House Hunters - General Discussion

[BAForever]

On 7/5/2022 at 11:35 PM, LittleIggy said:

PA: House 1 was clearly a no-go since it was furnished. I suspect that his ex has primary custody of the three boys.

Not only was it furnished,  it was cluttered and a bit dirty. I get the realtor said owners were in the middle of a move, but this was close to trashy. 

Edited July 7, 2022 by BAForever

[MooCat Pretzel]

Western PA:  Was I supposed to be moved by that proposal at the end?  I was too distracted by the wall-mounted television behind him.  I seriously hope they aren’t going to open a bistro with about five million cords hanging around the TV.  Unless that is the look a “creative” goes for these days?

Edited July 7, 2022 by MooCat Pretzel

[Thumper]

I grew up in Wisconsin and never heard the term “Lake Country.”  I looked it up and it is a thing, though.  Maybe “Oconomowoc” was too difficult for the announcer to pronounce?!  😁

[mojito]

On 7/6/2022 at 2:09 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

He's military and retiring soon I suspect, and she's a former opera singer now a 'creative'. 

Funny how minds can go in different directions. I didn't take "I've got the military background" to mean he's currently in the military or is soon to retire. He might've left 5 years ago, who knows? It seems if he had just retired he would've said it. People are usually happy to tell you that they're retired after X many years in the military (of course, they would specify the branch).  

Every time I hear that someone is a "creative" I assume it means they've got a YouTube channel. She didn't seem picky about the kitchen; could that bistro space merely be where she will do her filming as she shares her recipes with others? She said she wanted to do that. The place looked pretty small, and there's no street parking or means to park in the back. It does look large enough  for a kitchen and a camera.

Just a wild guess. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 7/7/2022 at 3:41 PM, mojito said:

Funny how minds can go in different directions. I didn't take "I've got the military background" to mean he's currently in the military or is soon to retire. He might've left 5 years ago, who knows? It seems if he had just retired he would've said it. People are usually happy to tell you that they're retired after X many years in the military (of course, they would specify the branch).  

Every time I hear that someone is a "creative" I assume it means they've got a YouTube channel. She didn't seem picky about the kitchen; could that bistro space merely be where she will do her filming as she shares her recipes with others? She said she wanted to do that. The place looked pretty small, and there's no street parking or means to park in the back. It does look large enough  for a kitchen and a camera.

Just a wild guess. 

Good point about the 'bistro' and 'creative', and about the boyfriend.  

I wonder if part of her creative bistro cooking will have a couple of human guinea pigs to taste and rave about her food?  Including the boyfriend/fiance. 

I bet her audience will be online, youtube, etc., and aimed at online fame, not really having a bistro, or cafe, and not aimed to a local audience.   Or maybe a tryout for her own reality show? 

Edited July 10, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[Empress1]

21 hours ago, Bastet said:

OMG, really, Julie Stoffer was on HH?  I don't know why I react with surprise - she has no actual skills and is desperate to revive her reality show career - but I'm just horrified any time she gets more attention, since she's a steaming pile of feces in human form.  She is an absolute nutjob -- manipulative, narcissistic, probably not clinically a sociopath but exhibiting many of the characteristics, and just an all around asshole.

You can peruse the thread for the recent "Homecoming" series where the RW: NO cast reunited for a couple of weeks if you want more on what a horrible person she is.

I recognized her immediately. I didn’t watch Homecoming but I shut off the HH episode. I didn’t like her back then and didn’t care to see her now.

[Hedgehog2022]

3 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I recognized her immediately. I didn’t watch Homecoming but I shut off the HH episode. I didn’t like her back then and didn’t care to see her now.

Ugh...she was the most annoying, over the top, hyperactive asshat I've seen on HH in quite some time. OMG! The husband seemed like a nice laid back kind of guy who at least had some common sense approach to buying a home...she was just an entitled, spoiled brat who thinks she's just so cute and cheery. I never watched the RW and had no prior opinion of her but if she acted anything like this back then I think I would have quit watching the show after the second episode.

[cameron]

Please tell that realtor in Raleigh, NC that not everyone loves ranch style homes.  Don't like them, never have.

