House Hunters International - General Discussion

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, sempervivum said:

but I doubt that she'll be able to locate ingredients for mac 'n' cheese or tuna casserole or whatever she used to make in Ypsilanti, MI.

Bangalore is a modern city where she can order pasta online and have it delivered to her doorstop if she so desired. 

[doodlebug]

3 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Not just that- it had only a microwave for cooking. There wasn't even a hotplate in that one. I think it did have a tiny fridge and sink, but that was it. The apartment itself wasn't bad otherwise, but who would rent a place with such a kitchen?

OTOH, I'm tired of the wife acting like her entire life will revolve around making meals. I wonder what it is she thinks she's going to be cooking in Bangalore? Unless she's already a pretty experienced and adventurous cook, has she considered what kind of groceries will be available? Since India had a long history with the UK, I assume there are some expat stores that sell crumpets or something, but I doubt that she'll be able to locate ingredients for mac 'n' cheese or tuna casserole or whatever she used to make in Ypsilanti, MI.  She did look rather unconventional, but her reactions to kitchens were so June Cleaver.

I really liked them as a couple, they seemed like they'd be fun to know.  As for the kitchen, I didn't think she was asking for much, mainly a stove top and a decent refrigerator.  For all we know, way back in Ypsilanti, she was already cooking Indian foods and perhaps she was looking as this relocation as a chance to hone their skills.  After all, it was an Indian friend from back in Michigan who convinced them to come to Bangalore to help start the brewery.  Ypsilanti is pretty close to Detroit, which I believe has the largest population of immigrants from India in the US.  They may be very familiar with Indian food.

[Mittengirl]

Ypsilanti is also home to Eastern Michigan University and about 15 minutes from Ann Arbor/University of Michigan, so they would have had plenty of opportunity to meet people from all over the world.  

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Ypsilanti is pretty close to Detroit, which I believe has the largest population of immigrants from India in the US.

Arabic, not Indian.

[Ohwell]

43 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Arabic, not Indian.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Ambrosefolly]

Michigan doesn't have the largest community of Indians in the United States, but it is fairly large (I should know being one of them). We have a joke that Wayne State University (located in Detroit) is "Indian U". Dearborn is the city with the largest amount of Arabic people. 

[doodlebug]

You're right. I misstated.  People from the nation of India are the largest single immigrant group in Detroit.  I presume that, when immigrants from the Middle East are counted, it is broken down by individual country.  So, the Middle East may be the largest region to contribute immigrants but India has more people from that specific nation.  So the earlier poster who thought the wife might not be familiar with Indian dishes or expects that she will only make typical American dishes, wasn't apparently taking into account that the couple themselves told us they had friends back in Michigan who were from India and that the area where they live has a fairly large and vibrant population of Indian immigrants.  People not from the Midwest sometimes seem to think that those of us who live here are provincial and sheltered and have had no exposure to other cultures.  That is simply not the case.  I suspect the wife wanted a decent kitchen because she likes to cook and I seriously doubt that she doesn't have any knowledge or interest in typical Indian dishes or doesn't realize certain American foods might be harder to find in the shops.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20140601/NEWS/306019990/india-leads-all-nations-in-sending-people-to-detroit

Edited June 22, 2018 by doodlebug

[LittleIggy]

15 hours ago, Pickles said:

I liked the Bangalor couple. Nice to see a couple who gets along so well and enjoys each other's company. They definitely chose the right apartment. It was really nice!

I noticed that the agent said all the bedrooms were air conditioned. I’m sure they appreciate that!

[Irlandesa]

Sitges again?  I can't recall them doing the same town so close together, especially not a major town.

[mojito]

Quote

You're right. I misstated.  People from the nation of India are the largest single immigrant group in Detroit.

Maybe the largest single immigrant group in cities in other countries as well. A friend of mine joked that if he and everyone else from India were to return home, they wouldn't fit. 

Houston is cited as being the most diversified city in the nation. Dallas appears very high up on other lists. Who'd've thunk? 

