House Hunters - General Discussion

[cameron]

45 minutes ago, amarante said:

I am not understanding how pull out shelves provide better storage than drawers.

I have both in my kitchen for aesthetic reasons but the deep drawers are infinitely easier to access since there is only one motion - open the drawer versus the two (or actually three) motions for a pull out - open door - pull out roll out - push back roll out - shut cabinet door. I also have to make sure the roll out is back in or else the door won't close versus my deep drawers which I just push shut - Blum soft closing hardware :-)

I have some cooking items that are stacked with dividers including my roasting pans but that is a different type of storage than a standard roll out.

At any rate, drawers are considered to be an upgrade on lower cabinets and are more expensive than a cabinet with doors and shelves. 

Cabinets with built in roll out shelves are also considered to be an upgrade on kitchen cabinets.

As I said earlier I don't like stacking my cookware and prefer picking out what size I need without having to go through a stack.  Just grab the size that I need.  Nothing is stacked in any of my kitchen cabinets, all individually displayed.

[Thumper]

I have cabinets WITHOUT roll-out shelves!! 😂😂😂

[cameron]

2 minutes ago, Thumper said:

I have cabinets WITHOUT roll-out shelves!! 😂😂😂

So have I in other houses that we have lived in.  

[cameron]

1 hour ago, CruiseDiva said:

I just replaced my 21 year old almond colored side-by-side fridge. It was difficult to find a new side-by-side fridge that would fit beneath the cabinet that's above the refrigerator because my house was built in 1987 and refrigerators weren't as tall then. My friend's husband, who is a custom cabinet maker, said he couldn't cut the upper cabinet down enough for a taller fridge. What to do? I'm a widow and don't need the latest and greatest appliances. I bought a smaller fridge with the freezer on top. Black, to match the other appliances I've replaced over the years and no ice maker. It works for me nd I was happy that a local appliance store had it in stock. It would have taken 2 months to get from a big box store. What I was told is that black appliances are hard to find... they are going out of style. I'm very happy with my new fridge (and ice cube trays). 🤣 House Hunters would shrink in horror!

I should have said almond instead of bisque.  Couldn't remember that name.  When you have moved as much as we have and had kitchen appliances in all different colors, hard to remember the correct name.  But I do remember when we moved to Chicago in 1983 that having a black refrigerator was quite the something.

[CruiseDiva]

55 minutes ago, cameron said:

I should have said almond instead of bisque.  Couldn't remember that name.  When you have moved as much as we have and had kitchen appliances in all different colors, hard to remember the correct name.  But I do remember when we moved to Chicago in 1983 that having a black refrigerator was quite the something.

The house we bought in Baton Rouge in 1982 was built in the late 60s. Appliances were all original, except for the dishwasher and were that coppertone color. The fridge died shortly after we moved in so we replaced everything with almond appliances, which were all the rage at the time. Thankfully I could get a panel in almond to slide into the fairly new dishwasher door. When we moved in 1987 our builder here had already put in almond appliances, but when I had to replace them one by one over the years I couldn't get almond to match what I had so I went with black. The almond fridge that I bought in 2001 was the last of its kind. 🤣

[cameron]

28 minutes ago, CruiseDiva said:

The house we bought in Baton Rouge in 1982 was built in the late 60s. Appliances were all original, except for the dishwasher and were that coppertone color. The fridge died shortly after we moved in so we replaced everything with almond appliances, which were all the rage at the time. Thankfully I could get a panel in almond to slide into the fairly new dishwasher door. When we moved in 1987 our builder here had already put in almond appliances, but when I had to replace them one by one over the years I couldn't get almond to match what I had so I went with black. The almond fridge that I bought in 2001 was the last of its kind. 🤣

My ex next door neighbor brought Mr. Brownie refrigerator with them from California to put in their garage back in 1976 because it wasn't self defrosting. He loved that frig.

. This is when we got harvest gold in our new home and I thought it was something.  Amazing how colors have transitioned through time. Never did have the coppertone color though.  Missed out on that.

Edited July 24, 2022 by cameron

[laredhead]

CruiseDiva, I live in Baton Rouge, and in 1988 I bought a townhouse that had an almond color range and dishwasher.  I bought an almond refrigerator to match.  The dishwasher had a panel insert that reversed to white or black as I remember.  I've had white, avocado, black, and now stainless.  I still like the almond best.    

[WendyCR72]

Okay, gang. Let's get back on topic, the episodes. Thank you!

[deirdra]

I've had shiny white, avocado, harvest gold, almond, matte white & stainless steel. My favourite was the matte white w/pebbly texture since it was easiest to keep clean and never showed fingerprints. The people who think they want stainless probably weren't the ones cleaning it all the time.

The HHers who want white cabinets makes sense if the kitchen has few windows or is on the north side of the house because it is depressing to spend a lot of time in a dungeon. A kitchen that is light and airy even with minimal sunlight is more uplifting than having a ceiling full of pot lights to see what you are doing in the middle of the day.

Edited July 24, 2022 by deirdra

[kirklandia]

On 7/20/2022 at 11:52 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

didn't like the finished attic for the art studio.

