House Hunters - General Discussion

[Dehumidifier]

8 minutes ago, Dehumidifier said:

There's no way a lender can get a credit history from Canada? How do people who move from one country to another buy a house then? It must happen sometimes, do they all have to wait years?

Equifax has a North American link. But other answers to my query said no. Makes no sense to me, if the parties are willing.

Robert W Linkonis Sr.

, Director at Credit Restoration Institute 501c3 (2018-present)

Answered Jan 21, 2021

Equifax is the only credit bureau that allows your U.S. or Canadian credit to cross borders. It is called the North American Link.

The MERit Credit Engine provides instant Equifax Canadian Credit Reports for integration into custom enterprise or web applications, or for use in custom scoring, all without without added transaction fees. It can also provide access to iDecision Power and Equifax Commercial Credit - Canada.

Direct Canada Access or North American Link

Most MERit Credit Engine customers in Canada will use its capability for direct system to system access to the Equifax Canadian consumer credit database.

The North American Link credit report option provides access (from either side of the border) to the U.S. and Canadian Equifax repositories. If, for example, a loan applicant has a credit history in both Canada and the U.S., the MERit Credit Engine can provide an Equifax Canadian credit report and U.S. credit report with a single inquiry.

When a consumer has a credit history in only one country, Equifax's North American link automatically returns the appropriate credit report. Canadian credit reports are pulled automatically whenever the current or former address specifies a Canadian province.

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Dehumidifier

[Dehumidifier]

I wouldn't want a cooktop in the middle of the room because I think I would somehow knock a hot burning boiling pot full of something onto the floor (or onto me.)

[Chicken Fingers]

I thought that the family's general smugness and the way the Canadian woman expressed herself came across as tone deaf, although who knows how they're edited or what they're prodded to say. It's fine to say you want to change things to your taste or improve the practical layout. When house hunters strut around these bloated modern houses, sneering that everything is a "gut job," it's always grating, but I think people are becoming even more sensitive to it now, when so many of us are struggling. 

The lack of stove exhaust fans always perplexes me. So many kitchens don't seem to be designed for actual cooking.

[amarante]

5 hours ago, Hedgehog2022 said:

Your points are well taken...however...to the average viewer, one who might be struggling to make ends meet or might be needing a single family home but the over the top prices of homes and the ensuing bidding wars that follow make it impossible for them to purchase a home at this time, the wife's "need" to gut a kitchen that had perfectly good counter tops and cabintry seems frivilous. If not having an island stovetop was a huge negative for her, then why did she look at several homes that had one? Surely there were many other homes in the Atlanta area that would have had a regular range and all the other things they were looking for...so why waste your time looking at two homes that had an island range??? I got the feeling this wife/mother was just wanting to do updating and gut jobs no matter how seemingly perfect each house was.

I grew up as one of three children and we didn't need "craft rooms" or special gaming rooms...a finished basement was just fine for us. Before my parents could blink we were all in college and then out on our own... suddenly our house was too big for them and they downsized. Personally, I found both husband and wife to be annoying...a grown middle age man wanting to put a skate park in the back yard and her with her "But I want a pool!" was just a bit much for me. However...it was refreshing to see that Canadians can be jerks too.

I am not sure why the Canadian couple is more deserving of "jealousy" for their economic good fortune as there have been other couples who are able to afford expensive homes.

In this case they were buying what was probably a house built 20 or so years ago which had not been updated during that period. The kitchen was not a great kitchen functionally - the cooktop was in a poor spot and the cabinets were not functionally configured. The finishes were also dated but her real quibble with the kitchen was function.

They managed to get a good deal by saving their neighbor about $40,000 on broker commissions. Because of the good deal they were able to get by getting it off market they were willing to purchase it even though the kitchen needed a remodel and there were some other cosmetic updates that would be made.

Normally you don't get a return on investment from any remodeling project unless you are in the construction or design business and are essentially doing it for far less than an ordinary homeowner. Her husband was in construction and so it was a given that they were going to get a bargain that needed remodeling to bring it into the 21st Century since he had the expertise, skills and connections that most homeowners lack.

As usual the other houses they looked at were decoys. In this episode they were close enough in attributes to the house the HH had bought so there was some suspense.

