House Hunters - General Discussion

[chessiegal]

I've pretty much stopped watching HH, but I still record it. The comments on the Virginia episode were enough for me to watch it. Yeah, the guy is a jerk. Why do they make people say stupid things? Guy wanted gas. I get that. So the first house has a gas stove, and looked to be fairly new, and he declares the gas stove has to go. Why? Makes no sense.

We replaced our laminate countertops this year. We looked at the options and settled on quartz, but if I bought a house with granite I sure wouldn't tear it out unless it was damaged.

[Crashcourse]

I missed the first few minutes of the Hampton Roads, VA episode, but was she actually married to that overbearing butthead?  Even if she is, she might want to reconsider living the rest of her life with him.   I feel sorry for those kids, too.

[Kenzie]

4 hours ago, edie3 said:

he seemed very finicky.

He certainly was.  

But the one thing that would have kept me from buying - an all sloping backyard with a tiny BBQ area down a long set of stairs - didn't bug him at all. 

[Grrarrggh]

That Hampton Roads hunter wouldn't know real design if it hit him on his bald head. He's obviously been brainwashed by HGTV.

[Dehumidifier]

2 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I missed the first few minutes of the Hampton Roads, VA episode, but was she actually married to that overbearing butthead?  Even if she is, she might want to reconsider living the rest of her life with him.   I feel sorry for those kids, too.

I just rewatched the beginning, He said they met two years ago and recently decided the logical thing to do was to take it to the next level and buy a bigger property together. So, not married it appears. 

[Crashcourse]

Just now, Dehumidifier said:

I just rewatched the beginning, He said they met two years ago and recently decided the logical thing to do was to take it to the next level and buy a bigger property together. So, not married it appears. 

Thank goodness.  Take your kids and run lady!  

[Dehumidifier]

Just now, Crashcourse said:

Thank goodness.  Take your kids and run lady!  

She needs to dump the friend/agent who unloaded him on her also.

[Crashcourse]

Just now, Dehumidifier said:

She needs to dump the friend/agent who unloaded him on her also.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the agent.    

[javajeanelaine]

When I first read some of the posts, I thought how bad can this husband/partner be? Pretty bad it appears. Dismisses his partners opinions and is in love with the sound of his own voice. 

[pdlinda]

47 minutes ago, javajeanelaine said:

When I first read some of the posts, I thought how bad can this husband/partner be? Pretty bad it appears. Dismisses his partners opinions and is in love with the sound of his own voice. 

I'd still like to know how both of them earn a living?  He made a special point of REPEATING that she's a "highly paid professional" so her frugality was altogether uncalled for (in HIS opinion). 

He said he just sold his house so he must have the means to assist her with the down payment/monthly payments on the new place.

However, I wonder who'll be footing the bill for all the upgrades/renovations/decorating he has in mind?

In a word, he is INSUFFERABLE!  

[buttersister]

OMG, tell me he's just consulting with her on the design of the house and his ego demanded he get some TV time around it. 

[laredhead]

I finally watched the Hampton Roads episode after reading all of the comments here.  OMG - that man is the most egotistical, overbearing person ever.  The woman seems to have a good sense about how to spend her money and save for the future, and he wants to spend more.  She needs to develop more of a spine and assert herself when it comes to that, as well as his demands that things need to be done his way.  I couldn't stand to be around him for more than an hour, and cannot imagine living in the same house with him 24/7.

There was nothing wrong with the kitchen with the granite counters and the gas range.  That range looked like a recent model.        

[Grrarrggh]

I think people are being a bit hard on the Hampton Roads guy. Now, if they had gotten the house he wanted sure, pile on. But since that didn't happen I'm going to call producer shenanigans unless more info is provided. 

[BrownBear2012]

On 11/24/2021 at 4:03 PM, chessiegal said:

I've pretty much stopped watching HH, but I still record it. The comments on the Virginia episode were enough for me to watch it. Yeah, the guy is a jerk. Why do they make people say stupid things? Guy wanted gas. I get that. So the first house has a gas stove, and looked to be fairly new, and he declares the gas stove has to go. Why? Makes no sense.