[StatisticalOutlier]

The Raleigh people were saying that it would be safer for the girl to have her bedroom on the second floor, but I'm thinking that's not necessarily the case. 

I think the real problem is someone getting in in the first place, and if that happens, the problem becomes me getting out.  A bedroom on the second floor doesn't address the issue of the criminal getting in at all, and if I'm on the second floor when he gets in, the only way out of the house is going down the stairs probably with him right there, or jumping out the second-floor window.  So actually, I think the second-floor bedroom makes it worse, with me trapped up there.

[Chicken Fingers]

I need to sleep with my windows open spring, fall, and winter, so I've always felt a bit safer on the second floor. A determined bad guy can always get in, but most of the time they want things as quick and easy as possible. I've known a lot of cases where guys either peeped or tried coming through open first-floor windows where single women lived. 

I thought they picked the best house, and that it was nice that the brother was buying a place for his sister to rent. I don't blame her for wanting to live alone, but she should definitely get a housemate in such a large place and save money. 

I didn't mind the mom and daughters in Sweden, other than that vocal fry. I liked their independent spirit. 

[cameron]

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

The Raleigh people were saying that it would be safer for the girl to have her bedroom on the second floor, but I'm thinking that's not necessarily the case. 

I think the real problem is someone getting in in the first place, and if that happens, the problem becomes me getting out.  A bedroom on the second floor doesn't address the issue of the criminal getting in at all, and if I'm on the second floor when he gets in, the only way out of the house is going down the stairs probably with him right there, or jumping out the second-floor window.  So actually, I think the second-floor bedroom makes it worse, with me trapped up there.

Rather have the bedroom on the second floor, preferably next to a tree than having someone come through the bedroom window on the first floor.

1 minute ago, Chicken Fingers said:

I need to sleep with my windows open spring, fall, and winter, so I've always felt a bit safer on the second floor. A determined bad guy can always get in, but most of the time they want things as quick and easy as possible. I've known a lot of cases where guys either peeped or tried coming through open first-floor windows where single women lived. 

I thought they picked the best house, and that it was nice that the brother was buying a place for his sister to rent. I don't blame her for wanting to live alone, but she should definitely get a housemate in such a large place and save money. 

I didn't mind the mom and daughters in Sweden, other than that vocal fry. I liked their independent spirit. 

Totally agree.

[KLovestoShop]

I grew up in Lake Country, and it’s been called that for decades.  It includes lakes like Pewaukee (where I lived), Silver Lake, Lac la Belle, Nagawicka, and Golden Lake.  I looked up the husband and he’s a doctor at Aurora—Summit. The wife is a giant pain in the ass.  She hated just about everything.  And why do you want to destroy a perfectly beautiful kitchen?  
 

Now I live in Western Pa.  Where the couple was looking are very old areas with tiny towns.  And did you see the size of this supposed bistro?  Wow, didn’t look like it could hold 5 tables.  I didn’t like any of the house choices, but the one they bought with the striped walls, the first thing that popped into my mind was “Where’s Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas” because that interior was so weird looking.

[CrazyInAlabama]

21 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

I grew up in Lake Country, and it’s been called that for decades.  It includes lakes like Pewaukee (where I lived), Silver Lake, Lac la Belle, Nagawicka, and Golden Lake.  I looked up the husband and he’s a doctor at Aurora—Summit. The wife is a giant pain in the ass.  She hated just about everything.  And why do you want to destroy a perfectly beautiful kitchen?  
 

Another shallow, influencer who wants 'to put my stamp on it' and 'make it my own'.   That works fine when everything is going along nicely, income is going up, but one blip, and a bad event, and you're selling an over priced place, at a reduced price.   

Edited July 10, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[Grrarrggh]

18 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Another shallow, influencer who wants 'to put my stamp on it' and 'make it my own'.  

If only they did want to put their stamp on it and make it their own I might give them a modicum of respect. In reality they usually want to make it look like every other new build/HGTV "designed" house. White/grey open concept essentially. 

[amarante]

21 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

I grew up in Lake Country, and it’s been called that for decades.  It includes lakes like Pewaukee (where I lived), Silver Lake, Lac la Belle, Nagawicka, and Golden Lake.  I looked up the husband and he’s a doctor at Aurora—Summit. The wife is a giant pain in the ass.  She hated just about everything.  And why do you want to destroy a perfectly beautiful kitchen?  
 