[jcbrown]

I thought the woman in Sitges was a bit of a beeyotch, or at least she was edited that way. She was dismissive of everything he wanted and stuck him with an apartment with a much worse kitchen than the one they could have had for only $50 more a month. If your budget is that tight, maybe stay in Florida. She talked to him almost as though he was a child much of the time. Odd relationship.

[irisheyes]

4 hours ago, jcbrown said:

I thought the woman in Sitges was a bit of a beeyotch, or at least she was edited that way. She was dismissive of everything he wanted and stuck him with an apartment with a much worse kitchen than the one they could have had for only $50 more a month. If your budget is that tight, maybe stay in Florida. She talked to him almost as though he was a child much of the time. Odd relationship.

The whole story didn’t make a lot of sense. They go on one vacation and decide to move all the way to Spain?  That seems a little . . .abrupt. 

[Tony]

Sitges woman was horrid. She has to be in the top 10 worst house hunter for me. Usually when the hunters criticize something about a property they do it in a nonchalant way. This woman just does it in the bitchiest tone possible. 

The husband was pretty annoying with his beach obsession, but her constant comments about him bumming around while she's bringing in the paycheque got old fast.

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, irisheyes said:

The whole story didn’t make a lot of sense. They go on one vacation and decide to move all the way to Spain?  That seems a little . . .abrupt. 

I can’t believe that she is so freaking invaluable to the place she works at that they would let her work from Spain. BTW, isn’t Stiges where the redhead widow with the two young boys moved?

For $50 more a month she should have let her husband have the decent kitchen since that was his profession.

[LittleIggy]

SF to PV: If I was able to live in a tropical climate (can’t tolerate heat), I would live in that first place with the open courtyard and pool in the middle and the rooms opening onto it. I love that layout.

So what was wrong with that lovely kitchen in the place they picked? Another couple harping on needing at least three bedrooms for all the people who will be rushing down to visit them. Does PV have a big older gay scene?

[MsTree]

Just watched 4 episodes in a row, so pardon if I get this wrong, but was it India where they had sinks randomly placed in odd places?  In one scene there was what we'd consider a bathroom sink in the kitchen...within inches of the actual kitchen sink. It made zero sense to me.

In another scene they showed another typical bathroom sink all by itself on a wall in a bedroom...nowhere near a bathroom. Is there some type of ritual with sinks in India that I'm not aware of?

[biakbiak]

5 hours ago, MsTree said:

it India where they had sinks randomly placed in odd places?  In one scene there was what we'd consider a bathroom sink in the kitchen...within inches of the actual kitchen sink. It made zero sense to me.

Much like the famous phrase “It’s Chinatown.” It’s India the apartment choices were actually relatively normal. 

[chocolatine]

Neither of the Sitges spouses seemed to have any sense of adventure. The wife said she was used to living in a small town in Florida, so she wanted to live in a small town again. They didn't even mention wanting to explore other parts of Spain/Europe (Barcelona is only one hour away), learn the language, not even the requisite "slower pace of life". The husband wanted to be by the beach - it's not like Florida doesn't have them. Why move halfway around the world for one?

Edited June 24, 2018 by chocolatine

[MsTree]

17 hours ago, biakbiak said:

It’s India the apartment choices were actually relatively normal

Ok, but do you know the reasoning behind their "normal"?? IOW, if it were a Jewish home, they possibly might need a separate sink to keep Kosher.

[doodlebug]

7 hours ago, MsTree said:

Ok, but do you know the reasoning behind their "normal"?? IOW, if it were a Jewish home, they possibly might need a separate sink to keep Kosher.

In many countries. indoor plumbing came before indoor toilets.  I don't know if that is the case in India, but, in much of Europe, you can find apartments with sinks in the bedrooms or other odd places which date back to the days when everyone in the building used an outhouse in the courtyard and then went back to their apartment and washed their hands. The sinks were also used for washing up.  It was only later that things like toilets and bathtubs were added to individual homes.

Edited June 24, 2018 by doodlebug

[SmithW6079]

Why did the producers make concerns about the rent a plot point in the Bangalore episode? These people are well off. At least the backstory was true in this case.

