House Hunters - General Discussion

[ECM1231]

On 5/5/2021 at 10:24 AM, NYGirl said:

Its Season 200 Episode 10

Yes, thank you. I was able to find out which one it was by Googling HH Long Island episode and the date it aired.  I had tried to find it On Demand and couldn't but then was able to watch it on my desktop.

Some thoughts:  They looked in both Commack and Huntington but truthfully those 2 towns are not that far from one another. Not far enough to make a difference when the husband worked in the Hamptons. They are both on the North Shore and he's got to commute to the South Shore.  

House #1 was the home they bought and the only one which had an inground pool. It was listed for 435K and they purchased it for 425K.  It had a new kitchen and the bedrooms were small. The living room floor was tiled, which they didn't seem to mind.  It had an outside entrance to the finished basement, which was lovely. I'm wondering if it was an accessory apartment at one time b/c there is no reason to have an outside basement entrance. I didn't see a basement kitchen, but that could always be added. * FYI, basement apartments are illegal on Long Island but that doesn't stop folks from renting them out. 

The last house, a brick ranch listed for 550K was the largest at 2,479 sq ft. It probably was a good 1000 sq ft larger than the 2 other homes.  For me the deal-breaker was that it was only 2 bedrooms. I don't know where the rest of the square footage was b/c it didn't look that large. I'm pretty sure they don't count the basement in the square footage.

Home #2 was a small cape which was listed for 449K, the cheapest of the homes. It had almost 1500 sq feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and hardwood floors. The kitchen was lovely with 2 tone cabinets, which the wife loved and husband hated.   Yes, both bathrooms were dated and the bedrooms had wall paneling. HOWEVER,  the bedrooms had nice hardwood floors. The paneling could always be painted out white.  Hardwood floors are a plus in my book. The upstairs bath had beige wall tile. I'd just get rid of the horrible wallpaper and work with the tile. Get a new bathroom vanity, new light fixtures, etc. It was $85,000 less than the house they bought and 100K less than the most expensive one.  They wound up paying 75K more  and since the kitchen did not need an update, they could renovate both baths for considerably less than that, jmho.  However, I say this as the wife of an extremely handy husband, who has gutted several bathrooms down to the studs and renovated, ripped out walls, installed hardwood, etc.  I do know that baths are expensive but I don't think they'd have to rip it all out. At least not right away.

[msmarjoribanks]

15 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.   

Yeah,for that price there has to be something wrong with it not disclosed to the viewers.  I liked the 3rd place and think Wicker Park is a great location.  It's not that far from River North and more of a real neighborhood -- I would prefer it (but I live way up in Lincoln Square, so clearly have different priorities).

[LittleIggy]

Chicago: I couldn’t stand that big column in the bedroom of the place they picked.

[Crashcourse]

14 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Chicago: I couldn’t stand that big column in the bedroom of the place they picked.

I'd wake up in the middle of the night thinking it was a person. 😱

[doodlebug]

On 5/7/2021 at 8:55 AM, 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.

 

It made me wonder why she was so fixated on a 'grand' home that would impress everyone.  I presume that part of the 'everything' her parents lost in the recession was the 9000 sq. ft. house.  Overspending on a house to impress other people is generally a bad investment.  

 

 

[ByaNose]

K1 & K2. One was bitchy & the other one not so much. The places were pretty cool and I would have killed for of those places when I was younger. The place they chose was nice but I agree with the wood post in the middle of the bed room. It didn’t add character. It added a major hazard. LOL!!!

[Grizzly]

Minneapolis. Their dog is gorgeous! Wish I could make fun of the husband's toilet obsession but mine insisted on oblong bowels, not round ones. I think #1 was a good deal for them.

[Cetacean]

HH is really scraping the bottom of the barrel when the deciding factor is a toilet bowl.   Otherwise a nice couple, no sniping.

[cameron]

11 hours ago, Cetacean said:

HH is really scraping the bottom of the barrel when the deciding factor is a toilet bowl.   Otherwise a nice couple, no sniping.

