House Hunters - General Discussion

[chediavolo]

On 2/3/2023 at 9:26 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Before move in, I would have all of the carpet ripped out, and replaced with LVP.   I love LVP, water proof, durable, and a ton of patterns to choose from. 

Melissa & Rich Foran, he's a postal worker, and she's a doctor of natural medicine, and massage therapist. Foster parents in Maine, she wants to have 6 foster kids.   She wants to be closer to her family in New Hampshire, but that makes his commute longer.  His budget $750k, her budget is $650k . They've been foster parents for a few years.   They have to have 3 bedrooms, with separate bedrooms for boys and girls. House has to be up to fire safety and health codes. She wants a big kitchen to teach the kids to cook, and other everyday skills. 

First House-N. Berwick ME, long commute, $599k, 3 bed, 2 bath,  this house is no way a farmhouse style, on over 5 acres, 3800 sq ft, nice kitchen, pool has a slide top, you can use it year round, solar heated pool, 3 bedrooms, primary ensuite has a beautiful big tub, shower is huge, basement is finished and has a pool table, and home theater and  kitchenette, 

Second House-Berwick ME, 4 bedroom, 3 bath, $625k, 6 acres, colonial 3500 sq ft, 2 living rooms, pool is nice, great kitchen, bonus space over garage is huge, with a kitchenette, bonus room has door leading to primary suite, soaking tub, decent shower, 3 bedrooms upstairs, bedrooms aren't huge, but have egress windows and are big enough for bunk beds.   

Third House-$699,999, closer to his work, stone exterior 5.6 acres, 3 season screened porch, 4 bed 3 bath, living room is spectacular. kitchen is huge, and lots of counter space, primary bedroom is huge, ensuite and closets are great.   upstairs makes her dizzy, 3 upstair bedrooms are big, back deck, yard and firepit are great. reasonable commute to work, but not her family. 

They choose #1 . I would have chosen #3. 

Well, I know postal workers don’t make that much, but how much does one of those wacky “doctors”  of natural medicine steal, I mean make? My husband and I each at different times went to two different of these doctors. What  a crock of shit! They try to sell you $$$ worth of garbage. It reminded me of the traveling  salesman selling snake oil in the past. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

11 minutes ago, chediavolo said:

Well, I know postal workers don’t make that much, but how much does one of those wacky “doctors”  of natural medicine steal, I mean make? My husband and I each at different times went to two different of these doctors. What  a crock of shit! They try to sell you $$$ worth of garbage. It reminded me of the traveling  salesman selling snake oil in the past. 

A full time postal worker makes great money, especially with 20 to 25 years on the job, plus their health insurance is lower cost and great coverage.    Who knows how much she makes, I bet massage therapist pays better than her natural medicine. 

[cameron]

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

Well, I know postal workers don’t make that much, but how much does one of those wacky “doctors”  of natural medicine steal, I mean make? My husband and I each at different times went to two different of these doctors. What  a crock of shit! They try to sell you $$$ worth of garbage. It reminded me of the traveling  salesman selling snake oil in the past. 

I would question how well that flimsy pool cover works in providing heat in those frigid Maine winters.  And if they are heating it by any other means, those utility bills have to be huge.

[rhofmovalley]

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

Well, I know postal workers don’t make that much, but how much does one of those wacky “doctors”  of natural medicine steal, I mean make? My husband and I each at different times went to two different of these doctors. What  a crock of shit! They try to sell you $$$ worth of garbage. It reminded me of the traveling  salesman selling snake oil in the past. 

My friend has been going to one of those "homeopaths" for 30 years.  Every "remedy" her naturalist requires her to take costs well over $100.  And of course it's not covered by insurance and she "needs" multiple of them per month.  I would imagine with the pandemic a lot of them are making lots of money off of people who don't want to get the Covid vaccines and are turning to "natural" treatments (see: Aaron Rodgers).

[amarante]

A licensed massage therapist could do well - and a postal worker would probably also be doing well especially in a state like Maine.

Anyone who actually goes to a "natural doctor" is probably willing and able to pay for all of the quack remedies she will sell. The issue would be building up a client base of fools.

