House Hunters - General Discussion

[cameron]

Alexandria house buyer's friend looked like he was wearing makeup.

Surprised that he was able to find a place for that low of a price in the area.

[BAForever]

Washington DC. I was falling asleep all episode. Couldn't tell who was the buyer,  who was the bf and who was the realtor. Tip- no watching TV after 9 pm first week back at school. 

[letusprocrastinate]

19 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Re the Philly volleyball coach episode: is a 30-minute commute really that long of a commute?  That always surprises me when home buyers say that. Living on Long Island and commuting into the city whether by train or car, some folks have triple the commute as that.

If it were me, I'd have chosen the house, b/c I'd rather live in a house and 30 minutes is not that far out in my opinion. But if the house was definitely a no, I'd go with #3, but I understand if the wife just didn't want to go to the max budget.

Also, another pet peeve is that homeowners MUST have an en suite bathroom. They had one child. ONE! Three people cannot share a single bathroom?  That was the wife's main concern about the house, along with the distance. I was 50 before we finally added on, and my husband and I had an en suite bathroom.

I'm wondering if it was because of her schedule, which for the most part won't be your typical 9 to 5.  For example, "Team Bus to (Name of School) leaves at 6 a.m." would incentivize me to want to live as close by as I could.

[letusprocrastinate]

2 hours ago, cameron said:

Alexandria house buyer's friend looked like he was wearing makeup.

Surprised that he was able to find a place for that low of a price in the area.

I read your post before seeing the episode, so I figured it had to be in a gentrifying area or way out in the suburbs (or both) to get something not sky-high.

Since it was a "DC or suburbs" episode the first place was a condo in Old Town Alexandria.  It looked very much to be in North Old Town, which has had a ton of new construction in the past decade and is considered the gentrifying part of Old Town (in random facts for those not familiar with Alexandria, one can tell where the school boundary is in Old Town based on the real estate prices, because they're noticeably higher on the south side of the boundary).  No amenities.  1 bed/1 bath, 640 sq ft, $410,000/$330 monthly HOA.  Hopefully it has parking included otherwise he'll be in for some on-street parking fun.  He hates that the building doesn't have any historical features (well, it is new construction that looks like a whole bunch of the other new construction going up around there).  It's 110 sq ft less than his current place.

#2 is in Mount Vernon Triangle, which is in downtown DC and north of the sports arena.  It's a house built in 1887 that has been converted into condos and is surrounded by new construction office and residential, so it sticks out a bit.  Close to work and a park where people walk their dogs, so good for his dog-walking needs.  1 bed/1 bath, 579 sq ft, $450,000, $230/mo HOA because, once again, no amenities.  Exposed brick in addition to the modern kitchen and bathroom (I don't know if I'd want exposed brick in my bathroom).  Layout is a bit weird, IMO.  Lots of talk about downsizing to make everything fit.  Even though it's described as a quieter street I hope the windows are good because there will be plenty of traffic and siren noise.

#3 looks like more of your standard "suburban" location.  If it's in City of Alexandria (not the part of Fairfax County called Alexandria) that house will be somewhere west of Old Town.  They call it a townhouse, I'd call it a duplex since it's a 2-story attached to another 2-story.  Built in 1951 (cue the "not historic enough"), 2 bed/1 bath, a bit over 1100 sq ft "so it's pretty big".  Kitchen has a dog door, and there's a fenced-in backyard with a deck.

#1 is the one, $410,000 listed, got it for $415,000.  No, dude, it is not "far out" from the city.  Sure, if he's driving or taking the subway to work then it may feel like he's coming from Siberia if traffic is bad or Metro is screwed up that day, and I know they play up the "so far away" for dramatic purposes, but that part of Alexandria was originally part of the District of Columbia and helped give DC its original diamond shape (it was given back to Virginia in 1841, if I recall the year correctly). 

Edited August 26, 2022 by letusprocrastinate

[cameron]

4 hours ago, letusprocrastinate said:

I read your post before seeing the episode, so I figured it had to be in a gentrifying area or way out in the suburbs (or both) to get something not sky-high.