 

Arbor Brewing Company Acquired by Farm + Ferment

https://www.brewbound.com/news/arbor-brewing-company-acquired-farm-ferment

Arbor Brewing Company to Open Second Location in India

https://www.beeradvocate.com/articles/16788/arbor-brewing-company-to-open-second-location-in-india/

Edited June 24, 2018 by SmithW6079

[LittleIggy]

Wow, they could have bought a place in Bangalore.

[LittleIggy]

Saipan: Good for her for picking what she could afford at the time. Hope the father is contributing financially. That real estate agent’s car was Mary Kay pink! ?

[KLovestoShop]

I didn't like the friend of the Saipan woman. The only thing she she was concerned about was that the apartment was close to the beach.  The mom showed maturity in choosing what would be best for her and the baby.  But I really do hope the father is helping financially 

[LittleIggy]

The friend was like “It’s so small” but mom wisely pointed out the baby was still small. Plus there was a yard. And ?!

[Scout Finch]

My first thought upon seeing the Saipan real estate agent's car is to wonder if he also lives in Barbie's Dream House.

Edited June 26, 2018 by Scout Finch

[Kohola3]

Interesting story line; if they don't have a relationship why go halfway around the world to be near the father?  That seems incredibly generous.  I think there has to be more to the story.

The friend was no help whatsoever.  Clearly the expense of furnishing the empty place would be way too much. 

I would imagine the studio is only a temporary solution while the child is small;  that wouldn't work too well when she gets older.  Although how well paid are lifeguards anyway?  That's a teen's summer job in the States.

At the first two places the mom complained about the roosters but at the studio apartment she suddenly loved them.

[Vivigirl10]

3 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Interesting story line; if they don't have a relationship why go halfway around the world to be near the father?  That seems incredibly generous.  I think there has to be more to the story.

I couldn't put my finger on it either but there was something odd with the story.  I know she didn't like her small hometown and had the itch to travel, but it seemed she would have had a more stable life staying put for a while.  Her parents had obviously helped her out when the baby was born.  Can you live off of what you make being a hotel lifeguard? 

Maybe she was hoping to restart the relationship with the baby's Father? 

[puppytoes]

59 minutes ago, Kiki620 said:

I couldn't put my finger on it either but there was something odd with the story.  I know she didn't like her small hometown and had the itch to travel, but it seemed she would have had a more stable life staying put for a while.  Her parents had obviously helped her out when the baby was born.  Can you live off of what you make being a hotel lifeguard? 

Maybe she was hoping to restart the relationship with the baby's Father? 

Saipan girl makes some dumb choices by getting knocked up by someone half way around the world.  I feel bad for her parents that they don’t get to see the grandchild.

[mojito]

Quote

That real estate agent’s car was Mary Kay pink! 

That pink was too bright for Mary Kay! I liked that he had shorts to (almost) match.

Highly unusual story, the Kansas to Saipan episode.

You go somewhere and get knocked up in three months. Then you return home, but a less than two years later, decide that the daughter should be around the other half of her family far, far away. Makes me wonder if she had a pretty poor relationship with her own family. Kudos to her for deciding to be a mother and picking the best place for her budget and other desires. I wonder if her accelerated maturity has created distance between her and her friend?

I'm really curious as to what this woman wants to happen next in life.  

[Mountainair]

Yea, I don't usually watch HHI since the buyers tend to irritate me to no end but there was nothing else on last night so I tuned in to the Kansas to Saipan episode. This girl's backstory drove me nuts for some reason and I spent the first 10 minutes trying to figure out what the real story was- initially I thought the realtor was the boyfriend and the friend was the realtor. I ended up changing the channel. Home girl seemed like an idiot for leaving her support system in Kansas. Baby daddy needed to move his ass to her not the other way around. If the relationship works out then you consider moving to Saipan.

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, Mountainair said:

If the relationship works out then you consider moving to Saipan.

Didn't she say something toward the end about them NOT being in a relationship?  Or did I dream that.  I was pretty sleepy by then.

[Irlandesa]

5 hours ago, Mountainair said:

 Home girl seemed like an idiot for leaving her support system in Kansas. Baby daddy needed to move his ass to her not the other way around. If the relationship works out then you consider moving to Saipan.

