House Hunters - General Discussion

[stewedsquash]

 

I keep up with PoliMath on Twitter and they retweeted the above. Funny 51 second real estate reality check. I have watched about six times in a row and I always crack at the guy's response to "Is it even worth that?" 

Edited April 25, 2021 by stewedsquash

[stewedsquash]

I enjoyed watching last week's Austin, TX episode. The first house was kind of claustrophobic to me, especially when the ceiling's dropped so much in the kitchen. I don't know what the zoning is but it seemed like that separate garage had been converted to a complete extra home and would be a nice rental. Between the house and the garage, I would have preferred the garage to live in. 

The second house just didn't seem to have much usable land, seemed to not have much flat usable space. The house was okay-ish.  I didn't like the choppy master bedroom either. And that it had an identity crisis, (a bad example of) modern/(fake) farmhouse/on the cheap chic. If someone talented in interior design got a hold of it it could have been a pretty cool house. It was just too much of a mish-mash of style for what seemed to be a fairly new house. 

They chose the third option and seemed to just spruce it up with some interior paint, which I thought was cool. When they were putting on the white over the leather brown color I kept thinking Stop it. Show me that pretty, different shade of blue/green that you put in the area behind you! They only showed it in the background, bummer. 

What were their occupations? I know his two year plan is to open a brewery (good luck, sincerely!)  but what do they do for money now? My dvr cut off the last 30 seconds so I don't know if he got in the pool or not. I liked him better than I liked her. Nothing wrong with her but he was such a happy person.

eta His momentary horse neigh confusion Oh the horse's sound which lead to her saying You're not ready! was funny. 

Edited April 26, 2021 by stewedsquash

[Grizzly]

Columbus, Ohio. Can't wait to see who gets their way. And they chose the small one by campus. They do know putting in a bathroom is going to bring that house over their budget? I would bring a tape measure but not in a fannypack.

[Kiddvideo]

Columbus: I loathed her. Did she take him into consideration at all? Even if she wasn’t aggressive about it her attitude was “This is what I want. It’s how I was raised. This is what we’re doing. End of story.” Loved his tape measure. 

Those houses were depressing. They looked like quick flips a childless couple would buy as a starter and then sell when they got pregnant with their second child. Putting a bathroom in the attic where there’s no existing plumbing won’t be cheap.

And completely shallow: She needed to wash her hair. With shampoo and water.  No wonder his comment about her hair dryer at the end.

[CrazyInAlabama]

In the Columbus episode, I liked him, but not her.    I wonder if they really put another bath in the attic?   I think the house (#1) they bought was a good compromise, but that third house was bizarre.    The third one had tiny closets, one bathroom, and since the husband doesn't like stairs (that must have been a storyline, and not real), that basement might not even be used.   

I really don't get what the wife's demand that they live in a tiny place, like the third house.   So was the husband supposed to get rid of everything he had?    Because apparently the wife only had a few items of clothing, and nothing else.   If she never used the hairdryer, then why was she looking for it, or keeping it?    Something you never use seems like a great item to give away.     They certainly didn't seem like a compatible couple.  

My suspicion is that the wife thought if they bought her small house (#3), then the husband would dump all of his stuff, so they could use one closet, and have nothing else, including his tools that he wanted to keep.    

Edited April 28, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[buttersister]

I know there are more interesting homes in Columbus, these three were pretty meh. But getting the place where she could walk to work was kinda obvious. And she's embraced the downsizing and simplifying so much, I suspect he was more onboard with that than the script allowed. Nobody suggested he get rid of any of his many fanny packs!

 

[Grrarrggh]

I really liked the Columbus couple. Their "arguments" were obviously full of love and jokes. I hope he succeeds in bringing back the fanny pack! 

[cameron]

Even though the first house in Napa was very cute and in a good location, the female prospective home buyer had to turn sideways to get through the doors.  Glad they went for a newer home with wider doorway openings.

[Grizzly]

7 hours ago, cameron said:

Even though the first house in Napa was very cute and in a good location, the female prospective home buyer had to turn sideways to get through the doors.  Glad they went for a newer home with wider doorway openings.

I didn't know Napa had a city center. I thought it was a region.

