House Hunters - General Discussion

[DonnaMae]

2 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

A glass for rinsing?? 

You don't use a glass of water to rinse your mouth after brushing?

[Grrarrggh]

49 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

You don't use a glass of water to rinse your mouth after brushing?

Nope, I use the water the brush brings into my mouth. Though I guess now that I think about it I've seen people use a glass to rinse on tv. To each their own I guess. Healthy mouths for all! 🙂

[MsTree]

...or you can just cup your hand to get a mouthful of water and rinse with that.

[CrazyInAlabama]

OK, they're having a bunch of reruns, apparently of the most bizarre couples.   

 The people in Murietta CA are hysterical.   The husband wanted a pool, and other amenities, but didn't want an HOA.   Guess what?  They bought a non-HOA house, where the wife demands they rip out perfectly nice granite, and back splash, for her preferred marble look.   Then they complain because if they want a pool, then they have to put one in.  Then her mother is moving in, so she demanded a huge first floor room with a walk-in closet, so the nicer house was out because of that.    I hope they like their non-HOA house when the next door neighbor parks his yard full of old cars he's going to work on someday, or his RV, boat and jet skis, and a couple of tow vehicles are all over the yard.     I don't like HOA's a lot either, but it does keep your resale value.     

Then the Strasbourg, VA couple where they wanted a cheaper house (for the area cheaper), so she could be a SAHM to the two little ones.    The first house was one of those hideous post-WWII houses, and she complained it didn't have a lot of closets, and the husband was criticizing the building quality.   I grew up in a VA post WWII home and the husband was right.   I bet that house was full of  wonky walls and corners (my parents didn't have a square wall or corner).   Bet the electricity and water needed total redo (maybe galvanized pipes), maybe asbestos, and all kinds of nasty surprises.       The house they bought had an unfinished basement, where the best solution was to dig down (not raise the pipes in the ceiling like the husband wanted to do.    The biggest issue is there are no stairs to the downstairs, so they should have budgeted to put at least a few window wells with egress windows, and a side exit, with interior stairs, and I bet the small bedroom by the front door will end up being where the stairs go.     Their plans for the downstairs must have been a scheme for the show, because I bet fixing the downstairs will easily be $100k.  

Edited July 24, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[NYGirl]

Not crazy about the woman last night who's husband was a realtor.  I forgot where they were (forgive me).  They were really far apart in price  and she wanted all of the bells and whistles whereas he wanted to keep it low in price.  She went behind his back to look at a new build for 1.25 million and was gushing over the house with her new realtor.  She just annoyed me.  But I'm so easy to annoy in this day and age so I don't know if it's justified.  In the end they ended up with the fixer.  I knew she wouldn't win.

[Empress1]

52 minutes ago, NYGirl said:

Not crazy about the woman last night who's husband was a realtor.  I forgot where they were (forgive me).  They were really far apart in price  and she wanted all of the bells and whistles whereas he wanted to keep it low in price.  She went behind his back to look at a new build for 1.25 million and was gushing over the house with her new realtor.  She just annoyed me.  But I'm so easy to annoy in this day and age so I don't know if it's justified.  In the end they ended up with the fixer.  I knew she wouldn't win.

They were in the DC area. He referenced the home they currently lived in as being in Arlington (he said they’d have to sell it in order to afford the house she wanted & he didn’t want to do that). She made fun of him for shaking her hand on their first date, which I don’t think is particularly weird. I found her pretty abrasive but I could see how they could work as a couple. He was much more laid-back but also didn’t seem to be afraid of her, which I appreciated. (I can’t stand when people complain about appliance colors. She was ready to spend $1.25M on a house, she can buy a new fridge.)

[Grizzly]

I was conflicted about the DC episode. She was a total brat about everything needing to be updated (so are they redoing the house every 5 years?). But she had just battled breast cancer so I can understand not having the energy to do renos. Loved the husband asking was the black fridge broken.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The episode where the husband was a realtor was Northern Virginia, and the house they owned was in in Arlington.  Not sure which county they bought in.  Keeping and renting the Arlington house will be a gold mine.    I'm glad they bought another house cheap enough that they could keep the Arlington house and rent it out.  