Well we don't know if her family back home actually is a support system.  And it's probably easier for her to move to Saipan, especially since she already lived there, than it would be for him to move to the US.  It's possible his family is actually better support.

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Didn't she say something toward the end about them NOT being in a relationship?  Or did I dream that.  I was pretty sleepy by then.

She did say that. It seems like they had a fling, she got pregnant, decided to keep it and they're friendly co-parenting.

[LittleIggy]

The real estate agent in Japan was a cutie! The morale of that episode was do your research before moving to a new country. I hope they got good stuff for $15,000. I’ll cheer for the Women’s Field Hockey team from Japan at the next Olympics.

[chocolatine]

I liked Saipan HH. I try not to judge anyone on the choices that led to them becoming a parent, only on the choices they make once they are a parent, and she seems to have her priorities straight in terms of friendly coparenting and having adequate but affordable housing in a location that's conducive to employment opportunities. The little girl is absolutely darling, I loved how she spontaneously planted a kiss on mom in the middle of an interview.

[doodlebug]

16 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

The real estate agent in Japan was a cutie! The morale of that episode was do your research before moving to a new country. I hope they got good stuff for $15,000. I’ll cheer for the Women’s Field Hockey team from Japan at the next Olympics.

He was a cutie, although I noticed in the long shots, he was wearing Crocs with his suit.  I guess he thought it wouldn't be seen, takes the cuteness factor down a couple notches though. 

Wow!  Houses in Japan don't come with any appliances or even light fixtures!  That's a lot of stuff to purchase for a rental.  I guess people take it all with them from place to place?  Seems like a lot of trouble, especially if you move often.

I wasn't impressed with the stuff they got for their 15 grand, although their kids' rooms were adorable in the follow up.  Nice job decorating to make the place homey and inviting.  I don't blame her for wanting space for her parents or others to stay.  Sounds like his job is going to keep him away from home for much of the next two years and being alone in a foreign country with two preschoolers is going to be tough.  I thought the place they chose was the best option for them.  

Nice couple with cute kids and I, too, now feel like I need to keep up with women's field hockey in the next Olympics and cheer for Japan!

Edited June 28, 2018 by doodlebug

[LittleIggy]

Maybe the Crocs were for all the taking off of shoes he has to do showing homes.

[chocolatine]

11 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Wow!  Houses in Japan don't come with any appliances or even light fixtures!  That's a lot of stuff to purchase for a rental.  I guess people take it all with them from place to place?  Seems like a lot of trouble, especially if you move often.

I was surprised by that as well. The Japanese have a reputation for being inventive and business savvy, so wouldn't some of them have seen the opportunity in furnished rentals?

[crimsongrl]

A quick shot in the third house showed the real estate agent and the HH all in Crocs.

My question is who provided the Crocs and why not cheap booties instead? In Hawaii they just take off their shoes at the door.

[Pickles]

The couple moving to Switzerland for the husband's phd. I liked the husband, but the wife was a pain. It was HER dream to live in Switzerland, blah, blah. They finally chose the apartment the husband wanted--on budget, close to school. The wife pipes up that they went with HIS apartment, but SHE got to pick out the furniture. She seemed obnoxious and overbearing to me. I thought they were an odd couple.

[doodlebug]

6 hours ago, Pickles said:

The couple moving to Switzerland for the husband's phd. I liked the husband, but the wife was a pain. It was HER dream to live in Switzerland, blah, blah. They finally chose the apartment the husband wanted--on budget, close to school. The wife pipes up that they went with HIS apartment, but SHE got to pick out the furniture. She seemed obnoxious and overbearing to me. I thought they were an odd couple.

She was really unlikable.  Her constant harping on how it was HER dream ( which  HE found a way to achieve) and that she NEEDED 2 bedrooms.  Even he noted the second bedroom would serve as storage for her stuff.  I have a feeling she nagged and whined him into applying to grad school there.  

[biakbiak]

I wonder what attracted him to her it clearly wasn’t her sparkling personality. 

One weird thing is the map was super confusing based on how they then described the locations. The third place was shown to be the closest on the map but then said to be 40 minutes and the 2nd apartment was clearly shown as the farthest away from the University and even across the Aare river but said it was walking distance. 

