House Hunters - General Discussion

[pdlinda]

35 minutes ago, readheaded said:

I wouldn't want roommates, either. For me, the issue with the young house hunter wasn't whether she had roommates or not, it was that she had lots of preferences/demands but wasn't truly able to afford much of anything without her parents propping her up. 

My impression was that the dynamic between the adult child and her parents were quite entrenched and them propping her up financially would endure now and for the foreseeable future.

I have family members who fall into that category.  

[Grrarrggh]

17 minutes ago, pdlinda said:

My impression was that the dynamic between the adult child and her parents were quite entrenched and them propping her up financially would endure now and for the foreseeable future.

I have family members who fall into that category.  

I didn't get that impression at all. She's 21-22 years old, a university grad and working. She's paying rent. Sounds like she and her parents are doing a lot right.

[amarante]

32 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

I didn't get that impression at all. She's 21-22 years old, a university grad and working. She's paying rent. Sounds like she and her parents are doing a lot right.

I agree. She indicated that she was paying somewhat over a $1000 in rent which covered the costs of the condo. Both she and her father were very clear that the parents would not subsidize the cost of the condo (or house) and that she either had to pay the entire amount which she could do with a lower purchase price or get roommates to help cover the costs.

I also don't think that she was particularly picky in terms of her choices - she was a young adult and understandably wanted to live in a certain area where other young adults lived and she wanted something that had some kind of interest - which the converted loft had.

The father was very cognizant of making sure that it was a good investment for him since whenever she moved on, it would be a very attractive and easy rental for another young adult.

[readheaded]

18 hours ago, pdlinda said:

My impression was that the dynamic between the adult child and her parents were quite entrenched and them propping her up financially would endure now and for the foreseeable future.

I have family members who fall into that category.  

This was my impression, too.

18 hours ago, amarante said:

I agree. She indicated that she was paying somewhat over a $1000 in rent which covered the costs of the condo. Both she and her father were very clear that the parents would not subsidize the cost of the condo (or house) and that she either had to pay the entire amount which she could do with a lower purchase price or get roommates to help cover the costs.

I also don't think that she was particularly picky in terms of her choices - she was a young adult and understandably wanted to live in a certain area where other young adults lived and she wanted something that had some kind of interest - which the converted loft had.

The father was very cognizant of making sure that it was a good investment for him since whenever she moved on, it would be a very attractive and easy rental for another young adult.

I might come at this from a different angle because my young adult son recently moved out into a home he purchased on his own, without needing his father and I to do anything but give some general advice. He didn't get everything on his home wish list because he bought what he could afford rather than asking us to buy something as an "investment" that he could "rent." 

[Bastet]

22 minutes ago, readheaded said:

He didn't get everything on his home wish list because he bought what he could afford rather than asking us to buy something as an "investment" that he could "rent." 

I didn't see the episode, so I don't understand the quote marks -- was the HH not actually going to be paying rent, or a nominal amount not within laughing distance of fair market value?  Was there something about the home that made it an inevitably losing investment one would only suffer in order to help a family member?

[amarante]

22 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I didn't see the episode, so I don't understand the quote marks -- was the HH not actually going to be paying rent, or a nominal amount not within laughing distance of fair market value?  Was there something about the home that made it an inevitably losing investment one would only suffer in order to help a family member?

She was paying enough rent to cover the expenses. That is why the storyline was whether they would purchase something with a low purchase price so that she could afford to live alone or a larger place where she would be forced to take roommates to cover the cost.

At the end, the father indicated that he required a security deposit plus rent paid on time.

He also indicated that he thought the condo they chose was a good investment because it would easily be rented to the target audience. And he was correct - it was a "hip" loft in what seemed to be a desirable neighborhood for young adults and the carrying costs were low enough so that it would be affordable to either a single professional or a young married couple with no children.

The condo wasn't particularly luxurious or lavish - As I recall it was about $160,000 and at least to me the girl wasn't making unreasonable demands based on her budget. They found something that was affordable in terms of the rent should could pay and that the father thought was a good investment for future rentals when she moved out. 

