House Hunters - General Discussion

[laredhead]

Yes, it was definitely a repeat, and I realized that the minute I saw the wife.  

[Pine]

I was thinking that the wife, who was/is beautiful, maybe had some issues related to getting older.  She just seemed a titch childlike, and I sensed that her sweet husband takes very good care of her.   I am only sensing this since I am of the same age, and see some of this in myself sometimes.  :) I am pleased that she got what she wanted. 

 

[amarante]

I liked the Alabama woman's hair. I thought she just wan't dying her white hair. My mother who was NOT a woman of color also let her hair go white and had a similar pixie type of hair do because she didn't want to fuss with her hair so it was basically wash and just let it dry

I didn't get the impression that the woman was childlike - after all she had been a military wife and so at some point had to deal with deployments I would imagine. I just got the sense that she had always lived in military housing which was functional and so for her very own home, she wanted something that gave her pleasure and wasn't solely functional.

They appeared to have a great relationship and I think both of them took care of the other in different ways.

My understanding is that a military pension isn't taxed in Alabama which is why so many HH episodes have retired military people moving to Alabama.

Edited March 25, 2023 by amarante

[chessiegal]

39 minutes ago, amarante said:

My understanding is that a military pension isn't taxed in Alabama which is why so many HH episodes have retired military people moving to Alabama.

Alabama doesn't tax a lot of retirement incomes including federal and state employees.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, Alabama doesn't tax any retirement (social security, military, federal government, railroad, or state pensions), but a lot of people retire here for the relatively low house costs, and property taxes.     

Also, a lot of people were stationed at Redstone Arsenal in Huntville/Madison, Maxwell AFB in Montgomery (you live in Prattsville or Millbrook, not in Montgomery), or near Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker, as of 10 April 2023, Fort Novosel in honor of the man who was the heart and soul of Army Aviation) in Enterprise, Dothan or other cities.   So, people come back to live near their home base, or because they want to get a civilian or contractor job at one of the bases, or where their friends live. 

There are a lot of $200k or less houses, but there are a lot of the new subdivisions that are $300k to $400k, and the houses are the more trendy houses.    

Edited March 25, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Crashcourse]

37 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Yes, Alabama doesn't tax any retirement (social security, military, federal government, railroad, or state pensions), but a lot of people retire here for the relatively low house costs, and property taxes. 

Yes, I was surprised at how little the houses cost.  I think the house they bought was less than $200k.  

[amarante]

There was a one season reality show that revolved around some upper class women who lived in An upscale suburb in Alabama. I think it had Mountain in its name. 

That was a fun show 

[chessiegal]

5 minutes ago, amarante said:

There was a one season reality show that revolved around some upper class women who lived in An upscale suburb in Alabama. I think it had Mountain in its name. 

That was a fun show 

Mountain Brook? That's an upscale neighborhood of Birmingham.  

[amarante]

14 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Mountain Brook? That's an upscale neighborhood of Birmingham.  

Yes. That is the one 👍👍👍

Description of show which was on BRAVO of course 🤷‍♀️😂

JERSEY BELLE

Docu-series Jersey Belle follows outspoken New Jersey native and entertainment publicist Jaime Primak Sullivan as she navigates life in the upscale Southern suburb of Mountain Brook, Alabama. Jaime tries to fit in to a world that is not ready for an unapologetic woman who likes to speak her mind -- often with hilarious results.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Fort Collins (rerun) with the woman who says she wants everything trendy, and the fiance says she'll want to redo everything in a few years to have the latest trends.  She actually admits she's going to do that.  Another influencer, who only wants the latest in everything, and will never stop.   

The L.A. to Portland woman wants a huge closet just for her, because she models and keeps the clothes.   Weed out what you don't wear, and sell or donate it.   

Edited March 26, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[buttersister]

Quote

Another influencer

LOL! Fashion is what I do for a living... LOL! Honey, without your day job and your husband's job, you're not looking to spend a half a million dollars on a house (sorry, not "a" house, the house she imagines). Chicago is happier without her. Liked the realtor! He was non-stop give-me-a-break.

Edited March 26, 2023 by buttersister
Always close your parentheses.