The HGTV network exists to sell eyeballs to advertisers based on content that convinces those eyeballs to buy products - ads for HGTV reflect that the advertisers assume the audience (eyeballs) are susceptible to home improvement products and the content is designed solely to reflect that. Hence the fantasy of all of their improvement and flip it type shows which attempt to fool the general public into thinking that the cost of various home improvement measures is lower than the reality. 

There is another show on HGTV called Unsellable Homes in which the agents are two sisters who put money to improve the home and then split the profits with the homeowner after recouping their costs. The problem is that the actual cost for doing those renovations would greatly surpass the sales price so the ordinary homeowner would be economically better off selling it without the costly renovations and just following standard real estate advice - clean it; fix anything that makes it appear that maintenance has been deferred and get rid of clutter so that the closets and cabinets appear to be spacious. 

 

Edited May 7, 2022 by amarante

[Hedgehog2022]

7 hours ago, amarante said:

I am not sure why the Canadian couple is more deserving of "jealousy" for their economic good fortune as there have been other couples who are able to afford expensive homes.

In this case they were buying what was probably a house built 20 or so years ago which had not been updated during that period. The kitchen was not a great kitchen functionally - the cooktop was in a poor spot and the cabinets were not functionally configured. The finishes were also dated but her real quibble with the kitchen was function.

They managed to get a good deal by saving their neighbor about $40,000 on broker commissions. Because of the good deal they were able to get by getting it off market they were willing to purchase it even though the kitchen needed a remodel and there were some other cosmetic updates that would be made.

Normally you don't get a return on investment from any remodeling project unless you are in the construction or design business and are essentially doing it for far less than an ordinary homeowner. Her husband was in construction and so it was a given that they were going to get a bargain that needed remodeling to bring it into the 21st Century since he had the expertise, skills and connections that most homeowners lack.

As usual the other houses they looked at were decoys. In this episode they were close enough in attributes to the house the HH had bought so there was some suspense.

The HGTV network exists to sell eyeballs to advertisers based on content that convinces those eyeballs to buy products - ads for HGTV reflect that the advertisers assume the audience (eyeballs) are susceptible to home improvement products and the content is designed solely to reflect that. Hence the fantasy of all of their improvement and flip it type shows which attempt to fool the general public into thinking that the cost of various home improvement measures is lower than the reality. 

There is another show on HGTV called Unsellable Homes in which the agents are two sisters who put money to improve the home and then split the profits with the homeowner after recouping their costs. The problem is that the actual cost for doing those renovations would greatly surpass the sales price so the ordinary homeowner would be economically better off selling it without the costly renovations and just following standard real estate advice - clean it; fix anything that makes it appear that maintenance has been deferred and get rid of clutter so that the closets and cabinets appear to be spacious. 

 

Jealousy? Uh no… my point was that she came off as a bit of a Princess “needing” to do so many renovations in homes that may have some dated finishes but certainly could be lived in for a time without major work being done. I am not privy to their personal financial situation but clearly money did not seem to be an issue.

[Dehumidifier]

2 hours ago, Hedgehog2022 said:

Jealousy? Uh no… my point was that she came off as a bit of a Princess “needing” to do so many renovations in homes that may have some dated finishes but certainly could be lived in for a time without major work being done. I am not privy to their personal financial situation but clearly money did not seem to be an issue.

She also did the my husband disagrees but I always get my way in the end thing that so many of the women on these shows do.

[Angeltoes]

I hate that with a passion!  It always makes them look like a spoiled junior high school girl.

[Hedgehog2022]

6 hours ago, Dehumidifier said:

She also did the my husband disagrees but I always get my way in the end thing that so many of the women on these shows do.

Yes! I hate that...just once I would like to see one of these women say "he disagrees with me and I hardly ever get my way..."

[Kiddvideo]

On 5/6/2022 at 9:16 PM, amarante said:

The HGTV network exists to sell eyeballs to advertisers based on content that convinces those eyeballs to buy products - ads for HGTV reflect that the advertisers assume the audience (eyeballs) are susceptible to home improvement products and the content is designed solely to reflect that.

Thanks for the Advertising 101 Primer. I watch to discuss what I like or don’t like about the houses and buyers not to get design ideas because the “must have” trends on HH are over by the time the episode airs. Island stoves were obviously a popular trend in Atlanta-area McMansions as all 3 had them. Her preference is not someone else’s mistake, and her opinion doesn’t mean everyone else is wrong. Her designs will be passé eventually, too, no matter how many rooms she guts or how much money she spends.

