House Hunters - General Discussion

[ECM1231]

I've never understood the appeal of drinking morning coffee on a deck/balcony/veranda of a 2-story home unless you have a coffeemaker and mini fridge in your bedroom. I don't want to have to go down a flight of stairs to my kitchen, prepare coffee, and carry it upstairs to a balcony off my bedroom. I'm such a klutz that it most definitely would spill. 

[rhofmovalley]

15 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

I've never understood the appeal of drinking morning coffee on a deck/balcony/veranda of a 2-story home unless you have a coffeemaker and mini fridge in your bedroom. I don't want to have to go down a flight of stairs to my kitchen, prepare coffee, and carry it upstairs to a balcony off my bedroom. I'm such a klutz that it most definitely would spill. 

Plus, how much earlier would they have to get up to make and drink said coffee on the balcony or front porch?  I don't like to rush in the morning but I'm not getting up an extra half hour early just so I can drink coffee on the balcony.

In the evening, after dinner?  Or in the afternoon after I get home from work? Yes.

[chediavolo]

On 6/25/2023 at 11:56 AM, Thumper said:

Coyotes here in the suburbs in Minnesota too.  Perhaps we need to alert the authorities that COYOTES ARE TAKING OVER!!!!!!    😁

 

More  like humans are taking over! Personally, I love the coyotes I love to hear them at night . Luckily they don’t bother us too much here . nature is nature. I suppose if they frequent more populated areas,  people should not leave their animals outside. 

[amarante]

I briefly scanned the articles on "sewage lagoons" and I do think that the "odor" was de-emphasized - as in briefly mentioning that odors would be expected at least twice a year when the seasons change and "upset" the balance.

Presumably since there is a sewage lagoon, they have no other indicia of modern civilization so they are drinking well water. No way would I want to drink water from a source that was close to untreated sewage. 

A septic tank is bad enough. I used to spend summers in the "country" in a place that had a well, septic tank and used tanks of propane to fuel the stoves. It even still had an outhouse :-). Not that wasting water - even city water which flows freely and generally is safe is a good thing but the kind of water restrictions you need for wells generally really impacts normal stuff like washing dishes and flushing toilets and even taking showers and baths. 

There was some discussion of the Phoenix woman whose friend said she had a champagne budget on a beer budget and I kind of got it because the houses she was looking at in the $700,000 range were really kind of basic. I am in Los Angeles and so am not shocked by high housing costs for modest homes. I knew that Scottsdale is a prestigious area but was still a bit surprised that the amount of house that kind of budget would be was essentially somewhat of a basic builder grade home - and not even a new one with stylish finishes. 

[chessiegal]

Our house is on a septic tank and well water. In the 13 years we've lived here, we've never had a problem with either septic or well. Our well water is treated in a system that requires salt being added to a tank. It removes iron among other things. There are no restrictions on how much water we use. We have an underground propane tank that heats our hot water tank and also is the fuel for our gas range and a furnace. We have 2 heat pumps that heat and cool the house until the outside temperature gets below 40 degrees, then the "auxiliary" gas fueled furnace kicks in.

[chediavolo]

2 hours ago, amarante said:

I briefly scanned the articles on "sewage lagoons" and I do think that the "odor" was de-emphasized - as in briefly mentioning that odors would be expected at least twice a year when the seasons change and "upset" the balance.

Presumably since there is a sewage lagoon, they have no other indicia of modern civilization so they are drinking well water. No way would I want to drink water from a source that was close to untreated sewage. 

A septic tank is bad enough. I used to spend summers in the "country" in a place that had a well, septic tank and used tanks of propane to fuel the stoves. It even still had an outhouse :-). Not that wasting water - even city water which flows freely and generally is safe is a good thing but the kind of water restrictions you need for wells generally really impacts normal stuff like washing dishes and flushing toilets and even taking showers and baths. 

