House Hunters - General Discussion

[Mediocre Gatsby]

Young couple moving away from the beach in L.A.: It was obvious which one they'd choose, since she talked at the beginning about a white and black farmhouse. Also, since he kept talking about resale there was no point in even thinking about the two places on busy streets. 

She was right to keep saying that the first thought should be how the house would work for them NOW. He made no sense with his yammering about resale. In the first house he said the floors were too old because they were "last year." So how could any changes he wanted right away work when they sell in a few years, as he kept saying?

Eta and WHAT was his constant use of the word "connectivity" all about??? As in, he loved the connectivity between the first kitchen and the yard. Must be a UCLA MBA term. 

Edited September 18, 2023 by Mediocre Gatsby
Just remembered

[dogdays2]

Quote

A lot of the hype you read about military salaries being low is BS.  Those that make a career out of it are set for life

Military retirement pay (for those retiring now) is based your rank at retirement and time you spent on active duty.  If you spent 20 years, you get 1/2 of your base pay; 30 years got you 75%.  It sounds like a lot, but for various reasons that I won't go into here (because this isn't a military retirement forum), it's not -- especially for enlisted personnel.  

I can 100% promise you that no former military officer, regardless of bonuses and retirement pay, can afford a $2.5M home based solely on savings and retirement.  No way, no how.  One of three things allows this.  First, the retired military person comes from money (most don't, a small number do) or inherited money.  Second, it's the spouse income that allows it.  Third, the person has been hired into a civilian job that pays incredibly well.  The ONLY folks who are likely to have this happen are 3- and 4-star admirals and generals.

I was very surprised by the enlisted Marine with 7 kids affording a million-dollar plus home and also the former aviator at $2.5M.  It sends the wrong message to people who don't know better and think this is how you end up after a military career.  It's not.  Something else was going on in both of these stories that we just weren't told.  

 

 

 

[Orcinus orca]

6 minutes ago, dogdays2 said:

I can 100% promise you that no former military officer, regardless of bonuses and retirement pay, can afford a $2.5M home based solely on savings and retirement.

ITA.  My cousin was a career marine and retired a Colonel.  He and his wife (a civilian nurse) bought houses on each base to which there were assigned and rented them when they moved.  Even with all of that, no way they could afford even a $1M home let alone $2.5.  

[cameron]

On 9/18/2023 at 2:29 AM, Mediocre Gatsby said:

Young couple moving away from the beach in L.A.: It was obvious which one they'd choose, since she talked at the beginning about a white and black farmhouse. Also, since he kept talking about resale there was no point in even thinking about the two places on busy streets. 

She was right to keep saying that the first thought should be how the house would work for them NOW. He made no sense with his yammering about resale. In the first house he said the floors were too old because they were "last year." So how could any changes he wanted right away work when they sell in a few years, as he kept saying?

Eta and WHAT was his constant use of the word "connectivity" all about??? As in, he loved the connectivity between the first kitchen and the yard. Must be a UCLA MBA term. 

He harped on about the missing towel ring in the first house but didn't make mention about the missing refrigerator in the kitchen or the heated towels racks in the bathroom.  They did end up buying the home anyway.  A lot of foolish drama.

[Orcinus orca]

3 hours ago, cameron said:

They did end up buying the home anyway.  A lot of foolish drama.

It's all foolish drama since they already own the place.

[rhofmovalley]

On 9/19/2023 at 5:10 AM, Orcinus orca said:

It's all foolish drama since they already own the place.

I'm trying to imagine how it goes. "OK, we need you to pretend you haven't bought the home yet. You, we need you to pretend to insist on a huge budget and room for all your shoes, and you want a 'white, bright kitchen'. Yes, you MUST use the exact phrase 'white, bright kitchen'.  You,we need you to insist on a smaller budget, a man cave and you want something vintage you can put your 'stamp' on. Oh, and Wife? Demand that anything older than five years is a 'complete gut job'. Yes, you must use the exact phrase 'complete gut job'. No, you won't look ridiculous, entitled or like a shrew/jerk off. Our formula is wildly successful. Plus, people don't watch to see beautiful houses, they watch for DRAMA. And no, no one will suspect the storyline is 'contrived', why do you ask?"

