House Hunters - General Discussion

[pdlinda]

3 hours ago, Dehumidifier said:

House Hunter said she is the marketing director in the family's water filtration business and CEO of her own company, selling a beauty device she invented.

OK....would that be like a system that is offered at Costco that I see a vendor representing when I get in line to check out?  

Whatever the business is I would say it's wildly successful as the family seemed to be financially very well off.

AND....the sister said the HH was also doing very well with her beauty business.

[Hedgehog2022]

On 5/25/2022 at 5:38 PM, chessiegal said:

I was so distracted by the Chicago woman's nose ring it was hard to concentrate on anything else. My issue.

Agree...the nose ring seemed unprofessional and inappropriate for a therapist. Some of my daughter's high school and college friends had them but by the time they graduated from either high school or college they had removed them. And don't get me started on the pole dancing...maybe she strips on the weekends.

[StatisticalOutlier]

9 hours ago, Hedgehog2022 said:

Agree...the nose ring seemed unprofessional and inappropriate for a therapist. Some of my daughter's high school and college friends had them but by the time they graduated from either high school or college they had removed them.

On his show the other night, Bill Maher was talking about how young people do things just to shock or be provocative, noting that there's a reason 55-year-olds don't get nose rings.

[rhofmovalley]

2 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

On his show the other night, Bill Maher was talking about how young people do things just to shock or be provocative, noting that there's a reason 55-year-olds don't get nose rings.

I wouldn't have gotten one when I was 25.  That or a belly button ring, mainly because I was afraid it would get stuck on something and be forcefully yanked out.  And the nose ring is so distracting.  My niece has a nostril ring and while it's less distracting I still stare at it inadvertently when I talk to her.  I try not to, but...

[Hedgehog2022]

6 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

On his show the other night, Bill Maher was talking about how young people do things just to shock or be provocative, noting that there's a reason 55-year-olds don't get nose rings.

Yes...Bill Maher who has no children of his own knows so much about the mind of a 16 year old. 

[kirklandia]

Speaking of those big padded headbands - did anyone else watch the second season of The Home Edit? I think Joanna wore one in every episode.  
So distracting.  Maybe they are a disguise for thinning hair. Oh dear, I may need to try one.

[Johannah]

I actually thought headband girl was pretty and looked nice in the headbands.  They suited her.  However, and this might be a personal bias because I never had a wedding and didn't grow up dreaming and planning my wedding, but huge budget-breaking weddings annoy me.  All that money spent on one day.  I would definitely put all that money into a house.  It was refreshing that she was satisfied with a small house, but not for the reason she was.

[Kenzie]

On 5/26/2022 at 9:56 PM, ECM1231 said:

I hated that mid-century home,

For the right designer with a massive wallet it might be ok. For anyone else it would just be a money pit. And what was with that stand alone oven-in-a-column? No nearby counter to set a hot dish down and smack in the middle of pathways. That would be the first thing to go.

[Pine]

On 5/26/2022 at 9:27 AM, mojito said:

Right. So she's relying on Mommy and Daddy to purchase her home as her grandmothers used to rely on their husbands. How far she's come!

Good strategy though.  My folks paid 15K for a house for me, at age 23, I recently sold for 150 times more than they paid, after they passed and left it to me. Therefore I put down part of my daughter's down on her house.  My dear Mother didn't get that advantage as a single mother of 3 in the 1940's.  

[Notabug]

7 hours ago, Pine said:

Good strategy though.  My folks paid 15K for a house for me, at age 23, I recently sold for 150 times more than they paid, after they passed and left it to me. Therefore I put down part of my daughter's down on her house.  My dear Mother didn't get that advantage as a single mother of 3 in the 1940's.  

I think a lot of people get money from family, including parents, to help with the down payment on their first house.  I don't have a problem with it, it's what families do.  However, this particular househunter kept going on and on about what a strong, independent woman she was; so much tougher than past generations of women in her family while, from what we heard, the entire down payment came from her parents.  Not part of it, all of it.  Which begs the question as to what it is that she feels is so exceptional about herself that she is buying a house using other people's money for the down payment?  If she hadn't been bragging so much, I would've just thought she was a really lucky kid, having parents with enough cash to give her a down payment.  Most people don't get that kind of help when they purchase a home; but, if they do, they should give credit where it is due and not claim it for themselves.

