House Hunters - General Discussion

[Mountainair]

12 hours ago, javajeanelaine said:

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???

Life of your own? Ha! Since March I’ve had nothing of my own. I have three kids. When I was house hunting I had no idea I’d need to find a house with a school room in it for my kids. 
 

I do get what your saying though 😉

[laredhead]

Just found and watched the Baton Rouge episode.  As I said, I live in Baton Rouge, so I was interested to see if I could figure out where they were looking.  The first house, the one they bought, is probably in a subdivision in an adjoining parish (county) where there is still land, or a subdivision with estate size lots that is located in the eastern part of the parish.  That area flooded in the 2016 flood after 20" of rain fell in a couple of days here.  The flood was devastating, and some people are still trying to rebuild 4 years later.  New flood zones, and regulations have created a lot of confusion in the rebuilding process.  I'm betting that house had been on and off the market for a long, long time, and that's why the price was so drastically reduced.  It was hard to sell houses that didn't take on water in that area after the flood because buyers wonder whether the next one will be even worse.

The 2nd house located on "prestigious Highland Road" is a mega size house on a postage stamp lot which is becoming more and more common around here.  It has a nice view during the spring & summer, but in the winter when all of the leaves are off the trees the view is of hundreds of looking alike houses sandwiched on small lots in a flood plain area just below the high ground where Highland Road (hence the name) runs.  Most of those houses are first time buyers, investor owned properties rented to LSU students, etc.  Before all of that area was developed over the last 10 years, the view all year round was lovely, but not now. Also Highland Road is a heavily traveled road, and all of those houses on that side of the road have to have garages in the front because the land falls away down to the flood plain below.  I wouldn't pay $1.3 million for that house in that location no matter how prestigious it is.

The 3rd house was hard to ID as to location.  It did look a little dark, but that was a popular style of building here about 20 years ago, and cypress cabinets and brick floors were popular.  It did have a New Orleans feel to it, but having been in many of those types of houses during Sunday afternoon open houses, I find them a bit dark for my taste.  I'm not a fan of brick floors, and that's about the only thing on which I agreed with the realtor woman home buyer.

 

 

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, cameron said:

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).

For what most of these people seem to be looking for; it wouldn't require an hour commute in any direction where I live.  I can see if they specifically want a barn or acres of land or waterfront property, but most of these house hunters seem to want a typical home in a typical neighborhood, which, here in the midwest, at least, doesn't require an hourlong drive to get to the right house.  I suppose that might be the case in Chicago, but it isn't in Indianapolis or a lot of other fairly large cities in these parts.  That's why I understood why the Indy couple didn't want a half hour commute.  It just isn't necessary to drive that far to find a nice home with the features most of these people want 'round these parts.

Edited August 15, 2020 by doodlebug

[CruiseDiva]

On 8/13/2020 at 10:34 PM, 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. 

Not only was the voice like nails on a chalkboard, but the expressions on her face were bizarre. She looked like she was either severely constipated or had just sucked a lemon.

Thirty minutes is not a long commute. BTW, it's not the quarantine that's making us cranky The house hunters are getting increasingly annoying. Producers must hate us. 😵

[WI GIRL56]

I was hoping in both Baton Rogue and Philly the guys wise up and dump these needy women.    I felt sorry for the guys.  They were both over the top with what they wanted.  Indy also bugged me but not as bad as these two.

[amarante]

9 hours ago, doodlebug said:

For what most of these people seem to be looking for; it wouldn't require an hour commute in any direction where I live.  I can see if they specifically want a barn or acres of land or waterfront property, but most of these house hunters seem to want a typical home in a typical neighborhood, which, here in the midwest, at least, doesn't require an hourlong drive to get to the right house.  I suppose that might be the case in Chicago, but it isn't in Indianapolis or a lot of other fairly large cities in these parts.  That's why I understood why the Indy couple didn't want a half hour commute.  It just isn't necessary to drive that far to find a nice home with the features most of these people want 'round these parts.

I think there is a HUGE difference in people's expectations of what are reasonable commutes based on the metropolitan center they live around.

In cities like NY, Boston, Chicago there is a willingness for people to trade a long commute for a *nicer* home. I am a city mouse myself as were my parents so even though I grew up in NYC and now live in Los Angeles, I have opted for a shorter commute and a smaller house in a denser urban environment.

