House Hunters - General Discussion

[laredhead]

I watched the New Orleans episode last night.  Takes me a few days to catch up, and I love reading the comments beforehand so I know what to look for when watching 🙂.  I noticed a lot of blue tarps still on roofs from the damage caused by Hurricane Ida back in September.  I don't know when this episode was filmed, but you can't go by the clothes HH's wear in these episodes because we can be wearing shorts & flip flops one day, and sweaters the next day here in south Lousiana.  I wonder about their house in Arabi too, and whether it sustained damage from the F3 tornado on Tuesday.  Her angst about storms is real.  They said they won't stay to ride out another storm in the future which makes a lot of sense.  The house they bought in Violet is a few miles south of Arabi and even closer to a storm wind field and storm surge. I'm a life long resident of south Louisiana & live in Baton Rouge.  I used to love a good thunderstorm.  Not anymore after living through a few tropical storms, Hurricanes Katrina & Gustav where we had no power for 14 days, and most recently Ida when we experienced hurricane winds briefly, and again no power for several days. Whole house generators are becoming a hot item here.

Having said all of that, the house they chose will be very rentable for someone who must live in that area due to their work, or someone who loves to fish and enjoys that area of the state.  I wonder how much their flood insurance costs?  I liked the new paint color on the front of the house.

Edited March 29, 2022 by laredhead
Correcting spelling

[amarante]

21 hours ago, qtpye said:

I always wondered why the hell anyone would sign up to be a decoy house.

You have crew and HH tramping through your house for days just for the honor of being one of the 'rejects".

Also, this show is notoriously cheap, so I doubt they are well compensated.

As posted below the show is on a quick schedule so they wouldn't be shooting in a decoy home for very long. The actual home would take longer since they also have the final scenes and production has to go back after the move-in or whatever.

I worked in tv/film production and crews are incredibly careful in terms of not damaging locations they rent and use. There is also good insurance which covers any potential damage. For this kind of production there is very minimal crew needed so not very much "traipsing"

I don't know what they pay but many people are enthralled with television and so would do it just to hang around and watch production for a few hours. I suspect that many of the decoys are not just random homes but are somehow linked to the HH or the agents in some way which might explain why some of the decoys are so obviously not suitable.

And - especially for some of the more modest decoys - even a relatively small payment of $500 or so would be appreciated and useful.

[chessiegal]

The decoy house I posted about upthread across from my stepdaughter's house was heavily damaged by Katrina and sat unlivable for years. Under some stress from local government, it eventually was sold to someone who flipped it. It wasn't occupied yet at the time they did the filming. And yes, minimal crew. I think she said camera, producer, and the real estate agent and couple looking. As I said, they were there for about 4 hours.

When I watched the episode, it was the first house shown. I thought, dang, that looks familiar. Then they panned around the neighborhood eventually getting to her house with her van parked out front. She said if you looked closely at her house, you probably could see four little noses pressed to the window watching in fascination. 😄

[buttersister]

Several years ago, a couple who'd bought a condo here requested that HH be allowed to film their story. No problem. Didn't take more than a day total and wasn't disruptive. Plus, we "won."

The producers came back some time later to ask if they could film again, but we'd be a decoy. The Board said no way--having our recognizable building be a loser (for who knew why) wasn't going to do resale any favors. Obviously different for homes that look like many other homes.

[Hedgehog2022]

On 3/24/2022 at 12:51 PM, mojito said:

Full of themselves, yes. Flirting, I doubt it. They're friends and act like friends. They're so alike, right down to their voices. Great teeth, both of them.

I'll bet she was happy to have him along so she he could divert her husband's attention and she could have some peace and quiet on vacation. 

The NO couple had some pretty inexpensive choices. At first, I thought they might pick Slidell since it's become a pretty popular place to live and at the time of filming, the casino gambling was a possibility, but I believe they have since nixed the casino, so there goes the promise of new jobs.

Husband sounded as though he were definitely from--or had lived a long time in--the southern LA area. Wife might've been, too, but her accent was different. 

I'm with YouTubeTV and I have 10 seasons of HH with approximately 13 episodes per season. Lately, they've been putting out episodes labeled seasons 212 and 213. 

Wife sounded like she was from Jersey...I found her to be as annoying as Teresa Guidice.

[Grrarrggh]

That Lancaster couple should not be allowed to procreate. Especially him. He seriously thought it would be harder to have stairs than to do a renovation when pregnant and with a newborn?! I did find funny her comment that two sinks would be nice if they ever happen to get ready together. 