We replaced our laminate countertops this year. We looked at the options and settled on quartz, but if I bought a house with granite I sure wouldn't tear it out unless it was damaged.

I was thinking the same thing about the gas stove...he wanted the gas stove ripped out and then in the next house he said the electric one had to go and a gas stove put in....WTF? Quartz, granite...both are acceptable and nicer than laminate. He was a blow bag...she should head for the hills. This guy was only interested in her income. 

7 hours ago, laredhead said:

I finally watched the Hampton Roads episode after reading all of the comments here.  OMG - that man is the most egotistical, overbearing person ever.  The woman seems to have a good sense about how to spend her money and save for the future, and he wants to spend more.  She needs to develop more of a spine and assert herself when it comes to that, as well as his demands that things need to be done his way.  I couldn't stand to be around him for more than an hour, and cannot imagine living in the same house with him 24/7.

There was nothing wrong with the kitchen with the granite counters and the gas range.  That range looked like a recent model.        

I could probably tolerate this guy if he looked like Brad Pitt or Bradley Cooper....but he looked more like Homer Simpson.

Edited November 25, 2021 by BrownBear2012

[LittleIggy]

On 11/25/2021 at 4:06 PM, BrownBear2012 said:

I was thinking the same thing about the gas stove...he wanted the gas stove ripped out and then in the next house he said the electric one had to go and a gas stove put in....WTF? Quartz, granite...both are acceptable and nicer than laminate. He was a blow bag...she should head for the hills. This guy was only interested in her income. 

I could probably tolerate this guy if he looked like Brad Pitt or Bradley Cooper....but he looked more like Homer Simpson.

I couldn’t tolerate him even if he looked like Lee Byung-Hun.

[ECM1231]

On 11/23/2021 at 11:01 PM, edie3 said:

He was so irritating! Floors done on site or not, who cares as long as they look good. And there was nothing really wrong with the kitchen counters. Were they laminate?

No, they were granite which apparently is so yesterday according to him. He wanted quartz. I get that granite is porous and most people seal it, but most quartz countertops nowadays contain some polymer resins. I don't know why they cost more.

Were they married? He said their next step was to buy a house together so I assumed they were just boyfriend and girlfriend. I agree with the assessment that he was dismissive and condescending. Good for Laura for living below her means and thinking towards the future.

[CrazyInAlabama]

They weren't married, they were moving in together with a house I bet she financed, and with her three kids.   His son will only be visiting from out of state, if that's how the visitation is set up.   

I bet the kids were acting exactly the way the producers encouraged them to. 

Edited December 1, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[cameron]

I'm probably the only one who while not liking the male partner in the Hampton Roads episode, wasn't taken with the female buyer either.  Over the top happy with house #3 because it reminded her of the house she grew up in.  Personally that would not matter to me at all.  And while she wanted to have a play space, she was willing to turn the dining room into a bedroom.  I would make the kids share a room and lose the play room.  Bet she didn't grow up with a separate play area for her.  Also thought that her kids behavior was out of control.  That would never go down in my home.

[pdlinda]

5 hours ago, cameron said:

I'm probably the only one who while not liking the male partner in the Hampton Roads episode, wasn't taken with the female buyer either.  Over the top happy with house #3 because it reminded her of the house she grew up in.  Personally that would not matter to me at all.  And while she wanted to have a play space, she was willing to turn the dining room into a bedroom.  I would make the kids share a room and lose the play room.  Bet she didn't grow up with a separate play area for her.  Also thought that her kids behavior was out of control.  That would never go down in my home.

Agree with you that this impending marriage was NOT made in heaven.  Wonder where the bio father is and what role (if any) he factors into this equation.