Also people receive money for foster children and that is additional income.

[pdlinda]

2 minutes ago, amarante said:

people receive money for foster children and that is additional income.

Good point. 

I never thought of that and wonder how much the State pays for each foster child.

 

[Bastet]

8 minutes ago, pdlinda said:

I never thought of that and wonder how much the State pays for each foster child.

According to this website, Maine pays on average (because it varies depending on the child's needs) $797/month. 

[pdlinda]

36 minutes ago, Bastet said:

According to this website, Maine pays on average (because it varies depending on the child's needs) $797/month. 

So if they get to foster 6 children that would be an allowance of almost $5K/month.  Interesting.

[chediavolo]

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

A full time postal worker makes great money, especially with 20 to 25 years on the job, plus their health insurance is lower cost and great coverage.    Who knows how much she makes, I bet massage therapist pays better than her natural medicine. 

No, they definitely do not make great money. I know this for a fact. as far as the health insurance goes, it depends which union you’re in. That goes for their pension also. And health insurance it all depends on what they voted on. As for the medicine woman and her massage therapy and she probably does make a lot of money doing that.

57 minutes ago, amarante said:

A licensed massage therapist could do well - and a postal worker would probably also be doing well especially in a state like Maine.

Anyone who actually goes to a "natural doctor" is probably willing and able to pay for all of the quack remedies she will sell. The issue would be building up a client base of fools.

Also people receive money for foster children and that is additional income.

She probably does make a lot of money with her built in base of fools. I love that line.!😅.. postal work is a federal job, so it doesn’t really matter what state you’re in. But everyone is right about the foster children. They are a big income item for a lot of people unfortunately. Hopefully this family is a loving one. 

[chessiegal]

54 minutes ago, chediavolo said:

postal work is a federal job,

USPS is a quasi-federal agency. 

I worked for The Postal Investigative Service for 3 years. We were federal employees. As what was explained to me, USPS is federal when it wants to be, and not federal when it wants to be. That said, it's a good job for many people. 

 

 

[amarante]

According to Professor Google, a mail carrier for the USPS in Maine makes between $45k - $74k per year. Despite not being a completely government agency, I am fairly certain they still have excellent health insurance compared to most plus good retirement and other benefits like paid time off - vacation and/or sick leave  - fixed pension which is super rare and a great benefit; 26 days of paid time off plus 10 legal holidays; 401 (k) generous matching. 

https://about.usps.com/careers/working-usps/benefits.htm

Also foster parents aren't responsible for medical costs which can be a big expense for parents especially dental. 

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, amarante said:

According to Professor Google, a mail carrier for the USPS in Maine makes between $45k - $74k per year. Despite not being a completely government agency, I am fairly certain they still have excellent health insurance compared to most plus good retirement and other benefits like paid time off - vacation and/or sick leave  - fixed pension which is super rare and a great benefit; 26 days of paid time off plus 10 legal holidays; 401 (k) generous matching. 

https://about.usps.com/careers/working-usps/benefits.htm

I have no idea what his salary was, but my grandfather retired from the post office with a nice pension and great health insurance. It provided a middle class life for his family (wife and two kids; wife went to work in her 40s when her kids left home).

[chediavolo]

10 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I have no idea what his salary was, but my grandfather retired from the post office with a nice pension and great health insurance. It provided a middle class life for his family (wife and two kids; wife went to work in her 40s when her kids left home).

People always mention this. But…It was a different retirement system years ago. Not the same now. And years ago you could live on one salary. So much has changed for the worse in this country. 

[ECM1231]

18 hours ago, pdlinda said:

So if they get to foster 6 children that would be an allowance of almost $5K/month.  Interesting.

I was just about to post, asking how much income would they receive from taking in 6 foster children. 

I'd like to think they have a lot of love to give and are doing this truly for altruistic purposes, but the cynical me has questions.

I don't know. Certain things the husband said rubbed me the wrong way. I deleted the episode, so I can't check back. Something about how much 'help' the children will be. I mean yeah, kids should have chores, but I just didn't get the warm and fuzzies from them. I could be way, way off base. 🤷‍♀️

[amarante]

5 hours ago, chediavolo said:

People always mention this. But…It was a different retirement system years ago. Not the same now. And years ago you could live on one salary. So much has changed for the worse in this country. 