Edited June 1, 2022 by Notabug

[CrazyInAlabama]

Young surgeon in Atlanta, first time buyer.    Her friend wants her to get an expensive turnkey statement home.   Stephanie wants a fixer, or smaller and manageable size.   She's a trauma surgeon.   Budget $550k-650k.  15-20 minutes from the hospital.    Her friend bought recently in Memphis, and it's huge, and expensive, I would call it pretentious.   I hate the way the friend is pushing Stephanie to spend way more and get a much bigger house than Stephanie is happy with. 

House #1-Grant Park, $550k as is, it's a former rental, mostly cosmetic work, House exterior is purple.   3 bed 2.5 bath 1900 sq. ft.  great hardwood floors, it's a 1990 house, but looks older and more charming.   kitchen needs new counter tops, and a real back splash, will probably end up a total gut.   back deck looks rough, main bedroom has a big balcony, en suite, but baths need counter tops, 

House #2-Grant park, turn key Bungalow, $799k, fully renovated, house has a chicken coop, built in 1911 Bungalow, 4 bed 3 bath, 2855 sq ft, lovely floor, kitchen is spectacular with a huge island, great deck and back garden, with a studio or workshop in the back yard.  great main bedroom and ensuite, upstairs guest bath is lovely, and the bedrooms are great.  

House #3-Kirkwood, $725k, 4 bed 3 bath 2172 sq ft, lovely hardwood floors, looks turnkey, lovely kitchen, built in mid-1950s, back yard is great, with lovely deck.   full bath on the first floor, 3 bedrooms on second floor, with en suite, and guest bath.   I love the en suite shower, penny tile on the floor, no tub though.    

Stephanie picks #2  I hope she's very happy with that house.   She had to go over asking.   

My issue with going way over asking is that if another job offer comes up, and you have to sell, you may not even break even with the commissions and other costs from selling.    The market is cooling off, I think a lot of that is interest rates.    

Edited June 1, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[ByaNose]

The surgeon had to go wayyyyyy over asking. Yikes! I was torn between House #2 & #3. She chose #2. I can’t imagine buying a house that much. Oh! That’s right I’m too poor to afford a house that expensive. LOL!!!!! I’m sure she will be very happy with the house and the close commute. She seems like a nice person and not OTT the obnoxious. Her friend was just a tiny bit annoying but not totally horrible. I will say I thought she was going to end up in some high rise condo since the houses seemed so big for her. At least, that’s the impression I got from her discussing how she didn’t need all that room. 

[ECM1231]

I'd have picked the smaller,, but still spacious Kirkwood neighborhood home if I were the Atlanta surgeon. It was a lovely updated home. I think she really wanted to be in that Grant Park neighborhood, though, even though Kirkwood was closer to her job. Honestly, the first house, also in Grant Park was plenty large for her at 1900 sq ft. I honestly didn't think it needed that much work. Yes, some of the finishes were outdated, but she could have made it her own and for less than the approximately 300K more she spent on the one she chose. Kirkwood would have been a good compromise if she wasn't up to the challenge of renovation. 

[mojito]

Atlanta Surgeon

This lady had so few demands. Location, charm, lower price seemed to be all she was interested in. Location and cost are basic things to be focused on.  Her friend, it seemed, wanted her to have a certain lifestyle, but this woman just wasn't into purchasing an image house. She was a very singular person, if that makes sense.

[rhofmovalley]

I don't trust the storylines the producers push on the house hunters, so I believe the Atlanta surgeon, while hoping a bargain might be available, was completely fine with spending nearly $900k on her home. I didn't really like it, though. I found it bland and colorless. 

I actually liked the quirky purple home. I thought it was cute. I wonder if the people who own that decoy house ended up fixing it up themselves and staying there or if they fixed it and sold it.

[jcbrown]

7 hours ago, mojito said:

Atlanta Surgeon

This lady had so few demands. Location, charm, lower price seemed to be all she was interested in. Location and cost are basic things to be focused on.  Her friend, it seemed, wanted her to have a certain lifestyle, but this woman just wasn't into purchasing an image house. She was a very singular person, if that makes sense.

Her friend was very annoying and demanding. I hope she was just playing a character for TV because otherwise the surgeon needs better friends.

[Grizzly]

Fargo, ND. I didn't catch it, what does she do for a living? Josh went all in on the dad bod. New build was nice but the price will soar to get it the way they want. And there wasn't much yard but that doesn't seem to be a criteria for them. 1909 house, I swear the realtor (who is quite striking) said 5 bed 3 bath but we didn't see the 5th/3rd. Two tone (big no from me) house had the best space. Guess price doesn't matter when it comes to getting what you want.

[BAForever]

Fargo. She said "medical provider". Mentioned a Masters Degree. I went to college in Fargo. If you can get past the long winters, we loved living there. 

[Grizzly]

Oceanside, CA. Only she works and they are dropping 1 million on a second house?!! I'm prepared to not like them. She wants a 6 bedroom house, they have 2 boys, and she wants them to share a room? Maybe Tarek and Christina did that flip. #2, I hated the window boxes. #3 looked ok. Good thing he was cute or I would've watched something else.

[ECM1231]

Coming from Kenya, I wonder how the wife likes those snowy ND winters.

All these new builds are so bland to me. Whenever I see wall to wall carpet in a new home I realize that there's probably subflooring underneath, and not hardwood flooring. The builders always cheap out. I also notice that these new white, bright kitchens that buyers favor, have cabinetry that stops short of the ceilings. Major dust collector. My kitchen is older and we have soffits above the top cabinets.  Nowadays they have top cabinets that are taller, so there's no need for that gap, imo.

Also, I guess windows don't have wood windowsills any more. Before we bought our current house we were looking in areas where the homes were built in the 1950s, early 1960s. The inside  door frames were steel, no windowsills, no crown moulding. Ugh! 

I guess I just like older homes.

[Thumper]

1 hour ago, BAForever said:

Fargo. She said "medical provider". Mentioned a Masters Degree. I went to college in Fargo. If you can get past the long winters, we loved living there. 

I thought she said “ mental health provider,” but my hearing isn’t the best!😁.  

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Maybe Tarek and Christina did that flip.

I thought the same thing! 😆

[answerphone]

Oceanside.   I agree, where do these people get the money?

 Was she concerned at all about her sons?  Will they watch those toddlers near a pool? Or will she be primping in front of a mirror and working out?

 Who else wonders about some of these couples, “How long will they stay married?”

[BAForever]

6 hours ago, Thumper said:

I thought she said “ mental health provider,” but my hearing isn’t the best!😁.  

You may be right. I was semi dozing. Only watched since it was somewhere I knew.

[Crashcourse]

13 hours ago, Thumper said:

I thought she said “ mental health provider,” but my hearing isn’t the best!😁.  

That's what I thought I heard, too.

15 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Good thing he was cute or I would've watched something else.

I kept thinking "cute lunkhead." 😁

[CrazyInAlabama]

So Kenya to Fargo ND, quite a climate change. Mental Health provider is what she said, I had to put the closed caption on, bacground music is interfering again.      Husband's part time hospitality, that means bartender or waiter?   $250k- $350k budget, she'll go to $380k.  That's where the trauma surgeon moved back to, and bought that amazing old mansion and restored it. 

I can't imagine a bunch of reflected light off of snow, and having an all white kitchen.   In an age of bed bug infestations, husband dumpster dives and brings home upholstered couches, etc.?     

Building 1 new build, 3,000 sq ft, model home that you choose options,  3 bed 3 bath, $350k, I like the 1/2 bath right inside the back door, next to the mud room.  the fourth bedroom will cost $4-$5k extra, unfinished basement.  The realtor's dreaming if she thinks it would only be $20k to $30k to finish the basement, I think you can double the cost to finish the basement. 2 car garage is so necessary in Fargo, in my opinion.    South facing driveway would be a great idea too.  Also, $20k extra to pick the 3 stall garage option, but if they finish the basement they could possibly rent it out, or use it for a MIL suite. 

House 2-1909 house, downtown Fargo, detached 1 car garage.   5 bedrooms 3 bath $269k, remodeled, 1st floor bedroom is very tiny.   Kitchen is totally overdone.  1st floor bath is tiny, with the door in the kitchen.  Second floor 1 bath, and 3 bedrooms on the second floor, no en suite.  bedrooms are tiny.  

House 3-2016 house, 2 car garage, $343,500, 4 bed 4 bath, nice kitchen, with a pantry, she still wants white cabinets, so get them refaced, takes 2 days, and cost a fraction of what remodeling a brand new kitchen would.   Nice main bath, and guest bath, with 3 bedrooms on the second floor.  Basement has another bedroom, and is fully finished.   The basement bedroom would be great if she does remote patient visits, for privacy.   Basement has a huge bedroom, separate kitchen, big bath, and could be rented out.   

They choose # 1 new construction, with 3 stall garage, $367k with upgrades, 3 car garage is $16k extra. 4 bedrooms on the second floor. 

$1 million extra home in L.A., not even interested.   I do have to laugh at the husband asking the realtor about wiggle room in the L.A. area on price.      

[ECM1231]

45 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

House 2-1909 house, downtown Fargo, detached 1 car garage.   5 bedrooms 3 bath $269k, remodeled, 1st floor bedroom is very tiny.   Kitchen is totally overdone.  1st floor bath is tiny, with the door in the kitchen.  Second floor 1 bath, and 3 bedrooms on the second floor, no en suite.  bedrooms are tiny. 

I couldn't figure out where that 5th bedroom was. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

33 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

I couldn't figure out where that 5th bedroom was. 

I think on house #2, there were three upstairs, and they claimed those two tiny rooms downstairs were also bedrooms.  That was a 3 bedroom house, not a 5. 

[Grrarrggh]

Fargo agent must have been having hot flashes. Middle of winter and she was wearing summer dresses. She also looked a bit too dressed up at that first house. 

Oceanside real estate agent had scary looking eyebrows. I kept expecting her to either do an evil laugh or see one of the brows to crawl off her face. Mr Stay-at-home dad needs to get that pacifier away from his son. 

Edited June 2, 2022 by Grrarrggh

[amarante]

I found the Canada to Oceanside episode even stranger than many of the storylines.

From what I deduced she must be involved in some kind of MLM type of scam because she mentioned that she was in "network sales" and that coupled with her saying that she got into it because of her work in fitness training let me to the only logical conclusion.

The scenario of spending only six months in the US and renting for the other months makes no sense. Is she planning to home school her boys because at some point the kids will be going to a *regular* school which is generally for 9 months. I know that many people have gotten used to remote schools but there didn't seem to be any mention of that in the scenario.

Also I question who is renting these large homes on a short term basis. Did she mean very short term like AirBnB or did she mean for six months to people who want to be in California in the summer. Do people really want to rent large homes that aren't in a particular resort area for six months? My parents lived in a condo development near Laguna which had a lot of community stuff including a golf course and a stable as well as pools and people from Arizona would rent in the summer but they were renting because of all the community amenities.

I had no doubt that the surgeon in Atlanta would not actually go for a project. She could afford it really has no worry about being down sized because her speciality is high paying and in high demand. 

I rolled my eyes when she was acting as if she was actually going to buy a house that required "projects". She doesn't have the time or the skills to do it and no high paid professional with a demanding job actually does serious remodeling work. It simply makes no sense. But even if you hire someone to do the work and the GC is good, it is incredibly stressful and takes a lot of time and energy to go through a remodel. 

[Thumper]

I had some of the same questions you had, @amarante, about the Canada to Oceanside family — mainly how the kids would do school 6 months in U.S. and other in Canada.   Couldn’t figure out what the wife was doing for a living but it sounded like internet sales, to which I give the side-eye.  But I am old and very security- conscious when it comes to making a living!  lol

Would be interesting to know how it all worked out for them.

[Crashcourse]

I thought the Fargo agent looked nice, but I wondered about the summer dress since there was snow on the ground.  However, I did notice that the woman HH was wearing a short-sleeved blouse or dress in one scene. 

Oceanside agent's eyebrows were scary looking.  Really scary. 

[mojito]

15 hours ago, answerphone said:

 Who else wonders about some of these couples, “How long will they stay married?”