There was some discussion of the Phoenix woman whose friend said she had a champagne budget on a beer budget and I kind of got it because the houses she was looking at in the $700,000 range were really kind of basic. I am in Los Angeles and so am not shocked by high housing costs for modest homes. I knew that Scottsdale is a prestigious area but was still a bit surprised that the amount of house that kind of budget would be was essentially somewhat of a basic builder grade home - and not even a new one with stylish finishes. 

Not true. Plenty of people who live outside of “modern civilization “ 🙄rurally all over the country, have wells and septic systems and they have no problems with water shortages or contaminated wells. Don’t know where you got this info from. 
you don’t know how far away from the sewage lagoon the well is. I find the idea of a sewage lagoon disgusting myself but if that’s the way they do things there when you’re not hooked up to city water and sewage that’s the way it has to be or else everybody would just be living in a village, a town or a city and no one could enjoy the country like it if that’s what they like to do.  Sounds like your experience may have been in a seasonal residence and or one that was not following regulations, or they had not been put in place yet

and how friggin sad is it that a $700,000 budget is a beer budget? How far we all have fallen as a society that so many people cannot afford a home anymore.  what used to be a $300,000 beautiful home now is it going for double or triple the price. So I really have no sympathy for someone that can afford a $700,000 house.

Edited July 2, 2023 by chediavolo

[StatisticalOutlier]

2 hours ago, amarante said:

Presumably since there is a sewage lagoon, they have no other indicia of modern civilization so they are drinking well water. No way would I want to drink water from a source that was close to untreated sewage.

They didn't mention whether there was a septic tank the waste goes through before being discharged into the lagoon.  According to the Missouri article, the state doesn't require a septic tank but some counties do.  FWIW, I gather that sewer lagoons without septic tanks are prevalent in Australia.  The things you learn...

If a property has a septic tank and a sewage lagoon, then it's no different from a property with a septic tank and a leach field when it comes to having "untreated" sewage on the property--in one case it's contained in a pond and in the other case it's contained in the ground.  And actually, it's not untreated sewage--it's the effluent that comes out of a septic tank.  The contents of a septic tank are in layers, where the solids fall to the bottom, the soap floats to the top, and what goes into the leach field or lagoon comes from the middle, after being munched on (treated) by bacteria.

[amarante]

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

Not true. Plenty of people who live outside of “modern civilization “ 🙄rurally all over the country, have wells and septic systems and they have no problems with water shortages or contaminated wells. Don’t know where you got this info from. 
you don’t know how far away from the sewage lagoon the well is. I find the idea of a sewage lagoon disgusting myself but if that’s the way they do things there when you’re not hooked up to city water and sewage that’s the way it has to be or else everybody would just be living in a village, a town or a city and no one could enjoy the country like it if that’s what they like to do.  Sounds like your experience may have been in a seasonal residence and or one that was not following regulations, or they had not been put in place yet

and how friggin sad is it that a $700,000 budget is a beer budget? How far we all have fallen as a society that so many people cannot afford a home anymore.  what used to be a $300,000 beautiful home now is it going for double or triple the price. So I really have no sympathy for someone that can afford a $700,000 house.

My experience was in a year round house that was lived in by my aunts/uncles - so no this was a pretty standard experience in the summer when rainfall wasn't enough to adequate fill up whatever needed to be filled in order to use water without regard.

And based on my reading articles on what is happening to aquifers - especially in the South West, I certainly don't think that water supply from the ground is something to be scoffed at. There is a community near Phoenix (I believe) which now literally has no source of water because Phoenix is no longer willing to sell them water so they are trucking it in for a distant place at a relatively high cost.

As to the cost of homes in certain areas being high, that is a reality and so a $700,000 home in Scottsdale is modest based on what that money would buy in other places. That the homes she was looking at were relatively modest was a reality - they were certainly not high end homes in any way - neither in size or finishes. She accepted her "beer budget" - it wasn't as if she was buying something she couldn't afford. Who said anyone felt "sorry" for her? I don't think anyone living in a high cost of living area doesn't look at what they could live in if they were willing to live in an inexpensive area. 