[cameron]

Long Island HH.  Another person who wanted to live very close to her parent's house.  Think you cut those ties when you get married or in their case thinking about getting engaged.  If I were him, I would put some distance between her overbearing parents and the female home buyer herself.  The looks she was giving him were anything but loving.

[Thumper]

34 minutes ago, cameron said:

Long Island HH.  Another person who wanted to live very close to her parent's house.  Think you cut those ties when you get married or in their case thinking about getting engaged.  If I were him, I would put some distance between her overbearing parents and the female home buyer herself.  The looks she was giving him were anything but loving.

I thought it was more because she and her mom were sharing a dog!  A dog is why she had to be close.  Really.  🙄.  😂

[chessiegal]

5 minutes ago, Thumper said:

I thought it was more because she and her mom were sharing a dog!  A dog is why she had to be close.  Really.  🙄.  😂

That was so weird. Who "shares" a dog?

[cameron]

37 minutes ago, Thumper said:

I thought it was more because she and her mom were sharing a dog!  A dog is why she had to be close.  Really.  🙄.  😂

Evidently she thinks more about the dog than the guy she is living with and might marry.

[Judiz]

How does that conversation go?   Hi guys,  we are going to be on House Hunters,  can we film inside your house?  You need to remove all your furniture and then sit back as we trash talk your choice of carpet, floors and wall decor on HGTV.  oh yeah, we’ll pay you a small fee to relocate.   Why can’t the realtor just show them actual houses on the market plus the house they already chose? 

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is that people don't want to clear everything out of a house, or allow it to be for viewings.  Houses fly off the market so quickly, that it's easier to rent an Airbnb, film, and you're done.   It's not as if the 'buyers' actually will buy any of the decoys, so being on house hunters isn't a marketing tool either.  

[pdlinda]

21 hours ago, cameron said:

Evidently she thinks more about the dog than the guy she is living with and might marry.

There was absolutely, positively NO PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY between those two AND, I suspect the woman's close proximity to her doting parents will only accentuate the awkward dynamics between the couple.  This did NOT seem to be a "match made in heaven."

[eel2178]

On 9/15/2023 at 7:04 AM, cameron said:

Learned a new word from that show "grody".  Guess she thought she was "kool".

That dates back to the early '70s. It was quickly replaced by "gross" though. I'm not sure if grody was ever heavily in common usage.

[eel2178]

On 9/13/2023 at 11:47 AM, dogdays2 said:

Even my DH, who is an infrequent watcher, is SO tired of the following:  

• "Craftsman" (I bet 99% of the folks on HH have no idea what craftsman is until the producers tell them to say it)
• "Open concept"

Then there are the buyers who want a Mediterranean style home in New England or a Victorian in Arizona.  

 

That's actually what I came here to comment on. I don't usual watch this show, but I saw the Williamsburg, VA episode while I was waiting for HHI to start.

The woman wanted a Craftsman or Victorian that was modern with open concept.

How was that supposed to work? Can you really not know that the parlor was separate from the kitchen during the eras she said she was looking for? How modern did she expect something to be that was built between 1835 and 1920?

[BAForever]

On 9/20/2023 at 1:09 PM, rhofmovalley said:

I'm trying to imagine how it goes. "OK, we need you to pretend you haven't bought the home yet. You, we need you to pretend to insist on a huge budget and room for all your shoes, and you want a 'white, bright kitchen'. Yes, you MUST use the exact phrase 'white, bright kitchen'.  You,we need you to insist on a smaller budget, a man cave and you want something vintage you can put your 'stamp' on. Oh, and Wife? Demand that anything older than five years is a 'complete gut job'. Yes, you must use the exact phrase 'complete gut job'. No, you won't look ridiculous, entitled or like a shrew/jerk off. Our formula is wildly successful. Plus, people don't watch to see beautiful houses, they watch for DRAMA. And no, no one will suspect the storyline is 'contrived', why do you ask?"