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, readheaded said:

I might come at this from a different angle because my young adult son recently moved out into a home he purchased on his own, without needing his father and I to do anything but give some general advice. He didn't get everything on his home wish list because he bought what he could afford rather than asking us to buy something as an "investment" that he could "rent." 

Life is more complicated than one person's experience though. You don't say if your son graduated from university, has debts from that, where you live, how much his home was, what your family background is etc etc etc. 

[snarts]

Charlotte, NC: There aren't many 21-22 year olds ready financially to own real estate yet we know that investing in real estate is a definite wealth builder. So IMHO  the situation made sense for both father and daughter.

Real estate is typically bit less volatile than the stock market (which definitely had a rough 2022 when this was likely filmed). With the low purchase price, it might've even been a cash deal. She's either going to be living with them or renting somewhere for a few years, why not pay that rent money to her parents? She was working and able to pay her own bills. If not, Dad never would've proposed buying a place for her to rent.

When she's ready for her next place, he can rent it out again or even sell it, depending on the market/his timing. Like others have mentioned, it made more sense to buy a condo that she can afford without roommates, in an area that appeals to young professionals, than it would a larger suburban home.

Also wasn't surprised to hear that she's not yet working in her field of study. I too was a little directionless right after university. Decided late that my chosen path (pre-law) wasn't really what I wanted and I was left with a political science degree and not many job prospects. A couple years later I was working at fortune 500 company and in an evening MBA program on their dime. Most will inevitably find their way.

Edited January 9, 2023 by snarts

[amarante]

1 hour ago, snarts said:

Charlotte, NC: There aren't many 21-22 year olds ready financially to own real estate yet we know that investing in real estate is a definite wealth builder. So IMHO  the situation made sense for both father and daughter.

Real estate is typically bit less volatile than the stock market (which definitely had a rough 2022 when this was likely filmed). With the low purchase price, it might've even been a cash deal. She's either going to be living with them or renting somewhere for a few years, why not pay that rent money to her parents? She was working and able to pay her own bills. If not, Dad never would've proposed buying a place for her to rent.

When she's ready for her next place, he can rent it out again or even sell it, depending on the market/his timing. Like others have mentioned, it made more sense to buy a condo that she can afford without roommates, in an area that appeals to young professionals, than it would a larger suburban home.

Also wasn't surprised to hear that she's not yet working in her field of study. I too was a little directionless right after university. Decided late that my chosen path (pre-law) wasn't really what I wanted and I was left with a political science degree and not many job prospects. A couple years later I was working at fortune 500 company and in an evening MBA program on their dime. Most will inevitably find their way.

In the introduction portion she said that she was not able to rent her first apartment essentially because of a Catch 22 - she didn't have a history of rental and she also didn't have sufficient credit history. 

Whether that is completely true or not, it made sense for these specific people to have the parents buy an investment property and then rent it out to the daughter for an amount that would cover costs - i.e. be more or less what they would charge for anyone.

Seems like win win as the daughter gets to rent an apartment she can afford and the parents get to purchase an additional investment property which they can sell or continue to rent. The father indicated that it seemed logical for them to purchase a property since he already had several investment properties he was renting.

[South]

On 12/30/2022 at 8:00 PM, Grrarrggh said:

I think as a Black man, especially with a White wife, he's (sadly) right to be concerned. 

I think he should be doing anything he pleases.

[Grrarrggh]

4 minutes ago, South said:

I think he should be doing anything he pleases.

Of course he should. The original question was why he might have been so stuck on having privacy. I gave a possible reason.

[dogdays2]

Couple in Ft Collins, CO. I HOPE the wife was acting as she did for sake of the show.  I’ve rarely seen anyone who has SO many issues with some lovely homes.  Brand new carpet in bedrooms is not cringe-worthy. I just BOUGHT lights that weren’t too different from those she HAD to replace. She would probably have a seizure were she walk into our current or former home.  I’ve rarely seen anyone so self-centered.  And her DH seemed normal.  Don’t know how he puts up with it.  

And what is it with “linoleum” counter?  Does she mean “laminate?”