[amarante]

27 minutes ago, Kiddvideo said:

Thanks for the Advertising 101 Primer. I watch to discuss what I like or don’t like about the houses and buyers not to get design ideas because the “must have” trends on HH are over by the time the episode airs. Island stoves were obviously a popular trend in Atlanta-area McMansions as all 3 had them. Her preference is not someone else’s mistake, and her opinion doesn’t mean everyone else is wrong. Her designs will be passé eventually, too, no matter how many rooms she guts or how much money she spends.

I was attempting to explain because some people seem to take as gospel that these kinds of aspects of a home search are what most home owners do.

The show is edited and produced in order to provide a specific type of programming that is intended to convince other consumers that they will be missing out if they don't have these things in their home.

I suspect that many of the househunters actually evaluate homes on more rationally objective criteria like school districts and taxes but that would make for a more boring show than having homeowners who want a skate board ramp or a room that is tall enough to display their 10 foot Christmas tree. 

And of course when HH are depicted as finding older kitchens unacceptable because they aren't on trend it will theoretically cause viewers to realize that their kitchens and baths are "dated". It also goes along with the false message that renovating a kitchen or bath is less expensive than it actually it AND that it will increase your equity enough so that it is a good return on investment.

[Dehumidifier]

What ever happened to the idea of having an efficient work triangle in a kitchen? I could swear that the renos they show nowadays have abandoned that idea -- or the kitchens are so big that the triangle is there but it really doesn't save many steps.

Edited May 9, 2022 by Dehumidifier
typo

[LittleIggy]

Atlanta: The house they picked had a perfectly nice kitchen that didn’t need to be gutted. They could do something about that island if they wanted. 
The husband’s haircut looked ridiculous.

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, Dehumidifier said:

What ever happened to the idea of having an efficient work triangle in a kitchen? I could swear that the renos they show nowadays have abandoned that idea -- or the kitchens are so big that the tringle is there but it really doesn't save many steps.

It goes along with the ridiculous idea that the kitchen is the "heart of the home" and therefore the entire public area should be mostly kitchen. It doesn't seem many HGTV buyers actually care much about function over form. Or should I say function, form, style, architecture and happiness over trend. 

[deirdra]

1 hour ago, Dehumidifier said:

What ever happened to the idea of having an efficient work triangle in a kitchen? I could swear that the renos they show nowadays have abandoned that idea -- or the kitchens are so big that the tringle is there but it really doesn't save many steps.

Often they put a giant island in the middle of the triangle, destroying the efficiency and people have to walk around the island to get some fruit from the fridge and take it back around the island to wash it.

[rhofmovalley]

1 hour ago, deirdra said:

Often they put a giant island in the middle of the triangle, destroying the efficiency and people have to walk around the island to get some fruit from the fridge and take it back around the island to wash it.

Thank you! That is exactly why I dislike kitchen islands. I have to walk all the way around it to get from the stove and oven to the pantry. And it's massive. I do appreciate the extra storage cabinets but I honestly don't even need them.

Oh, and the island counter is right at hip bone level, so I get to bruise myself constantly on it.

The only time I appreciate it is when I come back from grocery shopping. I can set my bags on the island for unloading. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I island issues pointed out above are the reasons I like a nice, counter level peninsula, with bar stool seating.    It's out of the work triangle, and not blocking the way.   

[deirdra]

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I island issues pointed out above are the reasons I like a nice, counter level peninsula, with bar stool seating.    It's out of the work triangle, and not blocking the way.   

Exactly.  And ideally the peninsula is a couple of steps from the door to the garage, a perfect place to set down all the groceries.

[Grizzly]

Pittsburgh, PA. I loved the Tudor! The woodwork, the details. That woman obviously doesn't know what a barn looks like. The house she picked has a shape more like a barn.

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Pittsburgh, PA. I loved the Tudor! The woodwork, the details. That woman obviously doesn't know what a barn looks like. The house she picked has a shape more like a barn.

Disappointed that they didn't choose the Tudor home. It was absolutely gorgeous! And well under the $580,000 they spent on the brick Colonial, where she plans to renovate the kitchen. She'll probably pull up the carpets, too. 