Hey @rhofmovalley- sure you're not a HH producer creeping into our forum?

[cameron]

Your DC area couple who ended up in Upper Marlboro Md.  Really thought that they would have gone for house number #3 which was move in ready and cheaper.

[BAForever]

2 hours ago, cameron said:

Your DC area couple who ended up in Upper Marlboro Md.  Really thought that they would have gone for house number #3 which was move in ready and cheaper.

I liked them. I always listen to commute times. I get that many commuters don't drive to work 5 days a week, but an hour each way three or more days- yikes. I'd take a less nice house over 2 hours in the car.

[cameron]

1 hour ago, BAForever said:

I liked them. I always listen to commute times. I get that many commuters don't drive to work 5 days a week, but an hour each way three or more days- yikes. I'd take a less nice house over 2 hours in the car.

In this case, they were both in Upper Marlboro, Md.  Long commute  for both of them.

[Crashcourse]

I liked the DC area couple.  I thought she mentioned that he could work from home, and she could work from home on some days.  House #3 had the pool that they didn't seem to impressed with, and he didn't want to deal with maintenance for it.  I was just glad they didn't pick that townhouse in DC.  I wish they'd shown the neighborhood where it's located though. 

[cinsays]

just watched one, i think it was texas but maybe not, the husband must have mentioned needing a room for content creating a hundred times....... annoying

liked the wife and they picked a nice house

[Mediocre Gatsby]

The young couple in Dallas: the houses weren't that interesting, and the couple wasn't that interesting, but I did well up with the young woman at the end when she talked about how she had gratitude in her heart for having a home and a family. The husband's content creation stuff was a bit over the top. 

Twins in Cleveland: those were some opposite sisters! One in grad school and the other's been working and coming from a place where she had, I think she said, 7 roommates. She's obviously frugal and had been thinking of her house for a long time. It was cute that their friend's mother was their realtor. 

Edited September 22, 2023 by Mediocre Gatsby

[amarante]

I just caught one that was a young woman - think she said she was 30 - who was looking for a place in Bergen County, New Jersey. 

She seemed to have a fairly high level job - VP of Something and as she mentioned she traveled quite a bit.

Her "best friend" must really have decided on an idiotic line because she was hell bent on getting her friend to buy a house because she should be getting ready to have a baby - WTF?

In all of the places, she commented on whether there was a room for a nursery or that the second bedroom wasn't suitable for a nursery?  

Beyond the idiocy of evaluating properties for an unmarried 30 year old with a significant career, don't most people buy a new place when they get married and/or have children. I honestly have never heard any of my single friends evaluate places they are looking on based on how suitable they would be when they get married or have kids.

At any rate after looking at a large single family home AND a really ugly townhouse, she bought the one that made the most sense for a woman with her lifestyle - a high rise condo condo that had two bathrooms including one ensuite and an incredible view plus nice amenities for a woman her age - pool and gym and probably very good security. It was the only one that made sense for someone who had no need or interest in a large yard or renovating an objectively hideous place. 

Also it was the only one that actually had two bathrooms as the others were 1 1/2 which is significant because if you have any overnight guests they are going to be in your bathroom. 

Edited September 23, 2023 by amarante

[CalicoKitty]

I just finished watching an episode that may have been a rerun.  The wife--who giggles all the time--wants a ton of land so she can have chickens, donkeys, and whatever.  Husband wants only 2 or 3 acres.  Neither adult knows anything about raising animals or farming.  I wish people would realize how hard it is to raise chickens.  You don't just put them in a coup, give them some food and water, and gather eggs.  She wants her kids to experience "nature".  They will experience nature when a fox, or raccoon, or hawk kills the chickens all at once.  And she wants a donkey because they are "cute".  They bought a house on the lower end of their price scale so they can do a whole lot of projects.  (shakes head). I don't see this venture going well.

One house had an elevator, and they both said that their kids would be going up and down all the time.  They don't know how to set rules??  Yeah, I see a lot of animals working out real well for them.