[stewedsquash]

I have the Atlanta Romance Destination (???) episode on but not really watching (will watch later, it's recording) but my immediate reaction to just the getting to know them segment is: Is this a spoof of Portlandia? A spoof within a spoof, Atlantadia? These two could really be characters from Portlandia. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

That was a different episode, also a rerun.    In fact, it's been on a few times.    

[laredhead]

Odd question about House Hunters International which I follow.  I just tried to view the latest comments there and I got this message "You do not have permission to view this topic".  What?!?  I viewed it yesterday.  Anyone else here having a problem, or have you experienced this problem/message before?    

[Bastet]

5 minutes ago, laredhead said:

Odd question about House Hunters International which I follow.  I just tried to view the latest comments there and I got this message "You do not have permission to view this topic".  What?!?  I viewed it yesterday.  Anyone else here having a problem, or have you experienced this problem/message before?    

I reported it in the Bugs section, as I've been getting that all day, too (I've seen temporary glitches where that message appears, but simply trying again works; not this time).

[laredhead]

Bastet, thank you.  Glad it wasn't just me with the problem. 

[topanga]

On 3/18/2023 at 3:39 PM, amarante said:

However the back story was so strange I wanted to see what was really the back story so I googled. It evidently was a repeat from a year ago but I don't remember it - Fresh Start in Tampa. Their son Elijah had "decided to make an unexpected departure from this world" - their words and after two years they were ready to buy a new house in Tampa.

She mentioned the name of the foundation she set up in the segment so my mentioning it isn't doxxing - She said it was called Eli's Treasure Foundation and was intended to help people have fun.

I don't remember this episode either. 

Their story was incredibly sad. I couldn't imagine one of my kids dying. But the way the dad worded it was so strange "Elijah decided to make an unexpected departure" made it sound like he chose to die. It reminded me of the "God needed another angel" sentiment that people sometimes share. 

And while they're not obligated to share everything with the public, they voluntarily went on a reality TV show and mentioned their son's death several times. It creates a morbid curiosity when they didn't say that Eli died from leukemia or pneumonia or even a vague "from an accident." 

 

On 3/17/2023 at 2:28 PM, Crashcourse said:

I didn't even finish the Houston to Michigan ep because I sensed that their story was bullshit.

Same here. The couple's story sounded made up. I couldn't finish it either. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Gerald and Greys, buying in to Dallas/Fort Worth, she's Cuban, and he's from Venezuela, and they have the usual argument, she wants city and amenities, and he want out in the country.     He's a realtor, and came here when he was 17, and she moved to the U.S. from Cuban when she was 12.   They want a bigger place since they have a baby and they're going to get married, in Cuba.

Budget for him is $400k, hers is $600k,  she wants open concept, 'entertaining', she wants a white kitchen, and he wants color in the kitchen.   She wants mid-century, he's OK with renos.  He wants Frisco, she wants Irving near her family and downtown. 

House 1-Irving TX, 3 bed 2.5 bath 3090 sq ft $599k, turnkey and newly remodeled, kitchen has marble look counter tops with dark cabinets,  kitchen, formal dining, and family look lovely, I guess no one explained what white lower cabinets with little kids involve.   Primary suite is big, with a spectacular bathroom ensuite, and gigantic walk-in closet (they're guessing the closet used to be a bedroom, and I think they're right).   Guest bedrooms and guest baths are nice.   back yard and front courtyard are nice, with a big back deck. 

House 2-Frisco, 4 bed, 2 bath, sq ft, $415k , HOA $52 with community pool, tiled living area, nice kitchen with dark cabinets, bedroom has laminate floors, with tiled hallways.  She wants another bath so her family members can visit and stay. primary bedroom is nice, ensuite is smaller, and closet is decent.  backyard is smaller than House #1.   She doesn't like the distance from Irving.

House 3-Irving, neighborhood has several ponds, near Greys' mom, ranch style brick, 4 bed 3 baths, $499k, 2382 sq ft, vaulted living room ceiling, primary bedroom is big, but no door to the ensuite, but this can be easily fixed. they didn't even look at the closet.   All white kitchen with white quartz counter tops.  nice back yard.   I don't like the retaining walls terracing the back yard.   