[cameron]

16 hours ago, Hedgehog2022 said:

Wife sounded like she was from Jersey...I found her to be as annoying as Teresa Guidice.

Good catch.  Thought maybe NYC or New England, but Jersey works for me.

[NewGranny]

On 3/23/2022 at 10:10 PM, buttersister said:

Oy. New Orleans couple that survived hurricane Ida are looking for a house in the area that got slammed by a tornado last night. Their current house is getting repaired and the one they bought—both in St. Bernard’s Parish.😟

I haven't seen the episode yet, and not sure if you are familiar with the area, but St. Bernard Parish is pretty large.  The tornado struck Arabi which for those that don't know is the town closest to New Orleans.  Hopefully they were not affected.

FYI, I am from St. Bernard and my mother lives in Arabi and she had no damage from the tornado except for lose of power. 

[Dewey Decimate]

On 3/24/2022 at 2:57 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

Apartments/condos like that are springing up everywhere in Denver.  They're revitalizing some industrial areas with them, but they're also tearing down old buildings, and by old I mean ones that are of the age to have been built near downtown when it was being settled, and are often picturesque, but not necessarily "historic."  But they're a big part of what gives a neighborhood its feel, and they're vanishing.

When the agent took the Denver HHer to the modern, shiny condo in Five Points, all I thought was "wow, that area has been super-gentrified since Jimmy and Timmy went looking for the Crips!" Yes, my main familiarity with Denver neighborhoods is from South Park.

[buttersister]

Quote

FYI, I am from St. Bernard and my mother lives in Arabi and she had no damage from the tornado except for lose of power. 

Glad to hear that. The first house they looked at was in Arabi and the one they bought in Violet is 15 minutes away (I'm told), so knowing how unpredictable tornados are, I'm hoping they were spared as well.

[NewGranny]

18 hours ago, buttersister said:

Glad to hear that. The first house they looked at was in Arabi and the one they bought in Violet is 15 minutes away (I'm told), so knowing how unpredictable tornados are, I'm hoping they were spared as well.

Yes, Violet is a ways "down the road" as we say and they were fine.

[proserpina65]

On 3/21/2022 at 5:18 PM, dogdays2 said:

The I-95 corridor between Richmond and northern VA is a DISASTER traffic-wise pretty much all of the time.  Whatever commute time the realtor quoted is accurate -- only if you drive at 3 am on a Sunday morning.

Not necessarily even then.  I went to visit a friend who lived outside Ft. Bragg and hit the traffic from hell on the way back north at 9:30-ish at night.  Wasn't an accident or anything, just horrific traffic.

On 3/23/2022 at 11:32 AM, cameron said:

Very common style here in downtown historic Charleston, SC.  

In Charleston it was because the lots were originally long and narrow when they were laid out, and by having the entrance on the side, you could have a bigger porch.

[Grizzly]

Marietta, GA. Mocko and Cash, are they trying out for the next buddy cop movie? Not sure they are serious about adopting. Every once in a while they thought a bedroom could work for a kid. They were more concerned about where their gaming would go. House #3, what an odd spot to put a huge chandelier. All that space made Cash actually think about children. They've got a lot of stuff. I know I should hate them putting that shirt on their dog but it made me laugh.

[NoodlePony]

Marietta, GA couple were an odd pairing.
 

I recognized their realtor as previously having had her own episode of HH. Anyone else recognize her? She and her husband were also in the Atlanta area, their episode was titled debt free or something like that. 

[cameron]

14 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Not necessarily even then.  I went to visit a friend who lived outside Ft. Bragg and hit the traffic from hell on the way back north at 9:30-ish at night.  Wasn't an accident or anything, just horrific traffic.

In Charleston it was because the lots were originally long and narrow when they were laid out, and by having the entrance on the side, you could have a bigger porch.

Actually the piazza on the west or south side of the house was due to the theory that they would catch the winds coming off the Cooper and Ashley Rivers.

[cameron]

7 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Marietta, GA. Mocko and Cash, are they trying out for the next buddy cop movie? Not sure they are serious about adopting. Every once in a while they thought a bedroom could work for a kid. They were more concerned about where their gaming would go. House #3, what an odd spot to put a huge chandelier. All that space made Cash actually think about children. They've got a lot of stuff. I know I should hate them putting that shirt on their dog but it made me laugh.

What's worst than one adult gamer; it's two adult gamers in the same household.  Grow up people.

[mojito]

3 hours ago, cameron said:

Marietta, GA. Mocko and Cash, are they trying out for the next buddy cop movie?

