House Hunters - General Discussion

[CrazyInAlabama]

I suspect the Gulf Shores episode was just like 99% of the other beach episodes, they're buying investment property, and never going to stay there, and maybe not even vacation there, unless there's a time when no one is renting.   I don't know about now, but at one time the person who owned the investment vacation property could only stay there for a short period, or let others use it free, and still call it an investment property.  

Flight attendant Ivana moving to Philly.   I like Ivan's friend Ryan.   Ryan seems more sensible than Ivana is.   

First row house in south Philly. 1925 1140 sq ft 2 bed 1 bath $249900.   1st floor half bath. full bath and both bedrooms are upstairs.  nice kitchen, totally redone.   I don't like that it's only street parking, and only on one side. back tiny patio/yard is cinder block walls that are deteriorating.   1st bedroom is smaller, main is bigger, with a small tub/shower combo bathroom, bathroom sink in miniature.   

Second single family, close to the airport, in Collingdale, PA.  4 bed 1 1/2 bath, no HOA, $200k.  It has builder grade icky carpet that must be really old.  first floor has big living and dining room, lots of rotten wallpaper, paneled den or other room. The  kitchen is tiny and looks like an addition, and is a step down. no real way to expand the kitchen, without major expenses.   the half bath is only a toilet, right in the kitchen. Back covered deck is big, and back yard is huge.  Bedrooms are upstairs, lots of old wallpaper, bathroom is bright yellow including the toilet, tub, sink.  Second bedroom is smaller, but a door into the main room, turn the second bedroom into a big closet.  

Third North Philadelphia, a new construction condo, very modern. $299k 2 bed 2.5 bath, HOA fee is $409 a month, 10 year tax abatement.  HOA includes water, snow removal, sewer, common area maintenance and a green roof.  

Lovely kitchen, great finishes, hardwood floors. Outdoor area is a shared common area, with grass, and a small back stairs.  Basement has the two bedrooms, with nice bathroom for guests/roommate, main bedroom is huge with a big shower ensuite, 

She chose #1.  I'm just glad she didn't buy the money pit #2. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[pdlinda]

On 8/27/2023 at 6:03 PM, chessiegal said:

Not when I went to college. Plus my parents couldn't afford an apartment. Dorms all the way.

Same here.  I had no interest in living in off-campus housing.  I liked having things done for me and did a lot of studying.  The food was also pretty good.

My daughter, however, felt differently.  She lived off-campus for her entire 4 years and I paid for it!

[CalicoKitty]

4 hours ago, laredhead said:

Gulf Shores episode last night was interesting to me, because waaaay back in the 80's a group of friends and I used to vacation there a week at a time for about 7 or 8 years.  We stayed in what we thought were large houses at the time, right on the beach, and each house had some space between it and the next one. If I remember correctly, the most expensive house we ever rented was about $1,400 a week - lol.  Shared with 5 or 6 people, that was a very affordable vacation for each of us.  Now, I wouldn't recognize the place with 2, 3, 4 and sometimes 5 story houses built close to each other, and stretching down the beach as far as you can see.  

Having said, that, I want to add that I don't think that couple is going to live there year round, and that house will become a rental during the times they aren't there.  When the realtor pointed out no closets in some bedrooms, and I noticed that one of the primary bedrooms had 2 small closets, it's obvious those houses are not designed for permanent living because renters don't bring tons of clothes to the beach, or a lot of personal possessions to store year round.  My SIL and her husband rented one of the giant houses last year, and she hosted all of her children and grandchildren.  I think there were about 14 people there.  I would have wanted an elevator and a generator (elevated like the A/C compressor).  The husband kept harping on wanting to feel the Gulf spray in his face, and all I kept thinking was how that spray was going to feel when a hurricane hits that area, which it will.  Insurance is very expensive on the coast now, and that couple must make a good living in Wisconsin real estate.  The house they bought was pretty nice, but I didn't think for a minute they were moving from Wisconsin on a permanent basis.  

Glad I'm not the only one who thought the other episode with the 2 women, one of which was playing Logan's part, was a bit weird.       

No only the high expense of insurance, but the very high cost of upkeep in both money and time.  Houses on the coast demand constant outside upkeep, and being that close to the water means that there will be constant projects.  My brother lives a mile from the Pacific coast, and he is always trying to stay ahead of maintenance on the deck, windows, paint and roof.  They love their home, and the view is amazing, but owning and renting are two totally different things.

