House Hunters - General Discussion

[rhofmovalley]

She asked if quartz or marble was "more expensive" or "looks more expensive". To whom? I guess she wants her friends and family from the Philippines to visit and express envy or admiration. That would never be important to me but I guess it is to her.

Reminds me of my former sister in law. She bought the leather interior for her new SUV because "it looks expensive". And she wanted jewelry. Tons of jewelry. The bigger and gaudier the better. To show off to her sisters. 

[ECM1231]

31 minutes ago, amarante said:

essentially he was the Levitt of Walnut Creek and environs and not a damn Frank Lloyd Wright :-)

😂 Love it!

[StatisticalOutlier]

10 hours ago, laredhead said:

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. 

I'll take heat for this, but I get sooo annoyed at young people, especially those who work in tech, who talk about how hard they've worked.  Try working in a chicken processing plant all day, never mind doing your work without opportunities to put a load of laundry in the washer, take your dog for a walk, or do some Instagram scrolling.  Then do it for 40 straight years.

1 hour ago, snarts said:

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?  

What got me was that she said it so many times and I thought, Does she not realize how that comes across?  But then I realized she DOES realize how that comes across but she doesn't see anything wrong with it.  Her husband seems so opposite, and I felt kind of bad because he seemed fairly pleasant and pragmatic but he's yoked to someone whose thinking is, "We should spend every penny they approved us for."  Because they always know more about personal spending that the actual person does.

(But actually, that fits with what her world view seems to be--what others think is what matters.)

I'm almost positive I've seen that Eichler house on this show before--I remember the side view with that heinous addition.  (Or maybe amarante's theory about a serial manipulator is true and their m.o. is to tack on a big rectangular addition, so there's more than one of these with that silhouette.)  

I assumed it had another living area, what with all that square footage, but nope.  Just one couch facing a window.  I honestly can't remember if the expanded Eichler house I'd seen before had that configuration, and it's possible I just didn't notice the first time around because it's one of those staging tricks, where you don't notice something.

But I do remember someone before wanting high-end and having to ask which was more expensive--quartz or marble.  So I'm back to thinking this was a rerun, but I don't remember being appalled at how shitty the flip house was.  Or maybe that's because I didn't know as much about them back then. 

I can't remember which house they ended up with.  Was it the flip?  IIRC they picked the one with the filled-in fireplace (which I associate with a flip).  At least if you leave the fireplace opening intact you can put candles or something in there; I thought just having it bricked over was awful, and I suspect turning it back into a working fireplace will be super expensive, if even possible at all.  I'm kind of glad that's the focal point of her living room because nothing says "high end" like a bricked-in fireplace with photos around it to try to disguise it. 

[Chicken Fingers]

Nothing screams luxury like a plastic gray floor.

[BAForever]

On 5/11/2023 at 11:28 AM, amarante said:

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  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. 

Firm believer that it isn't horrible to live in a crap hole when young so you can enjoy nicer when you're older. These people who agonize over quartz or marble crack me up. If you like it, who cares which it is? I hate-watch a lot more when the budget is bigger.

 

Edited May 19, 2023 by BAForever
Wonky wifi

[amarante]

4 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

 

I'm almost positive I've seen that Eichler house on this show before--I remember the side view with that heinous addition.  (Or maybe amarante's theory about a serial manipulator is true and their m.o. is to tack on a big rectangular addition, so there's more than one of these with that silhouette.)  

But I do remember someone before wanting high-end and having to ask which was more expensive--quartz or marble.  So I'm back to thinking this was a rerun, but I don't remember being appalled at how shitty the flip house was.  Or maybe that's because I didn't know as much about them back then. 

I can't remember which house they ended up with.  Was it the flip?  IIRC they picked the one with the filled-in fireplace (which I associate with a flip).  At least if you leave the fireplace opening intact you can put candles or something in there; I thought just having it bricked over was awful, and I suspect turning it back into a working fireplace will be super expensive, if even possible at all.  I'm kind of glad that's the focal point of her living room because nothing says "high end" like a bricked-in fireplace with photos around it to try to disguise it. 