As I posted the USPS still has fixed pensions which is a rarity and a HUGE benefit. 

Fixed pensions are common for most government workers which is how they compete with the private sector.

As I posted, the top salary for a mail carrier in Maine is about $75,000 and since the HH had been working for 25 years one assumes he is making the top salary. He didn't say he was retired either - just that he had been working for 25 years.

They could still have a comfortable lifestyle - especially with all of the other benefits - 26 days of PTO plus legal holidays; 401 (k) matching; very good health insurance with the premiums fully paid

[BAForever]

Kind of got the same vibe about the foster parents, gosh we are a cynical bunch. 

Have to say, the house decor made the possibility clear that they were good parents. Saw a rockwall, a tent, and lots of toys.

[cameron]

3 minutes ago, BAForever said:

Kind of got the same vibe about the foster parents, gosh we are a cynical bunch. 

Have to say, the house decor made the possibility clear that they were good parents. Saw a rockwall, a tent, and lots of toys.

Thought the same thing about those prospective foster parents.  Both of them mentioned how much help those children would be.  Gave me a negative feeling.

[chediavolo]

1 hour ago, amarante said:

As I posted the USPS still has fixed pensions which is a rarity and a HUGE benefit. 

Fixed pensions are common for most government workers which is how they compete with the private sector.

As I posted, the top salary for a mail carrier in Maine is about $75,000 and since the HH had been working for 25 years one assumes he is making the top salary. He didn't say he was retired either - just that he had been working for 25 years.

They could still have a comfortable lifestyle - especially with all of the other benefits - 26 days of PTO plus legal holidays; 401 (k) matching; very good health insurance with the premiums  

I’m not going to  argue anymore, but this goes very contrary to what I know. Fully paid medical? Nope. $75,000 a year? Nope.  I’m not in Maine, but I don’t see how that makes that much of a difference. 

[amarante]

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

I’m not going to  argue anymore, but this goes very contrary to what I know. Fully paid medical? Nope. $75,000 a year? Nope.  I’m not in Maine, but I don’t see how that makes that much of a difference. 

As I wrote, I googled the information and that was the pay range for mail carriers employed by the USPS in Maine.

When I went to the specific site, it also mentioned the health insurance which is the Federal Health Insurance Plan which is as good if not better than most plans currently offered by corporations.

From Dr. Google - Portland Maine - USPS

https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=U.S._Postal_Service_(USPS)/City/Portland-ME

[chediavolo]

10 minutes ago, amarante said:

As I wrote, I googled the information and that was the pay range for mail carriers employed by the USPS in Maine.

When I went to the specific site, it also mentioned the health insurance which is the Federal Health Insurance Plan which is as good if not better than most plans currently offered by corporations.

From Dr. Google - Portland Maine - USPS

https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=U.S._Postal_Service_(USPS)/City/Portland-ME

Well, I have better sources than Google, such as real life people that have retired from that job. 

[Grrarrggh]

4 hours ago, cameron said:

Thought the same thing about those prospective foster parents.  Both of them mentioned how much help those children would be.  Gave me a negative feeling.

I totally missed those comments. Any idea when they said that so I can go back and re-watch?

[cameron]

6 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

I totally missed those comments. Any idea when they said that so I can go back and re-watch?

When they were walking through the kitchen of some of those houses for starters.

[kirklandia]

I got a chuckle from the Boston to Palm Beach Gardens episode.

House Hunter - "I'm wearing my Florida shirt!"

Agent - "In Florida, we just call them shirts."

[Johannah]

On 2/5/2023 at 1:14 PM, BAForever said:

Kind of got the same vibe about the foster parents, gosh we are a cynical bunch. 

Have to say, the house decor made the possibility clear that they were good parents. Saw a rockwall, a tent, and lots of toys.