They bought the cheaper, huge house that needed the most fix ups, but they could keep the Arlington house, and rent it out, so it was a great move financially.   

If she wanted all new appliances, just buy a suite of matching ones at the big appliance store (not a big box, but local if you can still find one), and replace all of the appliances for a few thousand.     

Buy the appliances,but make sure you tell the counter top installers about the sizes of the cook tops or other installed items, so they won't cut the counter tops, and then find out something doesn't fit.  

Edited July 24, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Empress1]

6 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

If she wanted all new appliances, just buy a suite of matching ones at the big appliance store (not a big box, but local if you can still find one), and replace all of the appliances for a few thousand.     

Every time a hunter says s/he wants new appliances, I think “Then buy them!”

[DonnaMae]

How did I ever rear my two kids in a house that wasn't open concept? Neither of them got hurt in the living room while I was cooking in the kitchen with walls.  Amazing. 😏

[CrazyInAlabama]

5 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

How did I ever rear my two kids in a house that wasn't open concept? Neither of them got hurt in the living room while I was cooking in the kitchen with walls.  Amazing.

I'm surprised the kids survived that.    I have to laugh at the hysteria over stairs and the danger to kids from them that so many house hunters talk about.    

[StatisticalOutlier]

16 hours ago, MsTree said:

...or you can just cup your hand to get a mouthful of water and rinse with that.

I see several hearts for that one.  So I have a question for you hand cuppers:  Do you "drink" from the side of your hand (like by your little finger) or the bottom (like down by your wrist)?  I did it from the side until one day in junior high my friend Kathy showed me the longitudinal method.  I found it superior because it funnels the water better.  I've done it that way every single day in the intervening 50 years.  Too bad I'm not on Facebook--I'd rustle her up and thank her.

[Spunkygal]

8 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I see several hearts for that one.  So I have a question for you hand cuppers:  Do you "drink" from the side of your hand (like by your little finger) or the bottom (like down by your wrist)?  I did it from the side until one day in junior high my friend Kathy showed me the longitudinal method.  I found it superior because it funnels the water better.  I've done it that way every single day in the intervening 50 years.  Too bad I'm not on Facebook--I'd rustle her up and thank her.

I drink from more from the middle of my palm. I will try the other method tomorrow. We had too small of a vanity for several cups/glasses for every family member and they didn’t have Dixie cups when I was little. They’re a waste anyway.

[Grizzly]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm surprised the kids survived that.    I have to laugh at the hysteria over stairs and the danger to kids from them that so many house hunters talk about.    

I fell down our stairs once or twice as a kid. The key is to have them carpeted. Now I'm a well-adjusted adult who enjoys making snarky comments about tv shows with like minded people.

[chessiegal]

Open concept not open concept isn't going to prevent kids from having accidents. One of our grandsons tripped and hit his head on the sharp edge of a coffee table that split his forehead open that required a trip to the ER for stiches. The culprit was the coffee table. It was gone the next day and replaced with an upholstered soft footstool/coffee table. Just being able to see a child isn't going to prevent something like that happening.

[ECM1231]

Watching Silicon Valley couple moving to San Diego. 850K budget but husband wants to go higher if turn-key b/c they are approved for 1 million. 1st house is slightly over budget at 859K. Lovely home with high ceilings, new kitchen and an amazing yard with IGP, fire pit, entertaining space and unobstructed view. The only thing I didn't like was one room had slate floors. Everything was open but the wife thought the kitchen was too small. I am shaking my head. I guess I just must be easily pleased because I could not find a darn thing wrong. More often than not, I'd be happy with any of these homes, even if horrors, I could SEE my neighbors.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I have to laugh at the hysteria over stairs and the danger to kids from them that so many house hunters talk about. 