I think they either have an arrangement with the owners of the mutilated Eichler home or some other idiot decided having a kitchen that would be over-sized in a McMansion would make functional and aesthetic sense in a small space since who needs any kind of actual living area with couches and comfortable seating? 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣

The reason I think this is a "new" set of HH as the wife was so memorably awful and stupid that most people would have remember her even without the Eichler

And there have indeed been a few householders who exhibit their incredible stupidity by asking whether flooring is wood - after stating they *must* have wood or asking if a counter was marble or granite or quartz - after stating they absolutely needed a certain surface. Trending in the past year has been idiots (including realtors) calling a single bowl under-mounted sink a farmhouse sink. 🤷🏼‍♀️ There seems to be less emphasis on insisting on stainless steel with no differentiation between cheap appliances that are stainless and higher quality appliances. Who in their right mind would reject a Miele, Bosch, Thermador or equivalent versus a Whirlpool?

They wound up with the flip which was memorable because it was truly one of the ugliest flips I have ever seen. Generally flippers attempt to make the home aesthetically attractive in terms of finishes but whoever did this flip seemed to deliberately make the ugliest choices possible - gray plastic floors when the rest of the house had wood - sheet vinyl kitchen floors. Hideous bathrooms 

Edited May 19, 2023 by amarante

[chediavolo]

23 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

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.  

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. 

I got the feeling that she liked the fact that it was far out from her aunts house!

14 hours ago, laredhead said:

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.

     

Hated her too. I would have definitely thought long about that Eichler house, although they sure as hell didn’t show enough of it. If the only living room is that tiny space off the kitchen that would be a no go, but the house was so large where the heck was the rest of it?

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

San Francisco couple looked familiar, but to me it seemed like the same story. 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.   

My husband said the Eichler house look like a bunch of trailer homes  piled on top of one another😂

[debbie311]

San Francisco couple - when she asked what was "fancier" quartz or marble, it was positively cringe-worthy. She is a perfect example of how money can't buy class. How her husband can live with her is beyond me. Imagine living your life and your goal is to impress people.  It's really pretty sad when you think about it, but she was very unlikeable.

[StatisticalOutlier]

3 hours ago, debbie311 said:

San Francisco couple - when she asked what was "fancier" quartz or marble, it was positively cringe-worthy.

Mr. Outlier and I were discussing this episode over dinner.  He agrees that she used the word "fancier," and the realtor replied, "Marble is more expensive."

Also, we both remember that I looked at the copyright date at the end of the episode, and it was 2021.  So I did some poking around and it originally aired in June 2021:

https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/94184-house-hunters/?do=findComment&comment=6842100

and again in November 2022:

https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/94184-house-hunters/?do=findComment&comment=7732065

 

[kirklandia]

I was sure I had seen that Bay Area episode before as soon as I saw that Eichler house.   It wasn't hard to find  on a real estate site - the house had been on the market from November 2020 until January 2021.   

[cinsays]

watched a really annoying episode last nighta couple, 2 women, and one was some kind of podcaster who showed food she had prepared.  they and the realtor all had a really pronounced vocal fry that was very distracting and like nails on a chalkboard.  not sure i even made it thru to see which one they picked.  my ears!!!

 

then watched one with a gal who wanted a tiny house for her and her two large dogs.  she settled on one with an attached greenhouse (yes!); but her bedroom was up some unsafe looking stairs without enough room to sit up in bed (no!)

so, the dogs can't visit her upstairs and if she had to use the bathroom she has to navigate down those stairs

should have looked to see what year this was filmed.  wonder if she's still there and happy 

 

[StatisticalOutlier]

14 minutes ago, cinsays said:

should have looked to see what year this was filmed.  wonder if she's still there and happy 

My DirecTV grid says it was from 2020, and the copyright date may have been 2019--I can't remember for sure. 

I'm sure she's still there because she didn't have a truck to move the tiny house, and she was going to have to have an additional truck to move the greenhouse.

Or, let's say I'm sure the house is still there.  😀

[amarante]

16 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Mr. Outlier and I were discussing this episode over dinner.  He agrees that she used the word "fancier," and the realtor replied, "Marble is more expensive."