My only concern about the Tudor was the river. It may be a safety concern having little ones. But I can't stop thinking about how beautiful it was. Sure the upstairs bedrooms needed painting, but that woodwork and original windows! And all for 460K, I think is what the realtor said. They truly don't make homes like that any more.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Tudor would only have the small yard it has now, because of the river.    It might be that there is a restriction about using all the way down to the river.     I liked the Tudor.    

In the winter, with big snowfalls, the busy road is going to be cleared first, so it will help the commute.    I had to laugh at the one that was so far from the parents, that distance will get old fast.   

[rhofmovalley]

I like that HH is getting better with the decoys on a lot of episodes. This most recent one had three (mostly) empty homes, so it wasn't as glaringly obvious which home they'd already purchased. (Although the dents in the carpet where the furniture had been was a big clue!) I like it better this way.

[mojito]

8 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I had to laugh at the one that was so far from the parents, that distance will get old fast.   

While watching this, I wondered how many grandparents-to-be do not want to be considered on-call babysitters and actually don't want their children to move too close to them.

[Thumper]

32 minutes ago, mojito said:

While watching this, I wondered how many grandparents-to-be do not want to be considered on-call babysitters and actually don't want their children to move too close to them.

LOL.  I have the same feeling when HH say “we’ve been living with our parents for a year and just can’t take it any more!”  I’m thinking the parents are probably quite ready to have their home back, too!

 

[Empress1]

7 hours ago, mojito said:

While watching this, I wondered how many grandparents-to-be do not want to be considered on-call babysitters and actually don't want their children to move too close to them.

Friends of friends told me that both sets of their parents told them not to count on them for regular babysitting because they have active retirements and didn’t intend to change that. Like, they could do an occasional date night for the parents but keeping them 5x a week after school, or full-time when the kids were too young for school, was off the table.

6 hours ago, Thumper said:

LOL.  I have the same feeling when HH say “we’ve been living with our parents for a year and just can’t take it any more!”  I’m thinking the parents are probably quite ready to have their home back, too!

I had a coworker whose kid boomeranged back after college and she said all the time that she was eager for him to leave! She and her husband had enjoyed being empty nesters and wanted that back.

About the Pittsburgh houses: agree that the Tudor was beautiful. The wood detail and stained glass were gorgeous. I thought the wife was kind of a pill. She kept harping on paint - I hate when they do that, and she wanted boring white walls.

Loved the agent’s hair.

[amarante]

22 hours ago, mojito said:

While watching this, I wondered how many grandparents-to-be do not want to be considered on-call babysitters and actually don't want their children to move too close to them.

I think it varies but the big benefit of having grandparents relatively close is for emergencies. If a child is sick then the grandparent can be with them or if day care or school is off or the babysitter doesn't show up the grandparent is available for that kind of emergency help.

Most parents don't expect the grandparents to be full time nannies but that varies also as there are families in which the grandparents do fulfill that role just as there are families in which multigenerations live together and the "nuclear" family isn't as rigidly defined as in the typical US culture. And in those cultures the grandparents are often then taken care of as part of the way the generations take care of each other.

Finding someone to help if your child is sick is a MAJOR problem for working parents because you can't send them to school or day care. My grandmother used to take care of me when I had to stay home because both my parents worked. I don't know what they would have done if she wasn't available for emergencies. And also difficult for parents when kids are in elementary school and there are school holidays and the parents need to work on those days.

Edited May 12, 2022 by amarante

[rhofmovalley]

"Glendale is 15 minutes from downtown LA."

Lololol! On what day and at what time? During a zombie apocalypse?

Lakewood and La Mirada aren't as close as they claimed either. They're both about an hour away from downtown. I would never, ever do that commute.

No good choices, IMO.

Edited May 12, 2022 by rhofmovalley

[Thumper]

LA family.  The husband didn’t seem to like any of the options.  I thought they’d pick the townhouse.  (My pick of the 3 even though there wasn’t a yard.). 
 

I’d be nervous with a baby/child in that house with a pool that takes up the whole back yard.

[amarante]

10 hours ago, rhofmovalley said:

"Glendale is 15 minutes from downtown LA."

Lololol! On what day and at what time? During a zombie apocalypse?