Since it was a "DC or suburbs" episode the first place was a condo in Old Town Alexandria.  It looked very much to be in North Old Town, which has had a ton of new construction in the past decade and is considered the gentrifying part of Old Town (in random facts for those not familiar with Alexandria, one can tell where the school boundary is in Old Town based on the real estate prices, because they're noticeably higher on the south side of the boundary).  No amenities.  1 bed/1 bath, 640 sq ft, $410,000/$330 monthly HOA.  Hopefully it has parking included otherwise he'll be in for some on-street parking fun.  He hates that the building doesn't have any historical features (well, it is new construction that looks like a whole bunch of the other new construction going up around there).  It's 110 sq ft less than his current place.

#2 is in Mount Vernon Triangle, which is in downtown DC and north of the sports arena.  It's a house built in 1887 that has been converted into condos and is surrounded by new construction office and residential, so it sticks out a bit.  Close to work and a park where people walk their dogs, so good for his dog-walking needs.  1 bed/1 bath, 579 sq ft, $450,000, $230/mo HOA because, once again, no amenities.  Exposed brick in addition to the modern kitchen and bathroom (I don't know if I'd want exposed brick in my bathroom).  Layout is a bit weird, IMO.  Lots of talk about downsizing to make everything fit.  Even though it's described as a quieter street I hope the windows are good because there will be plenty of traffic and siren noise.

#3 looks like more of your standard "suburban" location.  If it's in City of Alexandria (not the part of Fairfax County called Alexandria) that house will be somewhere west of Old Town.  They call it a townhouse, I'd call it a duplex since it's a 2-story attached to another 2-story.  Built in 1951 (cue the "not historic enough"), 2 bed/1 bath, a bit over 1100 sq ft "so it's pretty big".  Kitchen has a dog door, and there's a fenced-in backyard with a deck.

#1 is the one, $410,000 listed, got it for $415,000.  No, dude, it is not "far out" from the city.  Sure, if he's driving or taking the subway to work then it may feel like he's coming from Siberia if traffic is bad or Metro is screwed up that day, and I know they play up the "so far away" for dramatic purposes, but that part of Alexandria was originally part of the District of Columbia and helped give DC its original diamond shape (it was given back to Virginia in 1841, if I recall the year correctly). 

I wasn't sure if it was North Alexandria or the area behind Whole Foods where there is a lot of newer construction.

You're right.  Just found it on Zillow.  Not that great of a location.  Maybe it has improved since we left Old Town in 2016.

Edited August 26, 2022 by cameron

[Crashcourse]

I think the Alexandria buyer's main objective was to get the hell out of Dodge City...err.....DC.  I thought #1 was his best choice.

[cameron]

On 8/25/2022 at 2:55 PM, buttersister said:

I was LOL at the Chicago couple and their house #2. Glad they saved a few bucks, because they'll spend their budget and more. That kitchen will be totally redone (have to agree with her, how many different tiles were there??) and she gave side eye to everything with plumbing. 

Looked like the Rogers Park area, north end of the city, near the lake. The realtor was right, they couldn't touch a place like that in Logan Square. 

Found the female house buyer's voice really annoying, especially with all her complaining.

[cameron]

On 8/25/2022 at 12:54 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Chicago, vintage vs. new.  

House 1-single family, 4 bed 3 bath.  $659k,He wants to redo the stacked stone fireplace with a brick exterior, because it doesn't look vintage.  kitchen is nice, House is totally redone, and husband wants to close rooms off. The half bath is right next to the dining table.  second bedroom is tiny.  Main is big, but no ensuite. no handrail on the very steep narrow, twisting stairs. 

House 2-$675k, lake view, big porch, 1885 vintage house, 5 bed 3 bath, 2850 sq ft, big lot, extra wide, all fenced in, first full bath has gold tub and sink, Realtor points out that a turnkey house in Logan Square will be over $1 million, nice kitchen already, but of course wife wants to rip it out.   Hardwoods everywhere, 4 bedrooms on second floor and a full bathroom, no ensuite.   It's a huge house, but not turnkey enough for the wife.

House 3-$680k, Mostly brick bungalow, 5 bed 4 bath, 4295 sq ft, now wife is whining about the color of the hardwood floors and trim.    1 bath and 1 bedroom on the first floor, she hates the perfectly usable kitchen, with new windows and roof everywhere, Just reface the kitchen cabinets and drawers, and then redo the counters and back splash.    They don't want the paver patio all over the back yard, and a koi pond,.   2 bed and 2 baths on the second floor, with a huge primary bedroom, primary bathroom tub with jets needs to be ripped out and redo the primary bath.   

