House Hunters - General Discussion

[cameron]

13 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I just caught the new episode in Phoenix.    Both house hunters were whining all the way through.      The man had ferrets, and wanted an entire bedroom for them.     They bought a home with five bedrooms, an office, a pool, and it was well over 3,000 sq ft., and were talking about changing the office to a bedroom.   I'm hoping that was for visiting relatives that don't do stairs, but who knows.     

 The funny thing is they bought in Sun City West, which sort of is/sort of isn't age restricted.  The zip code is Sun City West, and part of it is the actual part of Del Webb's age restricted community, but a lot of it isn't.     The woman was whining about lack of privacy for the pool, because of the wrought iron fence, but that gives them a view, and it was all desert landscaping behind the fence, so no one will be waltzing by.     

Can't understand why they would even want to live in a Sun City development even if they are in a special area.  I qualify age wise for Sun City and I wouldn't want to live in one of these.

[javajeanelaine]

I loved that first house in Kansas as well. 

I really thought that Miss Precious Snookie was going to get her way with the $2M house.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I don't think I explained the Sun City West situation correctly.   There is a zip code/area called Sun City West, and it's not age restricted at all.    The actual Sun City West that was formerly Del Webb, and is age restricted is only located in that zip code, and it's is only one subdivision.   Outsiders won't be using the recreation amenities either.    The second I heard the number of bedrooms, and saw it was two story, I knew it wasn't a real age restricted, Sun City development.  It's very unusual to find anything bigger than 2 bedroom in the age restricted places, some do have 3 bedrooms, or an office, but they're not two stories. 

The places like the house hunters bought is just a regular neighborhood.  It apparently has a HOA that the realtor was talking about limiting the home buyer's fencing options for the pool. 

 I was shocked that they didn't buy the first house, since apparently they really claimed to want totally new.    I guess the price influenced their choice, more than their desire (at least what the woman claimed to want) for totally done, move-in ready.   Not the first time the home owners fooled me on the home they've bought.

(I actually knew someone who moved into a Sun City community in Phoenix.  I knew she wouldn't last out the first summer, because she kept calling and asking me if it really was hot in the summer.  She sold and was out of there by August.     Some people are really attracted by the golf cart lifestyle, and don't realize the other factors about living in Arizona).  

Edited January 26, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

I was confused about the fence situation in the Arizona episode. The wife complained about the lack of privacy with the wrought iron fence, and I thought the agent said the HOA wouldn't let them change it. I don't know what privacy she was complaining about - there was nothing but desert with no houses on the other side of the fence. Did she think people were going to go behind their house just to stare in? At the end, she said they would be replacing the fence. Maybe I misheard.

[Grrarrggh]

6 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I was confused about the fence situation in the Arizona episode. The wife complained about the lack of privacy with the wrought iron fence, and I thought the agent said the HOA wouldn't let them change it. I don't know what privacy she was complaining about - there was nothing but desert with no houses on the other side of the fence. Did she think people were going to go behind their house just to stare in? At the end, she said they would be replacing the fence. Maybe I misheard.

There were a bunch of houses and a street right there. If you go back and relook you can see them to the right. 

[LittleIggy]

Hampton, VA: I thought military people got transferred a lot. Do they usually buy a house at their current posting? 

[chessiegal]

8 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Hampton, VA: I thought military people got transferred a lot. Do they usually buy a house at their current posting? 

Some do if they plan on locating there when they finish duty. Plenty of opportunities to rent it if they move.

[laredhead]

He may have been in the last year or two of his military career and planning to stay in that area after he got out of the military.  I also hear him say that he house would be good others to stay in when he was away on duty.  Did not say if he meant rent it, but I got the idea he was going to let family members stay there.  His mom and dad certainly planned to be there a lot from the way she talked.

[cameron]

Daytona Beach couple.  Find it interesting when these different couples need to have a vacation place at the beach but they need rental income to make it viable.  Maybe if you can't afford it outright, you shouldn't have it.