Edited November 29, 2021 by pdlinda

[Pine]

We all have to remember that a lot of these are producer run.  I recently viewed a Maui HH, and saw that the older home was close to our hotel we were going to stay at.  I remembered the cross streets, and it was a church parking lot when we drove by on our way to another beach.  When I got home, I re watched the episode, it was a widow who was moving back to Maui, some of the scenes were shot in front of the hotel we were at.   So I looked at the houses surrounding the house that was bought, and through google map, found the house.  About 2 miles from the cross street it was supposed to be on.  Evidently the buyer never lived in the house, so it looks just the same, she painted the walls and put it up for rent.  Not short term.  So all the shenanigans have to be taken with a block of salt.   

[amarante]

9 hours ago, cameron said:

I'm probably the only one who while not liking the male partner in the Hampton Roads episode, wasn't taken with the female buyer either.  Over the top happy with house #3 because it reminded her of the house she grew up in.  Personally that would not matter to me at all.  

While I can understand why people might feel more comfortable in the type of NEIGHBORHOOD they grew up in, I really don't understand why the need to replicate the style of their home. 

My home was completely nondescript and I am glad to live in a home that wasn't essentially builder grade 1920 - e.g. lacked any kind of architectural charm. So you grew up in a nondescript suburban ranch or a fake "Colonial" style home - who cares.

I also don't understand why people care so much about what the exterior of the house looks like. None of the so-called Craftsmen have any true Craftsmen features in their interior anyway. 

If someone wants a home that is genuinely of a certain era that is different of course. I love Spanish Colonial but that is because I also love the original interior design features and authentic Craftsmen homes with the original wood features are fantastic. Conversely nothing could persuade me to live in a so-called Cape Cod homes because I hate the upstairs with their sloped ceilings with a passion. 

Of course on HH those who claim to want vintage charm are always shocked by the size of the closets and the lack of an ensuite or a tiny ensuite. :-)

[Grrarrggh]

15 hours ago, cameron said:

Also thought that her kids behavior was out of control.  That would never go down in my home.

Yikes, that was your idea of out of control? Are you the ghost of Joan Crawford? Hide the wire hangers!!!! 😱

[cameron]

6 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

Yikes, that was your idea of out of control? Are you the ghost of Joan Crawford? Hide the wire hangers!!!! 😱

When I see them chasing each other with pillows and climbing over furniture is my version of out of control.  And for the record I never raised my hand to my son ever.  Go raise your own children.

[Dehumidifier]

Big difference between one boy and three, close in age to boot.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tonight's new one in Ft. Worth is a man who grew up there, and the wife grew up in Colorado.       The wife tells him that she wants a house for the family (they're having a little girl)," to create their own memories, not to recreate his childhood" by getting the same home he grew up in.   

Their budget is for their forever home, $750k-$950k.    A nice healthy budget for the area.   He wants 4,000 sq. ft.  and lots of Texas style. They're both accountants. 

 #1-is close to his parents, 4 bed 3.5 bath, and not near the top of the budget, which would be good if there's a bidding war.  I have to laugh at the wife saying the kitchen is OK, but not huge.   To me the kitchen is massive.  One house is very near to his parents' house, a 10 minute walk.   The house hunters are calling the house small because it's only 3400 sq. ft.  I didn't like the house at all.  

#2-Colleyville.   Giant pool, house is $850k, 4 bed 3.5 bath, kitchen is nicer than #1.    Husband still says house is small.  

#3-5 bed 5 bath (not a typo, it's really 5/5)  $930k, almost 4300 sq. ft. with a pool, and spa.  20 minutes from his parents.    I love the brown cabinets in the kitchen.   

I'm shocked they bought the third house, I really thought they were buying the second house, with some furniture in it.    

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

He wants 4,000 sq. ft. 

I can't with such people; unless you're running a group home, that's ridiculous.  I know at a certain budget, people are just going to go disproportionately big regardless of circumstances, but this sounds like a typical upper middle class couple (two professional incomes, a budget under a million) looking for a house for them and their future family - she's pregnant with one, maybe they'll have another?  So, ultimately, four people, two of them kids, in 4300 square feet, including five bedrooms and five bathrooms?  Hey, you do you, but come on with "this is what we need" about an oversized home.

