House Hunters - General Discussion

[buttersister]

I was a bit confused by some of this. He bought a 4B home that he couldn't afford on his own. So his mom was going to pay rent?  Then he took in a renter that he called a guest. 

It seemed as if he couldn't afford a mortgage of any house he wanted without a tenant, so it being separate, that works. He can't be making all that much at his job, or, I started wondering, if it was a volunteer position while he studies for his degree. Perhaps he got an inheritance from his dad?

Anyway, the houses were interesting. I was trying to figure out where in the city there's an area with a canal. He got the right house for him, albeit here's hoping the neighborhood continues to be brought whole.

[pdlinda]

1 hour ago, buttersister said:

He can't be making all that much at his job, or, I started wondering, if it was a volunteer position while he studies for his degree. Perhaps he got an inheritance from his dad?

He may be getting a substantial amt of $$$ from ongoing and continuing student loans that, of course, will end when he graduates. 

The student loan pkgs not only cover tuition and books but living expenses, as well.

Also, insofar as repayment plans (govt student loans) they are suspended at this time (as far as I know) and when payment resumes they peg the repayment amt maximum to only a certain %age of your wages.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 4/26/2023 at 11:15 AM, Notabug said:

I figure they included the 16 year old not because she got a say in anything, but, because that is the formula for the show; there have to be 2 potential buyers who will disagree about various major points.

But on the Detroit episode they had only the HH and his realtor (who I thought were very funny together--I loved it when she was taking him to an expensive house and he noted that her commission would be higher).  I didn't like the 16-year-old, which was probably her intention.

On 4/26/2023 at 11:15 AM, Notabug said:

Generational wealth is a hot topic in the African American community these days; the idea being that home ownership and other solid assets provide a good basis for supporting a family, educating kids and eventually passing some money along to the next generation.  All very reasonable stuff.

True but everybody seems to forget the subprime lending disaster, which disproportionately affected Blacks.  This was because of predatory practices by the lenders, but the fact remains that the solid gold standard of home ownership creating wealth isn't necessarily always that solid.  The lesson could be that Blacks can't win, and it would probably be a valid one.  But it's still something to keep in mind.

2 hours ago, snarts said:

Detroit, MI:  So nice to see an episode with someone buying in the actual city. So many great neighborhoods with beautiful brick homes.

What I was noticing was the boarded-up windows on houses they were driving by.  I definitely got the feeling this episode wasn't sponsored by the Detroit Chamber of Commerce.

2 hours ago, buttersister said:

I was a bit confused by some of this. He bought a 4B home that he couldn't afford on his own. So his mom was going to pay rent?  Then he took in a renter that he called a guest. 

I thought the guest who burned the bacon was an Airbnb renter, like in the original days of Airbnb where you had strangers staying in your house with you, and not in some house you rent out as if you were a hotel.

2 hours ago, buttersister said:

Anyway, the houses were interesting. I was trying to figure out where in the city there's an area with a canal. He got the right house for him, albeit here's hoping the neighborhood continues to be brought whole.

I thought the $100 for a side lot deal was really interesting, and wondered by an owner would ever choose not to buy the side lot for $100.  Taxes and insurance on an unimproved lot in a city probably don't cost much.  You'd have to maintain it, but I'm sure there are people you can pay to mow it well enough that it's not considered a nuisance. 

Especially the HHs we see so often on this show, who complain about how close the neighbors are.  Buy all the lots around you for $100 each.  I'm sure it's what Bill Gates would do (if he were planning to live in a blighted area of Detroit).

I took an urban planning class in college and did a paper on an urban homesteading program in Baltimore, where you could buy a city-owned blighted property for like a dollar, and it was your responsibility to renovate it and bring it up to code and if you lived in it for X years (maybe three or five?), it was yours. 

This side-lot program sounds like the same sort of attempt to have the city not own these properties, and as with most things of this sort, it sounds like a good idea.  Not sure how the actual execution goes, though.