For the mom.  She was playing on them.    :-)

I, also, have conflicting feelings from that couple.  I thought I heard a few times about the kids being helpful (and didn't hear the part about teaching them life skills, just that they could work around the house) but then, they did deck out that playroom well.  I hope they will be good, loving foster parents.  

I'm shocked at how much money they get and can see why some unscrupulous people foster for the money, then mistreat the kids.

Different couple: the one where the wife was pregnant and the husband actually seemed to embrace the idea of the mother-in-law moving in - I found them refreshing.  Decorated tiles in kitchen?  she didn't say, "We have to rip out this entire kitchen!"  She said they could put the air fryer in front of it.  Loved it!  Then, they didn't say they wanted a separate space for the MIL and then focus entirely on some minor home element that one of them wanted (I'm looking at you, 2-story foyer lady), they actually got a nice place for her with more than just a bed/bath.  Besides a nice room to read or watch TV, it had her own entrance, which I'm sure she appreciated since she seemed quite mobile.  (I only say that because many times when buyers mention spaces for their parent(s), it's because they have mobility issues - and then they put them on the second floor because the house that was appropriate for the parent didn't have a kitchen island.)

[Grrarrggh]

Just rewatched the Maine foster parents, and I can't understand why people are worried. The only mentions of help were the kids helping at meal time, and learning how to make themselves a dish or two. That sounds like good parenting to me. 

[Empress1]

 

20 hours ago, kirklandia said:

I got a chuckle from the Boston to Palm Beach Gardens episode.

House Hunter - "I'm wearing my Florida shirt!"

Agent - "In Florida, we just call them shirts."

Watching Boston to Palm Beach now. They’ve only been together a year and a half and are buying a place, which seems soon to me but it’s none of my business. I didn’t like the laminate floors in the house they chose. $60K over asking, yikes.

[Grizzly]

Buffalo, NY. Dang, who buys a house a few weeks before their wedding? They work from home, but didn't specify what they do. #3 was jaw dropping. I liked the curb appeal, not a style I see. And the second floor suite. Loved Joe's response to single sink, "who cares!" Not the choice I would have made.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Moving back to Buffalo.   They needed separate homes, not one home.   He's an ecologist and project manager, she's an environmental manager.  Both work from home full time.  Budget $600k (hers), (his) is lower ,4 bed 2 bath, he likes natural wood trim, she wants to paint trim white.  He needs room for his brewing.  Realtor says with low inventory, they will have to go over asking. 

1st home -Colonial near downtown. 2 story, brick first floor, 4 bed 1.5 bath, she doesn't like the brown wood trim. kitchen is updated, but not open enough for her.   All four bedrooms upstairs.  upstairs trim and walls are light. full bath is nicely updated.  yard is nice. 

2nd home-Burbs, updated ranch $349,900, 2142 sq ft, hardwood floors are nice, kitchen is really nice, and white with lots of storage space, nice deck and back yard. primary suite has it's own wing dining room has an indoor grill. 1 full guest bath, 3 bedrooms on the guest side.  2 car garage with sink, perfect for brewing. 

3rd home-$425k, updated bungalow in the city, completely renovated, 4 bed 3 bath, all new hardwood floors, new windows, kitchen is very well done, 3 first floor bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, upstairs is primary suite, ensuite, and giant closet. main bath is spectacular. backyard has a lot of concrete, and detached 2 car garage. Behind garage is a yard and patio, and fireplace.  There is a pool on the back of the property.  Realtor says if they want this one, to bid today, and for $100k over asking. 

They chose #1 .   I would have chosen #3. 

[Kemper]

The Buffalo couple. Both were from the area and came back? Or never left? House #3 was a wowser! Loved it and thought that was the one they would pick. The only puzzle to me was a pool in Buffalo. But I would take it.

[Johannah]

We know the buyers are already in escrow when filming and maybe the houses they are looking at aren't really on the market, but, I often wonder, if the house actually IS for sale, if the buyers are thinking, "I wish we had seen this house before we made the offer on the other house."  I often think this when it seems an unpicked house would have been better/perfect for them.

(Haven't seen this episode yet, but your posts reminded me of that.)