My first home has laminate counters even in the kitchen and builder grade carpet throughout other than kitchen and baths which had linoleum.  Cabinets were the lovely almond that was ubiquitous in the 1980s. I was just so thrilled to have my own home.

I wanted to say, “if you have champagne tastes, you need a champagne budget.”  

[BAForever]

46 minutes ago, dogdays2 said:

Couple in Ft Collins, CO. I HOPE the wife was acting as she did for sake of the show.  I’ve rarely seen anyone who has SO many issues with some lovely homes.  Brand new carpet in bedrooms is not cringe-worthy. I just BOUGHT lights that weren’t too different from those she HAD to replace. She would probably have a seizure were she walk into our current or former home.  I’ve rarely seen anyone so self-centered.  And her DH seemed normal.  Don’t know how he puts up with it.   

He had her number. Loved that he commented that a few years ago, she wanted farmhouse, now black matte with brushed gold.  Epi was marked on my dvr as new, but I recall seeing it. Wish HH would ban all "social influencers". They are only it it for more followers. As my dear dad would say, she is vapid. 

[chessiegal]

I think HH is wrapping episodes on Monday and labeling them as new when they aren't.

[readheaded]

20 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

Life is more complicated than one person's experience though. You don't say if your son graduated from university, has debts from that, where you live, how much his home was, what your family background is etc etc etc. 

I'm well aware of that, thanks. My son did graduate from college, which he chose based on the fact that he would graduate without debt. His home was more than the loft space on the show and he didn't need a roommate. We did not contribute to the purchase.

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

6 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I think HH is wrapping episodes on Monday and labeling them as new when they aren't.

Yes, they are simply combining episodes that are close enough to whatever theme they use, and rerun them, but it's sneaky enough to make the 'new' label get your DVR to record it.   Very shady on HGTV's part. 

[BAForever]

6 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Yes, they are simply combining episodes that are close enough to whatever theme they use, and rerun them, but it's sneaky enough to make the 'new' label get your DVR to record it.   Very shady on HGTV's part. 

So was the theme last night "wanna-be social influencers that are annoying"? Come to think of it, between HH and HHI, that could be a theme with multiple episodes. 

1 minute ago, BAForever said:

 

 

Edited January 10, 2023 by BAForever
Messed up my merge

[chessiegal]

15 minutes ago, BAForever said:

So was the theme last night "wanna-be social influencers that are annoying"?

My online guide said the theme was working from home.

[javajeanelaine]

If I never hear the made up word “cloffice” again, it will be too soon.

[Bastet]

17 minutes ago, javajeanelaine said:

If I never hear the made up word “cloffice” again, it will be too soon.

This was my first time, and it's already one too many. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

L.A. to Seattle, Earl and Kim, and dog Nala. $750k to $900k budget. 

Condo 1- $912 a month HOA, 985 sq ft, lots of amenities. $958k, gym, co-working space.    parking is automated, but is parking space included?  balcony is super small, and no you can't put a BBQ out there, I bet you can't bring a BBQ in the building.    closet is tiny, bathroom is great but it's the only one, bedroom is small, 1 bed plus den (will be office for Kim).   Close enough that 

House 2-Federal Way, single family,  $665k, they claim 30 minute one way commute, which I bet is more like 60 to 90 minutes.,    4 bed 2.5 bath 2150 sq ft, HOA $23 a month. (Some furniture covered, 'sellers are still moving out', the fake storyline).  Hardwoods, nice kitchen.   2 car garage, oversized.    main bedroom closet is huge, and so is the bathroom.   

House 3-tall and skinny house 1 car garage, 15 minutes from work, $899,950, garage looks deep, second floor balcony is nice. kitchen looks very updated, back yard is great for the dog, 2 baths, love the views from the main bedroom, no air conditioning though, main bedroom ensuite is really nice, but tub looks sunken.    

So they pick #2, no surprise since it had dust covers, and they only show up on this show.      

Edited January 11, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[mojito]

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Yes, they are simply combining episodes that are close enough to whatever theme they use, and rerun them, but it's sneaky enough to make the 'new' label get your DVR to record it.   Very shady on HGTV's part. 