 

[Thumper]

13 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

I wonder if the participants get paid by how many times they say "I can see myself...." in an episode.  Sitting in a particular place "drinking my morning coffee" is another one repeated ad nauseum. 

Agree!  That is getting on my nerves.  

[Mom21]

11 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

I've never understood the appeal of drinking morning coffee on a deck/balcony/veranda of a 2-story home unless you have a coffeemaker and mini fridge in your bedroom. I don't want to have to go down a flight of stairs to my kitchen, prepare coffee, and carry it upstairs to a balcony off my bedroom. I'm such a klutz that it most definitely would spill. 

Friends of mine moved into a new home about 4 years ago.  They mentioned drinking coffee on the balcony off of their bedroom, and getting a fridge and coffee maker for upstairs.  A couple of years ago I had occasion to go up to their bedroom to see something or the other that they had gotten done.  I saw the fridge and the coffee maker upstairs and I said "so you actually did it! Are you enjoying having your morning coffee out there?" 

My friend said that not only had they never been out on the balcony to have their morning coffee, they had yet to even use the coffee maker upstairs! LOL

 

[Grizzly]

All this talk of septic systems. People are coming tomorrow to put a new baffle on our septic tank. I'm not quite sure what it does but it's going to be almost a thousand. Do wish we were on city sewer. At least we have city water so no worries about contaminates.

[buttersister]

Quote

Sitting in a particular place "drinking my morning coffee" is another one repeated ad nauseum. 

Heh, my balcony--with a table and chairs--is about 10 feet from where I drink my morning coffee. I've yet to go out there to drink it. Maybe I'll put on some sun screen (full sun at that hour) and try it some time. LOL.

[cameron]

Another phoney beach seeking couple who are really shilling their rental investment property.  He was a piece of work.  If you are going to use the word "en suite" learn how to pronounce it correctly.  It isn't called an "in suite".

[ECM1231]

8 minutes ago, cameron said:

  If you are going to use the word "en suite" learn how to pronounce it correctly.  It isn't called an "in suite".

Yes, I picked up on that. But honestly, sometimes I can waste a lot of time checking pronunciations on my phone, thinking that I'd been mispronouncing certain words.

For example: he said af- FLU- ent, with the stress on flu. I pronounce it as AF- flu-ent, with stress on AF. I've found both are correct. Also, more often than not, folks on these shows say com- PARE- able, with the stress on PARE. I've always pronounced it as COMP- ar-able with the stress on 1st syllable. 

[cameron]

11 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

Yes, I picked up on that. But honestly, sometimes I can waste a lot of time checking pronunciations on my phone, thinking that I'd been mispronouncing certain words.

For example: he said af- FLU- ent, with the stress on flu. I pronounce it as AF- flu-ent, with stress on AF. I've found both are correct. Also, more often than not, folks on these shows say com- PARE- able, with the stress on PARE. I've always pronounced it as COMP- ar-able with the stress on 1st syllable. 

Only mentioned it because he made a big point of picking out things that weren't up to his standards in those condos, etc.  

[kirklandia]

Just watched last Monday night's Great Roommate Debate episode.  HGTV really doubled down on the PNW quirk.

I dug the lumbersexual Oregon househunter dude - giant beard, buffalo check shirt, bicycle.  What are the odds of finding a perfect Portlandia partner in Costa Rica?

I would've been happy never to see or think about that Seattle househunter again.

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, cameron said:

Only mentioned it because he made a big point of picking out things that weren't up to his standards in those condos, etc.  

Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you. In the case of 'en suite', he for sure was wrong in his pronunciation. I was just interjecting that sometimes I doubt myself when I hear an alternate pronunciation and go check online. 

[Mediocre Gatsby]

I wasn't really invested in the Austin-to-Alabama couple, so I didn't care what they chose. But it did seem like their complaints about construction noise were silly. There was construction going on two and a half years after a hurricane, and there are often hurricanes in that location. As far as I can tell, the noise will be continuous. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm watching the Milwaukee rerun with the divorced pathologist, from 2021.  She's been divorced for five years. 