Lakewood and La Mirada aren't as close as they claimed either. They're both about an hour away from downtown. I would never, ever do that commute.

No good choices, IMO.

I don't know about other locations but the drive times for some of the Los Angeles episodes is fantastical. 

There was an episode where HH were moving to LA and for whatever reason wanted beach proximity but they were looking at places in the far valley like Woodland Hills and Calabasas as I recall. They kept saying the beach was 20 minutes away and I thought the same as you in that episode - yes at 3 AM but not at any time when someone was actually planning to go to the beach. I have never heard ANYONE think of homes in the valley and beach proximity in the same thought

 

[proserpina65]

On 5/5/2022 at 10:31 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Only move to Pittsburgh if you like snow.    

This.  Plus, in markets where real estate prices are low, incomes also tend to be lower so it evens out.

[proserpina65]

On 5/6/2022 at 9:16 PM, amarante said:

I am not sure why the Canadian couple is more deserving of "jealousy" for their economic good fortune as there have been other couples who are able to afford expensive homes.

In this case they were buying what was probably a house built 20 or so years ago which had not been updated during that period. The kitchen was not a great kitchen functionally - the cooktop was in a poor spot and the cabinets were not functionally configured. The finishes were also dated but her real quibble with the kitchen was function.

They managed to get a good deal by saving their neighbor about $40,000 on broker commissions. Because of the good deal they were able to get by getting it off market they were willing to purchase it even though the kitchen needed a remodel and there were some other cosmetic updates that would be made.

Normally you don't get a return on investment from any remodeling project unless you are in the construction or design business and are essentially doing it for far less than an ordinary homeowner. Her husband was in construction and so it was a given that they were going to get a bargain that needed remodeling to bring it into the 21st Century since he had the expertise, skills and connections that most homeowners lack.

As usual the other houses they looked at were decoys. In this episode they were close enough in attributes to the house the HH had bought so there was some suspense.

The HGTV network exists to sell eyeballs to advertisers based on content that convinces those eyeballs to buy products - ads for HGTV reflect that the advertisers assume the audience (eyeballs) are susceptible to home improvement products and the content is designed solely to reflect that. Hence the fantasy of all of their improvement and flip it type shows which attempt to fool the general public into thinking that the cost of various home improvement measures is lower than the reality. 

There is another show on HGTV called Unsellable Homes in which the agents are two sisters who put money to improve the home and then split the profits with the homeowner after recouping their costs. The problem is that the actual cost for doing those renovations would greatly surpass the sales price so the ordinary homeowner would be economically better off selling it without the costly renovations and just following standard real estate advice - clean it; fix anything that makes it appear that maintenance has been deferred and get rid of clutter so that the closets and cabinets appear to be spacious. 

 

I'm not jealous of her.  I found both of them to be extremely obnoxious.  Declaring perfectly fine kitchens to be gut jobs because there's an aspect of them you would change always rubs me the wrong way.  And I disagree that the finishes were dated; they simply weren't to her taste, which is not the same thing.

 

On 5/8/2022 at 5:02 PM, amarante said:

I was attempting to explain because some people seem to take as gospel that these kinds of aspects of a home search are what most home owners do.

The show is edited and produced in order to provide a specific type of programming that is intended to convince other consumers that they will be missing out if they don't have these things in their home.

I suspect that many of the househunters actually evaluate homes on more rationally objective criteria like school districts and taxes but that would make for a more boring show than having homeowners who want a skate board ramp or a room that is tall enough to display their 10 foot Christmas tree. 

And of course when HH are depicted as finding older kitchens unacceptable because they aren't on trend it will theoretically cause viewers to realize that their kitchens and baths are "dated". It also goes along with the false message that renovating a kitchen or bath is less expensive than it actually it AND that it will increase your equity enough so that it is a good return on investment.

We all know how fake this show is.  We choose to discuss things the way we do because otherwise what is the point?

[proserpina65]

14 hours ago, rhofmovalley said:

Lololol! On what day and at what time? During a zombie apocalypse?

Even then, the zombies would be in the way.

 

[rhofmovalley]

28 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Even then, the zombies would be in the way.

 

Do zombies drive? Or just wander around slowly and klutzily, looking for brains to eat?