Now I live in Western Pa.  Where the couple was looking are very old areas with tiny towns.  And did you see the size of this supposed bistro?  Wow, didn’t look like it could hold 5 tables.  I didn’t like any of the house choices, but the one they bought with the striped walls, the first thing that popped into my mind was “Where’s Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas” because that interior was so weird looking.

Meaning no disrespect to inhabitants of Western Pennsylvania but is there really a market for a "bistro" selling diet food? 

I live in Los Angeles and while there are vegan restaurants and you can certainly find some type of vegetarian dish at almost any restaurant, I can't think of a single restaurant that serves "diet" food suitable for weight loss although one can of course get low calorie/low fat entrees at most decent restaurants by asking them to hold the sauce and grill or whatever.

However the reality is that restaurant food tends to be loaded with fat and other high calorie items because it makes the food taste good. If one watches Top Chef one can see the copious amounts of fat and butter that are used - I love the shots of when the chef is spooning butter over the steak that is sizzling in the skillet :-).

[deirdra]

21 minutes ago, amarante said:

Meaning no disrespect to inhabitants of Western Pennsylvania but is there really a market for a "bistro" selling diet food? 

If they are anything like people in Eastern Pennsylvania where my cousins live, the answer would be NO.

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, amarante said:

Meaning no disrespect to inhabitants of Western Pennsylvania but is there really a market for a "bistro" selling diet food? 

If they're close enough to Pittsburgh sure. That's a big foodie city. 

[KLovestoShop]

9 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

If they're close enough to Pittsburgh sure. That's a big foodie city. 

Yes, and not all the places are fat food destinations.  More and more Gen Z’s are starting Vegan and Vegetarian restaurants all over the area, but mostly in places like Lawrenceville and Shadyside.  Really, really good places, at that.  New vegan bakeries are also popular, but in the area the couple is planning to open, I don’t think they have much of a chance unless she’s going to focus on salads and low cal foods, but I can’t see that succeeding up there.  When we were first looking at places to live when we moved to Pennsylvania, we started in places like Harmony, Zeli, Evans City, but there was basically nothing there that interested us, so we moved farther south to be a bit closer to Pittsburgh.  

[proserpina65]

On 7/5/2022 at 10:31 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

She wants to have a cow, and goats and take the milk to the bistro. 

Did she intend to pasteurize the milk?

On 7/6/2022 at 2:52 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

Plus, I think I'm in the minority but when I pay money to go out to eat, I want the biggest calorie bang for the buck. 

That's me most of the time.

[proserpina65]

On 7/8/2022 at 11:57 AM, StatisticalOutlier said:

The Raleigh people were saying that it would be safer for the girl to have her bedroom on the second floor, but I'm thinking that's not necessarily the case. 

I think the real problem is someone getting in in the first place, and if that happens, the problem becomes me getting out.  A bedroom on the second floor doesn't address the issue of the criminal getting in at all, and if I'm on the second floor when he gets in, the only way out of the house is going down the stairs probably with him right there, or jumping out the second-floor window.  So actually, I think the second-floor bedroom makes it worse, with me trapped up there.

Emergency ladders, generally intended for escaping fires, are cheap enough.  But honestly, I never think about people breaking in.  I do occasionally think about fires, though.

21 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

Yes, and not all the places are fat food destinations.  More and more Gen Z’s are starting Vegan and Vegetarian restaurants all over the area, but mostly in places like Lawrenceville and Shadyside.  Really, really good places, at that.  New vegan bakeries are also popular, but in the area the couple is planning to open, I don’t think they have much of a chance unless she’s going to focus on salads and low cal foods, but I can’t see that succeeding up there.  When we were first looking at places to live when we moved to Pennsylvania, we started in places like Harmony, Zeli, Evans City, but there was basically nothing there that interested us, so we moved farther south to be a bit closer to Pittsburgh.  

Ugh, vegans.  Bakery goods should have butter.  Real butter.

[CrazyInAlabama]

New one, mother and daughter moving back to Atlanta.  Mother works at a university, and daughter is about to go to medical school. Mother's dad is 90 years old.   Lynn is the mother and Sydney is the daughter.   Budget is $350,000. 