Also, we both remember that I looked at the copyright date at the end of the episode, and it was 2021.  So I did some poking around and it originally aired in June 2021:

https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/94184-house-hunters/?do=findComment&comment=6842100

and again in November 2022:

https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/94184-house-hunters/?do=findComment&comment=7732065

 

Amazing the odd stuff one forgets and what one remembers.

Following your links (thank you) I found the comments when it was originally aired and I actually commented on it so I saw it.

I only remembered the awful Eichler but nothing else about the episode. She was so memorably awful that it is interesting that I had no memory of her and the couple's terrible dynamics yet such a clear memory of the horrendous Eichler remodel with room for only a small sofa facing a slider in the living room.

Does this mean that my memory for bad flips is better than for awful people?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think the Eichler with that revolting addition was so memorable that your mind didn't have room for the rotten attitude by the snobby wife.   

I still find it hysterical that wife demanded the most expensive, and didn't know if marble or quartz cost more, and more cost equals more impressive to other people. 

I'm watching the OWN reruns, and there's an episode from 2018 in San Antonio, with a huge budget.  The houses were nice, but I really loved whatever the meal was they were discussing the houses over.    

I know this was a fairly recent rerun, but I think someone else was looking in the Walnut Creek area, and saw the Eichler then, and it's been more than a couple of years ago. 

Edited May 21, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[laredhead]

Wondering if the SF couple are still together, and if the hubby still works in the tech industry considering some of the big layoffs recently.  This couple definitely should be featured on a WATN episode, if only for the wife to show us what they have done to make that house impressive.  I do wish HH would bring those episodes back. 

 

[Grizzly]

Boise, ID. She looks all of 12. Love the dining room table Zeke made. #1 was too small for the price. Yes, I understand it's about the location. #2 seemed to be the best pick. Although I liked the finishes in #3, it was too far out. Think what they picked won't work long term.

[BAForever]

7 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Boise, ID. She looks all of 12. Love the dining room table Zeke made. #1 was too small for the price. Yes, I understand it's about the location. #2 seemed to be the best pick. Although I liked the finishes in #3, it was too far out. Think what they picked won't work long term.

They were a cute couple. Do not see the wisdom in choosing a house that he literally has to duck down to enter the downstairs. It's not like it's an unfinished basement either, it's half the living space. Plus I'd want all those raised beds in the backyard. 

[laredhead]

I was watching a rerun of HH a couple of days ago, and realized how often the HH's are shown in the kitchen of either the house they are leaving, or the house they bought and they are eating just a plate of scrambled eggs.  Nothing else, just eggs.  I guess they are easy to fix, and the producers want to show that food is actually cooked, but I have never sat down to a plate of only scrambled eggs.  Yes, there have been a few times when someone has been cooking something else, like the Louisiana couple a few years ago making gumbo.  I know I should be saying something about the house on the rerun, but now I can't remember anything about it other than the scrambled eggs and the 4 people sitting there with just eggs to eat.  

[snarts]

Boise, ID: The house they were in, their "starter" home, looked larger and more updated than any of the options shown.  I get location is important but they were still 6 miles from downtown, it's not like it was suddenly walkable. Plus, $830k for a small bungalow, where one of the bedrooms was in the basement?  Nope.

[ECM1231]

4 hours ago, BAForever said:

They were a cute couple. Do not see the wisdom in choosing a house that he literally has to duck down to enter the downstairs. It's not like it's an unfinished basement either, it's half the living space. Plus I'd want all those raised beds in the backyard. 

Yep, yep,yep. I believe the realtor said the 3rd bedroom was in the basement. It was the most expensive, and the smallest. I thought the raised beds in the front yard were unsightly and would have wanted them in the back, too. But hey, she got her chickens!

[CrazyInAlabama]

Boise, new episode.   

I wouldn't have bought the first house.   Was the basement even considered livable space with the low ceilings?   I bet it wasn't.  The first also had the third bedroom in the basement, without egress windows.    I was so shocked that the wife wanted a house that the husband couldn't even stand up in half of it, that I didn't notice about the egress windows.   She wanted the front yard garden, because then she could show off that she was gardening.   I'm surprised she didn't want the chicken coop in the front yard too, to show that off too. 