I thought the exact same thing. Great surnames.

Nice couple. She talked about future kids and he seemed to prefer the word "if" when talking about kids. The way they're crammed into that townhouse now, I don't see it happening. 

I got no feel for what they did for a living. I don't know if she's currently in the military. Isn't that something HH loves to mention? Also, I got the sense that they intended to stay in Marietta indefinitely. And, no mention of commute times to work. It would be funny to learn that they make a living out of gaming. 

[Hedgehog2022]

16 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Marietta, GA. Mocko and Cash, are they trying out for the next buddy cop movie? Not sure they are serious about adopting. Every once in a while they thought a bedroom could work for a kid. They were more concerned about where their gaming would go. House #3, what an odd spot to put a huge chandelier. All that space made Cash actually think about children. They've got a lot of stuff. I know I should hate them putting that shirt on their dog but it made me laugh.

The townhouse they chose looked quite cramped with their furniture in it...they will outgrow it if they do adopt a child.

[KLovestoShop]

Boy, the Dover Delaware couple are a piece of work, but not in a good way.  Talk about a spoiled daughter.  The parents buy her a house to live in during college, and now she wants them to buy her, and her immature boyfriend, another house now that they’re embarking on their new careers.  Why can’t they do what most people do, rent an apartment and save money towards a house?  But no, Princess wants a house, just to her specifications.  And the boyfriend just had to keep his ugly, enormous sectional and parking for his truck.  All this for a couple who aren’t even engaged. 

[mojito]

On 3/30/2022 at 1:12 AM, NoodlePony said:

Marietta, GA couple were an odd pairing.

I found myself imagining a comical Twilight Zone episode of this couple and dog with Hawaiian shirts suddenly being plopped--as is-- in Marietta, George circa 1960. Hey, it's playing out as a comedy in my head. 

[Pj3422]

Des Moines, IA couple. Wow, she has a 10ft. pole up her butt, doesn’t she? And she got the boring house she wanted. I can only hope she lets her husband have the wet bar he wants. 

[LittleIggy]

7 minutes ago, Pj3422 said:

Des Moines, IA couple. Wow, she has a 10ft. pole up her butt, doesn’t she? And she got the boring house she wanted. I can only hope she lets her husband have the wet bar he wants. 

It was at least refreshing to see a woman walk into a large closet and not say “This is all mine!” or “This isn’t big enough!” She said something like her husband had more clothes than she did. 
What was with the dog not wanting to walk on uncarpeted floors? 

[mojito]

Charlotte

Yeah, entertainment is more important than anything else. Neither you nor your mother are spring chickens. Enjoy those stairs. Nice place, though.

 

DesMoines

Neither of the two did much for me, which is fine, since I'm not married to either. She didn't seem to be a bundle of joy and he was too anxious to entertain for my taste. So I'm happy they're happy together. I'm glad she got the ranch home. She echoed a lot of the things I'm sure a lot of people think about, handling stairs and cleaning.

That dog, though....Put some shoes on the thing and let it get used to wood floors. Get it off that white sofa. And too bad if it doesn't like stairs, it can sit on the back doormat besides its food. That dog needs dog lessons. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

22 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

It was at least refreshing to see a woman walk into a large closet and not say “This is all mine!” or “This isn’t big enough!” She said something like her husband had more clothes than she did. 
What was with the dog not wanting to walk on uncarpeted floors? 

My dog didn't like walking on my laminate floors, but he walked just fine on slick sheet vinyl remnants.    There's no logic with dogs.   

[LittleIggy]

I can understand the dog not liking stairs. It may be a retired racing greyhound and have hip problems. 

[Cetacean]

2 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

I can understand the dog not liking stairs. It may be a retired racing greyhound and have hip problems. 

It may never have actually seen stairs. I adopted a shelter dog who is clearly befuddled when first encountering stairs. She never did do very well with them either. But she had lived in a concrete pen for 5 years and even grass was a surprise. She was also very leery about any kind of shiny floor. She got over that.

I did like the woman speaking up about being the one having to clean 3400 square feet. I'm with her on that one.

[rhofmovalley]

My elderly cat didn't care much for my laminate floors. When she jumped down from the bed or the couch it sounded so painful. It seemed like I could literally hear her joints cracking. She would grunt, too. So I got fluffy area rugs and a runner for her to make things easier. And the vet confirmed she had arthritis. I can't imagine trying to jump from a height that's greater than MY height and having to land on a hard surface.

