House Hunters - General Discussion

[Crashcourse]

22 minutes ago, Mom21 said:

The Fort Washington houses looked more like they were in Tantallon.

I was trying to think of the area with similar looking houses and, you're right, it's Tantallon.  

[South]

On 5/9/2023 at 12:45 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

North Tampa, at least they had a big budget.    I knew they would pick the first house, with six bedrooms, with the biggest yard.     I thought the house color fit the style of the house and the subdivision.   I agree about being worried about being next to water, gators climb fences, and could come through a screen room easily. 

They absolutely can and DO climb fences.  You are so right!  I f a gator can get a toe-hold, she can climb it.  When I want to take a swim in the pool after dark, I turn on the flood light first, and check the entire yard before turning it off and hopping in.  Same goes for taking garbage out after dark.  The yard looks as if a prison-break is in progress.  Partner South goes out willy-nilly, in the dark, no lights at all.  Y’all will know if he gets gobbled up when I start speaking of him in past tense.

[South]

5 hours ago, Mom21 said:

Been reading for years.  First time posting.

I loved everything about the house that the Tampa couple picked.  I'm just amazed at these budgets across every state.  I thought I made a fairly decent living but if I were buying a house now my budget would probably be a third of the average budget on HH's.  

The Fort Washington houses looked more like they were in Tantallon.

Annnnd, so many of the house hunters are employed as llama grooming consultants or as “person with nose.”

[chediavolo]

9 hours ago, Mom21 said:

Been reading for years.  First time posting.

I loved everything about the house that the Tampa couple picked.  I'm just amazed at these budgets across every state.  I thought I made a fairly decent living but if I were buying a house now my budget would probably be a third of the average budget on HH's.  

The Fort Washington houses looked more like they were in Tantallon.

I can barely watch anymore or even look at real estate sites. We want to move but They are all of those of us that live in areas where the houses are going for nearly as much as if you dropped  them into another city even in the same state. It’s very depressing. And I don’t know how people are paying for these homes. It wasn’t that long ago that a $1 million homes was outrageously luxurious. now half a million will get you some thing that should be selling for half the price or less depending on the area . 

[chessiegal]

4 hours ago, chediavolo said:

And I don’t know how people are paying for these homes.

In our case, it was equity. We walked away from our last home at settlement with over $400,000 in cash. We owned it for 13 years, bought and sold at the right time, but it was mostly all about location. 

[amarante]

6 hours ago, chediavolo said:

I can barely watch anymore or even look at real estate sites. We want to move but They are all of those of us that live in areas where the houses are going for nearly as much as if you dropped  them into another city even in the same state. It’s very depressing. And I don’t know how people are paying for these homes. It wasn’t that long ago that a $1 million homes was outrageously luxurious. now half a million will get you some thing that should be selling for half the price or less depending on the area . 

The usual way

As stated, if this is a second home, then there will generally be significant equity

Many of the people are two income with relatively high paying careers

People often get help with down payment for their first homes. Many middle class parents are able to assist because they would be providing it as part of an inheritance anyway OR they offer a choice of an expensive wedding or help with a down payment

Some people on HH have indicated they lived with parents or scrimped for a period of time in order to get the down payment necessary for the first home

Some people are house poor and pay a very high percentage of their income for house payments in the expectation that in a few years their income will rise. This is actually - or was - a pretty normal thing as many people stretched to get into their first home and just made do with minimal furniture. Not a bad economic strategy as many people who stay in their homes eventually have housing costs that are far less than what rent would be plus they have a significant asset for retirement. 

Of course, on HH there seems to be a level of entitlement where people expect their first starter home to be on the same level as the home a. middle aged person might be able to buy. If you grew up in a relatively nice home, your expectations for what you *deserve* are probably skewed. Not exactly the same thing but I have read it is true of college dorm accommodations as most kids are not willing to put up with the kind of spartan dorm rooms that older people just accepted as normal. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

So, the couple looking for homes in Columbia, Maryland. "First Home Together in Maryland", 

I didn't see the first home yet (I'm recording and watched the ending of Top Chef) and I already hope it was a great home for the couple.  First home top of the budget, and over.  But it looks turnkey, and really nice compared to the second and third house.   

Second home in Glen Burnie is small.  has a basement bedroom, and half bath, both look awful.   Then, realtor says if they take the glass block out of the small window, high up on the basement wall, it will be a legal egress window, and he's full of it.   An egress window has to be reachable, and big enough to get out of in an emergency, and the realtor is wrong.  I hope the HH couple realize the realtor is so wrong.  

(After watching the recording, the realtor said removing the glass blocks and putting in another window would cost $1,000 to $1,500.   Putting in an egress window with a window well, and the concrete cuts in the wall, and all of the other requirements for a true egress window would cost many times the realtor estimate). 

Third house is puke green, 4 bed 1.5 bath for $415k, but small rooms.  The House hunters says the wooden accordian doors are character.  Is he kidding?  The stairs in this house are so steep.  The deck looks old, and may need replacement decking, so realtor says it only needs cleaning and staining.  Kitchen cabinets are from the cheap prefab aisle at the big box store. the primary closet is too small, main bedroom is small, the other bedrooms are very small.  Everything in this house is builder grade and small. 

They buy the butt ugly green #3 split level.    

