House Hunters - General Discussion

[Kohola3]

6 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Hawaii: Another place where you can spend close to a million bucks to buy a dump needing major renovation.

I stayed in a rental near Lahaina that was for sale for over a million.  Cheap, shoddy construction.  Cheap fixtures.  It was awful.

[cameron]

On 7/11/2019 at 11:53 PM, CruiseDiva said:

Even the husband didn't want to look at that camper in the driveway. The wife had hair to die for and seemed nice, but her insistence on "projects" was annoying.

I actually that she was a way too old hippie with that hair.  She needs a major haircut.  Woodstock is long gone!!

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, cameron said:

I actually that she was a way too old hippie with that hair.  She needs a major haircut.  Woodstock is long gone!!

I agree, but she was from Alaska. Maybe part Inuit and perhaps the hair was part of her culture. Her hair would make beautiful wigs.

[laredhead]

The realtor in the Hawaiian episode was very pretty, but she acted like she was posing in every scene.  She was also very dismissive of some of his concerns about each house.  I thought he made some good comments about the defects in each house, and what it would take to fix them.  His comment about the wood floors being damaged in one house was wrong - those were laminate floors, not wood.  He seemed to be rationale about his checklist for a house, and realistic about what he could and could not afford. The only house I would have considered would have been #3.  I guess I would have a hard time buying a house in Hawaii unless I made a lot of $$ or won the lottery.     

[Mountainair]

36 minutes ago, laredhead said:

The realtor in the Hawaiian episode was very pretty, but she acted like she was posing in every scene.  She was also very dismissive of some of his concerns about each house.  I thought he made some good comments about the defects in each house, and what it would take to fix them.  His comment about the wood floors being damaged in one house was wrong - those were laminate floors, not wood.  He seemed to be rationale about his checklist for a house, and realistic about what he could and could not afford. The only house I would have considered would have been #3.  I guess I would have a hard time buying a house in Hawaii unless I made a lot of $$ or won the lottery.     

I got a chuckle out of the Hawaiian episode. I swear those three (house hunter, friend and realtor) were involved in some sort of romantic relationship. Or at the very least high school sweetheart was part of the reason for his recent divorce. 

I didn’t see the issue with the shared entrance at one of the houses. Stairs go up to your place and stairs go down to the renters place. I don’t know. He was weird and at the end he was for sure posing when he was leaning up against that coconut tree. 

[Ohwell]

31 minutes ago, Mountainair said:

I got a chuckle out of the Hawaiian episode. I swear those three (house hunter, friend and realtor) were involved in some sort of romantic relationship.

I don't know if it was a threesome, but at the end the "realtor" was posing on the boat like she was trying to entice the guy.  I did like her outfits though.  And he was acting like he knew both women were interested in him when he was posing.  I said to myself, "no wonder he's divorced" because he came off as a player.

I know housing is expensive in Hawaii but I didn't like any of the houses shown. 

[Pickles]

The Hawaii episode. I feel like the women are definitely vying for him. I didn't see a wedding ring on the realtor's hand. The "friend" was kind of silly/giggly. The guy was not appealing. Probably loving that both women were kind of goo goo over him.

[Pine]

On 7/9/2019 at 6:24 AM, laredhead said:

I did not realize that Boise was such a hot real estate market.  What's fueling it? 

I live in the Seattle area, and I am seeing a lot of people moving to Boise, and Idaho.  The houses are cheaper, lots of open space and it's a much more relaxed atmosphere.   I would consider Eastern Washington, Idaho and Montana if I could get Mr Pine to move.  Love those areas.

[twinks]

9 hours ago, Pickles said:

The Hawaii episode. I feel like the women are definitely vying for him. I didn't see a wedding ring on the realtor's hand. The "friend" was kind of silly/giggly. The guy was not appealing. Probably loving that both women were kind of goo goo over him.

Definitely. The "friend" was trying too hard. She was like a school girl. She made a few comments that made me think she was the girlfriend. I thought he was kind of boring.

[cameron]

On 7/11/2019 at 9:53 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

The rerun of the older couple moving to Nashville was interesting.    The wife had a big travel / camper trailer, that they called an RV.     The wife wanted a log cabin type house, and somewhere to park the RV/camper next to the house.     The realtor showed them three places, all with room for the trailer, but never mentioned that many places don't allow street or driveway parking of RVs, trailers, and similar items.    It wasn't a surprise that they bought the first place, and it was furthest from the neighbors, and I'm sure was outside the city limits.      