They buy #2 , I would have bought #2.   

Ravenswood, WV, he wants a fix and flip, she wants long term.  They're 23 and 24.  Ben and Allie.    They both live with parents before they get married.   They're using a first time home buyer program with zero down payment.  He's a special assistant at the state treasurer's office, and she's a second grade teacher.  3 bed, 2 bath.  SOrry, if you can't buy except with zero down payment, then how can you afford a house payment, and everything with it. $170k budget. 

House 1-Ravenswood, 2 bed 1 bath, turnkey, 50 min. commute for him, $159900, flat yard, lots of parking, detached, huge garage, kitchen is nice.   smaller dining room, looks like a modular, or started with a trailer.     sunporch is OK, primary bedroom has a huge closet,   It was a 3 bedroom, and 1 bedroom became part of main bedroom, ensuite is 1/2 bath.  (I wouldn't touch this house, it's a mobile home).

House 2-Ripley, 40 minutes from his work, 25 minutes from her work, turnkey, $179,900, dead end street, 1980 sq ft, mid entry (bi-level_, kitchen is bigger, nice yard, fully fenced, but on a hill.   2 bull baths, 1-half bath, main bedroom is huge, ensuite only has a shower, guest bedrooms are nice size.  Nice finished basement.  The projects she want aren't necessary, or 

House 3-Millwood,  commute for him, 15 min commute for her,  ranch $150k, 1266 sq ft, 3 bed, 1.5 bath, some paneling, big yard and flat, no fence, kitchen will be redone, guest bath is blue tile, 2 guest bedrooms, main bedroom is decent size, and a pink half bath.  decent closet.   realtor suggests cutting the entry coat closet, and putting the main bath shower in there. 

They buy # 3, I would have bought #2.  I think they'll find that the renos they want to do will cost a lot more than they think. 

Just looked up the house that the Chicago couple bought.  Thinking they must have used a drone to get a lake view from their house.  Not that close at all.

[cameron]

On 8/25/2022 at 12:56 PM, chessiegal said:

Young couple in West Virginia. They seemed likeable enough. As soon as I saw House #1, I said, that's a double wide! Husband says, well, it is WV. Meaning no disrespect to the fine residents of WV, but you do have a stereotype. House # 3 - it was obvious that's the one they bought. I cracked up at the quick shot of the back porch with an upholstered love seat on it - WV! At the end, it was obvious production had moved that one piece of sectional that was part of what was already in the living room. I hope they are enjoying their new home.

Have to wonder what the foreclosure rate is in WV with first time home buyers being able to purchase homes without a down payment.  Sounds good, but it could lead to big problems for  naive buyers who haven't the means or clue to how much monthly payments can amount to.

Also thought the couple IMO were somewhat on the immature side:  his having to have his friends over all the time and her wanting separate spaces from him and wanting to look at houses to see how people decorate them. Not my way of starting off a marriage.

Edited August 27, 2022 by cameron

[snarts]

1 hour ago, cameron said:

Have to wonder what the foreclosure rate is in WV with first time home buyers being able to purchase homes without a down payment.  Sounds good, but it could lead to big problems for  naive buyers who haven't the means or clue to how much monthly payments can amount to.

I was wondering the same.  Great program in theory but it might put homebuyers in a bind if the economy/housing market tanks and they suddenly have no equity and are unable to make payments.  I'd hope that the program has tight income/payment ratios and limits to avoid that. Their price point did seem commensurate with with their likely income based on their stated occupations, which is quite rare in HH land these days.

DC Lawyer: I love Old Town Alexandria so I don't fault him for the one he chose. However, he did seem to crave a more suburban feel and I wondered if he would've chose the Alexandria duplex were it not for the current boyfriend., 

Loving the East Coast eps, keep them coming. 

[BAForever]

On 8/25/2022 at 12:32 PM, Thumper said:

Painting the paneling in house #3, though!  I’m not sure which is worse — paneling or painted paneling.   Lightened up the look for a short term (I hope) solution.  

We had paneling professionally painted in my first grown up house. It really brightened up the room and lasted beautifully until we moved. I think the key was we had it done by someone who knew what they were doing. 

[Notabug]

On 8/25/2022 at 2:45 PM, Crashcourse said:

I liked the WV couple, but I was cringing at the end watching them paint the paneling.  That didn't look good at all.