It may not be House Hunters but your service provider. YouTubeTV doesn't seem to record anything as "new" unless it's in the current season (225). 

 

[South]

On 1/10/2023 at 12:24 AM, Grrarrggh said:

Of course he should. The original question was why he might have been so stuck on having privacy. I gave a possible reason.

My apologies, friend.  My comment was intended for Mojito.  I’ve been away for the better part of three weeks and my eyes are just now becoming accustomed to the new format.

[South]

9 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Yes, they are simply combining episodes that are close enough to whatever theme they use, and rerun them, but it's sneaky enough to make the 'new' label get your DVR to record it.   Very shady on HGTV's part. 

I understood it during lockdown, but, now?

[cinsays]

10 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

L.A. to Seattle, Earl and Kim, and dog Nala. $750k to $900k budget. 

Condo 1- $912 a month HOA, 985 sq ft, lots of amenities. $958k, gym, co-working space.    parking is automated, but is parking space included?  balcony is super small, and no you can't put a BBQ out there, I bet you can't bring a BBQ in the building.    closet is tiny, bathroom is great but it's the only one, bedroom is small, 1 bed plus den (will be office for Kim).   Close enough that 

House 2-Federal Way, single family,  $665k, they claim 30 minute one way commute, which I bet is more like 60 to 90 minutes.,    4 bed 2.5 bath 2150 sq ft, HOA $23 a month. (Some furniture covered, 'sellers are still moving out', the fake storyline).  Hardwoods, nice kitchen.   2 car garage, oversized.    main bedroom closet is huge, and so is the bathroom.   

House 3-tall and skinny house 1 car garage, 15 minutes from work, $899,950, garage looks deep, second floor balcony is nice. kitchen looks very updated, back yard is great for the dog, 2 baths, love the views from the main bedroom, no air conditioning though, main bedroom ensuite is really nice, but tub looks sunken.    

So they pick #2, no surprise since it had dust covers, and they only show up on this show.      

I was surprised they picked #2, but thought it was the right choice. 

He was so incited by having to mow the lawn in the one they picked, that i thought he was going to eliminate it.  I was thinking, the $900 hoa on the first one versus paying some service to mow for less than $200 a month?  The place with all the amenities, having the gym versus paying less than $100 a month for a gym membership? 

But they faked me out and he wasn't that stupid.

[chessiegal]

10 hours ago, mojito said:

It may not be House Hunters but your service provider. YouTubeTV doesn't seem to record anything as "new" unless it's in the current season (225). 

 

Nope. It's not the cable provider. HH is picking 2 old shows with a similar theme and editing them together, therefore making a "new" show.

[Notabug]

15 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

L.A. to Seattle, Earl and Kim, and dog Nala. $750k to $900k budget. 

House 2-Federal Way, single family,  $665k, they claim 30 minute one way commute, which I bet is more like 60 to 90 minutes.,    4 bed 2.5 bath 2150 sq ft, HOA $23 a month. (Some furniture covered, 'sellers are still moving out', the fake storyline).  Hardwoods, nice kitchen.   2 car garage, oversized.    main bedroom closet is huge, and so is the bathroom.   

 

  

My nephew lived in Federal Way and it is about 45 minutes to downtown Seattle if there is no traffic whatsoever (like 4 AM Sunday morning).  Otherwise, you'd need a lot of luck to get there in under an hour, an hour and a half is more realistic.

[amarante]

I guess if one's job doesn't require one to be in the office every day, you can deal with the commute. I worked for awhile at a job that was a longish commute off hours but a horrendous commute during rush hour which began at about 3 PM. I started work at 6 AM and left at 2 PM and just scheduled any face to face meetings during that time period.

What I do wonder is when people move because they are now able to work remotely at their current jobs. What happens when they want to change jobs as not every job is remote and requiring that would limit job choices. Even a lot of the high tech industries which went remote during the pandemic are starting to require employees to be onsite a significant number of days.

Edited January 12, 2023 by amarante

[CrazyInAlabama]

Chicago, typical he wants land, she wants city. 