[eel21788]

9 hours ago, cameron said:

Even though the first house in Napa was very cute and in a good location, the female prospective home buyer had to turn sideways to get through the doors.  Glad they went for a newer home with wider doorway openings.

The stairs were also incredibly steep. It definitely wouldn't pass today's building codes.

[ByaNose]

Napa Valley couple seemed very nice. The house they picked seemed very un-Napa like though. Is 35 minutes really walkable? It needed lots of work but they seem prepared for the challenge. The pool area will be nice if the renderings are any indication. 

[Dehumidifier]

I knew they were on Long Island within the first minute. Hahaha. That's all I have to say. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The new one tonight is young couple moving out of their in-laws to their own place on Long Island.   I'm not sure if I can take the wife's voice for much longer.   

#1-tile floor with snow, and the pool is so sensible.    The entire house was a gut renovation, at the top of their budget, and the wife wanted white countertops.    The black counter tops are a nice contrast.   At last, a home buyer who says first priority is a pool fence.  I bet the reason there are outside stairs to the basement, and a kitchen down there, is it's an income suite.      I wouldn't like a place with the second bathroom in the basement, and only one upstairs.   

#2 nice house, I don't like open shelving, and would replace it with either regular cabinets with more counter space, or pantry cabinets.    The bathrooms made me dizzy.  The wallpaper and the yellow counter top was awful.  Needs a lot of renovation. 

 #3 nice, but two bedrooms?   I hope they realize egress windows in basements aren't just a good idea, they can save your life.   The dining/living area is small.  A bedroom right off the entry is awful.   The bizarre stairs are awkward.   The washer/dryer in the family room is interesting.     I want to know how a couple of people just starting out, can  spend up to $600k on a first house?    

So they buy #1.   He gets his pool.  

[Grizzly]

Long Island, NY. House #1, the basement is fine for the baby's playroom but not to bathe the baby? She is so frigging dramatic. House #2 where she loved the kitchen, there was no counter space. House #3 was too much money, they didn't seem to care about being near the beach. Wonder where the money for the wedding will come from?

[Kiddvideo]

Lawn Guyland. Oh for the love of god. I cannot roll my eyes enough. Some episodes I’m really reminded that they already have their homes and the drama is for show. The walking-off and locking herself in the bathroom over that third house that they knew they weren’t buying was waaaayyyy over the top. I don’t watch House Hunters for it to be a Real Housewives of Commack episode.

Did anyone catch her wiggling and pulling up her pants before they sat down to highlight the pros and cons of each property? I had a boss I despised who used to do that. JUST BUY PANTS THAT FIT.

Edited April 30, 2021 by Kiddvideo

[chessiegal]

Interesting to see the camera man with a mask on when the drama queen stomped off. She was just too.

[laredhead]

I became very tired of hearing that Long Island woman say how obsessed she was with a kitchen, wallpaper, or anything else she liked.  About the only thing she was obsessed with was herself and her wants.  Such a drama queen.  If her house hunting antics are any indication, I wonder if she will be appearing on one of those bridezilla shows that were popular a couple of years ago?

As for the kitchen in House #2, there was no counter space, but I doubt she cooks very much.  That house was only 1,400 sf, so of course the bedrooms were going to be small.

The first house was the best choice of the 3.  I liked the realtor's comments about the present housing market, and lowering their expectations as far as what their budget would buy.

 

Edited April 30, 2021 by laredhead
Correcting spelling

[Vivigirl10]

The "most dramatic walk-off evah" was so confusing.  It was either pre-planned for drama or at the very least, she made the deliberate decision to do that knowing she would be filmed and also understanding it would be shown to the viewing audience.  So either way, she was o.k. with it.  Who in their right mind would want to be shown acting like a tired toddler?  I suffered severe second hand embarrassment for her.  

 

[amarante]

I saw what I am certain was a rerun - it was a couple in North Carolina who were buying a "beach house" somewhere in North Carolina. Ostensible drama was that she didn't want a house on piers and didn't want to rent it.

My question is what is the purpose of buying a "beach house" that is not within close walking distance of the beach. We used to rent a house on Long Beach Island which was a few houses down from the beach so we could just go back and forth easily.