 

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, cameron said:

Daytona Beach couple.  Find it interesting when these different couples need to have a vacation place at the beach but they need rental income to make it viable.  Maybe if you can't afford it outright, you shouldn't have it.

 

Seems like a win-win to me. You get a place at the beach that's also an investment. If you owned it without needing the rental income, you'd most likely be renting it when you aren't using it. We've rented plenty of beach homes and condos. I don't see a downside. 

[chessiegal]

So if you own a beach house as a second home and don't rent it out when you're not there, you're just going to let it sit empty? Seems like a waste to me, unless you plan on being there almost every weekend and for weeks at a time. I know people who own second homes where they stay for months at a time. The rest of the time they rent them.

[CruiseDiva]

6 hours ago, chessiegal said:

So if you own a beach house as a second home and don't rent it out when you're not there, you're just going to let it sit empty? Seems like a waste to me, unless you plan on being there almost every weekend and for weeks at a time. I know people who own second homes where they stay for months at a time. The rest of the time they rent them.

I worked for an attorney who bought a house on Hilton Head and she used it many weekends. She never rented it, but it was often available to friends and family. When she couldn't make it down there sometimes she'd offer it to me and my husband. It was a great perk and all I had to do was water the plants. 🥰

[laredhead]

Can't believe no one has commented on the woman HH in Key West who was a professional mermaid, and she wanted a house with space to hang her mermaid tails.  The husband was definitely the one with common sense in that duo.  Key West is expensive!  Wonder what the traffic is like getting there from one of the other keys?  I like the house they bought, but while the wife was saying their dog wouldn't be able to climb the spiral staircase in one of the houses, the dog is going to have a hard time climbing the stairs to get to the main level of the house they chose as it gets old.    

[LittleIggy]

Key West: Why can’t she hang the tails in the closet? Hang one in living room if she wants to show it off, but store the other two out of the way.

[cameron]

19 hours ago, chessiegal said:

So if you own a beach house as a second home and don't rent it out when you're not there, you're just going to let it sit empty? Seems like a waste to me, unless you plan on being there almost every weekend and for weeks at a time. I know people who own second homes where they stay for months at a time. The rest of the time they rent them.

Didn't question the fact that they were going to rent it out, only in the fact that they needed the money from the rentals to make the monthly payments.  What happens if the property doesn't get rented?

 

[amarante]

2 hours ago, cameron said:

Didn't question the fact that they were going to rent it out, only in the fact that they needed the money from the rentals to make the monthly payments.  What happens if the property doesn't get rented?

 

I didn't interpret it that they would be completely relying on having a specific amount each month - just that they were estimating that they could reasonably expect a certain amount in rentals to offset the costs of the property. They were both attorneys with no children so I do't think they were living hand to mouth.

Obviously having a second home one doesn't rent is indicative of greater wealth but purchasing a rental home that is a reasonably certain rental is a rational economic choice. Perhaps if they lived closer to the vacation home, they wouldn't want to rent it because they could easily be there every weekend. But they live in Kentucky which is more of a shlep. I would assume that the actual cost after figuring in net impact of tax savings on a property one rents is pretty low plus you have potential appreciation of the property so it is an investment as well.

[LittleIggy]

Daytona Beach: Those friends weren’t what I expected! They looked more as if they were her parents’ friends.

[KLovestoShop]

Mrs One-Note Boca wife “It’s not on the water”.  She was a real piece of work.  Glad the husband got the house he wanted——and it was a nice house.

I wanted to mention something I saw on an older show.  Two guys were looking for their first home, and in one house the owners had a cake holder with donuts.  The one guy took the top off, took a donut and chomped one bite, and then put it back on the tray and put the cover back on.  Yuck. 

[LittleIggy]

Boca Raton: The wife’s teeth distracted me. I’m glad the husband got the house he wanted, but, man, that place was ginormous!

[cameron]

Boca area couple.  With their budget, it would have to be in the surrounding area.  Don't think you would be able to get anything in Boca for their budget much less water property.

[doodlebug]

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Boca Raton: The wife’s teeth distracted me. I’m glad the husband got the house he wanted, but, man, that place was ginormous!