The husband said the wife was mad because her first day driving into work took her 45 minutes. And I thought, wow, that's it? She got lucky that day. I bet driving home took at least an hour and 15.

[proserpina65]

16 minutes ago, rhofmovalley said:

Do zombies drive? Or just wander around slowly and klutzily, looking for brains to eat?

Depends on the kind of zombies, I guess.  Although hordes of them wandering over the freeways could still be a problem.

(Yes, I am wasting a lot of time thinking about this, lol.)

[chessiegal]

All this zombie talk reminds me of an episode of Island Hunters where the guy stated he wanted to live on an island because zombies cannot cross water. 🤣

[StatisticalOutlier]

Finally!  A HH reversed the handle on the refrigerator door!  I'm not sure which episode, but it was Wednesday night and I'm pretty sure it was a single woman HH.

The refrigerator was in a corner, along a wall on the left side (as you're looking at it).  The handle of the refrigerator was on the left side, which means every time you open it you have to walk around the door to get to the contents.

But I was thrilled to see that in the "after" scene, she'd moved the handle to the other side.  I wonder if the people who sold her the house saw the episode and thought, "Wait, we could have changed that?"

[mojito]

19 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Finally!  A HH reversed the handle on the refrigerator door! 

That's something that I always notice, too. Sometimes it seems that 99% of fridges seem to be oriented for a right-handed person to use even though the door opens away from the rest of the kitchen. 

North Carolina Psychologist

I wonder what the stat is of a person on a limited budget looking for a standalone house will then choose the one townhome they were shown. I would guess extremely high. 

I wondered, while she was looking for a place to meet her clients, why she wouldn't just have them sit in her living room or the kitchen where everyone congregates, I'm told, since she doesn't have anyone else living with her. I like the idea of a townhouse and neighbors nearby since she gets not-necessarily-friends visitors to her home. 

My girl wears her age well. 

[Grrarrggh]

From the start I didn't think I'd like the LA female hunter and I was right. That poor daughter. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

So, NC psychologist will have her entire practice, and meeting with clients in her townhouse?  That wouldn't fly with my HOA, and if she has a lot of clients, then the traffic would make it very obvious that she's running a business out of her home.   Unless her practice is all online, and not in person. 

I think having clients come to a location with so many near neighbors would be a privacy issue for the patients too.  I wonder if she thinks she's going to have a sign advertising too?   

 That's a zoning issue too.  I got very tired of her dancing in the kitchen routine, and I want a limited backstory, not over and over sad story. 

L.A. woman, I hated what she wanted to do to that vintage home.  In my view, painting the wooden beams, and ceilings is disgusting.   

Edited May 13, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[Empress1]

3 hours ago, mojito said:

My girl wears her age well. 

When NC psychologist said her oldest son was 34 I was like “What?!” You can tell she colors her hair (and I think she straightens it, as does her realtor) but other than that, she looks at least 15 years younger than she probably is. I’d guess she’s at least 54 if her oldest son is in his 30s. And if the picture of her kids was current, they look young for their ages too.

LA couple: the realtor’s eye shadow was driving me nuts. All the way up to the brows! The wood paneling in the second house was killing me, as was the “tiki hut.” I didn’t like any of the options. I hope they put a fence around the pool since they have a toddler.

[mojito]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

That wouldn't fly with my HOA, and if she has a lot of clients, then the traffic would make it very obvious that she's running a business out of her home.   Unless her practice is all online, and not in person.   That's a zoning issue too. 

I wondered if someone was going to bring that up.

My neighbor has been running a business out of her home for years. It's not even noticeable. She has one person coming in at a time, mostly during standard work hours, and traffic and parking are non-issues. They park in her driveway. Yes, it's against HOA rules. Someone has to care enough to report it. Nobody does.

[Thumper]

If I were a psychologist or therapist, I would not want my clients coming to my home.  It would be a privacy and security thing for me.