Maybe an impractical space.  But my favorite part of the episode was when Annette told her friend who was sitting in that dormer window that she looked like a Vermeer painting.  With that beautiful light, and her yellow sweater, it did give me a Girl with a Pearl Earring moment.

Edited July 25, 2022 by kirklandia

[rhofmovalley]

I just can't with the all white kitchens. They remind me of an OR and I've had enough surgeries to not want to be reminded every time I want a snack or cook a meal.

As for "repainting" cabinets, it wouldn't be that simple, would it? You can't just paint the doors so wouldn't you have to remove the entire frame, shelves and doors and sand, refinish and then paint? Seems labor intensive.

I really liked tiny Annette and her even tinier mom. HGTV, more episodes like this one instead of insisting on fake "storylines", please!

[Notabug]

49 minutes ago, rhofmovalley said:

I just can't with the all white kitchens. They remind me of an OR and I've had enough surgeries to not want to be reminded every time I want a snack or cook a meal.

As for "repainting" cabinets, it wouldn't be that simple, would it? You can't just paint the doors so wouldn't you have to remove the entire frame, shelves and doors and sand, refinish and then paint? Seems labor intensive.

I really liked tiny Annette and her even tinier mom. HGTV, more episodes like this one instead of insisting on fake "storylines", please!

Yes, if you are really going to refinish cabinets properly, you need to remove the doors and hardware, sand every surface thoroughly and apply several coats of paint and possibly varnish before putting it all back together.  Even someone with experience in doing this is going to take several days of intensive labor to finish.  As far as someone with no experience who can only do the project evenings and weekends; it's the sort of thing that often either ends up done poorly or abandoned entirely because the worker gets tired of it, messes it up. To do it right in one's spare time will take weeks, if not months.

Edited July 25, 2022 by Notabug

[Grrarrggh]

On 7/23/2022 at 8:06 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

 I'm sure that in a couple of years, the all-white kitchens won't be the 'in' thing, and they move to another color.    

Even the dopes who claim they want a white kitchen because it's "timeless". 

On 7/24/2022 at 5:50 PM, deirdra said:

The HHers who want white cabinets makes sense if the kitchen has few windows or is on the north side of the house because it is depressing to spend a lot of time in a dungeon. A kitchen that is light and airy even with minimal sunlight is more uplifting than having a ceiling full of pot lights to see what you are doing in the middle of the day.

It has been proven that having white walls/cabinets does NOT make a room lighter or brighter.

Edited July 26, 2022 by Grrarrggh

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 7/25/2022 at 11:32 AM, Notabug said:

Yes, if you are really going to refinish cabinets properly, you need to remove the doors and hardware, sand every surface thoroughly and apply several coats of paint and possibly varnish before putting it all back together.  Even someone with experience in doing this is going to take several days of intensive labor to finish.  As far as someone with no experience who can only do the project evenings and weekends; it's the sort of thing that often either ends up done poorly or abandoned entirely because the worker gets tired of it, messes it up. To do it right in one's spare time will take weeks, if not months.

That's why I advise friends who have quality cabinets in their kitchen to either get a professional to repaint them, and they'll be done in a relatively short time.    Or my preference is to reface, changing the door fronts and drawers or just the drawer fronts.   If you're changing the color they put a veneer on the boxes, change out the doors and drawers, and it takes days not weeks.   Refacing on good, solid cabinets is so much cheaper than changing the kitchen cabinets out, as long as you're happy with the existing footprint. 

I still amazed at someone looking at a possible house to purchase, look at a newly redone kitchen or bath, and announcing you're going to have to rip it out immediately. 

I wonder how many of the 'rip everything out' people actually do?

New episode, Monday night. "Full Plate in Kansas City", couple with 2 small children are moving to KC.   They met online 10 years ago, have two adorable toddlers, and are getting married, buying a house, and she wants a fixer, he doesn't. 

House 1-Kansas City, MO, raised ranch $250k, 3 bed 2 bath, nice sunporch, no insulation in the porch though.  just under 2,000 sq ft.    Basement had water issues, so drywall is gone a couple of feet from the floor, Living/dining/kitchen 3 beds on the first floor.  Basement has a full bath, mold and foundation issues fixed. She likes the full size mirrors in the dining room.    

House 2-KC, Kansas-$225k, 3 bed 2 bath, sq ft, bright green exterior, split level raised ranch, 1300 sq ft. kitchen is much nicer than house 1.   She wants to paint the lovely wood cabinets, and stain the hardwoods darker.   They want a bigger back deck.   She demands they take down the main bedroom ceiling fan, and replace it with a chandelier.     Main bedroom and en suite are small, and it's only a 1/2 bath.  

House 3-KC, Mo.  $275k, 2680 sq ft, 4 bed 2.5 bath, totally renovated inside and out, added a third floor. kitchen is very nice, back yard is fully fenced,  He's complaining there isn't enough counter space in the kitchen.  Guest bath is big and nice. Brand new replacement windows.   I guess the fiance doesn't realize how much upgrading the first house will really cost, compared to the third house turnkey cost. 