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Zanzibar]

I had mentioned previously that a house in our neighborhood was being filmed for an episode of House Hunters; the recent Tampa episode is the one that included it.  The house was the second house with the fenced pool.  It's interesting to me that they didn't show all of the house.  There is a lovely guest suite on the first floor with it's own bathroom with large walk-in shower, plus a dining room, and a half bath that were never mentioned or shown, nor was the second floor laundry and additional full bath. In regards to crossing the street to the park, this is a gated community of 120 homes with very little traffic.  As for gators, they are a fact of life in Florida, and you just have to assume that there are gators in any body of water you see. That said, I would never have a pool here in Florida without having it completely screened in to keep critters out. And, I was surprised at the price asked for this house, especially since this house has very few upgrades from the standard builder finishes. But prices have really skyrocketed since we started building our house here 2+ years ago. Another drawback to this particular house plan is that there is no front porch or anything covering the front steps, which means if you get something delivered and you're not home, the packages are very visible from the street, plus will get wet if it rains.

[chediavolo]

On 5/11/2023 at 10:38 AM, chessiegal said:

In our case, it was equity. We walked away from our last home at settlement with over $400,000 in cash. We owned it for 13 years, bought and sold at the right time, but it was mostly all about location. 

That’s my problem I have no luck. I buy and sell at the totally wrong time through no fault of my own. I once owned a home many years ago and sold it for $45,000.00. 2 years later it was worth almost 10 times that amount.

[stewedsquash]

@CrazyInAlabama I thought some of the conversation about the egress window in the MD episode got shuffled. Even though it was take out blocks to make egress he said it would be $1,000 to $1,500 or more to do that when they asked so my takeaway was removing everything that was there and replacing it to the standards of an egress. 

I liked the couple and their family. They both had good personalities along with their family. I loved the mother saying immediately "that's awful" to the small house so no one can have sleep overs comment. I think the house they chose is okay-ish. I did find myself wondering if the room on the other side of the accordion door was a converted carport or garage. It was a step down to get to it and looked like it would fit one car. I don't know, it just seemed odd even though from the outside they made it look like the rest of the house if they did modify it. If they didn't modify it and it was set up like that it was even odder, to me. This is a WATN house for me. I want to know if they were able or will be able to remove or modify that wall between the kitchen and dining room. I like the idea of it since the living room was on a lower but still visible level and would still keep the kitchen separate from the living room. I dislike having a kitchen in the living room. Especially when a refrigerator is placed right next to living room furniture. 

I grew up part of my many moves childhood in a split level in Silver Springs, MD exactly like the first home so it was a familiar, favorite house layout. 

[chessiegal]

19 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

I grew up part of my many moves childhood in a split level in Silver Springs, MD exactly like the first home so it was a familiar, favorite house layout. 

Silver Spring - no s.

[stewedsquash]

@chessiegal Ha, typos gonna type. It was off Georgia Avenue on Holdridge Road. We lived everywhere in that area. Rockville, Burtonsville, Laurel. My grandparents had a dairy farm on Randolph Road and sold it to developers back in the 1950 or so. Part of the deal was they got a house built in the same place on Randolph Road. I remember when it was two lanes and then it changed to four lanes. It was also a split level but was huge and had four levels and several entrances and was stacked with all kinds of antiques. My childhood was spent exploring the whole house, even the scary basement's scarier basement. 

Edited May 13, 2023 by stewedsquash
mention link wonky

[chessiegal]

When I moved to Maryland in 1979, I lived in Aspen Hill for a few years, then Gaithersburg, Germantown, and later Bethesda. 

There used to be a large power boat in our marina that had "Silver Springs, MD" on the stern. Now that's a typo!

[Andyourlittledog2]

I fell in love with the Maryland couple. I want to be friends with them. They had such a good vibe about them.  I wish all episodes were like that. I've been watching reruns lately and some of the earlier year couples I want to punch and it takes the fun out of the episode for me. This latest batch of episodes mostly has nice folks in it.

I saw a rerun of a Phoenix man who was buying his first house and looking with his mom. They were adorable. She kept pushing family homes and he wanted a bachelor pad. Finally he put his arm around her and said, 'I'm going to get married to you!'.  So funny.

Then you watch an episode and you wonder who is going to get the house in the inevitable divorce.  Sigh.

[ECM1231]

On 5/11/2023 at 12:28 PM, amarante said:

Of course, on HH there seems to be a level of entitlement where people expect their first starter home to be on the same level as the home a. middle aged person might be able to buy.

^^^ THIS!!!  It really grates. But I guess this is what it's come to. It infuriates me when the home buyer insists that a perfectly fine kitchen or bathroom MUST be gutted. smdh

@chediavolo, I feel for you. Perhaps there is a segment of the population who has generous parents, but no one in my social circle or family have been the recipients of such good will and generosity. My husband bought his own home at the tender age of 24 but he had been working since he was 13 and never spent any money. When we married, I was lucky to move into his home, which he'd had for about 7 years at the time.