[Notabug]

Watched the episode with the twins looking for a place in Cleveland.  The storyline was baloney.  The first house was at Kamm's Corners, AKA West Park.  This is a neighborhood in the city, NOT a suburb and the commute is not much different than from the 'downtown' condo, which was also in the city, but not exactly downtown.    I wasn't sure where the third house was, but the streets looked like Lakewood, which is the first suburb to the west of the city.  Both West Park and Lakewood are vibrant walkable areas where a ton of younger people buy their first homes and there are plenty of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, great parks and other attractions.  Lakewood is also no more than 15 minutes from downtown.  There are probably more fun things to do and see near the two houses than near that condo, which, as we saw, was in the flats, an industrial area near the river which is trendy, but has a lot of industrial type activity amongst the residential buildings.

I wasn't surprised they chose the West Park house and decided to fix it up.  Back in the day, city employees had to live within the city, and, even though that is no longer the case;  many police and firefighters and other city employees live there so the neighborhoods are stable, the houses well maintained and there is always a market for resale,  I didn't love the house she chose, there are a lot of far more charming homes there.  My sister has a brick bungalow with hardwood floors and beautiful built-ins in that same neighborhood.  However, with some strategic remodeling, she will build equity and the house will give good value at resale.  Exactly the sort of strategy that many of us take when buying our first home.

For once, it seemed like they did seem to stick to essentially the same part of town, near west side, which is the way most people look for homes.   The other twin who kept harping on downtown didn't seem like her heart was really in what she was saying, probably because it was a producer contrived storyline and not her actual opinion.

Edited September 25, 2023 by Notabug

[Amethyst]

On 9/18/2023 at 1:29 AM, Mediocre Gatsby said:

He made no sense with his yammering about resale. In the first house he said the floors were too old because they were "last year." So how could any changes he wanted right away work when they sell in a few years, as he kept saying?

What got me was that he kept talking about the importance of resale, but ignored his wife when she mentioned that the interesting stylistic choices of the second house wouldn’t appeal to all buyers.  I know I wasn’t feeling them.  Dark green cabinetry mixed with light brown, one bathroom had an all black shower, another bathroom had multicolored tile floor, etc.  Even the curb appeal wasn’t working.  Part of the house had a smoky gray exterior, the rest was white. Very trendy, but no cohesion.

[Mediocre Gatsby]

17 hours ago, Notabug said:

Both West Park and Lakewood are vibrant walkable places where a ton of younger people buy their first homes and there are plenty of bars, restaurants, great parks and other attractions.  Lakewood is also no more than 15 minutes from downtown.  There are probably more fun things to do and see near the two houses than near that condo, which, as was obvious, was in the flats, an industrial area near the river which is trendy, but has a lot of industrial type activity amongst the residential buildings.

I wasn't surprised they chose West Park house and decided to fix it up.  Back in the day, city employees had to live within the city, and, even though that is no longer the case;  many police and fire and other city employees live there so the neighborhoods are stable, the houses well maintained and there always a market for resale

This kind of information is so useful and interesting, and some of it surely could have been provided in the episode. Thanks for posting it. I agree with you that the "condo twin" was talking only for the producers. She did manage to get in her own opinion, several times, that she wanted her twin to get what she wanted. 

Edited September 24, 2023 by Mediocre Gatsby

[Mediocre Gatsby]

Two young people looking for a property in Portland where they could have additional dwelling units and create some kind of "community": how cute were they? I'm old and set in my ways and would in no way want any kind of community around me, but I admire their vision and how practical and low-key they were about it. The boyfriend endeared himself to me right away by admitting that he was "ride or die" with his girlfriend, no matter how much work she wanted him to do. 

Her brother, their realtor, made me laugh when he pointed out that "in fact we can move this fridge right now!" and started shoving it around.

i thought they might go for the third one for location, but I guess the first one was also located well. The first one had the most gorgeous yard (and peacocks!) and I know they'll do good things with it. 

This was another one in an area I don't know personally, so it was fun to see. 

[cameron]

Portland couple are a throwback to the original concept of hippie's and communal living.  Would not want to live next to them.  