They bought #1, mold remediation, foundations fixed, and changed everything.  

Edited July 26, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[javajeanelaine]

I think that KC couple got the right house for them. Now can someone explain to me what is so desirable about living on the Kansas side instead of Missouri?

[Pickles Aplenty]

I just saw Buying Before Baby In Pennsylvania.  This was the young couple who were expecting a baby; she was 24, and he was 22.  They both had very good jobs for their ages, and acted more like 35 year olds.  I kind of liked them.  The wife was a bit more open-minded than the average HHer, and even if she saw things she didn't like, she talked about possibilities, and what she liked about every house.  They ended up going with House #1, which was a...traditional?  Style?

Forgive me, I don't know styles very well, lol.

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, javajeanelaine said:

I think that KC couple got the right house for them. Now can someone explain to me what is so desirable about living on the Kansas side instead of Missouri?

Taxes differ maybe? Crime? 

[CrazyInAlabama]

3 hours ago, javajeanelaine said:

I think that KC couple got the right house for them. Now can someone explain to me what is so desirable about living on the Kansas side instead of Missouri?

One factor is where both of them work, distance to work can be an issue, as with just about everywhere, traffic can be an issue.  Both had family in the area too, so distance to family was important.   I've found that if you live in a different state from where you get paid from, it can cause having to file taxes for two states.   Everywhere doesn't do that with income/taxes. 

 Also, property taxes can really vary between two states, or between counties too.   I think taxes are lower in Missouri, but not that much.   Another factor for some is the NFL, and baseball teams, they're an attraction for a lot of sports fans.  Personally, I wouldn't want to be close enough to the stadiums to have issues with traffic before and after games.   Lee's Summit, MO is popular too, for the schools and the suburban atmosphere.     I suspect the "I want to live in Kansas" was a storyline for the fiance/wife.   

I have always been nervous about repaired foundations, so the foundation fixes, mold even though it was remediated, would have been a deal breaker for me.   I liked the second house, but not the third.  

The new one "I Need a Vacation From this Vacation".   The couple live in Seattle, have six kids, and one is going to college in Scottsdale. She's a marriage and relationship coach, he's a medical device salesman.      This is the vacation home, oldest daughter is going to school in Phoenix, two more kids are interested in going to school in Phoenix.   Wish list is bed bath budget $450k his budget, $550k her budget with short term rentals.  They want Scottsdale, spanish, she wants mid-century modern, pool and yard, 4 beds, 

House 1-Scottsdale, 3 bed 2bath just under 1500 sq ft $545k ranch with stucco.   LVP throughout.   Kitchen is redone.   Estimated $300 to $400 per night.  No pool, but for top rental they need it.  $30k to $50k for a pool.    So house will be over $600k with the pool expenses, and furnishings.   Room for another bedroom with room for 2 more people. 

House 2- Mesa, not Scottsdale, 3  bed 2 bath under 1700 sq ft $460k, Renatl possible for $100-$200 a night, smallish living room, with an open plan kitchen/dining/family room,  It looks like tile everywhere.  Has a big pool, with an automatic vacuum.  2 secondary bedrooms are smallish, nice main bedroom/bath en suite needs work.      I don't think this is a good idea, rental income is half or less of House 1. 

House 3- Gilbert, $509k, tile roof, 4 bed 2 bath under 2,000 sq ft.$300 to $400 a night rental. nice kitchen,   nice pool with a waterfall.    Wife says they have to rip out and replace the tub, I guess bleach isn't a possibility?   

I would have bought #3.  Sorry, but putting in all tile floors is a great idea in Arizona.    If they are desperate for the rental income, then why are they talking about coming down there for vacation?   

They buy # 3.   $560k purchase price. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[rhofmovalley]

Are people clamoring to vacation in Gilbert, Arizona? I can understand Scottsdale and definitely Sedona and Flagstaff, but  is Gilbert somewhere people flock to for vacations?

[Hedgehog2022]

On 7/16/2022 at 12:35 PM, Empress1 said:

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.

That guy drove me nuts...he complained about everything. And the houses were new builds I believe. But the thing that got me crazy was how selfish he was. Especially about having a yard. Because he had a chore to do as a kid...mowing the lawn for his Dad, he now doesn't want a lawn at all. Irregardless of the fact that his little daughter needs a space to run around in get some fresh air. In fact, he never once said anything about the needs of his daughter in terms of a house. All he yapped about was high end finishes, no lawn to mow and a deck or balcony where he can smoke his cigars. Both he and his wife seemed a liitle obsessed with a gigantic shower that had two shower heads so they could shower together...TMI...personally I prefer to shower alone. It's the one time of the day I have to myself and I'm not sharing that with anyone...unless it's Brad Pitt or Jason Mamoa.

[Hedgehog2022]

On 7/23/2022 at 8:06 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Mostly they want white cabinets, quartz or even marble counter tops (I would never get marble for all of the maintenance issues), want hardwoods, but usually whine about the shade and want to refinish them.    Stainless is replaced by the darker fingerprint hiding stainless often.    If you watch the older reruns on OWN, the 2010 to 2016, some still wanted the darker cabinets.    