The dark red lipstick certainly called attention to her wonky teeth.  Her fivehead was also quite prominent.  I hate to snark on people's appearances, but it was pretty clear that this lady thought she was all that and that the deep crimson lips and long blond hair were style choices for her; boy, were they unflattering!

Her insistence on a home on the water, in Boca Raton, no less, for under half a million would be sad if it wasn't so ridiculous.  I agree with her, they didn't really need a 5000 sq ft home like her husband wanted, but even a tiny waterfront place is going to be pricey in Boca.

Edited February 5, 2020 by doodlebug

[ByaNose]

Boca Raton wife was annoying with the water. I'm glad he got what he wanted and the house was pretty nice. It wasn't my taste but I've seen a lot worse.

[KLovestoShop]

5 hours ago, cameron said:

Boca area couple.  With their budget, it would have to be in the surrounding area.  Don't think you would be able to get anything in Boca for their budget much less water property.

You’re right.  I have a friend who retired to Boca, and even her relatively decent budget didn’t get her much, especially a water view.  And if you are lucky to find a property on the water, it’s usually a tiny, tear-down house.

[Ohwell]

Stephenville, TX: The agent said one of the houses was $249k and the wife said "woah" because she thought it was expensive.  I had to laugh because there are some people who'd commit murder for a house that cheap. 

[ByaNose]

12 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Stephenville, TX: The agent said one of the houses was $249k and the wife said "woah" because she thought it was expensive.  I had to laugh because there are some people who'd commit murder for a house that cheap. 

Location! Location! Location! It is amazing what you can get for $249k in some areas whereas in California I think you might get a shack.

[CruiseDiva]

3 hours ago, ByaNose said:

Location! Location! Location! It is amazing what you can get for $249k in some areas whereas in California I think you might get a shack.

For only $40K more you can buy my 2-story brick Federal style home in GA with 2854 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, living room, dining room, kitchen with breakfast area, family room, utility room, and a bonus room over the 2-car garage. It also has a 300 square feet sunroom not included in square footaqe of house because it's not heated and cooled, All on an acre lot with a couple hundred azalea and gardenia shrubs and dogwood, Bradford pear, and crepe myrtle trees. 

The house was built in 1987, but location, baby!

Edited February 6, 2020 by CruiseDiva
I'm not bragging about my house, it's just an example of what you get in my area. I love it here.

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

For only $40K more you can buy my 2-story brick Federal style home in GA with 2854 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, living room, dining room, kitchen with breakfast area, family room, utility room, and a bonus room over the 2-car garage. It also has a 300 square feet sunroom not included in square footaqe of house because it's not heated and cooled, All on an acre lot with a couple hundred azalea and gardenia shrubs and dogwood, Bradford pear, and crepe myrtle trees. 

The house was built in 1987, but location, baby!

Sounds great.  And, you are currently having nicer weather than us in the Philadelphia area. It's location and nicer weather that I'm aiming for. LOL!!!

[CruiseDiva]

1 minute ago, ByaNose said:

Sounds great.  And, you are currently having nicer weather than us in the Philadelphia area. It's location and nicer weather that I'm aiming for. LOL!!!

Yes, 71 degrees right now. Come on down! 😎

[javajeanelaine]

Going back to buying a vacation home and not renting it, I bought a condo in Florida...nothing fancy, just wanted a place to retreat to from the Midwest.  I paid less than 90K for a 2 bed 2 bath and was very happy with it but I didn't want other people in my place.  Just my preference. 

I ended up moving to Florida permanently, sold my Midwest home and with the proceeds, got a villa that is much nicer and more square footage.

[laredhead]

Watched the episode about the couple with 4 children living in a 2 bedroom apartment, and now buying their first house.  They had a budget of about $350,000, but ended up spending $335,000.  I think this was in New Jersey, but I may be mistaken because I missed the first couple of minutes of the intro and forgot to rerun that part.  All of the houses were too small, IMHO, for a family of 6.  At least there is a basement in the house they purchased, so that area could possibly be modified and used as living space.  They really weren't that picky in comparison to some of the HH's we have seen previously.  I agreed with the wife about desiring central A/C, and not wanting a pool in an area where it would be usable for only 3 months of the year.  She was correct about the increased insurance cost as well.  Better to spend the $$ on living space and bathrooms.