[buttersister]

The guy was happy he got something close to his childhood home, which is weird to me. How about your spouse’s house? I think I saw Texas star door handles on the kitchen cupboards, so 🤮

[Kiddvideo]

Jenny and Bill (?) in Texas. How many different ways and how many different times could she say she didn’t like her in laws? I completely agree that a little space from immediate friends and family is good, but she kept hammering on it. She didn’t want any version of his childhood from the type of the house to the pool or location.

Also, defensive much? He remarks they met when a pretty woman sat next to him at university, and she’s like, “and smart.” Yeah, he for sure knew you were smart when you sat down, and he noticed your IQ.

Houses were all contemporary boxes with the upscaled fixtures you’d expect in that price range. I think they’re going to end up moving because they’re going to realize how important it is to have some outdoor play area for the kids. If he wants that big of a house with a pool they’re going to have to invest in a larger property.

[Cetacean]

7 hours ago, Bastet said:

Hey, you do you, but come on with "this is what we need" about an oversized home.

It has nothing to do with "need".  It's all "want".  Nobody needs 4,000 square feet for a small family.  Ostentatious much?

[Gam2]

I don’t understand the angst about this man from Ft. Worth. He wants what he wants, they can afford that large house and she ended up agreeing that this house suits them fine. She didn’t have to agree to buy that house. I don’t want a 4,000 sq ft house but it’s none of my business if that young couple does.

[ECM1231]

2 hours ago, Gam2 said:

I don’t understand the angst about this man from Ft. Worth. He wants what he wants, they can afford that large house and she ended up agreeing that this house suits them fine. She didn’t have to agree to buy that house. I don’t want a 4,000 sq ft house but it’s none of my business if that young couple does.

Point taken. I guess for me, what really irks with  buyers like these, is their harping that even 3,400 square feet is SMALL!!! In what universe is 3400 sq ft small? My 1st home was around 1350 sq ft. 3 bedroom, living room, dining room, small kitchen. 2nd floor bath. We finished the basement and put in a full bath down there. We moved to a 4 bedroom, 2 bath home with a dream kitchen. It was ugly but huge! House was around 1600 sq ft. Each of our sons had their own rooms and we had a small extra bedroom. About 10 years after living here we did a very large renovation. Added a stone front porch and an attached 1 car garage to store our antique car. The upstairs back of the house got pushed out and we added an en suite bathroom, which I had always wanted. Even with that we didn't go crazy. Full tiled shower with a bench and a single vanity, about 36 inches. We also lifted the roof to put in a walk up attic. I'd say we added around another 650 sq ft of living space, without counting the garage or the attic.  So that puts us at maybe 2400 sq feet, tops! And this house feels huge to me now, especially since we are empty nesters. I hate having to clean 3 full baths. I just can't imagine living and CLEANING a home of even 3000 sq ft, let alone 4000+. Jmvho

[pdlinda]

3 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

I hate having to clean 3 full baths. I just can't imagine living and CLEANING a home of even 3000 sq ft, let alone 4000+. Jmvho

I don't believe EITHER of them will deign themselves to clean the home.  They will no doubt have a cleaning service come in 1X/week with specialty cleaning services coming in when needed to address the "extras" like specialty cleaning lighting/floors/cabinets/countertops  and other things that need upkeep and maintenance.  This is all very costly. 

Of course, there's also the pool service and landscaper to consider in the budget.  I would add child care as both are professionals who (according to the husband) want a # of children.)

It will also certainly be very expensive to heat/cool a house of that size, including heating the pool.

They're both accountants so I'm sure they have steady, reliable and continuing income that, hopefully will continue growing to support the very large expenses the family will have to absorb each and every month.

Then, there is the matter of furnishing such a large home, although I admit that expense can be managed through time.  