I did find the wife to be so low key almost to the point of being minus any personality. I can't imagine her at any of her husband's parties. But they say opposites attract! Maybe she's a stealth wild woman lol.

[Grizzly]

Phoenix, AZ. Quinton seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. Mom needs to cut the cord. And that pink/fuschia outfit, my eyes! She is going to drive away any potential daughter-in-law. None of the properties seemed to be what Quinton wanted. Liked that he got the condo.

[LittleIggy]

Phoenix: Do people in Phoenix actually put exercise equipment outside?🥵

[rhofmovalley]

10 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Phoenix: Do people in Phoenix actually put exercise equipment outside?🥵

I used to live in Vegas (similar climate). It's not hot all year. In fact the desert areas cool down quite a bit in winter. In Vegas we got down to the 20s in the winter. I presume Phoenix is the same.

But yeah, during the summer? No way would that be a smart thing to do.

[LittleIggy]

Phoenix: I miss a bit of the beginning. Why did the HH talk about rental income (and they kept flashing $ rental potential on the screen)? Did he want a roommate? It seemed too soon to be ready to rent out the house and find another place to live! 🤨

[Seelouis]

2 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Phoenix: I miss a bit of the beginning. Why did the HH talk about rental income (and they kept flashing $ rental potential on the screen)? Did he want a roommate? It seemed too soon to be ready to rent out the house and find another place to live! 🤨

His mom was pushing so hard on him getting married and starting a family that he was saying if that happens he would buy a bigger place and rent out this one. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

There is no way anyone who lives in Phoenix will have their exercise equipment outside.   That must have been a storyline.  

I was irritated the mother kept pushing Quinton to spend the $400k the mortgage people approved him for.    That's pure folly to spend every cent you're approved for.   The $300k was so much more sensible, and it was exactly what the HH needed.    If he gets married, then he can follow his plan to rent out the townhouse, and buy a single family to live in.   

I'm wondering if the mother wanted him to get a house big enough for her to move in?

Edited April 1, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[Grrarrggh]

On 3/31/2022 at 12:40 PM, Pj3422 said:

Des Moines, IA couple. Wow, she has a 10ft. pole up her butt, doesn’t she? And she got the boring house she wanted. I can only hope she lets her husband have the wet bar he wants. 

Really? I felt for her because hubby seemed like a fratboy type who never grew up. 

[CruiseDiva]

8 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I was irritated the mother kept pushing Quinton to spend the $400k the mortgage people approved him for.    That's pure folly to spend every cent you're approved for.   The $300k was so much more sensible, and it was exactly what the HH needed.    If he gets married, then he can follow his plan to rent out the townhouse, and buy a single family to live in.   

I thought for sure he'd buy the first townhouse that he seemed to really like the best. Maybe he went with the 3-bedroom one because his pushy mama was 'helping' him financially.

[rhofmovalley]

19 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

I thought for sure he'd buy the first townhouse that he seemed to really like the best. Maybe he went with the 3-bedroom one because his pushy mama was 'helping' him financially.

Well, that one wasn't really available because it was one of the decoys. 

[amarante]

On 3/31/2022 at 11:00 AM, Cetacean said:

It may never have actually seen stairs. I adopted a shelter dog who is clearly befuddled when first encountering stairs. She never did do very well with them either. But she had lived in a concrete pen for 5 years and even grass was a surprise. She was also very leery about any kind of shiny floor. She got over that.

I did like the woman speaking up about being the one having to clean 3400 square feet. I'm with her on that one.

My family was given a dog by a woman who lived in a Manhattan high rise because she realized her life style didn't really work with a dog.

I lived with my parents in a two family house on the second floor and the dog had never encountered stairs so the first few days he had to learn but he became quite nimble. Same would be true of wood floors as dogs learn how to get traction on smooth surfaces as they aren't *morons*.

When I moved into a Manhattan high rise and would sit the dog when my parents went away, he had to readjust to the sensation of being in a elevator - he would kind of brace his feet when it went down but after a few times on the elevator he became reacclimated to the sensation. 

[CruiseDiva]

38 minutes ago, rhofmovalley said:

Well, that one wasn't really available because it was one of the decoys. 

LOL! Sometimes my age creeps up on me and I forget!!! 🤣

[amarante]

3 hours ago, rhofmovalley said:

Well, that one wasn't really available because it was one of the decoys. 

I understand that a specific home isn’t available but sometimes I think that I just would have waited because the one chosen was so terrible. In this episode there was nothing particularly unique about the condo not chosen so I have to assume that there would have been better choices available. 