BTW, nobody talked about the Austin episode from Sunday night, but I'll just point out that the town they moved near, Manor, is pronounced "MAY-nur" not "manner."  (And the nearby town famous for its sausage, Elgin, is pronounced with a hard G, not a soft G like the town near Chicago with the watches.  That one wasn't mentioned in the episode, but if you're visiting and want to sound knowledgeable, you have the tools.)

As usual with the misdirection, the woman HH was saying if she was moving to Austin, she wanted to be IN Austin, but the overhead shot of their house showed this brand new tree-less development adjacent to the toll road they built out in the middle of nowhere to go around Austin. 

(Alert eyes will notice the minimal traffic on the road they showed, which doesn't really comport with the reports of heinous traffic in Austin.  Because this traffic isn't in Austin, and you have to pay to be on that road.)

I'm guessing she'll hop on that toll road to take her to her job in North Austin, but I bristle at toll roads in Austin.  I remember back when they had a toll road between Fort Worth and Dallas, that my family would use when going to Six Flags or to Dallas.  You got a card the shape of a computer punch card when you entered, with a grid that showed the toll for each exit, which was pretty cool.  But most notably--when it was paid off in the 1970s, they eliminated the tolls.  What a concept.

[amarante]

African Americans and the specific use of the term "generational wealth" is NOT producer driven. I think there are informational type of seminars at churches and community organizations in which the concept is stressed.

It is my understanding that it is very specific to homes as in your home being the best way for a working or middle class family to actually have assets. I believe statistically for many Caucasians a paid up home represents their single greatest asset since most American's have very little in actual savings or retirement savings.

On a very shallow note, I watched last night's episode with the couple in New Jersey who got pregnant six months after they started dating and were now buying a house - plot point being she wanted fancy house and big wedding - he wanted a fixer up. To my surprise, they actually bought the worst home viewed which was the cheapest - even less than his budget with plans to significantly remodel kitchen and bathroom immediately.

Of course it is going to cost them well more than the $20,000 or even $30,000 to redo the kitchen in the manner she wants - once you start taking down walls you are in a rolling flood of expenses that are triggered.

I was amazed at the physical change in her. She was obviously carrying a lot of her baby weight - no shame in that. But the pictures of them when they were dating pre-baby showed someone completely unrecognizable - blonde hair and very slender. 

Edited April 28, 2023 by amarante

[laredhead]

I can't find any comments about the recent New Orleans episode where a couple is looking for a house with the usual "disagreements" - close to city center vs. more away from city with larger yard, etc.  The first one they looked at was in Algiers Point, which is across the Mississippi River from the downtown area of New Orleans.  Every room of that house had barge board on the lower 3or 4 feet of the walls.  It was way too much of that type of decor, IMO. Maybe in one or 2 rooms, but not everywhere.  It was a former double shotgun style converted to a single family house, and the rooms were small and choppy.  I have never been a fan of that style.  They finally settled on a house outside the city on the west bank of the river, and across the highway from the levee.  One scene showed them watching a cruise ship pass on the river, and the river level was so high you could see almost the entire ship above the levee from where they were standing.  I live in Baton Rouge, and in the spring when the river level is high, it's an amazing sight to see ships sitting that high in the river.  I never got tired of those views when I worked downtown next to the river.  Fact - Baton Rouge is the last deep inland port on the Mississippi that can accommodate ocean going vessels. 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm watching the OWN older episode marathon.   A couple in a 2014 episode are looking for condos, or townhouses in Arlington, VA.   One duplex is 832 sq ft, and the wife complains the kitchen is small.   It would be.  

[laredhead]

CrazyInAlabama, I've come to the conclusion that many HH's skipped math in school when it comes to square footage and room sizes. 

[alexa]

I am watching an episode now that a young single mother says, I was a teenage mom which isn’t ideal…but I had three girls to raise, and they are now 17, 18, and 19.  So she didn’t plan to be a teenage mom but then had a child a year for 3 years?  Oh my!  Lol.  And her budget is 480k.  What have I done wrong in my life to not have a budget anywhere near these people?  :-)

[Grizzly]

On the bright side, her teenagers learned the lesson and are not teen moms.

[Thumper]

Tonight’s 9 pm Central episode is listed as “new,” but I know I have seen it before.  Grrrr.    Two ICU nurses in Pennsylvania.