[laredhead]

I enjoyed the Portland episode mostly because the couple didn't argue, and didn't demand a grand foyer, granite counter tops, and all of the other things that so many HH's whine about.  Lots of humor in this episode from all 3, but the boyfriend was a keeper IMO.  I laughed when the brother/realtor pointed out the 5 different floors in one house.  My brother lives in Portland, and real estate there is expensive in most areas close to the city.  He has a 100-year old bungalow style, and he is lucky to have bought it about 5 years ago before prices went sky high.  

On another note, a friend of mine lived next door to some people who had peacocks.  There is a reason they are banned in many urban areas - they are very noisy, and they can be mean (my city prohibits roosters, and pea fowl because of noise).  The friend was on his roof cleaning gutters, and when he tried to descend the ladder after he was finished cleaning, several peacocks were at the bottom of the ladder, and kept attacking him as he tried to get down.  His wife ended up having to chase them away with a broom and a leaf blower.  My friends said the peacocks sound like a screaming woman.  Homeowner tip - always take a leaf blower up to the roof if you live near peacocks.     

Edited September 25, 2023 by laredhead
Spelling correction

[rhofmovalley]

44 minutes ago, laredhead said:

My friends said the peacocks sound like a screaming woman

They do! My hometown has peacocks because some numbskull brought them from HIS hometown. One night I was driving home with my car windows open and one of them was on the sidewalk and screamed at me. I damn near crashed my car. Another time I encountered one standing in the middle of the street with feathers all splayed out. I had to wait for him to decide to move out of the way.

[Notabug]

1 hour ago, laredhead said:

I enjoyed the Portland episode mostly because the couple didn't argue, and didn't demand a grand foyer, granite counter tops, and all of the other things that so many HH's whine about.  Lots of humor in this episode from all 3, but the boyfriend was a keeper IMO.  I laughed when the brother/realtor pointed out the 5 different floors in one house.  My brother lives in Portland, and real estate there is expensive in most areas close to the city.  He has a 100-year old bungalow style, and when he is lucky to have bought it about 5 years ago before prices went sky high.  

On another note, a friend of mine lived next door to some people who had peacocks.  There is a reason they are banned in many urban areas - they are very noisy, and they can be mean (my city prohibits roosters, and pea fowl because of noise).  The friend was on his roof cleaning gutters, and when he tried to descend the ladder after he was finished cleaning, several peacocks were art the bottom of the ladder, and kept attacking him as he tried to get down.  His wife ended up having to chase them away with a broom and a leaf blower.  My friends said the peacocks sound like a screaming woman.  Homeowner tip - always take a leaf blower up to the roof if you live near peacocks.     

I have a friend whose mother got some peacocks because she thought they were beautiful.  They had some acreage and already had a few chickens and a pony.  They experienced all of the things you mentioned; the birds were messy and loud and downright vicious.  They were also terribly dumb  The peacocks liked to perch in the trees in the yard, and, one night there was a rainstorm that turned to sleet.  Next morning, they were screeching and carrying on and she went outside to discover that their feet were frozen to the branches.  She had to get a broom to knock them loose.  None were injured, but she got rid of them shortly thereafter.  BTW, there was a perfectly warm and cozy and dry peacock coop right next to the trees with no peacocks in it despite the storm.

[cameron]

Farmington Ct. couple episode are a couple of house flippers.  Put that waterfront home for sale 5 months after they bought it and fixed it up and sold it with a major profit.  The whole story line was bogus.

[laredhead]

Was the Farmington, CT a rerun?  Seems that I remember it, or I remember the couple with the constant over talk of each other, and his need to be on the water.  Of course, that does also fit many of the HH's in other episodes.  I didn't like any of the houses they saw, and the prices were outrageous - IMVHO.

[chessiegal]

8 minutes ago, laredhead said:

Was the Farmington, CT a rerun? 

I thought Monday nights are always reruns now, even if they do something to package it as "new".

[CrazyInAlabama]

The one hour episodes are just two reruns glued together.  

The Arizona to Miami attorney one has been on at least three times. 

Edited September 26, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[laredhead]

3 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The one hour episodes are just two reruns glued together.  