First house in Franklin is so nice, and turnkey.  House needs interior paint, especially the bright yellow basement.  Main bedroom is nice, with a huge closet, and nice ensuite.  The one issue I see is I only see one neighbor with a fenced back yard.  Since the HOA does the yard maintenance, I suspect no new fences are allowed. Sorry, but a woman who is mom to three kids, isn't going to be a hot ticket on the dating market.  So, being in the burbs with a lovely, turnkey home, would be a good thing.

The second is , nice, and has a nice kitchen, lots of room.  It needs interior paint, but that's an easy fix. 

Third home-updated Tudor. is so strange, and quirky, and not in a good way.    The closet and bathrooms are hideous.   The basement is bizarre.  This house also has over an acre, and a well.   Tons of maintenance, and renovation needed.  Does she have the time to run a big reno, including moving walls? TIny back yard. 100 years old, Kitchen is totally redone. basement bath is lovely, basement is finished.  Why is she talking about playground equipment in her back yard?   The kids aren't that small.  

She chose the second house, in Franklin with lots of space.  

( I didn't see the end, so I have to watch the recording today.)

Edited July 4, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[cinsays]

9 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm watching the Milwaukee rerun with the newly-divorced pathologist, from 2021. 

The first house is so strange, and quirky, and not in a good way.    The closet and bathrooms are hideous.   The basement is bizarre.  This house also has over an acre, and a well.   Tons of maintenance, and renovation needed. 

Second house is not Tudor, her preferred style.   Sorry, but a woman who is mom to three kids, isn't going to be a hot ticket on the dating market.  So, being in the burbs with a lovely, turnkey home, would be a good thing. 

yeah, she picked the right house for her family, though i loved the back yard of the third house

 

[pdlinda]

On 7/2/2023 at 9:58 AM, amarante said:

I knew that Scottsdale is a prestigious area but was still a bit surprised that the amount of house that kind of budget would be was essentially somewhat of a basic builder grade home - and not even a new one with stylish finishes. 

I've lived in Phx for over 30 YRS and used to get to Scottsdale often for shopping and other things. 

After the COVID hiatus from "normalcy" I haven't been up there recently (the AZ summer heat makes doing anything outdoors virtually impossible.  Today it's 114!)) 

All that said, I was astonished at how little house $700K could buy in Scottdale, 2023,  

[buttersister]

Man child and wife buying first house in Columbus.

I liked her. And he had his moments. And they bought the right house for them. But that was the one with the finished basement for his collection. It may have been a toy collection, not 100% sure. But it's his and it's large. How large? Wife: It's out of control. Sounds sexy, eh? No. Nada. Uh-uh.

A collection that takes up most of a large basement is in what-are-you-thinking? territory. Also makes me cringey for the day their eventual children discover it. Lotsa luck, folks!

[Mediocre Gatsby]

2 hours ago, buttersister said:

Man child and wife buying first house in Columbus. 

PREACH. 

I agree that they bought the right house. By the time they have a 5-year-old who might outgrow that bedroom, they might be ready to move on. I couldn't really figure out what kind of gatherings that guy wanted, so it was hard to decide which place would suit them. 

I thought we'd get a pregnancy announcement at the end.

Edited July 5, 2023 by Mediocre Gatsby
put my text in the quote

[cinsays]

6 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

PREACH. 

I agree that they bought the right house. By the time they have a 5-year-old who might outgrow that bedroom, they might be ready to move on. I couldn't really figure out what kind of gatherings that guy wanted, so it was hard to decide which place would suit them. 

I thought we'd get a pregnancy announcement at the end.

yeah, but does she need another child?

i thought there was some mention of him building stuff, so i was trying to imagine some kind of collection of wooden things, but couldn't come up with anything

[ECM1231]

Columbus Ohio couple....I was surprised by their budget as I didn't think real estate prices were that high there. I've a friend who lives near Cleveland and home prices are fairly cheap there, comparatively.

