House Hunters - General Discussion

[StatisticalOutlier]

6 hours ago, topanga said:

This episode fooled me. The house she chose was furnished (not with her furniture), so I thought it was a plant.

Me too.  I went back and looked at it again after she picked it, and it was staged, not furnished, to judge from the counter or table that had placemats and plates and glasses and silverware.

So does anybody know about "exceptions" to the house being in closing?  Seems to me if it was a flip, the flippers would have gotten the staged stuff out of there ASAP because I'm assuming it costs them more the longer they keep it.

 

12 hours ago, chessiegal said:

She balked at putting up a curtain rod in a bathroom as too much work. Can't see her in a fixer.

Agree, but it was going to have to be some sort of curved one.  Probably with some sort of support at the curve.  So--advanced curtain rod.

That said, I think putting a shower curtain on that shower would have looked like hell.

[chessiegal]

They make L-shaped curtain rods that don't need a support, so just the same as putting in a regular one.

[blueray]

I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one annoyed by the realtor.  She didn't show her anything that was within budget. I get that she couldn't afford what she was asking for so so her something that she could that may need some work or further out? I liked the second (?) house but wow that kitchen was small. That made mine look huge which it isn't. I wonder if there would be a way to put in a full stove such as moving the refrigerator out and putting it in the hallway. That of course wouldn't add more space to the kitchen itself. 

Edited August 12, 2020 by blueray

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, blueray said:

I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one annoyed by the realtor.  She didn't show her anything that was within budget. I get that she couldn't afford what she was asking for so so her something that she could that may need some work or further out? I liked the second (?) house but wow that kitchen was small. That made mine look huge which it isn't. I wonder if there would be a way to put in a full stove such as moving the refrigerator out and putting it in the hallway. That of course wouldn't add more space to the kitchen itself. 

The bathrooms in the condo were decent-sized; I'd rather have space in the kitchen than the bathroom because I spend more time in there. That kitchen was a complete non-starter - where do I even put my dishes and pots and pans?

If the building was where and what (like, the name of the building) I think it was, it's the location that draws people - it's in the Rittenhouse Square area, which is very desirable and expensive (you could easily spend over a million on a renovated row home there). A lot of people would say "Less than $250K for Rittenhouse? Fuck it, I'll just eat out all the time" and not worry about the small kitchen (there are lots of restaurants there). Or it might make a good investment property; that would rent out very easily. That's a great first place for a recent grad or pair of recent grads.

I'm sure neither of the other houses were downtown just based on price so the lifestyle would be different (which, of course, she'd know). I remember another Philly couple who wanted a place downtown or near downtown and their realtor showed them a place in Northeast Philly, which is so a) far from downtown, and b) so not anything like downtown in terms of lifestyle, at all. If you want to live downtown, you actively don't want to live in northeast Philly and vice versa.

[Bariki]

10 hours ago, topanga said:

And I get fixated on little things sometimes, like when the women mentioned they were sorority sisters. I spent the episode trying to figure out which one, since they’re the ones who mentioned it. With black female HHs, I usually can pick home out decor or jewelry that suggest their sorority, such as the Washington DC professor who wore an elephant pendant necklace—the elephant is a common symbol with Delta Sigma Theta. 

I was curious about this too, so I did some digging.  They're Zetas.

[topanga]

46 minutes ago, Bariki said:

I was curious about this too, so I did some digging.  They're Zetas.

Huh. How'd you find out? I though I saw a blue tote bag on one of the chairs, but it had no Greek letters. 

 

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

The bathrooms in the condo were decent-sized; I'd rather have space in the kitchen than the bathroom because I spend more time in there. That kitchen was a complete non-starter - where do I even put my dishes and pots and pans?

If the building was where and what (like, the name of the building) I think it was, it's the location that draws people - it's in the Rittenhouse Square area, which is very desirable and expensive (you could easily spend over a million on a renovated row home there). A lot of people would say "Less than $250K for Rittenhouse? Fuck it, I'll just eat out all the time" and not worry about the small kitchen (there are lots of restaurants there). Or it might make a good investment property; that would rent out very easily. That's a great first place for a recent grad or pair of recent grads.