If one checks commute times average, many people have commutes of well under 30 minutes because there is no objective reason to live someplace with a longer commute. Many cities don't have the standard model of all jobs being located in a central dense center either so people would also choose to live in a suburb or outer spoke of a city that is closer to their job versus commuting.

 

[amarante]

I guess I'm in a minority but I didn't have issues with the two women who were particular about their finishes. They had the budgets to get what they wanted unlike the idiots who turn up their nose at normal finishes when they are looking at $200,000 homes.

The designer woman looking for a portfolio was essentially wanting to be able to use what she did to her own home as part of the portfolio she would present to potential clients. Since she has the expertise and would be able to get prices at trade discounts, why wouldn't she buy something that required renovation. 

Similarly with the Baton Rouge lady, she had the budget to achieve her design aesthetic and probably had the expertise and contacts to do it. Why pay for someone else's design choices.

I am probably sensitive to this because I recently finished a gut remodel and I am so much happier with something that completely reflects me - both functionally and aesthetically. When I look at the "done" homes on the show, I really wouldn't have selected what they did - they aren't my taste and I can also generally see how they cheaped out with the finishes in one way or another. However, if I bought that kind of newly done place, I couldn't redo it to my tastes and needs versus one that could be redone without my feeling like I had already paid for someone else's mediocre taste.

[KLovestoShop]

   I just cannot tolerate these whiney, privileged women who complain about every aspect of a house that they're looking at.  My response to them would be, "Buy a damn lot and build your own damn house exactly as you want it".  And the Baton Rouge woman who "HATED" just about everything in the older houses was a giant pain in the behind.  Why did she always say HATE?  She might have been a tiny bit more likable if she would have said something to the effect that she didn't like this or that something wasn't to her taste.  But everything was hate.  If I were her boyfriend I would run away as fast as I could because of her attitude.  Did either of them ever say if she was footing the bill or was he going to put cash into the  house?  Also, who's name is on the deed?  If she's the only name, he's basically a freeloader.

[CrazyInAlabama]

What I wonder about on the Baton Rouge realtor/buyer is why she didn't find a house that won't flood?     Or were nice homes without flood possibilities above her budget?   Or would have been too small for her wardrobe?  

[laredhead]

KLovestoShop, the Baton Rouge realtor was buying the house on her own, but it was stated that the boyfriend would be helping with the monthly mortgage payment.  I guess he's still at the "roommate" stage, not quite at the fiance' stage.

CrazyInAlabama, I was surmising that the house she bought was in an area that flooded, but not that the house itself flooded, although it might have.  Some people aren't afraid to buy in those areas now because the chances of another flood like that are slim.  Flood insurance is now required in places where it was never required pre 2016. Supposedly that flood was a 1,000 year flood that will never happen again in our lifetime.  Places that had never flooded in 100 years, took on water.  Houses in some areas are now being raised 8 to 10' off the ground or if rebuilding is allowed, they must be built several feet higher than the flood line.  It's kind of strange to drive through areas where it's high and dry, and see houses now on tall brick pillars or on tall wooden stilts.  If a buyer is willing to take the chance, they can likely get a house at a lower price.     

[CrazyInAlabama]

Great points. laredhead.    I really liked the Baton Rouge boyfriend, but the realtor really rubbed me the wrong way.   

[Grrarrggh]

On 8/16/2020 at 11:58 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Great points. laredhead.    I really liked the Baton Rouge boyfriend, but the realtor really rubbed me the wrong way.   

I liked the relator a lot. She was very diplomatic and managed to be on both buyer's sides. I liked her eye roll over how much clothes/shoes/accessories her friend had. 

[laredhead]

I delved into the realtor buyer's background and located the house in the Baton Rouge episode.  Turns out she is a platinum level realtor with large real estate company.  She has also been on House Hunters previously, about 2 years ago.  I think she might have been in the role of realtor helping a couple buy a house in an adjacent parish if I remember correctly.  The house she purchased is also located in an area that had widespread flooding, but it was difficult to determine if that particular house went under water.  The pictures of the house on the listing show it furnished with a lot of brown toned, large pieces.  There's also a floor plan of the house, and it is huge.  It's a big house with a smaller house attached via a corridor.  Whoever built it originally might have been planning for in-laws, or a lot visitors who planned to stay a while.   

[Grrarrggh]

I hated that NJ woman. Designer my ass. 