All the time. With this couple, I wondered how long they would find it financially and logistically  feasible to own this home. Unless, of course, they're actually independently wealthy.

I would worry about someone trashing out my house and making it unlivable for me when I wanted to come down. Or getting them out of the place if they decided they wanted to stay longer. Going out on a limb here, but I would guess that CA might be one state where it's difficult to get renter issues resolved even semi-quickly.

[Crashcourse]

I did think it was a nice change that the Oceanside man (aka cute lunkhead) was a stay- at- home dad caring for their two sons.

[Grrarrggh]

3 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I did think it was a nice change that the Oceanside man (aka cute lunkhead) was a stay- at- home dad caring for their two sons.

I found it a bit odd that they said that but we only saw her interacting with them. Plus they need to get rid of the 3-year-olds dummy. 

[LittleIggy]

10 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

In an age of bed bug infestations, husband dumpster dives and brings home upholstered couches, etc.?     

I know, right? I’ve picked up baker’s racks and tables left by the dumpster, stuff that can be sanitized, but never anything upholstered. 😬

[Kenzie]

13 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Building 1 new build ..

CrazyinAlabama,

Just wanted to say I appreciate all the time you put into your detailed reviews. Thanks 😀

[CrazyInAlabama]

14 hours ago, mojito said:

All the time. With this couple, I wondered how long they would find it financially and logistically  feasible to own this home. Unless, of course, they're actually independently wealthy.

I would worry about someone trashing out my house and making it unlivable for me when I wanted to come down. Or getting them out of the place if they decided they wanted to stay longer. Going out on a limb here, but I would guess that CA might be one state where it's difficult to get renter issues resolved even semi-quickly.

My guess is that they're buying the house for an investment, as either a long term, or short term rental, and won't even see the place after they buy it.    Then, if the rentals fall off, they'll sell it, hoping to profit off the hugely hot southern California market. 

[BAForever]

15 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

I found it a bit odd that they said that but we only saw her interacting with them. Plus they need to get rid of the 3-year-olds dummy. 

Oh my gosh! Someone else who calls a paci a "dummy". That's what my dad called them. 

[pdlinda]

On 6/2/2022 at 11:19 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

So Kenya to Fargo ND, quite a climate change. Mental Health provider is what she said

I thought I heard her say she was a "home health provider;"  however defer to you if that is what your CC said. 

They said nothing about any "credentialing" she had.  Mental health providers usually have advanced degrees and with the level of income she ostensibly must provide (husband part time "hospitality" worker and stay-at-home dad) to maintain that level of comfortable lifestyle, she probably needs to be earning in the 6 figures, 

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 6/3/2022 at 1:37 PM, pdlinda said:

I thought I heard her say she was a "home health provider;"  however defer to you if that is what your CC said. 

They said nothing about any "credentialing" she had.  Mental health providers usually have advanced degrees and with the level of income she ostensibly must provide (husband part time "hospitality" worker and stay-at-home dad) to maintain that level of comfortable lifestyle, she probably needs to be earning in the 6 figures, 

The couple met when she was doing her Master's degree, and close captioning not only said "Mental Health Provider", but spelled it correctly (doesn't always happen on my closed captioning lately, it has good days, and bizarre days).     I just thought it was amazing that in a time of bed bugs, and all other kinds of icky things, the husband dumpster dives. 

Edited June 4, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[pdlinda]

55 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The couple met when she was doing her Master's degree, and close captioning not only said "Mental Health Provider", but spelled it correctly (doesn't always happen on my closed captioning lately, it has good days, and bizarre days).     I just thought it was amazing that in a time of bed bugs, and all other kinds of icky things, the husband dumpster dives. 

OK.  I'm sure she has a thriving career in what is now an ESSENTIAL field (with COVID ramifications). 

However, considering the "dumpster diver" husband is mostly a full-time house husband, I can see why he would be using unusual methods to keep that household afloat financially.

[Empress1]

16 hours ago, pdlinda said:

OK.  I'm sure she has a thriving career in what is now an ESSENTIAL field (with COVID ramifications). 

However, considering the "dumpster diver" husband is mostly a full-time house husband, I can see why he would be using unusual methods to keep that household afloat financially.