Someone should tell the young prospective husband that the finish on the chandelier is brass not gold.  That happens a lot on HH.  Big difference between the two.  Otherwise nice couple.

[CrazyInAlabama]

#1 was the best choice.   Just get the toilet traded out for an elongated bowl toilet, and depending on the extra features (such as the popular bidet seat attachment), it's not that expensive.    My prediction is that they will never have the money, or the construction time for the en suite.   

I didn't like the second house out of town.    The third house was, very cute but a money pit.  If nothing else, I would have had to paint the neon green outside.     My guess is because of location, the third house would have been a bidding war, making it even more expensive. 

 

Edited May 12, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Empress1]

14 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Minneapolis. Their dog is gorgeous!

Bernese mountain dogs are so beautiful. One of my pick-me-ups is Bernese mountain dog puppy videos - they're so cute!

The Minneapolis GF's voice was irritating to me - she had that flat midwestern accent - but otherwise they were a nice couple. I couldn't get over the lime green third house.

[buttersister]

13 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

the lime green third house.

Every HGTV flip show was screaming, "Somebody paint that now!"

[Spunkygal]

18 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Minneapolis. Their dog is gorgeous! Wish I could make fun of the husband's toilet obsession but mine insisted on oblong bowels, not round ones. I think #1 was a good deal for them.

*bowls

ha, I just realized that it’s appropriate that bowels is just one letter different from bowls!

[Cetacean]

And does he realize that the shape of the toilet does not change the amount of water?  So one is not "bigger" than the other, just a different shape.  Moron.

[ByaNose]

5 hours ago, buttersister said:

Every HGTV flip show was screaming, "Somebody paint that now!"

I thought that, too. Whew! I’m glad it wasn’t just me. 

[Dehumidifier]

On 5/9/2021 at 9:04 AM, doodlebug said:

It made me wonder why she was so fixated on a 'grand' home that would impress everyone.  I presume that part of the 'everything' her parents lost in the recession was the 9000 sq. ft. house.  Overspending on a house to impress other people is generally a bad investment.  

 

 

She forgot to mention that it was a 10 unit apartment building. Seriously, was she counting the yard? Was it Gracie Mansion? The White House?

Edited May 13, 2021 by Dehumidifier

[Texasmom1970]

Minneapolis couple with the beautiful dog. What was the deal with him and having a big farmhouse sink? Was he planning on bathing himself in it?

[Grrarrggh]

3 minutes ago, Texasmom1970 said:

Minneapolis couple with the beautiful dog. What was the deal with him and having a big farmhouse sink? Was he planning on bathing himself in it?

I can understand not liking a double-basin sink. It can make it harder to wash large dishes and pans. 

[buttersister]

In recovery from MAFS finale, I watched some New Jersey couple from hell. They'd looked at 50 houses and these were the final 3?!! WTAF were the other houses like, because these were pretty average. I felt for her parents (she looked so much like her mother), who also had that stunned 50 houses?!! look about them. And it was his family who showed up at the end to ooh and ahh (not quite) over their chosen one.

For a moment near the beginning, I wondered if the episode would morph into a Dateline ep in which a house-hunting couple disappeared, then were found in the swamps of Jersey and the suspect was their realtor who'd skipped to the Caymen Islands.

Naturally, she got everything she wanted. He did the compromising, but got the "movie room" that seemed to be his reason for living. I ate half a container of gelato.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Could they just swap the sink out for a farmhouse one, and get the counter top cut to fit?  Of course it would require either swapping out the sink base cabinet, or reinforcing it for the heavier and larger sink,  but still cheaper than remodeling a very nice kitchen.    

The two realtors in San Antonio who had 14 kids between them from previous marriages, but only have one mostly grown son, and a grandson living at home full time were funny.     I really was afraid that they would get that third place, but the interior  would never be what they wanted.    I really wanted to see what they could do with the second, massively huge house.     I guess the story about wanting to have a full BBQ pit in the back yard was just for the story line.   That back yard will never work for what the husband wanted. 