Sometimes there are very specific location criteria in terms of not wanting kids to change schools but this episode would seem to have a wider pool. 

can they spare us from the insult to our intelligence - when has there ever been a house that is in the middle of construction that isn’t the choice. No one abandons a home leaving counters undone and a shower almost finished. Especially when it is be remodeled for an elderly person who needs a walk-in shower. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Edited April 2, 2022 by amarante

[rhofmovalley]

20 hours ago, amarante said:

can they spare us from the insult to our intelligence - when has there ever been a house that is in the middle of construction that isn’t the choice. No one abandons a home leaving counters undone and a shower almost finished. Especially when it is be remodeled for an elderly person who needs a walk-in shower.

Or when of the three choices, two of them are fully furnished.  We all know the unfurnished one is the one they already bought.  Sometimes we can even see the indentations the furniture left on the carpeting because apparently they didn't have time to even vacuum and remove them.

Oh, and when they claim the pool table or piano are "included".  NO ONE buys an expensive piano or pool table and just leaves it.  Those are a pain in the ass to move so the production company leaves them there and we all know that.

One recent episode was great because all three of the homes were unfurnished.  I even said out loud "Wow, for once I don't know which one is the chosen one!"

[Johannah]

On 4/1/2022 at 4:05 PM, CruiseDiva said:

I thought for sure he'd buy the first townhouse that he seemed to really like the best. Maybe he went with the 3-bedroom one because his pushy mama was 'helping' him financially.

The first choice for Quentin really creeped me out with the thorn-lined maze that he had to traverse to get to the front door.  I really liked him, though, so I hope he's happy with his selection.

[Hedgehog2022]

On 3/31/2022 at 12:59 PM, mojito said:

Charlotte

Yeah, entertainment is more important than anything else. Neither you nor your mother are spring chickens. Enjoy those stairs. Nice place, though.

 

DesMoines

Neither of the two did much for me, which is fine, since I'm not married to either. She didn't seem to be a bundle of joy and he was too anxious to entertain for my taste. So I'm happy they're happy together. I'm glad she got the ranch home. She echoed a lot of the things I'm sure a lot of people think about, handling stairs and cleaning.

That dog, though....Put some shoes on the thing and let it get used to wood floors. Get it off that white sofa. And too bad if it doesn't like stairs, it can sit on the back doormat besides its food. That dog needs dog lessons. 

As a dog owner whio has had several elderly dogs (14 yrs.for one and 15 yrs. for another) I can fully understand the issues with wood or laminate floors with senior dogs. Both of mine had severe arthritis and getting up from sitting or lying down on anything but carpet was impossible. Walking on it was just as bad. Their dog looked older and probably had joint or arthritis problems. Have a little compassion...older dogs can't express their pain so it is important to make their senior years comfortable and safe.

[Hedgehog2022]

On 3/31/2022 at 10:31 PM, Grizzly said:

Phoenix, AZ. Quinton seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. Mom needs to cut the cord. And that pink/fuschia outfit, my eyes! She is going to drive away any potential daughter-in-law. None of the properties seemed to be what Quinton wanted. Liked that he got the condo.

I thought the son was sweet and pretty tolerant of his mom's nagging for him to get married and have kids. She was relentless! You'd think she'd realize the more she nags about it the more he will resist...if he's not ready, then he's better off not jumping into a marriage that might end in divorce in two years....slow down mom...you'll get your screaming grandbabies in a few years.

Edited April 4, 2022 by Hedgehog2022

[Grizzly]

Concord, CA. If they want to save some money, they could ditch that huge gas guzzler they're driving. With a toddler, why wouldn't you want carpet on the stairs? I liked the interior look of house #2 but how do you have company with that shared driveway? Where do your guests park? No matter, they didn't pick it. The kid is cute.

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Concord, CA. If they want to save some money, they could ditch that huge gas guzzler they're driving. With a toddler, why wouldn't you want carpet on the stairs? I liked the interior look of house #2 but how do you have company with that shared driveway? Where do your guests park? No matter, they didn't pick it. The kid is cute.

I honestly would have chosen house #2. It was slightly larger than the other two, although from the outside you could not tell. It had 4 bedrooms and seemed the most updated. It was the least expensive. The only thing that gave me pause was that shared driveway.

And what is it with these buyers who must have gigantic walk- in closets? Here's an idea ... Donate some clothes to Goodwill.