We don't have Cape Cod houses where I live, but all of the ones I have seen on TV have small, weird shaped upstairs bedrooms just like the house they bought.  I'm sure 1500 sf is going to be an upgrade for them, especially the son who was sleeping in the dining room with only a curtain for privacy.  I hope they are enjoying their new house. 

[ByaNose]

10 hours ago, javajeanelaine said:

Going back to buying a vacation home and not renting it, I bought a condo in Florida...nothing fancy, just wanted a place to retreat to from the Midwest.  I paid less than 90K for a 2 bed 2 bath and was very happy with it but I didn't want other people in my place.  Just my preference. 

I ended up moving to Florida permanently, sold my Midwest home and with the proceeds, got a villa that is much nicer and more square footage.

I'm at that age (55) where I want that small 2/2 condo in Florida but I don't want to rent it out. I want it open and ready at a moments notice for me to drop on in. I'm sure the extra rental income would be nice but I have no desire to be a landlord of my own place.

[chessiegal]

9 hours ago, laredhead said:

Watched the episode about the couple with 4 children living in a 2 bedroom apartment, and now buying their first house.  They had a budget of about $350,000, but ended up spending $335,000.  I think this was in New Jersey, but I may be mistaken because I missed the first couple of minutes of the intro and forgot to rerun that part.  All of the houses were too small, IMHO, for a family of 6. 

I have a stepdaughter with 7 children, 5 girls and 2 boys. They rent a 2 bedroom 1 bath house. Now that's too small! 

[doodlebug]

10 hours ago, laredhead said:

Watched the episode about the couple with 4 children living in a 2 bedroom apartment, and now buying their first house.  They had a budget of about $350,000, but ended up spending $335,000.  I think this was in New Jersey, but I may be mistaken because I missed the first couple of minutes of the intro and forgot to rerun that part.  All of the houses were too small, IMHO, for a family of 6.  At least there is a basement in the house they purchased, so that area could possibly be modified and used as living space.  They really weren't that picky in comparison to some of the HH's we have seen previously.  I agreed with the wife about desiring central A/C, and not wanting a pool in an area where it would be usable for only 3 months of the year.  She was correct about the increased insurance cost as well.  Better to spend the $$ on living space and bathrooms.

We don't have Cape Cod houses where I live, but all of the ones I have seen on TV have small, weird shaped upstairs bedrooms just like the house they bought.  I'm sure 1500 sf is going to be an upgrade for them, especially the son who was sleeping in the dining room with only a curtain for privacy.  I hope they are enjoying their new house. 

I liked them, it was obvious that they'd worked hard to save the money to get a home and were not going to go overboard and spend too much on a house.  Their kids, God forbid, didn't even squawk about having to share bedrooms.  One of their sons had been sleeping in the re-purposed dining room in their old apartment and he was excited to have a bedroom door!  They talked about sending their kids to college and the husband worked overtime to save for the down payment on the home.  He said he had grown up in government housing and had never lived in a house before.  I loved them and was happy for them that they were so thrilled to purchase a home for their family.  I might've even got a little misty at the end when the husband talked about realizing the American dream of owning their own home.

I spent most of my growing up years living in a 3 bedroom, 1 bath home with my 4 siblings, parents and grandfather.  We 4 girls slept in 2 double beds in the master bedroom, my brother slept on a couch downstairs.  When I was 15 and we were able to get a bigger home, my brother was also thrilled to have a door on his room.  I didn't die from it and it probably colors my perspective, but I have a lot more admiration for people like these house hunters who live within their means and don't insist on a huge McMansion with rooms the size of airplane hangars.

The slanted ceilings in the upstairs rooms are what make a Cape Cod a Cape Cod.  They're called dormers and they define the style.  Back in the day, it was cheaper to build a home like that that do a full second story. 