Edited May 13, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Dehumidifier]

6 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Could they just swap the sink out for a farmhouse one, and get the counter top cut to fit?  Of course it would require either swapping out the sink base cabinet, or reinforcing it for the heavier and larger sink,  but still cheaper than remodeling a very nice kitchen.    

 

Haven't watched the episode yet but it sounds like a two basin stainless steel sink. Wouldn't a one basin stainless steel sink serve the purpose without other alterations?

[Texasmom1970]

I liked one thing about the "let's drive our realtor crazy" couple from New Jersey. Minion that adorable Corgi. 

[KLovestoShop]

I couldn’t stand the woman’s voice from the Minneapolis episode.  Another thing, and I know I’m a relic, but I just don’t understand a couple buying a house with the thought of “maybe getting married” someday.  How do they handle real estate transactions in such cases?

The Texas couple with 14 kids between them are certainly fertile.  But they seem like a nice, fun couple. 

[chessiegal]

28 minutes ago, KLovestoShop said:

How do they handle real estate transactions in such cases?

Use a lawyer to draw up a contract to outline what happens to the proceeds of the sale of the property if the couple splits, if they are smart.

[Grizzly]

LA. If Leah keeps rolling her eyes like that, they're going to fall out. The backyard sold that house. Plus the price.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The L.A. episode was interesting.   I had no clue they were building another stadium.    Does the husband really think he can go to the games without a car?    Crossing the parking lot would give me nightmares.      The first house was so small, but cute.   They're going to outgrow it very quickly.    The second house was really nice, but I guess too far away from the stadiums, and beach, but certainly had a nicer yard.    

The third house, back yard certainly was water saving, because it was nothing but concrete.    But I really didn't like the house at all.   

Was it the third that had the darker cabinets, and dark granite?   That big island, as the husband kept calling it was awful.   The island should have been a peninsula, longer, and hold at least one or two more stools.   I really didn't like the third house, I thought it looked like a cheap, quick flip.   

I thought the L.A. kid was named Jetson too.   

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[LittleIggy]

San Antonio: They had fourteen children between them! 😳 Wonder why they have that adorable grandbaby “half of the time.” 

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

San Antonio: They had fourteen children between them! 😳 Wonder why they have that adorable grandbaby “half of the time.” 

He's either the son of their 18-year old or maybe one of their other children is in the military and divorced?

[StatisticalOutlier]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The L.A. episode was interesting.   I had no clue they were building another stadium.    Does the husband really think he can go to the games without a car?    Crossing the parking lot would give me nightmares.     

If he drives a car to the stadium, he's not going to park next to whatever gate he enters through, so he's going to be crossing the parking lot even if he drives there.  I'd much rather walk than drive to an event that thousands of people are going to be driving to. 

But I wonder just how often he's going to be going to games.  Although if neither of them has to be somewhere other than home every weekday, they can live anywhere so maybe living near somewhere the guy will go every couple of weeks is reason enough to live there; it's not like with their budget they're going to get a lot closer to the beach like she wants.

I noticed that they said they credited their offer being accepted to their cover letter (usually referred to as a "love letter") to the seller that had a photo of them with their son.  A realtor has a column in the local paper, and he's very much against those letters, especially if they include photos, because they can lead a seller to violate fair housing laws, even without realizing it.

I can see a seller wanting their house to go to a family who will love it, but I think there's such a history of housing discrimination that it's better if the seller just goes by the numbers, and accepts the highest offer or the one that will close the soonest or some other objective factor, rather than letting the attractiveness of the buyer be part of the mix.  That's one slippery slope that realtors in particular have enough historical connection to that they should be uncomfortable.

 

[Crashcourse]

The only thing that kept me interested in the LA episode was little Justin.  He was adorable.  The couple was ok but her eye-rolling was too much.  I figured they'd pick the small house.

Edited May 14, 2021 by Crashcourse

[LittleIggy]

13 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

He's either the son of their 18-year old or maybe one of their other children is in the military and divorced?