[amarante]

On 4/30/2023 at 7:13 PM, alexa said:

I am watching an episode now that a young single mother says, I was a teenage mom which isn’t ideal…but I had three girls to raise, and they are now 17, 18, and 19.  So she didn’t plan to be a teenage mom but then had a child a year for 3 years?  Oh my!  Lol.  And her budget is 480k.  What have I done wrong in my life to not have a budget anywhere near these people?  :-)

I must admit I did somewhat of a double take when they said she had THREE children all born within a year of each other.

Unfortunately our current prudish educational system doesn't do a great job of really educating kids on how to avoid getting pregnant and I would imagine sex education is especially feeble in the state where she grew up.

But how do you not do everything possible to avoid pregnancy the second and then the THIRD time. She must have been not making the slightest attempt to practice any kind of birth control.

Given that she currently lives down the block from her mother and father I would imagine they were a significant support system which is why the outcome for her children wasn't disastrous and she was obviously willing to work hard at whatever multiple jobs she had to do to earn money. 

[Grizzly]

Lititz, PA. It must be so exhausting to be Blair. Always having to worry and plan. Not sure how she reconciles house with character but not needing updates.

[chediavolo]

On 4/30/2023 at 10:13 PM, alexa said:

I am watching an episode now that a young single mother says, I was a teenage mom which isn’t ideal…but I had three girls to raise, and they are now 17, 18, and 19.  So she didn’t plan to be a teenage mom but then had a child a year for 3 years?  Oh my!  Lol.  And her budget is 480k.  What have I done wrong in my life to not have a budget anywhere near these people?  :-)

Amen!! Here I sit, can’t afford to move because the bumpkin area I live I has home prices that have not kept up with the housing market everywhere else, worked hard my whole life, have debt ( hey government how about reeling in the credit card companies & their Mafia rates?!) and I watch these people but homes I can’t afford. Of course, the housing market is just one of the crisis problems in this country, it’s maddening. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

11 hours ago, Thumper said:

Tonight’s 9 pm Central episode is listed as “new,” but I know I have seen it before.  Grrrr.    Two ICU nurses in Pennsylvania.

Not only a rerun, but this is at least the third showing too.  

[Grizzly]

Chicago, IL.  ER doc buying her first home. Not sure who I find more annoying, the realtor or the best friend.

[buttersister]

The ex-military couple--OMG, stop! I found them hard to watch and almost bailed. IT'S EFFICIENT AND OPERATIONAL. As I guess everything must be. And was her "creativity" that made her think that stupid hair thing was good? No. It is not good. I hope he's happy in his narrow galley kitchen--it's so efficient, isn't it. 

Man, that realtor looked unhappy. Wonder why?

[laredhead]

Last night's episode with the ex-military couple - he wanted efficiency and she wanted old house charm.  If the word "efficient" had been the keyword in a drinking game, we would have all been drunk even before they saw the 1st house.  The wife wasn't much better with her desire for an old house, and then horrified to find out that adding a bathroom would cost at least $10,000.  Welcome to the real world where things aren't always efficient and cheap.  I fell asleep before the final reveal, so I have no idea which house they bought.

[Chit Chat]

11 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Chicago, IL.  ER doc buying her first home. Not sure who I find more annoying, the realtor or the best friend.

What irks me is when these people complain about paint colors they hate, as if they can't repaint it or hire someone to do it.  That's about the easiest and less costly way to refresh a space quickly.  I get that redoing an entire bathroom will be a project though.  A more reasonable way to redo the tiles around a tub is have them reglazed.  We had our tiles & tub reglazed for about $600 a few years ago.  It turned out really well.  

[chessiegal]

Did the casting call for last night's HHs say "Only women who talk through their noses need apply."?

[Thumper]

4 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Did the casting call for last night's HHs say "Only women who talk through their noses need apply."?

LOL.  I noticed it more in the military wife!

[CalicoKitty]

5 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

What irks me is when these people complain about paint colors they hate, as if they can't repaint it or hire someone to do it.  That's about the easiest and less costly way to refresh a space quickly.  I get that redoing an entire bathroom will be a project though.  A more reasonable way to redo the tiles around a tub is have them reglazed.  We had our tiles & tub reglazed for about $600 a few years ago.  It turned out really well.  