The cheesy 70's paneling looks terrible, there is no amount of paint that will help. However, when I moved into my house, there was a sunroom addition at the back of the house that had very dark, but real, wood paneling. As in, you could get a splinter from it wood.  I primed and painted that  a bright white and it has held up beautifully for more than 20 years.  I didn't do anything fancy; I think it was the fact that it was high quality, real wood in the first place that made the difference.

[Hedgehog2022]

8 hours ago, cameron said:

Found the female house buyer's voice really annoying, especially with all her complaining.

She was quite the princess...

[mojito]

Hair Dresser/Salon Owner, Compton, CA

It's depressing to see what $560K gets you and where you have to live to purchase a place for that amount of money. 

[Crashcourse]

Props to her for buying her first home, but $560k for a place in Compton?   Yikes

[rhofmovalley]

Compton isn't the gang infested frightening place it used to be. It's been improving for at least 20 years. But the negative connotation persists.

Would I live there? Probably not, but only because it's too far from the ocean for me. But many, many families raise their children there.

As for the bars on the windows, the apartment building I live in has them on the first floor windows. So do most of the buildings in my neighborhood. It's not a frightening murder capital or anything lol. 

Is there still crime? Yes, but it's comparable to many other cities in Southern California. Those other communities just haven't had movies or documentaries or rap songs written about them.

[Thumper]

I started to tear up at the end when her mom (also her realtor) got choked up about how proud she was of her daughter.  Very sweet.

[Crashcourse]

The neighborhood where the townhouses were located didn't look bad, but the area where she bought the house, and the other house shown, didn't look too inviting or safe.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

Out of the three Compton properties, she bought the best one for her.   

The third one, the townhouse was nice, but the just under $500 a month HOA was horrible, plus the stucco being repainted is a temporary fix.   I really bet that there will be major special assessments in the furture to restucco that. 

I hated the second one.   The first one was the best, and if she wants to, she can eventually extend a bedroom, and add another bathroom for a main suite, and ensuite.    The ADU could be fixed up fairly easily, and rented out too, or eventually the mother could move in. 

[Bastet]

While looking for this latest Compton episode online (I love when they show HHs in South L.A.), I got distracted by this interesting interview with the people who appeared in the very first episode of the series.  It's several years old, but I don't recall it being posted here.

Producers hadn't yet come up with the formula that quickly became so tired:

Quote

But in an age before granite countertops and stainless steel appliances became de rigueur, we see Mitch and Jayne in total agreement on their simple criteria: no stairs, maybe a separate dining room, and a big backyard. Audiences are told early on by host Suzanne Whang that the pair have already seen more than 50 homes and are now in the final stage of their search. They look at four houses on camera and, rather than keep us in suspense, quickly make their hatred of each property clear, leaving the final house—a 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom Spanish-style Glendale abode—as the one and only logical choice.

We then see Jayne write a meticulously handwritten letter pleading their case to the sellers, hear about seven rounds of counter-offers, and watch the Englanders do a final walk-through with a contractor, checking if power outlets work and doors close properly. At last, they move in and bring home their new baby daughter, Lauren. It's all much more in line with an actual home-buying process than the show is now—and much more tedious to watch.

They had no formula, because they had no idea what they were doing:

Quote

Mitch: They came and tried to sell us on it, and I was like, wait a minute, my wife is eight months pregnant, and we're frantically looking for a property. The last thing we need is a film crew on top of us day and night. And then it turned out even worse because they had no idea what they wanted. Not only was it a pilot, but they had no concept whatsoever of how to film it or what they wanted from us in terms of dialogue.

They shoved so much filming into a short period of time that would end up on the cutting room floor. I came home from work every single day for a week to find a film crew in our living room. We probably cut 65 to 70 hours of film for a 22 minute segment, so it was excruciating. I mean, they were so kind, but it was really tough because we were under a lot of stress—and they were under stress because they didn't know what they wanted.

Jayne: It was definitely a long process, and there was no expectation of how long it was going to take. If I would have known, I probably wouldn't have done it. We didn't have babysitters. So, [while filming it was like] 'Your daughter can't talk. Can you put her in a closet?' No, we can't put her in a closet! We had the crew take her outside and walk her around.

I love his reaction to finding out now HHs get paid $500:  "They pay the buyers $500? No! We didn't get a dime. We didn't get a thank you card at the time. We didn't get anything. We got a VHS tape about six months later."