That family needs to learn about birth control!

[cameron]

6 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

That family needs to learn about birth control!

Totally.

[amarante]

On 5/12/2021 at 7:04 PM, Texasmom1970 said:

Minneapolis couple with the beautiful dog. What was the deal with him and having a big farmhouse sink? Was he planning on bathing himself in it?

What was even more ridiculous was that he was calling a regular single bowl sink a "farmhouse" sink. A farmhouse sink is one that has the "apron" front and it can actually be a single bowl, double bowl or even triple bowl.

The farmhouse sink is somewhat of an aesthetic choice but it also is a bit more functional because you can get closer to the basin of the sink which makes a difference in terms of comfort to some people. I have a *real* farmhouse sink which is also copper.

And a single bowl single is MUCH more functional than a double bowl sink because when I had the two bowls I would wind up splashing myself if I had to wash anything large since large items couldn't lay flat on the bottom.

Since the homes were being flipped, I have no idea why the flipper didn't install the more popular and functional single bowl sink but then - having finished a gut remodel of my home - I know exactly how a builder or flipper cheaped out - like not having lower cabinets be deep drawers since drawers are more expensive but way more functional. 

 

[amarante]

14 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

If he drives a car to the stadium, he's not going to park next to whatever gate he enters through, so he's going to be crossing the parking lot even if he drives there.  I'd much rather walk than drive to an event that thousands of people are going to be driving to. 

But I wonder just how often he's going to be going to games.  Although if neither of them has to be somewhere other than home every weekday, they can live anywhere so maybe living near somewhere the guy will go every couple of weeks is reason enough to live there; it's not like with their budget they're going to get a lot closer to the beach like she wants.

I noticed that they said they credited their offer being accepted to their cover letter (usually referred to as a "love letter") to the seller that had a photo of them with their son.  A realtor has a column in the local paper, and he's very much against those letters, especially if they include photos, because they can lead a seller to violate fair housing laws, even without realizing it.

I can see a seller wanting their house to go to a family who will love it, but I think there's such a history of housing discrimination that it's better if the seller just goes by the numbers, and accepts the highest offer or the one that will close the soonest or some other objective factor, rather than letting the attractiveness of the buyer be part of the mix.  That's one slippery slope that realtors in particular have enough historical connection to that they should be uncomfortable.

 

I think the letters are stupid for a variety of reasons but I have no sentimentality and would nit be moved by that kind of letter. I might even suspect the buyer was playing me and attempting to lowball. 
 

There would be no risk of a black couple being discriminated against in Gramercy Park as it has either the first or second highest percentage  of black residents in Los Angeles County - approximately 85%. If anything there is a lot of resentment of white folks discovering the traditionally black neighborhoods of Los Angeles and gentrifying them and thus pushing the original occupants out. 

[readheaded]

14 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

If he drives a car to the stadium, he's not going to park next to whatever gate he enters through, so he's going to be crossing the parking lot even if he drives there.  I'd much rather walk than drive to an event that thousands of people are going to be driving to. 

But I wonder just how often he's going to be going to games.  Although if neither of them has to be somewhere other than home every weekday, they can live anywhere so maybe living near somewhere the guy will go every couple of weeks is reason enough to live there; it's not like with their budget they're going to get a lot closer to the beach like she wants.

I noticed that they said they credited their offer being accepted to their cover letter (usually referred to as a "love letter") to the seller that had a photo of them with their son.  A realtor has a column in the local paper, and he's very much against those letters, especially if they include photos, because they can lead a seller to violate fair housing laws, even without realizing it.

I can see a seller wanting their house to go to a family who will love it, but I think there's such a history of housing discrimination that it's better if the seller just goes by the numbers, and accepts the highest offer or the one that will close the soonest or some other objective factor, rather than letting the attractiveness of the buyer be part of the mix.  That's one slippery slope that realtors in particular have enough historical connection to that they should be uncomfortable.

 

I missed the beginning where they said what the LA couple did for work. But, I can tell you that the only way I might ever be swayed by a "love letter" from a buyer is if I was deciding between 2 identical offers.  Otherwise, I'm going with the most profit.  When we sold our last house, the realtor told us that the couple who wanted to buy it "was struggling to buy their first single family home" and asked if we'd lower the price because of that. Um, no, I don't think so. They need to buy a house they can afford.

[Dehumidifier]

20 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The L.A. episode was interesting.   I had no clue they were building another stadium.   

I had to google this because Dodger Stadium is known to be excellent. It's a 100 million dollar renovation of the existing stadium. https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/ballpark/stadium-upgrades

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

So they're rebuilding the stadium, not building a new one.     I still don't like the first house, it's tiny.   If I had the three choices from the L.A. episode, I would have bought the second one.  

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

I’ve fallen off the nightly HGTV appointment wagon and am now streaming HH (almost) all day every day on the Discovery+ House Hunters channel. It’s 9:30pm EDT on Friday, May 14 and I just finished watching the 2017 episode in Ft Myers, FL, where the hunters were very concerned about the comfort of their cat. One kitchen wasn’t cat-friendly enough — she specifically wanted cabinets with space on top that the cat could use as a playground. The epilogue footage showed the cat owning the kitchen in the house they chose — walking across the stove, strolling around the counters. And THIS is why I never eat food prepared in homes of cat owners.

[amarante]

1 hour ago, Dehumidifier said:

I had to google this because Dodger Stadium is known to be excellent. It's a 100 million dollar renovation of the existing stadium. https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/ballpark/stadium-upgrades

 

It's not Dodger Stadium. Dodger Stadium is north of downtown Los Angeles. Inglewood and Gramercy Park where they bought is South Central Los Angeles.

The stadium is now being built in Inglewood - It is the SoFi Stadium. There used to be a stadium there called The Forum but that closed down and is is the replacement.

Edited May 15, 2021 by amarante

[StatisticalOutlier]

1 hour ago, Dehumidifier said:

I had to google this because Dodger Stadium is known to be excellent. It's a 100 million dollar renovation of the existing stadium. https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/ballpark/stadium-upgrades

The one mentioned in this episode, in Inglewood, is a different stadium, on the site where there was a horse racing track, and near the L.A. Forum.  It's called SoFi Stadium and is home to the Rams and the Chargers. 

It's the beginning of a big multi-use development, with shopping and housing, etc.

3 hours ago, amarante said:

I think the letters are stupid for a variety of reasons but I have no sentimentality and would nit be moved by that kind of letter. I might even suspect the buyer was playing me and attempting to lowball. 

That's actually one of the justifications for a love letter--making a lowball offer less insulting.  And one of the risks, because if the buyer presents himself in a love letter and the seller rejects the offer, the buyer might take it personally. 

To which I say, "Good."  In fact, I'd be tempted to accept a lower offer without a love letter over a higher offer with one, just on principle.  One solution is for the seller to tell the agents not to pass along any love letters, which seems like the way to go, but part of me would want to know if someone had written one so I could do what I could not to accept that offer.

Then again, I hate all the negotiating and gamesmanship that goes on in house sales in the first place, and marketing campaigns by buyers don't make it any better.

3 hours ago, amarante said:

There would be no risk of a black couple being discriminated against in Gramercy Park as it has either the first or second highest percentage  of black residents in Los Angeles County - approximately 85%. If anything there is a lot of resentment of white folks discovering the traditionally black neighborhoods of Los Angeles and gentrifying them and thus pushing the original occupants out. 

Oh, I agree in this case.

I went to USC in the 1970s and can't believe what's happened to areas like Inglewood. 

[amarante]

The first home for the Inglewood couple made more sense because it was a better location. It was small but it was perfect for their current needs. Many people choose to live in a better location versus out in the boonies to get a larger home.

When they want to sell the home, it is going to hold its value and probably appreciate as well.

This is especially true in terms of the neighborhood they are buying into because property values are really going to soar with the kind of new development going in.