House 1- Smyrna townhome, close to the highway.   Nice home, but traffic noise would be a deal breaker for me. Lynn doesn't mind the noise. 

House 2- 40 minutes from family, in the burbs, but a ranch, so all on one floor for dad.   Pretty far from work for Lynn.  Also, some of the rooms are on the smaller side, or it that "tight"?   The en suite is small.  There is no way I would live that far from work in Atlanta.   

House 3-East Point, 2 bed 1 bath, 1,000 sq ft, $289,000.  Nice floors, 15 minutes to work, There is a tiny cottage in the back yard. a corner lot.    small screened side porch.   Kitchen is pretty big for the 1,000 sq ft house, and another deck.   Cottage is 1 bed, 1 bath, but it looks like an alternative non-flushing toilet maybe.  

She picks #1.  Location, close to work and family. 

[Thumper]

That was a Tiny House in the back yard of house #3!   Remember when those shows were all over HGTV??

[chessiegal]

10 minutes ago, Thumper said:

That was a Tiny House in the back yard of house #3!   Remember when those shows were all over HGTV??

Another Discovery channel is still showing reruns - Discover America or GAC Living?

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 7/12/2022 at 10:01 PM, chessiegal said:

Another Discovery channel is still showing reruns - Discover America or GAC Living?

A&E has some of these on Saturday mornings too.   

The cottage toilet didn't look like a real toilet either.    I think the last house, with the tiny house in the back yard was just too small for Lynn, her daughter, and Lynn's father.    Great fake out on the father needing a ranch because of the stairs, when at the end Lynn said he does stairs easily.      

I'm guessing the daughter is applying to medical school around Atlanta, which would probably mean she could do residency easily in the area at different facilities.   

Edited July 14, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[cameron]

7 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

New one, mother and daughter moving back to Atlanta.  Mother works at a university, and daughter is about to go to medical school. Mother's dad is 90 years old.   Lynn is the mother and Sydney is the daughter.   Budget is $350,000. 

House 1- Smyrna townhome, close to the highway.   Nice home, but traffic noise would be a deal breaker for me. Lynn doesn't mind the noise. 

House 2- 40 minutes from family, in the burbs, but a ranch, so all on one floor for dad.   Pretty far from work for Lynn.  Also, some of the rooms are on the smaller side, or it that "tight"?   The en suite is small.  There is no way I would live that far from work in Atlanta.   

House 3-East Point, 2 bed 1 bath, 1,000 sq ft, $289,000.  Nice floors, 15 minutes to work, There is a tiny cottage in the back yard. a corner lot.    small screened side porch.   Kitchen is pretty big for the 1,000 sq ft house, and another deck.   Cottage is 1 bed, 1 bath, but it looks like an alternative non-flushing toilet maybe.  

She picks #1.  Location, close to work and family. 

The mother and daughter house hunters were really nice, as were their realtors.  Good to see normal people on this show.

[ECM1231]

3 hours ago, cameron said:

The mother and daughter house hunters were really nice, as were their realtors.  Good to see normal people on this show.

Yes, they were. There was a quick shot of mother, daughter, and recently deceased grandmother, and I thought they were all so pretty. I guess the Smyrna townhouse was the best choice in terms of space and location, but those stairs are going to get old real quick, even if you are a spry 90 year-old. Also, the mom had some issues herself. I noticed the 2 handed climb up the stairs. Probably a combination of extra weight and bad knees. Not shaming but speaking from experience. 

[mojito]

OK to Atlanta

I was glad that the mother didn't give the daughter too much say in the decision to purchase the home. The daughter had obviously watching HGTV or reading magazines because she declared some things "outdated" (non-white cabinets, travertine tile, for instance). Mom seemed to go with the best choice for herself.

[amarante]

6 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Yes, they were. There was a quick shot of mother, daughter, and recently deceased grandmother, and I thought they were all so pretty. I guess the Smyrna townhouse was the best choice in terms of space and location, but those stairs are going to get old real quick, even if you are a spry 90 year-old. Also, the mom had some issues herself. I noticed the 2 handed climb up the stairs. Probably a combination of extra weight and bad knees. Not shaming but speaking from experience. 