Condo 1-3 bed 2 bath, third floor with an upstairs neighbor, $499k,HOA is reasonable, about $200 a month but that includes inside maintenance, snow removal.   She says guest bedroom is big, it's tiny.   Primary bedroom is nice, great bathroom ensuite, (so realtor says house is staged?   Does that mean they moved in already?)  Why get something this size if they want to have another kid?   The kid's bedrooms weren't big enough for a dresser.    Why get something you'll outgrow?   

#2-Single family, $419k , 1188 sq ft, 3  bed 2 bath (1 bath in basement and one on the main floor), no ensuite,  Sauganash on the north side, nice hardwood floors, new kitchen, main floor bath is smallish, basement is finished 1162 additional sq ft., basement bath is great.    back yard is mulch and 1 car garage, she wants a hot tub.   Since they're having another baby, they'll need the room.   

#3-Jefferson Park, compromise, townhome, $449, 3 bed 3/5 bath, den on bottom, $430 HOA but that includes snow removal.  2400 sq ft, no basement, kitchen is huge, nice balcony, primary suite has an ensuite, bedrooms need new carpet, realtor reminds them they can ask for a carpet credit for the top floor.    

They picked #2.    1 would have picked #3. 

(Yes, there are areas where firefighters and police officers live.    In some cities they have to live in the city or county limits, and about the time some of the subdivisions were being built, bought in.    It's nice to know that when you're working long shifts that the neighbors are looking out for each other, and can help if something happens.    Nothing like having someone who can help if a pipe blows out, or something else happens).  

Edited January 12, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[buttersister]

Nice Chicago couple (well, the script's not their fault and they were nice to each other). No drama when it came to the house hunt--the moment he said "firefighter" and she said "teacher" I said, 3, 2, 1, Sauganaush! Many firefighters and police live in there and in adjacent neighborhoods, as they (and most CPS teachers) are required to live within the city limits (Jeff Park is, too).

Hubs was done with shared walls! She'll get her backyard hot tub one day, but sharing that upstairs bath with two kids is obviously doable, if not such fun. 

[amarante]

I thought the Chicago couple were such a breath of fresh air.

I smiled so much when the woman loved the "outdated" kitchens because they reminded her of her childhood home.

Normally I kind of despise the HH who want a certain style home because it reminds them of their childhood home because they generally want a specific style on the exterior but then want it to be whatever is trendy in the interior but both of these people just wanted a comfortable family home in reasonably good shape for their family.

I hadn't caught their occupations but doesn't surprise me that they are a firefighter and teacher rather than a social media influencer like that really repulsive Colorado woman who had absolutely no awareness that you really can't have a "trendy" bathroom or kitchen unless you are wealthy or plan to move to new homes every few years because what is "trendy" will cease to be "trendy" in a few years. I thought it was hilarious that the husband commented that she had wanted "modern farmhouse" a few years previously and she would be on to the next thing in a few years.

Are the Chicago "cop" neighborhoods politically conservative? I am familiar with them in New York City and Los Angeles and they tend to be oceans of red in otherwise very blue cities. In New York it would be Staten Island versus most other areas in the City

[mojito]

On 1/11/2023 at 9:15 AM, chessiegal said:

Nope. It's not the cable provider. HH is picking 2 old shows with a similar theme and editing them together, therefore making a "new" show.

Is this packaged as a one hour show? I'm not seeing any shows that are two different episodes in a half hour period. I don't have any one-hour shows either. 

Maybe it's a cable thing.

Edited January 12, 2023 by mojito

[chessiegal]

11 minutes ago, mojito said:

Is this packaged as a one hour show? I'm not seeing any shows that are two different episodes in a half hour period. I don't have any one-hour shows either. 

Maybe it's a cable thing.

HH has started doing the editing of two shows wrapped into one on Mondays. This past Monday's episode is titled "Work From Anywhere". The on-line guide has no season or episode number associated with it. It is one hour long, and described as "With the ability to work anywhere, two couples are each making big moves to new states. A Chicago couple heads back to their Colorado hometown for more space, and a Los Angeles couple looks for a more laid-back lifestyle in Portland, Oregon."