I envied the wife's gorgeous hair and hair color. Husband said something about his collection being space toys...so maybe he and his brother were into building model rockets? I liked the house they chose and hope they get a puppy soon.

[chessiegal]

20 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

Columbus Ohio couple....I was surprised by their budget as I didn't think real estate prices were that high there.

I'm guessing between being the state capital and home to The Ohio State University is a reason for higher real estate prices.

[Chicken Fingers]

Columbus has been booming for years. It's attracted the big tech companies and people looking for an affordable small city. 

[mojito]

9 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

I thought we'd get a pregnancy announcement at the end.

I don't recall them making a single mention of having children, just getting a puppy. No mention of a room being anything more than space for them or their guests. I was under the impression that they expected to remain childless.

[Mediocre Gatsby]

5 hours ago, mojito said:

I don't recall them making a single mention of having children, just getting a puppy. No mention of a room being anything more than space for them or their guests. I was under the impression that they expected to remain childless.

In the house they chose the husband discussed the second bedroom as down the road, maybe a nursery, and not big enough for anyone over five. 

Edited July 5, 2023 by Mediocre Gatsby

[Grizzly]

Texas to Nashville area Tennessee. Who homeschools at the kitchen island? What are these girls learning besides baking? House #2 looked a lot bigger from the outside. If they go with house #3, which had the space they need, I feel for Matt having a 2 hour commute. Why aren't they looking closer to his job? Wish they had explained her scar up front so I can move past it. Good choice.

[rhofmovalley]

I was also wondering about the scar. Hopefully it wasn't the result of her being attacked.

The choice was obvious. No way would they want their daughters sharing a room, and the third house had furniture. 

[Johannah]

On 7/5/2023 at 10:36 AM, ECM1231 said:

Columbus Ohio couple....I was surprised by their budget as I didn't think real estate prices were that high there. I've a friend who lives near Cleveland and home prices are fairly cheap there, comparatively.

I envied the wife's gorgeous hair and hair color. Husband said something about his collection being space toys...so maybe he and his brother were into building model rockets? I liked the house they chose and hope they get a puppy soon.

I thought I heard building toys, so, I'm thinking ...  Lego's?  They can get pretty extravagant.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Amy, Bay Area house hunt.  Zachary, her son will be moving with her.  Her cousin is the realtor,    She currently lives in Fremont.  I love it when someone comes back from financial ruin, and can buy a home. She kept some home through the divorce, so the home will have to accommodate that. I understand that is attached to some furniture pieces.  Approved for $850k, but she doesn't want to spend it, $800k is her own max budget.

First house-Concord, CA, $748k, 1 car garage, and short, narrow driveway. 3 bed 2 bath 1200 sq ft. Move-in ready according to cousin Gina the realtor. Hardwood floors ( or LVP floors), strange little fireplace in the living room.  Her furniture and the space will be a challenge.   Yard needs maintenance, kitchen is big with lots of cabinets, and countertops,  Small primary bedroom, with slider to yard, with ensuite.   

Second townhouse- in Concord, CA.  $779,500, one story, end unit 2 car garage, 1300 sq ft, 3 bed 2 bath, HOA $475 with pool, tennis courts, exterior maintenance included. speace for living room furniture, kitchen is nice with lots of cabinets, with a dining area, back yard is mostly patio. spare room is small, other room is with a slider and a private patio.  Guest bath is lovely, main bedroom with slider to patio, nice ensuite and big walk-in closet.  Corner unit, but gets traffic noise from the highway.   

Third single family $779,000, with  2 car garage, one story, off market listing, big living room, 1158 sq ft, kitchen is decent sized, but needs more cabinets, and new countertops, you go to the yard through the garage people door, nice yard, fully fenced, some hardwoods maybe under carpet, guest bath is nice. main bedroom with a small ensuite. 

She buys #3, bought for $770k.  I would have bought #3 for the location, no HOA, nice yard, and the size of the house. 

 

[Grizzly]

34 minutes ago, Johannah said:

I thought I heard building toys, so, I'm thinking ...  Lego's?  They can get pretty extravagant.