[NYGirl]

Question to all of you:  Do you think the reason people don't like split levels because "we have to choose whether to go upstairs or downstairs" or is that producer driven.  Every single HH that looks at a split level says that exact same thing and it's really a stupid thing to say.

[chessiegal]

24 minutes ago, NYGirl said:

Question to all of you:  Do you think the reason people don't like split levels because "we have to choose whether to go upstairs or downstairs" or is that producer driven.  Every single HH that looks at a split level says that exact same thing and it's really a stupid thing to say.

Every time I hear someone say that, it makes me think they are really stupid. If you've been in one typical split, you know the kitchen and main living area are up. If someone says, oh, I came home with my groceries, didn't know which way to go, so I went down and there was no kitchen! Yes, it's a stupid thing to say.

[izabella]

It's a stupid thing to say.  What I think they mean, though, is the split level has a terrible entry into the home where you just see stairs and walls.   They feel confronted by the stairs first thing when coming into the house.  I can understand how that is off-putting and the entry feels awkward.

 

[LittleIggy]

VA: I guess being on the autism spectrum allows you to act like a selfish jerk. 🙄

[MsTree]

4 hours ago, NYGirl said:

Question to all of you:  Do you think the reason people don't like split levels because "we have to choose whether to go upstairs or downstairs" or is that producer driven.  Every single HH that looks at a split level says that exact same thing and it's really a stupid thing to say.

Agree. It's just as stupid as the couple's night & day "must haves"...as if they've never had a discussion about anything relating to house hunting.

[cameron]

6 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

VA: I guess being on the autism spectrum allows you to act like a selfish jerk. 🙄

Why she ever married him is beyond belief.  

[amarante]

I'll give them a pass on the stated reason for disliking split levels.

I hate them because it FORCES me to go up or down immediately on entering. It just seems like a really undesirable floor plan as I imagine my normal way of interacting with my home or visiting people.

On the other hand, my aunt lived in what I thought was a split level. If you entered the front door, you were on the level with the living room, kitchen, dining room and the sunroom. Half a level down was the family room which also led to the garage. Half a level up from the living/kitchen area were the bedrooms. That was a really comfortable house to live in because you generally weren't a long stairway from anything. 

[Seelouis]

5 hours ago, cameron said:

Why she ever married him is beyond belief.  

Holy moly! Did she get anything at all that she wanted? There was absolutely no compromise there at all. She needs to run far away. 

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, amarante said:

On the other hand, my aunt lived in what I thought was a split level. If you entered the front door, you were on the level with the living room, kitchen, dining room and the sunroom. Half a level down was the family room which also led to the garage. Half a level up from the living/kitchen area were the bedrooms.

Where I live that floor plan is called split level. In 1984 I bought a house in a new development that offered 3 floor plans that were described by the builder as 2 story colonial, split level (which I bought) and split foyer, the style in last night's episode.

[Cancun]

22 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Where I live that floor plan is called split level. In 1984 I bought a house in a new development that offered 3 floor plans that were described by the builder as 2 story colonial, split level (which I bought) and split foyer, the style in last night's episode.

Agree, this is what those styles are called here in the Midwest. The house in last night’s episode is a split foyer. A split level has the stairs further in, and has some living space on the same level as the front door.

That said, it is stupid to wonder “which way to go” every time you enter a split foyer. However, it is understandable to hate such a small entry space with immediate need to take stairs up/down. Why can’t buyers express it that way...

Edited August 19, 2020 by Cancun

[jacksgirl]

Long time special education teacher. Have literally taught hundreds of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. One thing we work on continuously is getting ASD children out of their comfort zones. Things like slight changes in schedules or seating are important as my students will be better equipped for a neuro-typical world if they have had experiences at school that take them out of their comfort zones. Did not think wife should compromise on everything she did. 

[cameron]

4 hours ago, Seelouis said:

Holy moly! Did she get anything at all that she wanted? There was absolutely no compromise there at all. She needs to run far away. 

She must have wanted to get married in a big way, no matter what.

[chessiegal]

I have a step-daughter who did the same thing - marrying what we thought was a selfish jerk. A few years ago when I described some of his oddities to a friend, she said it sounded like he was somewhere on the autism spectrum. Bingo! No one has mentioned it, so I don't think he's been diagnosed. His parents are lovely people, but I notice his mother enables his behavior. Her sister says she was ready to get married, and he was available. So good luck to the wife last night - you are in for a lifetime of this.

[pdlinda]

1 minute ago, chessiegal said:

I have a step-daughter who did the same thing - marrying what we thought was a selfish jerk. A few years ago when I described some of his oddities to a friend, she said it sounded like he was somewhere on the autism spectrum. Bingo! No one has mentioned it, so I don't think he's been diagnosed. His parents are lovely people, but I notice his mother enables his behavior. Her sister says she was ready to get married, and he was available. So good luck to the wife last night - you are in for a lifetime of this.

I would say the same applies to my son-in-law whom my daughter married 18 years ago.  At this point, he depends on his parents generosity (enabling) to financially support his family (my daughter works and getting Master's degree in Public Health as she knows she will have to principally support the family.  He's also never been diagnosed and mother and father enable.  Same story you mention.  Sister said he was 32 and "ready to get married."  I agree.  Situation will never change in the opinion of my daughter.  She chooses to stay with him as he helps her with car pools and she cannot financially survive at this point without his parents largesse.  Hopefully, in the future, circumstances will change in her favor.

[Grrarrggh]

6 hours ago, amarante said:

I'll give them a pass on the stated reason for disliking split levels.

I hate them because it FORCES me to go up or down immediately on entering. It just seems like a really undesirable floor plan as I imagine my normal way of interacting with my home or visiting people.

On the other hand, my aunt lived in what I thought was a split level. If you entered the front door, you were on the level with the living room, kitchen, dining room and the sunroom. Half a level down was the family room which also led to the garage. Half a level up from the living/kitchen area were the bedrooms. That was a really comfortable house to live in because you generally weren't a long stairway from anything. 

I grew up in your aunt's house! Or well, a house designed exactly like that lol. And you're right, it was a perfect lay out design. 

[izabella]

8 hours ago, amarante said:

I'll give them a pass on the stated reason for disliking split levels.

I hate them because it FORCES me to go up or down immediately on entering. It just seems like a really undesirable floor plan as I imagine my normal way of interacting with my home or visiting people.

On the other hand, my aunt lived in what I thought was a split level. If you entered the front door, you were on the level with the living room, kitchen, dining room and the sunroom. Half a level down was the family room which also led to the garage. Half a level up from the living/kitchen area were the bedrooms. That was a really comfortable house to live in because you generally weren't a long stairway from anything. 

My parents lived in a house like that for a while, except theirs had one more half level down from the family room into an actual basement where the furnace and stuff was.  I am vaguely recalling that their house was called a tri-level.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm watching the new episode where the couple is moving back to Kansas City.     The first house is cute, but the next door neighbor is an apartment house, or condo, and it looks like the main driveway for the apartments in on the side of the property line.  There are also a lot of balconies over hanging the driveway, staring right into the side windows of the house, and the back yard.  

[doodlebug]

11 hours ago, amarante said:

I'll give them a pass on the stated reason for disliking split levels.

I hate them because it FORCES me to go up or down immediately on entering. It just seems like a really undesirable floor plan as I imagine my normal way of interacting with my home or visiting people.

On the other hand, my aunt lived in what I thought was a split level. If you entered the front door, you were on the level with the living room, kitchen, dining room and the sunroom. Half a level down was the family room which also led to the garage. Half a level up from the living/kitchen area were the bedrooms. That was a really comfortable house to live in because you generally weren't a long stairway from anything. 

My sister lives in a house like your aunt's and I like it just fine.  What I don't like is the sort of split level where you enter the front door and you are in a tiny foyer and must go either up or down some stairs to get to the living quarters.  I like homes with entrances that are warm and welcoming; a sterile vestibule and random stairs just doesn't do it for me.

I'm glad others found the autistic husband to be difficult.  I get that he is not neurotypical, that he was born that way, that change is difficult for him; but, it seems like his diagnosis was made fairly recently, and, since then, he uses it to get his own way all of the time.  I find it hard to believe that he could've gotten married, moved away from his parents and even had kids if he hadn't at some point been able to step outside his comfort zone a little.  It seems like now that he has a diagnosis, he feels that he no longer needs to try, that everyone should expect to accommodate him all the time.  

[LittleIggy]

Binghamton, NY: She must have gotten nothing in the divorce! I thought that house was just sad.

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

The DC professors might have been my favorite HH episode of all time. Partly because they were super adorable and pleasant to watch, and partly because they were sniffing around my neighborhood. The condo they chose was a rowhouse conversion, where a Victorian rowhouse gets split into two or three modern condos. I  don’t particularly love those, because you’re basically co-owning a house with a stranger in a two-unit condo association. But they’re increasingly the most common way as a younger professional to get good space in the city for under a million dollars. It looks like they purchased the upper unit, which is the only way to go in this scenario. The lower units tend to be partially below grade and have all of the noise, water, and pest issues that come with being basement level.

 

Chosen condo was in Truxton Circle, walking distance to Howard University. She teaches political science there, and he teaches philosophy. Dr. Grant posted about the HH episode on her Twitter account after it aired. The neighborhood itself is kind of early gentrification — it hasn’t gentrified as much as surrounding areas (and nowhere near as much as the Shaw neighborhood where Howard is located). It is still quite rough around the edges. But the block they’re on is a one-way minor street that is pretty nice, much more peaceful than the adjacent main streets. And again, having a walking commute is a quality of life booster that cannot be overstated in the traffic-clogged nightmare that is (non-pandemic) DC.

 

The other places they saw were a rowhouse in Riggs Park (referred to as Queens Chapel by the narrator, which I don’t think is common locally) and a detached house in Fort Washington. They made Riggs Park, on the Northeast DC/MD border, sound like the dark side of the moon with friends being unwilling to come out to visit them. In reality, it’s only four Metro (subway) stops from Howard. It could have been the case that the actual property was a hike from the Metro station and would have required a bus transfer. Also I’m glad they pointed out the obvious cost-cutting and shoddy finishes in the cheap flip. Too many times that gets a pass.

 

The detached home was in Fort Washington, a Maryland suburb south of DC. It’s nowhere near public transportation or other amenities, a 20-mile commute to Howard, and the highway leading into DC is terrible at all times of day. They would have had a nice big house but would have otherwise hated daily life. Although I’m wondering how they feel about that statement about how they “would have to make a commitment to being at home” now that we’re five months into a pandemic.

 

I thought they would have gone with the Riggs Park rowhouse (having extra rental space is nothing to sneeze at when you have a $600k mortgage), but ultimately I think the Truxton Circle condo was a great choice. And I loved the color green the exterior was painted.

 

Those open-air garage doors are super common in DC. As others have said, they provide a secure means to park your car off the street. Building a full garage often isn’t possible because of codes about the maximum percentage of a property that can contain a structure. The higher-end remodels use commercial roll-up doors, where the mechanism is sheltered from the weather and there are no visible door tracks hanging over the parking area. Much more aesthetic and much more durable than using an actual garage door. The problem is that the commercial doors are incredibly expensive to install (easily $12,000) and repair (I recently spent $2,000 to replace some broken slats on mine). So I totally understand why people choose to spend just a few hundred dollars on regular garage doors that they have to replace every couple of years.

[amarante]

5 hours ago, izabella said:

My parents lived in a house like that for a while, except theirs had one more half level down from the family room into an actual basement where the furnace and stuff was.  I am vaguely recalling that their house was called a tri-level.

Right. I forgot about the basement because I never went down there. My cousin had his drums down there and I guess it contained the normal furnace stuff of east coast basements. 

2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

My sister lives in a house like your aunt's and I like it just fine.  What I don't like is the sort of split level where you enter the front door and you are in a tiny foyer and must go either up or down some stairs to get to the living quarters.  I like homes with entrances that are warm and welcoming; a sterile vestibule and random stairs just doesn't do it for me.

  

That is the horrible layout which was in the episode. I think everyone agrees that is a really undesirable layout. However it seems like in most places they are called split foyers as opposed to split levels. 

[MsTree]

The house that the HH'ers were calling a split level is actually known as a bi-level because it only consists of two levels...upon entry you either go up the stairs or down the stairs, hence the prefix "bi".

Alternately, in some parts of the country, a bi-level is also called a raised ranch.

Edited August 21, 2020 by MsTree
clarification

[CruiseDiva]

On 8/19/2020 at 12:45 AM, LittleIggy said:

VA: I guess being on the autism spectrum allows you to act like a selfish jerk. 🙄

Dude really played up his autism diagnosis to the hilt, using is as his way to get whatever he wanted. I felt so bad for his wife. She looked miserable and frustrated. Since he got his way maybe he'll tone it down a bit, but  I doubt it since it's worked so well.

[cameron]

6 hours ago, Sheikh Yerbouti said:

The DC professors might have been my favorite HH episode of all time. Partly because they were super adorable and pleasant to watch, and partly because they were sniffing around my neighborhood. The condo they chose was a rowhouse conversion, where a Victorian rowhouse gets split into two or three modern condos. I  don’t particularly love those, because you’re basically co-owning a house with a stranger in a two-unit condo association. But they’re increasingly the most common way as a younger professional to get good space in the city for under a million dollars. It looks like they purchased the upper unit, which is the only way to go in this scenario. The lower units tend to be partially below grade and have all of the noise, water, and pest issues that come with being basement level.

 

Chosen condo was in Truxton Circle, walking distance to Howard University. She teaches political science there, and he teaches philosophy. Dr. Grant posted about the HH episode on her Twitter account after it aired. The neighborhood itself is kind of early gentrification — it hasn’t gentrified as much as surrounding areas (and nowhere near as much as the Shaw neighborhood where Howard is located). It is still quite rough around the edges. But the block they’re on is a one-way minor street that is pretty nice, much more peaceful than the adjacent main streets. And again, having a walking commute is a quality of life booster that cannot be overstated in the traffic-clogged nightmare that is (non-pandemic) DC.

 

The other places they saw were a rowhouse in Riggs Park (referred to as Queens Chapel by the narrator, which I don’t think is common locally) and a detached house in Fort Washington. They made Riggs Park, on the Northeast DC/MD border, sound like the dark side of the moon with friends being unwilling to come out to visit them. In reality, it’s only four Metro (subway) stops from Howard. It could have been the case that the actual property was a hike from the Metro station and would have required a bus transfer. Also I’m glad they pointed out the obvious cost-cutting and shoddy finishes in the cheap flip. Too many times that gets a pass.

 

The detached home was in Fort Washington, a Maryland suburb south of DC. It’s nowhere near public transportation or other amenities, a 20-mile commute to Howard, and the highway leading into DC is terrible at all times of day. They would have had a nice big house but would have otherwise hated daily life. Although I’m wondering how they feel about that statement about how they “would have to make a commitment to being at home” now that we’re five months into a pandemic.

 

I thought they would have gone with the Riggs Park rowhouse (having extra rental space is nothing to sneeze at when you have a $600k mortgage), but ultimately I think the Truxton Circle condo was a great choice. And I loved the color green the exterior was painted.

 

Those open-air garage doors are super common in DC. As others have said, they provide a secure means to park your car off the street. Building a full garage often isn’t possible because of codes about the maximum percentage of a property that can contain a structure. The higher-end remodels use commercial roll-up doors, where the mechanism is sheltered from the weather and there are no visible door tracks hanging over the parking area. Much more aesthetic and much more durable than using an actual garage door. The problem is that the commercial doors are incredibly expensive to install (easily $12,000) and repair (I recently spent $2,000 to replace some broken slats on mine). So I totally understand why people choose to spend just a few hundred dollars on regular garage doors that they have to replace every couple of years.

They are really close to the Florida Ave. market, aka Union Market.  That area has become a happening spot now.  So different than what it use to be.

[WI GIRL56]

5 hours ago, MsTree said:

The house that the HH'ers were calling a split level is actually known as a bi-level because it only consists of two levels...you either go up the stairs or down the stairs, hence the prefix "bi".

Alternately, in some parts of the country, a bi-level is also called a raised ranch.

When we bought our first house in Wisconsin they called it a raised ranch.  You walked in and there were either 5 steps up to the living area and bedrooms or down to the family room and more bedrooms.   The foyer was fairly large.  We had a bench sitting there and had it nicely decorated.  The garage was under the house and the door was on the lower level.  We hated this and actually put up a detached garage and then blocked in the old garage for storage.

[laredhead]

I knew the couple in North Canton were going to buy that big colonial the minute they walked in the door and the wife was laser focused on having it.  The former owners certainly liked the colonial decor, and it was like looking at a sample wallpaper book from that era because every room had a different wallpaper pattern.  I do have to say that I kind of liked the red kitchen cabinets.  In the "after" picture, it looked like maybe they were going to keep the cabinets, but probably paint them because the cabinets were still there, but the doors had been removed.  The wife had a good point about the open concept where the kitchen, dining, and living area is all one room, and there is no where to escape to except a bedroom if you want to get away.  She pointed out she will be the one at home all day, and that wasn't a floor plan that she wanted to live in 24/7.  I thought the 3rd house in the cookie cutter neighborhood was not attractive at all.  This is one episode that I would love to see on HH WATN in the future if they ever do that again.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wonder if the kitchen cabinet doors were missing because they were going to get them refaced?   Where you get new doors and drawer fronts, or drawers, and they put a veneer on the sides, fronts, and edges of the original cabinet.    She certainly got exactly what she wanted.   

With the Kansas City house hunt, I was thinking it was a Home in a Hurry episode.    I find it hard to believe that the realtor couldn't find a four bedroom, for the price they wanted in the entire Kansas City area, but kept taking them to unsuitable homes.  

With the Binghamton, NY episode, I would have bought the second home, with all of the room.  In spite of the bathroom door off of the kitchen counter end of the kitchen.     She could have had an upright piano, and plenty of room for students, with the hardwoods she wanted.    The stair carpet would have been great to keep the dog from slipping too.    I know it was over her budget, but for a full cash offer, the homeowners might have come down a lot on the price.   

I thought for a home that only needed the back fence replaced, that it was a bargain.     I hated the fixer upper with the peeling paint, and the hideous basement.      The first house was cute, but it was too small.   The attic was way too low for real use, and who knows what kind of load the attic floor can hold?      I hope she's happy with her choice.      The idea of trading voice lessons for a full kitchen remodel is bizarre.     

Edited August 20, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[cameron]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I wonder if the kitchen cabinet doors were missing because they were going to get them refaced?   Where you get new doors and drawer fronts, or drawers, and they put a veneer on the sides, fronts, and edges of the original cabinet.    She certainly got exactly what she wanted.   

With the Kansas City house hunt, I was thinking it was a Home in a Hurry episode.    I find it hard to believe that the realtor couldn't find a four bedroom, for the price they wanted in the entire Kansas City area, but kept taking them to unsuitable homes.  

With the Binghamton, NY episode, I would have bought the second home, with all of the room.  In spite of the bathroom door off of the kitchen counter end of the kitchen.     She could have had an upright piano, and plenty of room for students, with the hardwoods she wanted.    The stair carpet would have been great to keep the dog from slipping too.    I know it was over her budget, but for a full cash offer, the homeowners might have come down a lot on the price.   

I thought for a home that only needed the back fence replaced, that it was a bargain.     I hated the fixer upper with the peeling paint, and the hideous basement.      The first house was cute, but it was too small.   The attic was way too low for real use, and who knows what kind of load the attic floor can hold?      I hope she's happy with her choice.      The idea of trading voice lessons for a full kitchen remodel is bizarre.     

Actually, the first home for that price was a bargain.  Nice size and looked really nice from the outside.  She needs to get over finding a house that looked like their place in Joplin Mo.  I mean the way that they rode by without even going in.  Looked to be in the suburbs.

Edited August 20, 2020 by cameron

[chessiegal]

I thought the Kansas City might be a repackaged House in a Hurry too, except that the wife didn't cry. I think that's a requisite for House in a Hurry. They both seemed fairly upbeat about the process.

[cameron]

13 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I wonder if the kitchen cabinet doors were missing because they were going to get them refaced?   Where you get new doors and drawer fronts, or drawers, and they put a veneer on the sides, fronts, and edges of the original cabinet.    She certainly got exactly what she wanted.   

With the Kansas City house hunt, I was thinking it was a Home in a Hurry episode.    I find it hard to believe that the realtor couldn't find a four bedroom, for the price they wanted in the entire Kansas City area, but kept taking them to unsuitable homes.  

With the Binghamton, NY episode, I would have bought the second home, with all of the room.  In spite of the bathroom door off of the kitchen counter end of the kitchen.     She could have had an upright piano, and plenty of room for students, with the hardwoods she wanted.    The stair carpet would have been great to keep the dog from slipping too.    I know it was over her budget, but for a full cash offer, the homeowners might have come down a lot on the price.   

I thought for a home that only needed the back fence replaced, that it was a bargain.     I hated the fixer upper with the peeling paint, and the hideous basement.      The first house was cute, but it was too small.   The attic was way too low for real use, and who knows what kind of load the attic floor can hold?      I hope she's happy with her choice.      The idea of trading voice lessons for a full kitchen remodel is bizarre.     

I don't find it unusual at all to have a place where there is a powder off the kitchen.  Very common in older historic homes where there wasn't a toilet inside at all originally and over time it came inside wherever they could find room for it.  I've had two with the powder room off the kitchen and one with the powder room built right under the stairs going to the second floor.