Or complaining about a light fixture.  Do people not realize that they CAN be changed out without much cost?

[Chit Chat]

18 minutes ago, CalicoKitty said:

Or complaining about a light fixture.  Do people not realize that they CAN be changed out without much cost?

For all of the complaining those 2 women did, she ended up with the apartment with the worst view.  I think she's eye level with the transformers on the power pole.  Granted, that apartment was really nice on the inside.  

[blondiek237]

6 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

What irks me is when these people complain about paint colors they hate, as if they can't repaint it or hire someone to do it.  That's about the easiest and less costly way to refresh a space quickly.  I get that redoing an entire bathroom will be a project though.  A more reasonable way to redo the tiles around a tub is have them reglazed.  We had our tiles & tub reglazed for about $600 a few years ago.  It turned out really well.  

I agree about the painting.  I have painted every place I have ever lived, even rentals (with landlord approval).  I even painted kitchen cabinets--twice

[amarante]

1 hour ago, Chit Chat said:

For all of the complaining those 2 women did, she ended up with the apartment with the worst view.  I think she's eye level with the transformers on the power pole.  Granted, that apartment was really nice on the inside.  

Beyond the transformers, the realtor was saying that there would probably be a condo built there as if that was a PLUS. 

I would be worried about any kind of vacant lot or possible change in building if I bought. You could wind up with a building in which you have people a few feet away looking into your home. I would prefer an ugly view with no neighbors close by to having neighbors so that I would have to shut the blinds.

In one of the other places, the realtor pulled down these hideous black shades when the woman complained about units being so close in front of her. Even if you must obscure the view there are better choices than those. 

[Hedgehog2022]

9 hours ago, laredhead said:

Last night's episode with the ex-military couple - he wanted efficiency and she wanted old house charm.  If the word "efficient" had been the keyword in a drinking game, we would have all been drunk even before they saw the 1st house.  The wife wasn't much better with her desire for an old house, and then horrified to find out that adding a bathroom would cost at least $10,000.  Welcome to the real world where things aren't always efficient and cheap.  I fell asleep before the final reveal, so I have no idea which house they bought.

They were both equally annoying. He was a nerdy dork who obsessed about "efficiency" and she was nit picking everything without a thought about how just a coat of paint or changing some chandaliers or mirrors could achieve a look that was preferred. In the end, they chose a house that had an unusable backyard with too many trees and overgrowth. I can only imagine how many bugs and snakes they will have to deal with in the hot summer months. Guess the dog will have to relieve himself in the front yard since going up and down those steep steps from the deck will be difficult to do especially at night.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I didn't like the choice the Chicago HHer picked.    I wonder what will happen if a huge condo does go up next door.  

The Lancaster episode was boring to me, and I didn't care which one they bought.  

Edited May 5, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[javajeanelaine]

The Chicago episode: I can’t decide if it was the house hunter or the best friend that was more entitled.

[StatisticalOutlier]

23 hours ago, amarante said:

In one of the other places, the realtor pulled down these hideous black shades when the woman complained about units being so close in front of her.

And the realtor called them "blackout shades" even though as she lowered them, you could easily see the outline of the trees through them.  Really an awful choice.

[Hedgehog2022]

4 hours ago, javajeanelaine said:

The Chicago episode: I can’t decide if it was the house hunter or the best friend that was more entitled.

The friend was so bossy and controlling! You would have thought her name was going to be on mortgage!

[Chit Chat]

48 minutes ago, Hedgehog2022 said:

The friend was so bossy and controlling!

I've noticed on shows like this that it's usually the buyer's friend or family member who tags along that is the most annoying in terms of saying negative things.  Yes, point out the obvious major flaws, but to gripe about paint colors and how it's not "move in" ready is not helpful!  You're almost always going to have to redo some things when you buy a pre-owned property!!