I'm sure that in a couple of years, the all-white kitchens won't be the 'in' thing, and they move to another color.    

The white kitchen craze will give way to another color at some point...personally, I like gray. Some greens look good in a kitchen that has a farmhouse look to it with a butcher block type island and cabinets that have some glass panels where plates and stemware can be seen. I saw a kitchen in a magazine that was like that and it was really quite nice. Personally I find white kitchens to be hard to keep clean especially with little kids.

[Empress1]

17 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

New episode, Monday night. "Full Plate in Kansas City", couple with 2 small children are moving to KC.   They met online 10 years ago, have two adorable toddlers, and are getting married, buying a house, and she wants a fixer, he doesn't. 

Those kids really were cute, and I said “aww” when she said her fiancé was “just a great guy, he really is.” I think they got the right house, particularly since it was near both families. And the couple wasn’t that demanding.

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is the Atlanta real estate investors were going to flip the house, and resell as soon as they finish.        

Gilbert and other Phoenix area locations rent for the winter, especially if they're doing short term rentals during the winter/spring training baseball season.    I was surprised that the first and third house rented for the same amount, but the second house in Mesa was so much cheaper to rent out.    

I know people who plan their vacations to Phoenix, or Florida, around the spring training games.   I think that's what they call the Cactus league.   

Gilbert is a hot short term rental market.   In some communities, 25% of the homes are owned by investors and short term rentals.     One community "The Islands" of 2,000 homes is over 25% rentals, many by corporations or individual investors, and once the percentage goes up, the investors can block regulations from the HOA limiting rentals to 30-days or more.    Plus, the Super Bowl is going to be there in 2023, so that will be a couple of weeks of top dollar rental. 

I bet the family of the Gilbert house will never live or visit, they'll just rent it out. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[Notabug]

13 hours ago, rhofmovalley said:

Are people clamoring to vacation in Gilbert, Arizona? I can understand Scottsdale and definitely Sedona and Flagstaff, but  is Gilbert somewhere people flock to for vacations?

I don't know about the rest of the year, but at least 5 major league teams are based within a short drive of Gilbert during spring training.  There are a lot of people who want to see as many teams as possible while visiting and Gilbert would be a very reasonable choice for them.  

[amarante]

I don't know if it was Gilbert specifically but there was a HH episode a few years ago in which a woman was looking for a condo specifically within walking distance of a stadium where they did spring training. 

It has been awhile but I think she said that she would use it for vacation which would be the winter and rent it to players during the training season.

There is a LOT of rentals in Arizona although obviously in the winter months. My parents lived in a retirement community in Laguna California and there would be Canadians who would winter in Arizona and then spend summer in the more temperature climate of the California coast. And some Arizona people would also summer there as well - snow birds and winter birds they were called depending on when they needed to vacate their homes because of the climate. 

[rhofmovalley]

1 hour ago, Notabug said:

I don't know about the rest of the year, but at least 5 major league teams are based within a short drive of Gilbert during spring training.  There are a lot of people who want to see as many teams as possible while visiting and Gilbert would be a very reasonable choice for them.  

Thanks for the info!

[mojito]

Gilbert, Arizona

$450K for a home in Scottsdale in 2022? I guess everyone should have a dream.

While watching this episodes, I wondered just how it would work out that the house will be used in cold Seattle months and rented out when the family wasn't there. Everyone would want to be there at the same time, though, so how do you work that out? And bringing the whole family down for maybe a month per year...what a hassle. I'm having a hard time with the logistics of bringing food in for a family of 8 and then emptying the home of all that stuff when it's time to rent. And does the place sit empty during the hot months or do you find someone who wants to live there from May through October?

It's all too farfetched and/or expensive and/or bothersome for me. 

Kansas City, MO

That agent...She estimated that to get insulated windows for that whole wall of windows would cost less than $1000. Maybe she was talking about covering the windows with panels of insulation??? 

The wife's use of "hardwoods" was pretty liberal. One floor was laminate and another floor looked like plastic. 

Nice that there are still affordable places in the US. 

Kids. Home purchase. Wedding. Honeymoon. Imagine them pulling all that off in 1950!

[cameron]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

Gilbert, Arizona

$450K for a home in Scottsdale in 2022? I guess everyone should have a dream.

While watching this episodes, I wondered just how it would work out that the house will be used in cold Seattle months and rented out when the family wasn't there. Everyone would want to be there at the same time, though, so how do you work that out? And bringing the whole family down for maybe a month per year...what a hassle. I'm having a hard time with the logistics of bringing food in for a family of 8 and then emptying the home of all that stuff when it's time to rent. And does the place sit empty during the hot months or do you find someone who wants to live there from May through October?

It's all too farfetched and/or expensive and/or bothersome for me. 

Kansas City, MO

That agent...She estimated that to get insulated windows for that whole wall of windows would cost less than $1000. Maybe she was talking about covering the windows with panels of insulation??? 