Edited February 7, 2020 by doodlebug

[amarante]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

I liked them, it was obvious that they'd worked hard to save the money to get a home and were not going to go overboard and spend too much on a house.  Their kids, God forbid, didn't even squawk about having to share bedrooms.  One of their sons had been sleeping in the re-purposed dining room in their old apartment and he was excited to have a bedroom door!  They talked about sending their kids to college and the husband worked overtime to save for the down payment on the home.  He said he had grown up in government housing and had never lived in a house before.  I loved them and was happy for them that they were so thrilled to purchase a home for their family.  I might've even got a little misty at the end when the husband talked about realizing the American dream of owning their own home.

I spent most of my growing up years living in a 3 bedroom, 1 bath home with my 4 siblings, parents and grandfather.  We 4 girls slept in 2 double beds in the master bedroom, my brother slept on a couch downstairs.  When I was 15 and we were able to get a bigger home, my brother was also thrilled to have a door on his room.  I didn't die from it and it probably colors my perspective, but I have a lot more admiration for people like these house hunters who live within their means and don't insist on a huge McMansion with rooms the size of airplane hangars.

The slanted ceilings in the upstairs rooms are what make a Cape Cod a Cape Cod.  They're called dormers and they define the style.  Back in the day, it was cheaper to build a home like that that do a full second story. 

I completely agree with Doodlebug's post. They essentially evaluated everything they saw in terms of how it met the needs of their family and were thrilled by all the kitchens even if they weren't the trendy white or gray Shaker with quartz. The wife didn't bitch about the small master bath with ONE sink - she was just thrilled to have her own bathroom space that didn't need to be shared.

I wanted to add that even an unfinished basement made a lot of sense for the family as it could be easily used - even unfinished - as spillover living space. 

I grew up in Brooklyn in a two family house so the actual living space for my family was small even though my parents owned the whole house. My grandmother lived in the other unit so there was a bit more flexibility in terms of having guests over but that's neither here nor there.

My parents finished off the basement. It wasn't done in an expensive manner as essentially they put up the ubiquitous wood panels; put some kind of drop ceilings with tiles and vinyl tiles on the floor. Furnished it with discarded furniture. And installed a very rudimentary bathroom - toilet, small prefab shower and sink. Done. And yet it served as a play area for the kids. And when my brother needed more privacy, it became both his bedroom and his "teen cave". 

 

[doodlebug]

3 minutes ago, amarante said:

I completely agree with Doodlebug's post. They essentially evaluated everything they saw in terms of how it met the needs of their family and were thrilled by all the kitchens even if they weren't the trendy white or gray Shaker with quartz. The wife didn't bitch about the small master bath with ONE sink - she was just thrilled to have her own bathroom space that didn't need to be shared.

I wanted to add that even an unfinished basement made a lot of sense for the family as it could be easily used - even unfinished - as spillover living space. 

I grew up in Brooklyn in a two family house so the actual living space for my family was small even though my parents owned the whole house. My grandmother lived in the other unit so there was a bit more flexibility in terms of having guests over but that's neither here nor there.

My parents finished off the basement. It wasn't done in an expensive manner as essentially they put up the ubiquitous wood panels; put some kind of drop ceilings with tiles and vinyl tiles on the floor. Furnished it with discarded furniture. And installed a very rudimentary bathroom - toilet, small prefab shower and sink. Done. And yet it served as a play area for the kids. And when my brother needed more privacy, it became both his bedroom and his "teen cave". 

 

We had an unfinished basement, just cinderblock walls and a concrete floor.  Washer and dryer in the corner along with the furnace and water heater.  My mom bought an old piece of linoleum, tossed it in a corner and set up our toy table and chairs and kiddie kitchen.  A couple of beat up armchairs and the old TV completed the room.  We kids played down there all winter long for hours and hours. We didn't even notice the floor or the walls, they didn't matter to us. I could see the househunters from last night getting a futon and a ping pong table, putting it in the basement and not seeing their kids again until spring.