Lots of tidbits in that article, like that they also got filmed moving out because James Denton (then a big hit on Desperate Housewives) was moving in.

[Bastet]

Now that I've had a chance to watch it, I really like last night's HH.  She's got mad hustle, and she's handy.  Her mother and sister were trying to steer her to what some stereotypical single mom might need, without taking into account what this individual is willing and able to handle; she doesn't need turn-key, and she doesn't want a townhouse.  And it was good-natured family teasing, but mocking her for being cheap had me talking back, saying, "That's how she was able to save up for a house despite going out completely on her own at 18 and winding up a single mom of two."

But she needed both of them to get through her head the days of offering under asking and settling on a counter-offer are gone in L.A. -- you will be paying over asking.

The sister made me laugh when she said she found the listing and sent it to their mom, so if Olenda likes it, she takes credit, but if not, Mama found it.

And Olenda had me roaring with "And you thought the furniture was going to make it look bigger?"

Good for her getting into a house on a good lot (too bad there's that much traffic, but her budget limits her options, and I think on the whole it's a good place for her and her kids), and no longer having to make that drive from Irvine.

That was an enjoyable episode.

[amarante]

While I wouldn't want to live in Compton for a variety of reasons, bars on windows don't indicate anything other than the neighborhood is blue collar rather than upper middle class because EVERY home has some kind of security system in most metropolitan areas - either an alarm system with a call in to either the police or the private security force OR bars. An alarm system with a automatic call in is a monthly expense although some people fake it with bogus signs.

I grew up in a quiet residential neighborhood of private homes in Brooklyn and all of the lower floor windows that didn't face the street had bars. I don't think there were any burglaries while we lived there and no street crime but it was just assumed you did that as a safety measure the way people now have smoke detectors. 

[South]

On 8/20/2022 at 12:30 PM, Crashcourse said:

I think a lot of the male HHers on this show like to talk about renovations they'll be doing, just to show how "manly" they are for tv purposes, but in real life they probably leave the work to the contractors.

Oh gawd, I hope so.

[Empress1]

Guy moving from Sacramento to Houston just wanted to be able to live on his salary and I don’t blame him. Sucks that his job transferred him without adjusting for the cost of living (seemingly). I loved the pantry in the third house. He seemed like a sweet guy.

[chessiegal]

The guy in Houston is a federal employee. I call bull hockey on his statement about needing move-in ready since he's paying money to move his stuff from California to Houston. That would be highly unusual. The federal government moved me twice. Each time they paid for a week-long house hunt and then paid all the costs of moving me, including all the costs of purchasing a house.

ETA: I just looked at the GS pay scales for Sacramento and Houston. Yes, Sacramento is in California, but it's not SF or LA. The pay scale shows the feds consider Sacramento to be a cheaper cost of living area than Houston. For example, a GS-9 Step 1 in Sacramento gets $59,954/year. Same pay grade in Houston gets $63,091/year. So, in addition to having his moving expenses paid, he got a raise.

Edited September 2, 2022 by chessiegal

[stewedsquash]

Having a fed job includes many perks. My cousin and her husband both retired from the CIA and did not have to go to work the last three months. It was a transition to retirement time with pay benefit, not something they accrued as time off. I did like the guy though since he had a great personality. I think the realtor could have done a better job neighborhood wise but she did get him what he wanted house wise. All of the places just looked so run down and then bam! new build in the middle of it all. He was funny about the bling question when he noticed the crystal part of the ceiling fan, ha. 

I just watched the twins who bought a house together with one husband and their mother. I want to be invited to their get togethers. I was so glad they did not pick the second house. 

I also just caught the couple who shared a home office (he says I am loud and is banging on the desk while I am on the phone but he is loud/I have to be loud to be heard over you was a very real life moment in their getting to know us segment, ha). Every single house shown looked like homes that contractors who have no floor plan but lots of leftover materials and just wing it to build something. I don't think it is specific to California but it does seem to happen a lot in that state. 

[proserpina65]

On 8/23/2022 at 10:15 PM, Kimboweena said:

Greenville, SC - another HH that wants a house like the one she grew up in, with stairs and a farmhouse look.  I grew up in a one-story ranch. I was so tickled to live in so many different houses over the years with my Marine husband, especially when we had stairs for the first time!  I had a happy childhood and all, but did not want the same old house to live in once I married and moved out.