The wife's use of "hardwoods" was pretty liberal. One floor was laminate and another floor looked like plastic. 

Nice that there are still affordable places in the US. 

Kids. Home purchase. Wedding. Honeymoon. Imagine them pulling all that off in 1950!

Well, in the 1950's you probably wouldn't have been together for ten years, have two children and then get married.  Things were a lot different then.

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

Nice that there are still affordable places in the US. 

One of the Kansas City houses was over 2600 square feet and every place they looked at was $275K or lower. I was shocked!

[amarante]

4 hours ago, mojito said:

That agent...She estimated that to get insulated windows for that whole wall of windows would cost less than $1000. Maybe she was talking about covering the windows with panels of insulation??? 

The wife's use of "hardwoods" was pretty liberal. One floor was laminate and another floor looked like plastic. 

Nice that there are still affordable places in the US. 

I filed that number in the same place as the $5000 kitchen and bath renovations.

I think insulation panels would cost more than that so perhaps she meant plastic sheets taped to the walls. 

I actually didn't think they were that "affordable" for what they were. They had originally been built as very modest starter homes and hadn't aged that well. 

I just saw what I am not sure is a new one or rerun as I am at the point where they start to blend unless they really have some kind of distinctiveness. The woman had been living in Florida with her mother while she could work remotely - I assume during COVID and now had to start working in person in DC.

Her budget was modest and I thought theoretically she was right in terms of being fine with a small place in the city center because her life style was going to be working (she was a lawyer) and seeing friends and chances are that the friends would all meet in the city. 

At any rate I wasn't particularly impressed by any of her choices because the two "loft" styles were essentially studios with a "cubicle" with no windows designated as a bedroom - I mean WTF - that is stretching the definition because back in the day when I was renting apartments in Manhattan, they at least called these "alcove studios" or occasionally "junior one bedrooms" if they were pretentious. 

At any rate, she was complaining because the walls were bare. Granted the walls were particularly fugly as they were white painted cinderblock but she was complaining that she made have to decorate and put up shelves and art. And her mother and her  both agreed that she didn't want to have to deal with "fixing it up". Since when has "normal" decorating become moving into a "fixer upper". At any rate, I am not sure which one she chose - studio in Dupont Circle of Adams Morgan or some fourth floor new build in an unspecified neighborhood 20 minutes from the center of the city.

It is interesting to me because my parents offered some advice to me when I was renting (and then buying) and they were chiefly interested in safety as I was a single young woman and then practicality of course. So a doorman building in a better location was much more critical to them than a larger place. 

And the whole idea of buying a larger home as a better investment doesn't make sense to me. If you buy a small place in the central city because of location, someone is always going to want to buy it because there are always going to be people who are at that point in their lifestyle where they want a close location and don't need space and don't want the suburbs.

Edited July 27, 2022 by amarante

[kirklandia]

When so many episodes of Beachfront Bargain House started sneaking in as HH, I just chalked it up to the need for new  content during the pandemic. Of course, many of those were vacation homes.

Now we are seeing more episodes of HH featuring people looking for vacation home/short term rental combos. And there has been lots of discussion about people looking for a home versus investors/flippers. Technically, I guess they are all House Hunters.

The recent AZ episode included commercials for VRBO (one of which showed the couple that was in that episode). Product placement? Edutainment?

I was amused that someone from Seattle would be shocked at "small homes with high prices" (when they were looking in Scottsdale).  They must be doing pretty well to be able to put six kids through college out of state and buy a vacation/investment property.
I love to go to Arizona during Spring Training.  I'm sure there's a market for rentals then, but it only lasts a month.

When I went to college, one of the attractions was separation from my parents – I would not have been thrilled about them following me!  Although I knew of one family that bought a house  In the town where our state university was located. All their kids lived there as students, then they sold it. Pretty rare back in the 70s.

Edited July 28, 2022 by kirklandia

[CrazyInAlabama]

MOving from Hawaii to Detroit

(tell me their kid is named Harper, not Harpo the way I heard) primary bedroom attaches to full bathroom, and only another half bath.  She wants a ranch.  His budget is $420k, hers is $300k.   SHe teaches yoga online.  Sorry, but I couldn't stand her nasal voice, and wouldn't be able to subject myself to hearing her again.   

House 1-Troy MI, mid-century modern, needs some updates.   some bedroom parquet floors, $300k, 3 bed 1.5 bath (only full bath is in the main bedroom).  She wants to use the dining room for her yoga broadcast studio.  Was the largest lot of the three houses. 

House 2-Birmingham, MI, move in ready, $369k, ranch, 3 bed 1 bath 955 sq ft, She says the grey, white, black color pallet lacks carrier.   husband can barely fit through the bathroom door.  The wife keeps says the bedrooms are small, but it's less than 1,000 sq ft.  There is a finished basement.   She doesn't want to be in the basement for her online yoga studio.  2 car detached garage.   Small back yard.  