My favorite but what about the children?! HH-imagined death trap remains windows without screens (courtesy of the wife/mom of the family moving from Michigan [I think] to Paris).

[LittleIggy]

Florida: That disgusting “soul patch” the hubby was sporting made me want to 🤢. Did he really think it looked good?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm guessing that because they already own one house, the ones I would pick, and  house hunters get super picky about are the decoys.   I wonder if any of the house hunters see a decoy house, and hate the house they picked?    They probably lie about the price on the decoys too.   

My parents house had a first floor with the living areas, but no bathroom.   The bathroom was on the second floor, and a strange half bath in the basement (that one was a last resort toilet).    We all survived the stairs just fine.  

I have to laugh at the bathroom phobias that so many house hunters have.   Except for my least favorite house feature ever, a carpeted bathroom, a bottle of bleach, and some caulk will fix most bathroom issues.     And if a house hunter thinks a new build means no one has ever used the tub, shower, sinks, or toilet, they're very wrong.  

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Empress1]

11 hours ago, Grizzly said:

I fell down our stairs once or twice as a kid. The key is to have them carpeted. Now I'm a well-adjusted adult who enjoys making snarky comments about tv shows with like minded people.

I apparently did too. My parents’ first house was a split level in Maryland and I’ve been told I fell down the split level stairs. I was under two when this happened so I don’t remember it. I turned out fine. My mother says I didn’t cry. She said she turned her back, heard a noise, and there I was at the bottom of the stairs. 

9 hours ago, Bastet said:

My favorite but what about the children?! HH-imagined death trap remains windows without screens (courtesy of the wife/mom of the family moving from Michigan [I think] to Paris).

And the realtor was like “Girl, what?!” That was fantastic.

[cameron]

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Florida: That disgusting “soul patch” the hubby was sporting made me want to 🤢. Did he really think it looked good?

Thought that she wasn't anything to write home about either (and I don't mean her looks).

[DonnaMae]

15 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Florida: That disgusting “soul patch” the hubby was sporting made me want to 🤢. Did he really think it looked good?

It made his face look like he had an under-bite.  

[KLovestoShop]

What is it that so many HH talk about being creeped out by bathrooms not being new.  Sheesh, so you haven’t ever been to a hotel or used a toilet in any public building?  Scrub the toilet and floors and you’re just fine. 
 

The Palm Coast husband and that stupid soul patch made it look like he had a huge piece of chewing tobacco in his mouth. It was unattractive. 

Edited July 26, 2020 by KLovestoShop

[buttersister]

I believe being creeped out by a bathroom is on page 42 of the producers’ Guide To Producing Faux Drama.

[ByaNose]

On 7/24/2020 at 8:46 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm surprised the kids survived that.    I have to laugh at the hysteria over stairs and the danger to kids from them that so many house hunters talk about.    

The stairs thing does crack me up. I’m 55 & we had stairs growing up. As did, all my friends. Um, no one ever died from having them that I recall.

[chediavolo]

17 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

What is it that so many HH talk about being creeped out by bathrooms not being new.  Sheesh, so you haven’t ever been to a hotel or used a toilet in any public building?  Scrub the toilet and floors and you’re just fine. 
 

The Palm Coast husband and that stupid soul patch made it look like he had a huge piece of chewing tobacco in his mouth. It was unattractive. 

And they want to gut the vintage tile! I just renovated one of my bathrooms with vintage fixtures. I love that look. plus I am against gutting original features if they are not crumbling. I am staunchly on the side of , keep the house to the time it was built. ( that's why I love Restored) Whenever I see a vintage home that has been updated, I want to cry. Because 99% of the time it is destroyed. If you want a new house, buy one or renovate a home that had no class to begin with. 

[chediavolo]

17 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

What is it that so many HH talk about being creeped out by bathrooms not being new.  Sheesh, so you haven’t ever been to a hotel or used a toilet in any public building?  Scrub the toilet and floors and you’re just fine. 
 