Also, knowing that there was no en suite bath, I knew that was a deal breaker for them. I just don't understand how first time home buyers expect to have it all. Does no one buy starter homes anymore?

I chuckle each time home buyers lament old homes built in the 80s, 90s , or heavens, the 1970s, like tonight. My childhood home was a Dutch colonial from the 1920s. Our first home as newlyweds was a Tudor style colonial circa 1939. We currently live in a Cape Cod home built in 1949, that was dormered into a Colonial. After a major renovation of adding a stone front porch, lifting the roof to add a full attic, adding a side attached garage, and pushing out and above, the home is considered post Modern. I still think older homes, pre 1950, have the most charm. Our son lives in a Victorian home,circa 1893. The millwork has never been painted, is in amazing condition, and gorgeous.

[LittleIggy]

Concord, CA: The husband was hot!

[Grrarrggh]

25 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

I just don't understand how first time home buyers expect to have it all. Does no one buy starter homes anymore?

Considering the prices a lot of people buying homes know they may only be able to buy one house, ever. 

[mojito]

10 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Does no one buy starter homes anymore?

Those are the first homes to go. And way too frequently, they are purchased by an investor who will turn it into a rental. So the answer is, only the very lucky are able to purchase starter homes in the current market.

[amarante]

10 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

 

I chuckle each time home buyers lament old homes built in the 80s, 90s , or heavens, the 1970s, like tonight. My childhood home was a Dutch colonial from the 1920s. Our first home as newlyweds was a Tudor style colonial circa 1939. We currently live in a Cape Cod home built in 1949, that was dormered into a Colonial. After a major renovation of adding a stone front porch, lifting the roof to add a full attic, adding a side attached garage, and pushing out and above, the home is considered post Modern. I still think older homes, pre 1950, have the most charm. Our son lives in a Victorian home,circa 1893. The millwork has never been painted, is in amazing condition, and gorgeous.

I find the lack of any kind of understanding of architectural history to be jarring.

I chortle when people say they want a modern house and the style they want is "Craftsman". Craftsman is a style dating from the early part of the 20th Century and was a reaction to the industrialization that was occurring during the latter part of the 19th century - it was part of the Arts & Crafts movement. New homes that have the most *obvious* examples of the style - e.g. a porch with pillars are no more "Craftsmen" than homes built in the 1970's are "Colonial" 

Other idiocies include describing a standard single bowl sink as a "farmhouse sink. And being shocked that an older home with *historic charm* has small closets and no master bath or if built in the late 1960's has a tiny master bath with a small stall shower and a single sink.

Also a pox on idiotic realtors who state that a kitchen or bath can be renovated for $5000 or so. At least a recent show had the realtor telling the homeowner that new counters and backsplash would be at least $10.000.

Also let us stop with the stupidity that someone who is in the business of construction is NOT going to select the home that needs renovation because we also know that the person is NOT going to come home on nights and weekends and gut renovate in his spare time. He will use his contacts, expertise, trade discounts and probably his crew of workers to do the job for 50% of what it would cost a homeowner who wasn't in the business. 

[rhofmovalley]

18 minutes ago, amarante said:

I find the lack of any kind of understanding of architectural history to be jarring.

I chortle when people say they want a modern house and the style they want is "Craftsman". Craftsman is a style dating from the early part of the 20th Century and was a reaction to the industrialization that was occurring during the latter part of the 19th century - it was part of the Arts & Crafts movement. New homes that have the most *obvious* examples of the style - e.g. a porch with pillars are no more "Craftsmen" than homes built in the 1970's are "Colonial" 

Other idiocies include describing a standard single bowl sink as a "farmhouse sink. And being shocked that an older home with *historic charm* has small closets and no master bath or if built in the late 1960's has a tiny master bath with a small stall shower and a single sink.

Also a pox on idiotic realtors who state that a kitchen or bath can be renovated for $5000 or so. At least a recent show had the realtor telling the homeowner that new counters and backsplash would be at least $10.000.

Also let us stop with the stupidity that someone who is in the business of construction is NOT going to select the home that needs renovation because we also know that the person is NOT going to come home on nights and weekends and gut renovate in his spare time. He will use his contacts, expertise, trade discounts and probably his crew of workers to do the job for 50% of what it would cost a homeowner who wasn't in the business. 

I do have to wonder how much of the comments are producer- fed. I recall someone who was on HHI saying the producer told her their storyline when they arrived: her husband wanted to be in the city, she wanted the suburbs. When in fact she had no issue at all with being in the city. But they gotta have that storyline because we all know that's why we watch!