[CrazyInAlabama]

Canadian couple moving to SC, in the country outside of Columbia is interesting.  When I saw some beds, and the dining table in the house, I knew they were going for the $315k craftsman (sort of craftsman) fixer.   I hope they have a painting budget for the office with the purple walls.   

 I don't understand why the kids are going to a school that's over 30 minutes one way from the house. Where I used to live, if your kid was going out of the county to another school system, you had to pay tuition, and hope that there was an empty slot they could get.   The biggest no-no was going over state lines, and that was a big deal, since you didn't pay taxes in that state. 

It really depends on the area.   I also lived near another county (in Georgia) where for high school any county resident child could go to any high school, and there was a huge network of school buses, it was very complicated.      Unless the kids in the SC episoded go to a private school, and they're usually very pricey. 

Edited May 8, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[edie3]

Are houses that different in Canada? She was talking about how big the closets were in SC.

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, edie3 said:

Are houses that different in Canada? She was talking about how big the closets were in SC.

I don't know where they were from in British Columbia, but the homes in Vancouver are lovely, from what I saw in " Love It or List It: Vancouver.

And again, the 3rd house, the one they chose, was NOT A CRAFTSMAN!!! Having stone pillars in the front of the house does not make it a Craftsman.

The square footage was somewhere in the middle of the 3 homes and it was the cheapest. I'm sure the children will attend school in the area, and not Columbia, so I don't know why the husband was complaining. I think the wife has the commute.

On a shallow note...the husband needed to blow his nose or something. He had the most nasally voice and it pained me to listen to him.

[amarante]

10 hours ago, edie3 said:

Are houses that different in Canada? She was talking about how big the closets were in SC.

My brother lived in Vancouver and so I am a bit familiar with the real estate.

For starters, Vancouver real estate is incredibly expensive for a variety of reasons.

Many Canadian professions don't pay as much money as their US counterparts. My brother was in the health care field and so many of his friends are doctors, In Canada, doctors don't make the kind of salaries that US doctors traditionally made so they have more modest life styles. Economics of doctor salaries in the US are changing but I am discussing traditionally. So doctors and other upper middle class professionals live more modestly - nice homes but not McMansion level and the couple in this episode wouldn't have had high incomes - he was retired from the Canadian military and she was a vet but alluded to the fact that her career hadn't taken off - perhaps she had to move a lot and couldn't establish a practice.

Also - at least when I was there - basics were much more expensive than the US. Food at the market was more expensive as was clothing. My brother used to buy stuff when he was in the States because pricing of basic stuff like jeans was less money. Again, things could have changed but at that time Canada had higher tariffs than the US as well as stuff like VAT taxes so net income was lower.

And then to stereotype, Canadians are much less flashy as a whole than a stereotypical US resident. They also were much more eco conscious years before the US so stuff like gas (which translates into heating and other utilities) was much higher than the US. 

[Kemper]

I had no idea that garbage disposals are called “garburators” (I think that is what she said) in Canada. You learn something every day. And yes, I also wondered what school is 30 miles away- no school buses? I don’t know why, but I didn’t care a lot for this couple- mostly the wife. 

Edited May 6, 2023 by Kemper

[BAForever]

2 hours ago, Kemper said:

IAnd yes, I also wondered what school is 30 miles away- no school buses? I don’t know why, but I didn’t care a lot for this couple- mostly the wife. 

Maybe they liked the school district where their rental was and wanted to stay in that district? 

[ECM1231]

2 hours ago, Kemper said:

I don’t know why, but I didn’t care a lot for this couple- mostly the wife. 

For me, it was the husband that I didn't care for. The wife came off as quite sensible. Having lived in a smaller townhouse, she didn't see the need for a 3000+ square foot home, at the top of their budget. The 100K difference in their budgets, if wisely invested, would finance college educations for their young children(or at least part of it.) The wife seemed rather sensible to me and I think the house they chose was the best choice for them. Also, way under their low budget of 350K.

[StatisticalOutlier]

12 hours ago, edie3 said:

Are houses that different in Canada? She was talking about how big the closets were in SC.

Since he was in the Navy, I'm betting they were in Victoria.  The Navy is located in Victoria and Halifax, with headquarters in Ottawa--all pretty obvious locations if you think about it. 