They chose #3 .   I would have picked #1. They paid $510k, and negotiate down to $503k, list was $499k.  They're removing a couple of walls, and putting a door on the main ensuite.  

Edited March 30, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[laredhead]

Dallas/Fort Worth episode last night - I knew they were going to buy in Irving because it was closer to her work and her parents.  When she had to drive an hour to the Frisco house after work, I knew that one was a no go.  Then when they walked in and it was just over 1,400 sf, I knew it was a decoy.  It was really basic, no character, black kitchen cabinets with black appliances - looked like a cheap flip to me.  Of course, the husband liked it best because it was the least expensive, and there was a reason for that price.  It was blah.  

I liked the 1st house the best, especially the front courtyard area which was large and fenced in. 

Edited March 30, 2023 by laredhead
Spelling correction

[Grizzly]

Callawassie Island, SC. Omg the nasally voice! And she talks so quickly, is she sure she grew up in the south? Houses 1 and 2 were gorgeous. With low inventory, you can't be that picky. Wonder how the bugs are by her marsh view? Of course it's the one that already had renovations started.

[Kenzie]

Callawassie Island, SC

Nice couple but my God, that voice!

Sharp, nasal, whiney and fried all at once.

She could peel wallpaper from a hundred paces.

[CrazyInAlabama]

SC episode, when I saw one house had on-going renovations, then I knew that was their house. 

  I hope they enjoy the massive amount of bugs that will assault them every time they go outside next to the marsh.  And the alligators and snakes that are living in the pond, and in the woods.   They should either have bought the one with the huge screened porch, with the sliders from the house to the screened patio, or build a covered patio room. 

Laredhead brought up a great point, screened rooms and fences don't stop alligators, just bugs, and hopefully snakes.  Nothing stops alligators.   

Edited March 30, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[laredhead]

Callawassie Island - having read several articles lately about people and pets being attacked by alligators, I wondered about the safety of that location if you want to enjoy your yard.  As for having a screen porch, I also read an article a couple of weeks ago where an alligator in Florida just walked right through the screening, so that's evidently a deterrent only to mosquitoes and other flying insects.  I live in Louisiana (not where there are alligators, except once in a while in the lakes by LSU), so I'm familiar with them; but not scared, just cautious.

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by laredhead
Spelling correction

[Kemper]

Callawassie Island … what’s not to love? All kinds of bugs - little ones, huge ones, stinging and biting ones. Snakes. And alligators to boot. We lived on an island with a golf course when we first retired. The alligators loved living in the ponds around the course - so much so that they often took strolls through yards, crossed streets, napped under cars. And then the mandatory evacuations during hurricane season. Mosquitos and gnats loved their Happy Hours. 

The woman’s voice - it didn’t match her “cultured” taste. And…were those hair extensions? Nevertheless- they were an attractive couple. And oozed money.  I loved the first house. 

[mojito]

I have never said, "Oh, HAIL no" aloud so many times watching HH as when I saw the flora of Callawassie. It is really pretty, but along with that flora comes some fauna I could do without. Birds are probably nice, but I'd have a hard time focusing on them as I worry about slithering and stalking critters.

It's a special kind of person who finds swampland in the southeast appealing. 

[Tess23]

Callawassie Island. I know Boulder and that was no Boulder accent on that woman. Or southern. My ears are bleeding.

I love the south but these houses and locations left me cold.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 3/30/2023 at 1:30 PM, Kemper said:

We lived on an island with a golf course when we first retired. The alligators loved living in the ponds around the course - so much so that they often took strolls through yards, crossed streets, napped under cars. 

On the news in Tampa the other night they had police bodycam footage of them capturing a nine-foot alligator on a busy street in the middle of town at 1:30 in the morning. 

A while back Mr. Outlier came home with a photo of a big alligator alongside a mountain(ha!)bike trail he was riding.  He went back last weekend and they've closed that trail because an alligator had babies and is aggressively protecting them.  Apparently from male alligators, but they probably don't let humans get too close, either.

And two weekends ago he and his pals rode up on a snake coiled in the middle of the trail.  Turns out the guy in front of them had run over it and by the time he and his friends rode up it had done its signature cottonmouth move and coiled up with its head in the middle and was sticking its head up with its fangy mouth wide open. 