Once you have to get in a car and drive to the beach and shlep stuff there and back, it doesn't seem to be much better than when we would get in the car and drive to one of the local beaches for the afternoon.

The homes didn't have any pools or stuff that made outdoor living more fun than just a normal suburban backyard. Why wouldn't someone just build a pool in their backyard and have a great place without the expense and burden of another home.

Personally I think one of those high rise condos would be much more fun than a ranch house blocks from the ocean. But maybe I am missing something as I can't see what the purpose is to drive four hours to a house that would require driving to a beach.

[CrazyInAlabama]

They've been recycling a lot of the beach front bargain shows as HH.   They've been doing that for years.    You can tell it's from another version, when the realtor sends the person through to look at the house, and will meet them outside later.   

Edited April 30, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[BrownBear2012]

2 hours ago, laredhead said:

I became very tired of hearing that Long Island woman say how obsessed she was with a kitchen, wallpaper, or anything else she like.  About the only thing she was obsessed with was herself and her wants.  Such a drama queen.  If her house hunting antics are any indication, I wonder if she will be appearing on one of those bridezilla shows that were popular a couple of years ago?

As for the kitchen in House #2, there was no counter space, but I doubt she cooks very much.  That house was only 1,400 sf, so of course the bedrooms were going to be small.

The first house was the best choice of the 3.  I liked the realtor's comments about the present housing market, and lowering their expectations as far as what their budget would buy.

 

I wasn;'t impressed with any of the hoises but the last one was dreadful. The curent owners didn't even bother to clean up the front of the house before putting it on the market. Old 50's type of brick ranch and small rooms...ecch. The cape was cute but they would outgrow it...the pool house had been renovated so stuff was new. The pool will prove to be a pain in the ass, especially with a small child. This couple was immature and couldn't agree on much. She was quite the little princess.

[CoppersMom2021]

16 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

Lawn Guyland. Oh for the love of god. I cannot roll my eyes enough. Some episodes I’m really reminded that they already have their homes and the drama is for show. The walking-off and locking herself in the bathroom over that third house that they knew they weren’t buying was waaaayyyy over the top. I don’t watch House Hunters for it to be a Real Housewives of Commack episode.

Did anyone catch her wiggling and pulling up her pants before they sat down to highlight the pros and cons of each property? I had a boss I despised who used to do that. JUST BUY PANTS THAT FIT.

The woman’s voice annoyed me in the preview and I KNEW it would make watching this episode difficult…and she did not disappoint. 

[CoppersMom2021]

3 hours ago, Kiki620 said:

The "most dramatic walk-off evah" was so confusing.  It was either pre-planned for drama or at the very least, she made the deliberate decision to do that knowing she would be filmed and also understanding it would be shown to the viewing audience.  So either way, she was o.k. with it.  Who in their right mind would want to be shown acting like a tired toddler?  I suffered severe second hand embarrassment for her.  

 

“Im gonna walk off with a lot of dramatics and go straight to the bathroom of a stranger’s home that I’m pretending to be interested in buying. Please blame it on me having a baby a year ago and being stressed about the home-buying process even though Im already under contract” 

[amarante]

The Guyland couple were textbook illustrations of idiots who want the same house they grew up in without stopping to think that the house with the nice finishes and pool in the backyard was probably NOT the house their parents originally moved into. The parents lived in an apartment or bought an extremely modest starter home like one of the original style Levitowns and then moved into the home the children think was the home they grew up in.

And also they aren't adjusting for the reality of home prices increasing more than inflation. My childhood home was purchased for $16,000 and now sells for over a million dollars. It was just a home in Brooklyn that was built for the working and middle class people of that time - believe me nothing fancy :-). The neighbors were teachers or owners of small businessmen - not upper class professionals. But now people with the incomes of my parents would not be able to purchase that same home.

Edited May 3, 2021 by amarante

[LittleIggy]

Long Island: In the old days, the wedding was moved up when the bride-to-be found out she was pregnant! 😏

[cameron]

5 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Long Island: In the old days, the wedding was moved up when the bride-to-be found out she was pregnant! 😏

Odds on this couple making a go of it for the long haul are pretty low in my opinion.