 

eta:  Again, haven't seen the ep, but someone mentioned that the guy was okay with a single sink.  Maybe it's because my S.O. and I aren't in the bathroom at the same time, but I would prefer if we had a single sink and more counter space.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Johann

[rhofmovalley]

2 hours ago, Johann said:

We know the buyers are already in escrow when filming and maybe the houses they are looking at aren't really on the market, but, I often wonder, if the house actually IS for sale, if the buyers are thinking, "I wish we had seen this house before we made the offer on the other house."  I often think this when it seems an unpicked house would have been better/perfect for them.

(Haven't seen this episode yet, but your posts reminded me of that.)

 

eta:  Again, haven't seen the ep, but someone mentioned that the guy was okay with a single sink.  Maybe it's because my S.O. and I aren't in the bathroom at the same time, but I would prefer if we had a single sink and more counter space.

Some of the decoy houses are legitimately for sale but most aren't. The obvious decoys are the ones that are fully furnished. Or, another clue is if there's a pool table, large sectional or piano and the buyers ask if the owners will be "leaving" those things. Reality is those things are hard AF to move so they just leave them in place and pretend the "previous owners" left them or wrote them into the contract.

Also, I doubt the prices they show for the decoy houses are accurate. That amazing house from last night probably would have been well above their budget. 

I like when all three homes are empty. That makes viewing more fun as I try to figure out which house is the one they already bought.

Edited February 8, 2023 by rhofmovalley

[Empress1]

19 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Buffalo, NY. Dang, who buys a house a few weeks before their wedding? They work from home, but didn't specify what they do. #3 was jaw dropping. I liked the curb appeal, not a style I see. And the second floor suite. Loved Joe's response to single sink, "who cares!" Not the choice I would have made.

I think they had project manager-y jobs in the environmental space.

Their realtor had a prosthetic hand. I remember another episode in which the realtor was missing a hand altogether (I remember it took me until halfway through the episode to notice) and I wondered if it was the same guy, but I couldn’t remember where the first episode was set.

I quite liked the interior of the second house but I know the location wasn’t what they wanted. And some of the kitchen cabinets were painted lavender, which I didn’t like and would change.

I mostly liked the third house. Really nice old charming details with new finishes (though I hated the kitchen backsplash - I never like that mosaic style, it’s too busy for my taste). Sometimes those renovations sap all the charm out of the houses but this one hadn’t. That covered patio and yard were gorgeous (though I agree with the idea that a pool in Buffalo seems unnecessary - you’d only use it, what, two months a year?).

[mojito]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

That covered patio and yard were gorgeous (though I agree with the idea that a pool in Buffalo seems unnecessary - you’d only use it, what, two months a year?)

If you wear a wet suit! 😉

[CrazyInAlabama]

So, Vancouver, Washington are moving from a basement to a home.    I understand his interest in buying a home built in the 1980's or newer to avoid lead paint, asbestos, etc. in vintage. He's paid down his massive debt, and she's a saver. Courtnee, and Terry. 

Budget is $425k to $450k. His budget is $500k. 

1st House-$495k, 2 story contemporary, 4 bed 2.5 bath, 1793 sq ft, smooth ceilings not popcorn, all bedrooms are upstairs, carpet upstairs, primary bedroom with ensuite, and walk-in closet. flat back yard. 

2nd House-1945 vintage, $450k, ranch. 3 bed 2 bath, hardwood floors, no popcorn ceilings, very well updated kitchen, full bath off of the kitchen, I hate the bathroom location, dining space is small, main bathroom is small, but not an ensuite, I don't like this house at all. 

3rd House-$459,900, 1985 ranch, outside needs curb appeal and paint, 3 bed 2 bath, kitchen is decent size, nice size dining, and covered patio is nice, sunken living room, all three bedrooms upstairs, primary bedroom has decent closets, nice ensuite, another small deck with a detached studio space for his gaming room.   

They buy # 3 for $465k.  I would have bought #3. 

San Francisco, as always the prices are terrible for what you get.   The house she bought was the best choice, but the other two were so much more expensive.    She chose the best price, because that way she won't have to get a roommate.     I can't imagine the other places having a roommate in those tiny second bedrooms.    