Thanks.  I didn't remember the Miami episode with the attorney moving from Arizona to Miami, so I thought it was new.  I did like his friend trying to give him some sound $$ advice from his experience as a mortgage lender.  If I had an HOA of $1,000 a month, I would be using every facility that condo had on a daily basis.

 

[Grizzly]

11 hours ago, cameron said:

Farmington Ct. couple episode are a couple of house flippers.  Put that waterfront home for sale 5 months after they bought it and fixed it up and sold it with a major profit.  The whole story line was bogus.

Waterfront in Farmington, CT? Must be talking about the river since Farmington is in the middle of the state. It is a pricey area and some of the towns around it are even more ridiculous. I'll have see if I can find the episode. Rarely are they in CT. 

[cameron]

11 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Waterfront in Farmington, CT? Must be talking about the river since Farmington is in the middle of the state. It is a pricey area and some of the towns around it are even more ridiculous. I'll have see if I can find the episode. Rarely are they in CT. 

They bought down in Westbrook Ct.

[cameron]

Tampa lawyers with a very low buying budget.  Surprise at how low a price they were looking at since both are practicing attorneys.  Thought they would be able to purchase a higher price home.

[snarts]

Colorado Springs, CO: something seemed off about them. Almost like they were masquerading as a couple. I reminded myself that they wouldn't be on HH is they were in the witness protection program :)

Anyhoo, moving from NJ after visiting and falling in love with CO. He's an auditory school something and I "think" she said she's a probation clerk? Her budget $500k, his $700k. Typical she wanted old with character while he wanted modern.

#1 in Colorado Springs. They called it Victorian but it looked like a bungalow to me. Under $500k, needed work.

#2 new build seemingly in the middle of nowhere with sloping yard & no garage. Under $500k

#3 new build again in the middle of nowhere. Bigger and more expensive $698k.  

They chose #2 and paid $562k to get a detached garage included that matched the house. Still something about them that screams 'I'm running away from something' to me. 

[Book Junkie]

3 hours ago, cameron said:

Tampa lawyers with a very low buying budget.  Surprise at how low a price they were looking at since both are practicing attorneys.  Thought they would be able to purchase a higher price home.

I thought the same thing! She was even a real estate attorney. And, they weren't fresh out of law school either. They apparently have no intention of having overnight guests as they both wanted 3 bedrooms, one for them, one for their baby, and the 3rd they were fighting over using it as a glam room (her) and gaming room (him). He immediately made me mad by claiming his wife was a spoiled brat because she's an only child. As an only child, I'm so tired of people automatically assuming we're all spoiled brats who have to have our way at all times. He said it really mean too. 

1 hour ago, snarts said:

Colorado Springs, CO: something seemed off about them. Almost like they were masquerading as a couple. I reminded myself that they wouldn't be on HH is they were in the witness protection program :)

Anyhoo, moving from NJ after visiting and falling in love with CO. He's an auditory school something and I "think" she said she's a probation clerk? Her budget $500k, his $700k. Typical she wanted old with character while he wanted modern.

#1 in Colorado Springs. They called it Victorian but it looked like a bungalow to me. Under $500k, needed work.

#2 new build seemingly in the middle of nowhere with sloping yard & no garage. Under $500k

#3 new build again in the middle of nowhere. Bigger and more expensive $698k.  

They chose #2 and paid $562k to get a detached garage included that matched the house. Still something about them that screams 'I'm running away from something' to me. 

Agreed. They claimed to be together 20 years, yet they didn't seem to like each other. She even made a snort of derision and sarcastically said, "Us? Come together on something? Like that'll happen!" Wow. She also said everything was cute and wanted vintage, old charm but then loved the very modern updated kitchen in the older house.