Whereas I definitely like house which are more like the one where I grew up.  (Stairs & farmhouse look, too.)  Although I'm willing to settle for cottagey or Craftsman.

On 8/23/2022 at 10:29 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Yes, a 30 minute commute when the realtor says 30 minutes is a long commute.   The realtors never give an accurate distance/time estimate, it's always a lot longer, just like they always have laughably inadequate remodeling prices. 

Given what I know about the traffic in Philly, it's probably twice that long.  More if it involves the Blue Route or the Schuylkill Expressway.

(Something I heard in a commercial on Ben FM: "Life IS a highway.  Unfortunately it's the Schuylkill Expressway at rush hour."  Love that line.)
 

On 8/25/2022 at 12:38 PM, Empress1 said:

This is the hunter from the most recent Philly episode.

Sounds like she's a pretty good coach.

On 8/25/2022 at 12:41 PM, ECM1231 said:

Re the Philly volleyball coach episode: is a 30-minute commute really that long of a commute? 

Not really but it's Philly, so it's probably going to be at least twice that, depending on the time of day.

On 8/25/2022 at 12:54 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

SOrry, if you can't buy except with zero down payment, then how can you afford a house payment, and everything with it.

It's doable.  That's how I bought my house and the only time I had any problem affording the house payment was when I got laid off.  It definitely affects how much house you can afford, though.

On 8/25/2022 at 1:32 PM, Thumper said:

Painting the paneling in house #3, though!  I’m not sure which is worse — paneling or painted paneling.

Done right, it can work okay, but it's hard to do so that it looks good, that's for sure.

On 8/25/2022 at 1:38 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Two houses ago, my front to back living room was paneling.    I painted it, and it was a total nightmare.   I had to do each seam individually (deep seams), and then roll the flat, wide parts, and had to do two coats of primer, and two of regular paint.

Yep, it is quite the arduous task to do it so that it looks good.

On 8/25/2022 at 12:54 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

They buy # 3, I would have bought #2. 

The hill it was on would've made #2 a huge no for me.  They're a bitch to mow.

[Grrarrggh]

21 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Whereas I definitely like house which are more like the one where I grew up.  (Stairs & farmhouse look, too.)  Although I'm willing to settle for cottagey or Craftsman.

Liking house styles that were common around where you grew up is quite different I'd say from requiring the house be exactly like the one you grew up in. 

[proserpina65]

On 8/31/2022 at 4:48 PM, Bastet said:

While looking for this latest Compton episode online (I love when they show HHs in South L.A.), I got distracted by this interesting interview with the people who appeared in the very first episode of the series.  It's several years old, but I don't recall it being posted here.

Producers hadn't yet come up with the formula that quickly became so tired:

I really wish they had more episodes like this one.  Not all of them, but one every now and then to break up the monotony of the tired formula.  There was an early episode which featured a mother & daughter house hunting.  They'd seen a ton of houses, including one where they liked everything except the kitchen which was bad enough that they didn't put in an offer on it.  Several houses later, they see that same house again AFTER the kitchen had been renovated, loved it and bought it.  I enjoyed that episode because it was different.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Sacramento to Houston.   I was a federal employee also, and they paid for some of my moves, but sometimes they didn't.     I liked the house hunter, he seems like someone who embraces change, and tries to make the most of a change in situations.   3 bed 2.5 bath is what he wants, I love the overhead shot with the pool shaped like Texas, I wonder if it was a lazy river?   He wants move-in ready.   My $250k budget.   His mom wants a first floor bedroom.     My advice for Houston is 'never flooded' as the most important factor.    

house 1-$233,900, needs a little work, no garage just a very nice looking carport, realtor says carport to 2 car garage is $1100 (in her dreams),  4 bed, 2 bath, I like the open living/dining/kitchen, kitchen looks great.    It really needs a lawn care service, replace the back shed, and pour a big patio.     I wish they had put LVP instead of carpets in the bedrooms.    primary bedroom has a nice ensuite, but I hate vessel sinks.   

house 2-new build but surrounded by a few other new, but none of other homes look that nice, , no first floor bedroom, $289k, 10 minutes from downtown , 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 2 story, 2 car garage, small but privacy fenced yard.   nice kitchen with big island, realtor says $2-$300 dollars to replace the kitchen back splash, carpet upstairs in the bedrooms, primary bedroom is lovely, with shower only in the ensuite,    

house 3-$245k , 3 bed, 2.5 bath,  2 car garage, further out from work, two story, 1894 sq ft, , no first floor bedroom, nice kitchen with a big pantry, nice back yard, fully fenced. neighborhood is full of chickens and roosters, and I don't like the overhead camera shot of the neighborhood.   carpeted stairs and bedrooms.  I don't like the neighborhood from the drone view, This is the only primary ensuite with a tub and shower. 