I would have bought the second Boise house.  It needed very little change, and they would be cosmetic, not necessary.  It was also accessible for the tall husband.   

Third house would have been a nightmare with the wife's demand that she would use the barn for goats, alpacas, llamas, and possibly other animals.   This house also needed a lot of work, and lacked character or nice finishes. 

The house hunters also couldn't live in a HOA community, because they wanted chickens, and I bet some would limit the garden beds in the front yard too.  There might be rules about the number or type of chickens in the city limits too.  Some places don't allow roosters, for obvious crowing reasons. 

I watched the flip show, Boise Boys, and they said that the prices were just as high as L.A..    Partly because of Boise and it's spectacular scenery, but also they've had a huge influx of buyers moving there.    So, high demand for new and remodels, plus high demand, and prices shoot up.   

Edited May 23, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[javajeanelaine]

I also would have bought the second Boise home.  It boggles my mind that you would buy a house that your spouse has to crouch to get to.  And I did not see any egress windows.

[amarante]

I had no idea Boise real estate was that expensive - couldn't believe the price of what was essentially a 2 bedroom bungalow.

Does Boise actually have enough traffic so that living close to what passes for a downtown is a significant factor? 

[Empress1]

On 5/21/2023 at 10:33 PM, Grizzly said:

Boise, ID. She looks all of 12. Love the dining room table Zeke made. #1 was too small for the price. Yes, I understand it's about the location. #2 seemed to be the best pick. Although I liked the finishes in #3, it was too far out. Think what they picked won't work long term.

She did look like a kid, and I’m with you, @amarante - I was shocked by pricing in Boise. $830K for one bathroom and an ugly kitchen (I hated the floor)?! Wow.

Loved the table he made. I’m so impressed by people who are handy like that.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 5/22/2023 at 7:46 AM, laredhead said:

I was watching a rerun of HH a couple of days ago, and realized how often the HH's are shown in the kitchen of either the house they are leaving, or the house they bought and they are eating just a plate of scrambled eggs.  Nothing else, just eggs. 

Now you've done it. 

There was a rerun last night where they were cooking while talking and, yep--eggs.  So of course I start really watching, and the lady was cutting some red things over the sink--maybe tomatoes?  But the plates had only eggs on them as they carried them, and they never showed them eating anything--next we saw them the guy was on the couch and he had just a to-go cup of presumably coffee in his hands.

I bet I'll never again be able to just vaguely watch as they're cooking something.

 

[snarts]

Providence, RI:  didn't much care for any of her options. Having lived in the area  that didn't surprise me.  Warwick is far from Rhode Island's most beautiful city.  That said, I liked her enthusiasm and realistic expectations, and that she didn't complain that everything was so outdated.

I also appreciate symmetry, so I was a little shocked she didn't mention that the skylight in house #3 was off-center. 

The house she chose was my least favorite. I thought #2 was a better option with two full baths and the better basement. 

[tinderbox]

4 hours ago, snarts said:

Providence, RI:  didn't much care for any of her options. Having lived in the area  that didn't surprise me.  Warwick is far from Rhode Island's most beautiful city.  That said, I liked her enthusiasm and realistic expectations, and that she didn't complain that everything was so outdated.

I also appreciate symmetry, so I was a little shocked she didn't mention that the skylight in house #3 was off-center. 

The house she chose was my least favorite. I thought #2 was a better option with two full baths and the better basement. 

I thought she chose the worst house out of the three.  

[twoods]

Those dogs in the Austin episode were so stinking cute. They kept me occupied  in the beginning so I wouldn’t keep cringing at the wife’s face- so much Botox and fillers. She was also a big complainer and obnoxious. 
That waterfall view was gorgeous.

Edited May 25, 2023 by twoods

[amarante]

She definitely chose the least livable home in Rhode Island.