House 3- Farmington, MI, 2 car attached garage, ranch, over 1800 sq ft. , bed 2.5 bath $350k closest to his office.   hardwoods in living, and dining.   biggest yard, kitchen is sheet vinyl, older cabinets and wife wants to gut it.   house has a living room and family room. Wife doesn't like the size of the back yard, and the fact you can see neighbors.    Bathroom has yellow tub and tile, and I mean banana yellow. but bathroom floor tile is in perfect condition. I hate she wants to rip the yellow and blue bathrooms out.   I can guess exactly what the after of the bathrooms will look like, everything marble or marble look, no character, no vintage details.     There are two bedroom closets, not big ones, en suite is blue tile tub shower combo.   I find it funny she didn't complain about the lack of privacy in the other two houses.    

She says she can figure out the reno costs from looking at the internet. 😲  I couldn't ever watch her online, the voice was like nails on a chalkboard.    After Hawaii prices, I had to laugh at her whining about how little their budget could afford.    If she wanted a huge house, they could have bought something on the edges of Detroit that's a 4 or more bedroom, and reno that, but professionally, and get it for under their budget.   

They pick #3.   They bought for $355k. 

Sargon (attorney) moving from Arizona to Miami. His budget is $1 million.  He's a personal injury attorney in Arizona, and wants to expand his personal injury firm to Miami.   He has a $1 million budget, his friend says look at $850 to $900k because they'll probably go for over asking. 

House 1-South Beach, valet parking, HOA is almost $1200 a month $1.1 million, 2nd to the top floor, pool, gym, tennis courts, golf, pool is fantastic. 2 bed 2 bath 1265 sq ft fantastic view of the water.   He wants to change the kitchen vent hood and island. split floor plan. 

House 2-Single Family, no HOA, 3 bed 2 bath $ 1.05 million, 2000 sq ft primary bedroom and en suite is spectacular, big back yard but no pool, guest bath is nice, 2 guest bedrooms, 

House 3-Brickell area, condo, not full water view because of possible future condo build, 2 bed, 2.5 bath,  1350 sq ft, $850k, valet parking, $1,000 HOA fee lots of amenities. 2 pools, full city views, Bay view, river view, ocean view. en suite bathroom is fantastic.   12th floor, penthouse would be $2 or $3 million. 

He picks #3.

Edited July 30, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[CattyK]

The wife in the Hawai’i to Detroit episode annoyed me.  She complained about being able to see the neighbors’ yards.  How’d you manage to live in a condo?  

I thought the house they bought was the best choice, but I personally would appreciate that the yellow bathroom seemed to be in great shape, no need to tear out all that great tile.  

I’d love to see a follow up episode to see all her diy improvement projects.  Somehow I doubt she can really learn how to redo the entire kitchen from the internet.  
 

luckily the husband seemed a lot more realistic.  

[BAForever]

5 hours ago, CattyK said:

The wife in the Hawai’i to Detroit episode annoyed me.  She complained about being able to see the neighbors’ yards.  How’d you manage to live in a condo?  

Yes! She was so unrealistic in her belief that a house in "the Midwest" should be cheap. Honey, have you seen the news in the past year? 

Agree they picked the best choice. Liked him, he was chill. And seeing that yellow tile- yes, it was bright, but looked brand new.  Dumb to tear it all out immediately. 

[Lisa418722]

The Hawaii wife annoyed me too.  At one point when she was talking about the small rooms and the small backyards and the fact she could see her neighbors, I yelled at the TV, what did you want for $300K, five acres and a 3,000 sf home? They were in a 700 (or was it 750) sf condo.  That had even less space with no backyard.   She was also acting like she could do all the projects easily because she would look online.  I hope her husband is able to intervene and get professionals in there to do the projects. 

[snarts]

Hawaii to Michigan: Yoga instructor wife was annoyingly obnoxious with her continual "in the midwest" comments. So much so that I couldn't help but criticize her half up scrunchied hair, winged eyeliner and nasal drawl.

I live in metro Detroit and was stupidly trying to guess where he worked from the commute times they provided (45 min to Troy, ? to Birmingham and 30 min to Farmington). If lot size really was that important to them, there are plenty of areas with similar commutes that are much more rural than those suburbs. 

Regardless, their budget is only going to afford them so much house/land. She must have her head buried in the Hawaii sand to have missed all the news on the current housing market. Idiot. 

Edited July 28, 2022 by snarts
grammar, it's early

[laredhead]

The Port St. Lucie to Hutchinson Island episode looked like a Beachfront Bargain Hunt episode because the realtor did not tour the house with them.  The buyers live & work in Port St. Lucie, and their child goes to school there.  They talked about the long commute from Hutchinson Island, but were willing to do it because they wanted to be hear the beach full time, so this wasn't a 2nd house for them.  I looked up the distance from PSL to Hutchinson island and it says about 19 miles or 30 minutes driving time.  Of course, I don't know where their work places or the school is located, but I wonder now with the cost of gas, and a more active storm season if they regret moving to the island.  I also wonder what property insurance cost there.  I liked the 3rd house with the pool, but they wanted a less expensive place, and chose House #1 w/o a pool, but with a "crow's nest" from which they could see the water in the distance.          