I think you're right. They were being careful not to say a brand name.

[dogdays2]

Septic is not just for the "middle of nowhere" crowd.  A close friend lives in a very upscale suburb community, 20 miles from a MAJOR city.  On septic b/c that's what the Army Corps of Engineers decided for that neighborhood.  She indicates that she must rotate between two fields twice a year, which means twisting something buried in the ground (with an above-ground tool).  It must be professional pumped/flushed every 5 years.  Said never had any smell.  There is not a "pond" on her lot.

The major "downside" is being careful only to flush TP and waste.  Putting other stuff, including kleenex, into the toilets can create issues.  But overall she says it's not a big deal and 99% of the time, she doesn't even think about it being a septic system.  Water in her area is county water, so not a well.

[chessiegal]

We live 10 miles from the state capital of Annapolis. Not a huge city, but still rather populated. We're on a peninsula between 2 rivers that empty into the Chesapeake Bay. When it was developed, no city water was added. Everyone on our peninsula is on septic, about 1,000 households. Our septic requires zero maintenance from us.

[chediavolo]

19 hours ago, rhofmovalley said:

I was also wondering about the scar. Hopefully it wasn't the result of her being attacked.

The choice was obvious. No way would they want their daughters sharing a room, and the third house had furniture. 

It looks like someone slashed her across the face. I don’t know how they could’ve addressed it, but I wish they would’ve too, because I couldn’t stop looking at it. The whole time ..I didn’t  like either of them. what’s wrong with kids sharing a room everyone is so entitled these days. And who wants to homeschool your kids on the kitchen island. Well who wants to homeschool your kids period  😆

2 hours ago, dogdays2 said:

Septic is not just for the "middle of nowhere" crowd.  A close friend lives in a very upscale suburb community, 20 miles from a MAJOR city.  On septic b/c that's what the Army Corps of Engineers decided for that neighborhood.  She indicates that she must rotate between two fields twice a year, which means twisting something buried in the ground (with an above-ground tool).  It must be professional pumped/flushed every 5 years.  Said never had any smell.  There is not a "pond" on her lot.

The major "downside" is being careful only to flush TP and waste.  Putting other stuff, including kleenex, into the toilets can create issues.  But overall she says it's not a big deal and 99% of the time, she doesn't even think about it being a septic system.  Water in her area is county water, so not a well.

No one no matter what kind of  system you have  septic or municipal, no one  should ever put anything down the toilet but toilet paper. Flushable wipes are not flushable. I don’t know how they get away with selling them, but they need to stop these companies from listing these things as flushable. We had a clog because of our upstairs tenant flushing these unflushable wipes down the toilet.

i’ve never heard about this rotating thing.🤔

[chediavolo]

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Amy, Bay Area house hunt.  Zachary, her son will be moving with her.  Her cousin is the realtor,    She currently lives in Fremont.  I love it when someone comes back from financial ruin, and can buy a home. She kept some home through the divorce, so the home will have to accommodate that. I understand that is attached to some furniture pieces.  Approved for $850k, but she doesn't want to spend it, $800k is her own max budget.

First house-Concord, CA, $748k, 1 car garage, and short, narrow driveway. 3 bed 2 bath 1200 sq ft. Move-in ready according to cousin Gina the realtor. Hardwood floors ( or LVP floors), strange little fireplace in the living room.  Her furniture and the space will be a challenge.   Yard needs maintenance, kitchen is big with lots of cabinets, and countertops,  Small primary bedroom, with slider to yard, with ensuite.   

Second townhouse- in Concord, CA.  $779,500, one story, end unit 2 car garage, 1300 sq ft, 3 bed 2 bath, HOA $475 with pool, tennis courts, exterior maintenance included. speace for living room furniture, kitchen is nice with lots of cabinets, with a dining area, back yard is mostly patio. spare room is small, other room is with a slider and a private patio.  Guest bath is lovely, main bedroom with slider to patio, nice ensuite and big walk-in closet.  Corner unit, but gets traffic noise from the highway.   