[CalicoKitty]

11 hours ago, CousinAmy said:

The wife who took her husband's brain with her to look at $2M Florida homes - who played the part of Logan's brain? She came along to represent his interests, but I didn't understand if he had assigned a proxy? Was she Logan's sister? That was a very strange relationship. 

 

But it was one of the few episodes where basically, money was no object, so at least we got to some fabulous spaces. 

Was this the episode with the woman buyer with the puffy lips?  Her face was so distracting I had trouble following the episode.  That show had a strange dynamic with the friend playing the role of the husband's thoughts.  Who would pay that much for a home without actually looking at it in person?

I'm still waiting for someone to only buy a house if the dog likes it.

[chessiegal]

3 minutes ago, CalicoKitty said:

I'm still waiting for someone to only buy a house if the dog likes it.

I think that ship has sailed. I remember episodes where it's all about the dog and what they will like.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, years ago there was an episode, I think near San Francisco, but I could be wrong.  Butters the labradoodle (or something like that) had to approve the house and yard, and was allowed all through the three prospective homes.    There have been others who had their dogs in prospective homes too. 

[cameron]

44 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Yes, years ago there was an episode, I think near San Francisco, but I could be wrong.  Butters the labradoodle (or something like that) had to approve the house and yard, and was allowed all through the three prospective homes.    There have been others who had their dogs in prospective homes too. 

While I am a big dog lover, would draw the line at prospective buyers bringing their dog into my home.

[chessiegal]

Let's not forget the real estate agent who carried her small dog named Berkin around in her Berkin bag.

[rhofmovalley]

Dallas tonight.

The furniture in that first lake house was, um, interesting. As in, a big old hell no. There's no need to take the theme that far.

However I suspect that was an Air BnB and not a primary residence. Hence the theme.

[Judiz]

House Hunters was in Maui the other night and I can’t help wondering if any of the homes they looked at were destroyed by the fires.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 8/30/2023 at 9:26 PM, rhofmovalley said:

Dallas tonight.

The furniture in that first lake house was, um, interesting. As in, a big old hell no. There's no need to take the theme that far.

Are you talking about that living room furniture that was logs with no padding except maybe a thin cushion on the seat?  If so, I also gave it a big old hell no and couldn't imagine why anybody would think that's a comfy setting.  Was it pursuant to a theme?  (ETA: I only skimmed the episode.)

Edited September 1, 2023 by StatisticalOutlier

[cameron]

Marathon Keys Florida couple featured on last night's show wanting water front property.  Got a feeling she isn't his first wife.  It was always her boys, not their boys.  Could be wrong.

[Grizzly]

10 hours ago, cameron said:

Marathon Keys Florida couple featured on last night's show wanting water front property.  Got a feeling she isn't his first wife.  It was always her boys, not their boys.  Could be wrong.

I thought they kept saying the boys. So I was really curious as to who the bikinied young lady was at the end. And where she was sleeping since the picked the 2 bedroom house.

[CalicoKitty]

Last night I watched a very nice couple that was moving to Georgia.  She was from Mexico and they wanted to be where her family could visit.  I'm pretty sure this was a rerun.  All she really wanted is to be near a town with stores and a place for her haul from couponing.  He just wanted to have some space from the neighbors. They were using a USDA loan.  They were so nice to each other, and so undemanding.  And they had the cutest little girl.  I was so happy for them that that found a house that qualified for the type of loan they needed,  and that even the "small" kitchen was working for them without the usual "gut job".  I like the shows with "normal" people who are kind and respectful to each other and respectful of the properties.

[CruiseDiva]

On 9/1/2023 at 11:12 AM, cameron said:

Marathon Keys Florida couple featured on last night's show wanting water front property.  Got a feeling she isn't his first wife.  It was always her boys, not their boys.  Could be wrong.

She really seemed to be "ready for her close-up" with those Daisy Duke short shorts. 🤣

[buttersister]

I’ve come to appreciate the set ups and first HH. By then, I know if the HH are worth watching. Or if I need to click begone.

[cameron]

Corpus Christie beachside episode featured last night.  What an obnoxious female house buyer she was.  She thought she was another Alison Victoria.

[snarts]

Corpus Christie, TX: the military should really promote military pensions in their recruitment ads. A $2.5M budget on their retirement home after recently launching three kids? Yowza.

I thought for sure that they'd pick the one under construction. Seemed to fit their needs much better. Where's his boat going to go in the $2.7M home with no boat dock that still looked to be a half mile walk to the beach?

