

Yes, I especially got a kick out of when he was conflating the age of the house with the age of the appliances. I don't know how old the oven was (although it presented well on TV) but it's not the age of the house, that's for sure.

And it's not like he was going to own the appliances and be responsible for repairing/replacing them. He was a huge whiner.

[Neurochick]

On 6/12/2018 at 11:09 AM, sempervivum said:

I missed the beginning of this episode and didn't hear how the husband died. However, I'm going to be judgey anyway- your kids just went through the worst trauma they'll (hopefully) ever experience and your solution is to remove them from their school, family, friends and familiar surroundings? I could see a brief time out in a different place, but 'Mediterranean paradise' seems more like an adult fantasy of escape. 

Her children looked pretty young, so moving might not be an issue.

I couldn't get past the ugly wig or dye job, too much make up and caftans she wore.

[selkie]

I casually know Lausanne lady from another message board- generally very nice and does have a sense of humor about herself and the ex-pat life. In the real world, her husband picked out the apartment solo on a house-hunting trip from his employer while she was trying to pack up everything  back in the States. She's said that if they really had been offered all three apartments like you see in the show, they would have gone for #3. 

[Kohola3]

I often wonder, since they have already chosen their place, if they have buyers remorse after seeing some of the decoys.

[Irlandesa]

12 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I often wonder, since they have already chosen their place, if they have buyers remorse after seeing some of the decoys.

They might if the decoys are actually available.  But many of them aren't for whatever reason. 

[LittleIggy]

Cabo: I loved the 3rd house. It had a turret like a castle. 

[Blue997]

On ‎7‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 2:27 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

That reminded me...when the wife was explaining why she wanted to improve her Spanish, she was talking in regular American until she said her mother was from Guatemala, and "Guatemala" came out like Mr. Van Dreesen used to say "Nicaragua" on Beavis & Butt-Head. 

Hahaha.  I totally get you.  This seems super common for Americans with even vaguely Hispanic heritage.  There's a reporter on NPR who speaks perfect English but when she says her name it's super Spanish-sounding.  It's kind of like if someone says they're from Ireland but aggressively pronounces Ireland like an Irish person, or if someone says they're from China and goes "Hey man, how's it going?  Did you see the Pats game last night?  BTW I'm from ZHONG GUO"

 

Also, this couple is definitely going to be divorced in a few years.  They got married way too young and seem very different.

Edited July 17, 2018 by Blue997