The Palm Coast husband and that stupid soul patch made it look like he had a huge piece of chewing tobacco in his mouth. It was unattractive. 

P's me off too. Some of don't have the $$ or want a new build which are many times nowhere near the quality of older homes. But the bathroom. Yes, bleach is a godsend. Change the toilet seat for sure, even get a  new one if you want, pay someone for a day to do a thorough cleaning, but otherwise, some people are crazy germaphobes.

[chediavolo]

12 hours ago, ByaNose said:

The stairs thing does crack me up. I’m 55 & we had stairs growing up. As did, all my friends. Um, no one ever died from having them that I recall.

YES! Another irritation! What is with parents these days? Separate bedrooms for each little darling, no stairs, no pools, their own bathroom. Talk about spoiled and coddled.  We played on the stairs all the time. Slide down the stairs on a pillow, slide down the bannister, see if we could climb down from the top of the stairs to the bottom. Sure we COULD have gotten hurt. It's a good thing kids today don't know what play is and all they do is look at their phones and computers. We had fun outside and in!

[chediavolo]

On 7/9/2020 at 11:00 PM, NYGirl said:

There are no words to describe the 2 episodes of tonight.  First the girl in Colorado with the annoying mother.  The mother was worried about her view when she comes to visit;  That poor girl didn't know the mother planned on coming for an extensive visit in the future.  She ended up with the right choice for her even though she didn't want to do any work at all...even changing out a shower curtain was considered work to her.

The beautiful scenery in Oklahoma!  However, we have an idiot House Hunter with vocal fry who only wants to go to wineries and restaurants while living in a vacation home near the lake...and only wants a 1 bedroom house even though she has a baby.  I'm sure they will have more in the future... maybe they can sleep on the front porch??  She thinks a loft is "awful" and doesn't understand the concept.  The realtor was hard to understand and she looked like Roseanne Barr.  I'm not a fan of log cabins with wood walls all over the house. 

At least they picked the one that they can make the nook a guest room.  I don't think they planned on taking the baby with them when they went to the lake .. 

Colorado's girls mom was super annoying. I wanted her to take a condo and not cave. Good. How far away did the mother live that she wants to spend weeks with her daughter? I missed that part. Being so short statured, I was wondering how comfortable it is for her (and her mom too) to cook and do dishes. Also, they never show enough of the cats on these shows! I was enthralled. 

[sistersledge]

On 7/26/2020 at 3:03 PM, LucindaWalsh said:

The dude was the true hero in the quietly funny angle. The scooter brakes mime at the beginning and the We're making a baby...so get out song lyric at the end of episode gathering sealed the deal that he was the one I would like to be around

Yes I thought the same thing too!

finally got around to watching Austin architect design degree mom episode and similarly thought that Earl, the husband, was the catch. He seemed handsome and kind. Hopefully the wife just got a bad edit, obviously she was told to say what she would change in every room but yeesh - when even the realtor breaks the fourth wall and looks right at the camera then there's an issue.  

[Grrarrggh]

Good googly-moogly the size of that house in Phoenix!!! Who needs a 6000 sq ft house for a family of 2? What waste. 

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, Grrarrggh said:

Good googly-moogly the size of that house in Phoenix!!! Who needs a 6000 sq ft house for a family of 2? What waste. 

No kidding. Can you imagine the utility bill for that behemoth? 

[Bluesky]

I just watched the couple with the toddler in Cambridge Massachusetts.  They want four children but only have one so far but that doesn’t stop them for shopping for a family of six.   
The guy wants to stay in Cambridge but his wife convinces him to go to the “burbs”.  They go to Belmont which literally borders cambridge but the show claimed it was a 20 minute drive.   And it’s hardly the suburbs with buses and trains and houses and apartments close together.  
They showed the second house that they claimed was close,to the city but you could tell it was in Cambridge, especially when they named the other two towns but not this one.   
Anyway they were  complaining about stupid things and they picked the ugliest house.  