[laredhead]

This comment has nothing to do with a HH episode, but an observation of my part about the influence of HGTV designers/design programs on buyers.  I have a good friend who is a long time real estate agent.  She has said several times how much that occupation, and buyers have changed since she became an agent in the late 80's.  In the last 10 years more buyers want what they see on TV, don't expect to have to do a lot of work, have expectations that don't meet their means, and now that interest rates have risen, sales have decreased a lot in our area, but buyers are still wanting something for nothing.  Our local paper used to feature open houses on Sundays, but agents now have to pay for ads, so there might be one or 2 listed in the paper on-line edition.  Zillow and other on-line services are the go to places to find houses.  As for "gutting" houses because buyers don't like the counters, floors, etc., there is a house about 3 doors down from my son's house that has sold 3 times in the last 8 years.  Originally, it did need TLC because it was a very vintage 40's house.  It is now undergoing its 3rd major remodel with the newest owners who have not moved in yet.  This house has had 2 new kitchens and bathrooms in 8 years, and is now getting another (3rd) new kitchen and several walls removed.  The sales price has increased each time it has been sold as well.  Unbelievable!  It's almost like it's a practice house for remodeling.  I guess HGTV has been an economic engine for contractors and renovators.             

[Mediocre Gatsby]

Colorado Springs: the couple was so far apart on what they said they wanted, it was making me itch. The husband in particular was very rigid. In the second house they were going to have to add a garage (which he said HE wanted, in the beginning) and when she said she couldn't have a pool he said, well I'm giving up the basement - so she would have the wrong location and no pool and he got the perfect location AND the garage, and acted like giving up a basement was a huge thing. And of course that's what they chose. It seemed very isolating. But since they'd already been renting an apartment there for a year, obviously they decided isolation was okay. 

Lawyers in Tampa: Those two. Miss "I don't compromise" and "glam room" and Mr. "putting green" and "sports memorabilia." I couldn't get over how tiny the second house was, with no living room and no screened room. Like someone must have split a lot in two or something. They definitely chose the right place, I think. 

16 hours ago, Book Junkie said:

I thought the same thing! She was even a real estate attorney.

She was a trusts and estates attorney, which means wills and things like that. But that makes it even MORE surprising to me that their price was so low. I wonder if they were paying off law school loans, which would be a smart thing to do, though you'd think they'd mention it. 

Edited September 29, 2023 by Mediocre Gatsby
punctuation

[Orcinus orca]

4 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

But that makes it even MORE surprising to me that their price was so low.

Unless they had already been living there for an extended period and that was the original price.

[laredhead]

5 hours ago, Mediocre Gatsby said:

She was a trusts and estates attorney, which means wills and things like that. But that makes it even MORE surprising to me that their price was so low. I wonder if they were paying off law school loans, which would be a smart thing to do, though you'd think they'd mention it. 

I thought they were paying off student loans, but it was never mentioned.  He said he was a criminal defense attorney, and I don't think they make very much $$ unless they get a few high profile cases and win.  He also might be a public defender, and in my area, those don't make very much money either.  Many have another practice on the side to supplement their income. 

The 2-story house had no real living space on the first floor, and the garage offered the only expansion area in which add a living room/family area.  Of course, then there is no covered parking for the car.  The wife mentioned that she wanted a safe area where she could put the baby in the car, so that probably was not an option for them.  The house they bought is very small, but if they don't plan to have another child, and they don't acquire a lot of things, then it will probably work for them.  I did agree with her about the brown speckled granite being unattractive in the kitchen of the house they bought.  Obviously it wasn't a deal breaker.       

[CalicoKitty]

I think I heard that the garage they paid extra for was a detached garage.  That will not be very useful in the snow.  Which person will shovel a path to the garage, and shovel them out to the road, for that matter?  I don't see either one of them doing that.  They did not seem to like each other very much.

[Bastet]

6 hours ago, laredhead said:

He also might be a public defender

Most public defenders would specify that, but of course most does not mean all.

[buttersister]

These Florida rerun episodes with David popping up aren’t all the network thinks they are. They’re still reruns.

Hey, David, not to worry. You couldn’t pay me to move to Florida.

[rhofmovalley]

12 hours ago, buttersister said:

You couldn’t pay me to move to Florida.

Me either.  Or Texas.  However there seems to be a disproportionate number of episodes featuring Florida and Texas house hunters.  Zero interest.