Not having a bathroom on the same floor as the bedrooms would be an absolute dealbreaker. I have lived with one bathroom but it was on the second floor with the bedrooms. I can’t imagine going downstairs to oee in the middle of the night or having to take a shower downstairs 

When I was young it wasn’t a big deal to  scoot upstairs to pee but I wouldn’t want to do it if I had a kid or now that I am older.

The third house was the only one that actually was comfortable. Renovations on the others would be more expensive than the third house cost. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by amarante

[Hedgehog2022]

On 5/18/2023 at 11:22 PM, laredhead said:

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.

     

The second episode wasn't new...I saw it a couple of years ago. I don't understand why HH is putting old shows on and saying they are new episodes.

6 hours ago, tinderbox said:

I thought she chose the worst house out of the three.  

Me too. It looked like it needed a lot of TLC...and the attic looked awful. Floorboards missing and all I could think of was mice or squirrels living there in the winter. And...only one bathroom. Yard was a side yard with no privacy. I did like the sisters sitting and doing knitting and whatever crafty thing her sister was doing. Kind of cute.

[CrazyInAlabama]

HGTV also started combining two episodes, showing one after the other on Monday nights, calling that new, but it's just two reruns with some made up theme.   The Sunday night 'new' ones are reruns too. 

My understanding is that even if you don't watch the entire episode, or erase after recording, that you're still counted as a view in the TV ratings. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

9 hours ago, Hedgehog2022 said:

 I don't understand why HH is putting old shows on and saying they are new episodes.

So those of us who have the DVR set to record new episodes will watch enough to see a commercial or 2 before we realize we've seen it and delete.

[Johannah]

On 5/22/2023 at 7:46 AM, laredhead said:

I was watching a rerun of HH a couple of days ago, and realized how often the HH's are shown in the kitchen of either the house they are leaving, or the house they bought and they are eating just a plate of scrambled eggs.  Nothing else, just eggs.  I guess they are easy to fix, and the producers want to show that food is actually cooked, but I have never sat down to a plate of only scrambled eggs.  Yes, there have been a few times when someone has been cooking something else, like the Louisiana couple a few years ago making gumbo.  I know I should be saying something about the house on the rerun, but now I can't remember anything about it other than the scrambled eggs and the 4 people sitting there with just eggs to eat.  

And they are always standing around the kitchen island.  Do people actually eat that way?  My eyes almost rolled out of my head at one episode where a bunch of people in Maryland were eating steamed crabs around the island.  NEVER in my many years have I ever seen that.  90% of the time, it's on a picnic table out in the yard or on a porch.  It can get messy.

And maybe because I've never wanted to live in or near a city, I'm getting tired of those shows.  I like the mid-size homes with some land.  

Even when the people are annoying, I'll still watch because I like looking at houses.  I just mute the sound.

Edited May 25, 2023 by Johannah

[javajeanelaine]

At least they are cooking *something*.  I’ve seen episodes of house hunters making peanut butter sandwiches!

[amarante]

5 minutes ago, javajeanelaine said:

At least they are cooking *something*.  I’ve seen episodes of house hunters making peanut butter sandwiches!

There was an episode where they brought back take out breakfast in styrofoam containers. It seems infinitely more trouble to get takeout breakfast than to make breakfast. 

[Hedgehog2022]

5 hours ago, chessiegal said:

So those of us who have the DVR set to record new episodes will watch enough to see a commercial or 2 before we realize we've seen it and delete.

Right...but still, I don't know why HGTV is doing this.

[chessiegal]

33 minutes ago, Hedgehog2022 said:

Right...but still, I don't know why HGTV is doing this.

HGTV is being paid by advertisers to air a rerun without having to pay for a new production.

[Hedgehog2022]

5 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

HGTV is being paid by advertisers to air a rerun without having to pay for a new production.

Well...that explains it. Thanks.

[laredhead]

Episode last night about couple looking for a house around Austin, TX area.  OMG, the girlfriend was over the top.  She wanted to spend big bucks, him not so much.  She pointed to many, many, many boxes of things she had already bought for a house they supposedly didn't have yet.  She admitted that she has a shopping addiction.  She wants 5 children, him not so many.  At the end, after the reveal that they had spent almost to the max of her budget, she was then hinting for a big engagement ring, and I would bet she wants more than a 1 carat ring.