[ECM1231]

Oh shoot, I missed the Long Island episode. They sounded obnoxious but please don't judge us all the same. Although I can't apologize for my Lawn Guyland accent...been living here since I moved from Brooklyn at age 5.

HGTV website is a bitch to navigate. The seasons are all numbered oddly. I then went to IMDB site to try to find it and the most current season is numbered as #199 and began  on March 10 and was episode 2. It doesn't list episode #1.  Season 199 has 13 episodes and the last one supposedly aired on March 30 and was in Des Moines. On HGTV website the next season is season 201 and so far looks like there are only 2 episodes. "Twin Cities" is airing May 11 and S201 Episode 2 takes place in "San Antonio" and airs May 12.

 

So, I'm wondering if the latest Long Island episode is a repeat. If anyone knows what the title is of the episode, I can try to look it up. 

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, ECM1231 said:

So, I'm wondering if the latest Long Island episode is a repeat. If anyone knows what the title is of the episode, I can try to look it up. 

My DVR recorded it as "new"... I don't record reruns.

[LittleIggy]

On 4/28/2021 at 5:34 PM, Grrarrggh said:

I really liked the Columbus couple. Their "arguments" were obviously full of love and jokes. I hope he succeeds in bringing back the fanny pack! 

God forbid!

[jacksgirl]

I kept waiting for "Ashley" to show up in the Mary Kate Long Island episode. Glad they got the house closer to his job, it was the choice I would have made. Wifey was a huge drama queen, sorry,  buying a house is stressful, but she was all about herself. And she used the phrase "I'm obsessed" like the 16 year olds I know. 

[stewedsquash]

I loved the Portland episode. I didn't like any of the houses but the house they picked was perfect for them and their life. I can see the seller's realtor saying "we are looking for that one buyer", ha.  When she told him she liked a messy baker, did he give her a scathing look?? He gave her some kind of look that was odd. Their kids were cool but I thought they looked like her sister, I had to rewind because I thought they were her sister's. He looked and acted like Rachel Zoe's husband which is good and cool. She was beautiful but she, honestly, looked nice in some of her clothes and fat in others. I found that odd only because she is a model used for fitting sizes, not because there is anything wrong with being her size. I liked their realtor and kept picturing him being paired up with the Paris, France realtor. I want them to be a couple. 

It took me a few to get Lawn Guyland. Okay, it took me until another poster actually wrote Lawn Guyland accent. I can't add anything else because y'all have said it all, terrible episode. Well, I did like the husband and the baby. Terrible houses. Second hand embarrassment for the wife.

I liked fanny pack guy but I would want him to groom his beard better. I have nothing against beards, long beards but I do need them groomed. The only thing I liked about her were her grandparent stories. I didn't like any of the houses they showed. I did like that they are going to redo floors and some other updates and that will help. 

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by stewedsquash

[chediavolo]

On 4/30/2021 at 11:37 AM, Kiki620 said:

The "most dramatic walk-off evah" was so confusing.  It was either pre-planned for drama or at the very least, she made the deliberate decision to do that knowing she would be filmed and also understanding it would be shown to the viewing audience.  So either way, she was o.k. with it.  Who in their right mind would want to be shown acting like a tired toddler?  I suffered severe second hand embarrassment for her.  

 

She came off like a fucking immature & spoiled bitch. Which  she probably is. 

[LittleIggy]

Portland: I loved that weird house that they picked. It was way cool. 

[NYGirl]

On 5/1/2021 at 10:24 PM, ECM1231 said:

Oh shoot, I missed the Long Island episode. They sounded obnoxious but please don't judge us all the same. Although I can't apologize for my Lawn Guyland accent...been living here since I moved from Brooklyn at age 5.

HGTV website is a bitch to navigate. The seasons are all numbered oddly. I then went to IMDB site to try to find it and the most current season is numbered as #199 and began  on March 10 and was episode 2. It doesn't list episode #1.  Season 199 has 13 episodes and the last one supposedly aired on March 30 and was in Des Moines. On HGTV website the next season is season 201 and so far looks like there are only 2 episodes. "Twin Cities" is airing May 11 and S201 Episode 2 takes place in "San Antonio" and airs May 12.

 

So, I'm wondering if the latest Long Island episode is a repeat. If anyone knows what the title is of the episode, I can try to look it up. 