[cameron]

9 hours ago, snarts said:

Corpus Christie, TX: the military should really promote military pensions in their recruitment ads. A $2.5M budget on their retirement home after recently launching three kids? Yowza.

I thought for sure that they'd pick the one under construction. Seemed to fit their needs much better. Where's his boat going to go in the $2.7M home with no boat dock that still looked to be a half mile walk to the beach?

The money had to be coming from some place else.  His retirement wouldn't cover that type of mortgage.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Depending on his exact job, there are huge bonuses for staying active duty.   I believe he said he's a pilot, so if he was smart with saving, and investing, then he's fine paying that much for a house.   

[cameron]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Depending on his exact job, there are huge bonuses for staying active duty.   I believe he said he's a pilot, so if he was smart with saving, and investing, then he's fine paying that much for a house.   

Still question the source of the money.  Had/have many retired USAF/USN flight officers friends and this just doesn't jive.

 

[Thumper]

The couple buying on the river in AZ:  I missed the intro.  She looked younger than him — was she the mother of the adult children who would be visiting?  Nice house!

 

 

[chediavolo]

On 8/21/2023 at 9:21 AM, Thumper said:

I giggle at the term “luxury” vinyl flooring too!  We have it in our new house, which I don’t mind because I am tired of taking care of wood floors, but “luxury” just cracks me up.

They call it that so they can overcharge everyone!

[cameron]

14 hours ago, chediavolo said:

They call it that so they can overcharge everyone!

Last time I had luxury vinyl floors was in the 1970's in my kitchen when everyone was buying Armstrong Congroleum? vinyl flooring for their kitchens.  Glad that trend didn't last.  Hated that floor.

[Bastet]

Congoleum is still around, and now advertises the "next generation" of vinyl flooring, with the pitch "This is not your Grandma's flooring".

[CruiseDiva]

I have Deluxe Vinyl Plank flooring in my kitchen. It looks like stone. I like the appearance, but when I mop or Swiffer it it gets streaks. I've used several different cleaning products and it always has streaks. My neighbor who has Luxury Vinyl Plank says they have the same problem. 

Personally, I'd rather have congoleum in my kitchen. 😆

[Orcinus orca]

1 hour ago, CruiseDiva said:

I've used several different cleaning products and it always has streaks. My neighbor who has Luxury Vinyl Plank says they have the same problem. 

I only use vinegar in water.  Works great, no streaks, no rinsing.  Everything else leaves a film.

[CalicoKitty]

1 hour ago, Orcinus orca said:

I only use vinegar in water.  Works great, no streaks, no rinsing.  Everything else leaves a film.

I use Bono on my LVP and don't have any streaks.  I use a spray bottle and a microfiber mop pad.  I find it cleans up very well.

[cinsays]

14 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:

I use Bono on my LVP and don't have any streaks.  I use a spray bottle and a microfiber mop pad.  I find it cleans up very well.

that's what i use and i don't see any streaks and it always looks nice

[cameron]

Scottsdale's house hunters.  Have to wonder where they are getting all of their monies to send him to commercial flight school and buy a house at the same without having a job.  Not sure her job pays enough to do that.  And just because he gets his license doesn't mean that he will be based there or even have a job there.  But then again, he boasted he doesn't bother watching their finances.

[laredhead]

4 hours ago, cameron said:

Have to wonder where they are getting all of their monies to send him to commercial flight school and buy a house at the same without having a job.  

I wondered the same thing.  Also, they did not sell their house in Boise, but are renting it out. Maybe they don't have a mortgage on it, but they are very young to have paid off a mortgage, if that's the case.  They were students in Idaho when they met, and haven't been married that long.  I always want more details when I hear that because maybe I've been doing things all wrong financially for years - lol.  Boise is a hot real estate market, so maybe they are able to rent their house there for a lot of $$.

The other episode last night - woman with 3 children, and one an 18-year old daughter - reminded me of the failed HH experiment HH Families.  I ended up fast forwarding through a lot of it to avoid having to hear the 18 year old express her "wisdom" about the houses.  I didn't even listen to most of the introduction, so if her story was a tear jerker it was lost on me. None of the places looked great to me, except the first one which was very nicely staged.  It was just over 1,000 sf, so trying to fit 5 people into it with her expectations was never going to fly.  The house she chose has giant power transmission lines just outside the back fence, but no mention was made of that as a negative danger or view issue.  Again, I am taken aback by the price of housing in California for what is offered.   