 

Edited December 1, 2021 by pdlinda

[BrownBear2012]

15 hours ago, buttersister said:

The guy was happy he got something close to his childhood home, which is weird to me. How about your spouse’s house? I think I saw Texas star door handles on the kitchen cupboards, so 🤮

Despite voicing her concerns over a such a large home and not wanting a pool, she caved and went for the home/style/size he wanted. I'm tired of seeing husbands and wives yap about their  "Childhood home" and wanting to replicate it. Move on and look at homes that suit your current immediate family needs and quit trying to relive your childhood....boring.

[amarante]

Since both the Texas HH are accountants who have been in the workforce for quite awhile, presumably they know exactly how much they can afford and it is unlikely that their income will ever be endangered. 
 

I had no issues with the house they chose as it seemed suitable for their needs. Evidently they both worked from home and needed separate offices.

I think their *differences* were maximized for drama because the wife wanted a room for her gym equipment plus an office. I think they are reasonable in not getting a starter home at this stage. They will almost certainly have at least two children.

And obviously a two income professional couple is going to have cleaners, gardeners, pool maintenance as well as child care. If people actually work from home they need child care although it is logistically simpler if one is at home with the care taker. 
 

 

[cameron]

15 hours ago, BrownBear2012 said:

Despite voicing her concerns over a such a large home and not wanting a pool, she caved and went for the home/style/size he wanted. I'm tired of seeing husbands and wives yap about their  "Childhood home" and wanting to replicate it. Move on and look at homes that suit your current immediate family needs and quit trying to relive your childhood....boring.

What a Momma's boy.  Think that he is old enough to cut the apron strings.

[pdlinda]

4 hours ago, cameron said:

What a Momma's boy.  Think that he is old enough to cut the apron strings.

I think that's why the wife was borderline "cool" to the in-laws. 

Good luck to her in changing that dynamic as the years go by and children enter the equation.😊

[Crashcourse]

Rhode Island episode:  I couldn't even pay attention to the houses because all the voices were so annoying--the mom's, the daughter's and the realtor's.

[Cetacean]

I liked the RI episode.  Nice to see something that is not a cookie cutter McMansion and over the top demands.  I sure hope that they got that house on a solid foundation!

Edited December 2, 2021 by Cetacean

[pdlinda]

30 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

Rhode Island episode:  I couldn't even pay attention to the houses because all the voices were so annoying--the mom's, the daughter's and the realtor's.

Agreed!  Everything about the buyer seemed odd and unrelatable (to me).  The houses were all on the dilapidated side and I wonder if all the foundation's structural work will EVER repair the problem that apparently has existed for a while.

[amarante]

36 minutes ago, pdlinda said:

Agreed!  Everything about the buyer seemed odd and unrelatable (to me).  The houses were all on the dilapidated side and I wonder if all the foundation's structural work will EVER repair the problem that apparently has existed for a while.

All of the homes were pretty terrible but of all the horrible choices, the one with the foundation issues was probably the worst.

A person with limited financial means and no construction background should have run like hell from that kind of place. 

And what in the world was going on with the whole shtick about wanting the daughter to come home every weekend. It didn't seem like she was in college and therefore would normally come home for school breaks and summer and I don't know of adult kids with their own apartments who are come home often enough so that their "wants" are a factor. I mean it's nice to have a place for your kids to crash when they stay overnight but once I moved out, the pull out sofa or the couch in the living room was what I got and they certainly didn't think I was going to be a roommate.  

[cameron]

17 minutes ago, amarante said:

All of the homes were pretty terrible but of all the horrible choices, the one with the foundation issues was probably the worst.

A person with limited financial means and no construction background should have run like hell from that kind of place. 

And what in the world was going on with the whole shtick about wanting the daughter to come home every weekend. It didn't seem like she was in college and therefore would normally come home for school breaks and summer and I don't know of adult kids with their own apartments who are come home often enough so that their "wants" are a factor. I mean it's nice to have a place for your kids to crash when they stay overnight but once I moved out, the pull out sofa or the couch in the living room was what I got and they certainly didn't think I was going to be a roommate.  

Couldn't believe the realtor in this episode.  Talking her friend into buying a house with those kind of structural problems.