[CrazyInAlabama]

What I disliked on the first Kansas City house was the driveway for the apartment building next door, and the amount of traffic that would have.    The backyard was almost all concrete, and the balconies for the apartment building were hanging over the driveway too.    For someone who doesn't care about having a back yard, that would have been nice.    I love historic homes, but for me the apartments next door would have been a deal breaker.   I would have had to paint all of the walls lighter colors though.    I would have left the wood trim alone.  

Edited August 20, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[StatisticalOutlier]

20 hours ago, doodlebug said:

What I don't like is the sort of split level where you enter the front door and you are in a tiny foyer and must go either up or down some stairs to get to the living quarters. 

From the outside, do these look like a rectangle with a partially buried lower floor (with windows almost at ground level) and a much-higher-than-ground-level upper floor, and a door in the middle?  I really can't stand the way they look from the street.

 

18 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Binghamton, NY: She must have gotten nothing in the divorce! I thought that house was just sad.

I can't believe how cheap the houses were, sad or not. 

 

8 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I know it was over her budget, but for a full cash offer, the homeowners might have come down a lot on the price.  

I hope this isn't considered too off-topic, but why is a full cash offer so attractive?  Do they close quicker than one that has a loan, and it's an advantage if the seller needs the money sooner rather than later?  Would being pre-approved for a loan make a difference?

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

A full cash offer means you can close quickly.  It also means that there is no wait for appraisal.   The buyer might want an inspection though, and the usual termite inspection or other inspections.     It also means no wait to see if the buyer qualifies for financing, or have to wait for them to sell a previous property before you can close.     You still need to negotiate for credits, or issues you will need to repair on the house.     I sold a house that way about 15 years ago.   The buyers were buying four or five properties for investment, so they could rent them out.   

It's a sure sale that will go through, instead of having the buyer not qualify for financing or some other issue.   

The Binghamton buyer could also have paid the $75k or whatever she had from the inheritance, and then financed the small amount remaining, if she had gone for the second house.    However, if the buyer is motivated (it's been on the market for a while, or they really want it gone), they might have been willing to settle for a lot of money off of the price, to get the house sold.     I looked at the realtor sites, and houses in that are certainly are low priced.   So a seller might have to cut the price a lot to get rid of a property.  

I really enjoyed that episode, because we don't often see buyers with that low of a budget, and that are willing to settle for something they can afford.    I'm glad she didn't go with the third property, because it would have been a money pit.    

I couldn't stand the couple moving to Redlands, CA.   She was demanding the same features in the house, that they had in their previous house that was much cheaper than California housing.    I felt sorry for the realtor, trying to find what both of the couple wanted, and at the price the wife wanted to spend.    Who makes a major move like that, and doesn't look at the cost of housing?    I missed the very beginning saying why they were moving to California, but I doubt I missed much.   The wife reminds me of a woman I worked with years ago, who could barely afford the house they were living in, but was constantly house shopping at places that cost twice what her current house costs.    I bet nothing will ever be good enough for the wife, and I bet they're going to open houses every weekend.   

Edited August 21, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[NYGirl]

Back to the Joplin to Kansas City "house in a hurry" couple it was very refreshing that they both agreed on the style they wanted.  They were clearly on the same page and we were spared the nasty remarks to each other.

[KLovestoShop]

Another special education teacher here.  When I heard the ASD man talk about his need to stay in his zip code, warning lights went off.  I’ve never met an ASD person freak out about a zip code. I feel sorry for his wife.  She’ll have to compromise all her life.

I found another wife who goes on my most disliked HH list. The midwest transplants to California wife was beyond nasty. I don’t know if she thought she was auditioning for a show, but her shrill voice and her “all about me” attitude drove me nuts. And the husband needed to get off his open concept high horse. 

Edited August 21, 2020 by KLovestoShop

[kirklandia]

On 8/19/2020 at 8:08 AM, amarante said:

On the other hand, my aunt lived in what I thought was a split level. If you entered the front door, you were on the level with the living room, kitchen, dining room and the sunroom. Half a level down was the family room which also led to the garage. Half a level up from the living/kitchen area were the bedrooms. That was a really comfortable house to live in because you generally weren't a long stairway from anything. 

I grew up in one of those, in the Midwest we called them tri-levels. It really was a very functional floor plan.