It is not a cable thing. HH is retreading 2 old shows and calling it new. As I said, it is an hour-long show. It aired on Monday at 10 pm ET.

[chessiegal]

Looking at HGTV's website, HH is doing the same thing next Monday night. It's a one-hour show featuring 2 different house hunters with the theme of single and ready to mingle. 

[rhofmovalley]

I don't have cable (I have Sling) and I'm getting the same pieced together retread episodes on Mondays.

[mojito]

Interesting. It's like we're dealing with two HGTVs.

My content is being delivered as a half hour show, and listed as "new" and there is no theme attached. YouTubeTV doesn't recognize old shows as new. YTT gives you unlimited recording, so reruns are already in the library for the appropriate season if it's a fairly recent season. My shows are listed by season and episode. Yesterday I got two new shows recorded, listed as Season 226, Episodes 1 and 3, Chicago (mentioned above) and CT family searches for Vermont vacation home.

[chessiegal]

The retread shows are only on Mondays. Per the HGTV website, next Monday's show will be one-hour long featuring 2 different buyers with a theme single ready to mingle. 

[mojito]

Right, but my provider doesn't package these shows as new. Per my YTT guide, I'm getting only one new show on Monday. One half hour show. 

Edited January 13, 2023 by mojito

[amarante]

The information sent about HH is absolutely inscrutable.

I have two DVR through Spectrum. One is an older model and one is a newer model (i.e. can record four programs at the same time versus the older one which can only record two).

Both are programmed to record ONLY new programs and yet they pick up different episodes almost every night. 

 

[mojito]

It's clear that our providers are handling these shows differently. YouTubeTV discerns the difference between old and new and completely bypasses the one-hour package as far as recording is concerned.

Edited January 13, 2023 by mojito

[pdlinda]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

It's clear that our providers are handling these shows differently. YouTubeTV discerns the difference between old and new and completely bypasses the one-hour package as far as recording is concerned.

Agreed.

On another note, may I ask how you edited your post?  I read the rules and "how to edit your post" but what they suggested with going to the ellipsis on the top right of the post didn't work.  I only got the choice to "share."

Thanks!!

[mojito]

@pdlinda, I get both Share and Edit as choices under edit. When I try the ellipse under someone else's post, I only get Share. Not sure how to explain this one. 

You're logged in at the time you're trying to edit, right?

Edited January 13, 2023 by mojito
added question

[Bastet]

The Edit function is only available for a limited time (maybe a week?  I'm not sure if it's that long), so if you don't see it as an option when you click on the "..." drop-down menu on your own post, yet it's a recent post, you should report it as a possible bug.  But if it's on one of your older posts, that's why.

[pdlinda]

58 minutes ago, mojito said:

You're logged in at the time you're trying to edit, right?

No, I've never logged in.  I guess I better take care of that...thanks for the

heads-up🤭

3 minutes ago, pdlinda said:

No, I've never logged in.  I guess I better take care of that...thanks for the

heads-up🤭

Looks like I AM LOGGED IN and for some reason the edit choice now appears on the ellipsis.  Thanks again!

[Grizzly]

Jacksonville, FL. I didn't realize being a mentalist paid so well. Wanting a kosher kitchen is a nice, new wrinkle. I'm liking the houses, they're fairly spacious without approaching his budget limit. Ok, I wrote that before seeing #3. Can't belive Cheyn thinks that kitchen could work. And the prevailing color is not a good one. But since it has a pool table.... hmm a red herring.

[mojito]

4 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Can't belive Cheyn thinks that kitchen could work. And the prevailing color is not a good one. But since it has a pool table.... hmm a red herring.

The red herring house probably belonged to friends of the couple, so they had to find the place acceptable even if they hated it. I think this was only the second HH episode I've seen where a kosher kitchen was desired; until then, I didn't know about the dual fridges and ovens requirement plus the different kitchenware for the dairy (she just said "milk") and meat. This couple didn't mention all of that, though. I'm sure there are varying degrees of adherence to the old laws. (Puzzling, when you think that and the milk and meat frequently come from the same animal, and that only occurred to me during this episode.)