Although we paid our mortgage off early, when we moved to our second home, we were only able to pay what we had gotten from our home sale and maybe 10 or 20K more. Although we qualified for a mortgage, we were moving from a city borough to the suburbs. Our school and property taxes in the new home were more than QUADRUPLE what we'd been paying. There was absolutely NO way we could afford to pay taxes and a mortgage. So, we bought a home in need of a lot of cosmetic updates, but essentially it had good bones. The non-negotiable for me was a large, eat-in-kitchen. CHECK ✔️ The non-negotiable for my husband was a 2-car detached garage. ✔️

But oy, we/he did so much work. The home was fugly. I cried. We ripped out the horrible orange shag carpeting. We tore down the metallic foil wallpaper. Hubby refinished wood floors and installed hardwood upstairs where none existed. We knocked down a wall, which was a first-floor bedroom and made it into a dining room. We did things little by little. New windows. A cosmetic kitchen redo with new appliances, flooring, wall coverings, etc. I still don't have granite or quartz countertops. 23 years ago, when we refreshed the kitchen, the cost of granite for our counters was prohibitive. I have a weird peninsula that is not rectangular. It curves at the end, like an oval table. Just that slab alone was super expensive, so we noped out and did Formica. It's fine. Honestly, the cabinetry is super well-made, solid oak. I know oak is out, but it is what it is. My husband won't spend the $ to redo it. He says if we ever sell (not likely) whomever buys the house will purchase the home for cheaper, to factor in the cost of the renovation. I don't think that's how it works. Buyers want to have everything up to date. 

[CalicoKitty]

I just watched the episode about the nurse that was moving to Stockton, CA.  I moved from Stockton a couple of years ago after living there for over 40 years.  The "Waterfront" area she likes so much is in downtown.  Yes, there is a nice marina, but downtown is a very dangerous area.  All of Stockton has gone downhill in the last 10 years.  There are homeless camps all over town, and a lot of crime.  Downtown is really bad.  Many of the stores have closed and there are a lot of people just hanging out.   Lots of shootings. Stockton had a serial murderer last year.  I lived in a nice area, and there were gunshots and robberies very often.  I hope she has some professional help to fix the house she bought.  I am happy that she is so pleased with it, and I hope she and her family stay safe.  Stockton has a lot of huge houses that are in neighborhoods that are now pretty run down.  I wish they had shown some of those former "mansions" because they are really interesting.  There are nice places to live in Stockton, just not by the "waterfront" or near downtown.  They didn't say where her son was going to school, but I wonder if he is attending the university in Stockton.  It sounded like he was living at home, and he appeared to be a nice, smart guy.  I wish her and her family a good future with their move.

Edited May 15, 2023 by CalicoKitty
missing letter

[twoods]

Watching the Milwaukee episode with two sisters moving in together, and I’m impressed at what 250k can buy in WI. I was confused about the estimated mortgage being 1250 per month on a 180k house- that seems very high unless they are putting nothing down, but I thought she was selling her prior home. Also, I forgot how high interest rates are now. Thank goodness for refinancing.

Edited May 15, 2023 by twoods

[CrazyInAlabama]

13 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

 

A husband won't spend the $ to redo it. He says if we ever sell (not likely) whomever buys the house will purchase the home for cheaper, to factor in the cost of the renovation. I don't think that's how it works. Buyers want to have everything up to date. 

In some markets, buyers want to gut out kitchens, and baths, and even if the rooms are updated by the seller, some will pay full market price or more, and then renovate.   It makes no sense, but the home buyers on the show on tours say they will do that, and some actually do that.   Where I live (lower Alabama) turn-key finished houses sell instantly, but fixers either stay on the market for a long time, or there are repeated price drops until it sells.   

I'm getting tired of HH rerunning a few episodes a lot.  The one with the two sisters buying a home, and moving their mother in, has been shown on the regular HH 30 minute episodes, then it was combined for the Monday night one-hour ones with another HH person wanting a home for mom, and last night it was shown as "new" and it isn't.  

Edited May 15, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[chediavolo]

11 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

^^^ THIS!!!  It really grates. But I guess this is what it's come to. It infuriates me when the home buyer insists that a perfectly fine kitchen or bathroom MUST be gutted. smdh

@chediavolo, I feel for you. Perhaps there is a segment of the population who has generous parents, but no one in my social circle or family have been the recipients of such good will and generosity. My husband bought his own home at the tender age of 24 but he had been working since he was 13 and never spent any money. When we married, I was lucky to move into his home, which he'd had for about 7 years at the time.

Although we paid our mortgage off early, when we moved to our second home, we were only able to pay what we had gotten from our home sale and maybe 10 or 20K more. Although we qualified for a mortgage, we were moving from a city borough to the suburbs. Our school and property taxes in the new home were more than QUADRUPLE what we'd been paying. There was absolutely NO way we could afford to pay taxes and a mortgage. So, we bought a home in need of a lot of cosmetic updates, but essentially it had good bones. The non-negotiable for me was a large, eat-in-kitchen. CHECK ✔️ The non-negotiable for my husband was a 2-car detached garage. ✔️

But oy, we/he did so much work. The home was fugly. I cried. We ripped out the horrible orange shag carpeting. We tore down the metallic foil wallpaper. Hubby refinished wood floors and installed hardwood upstairs where none existed. We knocked down a wall, which was a first-floor bedroom and made it into a dining room. We did things little by little. New windows. A cosmetic kitchen redo with new appliances, flooring, wall coverings, etc. I still don't have granite or quartz countertops. 23 years ago, when we refreshed the kitchen, the cost of granite for our counters was prohibitive. I have a weird peninsula that is not rectangular. It curves at the end, like an oval table. Just that slab alone was super expensive, so we noped out and did Formica. It's fine. Honestly, the cabinetry is super well-made, solid oak. I know oak is out, but it is what it is. My husband won't spend the $ to redo it. He says if we ever sell (not likely) whomever buys the house will purchase the home for cheaper, to factor in the cost of the renovation. I don't think that's how it works. Buyers want to have everything up to date. 