When they do that, they won't move if you throw something at them.  You have to pick them up and move them--one of the biking guys used a long branch to kind of sweep it up and he lofted it off to the side, and it stayed coiled up

And he wonders why I don't want to go riding with him.

On 3/30/2023 at 1:30 PM, Kemper said:

Mosquitos and gnats loved their Happy Hours. 

For some reason the gnats have decided to come out in force and they are driving me fucking insane.  I have to clean the insides of the windows every day because of all the gnats I've smashed. 

ETA: To state the obvious, and tie it to the show, living next to a marsh is not something I'd be interested in, but good for her for embracing it.  And I'm glad I didn't have "low country" as my drinking game word.

Edited April 3, 2023 by StatisticalOutlier

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 3/30/2023 at 3:12 AM, Kenzie said:

Sharp, nasal, whiney and fried all at once.

She blessedly didn't have any fry at all.  Sharp, nasal, whiny and loud is more like it.

[stewedsquash]

Low Country episode: I kind of liked the second choice as far as the layout and the dark exterior. The colors inside looked more furniture showroom awful than a true design statement. 
southestern NC’er here and our accents are different from the coast, sandhills, mountains but you can hear southern in all of them. SC is similar, their accents from coast to the mountains differ but also differ from NC accents. This true for every southern state, each has their own sound. This homeowner may have been raised in the south but I think it was by transplanted parents. She did not have any southernness in her voice at all. I didn’t listen closely to her dad but he didn’t seem to have an accent either. 
Now her husband? Whoa I could listen to him talk forever. He had the most pleasant sounding voice and was an interesting person to me. I could hear his enthusiasm without it being rah rah!

[stewedsquash]

Another thing was the stereotyped “we have our pimento cheese” during the get to know you food serving segment. True southerner’s don’t announce the pimento cheese, lol, it’s just there. Usually between soft slices of loaf bread, crust off, and quartered. I also, while not an expert on the low country boils, am giving the hmmmph to that exceptionally not messy version they had at the end.

[StatisticalOutlier]

Apologies if this was a rerun (Sunday night)--my on-screen guide doesn't indicate new shows.  But the micro-farm couple in Chattanooga moving to Ringgold, Georgia--they wanted extra land and were talking about whether some of the property surrounding one of the houses might be for sale.

They never talked about a possible price, but there was a chyron that said: "Acreage: $5,000 per sq. ft. est."  That's not possible, right?

But I can't figure out what the $5,000 would buy.  Surely not an acre (although I know zero about the value of undeveloped land).  I'm confused.

[laredhead]

StatisticalOutlier, undeveloped land is a lot less expensive in many areas.  If it can't be used for agricultural purposes, timber, or doesn't have development potential then it's not worth much.  This was a hilly region, and as the husband pointed out, not good for grazing animals. 

I thought all of the houses they looked at were small for 5 people, and she kept talking about putting all 3 girls in one bedroom when they were looking at 3 bedroom houses.  That's not going to last as the children grow.  I was a bit confused about how many children they each had from previous marriages, and I realize that the youngest one was theirs together.

Then there was the subject of color, or lack thereof.  Of course she wanted a white kitchen - a prerequisite of being on the show evidently.  She talked about some of the rooms in the houses they looked at being dark.  In final reveal, she said they had painted some rooms, but from the look of the colors she chose, those rooms are now dark.  I knew they would choose the first house with that big work shed.   

[StatisticalOutlier]

So it's possible it was supposed to say "$5,000 per acre" and the person responsible for chyrons is used to putting "square feet" and didn't actually think about what it was saying.

[Grizzly]

Atlanta, GA. Found it funny when he was talking about how he hated red brick, she was wearing a red shirt. If I had a chance to have second floor laundry and my husband said no, divorce might be ahead. His hair was awful while I liked hers. The blue house was my favorite. She doesn't have kids yet and already wants separation from them. 

[snarts]

Atlanta, GA: I found her affect a bit off-putting. Meanwhile, he kept referring to his ADHD.  Couldn't quite gauge their ages, other than his decade comment on student loans. They seemed younger for some reason but a healthy mortgage approval for their first home.  Nice to see them actually spend less.