It could be that the house had a septic tank too, since it was well outside of town, so you can't park something like the camper on it.  

You could actually see some of their neighbors, who I bet were overjoyed to see a camper parked in the driveway.

[cameron]

On 7/13/2019 at 9:51 AM, CruiseDiva said:

I agree, but she was from Alaska. Maybe part Inuit and perhaps the hair was part of her culture. Her hair would make beautiful wigs.

Hair aside, she also acted like a drop out from Woodstock.  Maybe she thought she was being cool, not so.

[Empress1]

On 7/13/2019 at 8:01 AM, cameron said:

I actually that she was a way too old hippie with that hair.  She needs a major haircut.  Woodstock is long gone!!

At the very least, a trim; her ends were raggedy. But I'd have lopped off a solid foot (it would still have been mid-back-length at that point).

[Empress1]

On 7/13/2019 at 11:35 PM, twinks said:

Definitely. The "friend" was trying too hard. She was like a school girl. She made a few comments that made me think she was the girlfriend. I thought he was kind of boring.

I thought he was a real dud. Handsome, but just a boring dude. Maybe he's just wooden on camera. He also seemed mad about the house he bought - "it's a lot of money for what I'm getting."

Gorgeous scenery though. I need to get to the beach ASAP.

[Ohwell]

Hawaii dude looked ok, but I don't think he was as good-looking as he seemed to think he was.

[LittleIggy]

5 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Hawaii dude looked ok, but I don't think he was as good-looking as he seemed to think he was.

I didn’t find him attractive at all.

[LittleIggy]

Boston: Guess they can go rock climbing in their “backyard.” 🙄

[cameron]

Actually have to disagree with the young Boston lawyer about midwest housing prices.  After living in the Chicago area and the St. Louis suburbs, can attest to the high prices of realestate in desirable sections of these areas.

[Pickles]

12 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Boston: Guess they can go rock climbing in their “backyard.” 🙄

What was that backyard??!!

[AuntiePam]

And he said he looked forward to grilling on that narrow strip beside the house.  The house was a good choice for them but they will miss having a yard, if they have kids.  It looked like the rocks were there for a reason, and not just because it would have been difficult to move them.  If the property behind them is on a steep hill, wouldn't they worry about run-off when it rains? 

I've been liking the recent couples -- haven't deleted an episode in several days because of a shrewish wife or a know-it-all husband.

Re Seattle from a few pages back:  I wish they'd give more than just Seattle as a location so we knew where they were looking.  They had a lake view but Lake Washington is 20 miles long, so it could have been almost anywhere.

[cameron]

Regarding the Cooperstown NY couple, can't understand her fixation about needing to see the children from the kitchen when she's cooking.  If I were her, would be more concerned about the pool in the backyard.  But I did love that house.

[laredhead]

The Cooperstown, NY couple is certainly lucky to be living in what looks to be a beautiful area.  I knew the first and 3rd houses were not in the running when I saw they were furnished.  I liked the Victorian, but that first house with 121 acres, pool, guest/pool house was certainly beautiful.   The floors in that house were beautiful.  The husband was correct in that it would take a lot of full time work to keep it up, but what a temptation to try.  The Victorian  house they bought, is very pretty on the exterior, but all I could think about was how much it will cost to repaint it every few years, but given that they are both well paid professionals, they can obviously afford that expenditure.  Would be nice to see this one later on a WATN episode, if HGTV ever does those again.  There have been so many since the last airing of one of those, that they probably have enough houses to make 4 or 5 episodes of WATN.    

[irisheyes]

Cooperstown - With the first house, I would have bought it, kept about 10 acres and sold the rest off. The third house just seemed like a lot of wasted space. The Victorian needed a lot of work, but they still had over a half million in their budget, so they could afford to take it down to the studs and rebuild it. I suspect it’s a gorgeous house. Anyone going to the HOF induction and willing to spy?  😀

My mom is from just north of there, and it is gorgeous country. The winters, however, are brutal. I can see why they were worried about a four mile drive out of the village. You could be stranded for a week at home after a bad snowstorm.   

Edited July 17, 2019 by irisheyes

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, irisheyes said:

Cooperstown - With the first house, I would have bought it, kept about 10 acres and sold the rest off. The third house just seemed like a lot of wasted space. The Victorian needed a lot of work, but they still had over a half million in their budget, so they could afford to take it down to the studs and rebuild it. I suspect it’s a gorgeous house. Anyone going to the HOF induction and willing to spy?  😀

My mom is from just north of there, and it is gorgeous country. The winters, however, are brutal. I can see why they were worried about a four mile drive out of the village. You could be stranded for a week at home after a bad snowstorm.   