I was intrigued when she said you can't build brick houses in British Columbia, and that's why she's attracted to the southern brick houses.  For one, the "southern" brick houses she's talking about look like McMansions I've seen in every part of the U.S., so they're not exactly unique to South Carolina, or even the South.

I don't know about Canada because I generally don't spend a lot of time in what would be McMansionville when up there.  But I'm guessing that Victoria in particular has a limited McMansionville area, being contained on an island.  And presumably wood or stucco would be a lot cheaper than brick, so that's what gets used by the developers in new neighborhoods.

But for another, I knew I'd seen brick buildings in BC, although for obvious reasons (availability, earthquake resistance) wood is what was historically used.  And sure enough, Victoria has quite a few brick buildings, including the famous Empress Hotel, and one article calls the original 1908 section "a sickening combination of unreinforced brick built atop reclaimed swamp land."

The whole article is about how Victoria is doomed when a big earthquake comes.  And it does say, "New homes are built with unreinforced brick chimneys fated to topple in even a minor earthquake. New condo towers are adorned with crumble-ready brick cladding."  

https://www.capitaldaily.ca/news/the-most-doomed-city-in-canada

So there is brick in BC, but not lots of it.  And the new buildings aren't made of brick but have the look of brick on the outside, which I think would be acceptable to the HH.  Maybe it's that Canadians are too sensible to have fallen under the sway of McMansions so there just aren't that many even though there could be (or maybe I'm just elevating Canadians because I'm kind of sick of Americans right now).

I have no idea about closets.  Nobody's ever invited us in as we do our slow bike rolls through the neighborhoods.  But maybe it's just that most of the housing stock near where they were living was older, which always translates to smaller closets.

1 hour ago, Kemper said:

I had no idea that garbage disposals are called “garburators” (I think that is what she said) in Canada. You learn something every day.

Same here!  My problem is I don't have one so it won't be easy to cement it into my vernacular.  There are only so many times you can say, "I wish I had a garburator." 

[chediavolo]

4 hours ago, BAForever said:

Maybe they liked the school district where their rental was and wanted to stay in that district? 

You have to go to the school that the homeowners taxes pays for. Unless it is a private school. Otherwise it’s illegal.

Edited May 6, 2023 by chediavolo

[Andyourlittledog2]

22 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

And again, the 3rd house, the one they chose, was NOT A CRAFTSMAN!!! Having stone pillars in the front of the house does not make it a Craftsman.

Thank you!  California has true Craftsman homes and almost  all the 'craftsman' homes I see them proclaim on this show are not that. They are just homes with a stone pillar on the porch. Drives me nuts.

Of course, I see all kinds of types of homes on this show that completely mystify me. I often wonder what home builders/designers are thinking with some of these layouts. They make no sense and are overly complicated and to me irritating. And don't even get me started on 'mcmansions' that have 1500 sq ft primary bedrooms and a couple of other bedrooms that barely fit a twin bed and a small night stand. Even a king size bed looks like doll furniture in those ridiculously large bedrooms.  A large room, fine. That would be lovely. But the gignormous ones that some built or renovated later would make me turn and leave immediately.

I've just started watching this show again this week, but in the middle of the night so I am a little fuzzy on remembering details sometimes. I did think, this week at least, that the 2023 episodes seemed to avoid my primary complaint about this show and that was buyers going through someone's house on national tv and just trashing their taste and choices in the rudest and most entitled way ever. As far as I recall this week the buyers were more respectful. It's one thing to say that a color or decision would not be your choice if you buy but another to declare that the current owner has made a ludicrous choice or has terrible taste.  The other thing I noticed was that some younger buyers were eschewing the white cupboards and standard things we've seen almost everyone demand for some years now. They seemed to like older things, wooden stained cupboards, etc. It was kind of refreshing.

[kirklandia]

On 5/6/2023 at 2:19 PM, chediavolo said:

You have to go to the school that the homeowners taxes pays for. Unless it is a private school. Otherwise it’s illegal.