[chessiegal]

That 18-year-old daughter looked like she was 12. I guess the producers did too since they had a chyron saying she was 18.

[Crashcourse]

5 hours ago, laredhead said:

The other episode last night - woman with 3 children, and one an 18-year old daughter - reminded me of the failed HH experiment HH Families.  I ended up fast forwarding through a lot of it to avoid having to hear the 18 year old express her "wisdom" about the houses.

That daughter got on my nerves.   I wish the mother had brought a friend along instead.  

[Mediocre Gatsby]

Arizona couple - of course the house they bought was obvious since they used the "the owners are still packing; do you want any of their stuff?" ploy. Since that was the first house, I didn't pay much attention. People who say "expecially" bug me. 

Mother and kids: I live in CA, spent years in southern CA and the prices still have the power to shock me. The daughter was a little bit annoying, but she seems like a good kid, doing all the cooking and having a job, so I was okay with her. She did look very young. 

[rhofmovalley]

9 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

The daughter was a little bit annoying, but she seems like a good kid, doing all the cooking and having a job, so I was okay with her. She did look very young. 

I'm going to guess she was also fed some lines by the producer, such as wanting a big closet and a bathroom all to herself.  And not liking open concept.  Seems like an odd thing for a teen to be focusing on.

Some parts of North Long Beach are not that great, but others are family communities that are more safe.  The house didn't have bars on the windows which is a good sign!

[laredhead]

Watched HH Waterfront Homes last night with couple who sold their house in Seattle, and moved to Hawaii (Ohau).  WOW! Real estate prices there rival California, and I assume they sold their Seattle house for a lot of $$.  Her 92-year old mother lives with them, and they wanted a one story with a yard.  Of the 3 houses they looked at, none were one-story, and only one had a postage stamp of a yard for their elderly dog.  The views were nice, but you have ignore the hundreds of roof tops and focus on the water - IMO - to enjoy the view.  The mother seemed pretty sharp, and the last scene showed them on their boat complete with mom having a cocktail, and the elderly dog.  What a way to spend the last years of your life, eh?  Not bad. I don't normally watch the beach based shows, but I wanted to see Hawaii.   

[Pine]

Single Mother in California with a daughter and 2 sons.  The house they chose was awful.   Those powerlines are so close, and the view into the neighbors yard was frightful.  Hope that it is at least a safe neighborhood.   

[twoods]

I always enjoy watching the Atlanta couple (Plastic surgeon wife and federal agent husband) on reruns. They can easily go above their 550k budget but we’re pretty cautious for once, and we’re not annoying to watch. The husband’s voice is so deep and I absolutely loved hearing him talk. 

[chessiegal]

2 minutes ago, twoods said:

I always enjoy watching the Atlanta couple (Plastic surgeon wife and federal agent husband) on reruns. They can easily go above their 550k budget but we’re pretty cautious for once, and we’re not annoying to watch. The husband’s voice is so deep and I absolutely loved hearing him talk. 

I remember that episode. He was an ATF agent. I worked in ATF's forensic lab for over 20 years. I hadn't heard of him, but I think this was filmed after I retired. He had a sexy Barry White voice.

[buttersister]

Ugh, retired baseball player and shrew wife, blended family and completely obnoxious. He has adopted kids (pt) and works with kids now, so somehow I hoped he’d be cooler. Or at least realize he could put an instant ice machine in any kitchen (see Wayfair). As long as it’s WHITE. Not ivory or cream 😖😤😱🤬🤡

He ended up getting his ice machine in the white kitchen (shocker), but has to build a pool, RV garage and batting cage. 🤑😜 And someone help me— he never mentioned wanting an RV* just something to put the batting cage by. And why did he act surprised that none of the houses had a batting cage?! 
 

* As if shrewy wife would spend one minute in an RV with five kids. 😏 I shouldn’t have been fazed when she got rid of his desk in their “shared” office and made him use his laptop on a couch.  Good luck to your neck and back, player.

[twoods]

Yeah I didn’t get why they were complaining about the backyard having nothing with being able to build what they want since they were 400k under budget. I like that he did a lot of nonprofit work and adopted his kids, but if I had to hear her say “white kitchen” one more time I was going to scream.

I liked the Seattle couple better with the dad that plays for the Seahawks. 

[sskrill]

2 hours ago, buttersister said:

Ugh, retired baseball player and shrew wife, blended family and completely obnoxious. He has adopted kids (pt) and works with kids now, so somehow I hoped he’d be cooler. Or at least realize he could put an instant ice machine in any kitchen (see Wayfair).