Edited February 9, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[cameron]

What is with all those male home buyers having a need for a gaming room.  Are they Peter Pan or what?  Grow up already.

[amarante]

19 hours ago, Kemper said:

The Buffalo couple. Both were from the area and came back? Or never left? House #3 was a wowser! Loved it and thought that was the one they would pick. The only puzzle to me was a pool in Buffalo. But I would take it.

It is not that strange for homes in the Northeast which have winters to have a pool especially in a family home where children would be using it all summer.

Buffalo might have colder winters than New Jersey but the reality is that "swimming weather" is pretty much the same - roughly the time period from Memorial Day to Labor Day however harsh the winters are.

Most of them are above ground pools like the one in Buffalo which are less expensive and aren't meant for swimming so much as playing in water when it is hot. Smaller and not as much water needed to fill. Lots of them in certain neighborhoods even in places like New York City.

That backyard was particularly well done but very specific to whoever designed it with that huge expanse of concrete and the oasis effectively hidden from view. Most people want their beautiful backyard to be visible from the house because it provides a "view"

[mojito]

4 hours ago, cameron said:

What is with all those male home buyers having a need for a gaming room.  Are they Peter Pan or what?  Grow up already.

Remember when women were wanting crafting rooms? That craze lasted about 5 minutes. But I wonder if these requests are HGTV-driven or house hunter-driven. Take guest rooms. I find it hard to believe that so many people don't want their "office" to double as a guest room. Do people really expect to have single-purpose rooms beyond bedrooms and bathrooms?

I must know the few anti-social people around because I have never known  people who do much "entertaining" outside of family gatherings and I don't guess that most families are picky about having lots of space and beautiful decor. Don't people still crowd into a room with some sitting on the floor? Or spill out into other rooms, the basement, the back steps, the back yard?

Sometimes I kind of feel that I must've been raised--and still  live--in Hooterville. Sorry for this little tangent.

Time to slop the hogs.

[cameron]

12 minutes ago, mojito said:

Remember when women were wanting crafting rooms? That craze lasted about 5 minutes. But I wonder if these requests are HGTV-driven or house hunter-driven. Take guest rooms. I find it hard to believe that so many people don't want their "office" to double as a guest room. Do people really expect to have single-purpose rooms beyond bedrooms and bathrooms?

I must know the few anti-social people around because I have never known  people who do much "entertaining" outside of family gatherings and I don't guess that most families are picky about having lots of space and beautiful decor. Don't people still crowd into a room with some sitting on the floor? Or spill out into other rooms, the basement, the back steps, the back yard?

Sometimes I kind of feel that I must've been raised--and still  live--in Hooterville. Sorry for this little tangent.

Time to slop the hogs.

I think you forgot the phrase "hosting".  That seems to be the new in word.

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

I find it hard to believe that so many people don't want their "office" to double as a guest room.

I could see it as remote work has become more popular - if you work fully or mostly remotely and you have guests in your office, the guests are going to be in your way when you try to work. If your “office” is, like, where you pay bills or surf the web, that’s different (and in that case I’d argue that you don’t need to designate a room as an office). I work very predominantly remotely (I go in a few times a month) and if I have my way I won’t go back into an office full-time for the rest of my working life, so a separate office used solely for that purpose is a need for me.

1 hour ago, mojito said:

I must know the few anti-social people around because I have never known  people who do much "entertaining" outside of family gatherings

One of my favorite hunters was a single woman in Chicago who wanted a big home specifically to throw parties in. She was like, I have a lot of friends and a big family and I throw parties all the time, so I need to be able to do that. I loved her - she seemed like a lovely person. I wasn’t surprised that she had a lot of friends.

[laredhead]

Yes, I too am mystified by some of the HH's beliefs that rooms must be designated for one purpose.  My son & DIL have a house that was built with a formal dining room, and a very large living room, in addition to a family room.  That configuration lasted about a year, and the living room became the dining room with a large table that didn't fit the original dining room.  The original dining room has, over the last 8 years, been a craft room/play room, a plant room, a cat fostering room, and now it's in limbo until its next use.  My son could have used it as a home office when he was working from home during COVID, but it doesn't have doors that close it off from the rest of the house.  Another project for the future.      