His job is something in tech sales, and I can't remember what she does.  I often wonder if people like that have any $$ saved for emergencies like, uh, maybe losing your job?  How are you going to handle dressing, day care, schooling, college expenses for 5 children?

As for the houses they looked at, I barely remember them, but the 2,000 sf ft houses they were shown weren't going to fit with her plans.  The view from the deck of the first house was beautiful.  I knew when they showed the 3rd one with over 3,000 sf and a new construction house, that was the one they would choose.  She got to add upgrades of almost $100,000.  I figured that all of the boxes they showed in the first scene were things she was buying for the new construction house that they said took a year to build.

I could go on, but I'm tired of thinking about those two.

 

[snarts]

Colorado Springs, CO: I get not wanting snakes in your backyard but five bedrooms for three people?  

It always concerns me when someone willingly stretches to spend the absolute max their finances will allow. The house they chose (#1) looked so cheaply constructed, with linoleum & laminate in the bathrooms. Not to mention all the money they'll have to spend on window treatments, landscaping & fencing, etc. all while dealing with ongoing construction.  The neighborhood itself looked like barren wilderness.  Not a fan.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I used to live in the Springs, and calling a house in (they bought in Monument I think) Monument in Colorado Springs is absurd.   It's way north on the way to Denver.  Also the  amount of snow you get in that area can be massive sometimes.    There are a lot of cookie cutter subdivisions in that area.    I hope the couple like driving in snow a lot, because a lot of what they'll need won't be 'walkable'.    There are also areas that don't look like it, but since they're built on former ranch land, can be full of snakes, harmless, or venomous.    I didn't like the split level they looked at either, a home that old may have foundation issues, or may even be in a flood area.  Not all areas of Colorado Springs would be my choice to live in, either crime problems or builder issues. 

Every house I ever toured there, even many times what I could afford, had cheap, builder grade finishes.  Also, some of the HOA rules were ridiculous, and variances were virtually impossible to get. 

(A true story from when I lived there, one of the local builders put up a huge subdivision near where I lived.   One lady was buying a two story, with very high ceilings on the first floor.    She needed to used the restroom, on the second floor, sat down, and woke up on the living room floor.   Yes, due to construction issues, the toilet fell through the floor.   

She was injured, but not permanently, but to keep her from publicizing what happened through a lawsuit, the builder paid her mortgage off, sent construction and engineering experts through to make sure she wouldn't have any more problems, all at the builder's expense.   She signed an NDA, but the builder forgot that everyone involved in transporting her, all of the neighbors, and anyone involved in the incident, knew.   The story got out, and prices for that subdivision plummeted, similiar to the way the lady did.)

Sci Fi writer, and parents and daughter moving to Atlanta was different.      I think it was all to publicize the author's books.    

Edited May 26, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

Mother and daughter moving to Atlanta with her parents were pleasant enough. I lived in the NE Atlanta 'burbs from 1992-96. The houses reminded me of the recent builds in that area. Hey, I write Sci-Fi books - let's go on HH and promote my books.

OT: Seniors at a local high school managed to get their school listed on Zillow. It was listed as a 20 bedroom, 15 bath single family home. Large kitchen with spacious dining area with a private basketball court. It also has a half-working jail, rodent, insect, and sewage problems, available at a steal for $42,069. HOA of $10,000. 🤣  I'd love to know how they did that.

 

[StatisticalOutlier]

10 hours ago, laredhead said:

His job is something in tech sales, and I can't remember what she does.

She said, "I'm an associate vice-president at a staffing company." 

She also said she's 29.  I wonder what flaws she's using fillers to "fix" because the fix makes her look really old.  Or maybe I associate fillers with someone much older than she is.  Whatever...she was hard to look at.

In the penultimate scene where they're making their decision, she looked particularly awful.  In the final scene in the new house, it looked like her face had settled down a little.

Hmm...I wonder if she's lying about being 29.  That's the danger of claiming to be younger than you are--if people believe you they're liable to think you look like hell.