I also thought a three story townhouse was the wrong choice for an middle aged woman because chances are she is going to "age" out of that home relatively soon when the stairs become too painful.

I also thought it was odd that the daughter even cared where the mother was moving since she was going to med school in a year or so. I had absolutely no interest or input in the home my parents bought after they retired and moved out of my childhood home. 

[Grizzly]

Pittsburgh, PA. Tiffani getting a divorce and moving back home. She does seem to be keeping her kids' needs in mind while not minding if 2 boys share a room. That was a lot of wallpaper in #3. And I could live with all but the red. Glad she and the boys are happy.

[Grizzly]

Palm Springs, CA. The husband is very.......fussy. I wouldn't have made the complaints he did at #1. Kids don't need king size beds. To be fair, that's probably more for rental purposes. True mid century modern is not a style I like. But the shower tiles were pretty. #3 seemed to have space they needed at a good price. Do those wind turbines make noise? The sight of them wouldn't bother me. And there didn't seem to be any breeze when they were at the house. Ugh, just ugh.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Do those wind turbines make noise?

Of course, but not unreasonably.  Given the various requirements for placing them a minimum distance from homes, they're a non-entity in terms of noise -- at even the closest allowed distance they are slightly more noisy than one's refrigerator, while less noisy than one's air conditioner.  They fade into general background noise if they're close enough to be heard.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Seattle to Palm Springs.     They would have wanted #3, with the casita if it was really for their family, that's why they picked #2 instead.         When the husband kept insisting that every room have a bathroom, and a king size bed, then it was clear to me that it was a rental property, and they never were going to be there except for the filming.  

I would have taken #3, with the casita, making 4 bedrooms, because that fit their family.    I have to laugh when they 'buy the furnishings'.     The complaints husband had about #1's pool were ridiculous.   I don't like the super shiny tile floors either, and #1 certainly had that, in fact everything in that house was too shiny.   You would have to wear sunglasses indoors in that house. 

The fact it's only for short term rentals is the reason he didn't care about the kitchen on #2 the mid-century modern, vacationers don't need a big kitchen.  

The wind turbines didn't cause the windy conditions, they were placed there because it was the windy part of the area.   The 'can only rent for 30 days or more rule' on #3 was the deal breaker.

Then, I saw the rerun of the D.C. area house hunters who were engaged, and in the end married in a tiny ceremony to make the mortgage people happy.    I loved their son, Graham the Golden Retriever.      I think they picked the best house for their needs.   #1 and #2 were awful for Graham the dog.   

Wisconsin to Pittsburgh.   The house hunter was so sensible about the house to pick, and her sons were adorable, 13, 11, and 9.  I love that she likes traditional, instead of gray white, and black, with the other flip features.   

House 1-Raised ranch, needs an expensive driveway retaining wall. part gravel driveway.  1 car garage, and nice slope to the driveway for snow melt drainage.  25 minutes from work. 

House 2-Everything redone.   I wish she would stop talking about the red or orange doors, you can paint doors easily (the secret to painting the outside of the front door is paint the top, sides, and bottom edges first,  then do the middle, so the door edges dry thoroughly and won't stick to the frame-don't ask how I found that out).   1700 sq. ft, all vinyl plank, turn key.  Kitchen is huge, and all redone.  I wish people would stop whining about being close to a freeway or turnpike, on snowy days you'll be at work quickly.   How sensible to put the three boys on the main level, and take the basement level for herself.  

House 3-far out from the city, too far in my opinion. 3 bed 2 bath split level.   I didn't like the grass cloth or whatever the living area wall treatment was, it looks like a total dust catcher.   guest bath was small.  Tons of wallpaper to remove, kitchen is small, Backyard has a big fireplace.    Wallpaper and funky carpet all over.  

I would have bought #2, but she chose the wallpaper house #3.   However, I loathe the sad letter to the home owners to beat out other offers.   I wonder if she tried removing any of the wallpaper yet?    Some is very old, and ready to come off, but that looked like it was firmly attached. 