He buys #3, I would also pick #1 for the neighborhood, distance from work, and single story. 

I used to live out in the county, and they didn't prohibit chickens or roosters.   There was a rather annoying rooster who crowed constantly, and unfortunately seems to have taken lessons in how to make his crow louder.   As time went by, you could tell when the owners were sick of him, because the crowing that first was down the street, suddenly started coming from up the street, and then would move every month or so.   Lots of places that allow chickens don't allow roosters. 

Edited September 2, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[proserpina65]

25 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

Liking house styles that were common around where you grew up is quite different I'd say from requiring the house be exactly like the one you grew up in. 

It actually was high on the list of things I wanted when I was house hunting, so not that different in my case.

[StatisticalOutlier]

17 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I love the overhead shot with the pool shaped like Texas, I wonder if it was a lazy river?

I love swimming pools, so I looked this one up.  It's on top of the Marriott Marquis, and is a lazy river. 

25 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

house 3 ...neighborhood is full of chickens and roosters, and I don't like the overhead camera shot of the neighborhood. 

Houston has an ordinance against possessing roosters, but this neighborhood looks like the kind of area where people would do it anyway.  And I think it was the first house where there was a barking dog nearby.  Ugh.

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Not really but it's Philly, so it's probably going to be at least twice that, depending on the time of day.

Depends. If you have to take the Schuylkill Expressway, yes, and the expressway is unpredictable so you could find yourself sitting in gridlock at 2 PM on a random weekday. I think the commute in question was Abington to Temple U., which would actually run you about 40 minutes via streets. You could take the streets to Temple from every location they looked at - Manayunk could involve the expressway if you wanted but it wouldn’t have to.

[Crashcourse]

I liked the Sacramento to Houston house hunter.  He seemed like a really nice guy and reminded me a lot of Lil Rel Howery.  I laughed at his reaction to the rooster and it didn't seem to bother him at all.  

[Empress1]

2 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I liked the Sacramento to Houston house hunter.  He seemed like a really nice guy and reminded me a lot of Lil Rel Howery.  I laughed at his reaction to the rooster and it didn't seem to bother him at all.  

That’s it! He does favor Lil’ Rel!

[laredhead]

A few weeks ago an episode aired about 2 men who bought a house in Baton Rouge, and there was discussion about the exterior of it looking very rustic.  The local paper ran an article about them and the house this morning, and following is the link to the story.  They are planning to move to Atlanta later in the year, after one of them was offered a job there, so they will have spent only about 2 years here.  The house is in a very desirable location of Baton Rouge as far as access to restaurants, commute time for them to jobs, etc.  I looked at the before pix for the sale listing, and the new paint job looks 100% better.  Here's the article - https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/article_cb09e5ae-1a83-11ed-b04b-97379d936eec.html

[kirklandia]

9 hours ago, laredhead said:

A few weeks ago an episode aired about 2 men who bought a house in Baton Rouge, and there was discussion about the exterior of it looking very rustic.  The local paper ran an article about them and the house this morning, and following is the link to the story.  They are planning to move to Atlanta later in the year, after one of them was offered a job there, so they will have spent only about 2 years here.  The house is in a very desirable location of Baton Rouge as far as access to restaurants, commute time for them to jobs, etc.  I looked at the before pix for the sale listing, and the new paint job looks 100% better.  Here's the article - https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/article_cb09e5ae-1a83-11ed-b04b-97379d936eec.html

The article makes it sound as though all three houses were actually options, and the couple chose among them.  (I didn't think that ever happened.)

"For the Fiores, the picks were a house and a townhouse in Mid-City, and another house in the Garden District.

"We really did like the townhouse, but we wanted more of a yard," Chris Fiore said. The budget was a big factor in eliminating the historic Camellia Avenue house, they agreed.