[txhorns79]

A friendly reminder: This forum is dedicated to discussing the television show, House Hunters.  This is not a forum for discussing personal stories.  I have removed those posts that violated Primetimer policies.  Please stay on topic.   

If you have questions about anything, please contact @txhorns79 or @WendyCR72.

[pdlinda]

28 minutes ago, amarante said:

All of the homes were pretty terrible but of all the horrible choices, the one with the foundation issues was probably the worst.

A person with limited financial means and no construction background should have run like hell from that kind of place. 

And what in the world was going on with the whole shtick about wanting the daughter to come home every weekend. It didn't seem like she was in college and therefore would normally come home for school breaks and summer and I don't know of adult kids with their own apartments who are come home often enough so that their "wants" are a factor. I mean it's nice to have a place for your kids to crash when they stay overnight but once I moved out, the pull out sofa or the couch in the living room was what I got and they certainly didn't think I was going to be a roommate.  

Agree with everything you said.

Re: the daughter.  Father of daughter was never mentioned (only that buyer was "divorced", however no info on whether ex-husband was father to daughter).

I lived in CT for 25 years and visited RI MANY times.  That was 30 yrs ago.  My recollection is that some of the areas home buyer was looking at were in the same condition as I saw when I last visited.  In other words, properties were in a state of disrepair.

[Cetacean]

1 hour ago, cameron said:

Couldn't believe the realtor in this episode.  Talking her friend into buying a house with those kind of structural problems.

Well, we know that the house hunters have already purchased the property so you can't really fault her for that.  It was a done deal before the filming so she couldn't push too hard against it.  And one wonders if she even was an agent.

[buttersister]

The RI episode was sad. Limited-funds middle-aged self-described hot mess divorcée living in an RV desires water view and area cool enough to entice her daughter to visit/stay with her. As opposed to being with Dad? Yikes. She got her water view and I hope her luck improves to the degree that she doesn’t have a homeowner nightmare on her hands.

Obviously she’d bought the house in advance of the show. Question being whether or not anyone pointed out the foundation problem at the time!

[chessiegal]

22 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

And one wonders if she even was an agent.

She is indeed. The on-screen chyron gave her full name and described her as a real estate broker, which she is.

 

 

[Grrarrggh]

I liked the RI lady. She seemed very nice, fun and really cares about her children. 

[Kiddvideo]

Surgical resident and Mechanical engineer/consultant in Tampa.

I liked her, but he was one of those who can’t admit anything is nice about a property if he doesn’t want it. And yeah, baby gates are annoying, but is that really reason enough to complain as much as he did.

They seemed to have a nice relationship, though, and there weren’t any snide comments about her Mom living with them.

[rhofmovalley]

47 minutes ago, Kiddvideo said:

Surgical resident and Mechanical engineer/consultant in Tampa.

I liked her, but he was one of those who can’t admit anything is nice about a property if he doesn’t want it. And yeah, baby gates are annoying, but is that really reason enough to complain as much as he did.

They seemed to have a nice relationship, though, and there weren’t any snide comments about her Mom living with them.

And even kids who know how to swim can drown. I would think a doctor of all people would know the importance of putting a safety fence around a pool. Hopefully they did.

I liked the rerun the other night of the mom with the teenage son in NJ. The son seemed like a really nice kid. I hope he got to fix up that basement.

Edited December 3, 2021 by rhofmovalley

[CrazyInAlabama]

I've heard that the pool fences usually are custom, and that's a long lead time.    Even stock fencing is probably a long lead time now.   

I bet there's an order and installation lag on baby gates too.   

The twin sisters in Michigan were interesting.     25 showings for the one house was amazing, even in the recent market.   Must be very low inventory in their price range. 

They want to change the 1928 house, but the kitchen backsplash tile matches the fireplace tile.  I don't like when they expect perfection.   If they both need space to get ready in the morning, get a vanity/make up desk for each bedroom, and they can do their hair and makeup in their room.  It's only a 1.5 bath too.  

They fooled me with buying the 1928 1.5 bath home.    

Edited December 3, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama