House Hunters - General Discussion

[AuntiePam]

5 hours ago, topanga said:

This could be great. I watch a similar show with comedians doing play-by-play commentary of couples going on blind dates, and it's hilarious. 

I'll be watching.  But now I'm trying to remember the name of another show that had several families/couples sitting on their couches and commenting on some reality TV.  But I don't remember if they were commenting on a HH-type show or a Real Housewives show or one of the dating shows.  It was really funny.  Anyone remember that one?  It's from at least 5-6 years ago.  Maybe it was blind dates. 

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

Redding, CA: What was with the husband’s metrosexual hair? 😆 OMG, that carpet in the house they bought was unbelievable.

The carpet!  That hair!  I was laughing. 

Seriously though, all that carpet was so disgusting that I'd be worried about the air quality in that house once the carpet was removed.  

[DonnaMae]

3 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Redding, CA: What was with the husband’s metrosexual hair? 😆 OMG, that carpet in the house they bought was unbelievable.

Very strange haircut that didn't look good with his very long neck.

Horrible carpeting that looked especially bad with the ugly couch.

[chessiegal]

Chicago wife - when she was complaining about the 3 story walk up, my husband said - just ride your broom bitch. And her dismissing his 2 boys that stay with them every other weekend, saying we have no family. I'm a stepmother, and that is NOT how you talk about your husband's kids. My stepdaughters are family and I love them.

[juliet73]

43 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Chicago wife - when she was complaining about the 3 story walk up, my husband said - just ride your broom bitch. And her dismissing his 2 boys that stay with them every other weekend, saying we have no family. I'm a stepmother, and that is NOT how you talk about your husband's kids. My stepdaughters are family and I love them.

Agree!  She was awful!  She was more concerned about the dog being comfortable than the 2 boys.  I did think it was funny that the boys gave the dog affection and the step mom got eye rolls.  I didn't care for the stairs being outside in the 3 story walk up.  

[awaken]

On 4/23/2020 at 10:29 PM, NYGirl said:

Chicago pretentious people carrying around Starbucks and snacks to each house and the reveal.

That first place..yikes...it reminded me of a bomb shelter.

Well as long as he got a place to hang all of his art he'll be ok.

LOL, I watch this show w my daughter and she said about house #1, “oh, it’s a pizza restaurant!” 😂

I thought it was strange how they smooshed all their art together on a few small walls!

On 4/24/2020 at 1:18 AM, KLovestoShop said:

She can’t be without her Starbucks and he’s eating messy snacks when touring houses?  If I owned the places they looked at, I’d be pissed that he’s eating during a tour.  
 

OK, I guess they have an art collection.  I can’t believe they bought the new construction.  To me, it looked more like a medical building rather than a home. 

Ha, yes, we thought #3 was like a lobby of a hospital!  

[LittleIggy]

5 hours ago, Ohwell said:

The carpet!  That hair!  I was laughing. 

Seriously though, all that carpet was so disgusting that I'd be worried about the air quality in that house once the carpet was removed.  

He should have been wearing a mask  when he was ripping out that carpet.

Chicago: I didn’t like either one of them. Adults do live in apartments/condos, asshole. And she was another who bragged about not cooking. 🙄 What architect thought outdoor stairs was a good idea in Chicago? It wasn’t as if the building was a tenement.

[buttersister]

Wondering if the builder who put the metal stairs to a third-story unit on the outside of that building knows the dummies from Windy City Rehab. Have fun in the winter!

Funny how the laughable stepmother—did you know she’s from LA?—was describing her “family” at the end. Yeah, those boys have her number, as they were taking the train back home to their mother. Wicker Park is a younger person’s area, so there’ll be places for them to like nearby, no prob. The couple? Well at least they won’t be eating across the street from here anymore!

[cameron]

5 hours ago, buttersister said:

Wondering if the builder who put the metal stairs to a third-story unit on the outside of that building knows the dummies from Windy City Rehab. Have fun in the winter!

Funny how the laughable stepmother—did you know she’s from LA?—was describing her “family” at the end. Yeah, those boys have her number, as they were taking the train back home to their mother. Wicker Park is a younger person’s area, so there’ll be places for them to like nearby, no prob. The couple? Well at least they won’t be eating across the street from here anymore!

The husband/father thought he was another Robert De Niro and her voice was like dragging fingernails across a chalkboard.  Plug and Play!!

[ByaNose]

Chicago. I kind of liked the husband. He seemed like a nice guy. Now, the wife was whole other story. She seemed more concerned about the dog than her step-sons. That said, I agree with her about those outdoor steps. No way! No how! No! No! No!

Edited May 1, 2020 by ByaNose

[NYGirl]

Both of them annoyed me but definitely the wife was the worst.  It felt like she was auditioning for a TV show.  I kept saying to myself ..where did they get this one?

Those steps are going to get old very soon...maybe by December.

[Ohwell]

When the Chicago woman was standing there with those cupcakes on the counter, the two stepsons acted like they couldn't wait to get out of that place.  It's just too bad they couldn't take the dog with them.

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

When the Chicago woman was standing there with those cupcakes on the counter, the two stepsons acted like they couldn't wait to get out of that place.  It's just too bad they couldn't take the dog with them.

and, they even mentioned that she doesn't cook/bake. I'm shocked she was divorced and had no kids and is obsessed with her dog. The boys hugged the dog goodbye and didn't even get near her. She seems like such a catch. <scarcasm>

[TVForever]

20 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

I'll be watching.  But now I'm trying to remember the name of another show that had several families/couples sitting on their couches and commenting on some reality TV.  But I don't remember if they were commenting on a HH-type show or a Real Housewives show or one of the dating shows.  It was really funny.  Anyone remember that one?  It's from at least 5-6 years ago.  Maybe it was blind dates. 

I think it was called The People’s Couch, and I think it came on Bravo. People having fun snarking on all the reality shows of the week, if I remember correctly.

[Empress1]

8 hours ago, ByaNose said:

Chicago. I kind of liked the husband. He seemed like a nice guy. Now, the wife was whole other story. She seemed more concerned about the dog than her step-sons. That said, I agree with her about those outdoor steps. No way! No how! No! No! No!

She said about the second house, "This house is great for a family, we just don't have a family." Ma'am, you have two stepsons. I know they weren't there 100% of the time, but still: your husband has two children. You absolutely have a family. If I were them or their mother, I'd have been pissed as hell when I saw this episode. They also left the boys out of the "pick me" letter. I laughed when one of the sons said "You can't cook" when she tried to play off those cupcakes (probably for TV).

My brother's place has outdoor stairs like the place they bought and he's used to it, but it also doesn't get as cold as Chicago. The roof deck on that place was amazing.

[Ohwell]

14 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

They also left the boys out of the "pick me" letter.

Wow, I missed that. 

What. a. bitch.  And the dad is a POS and should be ashamed of himself.  

[AuntiePam]

58 minutes ago, TVForever said:

I think it was called The People’s Couch, and I think it came on Bravo. People having fun snarking on all the reality shows of the week, if I remember correctly.

That's it, thank you.  There are videos on-line, so yay!  I got all excited seeing one advertised as the reaction to the finale of Empire, so I thought it was new.  But it was a season finale, not a series finale.  The show ended in 2016.  Darn it. 

The Soup came back for a brief run.  That's another good way to see the "best" of the reality shows. 

[chessiegal]

I don't care enough to go back and check, but she must have said at least 6 times they didn't have a family. The boys stay with them every other weekend. She really didn't want to acknowledge they existed.

[NYGirl]

I had to rewatch on demand now due to all these comments.  It's not like I have anything else to do...

At the beginning when introducing themselves he said he spent time looking for someone who would be good for the boys and then snorted like that aint gonna happen.  She also laughed.