I thought the farmhouse sink phase was finally over and what the heck was his deal with washing machines running amok? I can only assume a past traumatic experience was at play. Hated the builder grade McMansion they chose. It had one of my worst current pet peeves, a grey interior color pallet with beigey pink carpeting. 

[Crashcourse]

I understood the Atlanta guy wanting the washing machine on the first floor  I had a friend who had it on the second floor and the hose did break and she had a mess.  

[Kenzie]

2 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I understood the Atlanta guy wanting the washing machine on the first floor  I had a friend who had it on the second floor and the hose did break and she had a mess.  

Five years ago I was awakened by the sound of the hot water hose bursting at 4:00am in the morning. I had to stop and put on shoes to wade through the steaming, gushing water (the cat food bowl was floating across the laundry room floor) only to find the hose end rusted to the pipe. By the time the WD40 lubricant worked the tank had emptied all the hot water and was blowing cold water.

Most of the water disappeared down a floor heating vent but I still spent the next hour sopping up the mess. Lesson learned: change those hoses every few years.

[amarante]

It is easy to protect yourself against flooding from any water appliance. My washing machine as well as my dishwasher and refrigerator have water alarms thst automatically turn off the water supply if sensors detect water. They also have Smitty pans which capture any water thst makes it out. 

My Bosch washer dryer has double hoses including one which is extra durable and has the water alarm and pan as well. 

Also unless you have the appliances in the basement, a first floor flood can do quite a bit of damage. You can construct it as a wet room with a drain and waterproofing like you would a shower. 

Edited April 5, 2023 by amarante

[Grizzly]

Chicago, IL. So are all 5 kids not going to be spending the same 3 months there? Are they sure they want to get married? Does Brian ever take his gloves off? The homes aren't wowing me. I would have been surprised if they hadn't bought that house.

[Grizzly]

Eugene, OR. Are we buying Brian's protestations that he doesn't want projects? That was a nice workshop at #1. Looked like there was an upstairs to it that they didn't show. I like that Marci respects Brian's skill set and how she said the oversized garage wouldn't work for "us", instead of "you". The second house was really nice but do they need all that room? I didn't think there was anything wrong with the kitchen at #3. Cheaper price will allow them to pay storage fees on the van.

[Cancun]

Chicago and Eugene - I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide if each couple would have a long and successful marriage, based on their house hunt. 

[cinsays]

7 hours ago, Cancun said:

Chicago and Eugene - I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide if each couple would have a long and successful marriage, based on their house hunt. 

yeah, i find that i do that with all the house hunter shows.  usually, one of the 2 irks me so that i predict divorce in a year or 2.  very rarely do i think they are longterm compatible

[Lady Lucy]

I've lived in Chicago. There is no way I'd live in Batavia if I had to commute into The Loop 5 days a week.  (Although it was the best house of the 3 meh choices.)

[Kemper]

Chicago. I liked both of them. But. She is going to have a long commute and he may still be grieving his wife. Did she say they have five kids between them? Are they all away at college…all living on their own, etc.? Because they both ( seemed him more than her) kept bringing up “kids would be visiting” but it didn’t sound like it would be often. Didn’t she still have a school-age daughter? Maybe the kids live in the area so would not really be staying for the night very often. She was trying hard to keep being upbeat and see the positives and he was, too. Neither seemed really enthused about the house they chose.

[chessiegal]

39 minutes ago, Kemper said:

She is going to have a long commute and he may still be grieving his wife.

They said at the beginning they've been dating for 2 years. Assuming he didn't start dating the day after his wife died, she's been gone long enough for him to move on. Considering they met on a dating site, he wouldn't have been there if he wasn't ready. They also said their kids would not be there full time.

[pdlinda]

14 hours ago, Cancun said:

Chicago and Eugene - I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide if each couple would have a long and successful marriage, based on their house hunt. 