He ended up getting his ice machine in the white kitchen, but has to build a pool, RV garage and batting cage.  And someone help me— he never mentioned wanting an RV* just something to put the batting cage by.

I'm watching this now .. the word Tuesday comes to mind with her.  She is awful.  

If I spent $1m+/- on a house and routinely had to listen to a bat cracking, I cannot even describe the level of pissed I would be.

I'm not certain but I think maybe he was saying he wanted the RV garage to be an indoor batting cage. I'm hoping for the neighbors sake that's what he meant.

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, the RV garage was going to be a batting cage, hopefully muffling the sounds from the batting.   

The baseball player and wife were also on a house hunt in Mexico, and as I recall they bought something that would never fit the kids.   It was a tiny place, so an obvious investment rental.   

There's a thread about it, it was after the Phoenix episode was filmed.  I recall there was speculation that the Mexico place was only an investment property, and not a vacation home.  

Edited September 10, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[mojito]

13 hours ago, Pine said:

Single Mother in California with a daughter and 2 sons.  The house they chose was awful.   Those powerlines are so close, and the view into the neighbors yard was frightful.  Hope that it is at least a safe neighborhood. 

I had to rerun the show when I heard that was a 2004 home. It looked like something built decades earlier and wasn't at all taken care of. 

When was the last time a woman looked at a typical bedroom closet and declare it a "good size"? That was different.

I thought I'd gone through an entire episode about someone buying her first home for her and her kids without hearing the phrase "generational wealth". But, nope, it didn't happen. 

Out of curiosity, I wanted to see what kind of home $520K would get you in my region.  This is nearly 2700 sq ft, 4-2-2, $515K. Built in 2003. [Builder grade interior, but clean and well-maintained. No ocean for hundreds of miles, only scenery is sky and tops of trees, back yard not much more than a large covered patio.] I wonder what this house would sell for in southern CA?

[cinsays]

what's with so many baseball/football former major league players this week?  pretty much all obnoxious wives from what i saw

 

[laredhead]

1 hour ago, cinsays said:

what's with so many baseball/football former major league players this week?  pretty much all obnoxious wives from what i saw

Maybe they are auditioning for The Housewives of Former MLB Players.  There seems to be a "Housewives" show for just about everything.

[CalicoKitty]

I watched an episode last night with a very cute, petite blond young woman and a very tall man (I missed the first few minutes, but I think they were married) who was a professional athlete, I think.  The wanted a "grand" house, but they each needed their own huge bedroom and bathroom, plus other rooms for their own use.  I get that some couples sleep in different bedrooms, but it seemed like they didn't spend much time together at all.  They bought a huge house, and he had "his rooms" and she had "her rooms".  Not something I had seen before.  They seemed like two really nice people, and they seemed nice to each other, too.

Edited September 11, 2023 by CalicoKitty

[Grizzly]

10 hours ago, cinsays said:

what's with so many baseball/football former major league players this week?  pretty much all obnoxious wives from what i saw

 

This is the first weekend of the new NFL season. Perhaps this is HGTV's way of celebrating. I liked all the football players. None of them came off as a dumb jock. The baseball player was OK but his wife was insufferable. 

[sskrill]

1 hour ago, CalicoKitty said:

I watched an episode last night with a very cute, petite blond young woman and a very tall man (I missed the first few minutes, but I think they were married) who was a professional athlete, I think.  The wanted a "grand" house, but they each needed their own huge bedroom and bathroom, plus other rooms for their own use.  I get that some couples sleep in different bedrooms, but it seemed like they didn't spend much time together at all.  They bought a huge house, and he had "his rooms" and she had "her rooms".  Not something I had seen before.  The seemed like two really nice people, and they seemed nice to each other, too.

Geneo Grissom and Haley Eastham.  They were college sweathearts, she is an attorney in Dallas.  Looks like she went to law school in Boston while he played for the Pats.  I think was retired from football by the time that was filmed, but I don't think they mentioned if he had a new career.

They were very nice - I really liked how they treated each other too.  Seems like they had been together for quite a lot of life changes and still seemed to really genuinely like each other.  What I really liked was they each wanted the other to have what they wanted.

[buttersister]

20 minutes ago, sskrill said:

Geneo Grissom and Haley Eastham.

She said separate bedrooms was due to his, er, sleeping style (loud and sweaty). Congratulations, you two. Way to respect each other as the foundation of your marriage. And a little space can work as spice, too.