[buttersister]

They’re just writing comedy episodes now. The NJ couple buying a house 3 weeks before their wedding? LOL. Pretend you’ll never agree to anything! Tell him you have to go work on centerpieces. Whine about how crazy this is. Act like you’re not the one who calls the shots. Hope every viewer doesn’t know that the house is already under contract. LOL. 

Edited February 8, 2020 by buttersister

[cameron]

6 hours ago, buttersister said:

They’re just writing comedy episodes now. The NJ couple buying a house 3 weeks before their wedding? LOL. Pretend you’ll never agree to anything! Tell him you have to go work on centerpieces. Whine about how crazy this is. Act like you’re not the one who calls the shots. Hope every viewer doesn’t know that the house is already under contract. LOL. 

If they're for real, I feel sorry for them.  

[KLovestoShop]

9 hours ago, cameron said:

If they're for real, I feel sorry for them.  

Boy, is the NJ wife a big whiner?   I know this is all basically scripted, but who wants to present themselves as a pain in the behind whiner?  I guess if you want your 15 minutes of fame, you’ll do whatever.  Does anyone believe that after being together for so many years, they waited until 3 weeks before their wedding to start house hunting?  

[cameron]

3 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

Boy, is the NJ wife a big whiner?   I know this is all basically scripted, but who wants to present themselves as a pain in the behind whiner?  I guess if you want your 15 minutes of fame, you’ll do whatever.  Does anyone believe that after being together for so many years, they waited until 3 weeks before their wedding to start house hunting?  

Actually thought that he was the idiot one.

 

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, cameron said:

Actually thought that he was the idiot one.

 

Yeah, I got sick of his insults about how overly emotional his future wife was. It also seemed like buying a house was more about winning to him than the future. He also didn't seem to put any time into planning their wedding. 

[cameron]

10 hours ago, cameron said:

Actually thought that he was the idiot one.

 

While both were bad; he gets my vote for being the worst one.

[Empress1]

15 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

He also didn't seem to put any time into planning their wedding. 

He commented that she was doing all the wedding work and that he didn't really know what was going on. He laughed about it; I didn't find it funny at all.

I know the show is fake but I found the "we're house hunting three weeks before the wedding" thing so fake as to border on insulting.

[chessiegal]

Other than the obligatory visit with my minister before the wedding, my husband wasn't interested in participating in the planning. He just wanted to know where and when he should show up.

[Grrarrggh]

4 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Other than the obligatory visit with my minister before the wedding, my husband wasn't interested in participating in the planning. He just wanted to know where and when he should show up.

Doesn't make it right. Sadly most men see that as "women's work".

[chessiegal]

1 minute ago, Grrarrggh said:

Doesn't make it right. Sadly most men see that as "women's work".

He didn't see it as women's work. If it had been up to him, we would have gone to a justice of the peace and had a 2 minute ceremony. He knew what was going on, and thought I was making too much of a bog deal out of it. After it was over he told me "it was perfect".

[jcbrown]

Wow, the Schenectady woman who needed subtitles and wondered what that thing that was a toaster and also an oven was called (and then cracked up laughing when she was told “toaster oven”)? Was she really drunk or really medicated?

Edited February 12, 2020 by jcbrown

[chessiegal]

 

I really wish HGTV would stop airing new episodes outside of prime time. I need to remember to record new shows. I'm watching other shows from 7-8 pm, including the all important Jeopardy!.

[LittleIggy]

Schenectady Co.: At least the wife wanted a home her giant husband could stand up in. If I were that tall, that would be my priority, even if it meant going over budget a bit.

[DonnaMae]

I liked the Schenectady couple.  Not one word about needing 'charm' in the house.  They were a nice couple who needed a home that would be comfortable for his extreme height.  Even though she didn't really want a basement, she knew it was important to him.  I just wish they didn't feel the need to replace the perfectly fine kitchen counter-tops just because they didn't like the color.

[Ohwell]

22 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

I just wish they didn't feel the need to replace the perfectly fine kitchen counter-tops just because they didn't like the color.

Same here.  I know it's their prerogative to change anything they want to, but I thought the counter tops were pretty nice.