Cooperstown is a beautiful little town and well worth a visit, even if you're not a baseball fan.  It is definitely best visited in summer, though.  There are tons of gorgeous old Victorian homes that have been meticulously restored there.  A great place to just walk around and enjoy the scenery.

I knew they were going to pick the Victorian if only because they obviously had the dough to renovate it and because it was so close to their jobs.  The husband is a general surgeon, he is probably on call for emergencies at times.  Proximity to work is sleep in that case, as I can attest being an Obstetrician who chose to live a mere 8(!) minutes from the hospital where I took call for that very reason.

[athousandclowns]

On 7/9/2019 at 5:19 PM, ByaNose said:

I thought I would be seeing deals in Boise since they were moving from high rent district of California but the houses in Boise were dumps. I wouldn’t know a rich neighborhood from a poor neighborhood in Boise but I expected more for the money they spent. It also didn’t help that the presentation wasn’t tv ready with the gloomy weather either. The family seemed nice and it appears they have some ideas but overall the houses were soooooo underwhelming.

I’ve lived in California all my life and almost positive that you can’t own half a duplex , so if they own the whole property they could buy a spotless big place in cash so why would things be tight for awhile? 

[rhofmovalley]

25 minutes ago, athousandclowns said:

I’ve lived in California all my life and almost positive that you can’t own half a duplex , so if they own the whole property they could buy a spotless big place in cash so why would things be tight for awhile? 

You can own half a duplex. I do.

But yeah, those houses were crap. I did appreciate the wife trying to be positive about them. I wonder how the one they bought turned out.

[doodlebug]

8 minutes ago, rhofmovalley said:

You can own half a duplex. I do.

But yeah, those houses were crap. I did appreciate the wife trying to be positive about them. I wonder how the one they bought turned out.

My grandparents did, too, although not in California.  The street where they lived had multiple duplexes and many of them were owned by two different owners, one for each half.

[athousandclowns]

8 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

My grandparents did, too, although not in California.  The street where they lived had multiple duplexes and many of them were owned by two different owners, one for each half.

Yes I’ve seen it in other states but not California.  Those were slim pickings to choose from but seems he has the ability to make improvements. 

[Grrarrggh]

16 hours ago, cameron said:

Regarding the Cooperstown NY couple, can't understand her fixation about needing to see the children from the kitchen when she's cooking.  If I were her, would be more concerned about the pool in the backyard.  But I did love that house.

Yes, and yet at the same time she was talking about how a basement would be a great kid area. So which is? You want them where you can see them or in the basement?

[LittleIggy]

Cooperstown: I knew the third place wasn’t an option, but I loved that house. What a gorgeous view!

Grand Rapids: The wife’s vocal fry drove me nuts! Cute baby and doggy.

[laredhead]

The Grand Rapids wife's voice drove me crazy.  I loved the husband and realtor standing in the living room asking if she could hear them while she was in the kitchen, and she immediately answered no.  She was obsessed with having the husband and children in her line of sight and w/in hearing range 24/7 it seemed.  Perhaps the husband was trying to get relief from her voice.  Kids grow up, and in a couple of years, you're going to want them out of your line of sight all the time.  That was never a factor in the any of the 7 houses I have purchased over my lifetime.  I guess that makes me a bad mother according to today's parents.  

I liked the house they bought, and since it was in the location they wanted, it was the best choice.  Great that it had what looked like a nicely renovated kitchen, which is so often not the case in the older houses.  Was that the house where the wife declared that she wasn't going to set foot in the back yard because it didn't look good?  Looked fine to me, it's just grass and maybe some rough surface.  I thought the huge basement and funky bar in one of the houses would make a great playroom for both kids and adults, but if I remember correctly, the realtor said that 800 sf of the house's 2100 sf size was the basement, so that left only 1,300 sf upstairs which would have been small for everyday living. 

[cameron]

10 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

Yes, and yet at the same time she was talking about how a basement would be a great kid area. So which is? You want them where you can see them or in the basement?

Maybe she has x-ray vision.

[SpiritSong]

15 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

Yes, and yet at the same time she was talking about how a basement would be a great kid area. So which is? You want them where you can see them or in the basement?