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I could see it as remote work has become more popular - if you work fully or mostly remotely and you have guests in your office, the guests are going to be in your way when you try to work.

Yeah, I've worked from home for many years now, and my office doubles as a guest room -- but only because I hardly ever have guests.  It's just a twin bed (with bolsters, so made up to look more like a sofa), and for "I'm crashing here tonight after too many drinks" use rather than for someone to come stay in for a week.  I would not be cool with the latter scenario (that's what hotels are for), but if someone worked fully or mostly remote AND regularly had family making extended visits to the house, I completely understand them wanting a dedicated guest room. 

I just think the percentage of people who have a reasonable need for a dedicated guest room is far smaller than the percentage of HHs who have that on their list.

Edited February 9, 2023 by Bastet

[amarante]

I also think the dedicated guest room is also a question of economics.

Growing up I didn't know any family that had one room that was used only when guests slept over. There might be a den with a sleeper sofa but in some urban areas even a separate "room" is a luxury as the sleeper sofa is in the living room.

Vacant bedrooms only happen when children move out either for college or permanently. 

If can imagine situations in which a dedicated guest room makes sense - i.e. family lives abroad and the parents actually visit for extended periods of time. 

But generally if family visits most people are okay with ad hoc informal arrangements - i.e. kids move into sleep together and someone takes a kids' bedroom as a scenario.

 

[buttersister]

Bless the parents of the ICU nurse in SF (as the script presented them). Mom pointing out those two super-pricy homes require roommates was strategically sound. And Dad solved her problem of a (sob) dark kitchen with, wait for it, better lighting! 

Me thinks home buyer wasn't going to max out her $$ at any time. She got the location she wanted and that place was more than fine. Congratulations.

[Grrarrggh]

I think open concept has forced people to want/need other spaces for specific things. No longer can the dining room act as an office if needed, or the living room a private guest space. 

[buttersister]

3 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

No longer can the dining room act as an office if needed, or the living room a private guest space. 

👀 typing this on my dining room table/aka work area. And yes, guests stay in the living room, either on the couch, on an air mattress, or both  👀

Chicago musician's first place that she bought on her own: I wasn't spoiled, but  clearly #1 was her choice. Edgewater is too far north (she's not driving around alone late at night--and there's no doorman, so I wasn't buying Mom's enthusiasm). There was so much stuff in #3, it was clear someone was well-ensconced and at home.

[BAForever]

Chicago musician- guessed her choice immediately. Location was her first priority. On a shallow note, she and her mom had amazing hair. Nice people, nice episode. Didn't hate watch.....

[WI GIRL56]

I work from home as an on-line tutor.  My desk is in the corner of our bedroom.  If no one is home-I sometimes sit at the kitchen table for a different view.  My daughter and her family live with us so we have no empty bedrooms.  We have a living room and family room.  My daughter has her office in the family room.  We make it all work.

[mojito]

11 hours ago, buttersister said:

typing this on my dining room table/aka work area. And yes, guests stay in the living room, either on the couch, on an air mattress, or both 

@buttersister What kind of MONSTER are you?

2 hours ago, WI GIRL56 said:

I work from home as an on-line tutor.  My desk is in the corner of our bedroom.  If no one is home-I sometimes sit at the kitchen table for a different view.  My daughter and her family live with us so we have no empty bedrooms.  We have a living room and family room.  My daughter has her office in the family room.  We make it all work.

Et tu, @WI GIRL56?

All that said, welcome to Hooterville.

[Empress1]

15 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

I think open concept has forced people to want/need other spaces for specific things. No longer can the dining room act as an office if needed, or the living room a private guest space. 

This is one of many reasons I dislike open concept. I also just … like having designated spaces for stuff. My bedroom in particular is sacrosanct. (Part of CBT for insomnia. I don’t have a TV in there, on purpose.)

[chessiegal]

HH producers have a trope that they've decided works. What happens IRL is irrelevant. Want to be on HH? - here are you options for your story. We prefer you pick this one.