I feel for you. I lived for over 20 years in a 160 year old fixer upper before my husband even started fixing! I never had people over. I was depressed , it was hard.  . We spent oodles of money& live in an area where home prices are only higher in certain areas. I understand. We did a lot of work to our ancient formerly neglected home. We used quality materials & bought quality fixtures. We still have some projects. If we ever sell, I’d have to stress to the realtor that “this light was made in usa & cost this much, this cabinet cost this much, etc etc”. 

Oak cabinets sound great! Can you change the hardware to update?

I lived for decades with cruddy pressed wood cabinets. It gives me anxiety to remember how bad this place looked. But we were not entitled or wealthy & never got an inheritance . Sometimes even hard working honest people are prone to bad luck financially. It took way too long, and now I have to hope we can stay living on 2 floors in a rural area as we age.  House hunters just pisses me off. It’s not just the younger ones who are entitled or out of touch. I feel like the wealthy are just taking over. Those of us who worked, are retired  & do not have close to a million in savings & life insurance are invisible. But that’s America. I’d vote for whoever went after the credit card companies for their mafia like interest rates.  

[laredhead]

CrazyInAlabama, I had never seen the Atlanta episode with the twin sisters looking for a house where they could live with their mother.  About 10 minutes (or less) into it, I wondered why I was wasting 25 minutes of my life watching it.  I did stick it out to the end to see which house they bought, and of the 3 houses, it was obvious that the 1st one which was a new build, was the only one that came close to their wants/needs.  I did get confused and wasn't interested enough at that late hour to figure out if the unmarried sister took the basement room.  Was the 1st house the one with a basement room that could be a large bedroom?  The husband definitely needed a space that he could retreat to - IMO.

They never explained who was paying for the house, and I assumed it was a 50/50 deal, or maybe the mother was going to contribute to the purchase.  I did not like that bright blue on the house exterior, but thought that maybe the sister who liked bright colors requested that since we all know the HH's have already purchased the houses we see.     

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, the one woman's husband had somewhere to retreat to, I think.     When I saw the exterior paint matched the one sister's top, I knew it was the one.    I knew the one where the realtor said the mother's room would be upstairs was a decoy.   

[Andyourlittledog2]

This show has sooooo many seasons and soooo many episodes and I have barely watched any of them because I wasn't interested. I watched HHI exclusively. But in the last couple weeks I have been watching HH.  And what episodes do they show? The few ones I have seen. How is this possible?  The gods are laughing at me.

Worse, there was one I watched this week (on OWN) that I not only watched before but loathed. It was the Camano Island (Puget Sound) episode with the incredibly entitled smug and boring couple who managed somehow to make the episode more like a travelogue of Camano Island and how wonderful they could live there and very much less about the houses. Let's walk on the beach and talk about the island!  I have wine. Sit on this piece of driftwood and talk about how lucky we are.  Let's go boating! Let's talk some more about the island and how lucky we are!  It was obnoxious. And I had seen it all before. The actual houses were just jumping off points for their little conversations on the water or the beach. I remember how much I hated it years ago when I saw it. And it has not improved with age.

[Empress1]

On 4/30/2023 at 10:13 PM, alexa said:

I am watching an episode now that a young single mother says, I was a teenage mom which isn’t ideal…but I had three girls to raise, and they are now 17, 18, and 19.  So she didn’t plan to be a teenage mom but then had a child a year for 3 years?  Oh my!  Lol. 

I had the same thought. Like, nothing changed after the first teen pregnancy? Okay then!

On 5/9/2023 at 1:25 PM, Crashcourse said:

I liked the Tampa couple, and I also figured they'd pick the first house.  The husband was funny with his deadpan humor.

I was obsessed with her gray curls. I thought they were gorgeous. 

On 5/9/2023 at 2:55 PM, ECM1231 said:

The 3rd home was freaking me out b/c it looked like there was a creek or other body of water behind it, and there was no fencing. I'd be petrified that some gators would be coming out of it.

My friend’s parents retired to FL and their place backs up against a canal and they regularly have gators on their grass. Absolutely not! I remember watching some gator hunter show and this very nice-seeming man called the gator hunter all “Got two on the lawn and my grandkids want to play outside, can you come by?” And the “two on the lawn” were HUGE. He was so casual! I know you’d get used to it if you lived there, but I’m not sure I could.

[cinsays]

just watched one with a newly divorced mom living with her friend and looking for something to "put her stamp on".... how novel

that poor friend having to put up with this gal who kind of seems a little not genuine and playing for the cameral

strange that there was one house that she ruled out because the hoa only let you have a fence if you have a pool..   what kind of strange rule is that?

[amarante]

6 minutes ago, cinsays said:

just watched one with a newly divorced mom living with her friend and looking for something to "put her stamp on".... how novel

that poor friend having to put up with this gal who kind of seems a little not genuine and playing for the cameral

strange that there was one house that she ruled out because the hoa only let you have a fence if you have a pool..   what kind of strange rule is that?

In terms of priority, a HOA would have to follow statutes and most places do require that pools have fences as do insurance companies and simple prudence.

I didn't watch the show but the allowed fences for pools might be the kind of wrought iron fences that people use for pool safety rather than privacy fences around the yard. No one uses high privacy fence around a pool because it would be dangerous as well as unsightly.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Lake St. Louis episode. 