I think at least 90% of the "I must be able to see the children at all times" is scripted producer driven BS, because I refuse to believe all parents are idiots. Obviously you take basic precautions like baby gates on stairs so a toddler doesn't fall down them, but there is no need to have children in your line of sight every second of the day if you've properly child proofed the home. 

And I hope those kids grow up into obnoxious teenagers who blast loud, irritating music at full volume in the living room when the parents are trying to work in the kitchen or take important phone calls. They should be happy to put up with that, because they can see them in their frigging "open concept" house.

[cameron]

6 minutes ago, SpiritSong said:

I think at least 90% of the "I must be able to see the children at all times" is scripted producer driven BS, because I refuse to believe all parents are idiots. Obviously you take basic precautions like baby gates on stairs so a toddler doesn't fall down them, but there is no need to have children in your line of sight every second of the day if you've properly child proofed the home. 

And I hope those kids grow up into obnoxious teenagers who blast loud, irritating music at full volume in the living room when the parents are trying to work in the kitchen or take important phone calls. They should be happy to put up with that, because they can see them in their frigging "open concept" house.

Noticed at the beginning of the show that the children didn't even look that young.  I always hate when people come up with that scenario. 

[topanga]

On 7/17/2019 at 7:04 AM, cameron said:

Regarding the Cooperstown NY couple, can't understand her fixation about needing to see the children from the kitchen when she's cooking.  If I were her, would be more concerned about the pool in the backyard.  But I did love that house.

That couple was likable but also a little odd. The husband’s speech pattern was interesting: he’d take long pauses in the middle of his sentences, and he rarely used contractions. He sounded like he had a speech impediment, or maybe he used to stutter. Or maybe he was nervous, although he didn’t seem especially nervous. 

ETA: Mason, OH. That wife was the worst. I know the arguments and such are supposed to be fake, but she was very shrill and condescending. How much can you fake that? And the husband looked like a scared deer all of the time. I think he really was afraid of his wife. 

They were together 8 years before he proposed. Did he really want to at that point, or did she bully him into it?

I did like the house they chose. 

Edited July 19, 2019 by topanga

[Pickles]

That Mason, Ohio wife was a shrew. Gosh, they had been married two months. She was like a tough bully. The husband was a personal trainer. I know that is a legit job, but I sometimes think ‘slacker’ when I hear that job. I don’t mean to offend anyone. And I am over these young guys and their video games. I sound like a curmudgeon. 🙂

[Pickles]

The episode on now with the young Arizona couple. Gosh, I don’t like this wife either. She is a real sourpuss. Doesn’t want a two story, because they have a four year old and he could fall down the stairs. What??? And she works in a hospital, so she has seen injuries. Well, I am surprised she ever lets her kid out of the house or into the car. 

[OllieSocks]

2 hours ago, topanga said:

ETA: Mason, OH. That wife was the worst. I know the arguments and such are supposed to be fake, but she was very shrill and condescending. How much can you fake that? And the husband looked like a scared deer all of the time. I think he really was afraid of his wife. 

They were together 8 years before he proposed. Did he really want to at that point, or did she bully him into it?

I did like the house they chose. 

I tried to power through to see if they’d mention my hometown which was roughly 20 minutes from where they were but I couldn’t make it. Does she not realize we’re supposed to have folksy, midwestern charm? 

[edie3]

19 minutes ago, OllieSocks said:

folksy, midwestern charm

she was everything but that!

[msmarjoribanks]

Grand Rapids: for once they picked the place that was my favorite. None of them fit the wants entirely (mainly for the wife), so I also thought one was the obvious choice for them, but often when I think that they disappoint me.

I also love 4-squares.  Didn't end up getting one, but it would have been a plus for me.

Mason, OH, the wife's obsession with being in Mason (likely producer driven) was annoying.  I checked and both the other places were quite close (I think she said Westchester was 0.5 miles, but Lebanon is pretty close too in an area where you are driving everywhere anyway).  I thought the one they picked was the best fit although figured there might be something to the location that I was unaware of.

The thing about the bathtub inserts mystified me; I'm not even sure what a bathtub insert is.

[Grrarrggh]

22 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Grand Rapids: The wife’s vocal fry drove me nuts! Cute baby and doggy.

Maybe I need to get a better sound system, because I didn't hear anything off with her voice. 

[Kenzie]

7 hours ago, Pickles said:

The episode on now with the young Arizona couple. Gosh, I don’t like this wife either. She is a real sourpuss. Doesn’t want a two story, because they have a four year old and he could fall down the stairs. What??? And she works in a hospital, so she has seen injuries. Well, I am surprised she ever lets her kid out of the house or into the car. 