Edited July 15, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[laredhead]

I love episodes from Palm Springs that feature MCM houses.  House #1 was so blindingly white that some of the white furniture blended into the white floors, walls, etc.  It was a bit much even for my MCM taste.  The floors were all wrong for a true MCM style - IMHO. The husband was right when he said the house was Spanish on the outside, modern on the inside, and it needed to be one or the other.  Those 2 styles are almost impossible to blend.  

I liked the house they bought, and it will probably be perfect as a rental for people who want to experience staying in a MCM house as a getaway.

I thought the Wisconsin to PA mom made a good choice with the house she bought.  It was nice to see her give the primary bedroom to 2 of the boys to share while she took the downstairs room with the fireplace for her bedroom/retreat.  That really did make sense, and she got a nice area to call her own.  The boys are all old enough to be on a separate floor from her, and I'm sure everyone will appreciate that arrangement in the years to come.  Her friend was encouraging, and not pushy like some we have seen on these episodes.     

Edited July 14, 2022 by laredhead

[rhofmovalley]

3 hours ago, laredhead said:

  It was nice to see her give the primary bedroom to 2 of the boys to share while she took the downstairs room with the fireplace for her bedroom/retreat.

That's funny because I was yelling at the TV for her to convert that room into a bedroom for herself and let the boys have the other rooms! Glad she took my advice 😏

[LittleIggy]

Palm Springs: I love MCM and like the house they picked. I hope those kids swim a lot in that pool. Too young to be that heavy.

[Grizzly]

Gulf Shores, Alabama. This seems to be a Beachfront Bargain Hunt retread. Realtor didn't tour the house with the couple. #1 seemed like a good deal. Ok, no amenities. I realize the 1 bed/1 bath is a cheaper price but the small space is a deal breaker for me. It's a bit of a downer that they are going to rent it out.

[CrazyInAlabama]

4 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Gulf Shores, Alabama. This seems to be a Beachfront Bargain Hunt retread. Realtor didn't tour the house with the couple. #1 seemed like a good deal. Ok, no amenities. I realize the 1 bed/1 bath is a cheaper price but the small space is a deal breaker for me. It's a bit of a downer that they are going to rent it out.

I figure almost any home or condo in a resort area is just an investment, and the buyers are only there for filming, and never again.    The Palm Springs people yesterday, almost everyone on HHI, and anyone buying something where the number of rooms is ridiculous compared to the size of their family makes me think they are just investors.   

I thought that it was obvious from the beginning on this episode that the condo was nothing but a rental property.    Sometimes it's not so obvious, but this couple will never get an Emmy for acting ability.      The other indication to me is when the first thing the couple ask about are the short term rental possibilities, and if there's a property management service connected to the complex.   Also, when they are thrilled with extra bunks, and keep asking about amenities.   Places really rent well on the Alabama beaches.     

Just like the Palm Springs places, that will be rented year round. 

I just wish the premise wasn't always to act like the buyers want to live there, and rent sometimes, the vacation homes are just investments, and there's nothing wrong with saying that.  

Edited July 15, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

18 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

Gulf Shores, Alabama. This seems to be a Beachfront Bargain Hunt retread. Realtor didn't tour the house with the couple. #1 seemed like a good deal. Ok, no amenities. I realize the 1 bed/1 bath is a cheaper price but the small space is a deal breaker for me. It's a bit of a downer that they are going to rent it out.

One way to tell is the production company listed at the end credits. Pie Town Productions does House Hunters. Beach Front Bargain Hunt is another production company, don't remember which one.

Edited July 15, 2022 by chessiegal

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, chessiegal said:

One way to tell is the production company listed at the end credits. Pie Town Productions does House Hunters. Beach Front Bargain Hunt is another production company, don't remember which one.

Magilla.  They produce a shit-ton of reality TV, almost all of it crap.

[cameron]

Surprised that the mother from Pittsburgh who is in clinical research wouldn't realize that the extra weight that she is carrying isn't healthy along with the fact that two of her three sons are showing that same trait.  

[cameron]

On 7/14/2022 at 4:27 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Seattle to Palm Springs.     They would have wanted #3, with the casita if it was really for their family, that's why they picked #2 instead.         When the husband kept insisting that every room have a bathroom, and a king size bed, then it was clear to me that it was a rental property, and they never were going to be there except for the filming.  