[Notabug]

11 hours ago, kirklandia said:

When so many episodes of Beachfront Bargain House started sneaking in as HH, I just chalked it up to the need for new  content during the pandemic. Of course, many of those were vacation homes.

Now we are seeing more episodes of HH featuring people looking for vacation home/short term rental combos. And there has been lots of discussion about people looking for a home versus investors/flippers. Technically, I guess they are all House Hunters.

The recent AZ episode included commercials for VRBO (one of which showed the couple that was in that episode). Product placement? Edutainment?

I was amused that someone from Seattle would be shocked at "small homes with high prices" (when they were looking in Scottsdale).  They must be doing pretty well to be able to put six kids through college out of state and buy a vacation/investment property.
I love to go to Arizona during Spring Training.  I'm sure there's a market for rentals then, but it only lasts a month.

When I went to college, one of the attractions was separation from my parents – I would not have been thrilled about them following me!  Although I knew of one family that bought a house  In the town where our state university was located. All their kids lived there as students, then they sold it. Pretty rare back in the 70s.

Now that mortgage rates have risen substantially and the housing market is slowing down rapidly; I wonder if we will not be seeing as many people buying second homes for vacation/rental properties.  I think that these buyers came out because mortgages were so affordable, and, during the pandemic, a lot of people had some extra dough.

Now that the tide has turned, I think we may end up seeing more buyers with realistic budgets and more people willing to buy a real fixer upper.  I, personally, would rather see those sorts of buyers anyway.

[amarante]

9 hours ago, CattyK said:

I thought the house they bought was the best choice, but I personally would appreciate that the yellow bathroom seemed to be in great shape, no need to tear out all that great tile.  

I’d love to see a follow up episode to see all her diy improvement projects.  Somehow I doubt she can really learn how to redo the entire kitchen from the internet.  
 

luckily the husband seemed a lot more realistic.  

The wife in the Detroit episode was particularly annoying to me between her idiotic statements regarding what she could buy in Detroit and her even more idiotic inflated idea of how much she could develop great construction skills by watching a YouTube video.

Have none of these idiots ever actually attempted performing a "skill" after watching it?

And the complete lack of knowledge of what is entailed in terms of tiling a shower. Tile and grout ARE NOT waterproof. You need to do appropriate waterproofing of some kind and then the tile is applied over the waterproofing. Or else you are going to have a moldy mess behind the walls and possibly long term structural damage caused by water seeping into the structural walls, floors and support joists.

Edited July 28, 2022 by amarante

[Empress1]

43 minutes ago, Notabug said:

Now that mortgage rates have risen substantially and the housing market is slowing down rapidly; I wonder if we will not be seeing as many people buying second homes for vacation/rental properties.  I think that these buyers came out because mortgages were so affordable, and, during the pandemic, a lot of people had some extra dough.

Now that the tide has turned, I think we may end up seeing more buyers with realistic budgets and more people willing to buy a real fixer upper.  I, personally, would rather see those sorts of buyers anyway.

Yeah, I don’t like the second/income/vacation property episodes. I like the ones where people are looking to buy homes to live in full-time. 

[letusprocrastinate]

12 hours ago, CattyK said:

The wife in the Hawai’i to Detroit episode annoyed me.  She complained about being able to see the neighbors’ yards.  How’d you manage to live in a condo?  

I thought the house they bought was the best choice, but I personally would appreciate that the yellow bathroom seemed to be in great shape, no need to tear out all that great tile.  

I’d love to see a follow up episode to see all her diy improvement projects.  Somehow I doubt she can really learn how to redo the entire kitchen from the internet. 

luckily the husband seemed a lot more realistic.  

Alas, Love It or List It doesn't film in the Detroit area.

Edited July 28, 2022 by letusprocrastinate

[Notabug]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

Yeah, I don’t like the second/income/vacation property episodes. I like the ones where people are looking to buy homes to live in full-time. 

I also like buyers who show some imagination and ambition and share their vision of what a house could be for them and their family; looking past the flaws.

[pdlinda]

4 hours ago, amarante said:

13 hours ago, CattyK said:

I thought the house they bought was the best choice, but I personally would appreciate that the yellow bathroom seemed to be in great shape, no need to tear out all that great tile.  

I’d love to see a follow up episode to see all her diy improvement projects.  Somehow I doubt she can really learn how to redo the entire kitchen from the internet.  
 

luckily the husband seemed a lot more realistic.  

Expand  

The wife in the Detroit episode was particularly annoying to me between her idiotic statements regarding what she could buy in Detroit and her even more idiotic inflated idea of how much she could develop great construction skills by watching a YouTube video.

I noticed that her husband seemed annoyed at her as well.  I wonder what their convos were like after the cameras were off!