That kitchen would work if she only cooked for herself and never had people over for dinner or entertaining. But it sounds like her friend already wants to partially move in, so that probably wouldn't work. 

I don't remember if there was any room to add cabinets or counter space--that's where the real deficits are. I can deal with a small stove and refrigerator, at least for a while. 

[laredhead]

I agree that a shower curtain with an L-shaped rod would look less than attractive.  Solution is to have glass installed, but that would require spending $$ which she didn't want to do either.

The condo unit with the small kitchen was less than 800 sq feet with 2 bedrooms.  That place was small overall.  Of the 3 we saw, I guess she chose the best one, but I didn't like any of them personally.

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I hated that tiny condo.    That kitchen was too small to do anything but reheat a TV dinner.     I guess the woman bought the best option for her, but I'm really glad she didn't buy that tiny condo.  

[NYGirl]

Tonight daughter with mother along in San Antonio.  OMG the mother was so damn bossy.  I hate when it's a single woman and the mom goes along with her.  The moms are always trying to live through the daughter.

In this case, the daughter just graduated college and didn't even have a job yet but was approved for $200,000.  What???  How does that happen?  She was a breath of fresh air.  She didn't complain about anything in all 3 houses. She had a cute smile and was minimalistic.  The mother however was very opinionated.  The parents helped her with the down payment..maybe that's why.

She took the small cottage close to her parents (I knew she would) and there's no way she can fit a roommate which will make her mother happy.

Edited August 13, 2020 by NYGirl

[sistersledge]

7 hours ago, topanga said:

8 hours ago, Bariki said:

I was curious about this too, so I did some digging.  They're Zetas.

Huh. How'd you find out? I though I saw a blue tote bag on one of the chairs, but it had no Greek letters

I spent most of the episode wondering how old they were because they mentioned 2003. Are people really still super into their sororities that many years ago?

[absnow54]

1 hour ago, NYGirl said:

In this case, the daughter just graduated college and didn't even have a job yet but was approved for $200,000.  What???  How does that happen?  She was a breath of fresh air.  She didn't complain about anything in all 3 houses. She had a cute smile and was minimalistic.  The mother however was very opinionated.  The parents helped her with the down payment..maybe that's why.

I’m assuming the parents are co-signing the loan too, otherwise, how was she approved without a job?

[Bariki]

7 hours ago, topanga said:

Huh. How'd you find out? I though I saw a blue tote bag on one of the chairs, but it had no Greek letters. 

I found the realtor's FB page where she tagged Natasha.  Went to Natasha's page and saw Zeta pics.

[Lisa418722]

6 hours ago, sistersledge said:

I spent most of the episode wondering how old they were because they mentioned 2003. Are people really still super into their sororities that many years ago?

I have a coworker who graduated college 30+ years ago and she is still involved with her sorority.  I was never in a sorority so I don't get that mindset, but I have heard it's a great way to network 

I like the place the HH ended up getting.  That condo was just too tiny in my opinion.  I didn't mind the final place with the room that could be rented out, but since she didn't even want to do any kind of updates, being a landlord would not be a good idea for her.    

Edited August 13, 2020 by Lisa418722

[cameron]

8 hours ago, NYGirl said:

Tonight daughter with mother along in San Antonio.  OMG the mother was so damn bossy.  I hate when it's a single woman and the mom goes along with her.  The moms are always trying to live through the daughter.

In this case, the daughter just graduated college and didn't even have a job yet but was approved for $200,000.  What???  How does that happen?  She was a breath of fresh air.  She didn't complain about anything in all 3 houses. She had a cute smile and was minimalistic.  The mother however was very opinionated.  The parents helped her with the down payment..maybe that's why.

She took the small cottage close to her parents (I knew she would) and there's no way she can fit a roommate which will make her mother happy.

Think the parents were featured in their own earlier house hunt.  Remembered that the father always wore ten gallon hats.

[amarante]

11 hours ago, sistersledge said:

I spent most of the episode wondering how old they were because they mentioned 2003. Are people really still super into their sororities that many years ago?

Many women make life long friends just as many non-sorority women make life long friends in college.