I would have taken #3, with the casita, making 4 bedrooms, because that fit their family.    I have to laugh when they 'buy the furnishings'.     The complaints husband had about #1's pool were ridiculous.   I don't like the super shiny tile floors either, and #1 certainly had that, in fact everything in that house was too shiny.   You would have to wear sunglasses indoors in that house. 

The fact it's only for short term rentals is the reason he didn't care about the kitchen on #2 the mid-century modern, vacationers don't need a big kitchen.  

The wind turbines didn't cause the windy conditions, they were placed there because it was the windy part of the area.   The 'can only rent for 30 days or more rule' on #3 was the deal breaker.

Then, I saw the rerun of the D.C. area house hunters who were engaged, and in the end married in a tiny ceremony to make the mortgage people happy.    I loved their son, Graham the Golden Retriever.      I think they picked the best house for their needs.   #1 and #2 were awful for Graham the dog.   

Wisconsin to Pittsburgh.   The house hunter was so sensible about the house to pick, and her sons were adorable, 13, 11, and 9.  I love that she likes traditional, instead of gray white, and black, with the other flip features.   

House 1-Raised ranch, needs an expensive driveway retaining wall. part gravel driveway.  1 car garage, and nice slope to the driveway for snow melt drainage.  25 minutes from work. 

House 2-Everything redone.   I wish she would stop talking about the red or orange doors, you can paint doors easily (the secret to painting the outside of the front door is paint the top, sides, and bottom edges first,  then do the middle, so the door edges dry thoroughly and won't stick to the frame-don't ask how I found that out).   1700 sq. ft, all vinyl plank, turn key.  Kitchen is huge, and all redone.  I wish people would stop whining about being close to a freeway or turnpike, on snowy days you'll be at work quickly.   How sensible to put the three boys on the main level, and take the basement level for herself.  

House 3-far out from the city, too far in my opinion. 3 bed 2 bath split level.   I didn't like the grass cloth or whatever the living area wall treatment was, it looks like a total dust catcher.   guest bath was small.  Tons of wallpaper to remove, kitchen is small, Backyard has a big fireplace.    Wallpaper and funky carpet all over.  

I would have bought #2, but she chose the wallpaper house #3.   However, I loathe the sad letter to the home owners to beat out other offers.   I wonder if she tried removing any of the wallpaper yet?    Some is very old, and ready to come off, but that looked like it was firmly attached. 

Definitely the owner's were pimping that house for rental purposes.

[mojito]

10 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Gulf Shores, Alabama. This seems to be a Beachfront Bargain Hunt retread. Realtor didn't tour the house with the couple.

Additionally, no HH voice over, four choices of homes, not much background info on the couple. Pretty obvious this footage was shot for a different show. They did manage to edit in HH overlays. 

[chessiegal]

Just checked the Gulf Shores episode. The production company was Magilla taped in 2019. Definitely a Beach Front Bargain Hunt retread.

[Empress1]

On 7/13/2022 at 4:24 PM, amarante said:

I also thought it was odd that the daughter even cared where the mother was moving since she was going to med school in a year or so. I had absolutely no interest or input in the home my parents bought after they retired and moved out of my childhood home. 

Ditto. I didn’t even see the homes my (divorced) parents bought until after they’d bought them. They were THEIR houses, not OUR houses.

[amarante]

I thought the Palm Springs house was fabulous and really nicely updated. Obviously going to be purchased as an BnB because of the need for large bedrooms with their own bathrooms.

Also the home they purchased was drop dead gorgeous and would rent at a premium. 

The third home was pretty dated and definitely wouldn't command a premium and even in terms of a family vacation home, it wasn't that attractive. Even though the guy was a contractor, managing major renovations from a distance is a recipe for potential disaster. 

The show didn't specify but most of the towns surrounding Palm Springs don't permit short term rentals. I think the two decoys were out of Palm Springs. They didn't mention exactly where in Palm Springs the home was but proximity to the core of Palm Springs would have made it desirable.