 I had to agree with the friend, that the first new build where you pick your upgrades can go way up in price with selecting upgrades.  I liked the model home, but not the finishes the HHer picked. 

Second house was OK, but nothing spectacular.  

The second house where you can only have a fence if you have a pool is a little odd, but I've known people who lived in subdivisions where you couldn't have fences at all, not front or back yard, and therefore, no pool.   Sometimes that is because the HOA takes care of mowing front and back, and so they don't want to mow around fences, but go straight across the front and back yard and mow quickly, with only having to do between homes.    I know of some HOAs tell you up front, no fences, and you have to decide to buy or not.  Foolish people move into places like that thinking they'll get an exemption, but they don't.  

Third house was a total fixer.

Not surprised she bought the new build, and waited six months to get exactly what she wanted.   She also wanted the separation for the son, because she said something about him gaming a lot.  A sometimes noisy hobby.  

Edited May 17, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[snarts]

Lake St Louis, MO:  she knows her finances better than anyone but it seemed like a lot of house for someone who will be an empty nester in less than two years.  New builds are pricey because of what they often don't include: landscaping, fencing, window treatments, basement finishing, etc.  

Didn't much care for the finished house.  It didn't have any of the interesting stone work or interior finishings we saw on model and her choices were very white and very boring. 

That's an extremely nice friend to let her, her son and three dogs stay at her house for months on end. 

[Andyourlittledog2]

If I were buying a house I wouldn't think having a practically separate area for my fifteen year old son was a good thing. I got the impression that the newly divorced, frankly kinda flaky, buyer was more interested in her future privacy and romantic prospects than in what kind of home would be best for raising a fifteen year old boy.  It was like she was trying to set up his own bachelor pad and move him away from her rather than trying to bring him in closer to the family, which in this case is her.  It's natural for teens to pull away but parents aren't supposed to push them away, especially such a young teen. She was pretty easy going about crashing her friend's home for up to a year or more too.  I didn't like her much. See seemed super self-centered.

A agree that was a LOT of white in that house. It reminded me of that ABFAB episode where Edina and Patsy visit their too hip friends' all white minimalist home and all they can see is white everywhere to the point that it all blends together and they can't distinguish any objects or furniture at all. 

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, snarts said:

That's an extremely nice friend to let her, her son and three dogs stay at her house for months on end. 

Oh my gosh, yes. When viewing the new build, the realtor said it could take up to 12 months to complete. The buyer was saying she wasn't sure if she wanted to wait that long. Meanwhile, I'm thinking her friend would be in a hurry to be rid of them, but nope, she was so cheery!

The HOA home was definitely out because she needed that fence for her dog, and who's going to put in a pool, if not wanted?

I agree that the new build she contracted for was not as nice as the original, at least not the facade. 6 months was not a bad time frame, though. 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, snarts said:

That's an extremely nice friend to let her, her son and three dogs stay at her house for months on end. 

I'll say!  I have a friend who moved across the country before her house was finished being built because she had to start her new job, and a friend of hers who lived in that city - the only person she knew there - and had a three-bedroom house in which she lived with her husband, two cats, and a dog, let my friend, her boyfriend, two dogs, and two cats move in until the house was ready.  I don't remember how long a period it was for as this was nearly 20 years ago, but it was several months at least. 

This person is one of my best friends, has been since we were children, and is like a sister to me.  There is NO WAY I'd have done that for her.  I'd have helped them find temporary housing in advance of their arrival, I'd have even helped pay for it if need be, but no way on this or any other planet would I take in that many people and pets (if I had a house with room for them, which I do not).

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tehachapi, CA.   Cabin vs. house.   Husband has a brother with mobility issues who comes to visit, so a nice house without carpet would be great, especially without steps.   Husband wants land so he can have mules, donkeys, etc.  From having relatives that used to live there, there are modern houses, all the way to houses that have water tanks that have to be refilled, because no water service. 

First house- $590, 4 bed 2 bath, new, great views, very new and modern.  No livestock.  1.6 acres, but very little flat land. .

Second house, 3 bed 2 bath, total fixer, suburban looking, 1.3 acres allows livestock, smaller than #1, needs a lot of work, driveway is flooded, needs new floors, kitchen, windows replaced, bathrooms are awful, bedrooms are small, laundry/pantry is small, every room needs to be redone.  Carpet is nasty and smelly.   Main bedroom is big, with a nice view.   They want to spend $45k to add a primary suite on the first floor, and want to put an addition to add square feet to kitchen/dining/living.  Probaby rewire, repipe.  Was listed for $350k but reduced. $325k, offered $275, bought for $280k.     They think that the additions and remodel will only cost $100k, I'm guessing that's wrong. 

Third house- $780k, 4 bed 2 bath, (I swear they showed 3 baths, but maybe not) fantastic outside, if you're into rustic exterior McMansions, on 19+ acres, custom home, 10 minutes from downtown Tehachapi.  Lots of interior arches, they want to refinish floors, and change out some lights.  bathrooms are nice.  Lots of steps so an issue for husband's brother who uses a wheelchair.  main bedroom closet is small, and bathroom needs some work.   4 bedrooms, I think.  

They buy #2. 

Edited May 17, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[buttersister]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

They think that the additions and remodel will only cost $100k, I'm guessing that's wrong. 

LOL! Yes, you're right. She bought in because she could get it exactly the way she wants. I think he went for the price so they could keep their other house in Chino Hills (?) without renting it out. 

That's one I'd like to revisit--mostly to see if he cheaps out and doesn't go past the $100K. In which case, good thing they kept the Chino Hills house because that's where she'll be living. LOL!

[South]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

I'll say!  I have a friend who moved across the country before her house was finished being built because she had to start her new job, and a friend of hers who lived in that city - the only person she knew there - and had a three-bedroom house in which she lived with her husband, two cats, and a dog, let my friend, her boyfriend, two dogs, and two cats move in until the house was ready.  I don't remember how long a period it was for as this was nearly 20 years ago, but it was several months at least. 

This person is one of my best friends, has been since we were children, and is like a sister to me.  There is NO WAY I'd have done that for her.  I'd have helped them find temporary housing in advance of their arrival, I'd have even helped pay for it if need be, but no way on this or any other planet would I take in that many people and pets (if I had a house with room for them, which I do not).

I reckon I used to be way more easy going than I am now.  I’ve kept multiple pets for friends who were on months-long trips or during difficult international moves.  Parents of a mere acquaintance, along with their two Westies, stayed with me once for 8 days when their trip was derailed by a blizzard.  I had never met them before.  I’ve had 40 or so boxes of belongings in my garage or basement several times for friends who were between residences.  All was fine.  Now, years later, I have trouble reconciling that that person was actually me.

 

 

 

[Soapy Goddess]

On 5/8/2023 at 7:17 PM, Andyourlittledog2 said:

Real estate agents have lost their damn minds. One of them this weekend on House Hunters described a house, I kid you not, as a 'two story split level craftsman'. It was a basically a box with shutters. I think that every house that is not a cape cod or a colonial is now described as a craftsman (if it has two stories) or a ranch (any house with one story that is not properly a mid-century modern). I don't know where this started but it's driving me nuts.

I couldn't agree more!  They don't have a clue as to house style...and don't even know the difference between a bi-level and a split level. 

And not every undermounted sink is a farm sink either. 

[amarante]

The Tehachapi couple were delusional if they thought they could renovate that monstrosity - especially in Southern California - for $100,000.

A master bathroom REMODEL (i.e. plumbing already in place) costs $45,000 if done with upgraded fixtures. Just an addition would easily cost more than $100,000. An upgraded kitchen WITHOUT removing walls would cost $50,000. And given the age of the house, any homeowner is going to have to upgrade non-cosmetic stuff like electrical and pipes and possibly roof and foundation.

 

[StatisticalOutlier]

19 hours ago, amarante said:

No one uses high privacy fence around a pool because it would be dangerous as well as unsightly.

Do you mean in those open subdivisions where not all houses have fences around the back yard?  Would a privacy fence in that situation be unsightly because it's the only one around?  I can see that, but I don't see how it would be dangerous. 

(It also just occurred to me that these HHs are always talking about their privacy, but I've never heard it enter into a conversation about hanging around in your bathing suit in full view of everyone through a wrought iron fence.)

[amarante]

5 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Do you mean in those open subdivisions where not all houses have fences around the back yard?  Would a privacy fence in that situation be unsightly because it's the only one around?  I can see that, but I don't see how it would be dangerous. 

(It also just occurred to me that these HHs are always talking about their privacy, but I've never heard it enter into a conversation about hanging around in your bathing suit in full view of everyone through a wrought iron fence.)

It would be dangerous because you wouldn’t be able to see the pool unkess you were inside the enclosure. Typically safety fences for pools just enclose the actual pool with a relatively small amount of space to walk around. If you enclose a larger area then you aren’t really making the pool safe.

in the episode in which no fences except those for pools were allowed, I think it was because they wanted to preserve the views for people in that area by the lake. Also, I doubt whether most people in that location had pools because they were right by the lake and Minnesota is not a climate in which you get a lot of use from a pool. It didn’t look as if anyone had a pool 🤷‍♀️

People with dogs sometimes use electronic barriers which are invisible 

[Kemper]

I did not see the beginning of last night’s show with the couple from Tehachopi (?) so do not know the reasons they were house hunting . This house is supposed to be used as a “second home” with a place for donkeys to roam and a stable for horses? And the house remodeled to Farmhouse Chic? Only saw a second of the first house but it wasn’t hard to see that remodeling any would be financially prohibitive for most people. They kept mentioning not wanting to sell the house they currently own. They must have a ton of money- maybe an inheritance or they have lucrative careers. At least the husband was considerate of his brother’s need; he is apparently handicapped.

Neither seemed particularly grounded; probably because I missed their backstory.
 

 

[amarante]

7 minutes ago, Kemper said:

I did not see the beginning of last night’s show with the couple from Tehachopi (?) so do not know the reasons they were house hunting . This house is supposed to be used as a “second home” with a place for donkeys to roam and a stable for horses? And the house remodeled to Farmhouse Chic? Only saw a second of the first house but it wasn’t hard to see that remodeling any would be financially prohibitive for most people. They kept mentioning not wanting to sell the house they currently own. They must have a ton of money- maybe an inheritance or they have lucrative careers. At least the husband was considerate of his brother’s need; he is apparently handicapped.

Neither seemed particularly grounded; probably because I missed their backstory.
 

 

You didn't miss anything relevant.

It could be inferred that they wanted to keep the Chino Hills house as an investment and rent it out.