[NYGirl]

Did anyone see the HH international last night in Vienna?  The girl said "my boyfriend" 100 times during one episode.  She couldn't make a decision without him.  I think she had to prove to herself that that good  looking guy was actually hers.  Boy was he handsome!

The first apartment had a shower in the kitchen. I guess you don't need a dishwasher...shower with the dishes.  LOL

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is the Phoenix couple will have that house back on the market in a couple of years.   They move a lot, and the paying for corporate housing was just a lame excuse for buying.      I don't believe the husband is going to take the dog to parks, not when it's summer in Phoenix.    There was some dirt behind the pool cabana, so the dog can run there.   Actually that family room, and living room was so big, and so open, the dog could chase a ball, or run indoors.   

The second one was too far out of town for decent resale, and it looked like the first of a subdivision, so the house buyers would never take that one. 

I think they buy the best location, and the best resale value house.   The third one was a bizarre layout, and would have needed a lot of work before reselling it.   I don't think the third one would be easy to resell either. 

Edited July 29, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, NYGirl said:

Did anyone see the HH international last night in Vienna?  The girl said "my boyfriend" 100 times during one episode.  She couldn't make a decision without him.  I think she had to prove to herself that that good  looking guy was actually hers.  Boy was he handsome!

The first apartment had a shower in the kitchen. I guess you don't need a dishwasher...shower with the dishes.  LOL

There is a separate thread for HHI.

[NYGirl]

Just watched the family in Bloomington Indiana who wanted a change because she survived a health issue.  I can't say this enough but I think I hate the woman 75% and the men 25%. She had this dopey smile while she was telling him go to hell whenever he suggested something.  I couldn't stand that smile!

And at the beginning I'm not sure I heard him right that they were married 10 years.  I kept replaying it but I couldn't get it.

I did love the house they chose but 5 sinks in the kitchen?  Ugh

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, NYGirl said:

I can't say this enough but I think I hate the woman 75% and the men 25%. 

You should seek help for that. 

[KLovestoShop]

The Phoenix couple, where did she get that voice at the beginning of the episode?  Yes, she’s from the UK, but it sounded so fake, so clipped.  But he was also a pain in the butt, thinking he’s the cock of the block, which he’s definitely not.  God, he really thought he was wealthy royalty.  I don’t know, but I can’t help but think they’re totally fake.  And why did he need “something much bigger, much more grand”?  After living in the Phoenix area for 10 years, I can tell you that housing in Mesa is strange. You can have a $900,000 house, but then on either side there are houses for $250,000. We saw that all the time.  I didn’t think the third house fit with the Southwest.  It looked more East Coast and to be honest, it looked cheap.  And believe me, you do not want carpet in Arizona.  You learn that when you step on your first scorpion that’s burrowed into it.  My aunt had a 6200 sqft house, and her utility bill was $1400 per month in summer.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Phoenix wife said something about being born in the UK, but I suspect she came here before being an adult.   Her accent was strong at the beginning, but almost disappeared later.      My guess is the couple move a lot, as they said, and buy for resale.  The second house way out of town was never a contender.   I thought the third house looked bizarre, and cheap. 

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[jcbrown]

10 hours ago, NYGirl said:

Just watched the family in Bloomington Indiana who wanted a change because she survived a health issue.  I can't say this enough but I think I hate the woman 75% and the men 25%. She had this dopey smile while she was telling him go to hell whenever he suggested something.  I couldn't stand that smile!

And at the beginning I'm not sure I heard him right that they were married 10 years.  I kept replaying it but I couldn't get it.

I did love the house they chose but 5 sinks in the kitchen?  Ugh

Was this a new episode? My TiVo did not pick it up and Bloomington is my hometown.

On 7/28/2020 at 8:26 PM, Grrarrggh said:

Good googly-moogly the size of that house in Phoenix!!! Who needs a 6000 sq ft house for a family of 2? What waste. 

They were terrible (especially him) and they looked at stupid-big houses.

ETA I also hated his fat ass because he kept the kitties separate from the rest of the family. Jerk.
And hers, because she painted all that cherry white. Blerg.