I don't believe for a nano-second that a family in Seattle would be buying a vacation home in Palm Springs for their own use. I live in Los Angeles and it is a viable option as a vacation home for those in Los Angeles because it is about 1 1/2 hours or less away which means that you can easily go there for even a weekend. I used to go to a spa there a lot and leave LA early in the morning and get there in time for their early morning hike in the mountains. But the reason I went there a lot was because it was easily drivable - The thought of regularly getting on a plane to fly somewhere mentally exhausts me - I can't imagine regularly flying to Seattle for multiple weekends. 

Edited July 15, 2022 by amarante

[Ms Blue Jay]

Just saw First Things First in New Jersey.

Super young looking couple that are about to get married in a week.  The woman pretends that she doesn't want to be on this house hunt and complains every visit that she has stuff to do for the wedding.  "In and out.  We're just going in and out.  I have no time.  I have to go look at centerpieces.  Oh my god, it's so crazy that I'm doing this.  Why are we doing this?"  At one point she exclaimed that she "literally (has), like 3 phone calls to make".  Wow, 3 phone calls?  3?  (Is that supposed to be a lot?)   

What is the point of all these fucking theatrics?  It's so insulting to our intelligence.  Like we don't know that there are camerapeople coming alongside to every visit, and that it's a huge ordeal where you slowly go into every room and describe everything.

Edited July 15, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[amarante]

23 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I figure almost any home or condo in a resort area is just an investment, and the buyers are only there for filming, and never again.    The Palm Springs people yesterday, almost everyone on HHI, and anyone buying something where the number of rooms is ridiculous compared to the size of their family makes me think they are just investors.   

I thought that it was obvious from the beginning on this episode that the condo was nothing but a rental property.    Sometimes it's not so obvious, but this couple will never get an Emmy for acting ability.      The other indication to me is when the first thing the couple ask about are the short term rental possibilities, and if there's a property management service connected to the complex.   Also, when they are thrilled with extra bunks, and keep asking about amenities.   Places really rent well on the Alabama beaches.     

Just like the Palm Springs places, that will be rented year round. 

I just wish the premise wasn't always to act like the buyers want to live there, and rent sometimes, the vacation homes are just investments, and there's nothing wrong with saying that.  

What I thought odd about the Gulf Shores episode was that the HH appeared to have no concerns about the kind of people who are willing to cram themselves into the small units.

I can't imagine the wear and tear when you are renting to people who are cramming six people into a one bedroom unit. There must be a lot of serious party people who are cramming as many people as possible into a unit the way college kids rent one motel room on Spring Break.

[CrazyInAlabama]

16 hours ago, amarante said:

What I thought odd about the Gulf Shores episode was that the HH appeared to have no concerns about the kind of people who are willing to cram themselves into the small units.

I can't imagine the wear and tear when you are renting to people who are cramming six people into a one bedroom unit. There must be a lot of serious party people who are cramming as many people as possible into a unit the way college kids rent one motel room on Spring Break.

Gulf Shores and the Alabama beach towns have never cut back much on rentals, even during Covid lockdowns.    The second the lock down was lifted even a little, the rental places couldn't keep up with the demand for beach rentals.    Usually, with the big complexes, or even individual properties, the rental company does the cleaning, and inventory, between guests, and they make a bundle with pull out couches, bund areas, even in a 1 bedroom. 

  Or a bigger group will rent several of the vacation places, so everyone gets their own place to stay and they meet up at the pool or beach, and have group activities.     The party scene during Spring Break is huge all along the Gulf Coast in Florida and Alabama, except the towns that don't have Spring Break rentals. 

It's like spring break in Panama City (which is limited to about 1/4 of the people that used to come), Ocean City, MD, and other beach towns that allow spring break rentals, or don't limit the number of people in a hotel room or condo.  

THe condo at the beach will be booked year round I bet.  

Edited July 16, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[Empress1]

I'm watching an Atlanta couple where the husband is a real estate investor obsessed with high-end finishes. He's harping on "entry-level" appliances in one house. EVERY time somebody complains about appliances in a place, I think "You know you can buy new ones, right?"

They also announced that they often shower together so they want a double-head shower. That was maybe more information than I needed.

[chessiegal]

3 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

They also announced that they often shower together so they want a double-head shower.

Someone needs to tell them you don't need 2 shower heads to shower together. One is cozier. So a friend tells me.  😉