At the first condo she was all worried about her 10year old dog!!!  10 years old... making sure there's a rug for him and that he can't jump out the window.  The realtor played into it even mentioning the dog's name several times.  I rolled my eyes.

At one point he replied to her saying they have no family with Yes we do have a family.

Wow they didn't even include the boys in the picture to the seller.

[buttersister]

Yeah, Dad, I know the boys will grow up and go out on their own. You know what else they’ll do? Remember what was said and done here, because it’s likely how you two act towards them in general.

Am glad Show is back to calling out the areas being hunted. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I didn't like the woman in that episode at all.   She has two step kids, not very old, and they spend weekends, and maybe longer some part of the year, but she didn't want a 4 bedroom place?    I'm wondering how welcomed the kids will feel at her place, because you know it's what she wants, and not what the husband wants.   (She might was to have room for both kids permanently, because you never know what will happen later). 

My guess is that once the kids realize how little they count to that woman, that they will find excuses to stay at their regular home.    I bet as soon as they're old enough to have more say in the visitation, that things will not go well for the father.   

You can tell when the film crew dislike a participant.   If they didn't dislike that woman, then the remark from the kid about her store bought cupcakes, and her trying to fake baking them wouldn't have been included. 

In the Redding, CA episode, the hair styles, and coloring on them were the worst.   The hair looked like I dyed, and cut it, and that's a really bad thing.     

 That house they bought was a disaster.    They should have hired a crew to rip out and haul away the carpets, because they were so nasty.     I bet the carpets were original, and full of pet stains, and dirt.   The carpets should have been ripped out, and the floors cleaned on the same day.  

They had a marathon of older episodes on one of the other HGTV affiliates today.   All of the couples had children, and I bet the kids were more mature than the parents.    Especially one woman who needed a "Power" office, with inspirational sayings on the wall was awful.    One woman had a bunch of kids (I think in Temecula, CA), and her Mom was moving in to, and the major items she wanted was a huge walk in closet for her mother, and a home that would impress the relatives.     

Edited May 5, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Grrarrggh]

I didn't think the Chicago lady with the step-sons was terrible at all. She thought about what they might like and seemed to have a nice, jokey relationship with them at the end over the cupcakes. I do wonder if the dad was trying to compete with what mom (and maybe step-dad) offer at their house. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 5/1/2020 at 12:34 PM, TVForever said:

I think it was called The People’s Couch, and I think it came on Bravo. People having fun snarking on all the reality shows of the week, if I remember correctly.

There's a show in England that has little kids watching TV and commenting.  There were some episodes on TV in the US a few years ago (can't remember what channel), and it was a scream.

 

On 5/1/2020 at 1:10 PM, Empress1 said:

My brother's place has outdoor stairs like the place they bought and he's used to it, but it also doesn't get as cold as Chicago.

I think Montreal gets as cold as Chicago, and it's known for outside stairs. 

https://web.archive.org/web/20190831095902/https://ville.montreal.qc.ca/anous/en/articles/why-are-montreal-staircases-outside

But theirs are a lot more charming than the ones we saw in Chicago.

[kirklandia]

Just watched the Seattle episode. It was spot on, as far as bidding wars and offer review dates (even now, under quarantine, real estate is pretty hot).  
I can't believe she's running an extension cord to the curb to charge her electric car!
I'm always curious about the locations of the houses, and enjoy doing a little research.  When I found the listing for the winning house, I wouldn't have recognized it – surprisingly, all the photos were taken pre-renovation.

Edited May 7, 2020 by kirklandia

[cameron]

2 hours ago, kirklandia said:

Just watched the Seattle episode. It was spot on, as far as bidding wars and offer review dates (even now, under quarantine, real estate is pretty hot).  
I can't believe she's running an extension cord to the curb to charge her electric car!
I'm always curious about the locations of the houses, and enjoy doing a little research.  I saw the listing for the winning house and I wouldn't have recognized it – surprisingly, all the photos were taken pre-renovation.