Its Season 200 Episode 10

[KLovestoShop]

That spoiled Long Island bitch was so annoying.  How can someone be obsessed with wall treatments and floors?  And how can someone have anxiety over a dining room, and screams bad news over a stairway?  She complains about price but in the same breath she wants everything high end. She’s totally vapid.  Don’t see this couple making it 5 years.  
 

I’ve put together a list of sayings I’m so sick of hearing across all HGTV backgrounds. 
 

Now, dat’s what I’m talkin’ about.  That price is near our max budget (so what...if you don’t want to pay that much, lower your damn budget).  Beachy.  It’s a total gut job.  It isn’t my taste (then build your own damn house).  Where’s my....island, white cabinets, stainless appliances, granite countertops, hardwoods, man cave, she shed, open concept, it’s so small (your budget is $175,000 so you’re not getting a main bedroom that’s 20X40), house like my parents, I want to live near my mother.  The commute is too far (to some, a 10 minute drive is too far).  We need huge entertaining spaces(who entertains all that much).  We need to be near bars and restaurants.  We need a dog, cat, bird, gerbil, snake room. 
 

 

[Crashcourse]

Los Angeles area couple:  Did y'all know the guy was a war vet?  Yes, thank you for your service, but he kept repeating it.  Wife was a lending officer who was supposedly trying to convince him to buy since they'd been renting for so long.  Didn't like him or his attitude, and on a shallow note, he looked like he was about two cheeseburgers away from having a massive heart attack with his size.   I'm glad they didn't select the house with the pool because I wasn't looking forward to seeing him jumping half naked into it at the end of the episode. 

Edited May 5, 2021 by Crashcourse

[CrazyInAlabama]

So on the Atlanta episode, they're both realtors, both flipped several houses, and now need one near the relatives, with a deck and garage.   

First one is lacking key features, like an en suite that's not the size of a phone booth.  The house had a hideous first floor plan. 

Second one is cheaper, and needs some work, but a lot is cosmetic (paint, and probably carpet), but the dreaded wallpaper removal, and covering the sponge painting would have me running away from that house.   

If the husband doesn't shut up about 'walkability' I'm going to scream. 

#3 is 100 years old, giant porch, I love the house, with the pocket doors, and lovely wood floors.  My worries about 100 year old house is if the wiring is totally updated, and if the plumbing is updated?  The kitchen looked lovely, and I would have changed the pendant lights, but not repainted the cabinets.       The basement is bizarre, and still has the old well down there.   I would fill the well in.   Why is my guess is that the wife's parents are going to be daycare?  

They buy the third house, the 100 year old house. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Grizzly]

Atlanta area. Two real estate agents. I liked that they were able to see the good points of the spouse's pick and the bad points of their own pick. Thought they'd be tearing each other down. But they came across as a real, loving couple. That was definitely a unique house.

[LittleIggy]

23 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

Los Angeles area couple:  Did y'all know the guy was a war vet?  Yes, thank you for your service, but he kept repeating it.  Wife was a lending officer who was supposedly trying to convince him to buy since they'd been renting for so long.  Didn't like him or his attitude, and on a shallow note, he looked like he was about two cheeseburgers away from having a massive heart attack with his size.   I'm glad they didn't select the house with the pool because I wasn't looking forward to seeing him jumping half naked into it at the end of the episode. 

There wouldn’t be any water left in a pool after he jumped in! 💦 

[DonnaMae]

22 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Atlanta area. Two real estate agents. I liked that they were able to see the good points of the spouse's pick and the bad points of their own pick. Thought they'd be tearing each other down. But they came across as a real, loving couple. That was definitely a unique house.

Too bad more of the couples on House Hunters aren't like these two.

[Grizzly]

Chicago. Don't envy the realtor. Both of these Kevins have punchable faces. I didn't hear, why do they need a third bedroom? 

[buttersister]

Their shoe collection? Dunno, they didn’t say.or I didn’t hear. I suspect it was an available unit that came with. Sounded like the seller was desperate, so my guess is the realtor knew he could get that price way down. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I liked the Chicago condo the men picked.   The third one, the new build was not in a location I would want to look at everyday.    The huge balcony would have been wasted on me.    The price didn't compensate for the location, and the awful views.    