[Orcinus orca]

On 5/20/2023 at 9:30 AM, cinsays said:

watched one with a gal who wanted a tiny house for her and her two large dogs. 

I thought her friend was a hoot.

[Andyourlittledog2]

Maybe I'm just dense, but what is it with columns?  In the episodes (including reruns) I am watching it is very common for black male house hunters to list 'columns' as a big must for their houses.  It's not just pulling up and noticing a house has columns and saying, 'that's nice, I like the columns'. It's while they are eating/cooking scrambled eggs (ha! now I can't unsee that in most episodes) at the beginning of the episode where they list their must haves. 'I want a house with columns!'. I have never heard anyone else say that, ever. Just black men (and some black women) on House Hunters. Is that really a thing? A common thing?

I just saw the coupon lady and her laid back husband from Brooklyn searching for a rural home in Georgia and explaining the USDA loan program. I had totally forgotten about that program. I was glad they mentioned it, it isn't a commonly known one I don't think. Anyway, I loved the husband. I want his life to be filled with sunshine and puppies. He seemed like such a great guy. I hope they are happy in the home they chose, it seemed like a great choice to me.

[40Love]

1 hour ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

I want a house with columns!'. I have never heard anyone else say that, ever. Just black men (and some black women) on House Hunters. Is that really a thing? A common thing?

I haven't noticed this trend in any recent viewings, but I may not have been paying close enough attention. Personally, it's not my style. But, maybe for the guys columns signify a "stately" looking home with prominence, stature; a home that makes a statement, especially when trying to establish generational wealth. 

It's not a running theme with my family and friends. 

[amarante]

I think the column fetish is as @40Love writes, it is about someone who is fairly naive thinking that columns somehow represent a grand scale of old wealth. 

I could be wrong but in the episodes in which it is a stated preference, the HH seem to be of very humble origins in which they are the first generation to own a home - or go to college or presumably have anything other than a minimum wage type of job.

Other HH who fall into this type of "just made it" seem to be overly represented among the HH who need their home to make a "statement" from the exterior and "wow" people. 

Not the same thing but I also find it very odd when a HH wants a home in a particular style because that is what they grew up in. I couldn't give a rat's patootie about duplicating the nondescript style of my childhood home.

 

[cinsays]

15 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Mother and daughter moving to Atlanta with her parents were pleasant enough. I lived in the NE Atlanta 'burbs from 1992-96. The houses reminded me of the recent builds in that area. Hey, I write Sci-Fi books - let's go on HH and promote my books.

OT: Seniors at a local high school managed to get their school listed on Zillow. It was listed as a 20 bedroom, 15 bath single family home. Large kitchen with spacious dining area with a private basketball court. It also has a half-working jail, rodent, insect, and sewage problems, available at a steal for $42,069. HOA of $10,000. 🤣  I'd love to know how they did that.

 

 

glad mom is raking it in writing girl hero sci-fi books and glad they settled on the house they picked instead of the one that was $100K over their supposed limit.

so, the daughter will start contributing once she finds a job........yup... maybe not... not sure what katy sue studied in college, but we'll see

i am not a dog person, so parading support pup mr darcy thru the houses, especially after walking thru some rain to get there, would annoy me if one of those was the house i owned

hope they are all happy but it seemed like stairs for the mother and grands would be a problem and risky for these folks

 

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, cinsays said:

am not a dog person, so parading support pup mr darcy thru the houses, especially after walking thru some rain to get there, would annoy me if one of those was the house i owned

I am a dog person, but I was confused as to why she needed to bring her support dog along. In cases where support dogs are not for the blind, or physically disabled, I'd imagine they are needed for anxiety or perhaps PTSD. I can't imagine why the buyer would need her dog when house hunting. 

I also get annoyed when house hunters lie down in bathtubs! How rude!

[Chicken Fingers]

If I'd never seen the show and these people hamming it up, I'd never imagine anyone would climb into a bathtub, in their shoes, while viewing a house. 

The worst is still when they lie on peoples' beds or let their dogs jump on all the furniture.