You're right about the house.  Found the original listing showing the before picture of the exterior.  What a difference.

[Empress1]

I totally teared up when the Norfolk daughter said she loved her room and wanted to have sleepovers.

[Ohwell]

I loved the bantering between the two Norfolk guys, and his daughter was adorable.  I was also shipping the buyer and the nice, attractive  real estate agent until I saw what appeared to be a wedding band on her finger.  Oh well.  😊

[LittleIggy]

Seattle: I didn’t get why that house didn’t have direct access from the house to the backyard. That was ridiculous.

[NJMom]

2 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Seattle: I didn’t get why that house didn’t have direct access from the house to the backyard. That was ridiculous.

When we bought out house it did not have a door to the back yard. My BIL put one in through the garage.

[msmarjoribanks]

Re Chicago episode:  I used to live in a 4th floor walkup and had no issue with it, so have no sympathy for those whining about stairs.

100% would have chosen the Ravenswood house (I'm in a similar slightly less expensive area and am so happy currently).

My second choice would have been the Wicker Park walk up, as WP is a great area and as noted before I used to be in a 4th fl walk up and I never thought it was a thing and was in better shape as a result.

[Empress1]

7 hours ago, msmarjoribanks said:

Re Chicago episode:  I used to live in a 4th floor walkup and had no issue with it, so have no sympathy for those whining about stairs.

100% would have chosen the Ravenswood house (I'm in a similar slightly less expensive area and am so happy currently).

My second choice would have been the Wicker Park walk up, as WP is a great area and as noted before I used to be in a 4th fl walk up and I never thought it was a thing and was in better shape as a result.

I lived in a 5th floor walk up in NYC and I loved that place. You get used to the stairs quickly; you have no choice!

[Grizzly]

The father in Norfolk wanting to give his 7 year old daughter her own bedroom was very touching. But am I the only one wondering which bathroom the girl and her sleepover friends would be using? The one in her dad's bedroom or the one in the unrelated, adult male's bedroom?

[DonnaMae]

Those walk-ups would be fine for a young person or a person without children.  Too difficult if you're elderly or someone with arthritis or someone with children and a stroller.

[laredhead]

Littleiggy, I agree about the Seattle house with no access to the backyard from the inside of the house.  I have a friend who is trying to sell her house which has the same set up.  It has been on the market for over a year, and one of the most mentioned problems is people want access to the back yard from the house.  Buyers don't want to have to spend money on doing that type of remodeling.  The other problem with the house is the kitchen which is functional, but needs updating. 

[cameron]

7 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I lived in a 5th floor walk up in NYC and I loved that place. You get used to the stairs quickly; you have no choice!

Think that people are questioning the stairs being on the outside of the building.  Plenty of snow and ice there.

[Empress1]

6 hours ago, cameron said:

Think that people are questioning the stairs being on the outside of the building.  Plenty of snow and ice there.

I know. I wouldn’t do five flights outside. My brother’s outside stairs are just one flight; he says it’s a compromise he was fine with because his place had so many pros. I was the same with my walk-up - the location was great, it was rent-stabilized, and it was bigger than I thought I’d be able to afford (proper one-bedroom with an eat-in kitchen). Really, the only con was the stairs.

My floor in my walk up was young singles, but there were families with young kids on the 3rd & 4th floor. 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Empress1

[LittleIggy]

10 hours ago, laredhead said:

Littleiggy, I agree about the Seattle house with no access to the backyard from the inside of the house.  I have a friend who is trying to sell her house which has the same set up.  It has been on the market for over a year, and one of the most mentioned problems is people want access to the back yard from the house.  Buyers don't want to have to spend money on doing that type of remodeling.  The other problem with the house is the kitchen which is functional, but needs updating. 