[Empress1]

On 7/21/2022 at 7:32 AM, laredhead said:

I enjoyed the refreshing change of the HH in the San Diego to Columbus episode.  She didn't harp on white cabinets, SS appliances, ability of neighbors to see her, or 99% of the usual stuff we hear so often.  I agree with Kiddvideo that her personality was calm, soothing, and even uplifting.  She is someone I would love to have as a neighbor and friend.  She did not mention selling a house in San Diego, but if she did, she probably made a lot of $$ and could well afford to buy and renovate that Columbus house with no problem.  I did laugh when her friend commented on the low level of the bathroom counter and the HH said it didn't bother her because she and her mother were small.  I also liked the friend.  She pointed out some valid things about the winter weather in Columbus, and why an attached garage would be desirable.  I hope we see more episodes like this.        

I’m catching up on episodes. I really liked Annette too. I loved the first house - maybe a little too much brown, but it was so charming. She seemed like a really lovely person. When she thanked her friend for helping her make the decision (and her friend did have good, sensible advice), I thought “aww.”

Hawaii to Detroit: the wife had a really annoying voice and thinking you can renovate a house using YouTube is asking to get your feelings hurt and your bank account decimated. 

Lawyer moving from AZ to Miami: he’s hot and successful. Call me, Sargon! (He’ll be swimming in women, or men, depending on what he’s into, because: hot and successful.) Saw two condos with really high HOAs ($1200, $1000) and a single family, all modern and kind of sterile. The third condo had a huge gorgeous pool that I wanted to jump into through the TV, and gorgeous views. Picked the second condo, which was the cheapest at $820K.

[rhofmovalley]

Florida: that poor sweating agent. His back and armpits were drenched. Stumping around on that leg brace must have been exhausting.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Leaving Idaho for Ft. Lauderdale.  Her adult daughter (Bryleigh) has lived in Ft. Lauderdale for 9 years.   She's had contracting experience, but the houses she's looking at look disgusting.  She just closed her gym with cheerleading, gymnastics,  fitness, etc. and is moving for warmer weather.   She wants a fenced yard, with a possibility for a pool if it doesn't have one already.  She wants an open ranch, 3 bed 2 bath, single story.   She wants wood floors too (bad idea). 

House 1-$365k. 15 minutes to the beach, house needs a new roof, no pool, and mold issues. 4 bed 2 bath, kitchen is nice and redone, Roof needs up to $19k in repairs, in law suite in separate building, a studio with 1 bath.        replacement windows needed. a Florida room (smaller), main bedroom has a lot of ceiling and wall mold.  

House 2-$475k, 3 bed,2 bath, sq ft, more move-in ready, and with a pool. 10 minutes to daughter's house.   1199 sq ft. great pool.  She wants hardwood floors, instead of the tile. Primary bedroom is small, and the en suite is tiny.   Other bathroom is nice, the other two bedrooms are small.  She would have to pull up some back yard deck pavers and put grass, or fake sod for the dogs.  

House 3- Lauderdale Mannor, $369k ,3 bed,1 bath, 1,008sq ft, 25 minutes to the beach & 20 minutes to daughter's house, impact windows.  Need to add another bathroom, kitchen is small, but U shaped with decent amount of cabinets.   She wants to enlarge a bedroom, and add an en suite.   Back yard neighbor is a church and parking lot.  yard is big enough for dogs, and to add a pool. 

She picks #1, bought for $340k, roof and mold remediation should be $20k. 

I like the neighboring houses didn't look all polished up, since that means it's a real neighborhood, and not a bunch of vacation or short term rentals.    I think she picked the right house for her needs.  

Edited July 30, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[Grrarrggh]

11 hours ago, letusprocrastinate said:

Alas, Love It or List It doesn't film in the Detroit area.

Alas? I think anywhere/time LIOLI doesn't film is good for those houses and people. Hilary "designs" the same freakin' house over and over and over. 

[Thumper]

I was very surprised she chose the mold house!  Ewww, that house just seemed dirty and the mold was a “no” for me.

[mojito]

Idaho to Fort Lauderdale Area

What I really appreciated about this house hunter was that her attitude towards each house was, "When I buy this house, this is what I can do."  She focused on how to make the place better for her without making a fuss about what she hated. 

The area surrounding all the homes looked somewhat shabby to me;  but she seemed to have a good handle on what kind of home she would purchase; she didn't have unrealistic expectations about what she should be able to get. She picked something modest that she could fix up , she plans to install a pool, and she doesn't seem to have plans to work. Good for her. Hope all goes well for her. 

[cameron]

22 hours ago, snarts said:

Hawaii to Michigan: Yoga instructor wife was annoyingly obnoxious with her continual "in the midwest" comments. So much so that I couldn't help but criticize her half up scrunchied hair, winged eyeliner and nasal drawl.

I live in metro Detroit and was stupidly trying to guess where he worked from the commute times they provided (45 min to Troy, ? to Birmingham and 30 min to Farmington). If lot size really was that important to them, there are plenty of areas with similar commutes that are much more rural than those suburbs. 

Regardless, their budget is only going to afford them so much house/land. She must have her head buried in the Hawaii sand to have missed all the news on the current housing market. Idiot. 

Those shoes/snow boats that she was wearing were terrible.  $355K in Hawaii wouldn't get them in a front door of buying a house unless it was a complete teardown/gut job.  Very unrealistic person.  If she thinks the Detroit area is expensive, try moving to Chicago and see what happens.