Third single family $779,000, with  2 car garage, one story, off market listing, big living room, 1158 sq ft, kitchen is decent sized, but needs more cabinets, and new countertops, you go to the yard through the garage people door, nice yard, fully fenced, some hardwoods maybe under carpet, guest bath is nice. main bedroom with a small ensuite. 

She buys #3, bought for $770k.  I would have bought #3 for the location, no HOA, nice yard, and the size of the house. 

 

And the very, very rare, grateful home buyer. Who is not looking for everything to be perfect the first time around. Very rare in people these days. Of course, she didn’t have a lot of money, but she put some of these entitled searchers to shame simply because of Grace.

[Mediocre Gatsby]

Texas to Nashville couple - oy. I could NOT believe how the woman kept harping on the kids' need to have a huge kitchen island for their homework. A huge table in the kitchen should've been fine. And of course the girls couldn't share bedrooms. I was surprised that they had picked the first house so far from town, but whatever. 

I wondered why they didn't see anything near the husband's budget of $700k - the closest they got was $600k. Since none of the homes gave them even close to what they asked for, I would've thought they'd see at least one at the top end of their range. 

CA woman - this is my area, so it was interesting. I got tired of hearing about her furniture but I was glad she picked the fixer-upper closer to her family. And good for her for recovering from the emotional and financial costs of the divorce. 

Edited July 7, 2023 by Mediocre Gatsby

[mojito]

Texas to Nashville

At one point, the woman, who turned her nose up to so many things, commented that she wished the could move their Texas home to Nashville. Hey, lady, we've seen your old home. Just stop.

The first time I saw the house that they eventually bought, I thought it looked like a farm house. She didn't. 

[Grizzly]

On 7/6/2023 at 4:19 PM, chessiegal said:

Our septic requires zero maintenance from us.

Wait until it's 50 years old and you're told the tank has cracks and you need a new one. That's going to take a 5-10k bite out of our savings.

[Orcinus orca]

On 7/6/2023 at 4:19 PM, chessiegal said:

. Our septic requires zero maintenance from us.

Wow, you have been incredibly lucky then.  I have an 8 year old Eljen system (state of the art) and was told to have it pumped every 5 years.  The rule of thumb is the size and the number of people using it.  Unless you have sensors to tell you it's full (mine has an alarm system), if you don't get it pumped you could have a mess on your hands! 

My sister blew off pumping theirs and they ended up with one of those septic lagoons - and not on purpose!

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 7/6/2023 at 5:07 PM, chediavolo said:

No one no matter what kind of  system you have  septic or municipal, no one  should ever put anything down the toilet but toilet paper. Flushable wipes are not flushable. I don’t know how they get away with selling them, but they need to stop these companies from listing these things as flushable.

Well, they are flushable...in that they'll usually successfully go down the pipes.  It's after that the problems occur, and nobody thinks about that.  Look up fatberg.

I saw a show the other day about the municipal sewer system in New York City and of course they bemoaned "flushable" wipes, and said how many millions of dollars they spend every year dealing with them.  I guess they need to hire the same marketing firm the wipe companies use to get the word out.  Wipes not only shouldn't be flushed--it costs you money when you do it.

I have a friend who moved into a house on the campus of a private school when she got a job there.  The previous tenant had been a coach, and in trying to get the place clean enough for her to live in, she used so much bleach she killed the septic tank she didn't even know was there.  Oops.

Then again, she and her husband raised two boys in a house with one bathroom, and given that absolutely unthinkable sacrifice and hardship, I'd say she earned forgiveness for an unintentional septic tank mishap.

[chediavolo]

10 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Well, they are flushable...in that they'll usually successfully go down the pipes.  It's after that the problems occur, and nobody thinks about that.  Look up fatberg.

I saw a show the other day about the municipal sewer system in New York City and of course they bemoaned "flushable" wipes, and said how many millions of dollars they spend every year dealing with them.  I guess they need to hire the same marketing firm the wipe companies use to get the word out.  Wipes not only shouldn't be flushed--it costs you money when you do it.