Your friend may need to just bite the bullet and put a door to the backyard in if she wants to sell the place. I can’t understand why an architect would design a house that way. 🤨

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Your friend may need to just bite the bullet and put a door to the backyard in if she wants to sell the place. I can’t understand why an architect would design a house that way. 🤨

Maybe the yard wasn't originally part of the property?

[laredhead]

Littelggy, the house has been remodeled over the years by former owners, and those changes did not provide back yard access.  When originally built, there was access directly from the kitchen.  One of my "hobbies" is to go to open houses on Sunday afternoons, and it never ceases to amaze me at what people do to houses to make them less desirable, and in many, many cases, these are houses that stay on the market for months w/o an offer.  You're right, I think I would spend the $$ on installing some French doors, and cut my losses.

 

[Grrarrggh]

The Norfolk Navy dad was sweet. I liked that he had his daughter's room all set up before he showed her the surprise. It is sad how little the members of the military are paid though. 

[LittleIggy]

Covington, KY: I really liked the condo except for the horrid kitchen (who stole the cabinet doors?!) and master bath and the high HOA fee. That view of Cincinnati was awesome.

[jcbrown]

Bloomington, IN, was in my hometown and they only showed generic boring places. I really wish they included maps like they do on the International show. My husband and I both grew up in Bloomington and we couldn't figure out where any of the places they looked at were.

[ByaNose]

The Canadian couple with the new build. It was a nice house but nothing special. Also, I hate cats & to see them on the cabinets grosses me out. It reminded me of another HH where a lady had a bunch of cats and they were on her kitchen counters. That may have been more gross in my opinion. 

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, ByaNose said:

The Canadian couple with the new build. It was a nice house but nothing special. Also, I hate cats & to see them on the cabinets grosses me out. It reminded me of another HH where a lady had a bunch of cats and they were on her kitchen counters. That may have been more gross in my opinion. 

Don’t come anywhere near my place. Cat lover here.

[topanga]

Boston: I know the arguments are fake, but the way that daughter talked to her dad was condescending and down-right disrespectful. I have a feeling she talks to him that way in real life.  She reminded me of a mean Busy Philipps. 

I did like the townhouse she chose, however. Is that the one that was listed as being built 1920 but was probably built sometime in the 19th century? 

[cameron]

25 minutes ago, topanga said:

Boston: I know the arguments are fake, but the way that daughter talked to her dad was condescending and down-right disrespectful. I have a feeling she talks to him that way in real life.  She reminded me of a mean Busy Philipps. 

I did like the townhouse she chose, however. Is that the one that was listed as being built 1920 but was probably built sometime in the 19th century? 

It was time for them to put that stupid marble away.  Old homes usually have some slope to their floors.  Its part of their charm.  I lived in three and each one was off level in some way.  Doesn't make it bad.  If you don't like it, don't purchase a historic property.

[topanga]

3 hours ago, cameron said:

It was time for them to put that stupid marble away.  Old homes usually have some slope to their floors.  Its part of their charm.  I lived in three and each one was off level in some way.  Doesn't make it bad.  If you don't like it, don't purchase a historic property.

This. And I know I sound like a broken record, but historic homes don't have open concept unless they've been renovated. And if you want a home that's been renovated on the inside, you don't get to complain about the house losing its historic charm. 

Edited May 15, 2020 by topanga
there's a difference between its and it's

[DonnaMae]

7 hours ago, topanga said:

I did like the townhouse she chose, however. Is that the one that was listed as being built 1920 but was probably built sometime in the 19th century? 

Townhouse?  That looked like a regular house to me.  Was it a duplex?  I much preferred the third house with the garage.  

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

Townhouse?  That looked like a regular house to me.  Was it a duplex?  I much preferred the third house with the garage.  

It was a duplex, IIRC. 

[DonnaMae]

I liked the Canadian couple in Indiana.  No sniping at each other, like we see in so many couples.  I liked the new house they chose with the wooded back yard.  I didn't see the beginning. They said he would be doing some traveling for his job.  What does he do and does she also have a job?