That left the appealingly-situated Cajun cottage-style home built in 1977 in Mid-City."

[rhofmovalley]

Two of my pet peeves from the agent in Alabama tonight. "Betroom" instead of bedroom and "axe" instead of ask. And those fingernails. Holy cow.

I think the wife is adorable, appearance wise. I wish my curly hair looked that good.

[CattyK]

On the Huntsville AL episode, couple moving from Brooklyn NY, the wife seemed a lot more realistic than the husband.  He seemed spoiled to me, saying the 1950s bathrooms were “unusable”.  And he needs (!) a Japanese tub.  They seemed to get along well, so hopefully she will control the budget and the renovations will affordably give them the house they want in a location they like.  

[NoodlePony]

On 9/2/2022 at 9:49 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Sacramento to Houston.   I was a federal employee also, and they paid for some of my moves, but sometimes they didn't.     I liked the house hunter, he seems like someone who embraces change, and tries to make the most of a change in situations.   3 bed 2.5 bath is what he wants, I love the overhead shot with the pool shaped like Texas, I wonder if it was a lazy river?   

You are correct, it is a lazy river, it's on top of a marriott hotel. I've stayed there and floated around that river before.

[mojito]

Brooklyn to 'Bama

I guess a "1900s house" means the home was built in the nineteen-aughts? To me, it means a home built between 1900 and 1999. The agent should try an adjective before "1900s" like maybe "early" or "mid" or maybe even attach a decade to "nineteen hundred". 

I'm glad the couple chose the fixer-upper, and I'm glad they have a couple of able-bodied parents who can help out. 

Husband can only cook and bathe in certain places? Good grief, what a princess.

[Crashcourse]

29 minutes ago, mojito said:

I guess a "1900s house" means the home was built in the nineteen-aughts? To me, it means a home built between 1900 and 1999. The agent should try an adjective before "1900s" like maybe "early" or "mid" or maybe even attach a decade to "nineteen hundred". 

I agree about the agent's weird choice of words. 

I liked the couple, and thought the guy just embraced his nerdiness.  I like a guy who loves to cook, and it's a plus that he loves baking.  However, I had to look up "Japanese tub," and I can't imagine trying to get in and out of that thing.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

On the Huntsville house hunters I would have chosen #1.  It needed minimal updates to make the house up to the husband's standards, with new counter tops, or just the island counter change to quartz, and do the rest of the counter tops later. 

 I thought #2 was too far from downtown, and from the military base, if that's where they're working, and too expensive, and husband still wanted to change things.   

#3, the one they chose, was so expensive to redo everything,  and will still never be exactly what they want.    #1 was cheap enough to even do an addition if they wanted to.     I can't believe they went so far over list for #3. 

Edited September 7, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[wait.what]

The Huntsville couple: were they frying the lettuce for their salad in the opening scenes? 
They put greens in a frying pan and then were shown eating a salad? 

[pdlinda]

59 minutes ago, wait.what said:

The Huntsville couple: were they frying the lettuce for their salad in the opening scenes? 
They put greens in a frying pan and then were shown eating a salad? 

Also, were they married?  

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, mojito said:

I guess a "1900s house" means the home was built in the nineteen-aughts? To me, it means a home built between 1900 and 1999.

The former is what I'd assume if someone said that to me.  For the latter, I'd expect to hear "20th century", but I doubt I'd hear that in this context, as most people who have a preference have a much narrower time frame in mind.

[rhofmovalley]

4 hours ago, wait.what said:

The Huntsville couple: were they frying the lettuce for their salad in the opening scenes? 
They put greens in a frying pan and then were shown eating a salad? 

Grilled kale or romaine is a thing, especially amongst the hipsters.

Reminds me of the episode of American Horror Story Hotel when the hipster couple demanded a discount for "influencers" because someone famous liked some of their posts. They demanded grilled romaine and got slashed by Iris the vampire. My favorite season of AHS (not because of that lol).

[cameron]

4 hours ago, pdlinda said:

Also, were they married?  

I don't think so.  No rings on either of them.

[pdlinda]

10 minutes ago, cameron said:

I don't think so.  No rings on either of them.

That's what I thought.  I hope their relationship flourishes with the home purchase.

[Grizzly]

Galveston, TX. Finally, a sensible reason for not liking carpet.  I wonder what kind of services Oscar performs for Tony. Will all the renos push the price to a million?