Did not care for her at all. I didn't like that she called her husband her second child. He didn't seem immature or a bad parent. That iron will of hers can be very hard on a marriage.

[edie3]

It must be shrew week on House Hunters!

[laredhead]

The Mason wife made that entire episode unpleasant to watch.  Did y'all know she wanted to live in Mason?  She chastised that husband about everything, from how long it took for him to ask her to marry him, to parking in the driveway, the closet sharing, sink sharing, down to his eating "a carb".  Give it a rest woman!  I was exhausted by her selfish whining by the time the house reveal was announced.  I wonder if she thinks that is cute, or if she will realize how awful it sounds when she sees this episode broadcast nationwide? 

[Babalooie]

10 hours ago, msmarjoribanks said:

The thing about the bathtub inserts mystified me; I'm not even sure what a bathtub insert is.

If you have seen the Bath Fitters commercials, you've seen the inserts.      It's like putting a Band-Aid on the problems, so I've been told.

[SpiritSong]

14 hours ago, Pickles said:

The episode on now with the young Arizona couple. Gosh, I don’t like this wife either. She is a real sourpuss. Doesn’t want a two story, because they have a four year old and he could fall down the stairs. What??? And she works in a hospital, so she has seen injuries. Well, I am surprised she ever lets her kid out of the house or into the car. 

4 year olds are perfectly capable of climbing up and down stairs. It's not like they had a crawling baby, and even if they did that's why baby gates were invented. A better reason to avoid a two story home in Arizona is the climate. Heat rises, and many homes need two air conditioning units if there are two stories. But of course no one ever considers utility bills on HH.

[Ohwell]

Plus, those stairs were well carpeted, so even if the kid fell it would be a soft landing.

I hadn't thought about two stories in Arizona though, with the heat rising.

[chessiegal]

We’re in MD on the Chesapeake Bay and we have 2 AC units, 1 for each floor.

[topanga]

7 hours ago, Babalooie said:

If you have seen the Bath Fitters commercials, you've seen the inserts.      It's like putting a Band-Aid on the problems, so I've been told.

We have bath inserts in one of our bathrooms. It's the worst. It looks cheap, it mildews in the corners, and it eventually cracks and lets water seep behind it. Which means more mildew under the insert. We plan to pull it out and tile as soon as the budget allows. 

3 hours ago, SpiritSong said:

4 year olds are perfectly capable of climbing up and down stairs. It's not like they had a crawling baby, and even if they did that's why baby gates were invented. A better reason to avoid a two story home in Arizona is the climate. Heat rises, and many homes need two air conditioning units if there are two stories. But of course no one ever considers utility bills on HH.

Speaking of utilities, the doctor-lawyer couple that bought the Victorian --I forget which city--didn't talk about heating and cooling the house, even though the house they purchased had radiators. Are they going to install central AC/heat? And if so, will they remove the radiators or leave them for decorative purposes? 

[CruiseDiva]

18 hours ago, msmarjoribanks said:

Mason, OH, the wife's obsession with being in Mason (likely producer driven) was annoying. <snip>  I thought the one they picked was the best fit although figured there might be something to the location that I was unaware of.

The thing about the bathtub inserts mystified me; I'm not even sure what a bathtub insert is.

A bathtub insert is a fiberglass overlay that is fitted over an existing, usually damaged, tub. They can be quite chintzy and installers are often iffy.

What they were actually seeing in that home were fiberglass combo bathtub/shower surrounds. Depending on the quality, they can last for a long time. We have one in our hall bathroom that is almost 32 years old and still looks like new. Obsessive house hunter wife complained about them getting moldy. My husband showers in the hall bathroom every day and our surround has never had mold on it. We also had a fiberglass shower in our master bathroom (removed during a remodel) and it never had a mold problem either.

Just wait until Mrs. Picky Bitch tries to clean tile with grout over the long haul. That gets moldy. That said, they selected the best house.

[CruiseDiva]

19 hours ago, Pickles said:

The episode on now with the young Arizona couple. Gosh, I don’t like this wife either. She is a real sourpuss. Doesn’t want a two story, because they have a four year old and he could fall down the stairs. What??? And she works in a hospital, so she has seen injuries. Well, I am surprised she ever lets her kid out of the house or into the car. 

That woman was truly insufferable. Her husband looked humiliated every time she opened her mouth and spouted something insulting about him and their little boy.

Their four-year old looked quite capable of handling a flight of stairs.