Arlington Heights Area

For the entire program, I found myself being in disbelief of how much this couple had changed since their wedding picture. It was as though 25 years had passed. The wife wanted their son to have the same experiences she had when she grew up in Arlington Heights. I can already hear her future laments about how things have changed so much in that city since she was a kid--and not for the good. The husband wanted a basketball hoop over the garage door. He looked like he could easily get winded quite retrieving that first rebound.

Connecticut to Second home in Vermont

I wonder how frequently this couple will find themselves making the drive to Vermont after that first year or so?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I was surprised that the couple in Jacksonville couldn't find a house with a kosher kitchen.    Apparently it wasn't that crucial since she could make do with some of the kitchens.    I loved the last house with the pool, and artificial turf everywhere.  That will save a ton on lawn maintenance, mowing, etc.      That marble counter kitchen would work fine changing a section out with a fridge, dishwasher, sink, and stove.   It wouldn't even take that much space.        

I failed to see why the bathrooms in the third house needed to be gutted the way the wife said.   They were older, but the tile look like it was in good condition, so change the vanity tops, and lights out, and you would be fine.    They also didn't mention being close to a synagogue either, so they may keep kosher, but not follow all of the walking to friday services, and other rules.  I bet near a synagogue of their particular belief, they would have found a kosher kitchen already done.    Also, the first house had a decent yard, but it looked like the neighbors were right against the property lines/hedges.        

[amarante]

5 hours ago, mojito said:

 

Connecticut to Second home in Vermont

I wonder how frequently this couple will find themselves making the drive to Vermont after that first year or so?

Probably quite a bit as the drive was only about 1.5 hours or so which means it is super drivable for a weekend and Vermont is really an all season state since it is nice all seasons.

When you have a second home that is that drivable people really tend to be able to use them like if you have a house at the Jersey Shore or a home in the Catskills. I would also mention the Long Island shore but the commute as well as the incredibly high prices for that area make it Sui generis. Even the Jersey Shore for people from New York City is pretty drivable for the weekend.

What I really don't understand are people who buy vacation homes in destinations where you have to fly because the reality is that flying almost anywhere is one day there and one day back because you have to get to the airport - get there early enough - flight takes time and will probably be delayed - get off plane and possibly collect luggage - take ground transportation to your destination. And that is also exhausting and unpleasant so I can't imagine people doing it every weekend like you can do with a close vacation home.

It also seems to somehow be done with people who claim that their life is too busy and so they have to "get away" and I wonder why they don't either take a 'staycation" or get a second home closer to them.

Edited January 14, 2023 by amarante

[amarante]

8 hours ago, mojito said:

The red herring house probably belonged to friends of the couple, so they had to find the place acceptable even if they hated it. I think this was only the second HH episode I've seen where a kosher kitchen was desired; until then, I didn't know about the dual fridges and ovens requirement plus the different kitchenware for the dairy (she just said "milk") and meat. This couple didn't mention all of that, though. I'm sure there are varying degrees of adherence to the old laws. (Puzzling, when you think that and the milk and meat frequently come from the same animal, and that only occurred to me during this episode.)

The prohibition against eating dairy or meat together - and then by extension needing to keep plates, utensils as well as ovens and sinks separate is from the following 

Mixtures of milk and meat (Hebrew: בשר בחלב, romanized: basar bechalav, lit. 'meat in milk') are forbidden according to Jewish law. This dietary law, basic to kashrut, is based on two verses in the Book of Exodus, which forbid "boiling a (goat) kid in its mother's milk"[1] and a third repetition of this prohibition in Deuteronomy.[2]

I actually liked the third house the best as the paint could be easily changed although obviously it was never meant to be anyway.

I was curious about the family as the only aspect of Orthodox Judaism that was discussed was a kosher style kitchen. In general Orthodox Jews need to be in certain areas because of the need for a minyan as well as the ability to walk to a synagogue on Shabbos as well as other important holidays when one is not allowed to drive.

[Thumper]

Does anyone else feel like these recent shows have way too much chit-chat at the beginning of the show?  I want to see more of the houses/properties.