[CrazyInAlabama]

New episode.  San Diego, with a $1 million plus budget.    His budget $1.2 , her budget $1.4 , two cute kids 10 and 7.  5 Bedrooms.   He wants a Craftsman, does he really know what that is?  Room for their pool table, two home offices.  They want turn key.  She's known the realtor since elementary school.   I know they think they know what their budget limit is, but in today's market, everything goes for over list. 

house 1-$1.2, million, 6 bed, 5 bath, over 2700 sq. ft., contemporary, looks redone.  1.3 acres, but a steep hill behind the back yard, and not much of the 1.3 acres is usable.   

house 2-$1.5 million,  4 bed 3.5 bath 4,000 sq. ft. huge kitchen,  A big bonus room, why not split it into two offices?  Just put in a wall and doors.   Backyard usable area is great, with a lot more flat area.  It's not a Craftsman, but is faux Craftsman. 

house 3-$1.3  million,  5 bed 3 bath 2800 sq. ft. Dark kitchen cabinets, of course they hate the color, huge island.   Back yard has a pool, and spa.   Carpets in bedrooms look disgusting. 

They choose #3, that needs paint, cabinet colors, carpet. bought for $1.4 million. 

[Thumper]

San Diego.  Bringing cookies to the seller is what got them the home.  Ack.

[Grizzly]

San Diego area. The poor son inherited his mother's ears. House 2 was not very impressive from the outside but the inside was stunning. If they choose #3, I will fall over. They will have to change everything. Might as well build a new one. Was it the pool? Hope they were acting when they didn't know what style it was. You live in California, they have to be everywhere.

[Hedgehog2022]

3 hours ago, Thumper said:

If I were a psychologist or therapist, I would not want my clients coming to my home.  It would be a privacy and security thing for me.

100%!!!! She could rent office space at a medical building for her therapy sessions, which is what most therapists do but obviously she doesn't want to spend extra money on that. I agree..I would not want patients even knowing my address, let alone coming to my residence for weekly or twice a month sessions. Yikes!!!

[StatisticalOutlier]

A while back I was riding my bike sightseeing in an unfamiliar neighborhood and noticed a sign in someone's yard that said "attention neighbors" or something like that.  So of course I went over to read it.

The homeowner was a psychologist who was wanting to run his practice out of his house, and had applied for a zoning change (no HOA there).  He had a flyer that explained who he is and what he does, how long he's been at it, etc.  And that he was doing most of his practice via the internet, but a few clients prefer face-to-face and he wanted to be able to have them come there instead of maintaining an office elsewhere.  He said they would be seen in an area that has a separate entrance than his house, that they would park on the street but would be there for only an hour, that most of his clients prefer not to come in person, etc.

And if you have any questions, please call him.

For all I know this is a "thing" (like inviting your neighbors to your party you know is going to be loud hoping they won't complain about the noise), but it would have swayed me if I were his neighbor.  Then again, that was in the early days of the pandemic and maybe people are more likely to go in person now, but even so, I get the feeling he was going to be careful not to be a nuisance. 

Or maybe I'm just a sap.

[Crashcourse]

San Diego:  As soon as the husband walked into house #3 and boldly announced that he didn't like it, I knew that was the one they'd choose.   Dead giveaway.

 

18 hours ago, Thumper said:

If I were a psychologist or therapist, I would not want my clients coming to my home.  It would be a privacy and security thing for me.

Yes, and if I were a patient, I'd be wary of going to someone's home.  I'd be be going to an office.  

[StatisticalOutlier]

I definitely wouldn't want to sit in my therapist's living room, but I don't think I'd have a problem with an office at their house, as long as I don't have to actually go through the house to get to it, like if it's in a ADU or maybe just has a separate entrance.

And keeping this on topic:  But if the separate entrance is there because the office is in a converted garage, I think I'd have to be a conscientious objector because I'm on record here as not liking the way houses with converted garages look.

[Grrarrggh]

41 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

But if the separate entrance is there because the office is in a converted garage, I think I'd have to be a conscientious objector because I'm on record here as not liking the way houses with converted garages look.

Maybe you should see a therapist for that ;)

[Chicken Fingers]

I wouldn't want to see clients in my house as a therapist either. And it sounded like she expected her grown kids to stay with her at times. I wasn't paying close attention, but it looked like the realtor suggested she could see her clients in the outdoor space of the townhouse, where the neighbors could listen in. LOL

We have a few people in my townhouse neighborhood who see clients from home, and it's never been a problem. What's more noticeable these days is non-stop delivery traffic, from packages to meals to groceries. 

I can't watch northern inland San Diego House Hunters without fretting about wildfire season. That was one of the reasons we moved away after living there for a couple of years.