Inter-district open enrollment laws vary a great deal from state to state.

https://www.ecs.org/50-state-comparison-open-enrollment-policies/

[rhofmovalley]

My son went to a school outside his zone. I just had to apply for a permit. 

Is "character vs. modern" the only storyline the producers can think of? Or one partner's budget vs. the other's? I feel like I've seen these exact same manufactured conflicts multiple times over the past few weeks.

 

[Andyourlittledog2]

Real estate agents have lost their damn minds. One of them this weekend on House Hunters described a house, I kid you not, as a 'two story split level craftsman'. It was a basically a box with shutters. I think that every house that is not a cape cod or a colonial is now described as a craftsman (if it has two stories) or a ranch (any house with one story that is not properly a mid-century modern). I don't know where this started but it's driving me nuts.

[South]

16 hours ago, rhofmovalley said:

My son went to a school outside his zone. I just had to apply for a permit. 

Is "character vs. modern" the only storyline the producers can think of? Or one partner's budget vs. the other's? I feel like I've seen these exact same manufactured conflicts multiple times over the past few weeks.

 

Oh Lordy!  There are endless storylines that would make the show a blast to watch.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

North Tampa, at least they had a big budget.    I knew they would pick the first house, with six bedrooms, with the biggest yard.     I thought the house color fit the style of the house and the subdivision.   I agree about being worried about being next to water, gators climb fences, and could come through a screen room easily. 

I saw a video of a gator forcing his way through a wrought iron fence, it wasn't even an effort.   I am amazed that it's considered a good feature to back on a nature reserve, since that means even more snakes, gators, and critters. 

Edited May 11, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Crashcourse]

I liked the Tampa couple, and I also figured they'd pick the first house.  The husband was funny with his deadpan humor.

[ECM1231]

I liked the house they chose the best. (Tampa couple). The second home had very little yard space, and even though there was a playground across the street, I wouldn't want to be crossing the street with little children to play at the park, daily. The 3rd home was freaking me out b/c it looked like there was a creek or other body of water behind it, and there was no fencing. I'd be petrified that some gators would be coming out of it. I didn't think the home they chose was orange. It reminded me of a muted coral on my TV. I really liked the shade and the style of the home. 

[Crashcourse]

I'm so tired of HH listing episodes as "Washington, DC" when they're not in Washington, DC!!!  😠  Single father and his son were looking for a home and all three houses were in Ft. Washington, MD, a DC suburb.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

I always have a good laugh when a realtor says a commute to work is way too little time for the traffic. 

Good point, Fort Washington is lovely, but it certainly isn't in D.C.    The son telling the father he needs to buy a modern house, and one that matches the dad's personality is different.   The father claiming he wants a big house to attract a girlfriend is interesting. 

I liked the HH looking for a split bedroom plan for privacy. 

The first house $610k, 5 bed colonial, very modern inside, but still nice.  The yard will be a nightmare for maintenance, and  with all of the bedrooms together wasn't what the HH was looking for. 

 The second for $655k 6 bedroom and 5 baths was a bargain for the area. 3080 sq ft is certainly huge.  Funny the son and realtor said the marble and gold kitchen backsplash wouldn't appeal to a woman, I've seen lots of bath and kitchen tile with gold grout or accents.  I loved the size of the main suite, the bath looked a little builder grade. 

Third house-4 bed 3.5 bath, $525k, 2000 sq ft, smallest house of the three, and cheapest.   I hate carpet in a dining room, the kitchen with black and white is boring, but was it granite or laminate looking like granite?  No upper cabinets, just open shelves is something I hate. upstairs is all carpeted, and rooms are small, but for 2,000 sq ft and 4 bedrooms, it would be small.  Main bedroom is decent size, ensuite is smaller.   I don't like this one at all. 

He picked #2, bought for $620k, hardwoods installed upstairs.   He's going to keep the kitchen back splash.  

Edited May 11, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Mom21]

Been reading for years.  First time posting.

I loved everything about the house that the Tampa couple picked.  I'm just amazed at these budgets across every state.  I thought I made a fairly decent living but if I were buying a house now my budget would probably be a third of the average budget on HH's.  

The Fort Washington houses looked more like they were in Tantallon.