Edited July 30, 2020 by jcbrown

[chediavolo]

12 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

The Phoenix couple, where did she get that voice at the beginning of the episode?  Yes, she’s from the UK, but it sounded so fake, so clipped.  But he was also a pain in the butt, thinking he’s the cock of the block, which he’s definitely not.  God, he really thought he was wealthy royalty.  I don’t know, but I can’t help but think they’re totally fake.  And why did he need “something much bigger, much more grand”?  After living in the Phoenix area for 10 years, I can tell you that housing in Mesa is strange. You can have a $900,000 house, but then on either side there are houses for $250,000. We saw that all the time.  I didn’t think the third house fit with the Southwest.  It looked more East Coast and to be honest, it looked cheap.  And believe me, you do not want carpet in Arizona.  You learn that when you step on your first scorpion that’s burrowed into it.  My aunt had a 6200 sqft house, and her utility bill was $1400 per month in summer.  

Asshole just needed to show off how much money he makes by buying an ugly McMansion.. Didn't like either of them.

 

[chediavolo]

On 7/22/2020 at 12:53 AM, LittleIggy said:

Minneapolis: Aw, they had Italian Greyhounds! Mine died eight years ago. Claudia was almost 17, and I miss her every day. My screen name is a tribute to her. I liked the house they picked. Note to realtor: dial back on the glossy lipstick. 

The gloss on the overly injected lips. Even my husband asked why she greased up her duck lips. 
Another Barbie doll wannabe, plastic surgery victim. Fake tits, extensions, injections, botox , sparkled on makeup. What is wrong with some women? I feel sorry for them. Totally overboard and she looked ridiculous. 

[kirklandia]

Just watched the Phoenix episode.  It was 118 degrees there today.  I wonder what their air-conditioning bill will be for all that cubic footage?

Edited July 31, 2020 by kirklandia

[Empress1]

Nashville couple: the episode description described the couple as May-December and then I saw them & thought “maybe he’s older than he looks and she’s younger than she looks?” I pegged them almost exactly right - I thought she was 35 & he was 50. Which is a gap, but I wouldn’t call it May-December. I used to babysit for a family where the husband was 30 years older than his (second) wife (she was the same age as one of his kids from his first marriage), and that to me is May-December. 20+ year gap.

Painting and new fixtures are not a big deal, and I was glad when the husband kept pointing that out.

[ECM1231]

I think this was a repeat: Texas thruple moving to Colorado Springs. Gotta hand it to HGTV... I missed the first few minutes so idk what their deal was. They were an attractive bunch and gee,  whatever floats your boat, but don't involve children.  Anyway, hard to please 3 adults and compromises were made but they went way over budget!

[CrazyInAlabama]

I like seeing the houses in Colorado Springs, and usually I can figure out what part of town they're shopping in.    The young woman with the mother who is going to pretty much move in with her when she retires (That's a secret that Mommy doesn't want us to know about, so don't tell) looked at three interesting properties, but the one that was on the hill (fortunately, she didn't get that one) is right on the top of a hill, and gets blasted by every storm that comes through, because there is no shelter for the condos.     

I think the one she picked was going to be really nice after she finished painting, and the new flooring looked spectacular.  I wasn't surprised at the prices though.   The Springs has a huge price increase every year for houses, no matter how many more houses they build.  

Edited August 4, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[NYGirl]

On 7/29/2020 at 11:52 PM, jcbrown said:

Was this a new episode? My TiVo did not pick it up and Bloomington is my hometown.

 

I think it was new.. it was from last Friday.  My TiVo picked it up as new.

[chessiegal]

I thought Friday night HHs were reruns. They will be tonight.

[LittleIggy]

10 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The Truple said a few weeks ago the wife is pregnant, and they will all raise the kid together.    The couple advertised to meet the third partner, and they all moved in together.   Then, they went on national TV to publicize their relationship.   Trying for a reality show? 

🤢🤮