They went with best option.

[Babalooie]

In the Switzerland episode the agent and the narcissist looked like they could have been mother and daughter, although I know they weren't.  It looks like she married up.

[Kohola3]

Damn, that woman was annoying with that whole second bedroom thing.  But sometimes I get confused as to how many times she actually said it because of the time-eating propensity of rehashing every single thing after each commercial break.  The repetitions are driving me bonkers.  Do they think we forget what the houses look like after a one minute break? Do we really need a recap?

[MarthaEllisanne]

Switzerland: At one point the wife said that if her husband Paul really wants this apartment, then he can begin his life in Switzerland as a bachelor.  Something to think about, Paul. 

[sempervivum]

5 hours ago, MarthaEllisanne said:

Switzerland: At one point the wife said that if her husband Paul really wants this apartment, then he can begin his life in Switzerland as a bachelor.  Something to think about, Paul. 

No kidding. I was baffled as to what he was seeing in her, although she did have nice shiny hair. I wanted to smack her when she said she didn't care about either the budget or the long commute (for him). I don't think she ever got a job, either, to help him out.

Bern looks like it's in a completely gorgeous setting, though, and I don't blame her for wanting to live there.

[aguabella]

On 6/24/2018 at 3:43 PM, SmithW6079 said:

Why did the producers make concerns about the rent a plot point in the Bangalore episode? These people are well off. At least the backstory was true in this case.

 

Arbor Brewing Company Acquired by Farm + Ferment

https://www.brewbound.com/news/arbor-brewing-company-acquired-farm-ferment

Arbor Brewing Company to Open Second Location in India

https://www.beeradvocate.com/articles/16788/arbor-brewing-company-to-open-second-location-in-india/

 

Thanks for posting the articles.  Without reviewing the couple's entire financial situation, we can't determine if they're well-off, or not.  It's possible that Farm Ferment simply took over their debts.

And, in general, rich people are cheap!  Just skimmed the article but if the couple's consulting for FF and were given a $1,400/mo home allowance, that's probably all they wanted to spend.

WRT HHI, they start with the end result and work backwards.  So, if it's a modest apartment and they hadn't used a budget plot point recently, it was next up.  Doesn't matter if the couple might have paid more.

Edited June 29, 2018 by aguabella

[chessiegal]

We recently got back from a trip to Europe and spent 2 nights in Bern. We really enjoyed it. I'm going to have to find this episode.

[aguabella]

On 6/24/2018 at 7:13 AM, doodlebug said:

In many countries. indoor plumbing came before indoor toilets.  I don't know if that is the case in India, but, in much of Europe, you can find apartments with sinks in the bedrooms or other odd places which date back to the days when everyone in the building used an outhouse in the courtyard and then went back to their apartment and washed their hands. The sinks were also used for washing up.  It was only later that things like toilets and bathtubs were added to individual homes.

 

I agree and have seen bedroom sinks frequently during my travels in the UK and Europe, among other places.  In the U.S., bedroom sinks were common in say, 1930's farmhouses and even seen in post-war homes.  Touring many homes around the U.S., I've noticed 60's homes with bedroom sinks.

I believe this was the normal progression of plumbing and the master bedroom ensuite.  Ever notice the washbasin or bowl plus pitcher in a C/W film?  As buyers demanded more plumbing, sinks started showing up in bedrooms / masters, followed by 1/2 bath masters and now, the full, luxurious en suite.

Personally, I believe the India episode was different.* More, below.  (Post getting long - sorry.) 

*ETA:  For one thing, the sinks I noticed were both closer to the kitchen.  Saw 1 adjacent to the kitchen counter and another (different decoy) in the lounge.

Edited June 29, 2018 by aguabella

[jcbrown]

33 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

We recently got back from a trip to Europe and spent 2 nights in Bern. We really enjoyed it. I'm going to have to find this episode.

I wanted to see this episode because I used to travel to Basel at least once a year for work. The scenery in this one was gorgeous, because, Switzerland. Just make sure to mute the sound whenever the wife starts whining.