I have a friend who moved into a house on the campus of a private school when she got a job there.  The previous tenant had been a coach, and in trying to get the place clean enough for her to live in, she used so much bleach she killed the septic tank she didn't even know was there.  Oops.

Then again, she and her husband raised two boys in a house with one bathroom, and given that absolutely unthinkable sacrifice and hardship, I'd say she earned forgiveness for an unintentional septic tank mishap.

Well, that’s what I meant or should I say, that’s what the manufacturers mean by “flushable”.  . You can ostensibly flush many items, toys, wigs, paper towels, kitty litter, the list is endless, down a good toilet. Doesn’t mean it won’t cause problems at the source or be an environmental horror. The manufacturers are telling the consumer in so many words these products are safe . Too many of us just blindly believe everything we read. 
Wow. She must have used a lot of bleach. Toxic stuff. 
4 people using one bathroom is an “unthinkable sacrifice and hardship”? That was a joke. Right? It sucks for sure but falls under the ,spoiled in today’s society, heading. 😆

[cameron]

LA area home buyer.  So over the terms:  "generational wealth and hosting" being used on these episodes.  

[StatisticalOutlier]

3 hours ago, chediavolo said:

Well, that’s what I meant or should I say, that’s what the manufacturers mean by “flushable”.  . You can ostensibly flush many items, toys, wigs, paper towels, kitty litter, the list is endless, down a good toilet.

Wigs!  I was trying to think of something that would make it down fine but has no business being flushed and the only thing that came to mind was marbles, for some reason.  But wigs!  Yes!

It really is a crime that the manufacturers put "flushable" right there on the label.  I feel so bad for the sewer management personnel trying to fight that disinformation.  They must feel helpless.

Can't a Kardashian or somebody tell people not to do it?

3 hours ago, chediavolo said:

4 people using one bathroom is an “unthinkable sacrifice and hardship”?

According to the HHs on this show it is.

[mojito]

50 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Can't a Kardashian or somebody tell people not to do it?

Not a bad idea. But first, maybe we should try flushing a few of them to prove the point. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

4 hours ago, cameron said:

LA area home buyer.  So over the terms:  "generational wealth and hosting" being used on these episodes.  

My guess is the father either bought cheap houses, improved and rented them out, or sold them holding the note (if a house needs improvements, many financial organizations won't finance for lower income people). 

A friend bought really cheap houses, improved enough to get a certificate of occupancy, and did lease purchase for $500 a month for 20 years, and he held the note.   If something big went out like the heat pump/air conditioner, he didn't charge the months needed to pay for it.   If someone stopped paying, or simply disappeared, he foreclosed and resold.   It was profitable for him, and allowed lower income families the chance to own their own home.    

 

[amarante]

Wipes now have a statement that they are NOT flushable - whether idiots actually read who knows because even if they read it they might assume it isn't their problem - especially renters.

The specific phrase "generational wealth" has been discussed on this read - as well as elsewhere of course. My understanding is that a lot of churches are holding workshops as part of a whole emphasis on building all kinds of financial knowledge.

Historically POC had lower rates of home ownership and for most working and middle class people, home ownership is the surest way to actually build wealth and have financial security. Traditionally people bought a home and stayed in the home - paid off the mortgage and then owned a home with either significantly lower housing costs OR the ability to downsize or even get a reverse mortgage. Also - in the past people would have paid off their home 10 or 15 years before retirement and so they had the ability to increase retirement savings in the final decade or so before retirement.

To some extent that model has been a bit disrupted with many older people getting mortgages - people taking out HELOC and also people moving into increasingly expensive homes instead of staying in their original homes.

POC were frozen out of housing for many years - mortgages were hard to get - neighborhoods were redlines and if POC lived there, no financing was available. Not to mention the practice of block busting

[Crashcourse]

I understand the concept of "generational wealth," I just don't need to hear about it when the reason I'm watching the show is just to see the homes.