The reason for the move - or at least as stated - was because they wanted a more rural location. He would have a 150 mile commute but since his shift at the firehouse was for several days, it wasn't a factor. She worked from home but periodically visited firehouses in Orange and LA County for sales so again I would imagine commuting would be less of a factor than a standard job in one place since she would have long commutes wherever her home was.

[Andyourlittledog2]

What killed me with the Tehachapi episode was the desire for animals. Do they think animals just take care of themselves? That's an every day, morning and night, commitment.  You can't go away for days at a time without hiring someone to care for the animals.

Also, he worked in Santa Ana. That's a hell of a long way from Tehachapi. And she had to visit fire stations in both LA and Orange counties. The distance between where they said they wanted to live and anything close to where they worked (not every day but still they had to go there often enough) was ridiculous.

The house was a money pit but the price was so low that they actually could spend a couple hundred thousand on renovations and still be in his low end price area. So it's doable.

I wanted to like them but I kinda don't.

[CrazyInAlabama]

2 hours ago, Kemper said:

I did not see the beginning of last night’s show with the couple from Tehachopi (?) so do not know the reasons they were house hunting . This house is supposed to be used as a “second home” with a place for donkeys to roam and a stable for horses? And the house remodeled to Farmhouse Chic? Only saw a second of the first house but it wasn’t hard to see that remodeling any would be financially prohibitive for most people. They kept mentioning not wanting to sell the house they currently own. They must have a ton of money- maybe an inheritance or they have lucrative careers. At least the husband was considerate of his brother’s need; he is apparently handicapped.

Neither seemed particularly grounded; probably because I missed their backstory.
 

 

Their budget was $400k if they kept the house they're in now, and rented it out.  If they sold the current house, and went way over $400k, then they would finance the new house and renos with the proceeds of the first house.   I suspect it was just a storyline.  

[pdlinda]

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Their budget was $400k if they kept the house they're in now, and rented it out.  If they sold the current house, and went way over $400k, then they would finance the new house and renos with the proceeds of the first house.   I suspect it was just a storyline.  

I thought I heard him say that if they bought the house they did for a bargain price and spent whatever was necessary for the reno they could keep their present house and not rent it.  

Between the reno and the cost of purchasing, housing and caring for all those animals combined with the trips they plan to take, the motorized vehicles and farm equipment they will need and other furnishings they will have to purchase, I'm thinking maybe they have some other source of income at their disposal. Fire fighters, as heroic as they are, don't make that much $$$.  However, maybe her sales job produces massive commissions selling equipment to fire houses.  They're obviously getting the $$ from somewhere!

[Kemper]

This was just one of the oddest HH I have watched…and that is saying a lot.

[amarante]

14 hours ago, pdlinda said:

I thought I heard him say that if they bought the house they did for a bargain price and spent whatever was necessary for the reno they could keep their present house and not rent it.  

Between the reno and the cost of purchasing, housing and caring for all those animals combined with the trips they plan to take, the motorized vehicles and farm equipment they will need and other furnishings they will have to purchase, I'm thinking maybe they have some other source of income at their disposal. Fire fighters, as heroic as they are, don't make that much $$$.  However, maybe her sales job produces massive commissions selling equipment to fire houses.  They're obviously getting the $$ from somewhere!

He said they wouldn't have to SELL. Implication was that they would keep as an investment property and not have to sell. Presumably there was a small mortgage or paid off mortgage so they could purchase an additional home up to $450,000 without needing to sell.

I didn't get the sense they were planning to have a huge number of animals requiring a lot of equipment beyond basic riding lawnmower or whatever. Since his schedule has him at home for extended days, it is probably easier for him to do maintenance than someone who has a more typical M-F type of job. The wife would presumably be living there full time to handle any odd stuff 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Birmingham episode, A Fresh Start in Birmingham.   Sadly, down payment comes from house hunter's late mother. 

First house had an awful back yard, and the house rooms were small.   I really disliked her aunt pushing for this house because it was relatively close to the aunt's house.  

Second house is too far out.  3 bed 2 bath, new build. Since it's a new build, the builder might put up a fence.  Aunt keeps makeing excuses for the flaws of the house.  There's being critical, and being a fool.   House also needs back yard work to flatten it out, and a fence.  (I find it to be great that she bought the house as far away from Auntie Sharon as possible.  From what the aunt said, I think her plan is to have house hunter be the caretakers for her and the uncle). 

Third house-In Aunt Sharon's preferred neighborhood in Forestdale, AL, north of Birmingham.  Aunt says she wants niece close to help aunt and uncle as they age. I hate the big slope of the driveway downhill to the house.  Kitchen is nice, floors are nice.  Aunt is really pushing for this house.  Living room is two steps down and I think it was a car port and then walled in, and changed to the living room.  Backyard is partially fenced, and flat.  This house is a 4 bedroom, so primary bedroom is small, with nice ensuite, but no counterspace on the vanity.  Basement is good for tornado season.  Bedrooms are small. 

She buys #2.  I like that house, and hope she's happy there. 

Edited May 19, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[laredhead]

I watched 2 episodes that I think aired last night, the 17th.  First one was a retired military guy who wanted to buy a large house, and he wanted a pool if possible.  His sister went along for the hunt, and she is a licensed realtor in Florida.  I guess we are now going to add the term "farmer's porch" to the farm house sink, modern farm house style, and barn door as descriptives in what HH's want.  His sister was pushing him to buy a smaller house, with updates.  He wanted a big house, and didn't mind darker cabinets, and older style of certain things.  