I;ve been blissfully divorced for 30 yrs and sometimes I think I watch HH to reinforce the blessed state I'm in of living alone (children married with kids)!😊

[Hedgehog2022]

On 4/5/2023 at 11:15 AM, Crashcourse said:

I understood the Atlanta guy wanting the washing machine on the first floor  I had a friend who had it on the second floor and the hose did break and she had a mess.  

That happened to my son and daughter-in-law's house that has a washer on the second floor...big mess.

2 hours ago, chessiegal said:

They said at the beginning they've been dating for 2 years. Assuming he didn't start dating the day after his wife died, she's been gone long enough for him to move on. Considering they met on a dating site, he wouldn't have been there if he wasn't ready. They also said their kids would not be there full time.

Call me weird but I found this guy to be kind of hot...the grey/white hair made his blue eyes stand out and he rocked the earrings. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Moving to Williamsburg, VA.   The cable guide says "Colonial Williamsburg", but I'm suspicious that they actually not are buying in the original Williamsburg. 

So, they had a new build, and sold when someone bought the lot next door?  If you want an empty lot next door, then buy the lot for yourself.   I don't think open concept is going to happen in a genuine colonial style house.  I'm guessing they're looking in the surrounding suburbs, and want modern/contemporary.  Budget is $600k for her, and $700k for him. 

House 1-$697k, HOA $60 a month, 5 bed 3 bath, 3035 sq ft, single story. It looks like a design magazine, everything white, light wood floor.  They want colonial, but she hates brick? Side and back neighboring lot is a preserve, so no neighbors next door or behind, ever.   Back screened porch.    She wants a luxurious guest bath, so wants to gut it. Primary suite is huge.  Back yard is steep, sloaping down hill from the house.  She wants to paint the exterior brick, but will need HOA permission.

House 2-$595k, 4 bed, 4 bath, 2782 sq ft, no brick, another "craftsman", 2 car garage, 2 story.  Big back yard, fenced, but there are close neighbors you can see! (yes, sarcasm).  Main has a wine bar, balcony off main suite, big ensuite. big upstairs family room/bonus room, with a kitchen, she wants to use it as a guest suite.  

House 3-two story, $625k , 5 bed, 4 bath, 3173 sq st, textured (not popcorn) ceilings gross her out again, and she doesn't like that the entire subdivision is red brick homes. big back deck, main suite is nice, ensuite is basic builder's grade, and they both want to rip it out.  

They buy #1 . Yes, she painted the exterior brick white.   I didn't like any of them, especially painting the brick white.

Edited April 8, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Empress1]

On 4/5/2023 at 8:26 AM, snarts said:

Atlanta, GA: I found her affect a bit off-putting. 

I didn’t like her at all. There was a point where she described him as nice or kind and then said she was the opposite, and she … did not seem nice.

On 4/5/2023 at 11:15 AM, Crashcourse said:

I understood the Atlanta guy wanting the washing machine on the first floor  I had a friend who had it on the second floor and the hose did break and she had a mess.  

Y’all have heard me say that in my opinion, laundry should go on the lowest possible floor. Ours was in the basement growing up. My friend just had the situation you describe, @Crashcourse, and it was a huge pain to deal with.

On 4/6/2023 at 2:11 PM, chessiegal said:

They said at the beginning they've been dating for 2 years. Assuming he didn't start dating the day after his wife died, she's been gone long enough for him to move on. Considering they met on a dating site, he wouldn't have been there if he wasn't ready. 

I used to work with a guy who lost his wife (he lost her before I knew him) and he was dating again, and he said he was on his second attempt dating because the first time it plunged him back into acute grief and he realized he wasn’t ready. I was thinking about that with the Chicago widower, particularly when he talked about the emotion behind selling his house. He sounded a little choked up. It wasn’t just where he raised his kids, it was where he and his late wife built their life. I wondered if he had any guilt about selling.

[Crashcourse]

40 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

I was thinking about that with the Chicago widower, particularly when he talked about the emotion behind selling his house. He sounded a little choked up. It wasn’t just where he raised his kids, it was where he and his late wife built their life. I wondered if he had any guilt about selling.

I wondered about the Chicago widower, too.  Good for him for moving on with his life, but he didn't seem like he was ready to take the next step of buying a new house and remarrying.   (Shallow side note, I thought he was a silver fox.)