FWIW, Kamala Harris is an Alpha Kappa Alpha and it was mentioned by all of the "talking heads" I was listening to on the news who were either AKA or even just members of other black sororities. 

[Empress1]

7 minutes ago, amarante said:

Many women make life long friends just as many non-sorority women make life long friends in college.

FWIW, Kamala Harris is an Alpha Kappa Alpha and it was mentioned by all of the "talking heads" I was listening to on the news who were either AKA or even just members of other black sororities. 

My mom is an AKA. She did make lifelong friends (a lot of my play aunties are her sorority sisters), and you better believe she and those friends have been talking about Kamala since the announcement. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

With the San Antonio house hunter, I had to laugh at the end when the mother mentioned the house next door was for sale, and they could buy it.       

Maybe there is family money, or a trust fund or something?    I don't think there is any other way the woman could get a mortgage without the parents getting the mortgage for her, unless there is another form of financing.    I think the parents might be buying the house, and the 'helping with the downpayment' does seem right, when the daughter doesn't even have a job.    However, the parents could buy the house next door as a rental.   

Columbus, OH was interesting. 

 I loved the first house, the historical one for the downstairs, but the bedrooms, and attic were awful..   I think they can make changes over the years.   I think the best features are the 4 car garage

The second, new build, with 2 bedrooms 3.5 baths was interesting.    If the girlfriend thinks building on the end of the street is bad, then wait until they build across the street from the house.   I hope they don't even consider the second house.  However, I would make the loft area a third bedroom, with a walk in closet, and they could still use the guest bathroom.    However, since it's $50k over budget already, I wouldn't want that house.   

The third house was nice, but the view of the next door neighbor's brick wall was not something I would like.   However, no garage and the basement only useful for storage, is not good.       There isn't even a driveway.     I wonder if you can even park on the street during snow storms.   The house on the right side is actually either apartments or townhouses.      I wouldn't touch that house.

I think they picked the right house, #1.     He wanted it for the garage, and they can change the floors, and improve the upstairs bath.   

Edited August 13, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[NYGirl]

I love the way the realtors always call a swimming pool a "surprise".  LOL.  As soon as they say it I know it's a pool so it's not a surprise anymore.  I'm sure that's producer driven.

[amarante]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

My mom is an AKA. She did make lifelong friends (a lot of my play aunties are her sorority sisters), and you better believe she and those friends have been talking about Kamala since the announcement. 

From what I read, AKA and other black sororities and fraternities were responsible for a huge percentage of the record donations received in the hours after the announcement. 😀

[amarante]

Maybe it’s me but the last thing I would have wanted right after graduating college would be to own a house. Maybe I just don’t have that extreme homeowner gene but my life went through changes during my twenties and selling a home after a relatively short period of time is generally an economic loss after closing costs and broker fees. 
 

The episode with the 22 year old made no sense because she said at the beginning that she was looking for a job but then she was approved for $200,000. So how do you get approved without a job or even much of a credit history. Perhaps the parents were more financially on the hook that was stated. 
 

The mother was a bit over the top but I assume a lot of it was enhanced for the story line. I remember myself at 22 and would have been ill equipped to make intelligent decisions about the whole process. Even as an older home buyer, I was grateful for input from my parents who had owned homes for many years - especially my father who was knowledgeable about construction and maintenance issues. 
 

And also it is obviously personal but the last thing I wanted as a single woman was a single family home. I didn’t want to deal with exterior maintenance issues and I also liked the enhanced security of a condo - especially one on a high floor. 

Edited August 13, 2020 by amarante

[buttersister]

The house next door is for sale. LOL! Spit-take by daughter. Couldn't have scripted that ending better myself. That's entertainment! [/sarcasm]

I was left wondering if the parents bought her that house (outright or with down payment) so she could get the hell out of theirs? Payback for not running away from home while mom micro-managed daughter's life up until that point?*

*Triggered by the glee with which the daughter announced during the hunt that she could have her own opinions now.

Edited August 13, 2020 by buttersister
*

[StatisticalOutlier]

1 hour ago, buttersister said:

I was left wondering if the parents bought her that house (outright or with down payment) so she could get the hell out of theirs?

She wasn't living with them.  She was living with someone else in a townhouse four units down from them.  Or that's what they claimed, anyway.  They showed her going to her parents' house with her laptop and she said she was stealing their internet.  I assume the unit where she was living had its own internet connection, so no reason to steal theirs.

[buttersister]

Thanks, StatisticalOutlier, I missed that. Makes sense that she wasn’t living with her mom!

[WI GIRL56]

San Antonio girl was adorable.  Loved that she was not looking for anything to upscale.  Made a good choice and the price ended up being wonderful.  Her mom was awful.  

[Empress1]

My DVR didn’t record the San Antonio episode. Hmph. I just checked & it’s slated to record another episode tonight.

[Grrarrggh]

22 hours ago, NYGirl said:

In this case, the daughter just graduated college and didn't even have a job yet but was approved for $200,000.  What???  How does that happen?  

She did have a job, the mom gave it as a reason she shouldn't get a fixer upper. 

[chessiegal]

I remember the mom saying she'd be busy with her new job.

[NYGirl]

When she came into her parent's house to "steal wifi" she said she was looking for a job

[amarante]

Regarding the job - at the very beginning she said she needed the internet to LOOK for a job.

Again, I realize all of this is incoherent storyline but that's why I questioned whether she was working - based on her initial statement of an internet job search.

[NYGirl]

Indianapolis tonight.  I think I'm really getting very very cranky while watching House Hunters.  I blame the quarantine.  Who's with me?

I could not stand Aubrey (wife) in tonight's episode.  Her voice.  Her stupidity.  She was changing things in newly renovated houses just cause... you know.  Her main concern was being close to work. 

When they were discussing what they wanted in a new home her husband wanted carpet.  Right away..right away...she jumped down his throat with all carpet will be removed. 

Well they picked the house closest to her job even though she was changing out most everything in the house.

[Kiddvideo]

Aubrey in a Indianapolis won’t have to worry about her dress for the “Mother of the Year“ banquet. The kid can ride his little tricycle on that tiny patch of cement? Ok, Aubrey. She didn’t even ask about nearby parks or agree it wasn’t ideal, just dismissed her husband’s concern. Asshole.

[LittleIggy]

Indianapolis: The house they picked had the huge yard, IIRC. Anyway, the wife’s voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. 😬

[Kiddvideo]

3 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Indianapolis: The house they picked had the huge yard, IIRC. Anyway, the wife’s voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. 😬

Yep, they ended-up not buying the cement backyard house, which was the last one.

[cameron]

8 hours ago, NYGirl said:

Indianapolis tonight.  I think I'm really getting very very cranky while watching House Hunters.  I blame the quarantine.  Who's with me?

I could not stand Aubrey (wife) in tonight's episode.  Her voice.  Her stupidity.  She was changing things in newly renovated houses just cause... you know.  Her main concern was being close to work. 

When they were discussing what they wanted in a new home her husband wanted carpet.  Right away..right away...she jumped down his throat with all carpet will be removed. 

Well they picked the house closest to her job even though she was changing out most everything in the house.

Could understand wanting to have a house with character; but then she goes ripping out whole walls giving it a more contemporary look.  Think she had an over inflated image of her decorating ability.

[jacksgirl]

Indy episode. Surprised they picked the big house. It did have a nice yard. Guess I don't get the difference between a 10 and 20 minute work commute. Aubrey was annoying. When spending that much $$, you can live with things for awhile and then remodel. Everything with her was now now now. 

Edited August 14, 2020 by jacksgirl

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, jacksgirl said:

Guess I don't get the difference between a 10 and 20 minute work commute.

The first house (which I hated; the flip had stripped all the charm out of it and I didn’t like the finishes - it looked sterile) was half an hour and she kept saying that was “really far” from work. I don’t consider half an hour far. If her commute options were 10, 20, or 30 minutes, IMO she’s doing fine. (Also what if she loses the job? Hope they like the area they live in for reasons other than her job.)

[chessiegal]

The episode of the San Antonio mom and her husband looking for a new home is rerunning on HGTV right now. She said going with her daughter on her house hunt gave her the bug to move.

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is on the Indianapolis episode is that the wife had the bigger salary.    Nonprofits may pay the CEO a big salary, but not the underlings, at least according to people I knew that worked at major non-profits, and then went to better paying jobs.    I'm guessing the move out of Indianapolis wasn't the wife's idea, and the quick move back was.    The first house was nice, but certainly not big enough for the wife's taste.  For 10,000 they could have added all kinds of mouldings, and other touches to that house.    It was a gut remodel, so what was she expecting?    

Then in house #2, which was the only obvious choice for her, so I knew that was going to be the choice.  THat was her favorite from the start, so it was going to be the only real choice.     They should have done a much quicker remodel, with hiring people to strip the carpet in a day or so, then painters, and then have the floors installed in a few days.     It would have cost more, but it would be worth it to get almost everything finished at one time.    

The third one was never even going to be considered.  Too modern, no back yard.   

Edited August 14, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

Watching through to the end, the San Antonio Mom and Dad bought a house they said was close to their daughter's house. So which came first, the chicken or the egg? In the daughter episode, she talks about going back to her parent's townhouse to use their WiFi. In the parent's episode, they show them in their townhouse, wanting to downsize because of what mom saw on her daughter's house hunt. My guess is they filmed those at the same time. I bet the parents bought the smaller home as an investment.

[Grrarrggh]

21 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I remember the mom saying she'd be busy with her new job.

Yes, she even said something like her first real job or big job. 

[javajeanelaine]

Aubrey in Indy was a real control freak.  I feel sorry for her husband.

I don't get these overengaged moms on HH who need to be right next to their kids.  Don't you have a life of your own???

[CrazyInAlabama]

I guess tonight's episodes are high maintenance glitz junkies.   The Baton Rouge realtor buying a house for $1.5 or so, is so over the top.    The two closets she wanted (I think she let the boyfriend have a smaller closet), ended up being the size of my bedroom, with built-ins.    I like the house she bought, and can't believe she considered the new build, on a small property, and looking right in the neighbor's front door.    The third wasn't a good layout, and outdated.    I hope she enjoys the six acres of land with the mansion on it she owns, but I think the upkeep will be a total pain.   It looked like the house from Dynasty.

The couple that are on now, in the New Jersey suburbs, near Philadelphia, are so mismatched.   She's a designer, and demands a 'portfolio piece', as she calls it, so she can use it to promote her design buisness.     A house that with her bizarre fix ups will be so over budget that it will be ridiculous.   

The first house really needs some changes, but she wants to rip out a perfectly done kitchen, to fit her taste, including gutting the entire kitchen, custom cabinets, different granite (she doesn't like the granite either), and everything else.     She wants to spend $400,000 to $500,000 on remodels.  

The second house is lovely.   However, she wants to rip out half of the walls in the downstairs, and refuses to paint, or reface the bathroom cabinets, but wants to rip them out.    Then the wonderful master closet, with custom built-ins, isn't good enough for the wife.   The closet looks like it's over 20 feet long with handing space, and cabinets on both sides and the end is called too short!    She also wants to either paint the kitchen cabinets, or rip them out.     You can't tell me that with a budget of $1.5 million, you can't find something that's move in ready near Philadelphia.  She wants to spend $300,000 on renovations. 

The third house is $250,000 to $300,000 for renovations.    

They bought the first house, on 7 acres, with Alpacas included.    They claim they got the house for almost $300,000 off the price.   So  you know they're going to go way over budget even with that.   I hope the home buyer realizes how expensive Alpacas are, and that they require a lot of maintenance.   The upkeep on seven acres is going to be even more expensive.   I suspect the tree companies, and maintenance people are enjoying the checks the home buyers are writing.     

When they show the over the top house buyers, then I think the camera crews can't stand some of the house hunters.   However, it's very entertaining, isn't it? 

Edited August 15, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[amarante]

The Indianapolis flip was beyond awful - it resembled the inside of a battleship and the finishes - especially the gray laminate floor - are already horrendously dated. 

I understand the difference between a 10 minute commute and a 20 minute commute. With a 10 minute commute one is theoretically able to get home during the day If necessary. I had a 10 minute commute for awhile and would go home at lunch many days. Also, at least from my experience, a 10 minute commute is generally within one's neighborhood and less likely to run into commuting traffic.

[LittleIggy]

Baton Rouge and Philly: It’s hard to say which woman I disliked more! They were both so “me, me, me”!  I think BR’s boyfriend (who seemed so nice) needs to make a run for it. 

Edited August 15, 2020 by LittleIggy

[cameron]

7 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Baton Rouge and Philly: It’s hard to say which woman I disliked more! They were both so “me, me, me”!  I think BR’s boyfriend (who seemed so nice) needs to make a run for it. 

Think that it's a first for HH to have two back to back shows featuring very obnoxious female house hunters.  Totally agree about the boyfriend from Baton Rouge; really nice person.

Edited August 15, 2020 by cameron

[chessiegal]

And both these obnoxious women were looking at $1 million plus homes! If they were serious that every perfectly functional home was a gut to the studs, then they should have just built a house. Obviously the producer gave them each the same script.

We've been in our home almost 10 years now, Would I choose the cabinets that are in the kitchen? Definitely not, but they are solid wood and work just fine. These are two episodes that I should have watched with the mute on. When they were over, my husband, who was doing crosswords said, thank goodness we are done with these screechy women!

[laredhead]

My DVR did not record the Baton Rouge episode, and I'm so bummed because that's where I live.  It did record the Philadelphia designer episode. 

Where to begin?  These are the types of people I cannot relate to.  I learned a new term - portfolio piece.  The husand owns a party planning business and she's a designer.  Wonder how that party business has fared over the last few months, and if they are in over their heads with that property?

The wife declares at one property that the kitchen has "potential", and the cabinets could be painted, but when the realtor suggests that in another house with the bathroom cabinets, the wife balks.  The styles looked the same to me, but what do I know.  I've never had a portfolio piece for a home.  The alpacas were the best things on the show, but according to the blurb on the screen, they cost $1,500 a month in upkeep.  

I would love to have the closet that the wife dissed so badly.  I'm sure the last scenes of her and her husband chipping away at the fireplace surround were purely for effect, because I don't see her breaking a nail doing renovations. 

[chessiegal]

4 minutes ago, laredhead said:

My DVR did not record the Baton Rouge episode, and I'm so bummed because that's where I live. 

You can watch it on-line on the HGTV web site.

[doodlebug]

On 8/14/2020 at 9:27 AM, Empress1 said:

The first house (which I hated; the flip had stripped all the charm out of it and I didn’t like the finishes - it looked sterile) was half an hour and she kept saying that was “really far” from work. I don’t consider half an hour far. If her commute options were 10, 20, or 30 minutes, IMO she’s doing fine. (Also what if she loses the job? Hope they like the area they live in for reasons other than her job.)

Commute times vary widely depending on where you live.  As a resident of another large midwestern city, I can tell you that 30 minutes is a significant commute around here and many people looking for homes would consider it a deal breaker. I've never lived in Indy, but have been there several times and I expect most people there don't have to spend an hour a day going back and forth to work.  I personally live 8 minutes from my job and like it that way.  As I consider the half dozen or so family members who live around town, none of them has to drive as much as half an hour to work.  So, I get why they'd think 30 minutes was not a great commute.  There were probably literally dozens of options that would be closer than that.

[cameron]

2 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Commute times vary widely depending on where you live.  As a resident of another large midwestern city, I can tell you that 30 minutes is a significant commute around here and many people looking for homes would consider it a deal breaker. I've never lived in Indy, but have been there several times and I expect most people there don't have to spend an hour a day going back and forth to work.  I personally live 8 minutes from my job and like it that way.  As I consider the half dozen or so family members who live around town, none of them has to drive as much as half an hour to work.  So, I get why they'd think 30 minutes was not a great commute.  There were probably literally dozens of options that would be closer than that.

Personally have never let the commute dictate my choice in hunting for a house.  The drive will be what it needs to be to get the right house (actually max it out at a hour commute each way).