Not all mental health providers make a lot of money - the PhD or PhD/MDs in private practice do, but if she has a master’s she may not be rolling in it (though I agree, there’s certainly a great need for her services - but just because she’s busy doesn’t mean she’s well-paid). I have a friend who is a PsyD (so only clinical work, she doesn’t research) and she laments her pay all the time, though she intentionally works in nonprofits in part to get her student loans forgiven. Plus they have three kids on what sounds like one and a half incomes at best, and likely less since their youngest was very young. I can see a need to be frugal. Their house budget was fairly modest.

Not only would the climate be a big change but the population of Fargo is 7% Black, according to a quick Google search - coming from Kenya, that would be a huge culture shock.

[letusprocrastinate]

On 6/2/2022 at 3:48 PM, Grrarrggh said:

Fargo agent must have been having hot flashes. Middle of winter and she was wearing summer dresses. She also looked a bit too dressed up at that first house. 

Oceanside real estate agent had scary looking eyebrows. I kept expecting her to either do an evil laugh or see one of the brows to crawl off her face. Mr Stay-at-home dad needs to get that pacifier away from his son. 

Fargo and environs had a much longer than usual winter this past season, so although I haven't seen the episode in particular it's possible they filmed on days when there was a warm* spell and the locals were happily breaking out the summer clothes even with snow still on the ground. 

*Warm being in the eye of the beholder, so a temperature that would have people breaking out the shorts and sundresses in North Dakota in, say, February would have people putting on the woolies in Florida.

[amarante]

On 6/4/2022 at 6:17 AM, Empress1 said:

Not only would the climate be a big change but the population of Fargo is 7% Black, according to a quick Google search - coming from Kenya, that would be a huge culture shock.

I also wondered why in the world they chose to settle in Fargo. 

If I were a multi racial couple I can't imagine wanting to live in a place that was so markedly Caucasian. I can't imagine the kids are not going to experience issues as they grow up and they are going to be almost completely without POC as role models in terms of teachers or other people they come in contact with.

I also don't understand why a mental health provider would set themselves up in an environment that is completely unlike their own life experiences. Yes theoretically a skilled provider can provide skillful therapy to people outside of their own upbringing but there are people who feel comfortable with those of their own cultural group who are more likely to have personal insight into cultural norms that shaped their personal experiences. I remember years ago when someone was discussing an foreign psychiatric resident who didn't realize that he was evaluating someone delusional who was claiming to be married to Paul McCartney because he didn't realize that she was referring to a Beatle.

Edited June 5, 2022 by amarante

[BAForever]

Loving the Fargo chat! A few thoughts. In the spring if temperature is above 45, we (college age) broke put the shorts and hoodies. Also, even though Fargo is not ethnically diverse, the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo community is well educated (3 colleges) and enjoys an overall high standard of living and quality of life for residents. I have loved everywhere i have lived, Fargo included.

[Empress1]

3 hours ago, amarante said:

If I were a multi racial couple I can't imagine wanting to live in a place that was so markedly Caucasian. I can't imagine the kids are not going to experience issues as they grow up and they are going to be almost completely without POC as role models in terms of teachers or other people they come in contact with.

Yeah, to be blunt, as a Black woman there’s no way I’d live somewhere where nobody looks like me. I don’t and won’t have kids but if I did I’d be even more adamant about it. I hope she and her family seek out what small Black community they can find there.

Edited June 5, 2022 by Empress1

[cameron]

Would like to know where the Charlotte couple is coming up with the down payment and money to purchase a new home without selling their present one they live in.

[mojito]

Charlotte, NC

2600 square feet and three people and they've outgrown their house???

Charlotte makes the list of 10 cities with the most overpriced home prices, coming in at +52%. 

I suspect that this woman will invest her family into some financial difficulties in the future. 

[pdlinda]

7 hours ago, cameron said:

Would like to know where the Charlotte couple is coming up with the down payment and money to purchase a new home without selling their present one they live in.

I'd like to know the same thing.  

He's a USPS letter carrier and she's into some "real estate investment" career?

I'm not seeing where all the cash is coming from unless they are dealing with different types of lenders who use other criteria for lending?