The 2nd episode was a newly married couple buying a house in the San Francisco area.  The wife really annoyed me to no end.  All she wanted was a house that would impress friends and family.  She kept insisting that they had worked hard for a long time, and they deserved a reward in the form of a very expensive house.  This couple couldn't have been out of their early or mid-30's.  Geeeeeze!  Wait until they are in their 50's and she can say they worked a long time.  Also, she had no idea what an Eichler house is.  If you want to impress your friends who know about MCM architecture, buy an Eichler house.  The husband was more laid back and didn't care about impressing anyone.  She was extra.

     

[buttersister]

I liked Birmingham mom and her absolute sense of avoiding living too close to her aunt. LOL!

Firefighter specified at the end that they could keep their Chino Hills house without renting it out. I suspect that's because they'll be living there until all of the wife's changes are made!

The retired military nurse seemed so happy with the house he bought--"big enough to host everything and far enough out that he'll probably have to visit other family members." He's a grown-ass man, he knew what he wanted, sis. 

[snarts]

Western Mass:  I liked him and liked seeing an area of the country that's rarely shown on HH.  I thought the house he chose was good fit, aside from the stairs he really didn't want. I used to laugh at my parents when they said talked about moving into a single level home.  Well, flash forward 20 years and now I can't wait to do the same.

The San Francisco episode was labeled as new but I swear I'd seen it before. The Eichler home they don't chose brought it all back. While I hadn't immediately remembered the couple, she annoyed me all over again. Why do so many people chose homes just to impress others?  

Edited May 19, 2023 by snarts
Edited to add, this was definitely a rerun. I did a search of the forum and @amarante you posted about this episode back in November 2022

[CrazyInAlabama]

San Francisco couple looked familiar, but to me it seemed like the same story line that HH is happy to show.  I found the wife and her demand to go in debt to impress everyone with how much they spent was ridiculous. . Often the storyline is that one partner demands they buy at the top of their budget, to impress other people with how much money they can spend.   Her remarks do sound familiar, and social worker sounds familiar.  

$1.5 million is ridiculous, but unless it's outside of San Francisco, it won't buy anything grand the way she wants.  I don't understand how a couple stay together when he wants to spend $1 million, and she demands they spend $1.5 or more. 

House #1, Walnut Creek, Eichler house just under $1.5 millionspectacular, but don't like the addition.  It looks like a kleenex box glued to a classic home.   It's not a 3/2, now 5 bed, 2 bath with the giant addition.   She only cares about "Wowing" visitors with the money they can spend. I hate the way the home addition towers over all of the neighboring houses.    

House #2-$1.075 million, looks like every other 3 bed 2 bath, suburban home.  No, the hardwoods in the living room, don't look original, they look prefinished, engineered hardwoods to me. For over $1 million you get sheet vinyl in the kitchen, and tile counter tops and counter tops.   Baths are builder's grade. Ensuite is small.  She demands a new kitchen and bath updates, so much for being under $1.5 million after the upgrades she demands. 

House #3-Walnut Creek.   Her remark in the kitchen says it all to me, "Which is fancier, Marble or Quartz" to the realtor.  She doesn't care about the house, just what impresses other people more.   Recent flip, he's right to question if they cut $1.198 million, 3 bed, 2.5 bath.  She doesn't care about curb appeal, except to impress people.   2218 sq ft.  Realtor is wrong about the covered fireplace, I bet it was covered up because it wasn't functional, and would cost many thousands to make it safe and operational.    Realtor is wrong again, not all home inspectors are the same quality, and they can't open up walls to inspect the quality of the work on electrical and plumbing where it's hidden.    Realtor says there is a deadline for offers, meaning there will be multiple offers, and a bidding war.  

They choose #3, to make her happy.   

Edited May 19, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[amarante]

The San Francisco episode was odd because the episode itself was new but I thought they used the EIchler house in a previous episode.

There was a previous episode in which an Eichler house was remodeled in the same terrible way so that they expanded the kitchen to a monstrous size and so there was only a tiny "living" area. I don't recall the other Eichler having the weird disproportionate addition so perhaps there is a serial mutilator of Eichler homes who somehow thinks there is a market for ridiculously renovated homes. There wasn't even a second living area as I recall so it would have been an instant rejection from me.

Also I understand that Eichler is a big name for some reason but I thought that the realtor saying he was exclusive because he only built 11,000 homes seemed to completely negate his exclusivity. He was a tract home mass builder who built relatively modest homes in a certain area and at a certain time - essentially he was the Levitt of Walnut Creek and environs and not a damn Frank Lloyd Wright :-)

I live in an expensive real estate market (Los Angeles) but damn all of the houses were objectively terrible. The flip was ugly as hell with the plastic gray laminate flooring in the living room and that awful ugly kitchen. The flipper had really done the cheapest flip I have seen - at the very least put some damn hardwood in the living room of a million dollar home. The finishes in the bathroom were so ugly and cliched as well.

And the woman was horrible. It has been a while since there has been as clueless a HH. She wanted "high end" and she didn't even know what high end was - asking which was better - quartz or marble and asking if obviously plastic floors are wood.

I understand theoretically how coming from a poor background and climbing to the top can make one a bit nouveau riche in terms of wanting to exhibit your wealth. But she didn't even know how to exhibit it since her standards for display were so off. Why the husband is putting up with this kind of idiotic keeping up with the Jones is a mystery - she is going to waste money for the rest of their marriage 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2023 by amarante