The first one was too small, and just not appealing.   Wasn't that the one with the humongous HOA fees?    The second one was a good choice, but I find it bizarre that they got it for so much off, and it included the parking space too at the much lower price.   

[cameron]

On 5/5/2021 at 10:31 PM, Grizzly said:

Atlanta area. Two real estate agents. I liked that they were able to see the good points of the spouse's pick and the bad points of their own pick. Thought they'd be tearing each other down. But they came across as a real, loving couple. That was definitely a unique house.

Found it interesting that she said she grew up in a 9,000 square foot home and then her parents lost everything.  Makes me wonder what they did.

 

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, cameron said:

Found it interesting that she said she grew up in a 9,000 square foot home and then her parents lost everything.  Makes me wonder what they did.

 

Maybe it was like Schitt’s Creek.

[izabella]

6 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I liked the Chicago condo the men picked.   The third one, the new build was not in a location I would want to look at everyday.    The huge balcony would have been wasted on me.    The price didn't compensate for the location, and the awful views.    

The first one was too small, and just not appealing.   Wasn't that the one with the humongous HOA fees?    The second one was a good choice, but I find it bizarre that they got it for so much off, and it included the parking space too at the much lower price.   

I agree they picked the best one.   I wonder if the price was inflated for the show to make it seem like a competition because there was no way they would want the other places after seeing that one.

I hate those loft walls that don't go up to the ceiling in the first place they looked at.  Noise is a huge problem unless you live alone in one of those.  I don't know why they build them like that.  Maybe there are ducts or something in the way?  Even so, I would expect a good contractor can work with that and still make the walls reach the ceiling!

The view in that last place with the balcony was awful.  Great balcony, but looking at that eyesore building directly in front of them every day would be depressing.

[StatisticalOutlier]

2 hours ago, izabella said:

I hate those loft walls that don't go up to the ceiling in the first place they looked at.  Noise is a huge problem unless you live alone in one of those.  I don't know why they build them like that.  Maybe there are ducts or something in the way?  Even so, I would expect a good contractor can work with that and still make the walls reach the ceiling!

There was a giant round air-conditioning duct that entered the bedroom above the wall between the bedroom and living room.  It ran along a wall in the bedroom, turned 90 degrees and ran along another wall (opposite the wall between the bedroom and the living room), and then out of the bedroom above another wall. 

So they might have been able to extend the wall up and around the duct entrances/exits, but then the duct would appear to be dead-ending into walls, which might not look great.

What got me was that the bedroom had no window.  Are they not required in bedrooms in lofts?  Or maybe if you don't have the walls go all the way to the ceiling you don't have to have a widow?

I wonder because in standalone houses, there are often code issues with bedroom windows and egress, like you have to build a little well around ones in the basement.

[izabella]

17 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

What got me was that the bedroom had no window.  Are they not required in bedrooms in lofts?  Or maybe if you don't have the walls go all the way to the ceiling you don't have to have a widow?

You might be onto something there!  That would explain a lot.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, a legal bedroom requires an egress window (or other form of egress), and a closet.    

 However, I've known a lot of basement bedrooms without an egress window, so they're called non-conforming.    That's why an apartment room that should be called a bedroom, is called a den instead, no egress window.  

I hate the lofts where the walls don't go to the ceiling.    Noisy, lack of privacy. 

[buttersister]

Quote

What got me was that the bedroom had no window.  Are they not required in bedrooms in lofts?  Or maybe if you don't have the walls go all the way to the ceiling you don't have to have a widow?

I rented a large Chicago loft for years. No window in the enormous bedroom, but no door either. There were walls, it wasn't wide open. The only room that had windows was the dining room/living room, but they were multiple, enormous ones with a southern exposure. The only room that had a door (besides the walk-in closets) was the bath, and the shower/toilet section was completely enclosed. Loved it. Didn't buy it when it converted to condo, though.

The guys' loft is near here. I'm figuring which gym they go to (more like a club) and there's a lot going on around here (normally), so I get the attraction. Also, Wicker Park is such a different vibe. I get it. But I don't know how anyone uses K1 and K2 with straight faces.