What I don't understand is why people moving to a new city feel compelled to purchase a home under severe time pressure. I know that it is a made up story line but I still don't understand why people don't rent for a year and really get a sense of where they want to live

.

Edited May 15, 2021 by amarante

[Grrarrggh]

52 minutes ago, amarante said:

What I don't understand is why people moving to a new city feel compelled to purchase a home under severe time pressure. I know that it is a made up story line but I still don't understand why people don't rent for a year and really get a sense of where they want to live.

Don't have the money for a year's rent AND a house?

[LittleIggy]

6 hours ago, amarante said:

I think the letters are stupid for a variety of reasons but I have no sentimentality and would nit be moved by that kind of letter. I might even suspect the buyer was playing me and attempting to lowball. 
 

Amen! I’d take the high offer. Period. Who knows what kind of bull💩 someone has made up to get a house when they know/suspect they don’t have the highest offer.

[LittleIggy]

On 4/15/2021 at 3:14 PM, chessiegal said:

My husband's comment on the Tampa woman and her friend was that he wondered what they really looked like, because they seemed to be applying make-up with a trowel.

I finally saw this episode, and I agree about the troweled on makeup. They looked like a couple of cliched cougars on the prowl! 😏

[amarante]

11 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

Don't have the money for a year's rent AND a house?

I don't understand since you would still have whatever you need for the downpayment and rent would be in lieu of the monthly mortgage expenses. If anything the amount paid for rent would be less than a house would be when taxes, maintenance and mortgage are added up.

And you could rent something less expensive knowing that it was just a temporary fix. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Today's OWN marathon seems to be "House Hunters who irritate the hell out of me".   The two doctors or Ph.D. in NY state who claimed to want a multifamily (to pay the mortgage, and pay off their loans) end up with a huge, single family colonial.   He was whining about fish food costs for the Koi pond inhabitants.  

Then the people in McKinney TX, he is an IT guy and demands all of the houses are Smart Homes.   They live out in the country side now (renting), have a big flock of chickens, including at least one adult rooster.   She demands they have space for her chicken flock, and for her infrared sauna to treat her autoimmune diseases.    The first two do not allow chickens (many places have a no rooster rule, and flock size rules, even if chickens are allowed).   The first is a new build, and offers all kinds of upgrades.   The third is an older house, and he's whining about the age of the house.   The husband is also whining about his wifi signal (they make plug in boosters for wifi, you can increase the signal easily.   He wants to turn the home into a Smart Home, and she's whining about the size of the main bathroom, guest bath, and room for her sauna.    The third has no garage, but has a huge pool.   Since the third house already has a chicken coop, but not big enough for the wife's flock, guess which one they're going to get?  I'm sure the ending will be that the wifi signal is just fine in the house.   

The wife decides on house #1, to modify the floor plan.   Bye-bye chickens (they went to friends, and the woman can visit them), and her sauna goes in the master closet.

Condo in Chicago.  the man wants vintage, but still wants a huge closet, and amenities.   The first, older property is too much work, only one bath, small bedroom, and so close to the L train you can touch it.   The mid-rise is nice.  The third is vintage, but turn key and seven miles from buyer's preferred area, but has a view of the lake, and a full-sized washer dryer.   The building includes a large private beach, and a huge shared patio area over the beach.   He can still walk to the L .  So he picked #1, with the small size, a lot of reno., and noisy train. 

Melbourne, FL.  the usual, open vs. closed rooms, reno vs. turn key.   #1 $850k water front, totally turn key.   #2 $539 Mid Century, gutted to the studs in a lot of areas, no kitchen.   the full windows in the doors to the pool need to be replaced.  the entire house interior needs to be redone, and the pool is a mess.   #3 Mid Century on the river, $725k, it has shag carpet on the bedroom wall, everything in the house needs to be gutted, it hasn't been touched since it was built a lot of years ago.   They buy #3, the huge reno project on the river.    They think they're going to redo the entire house in six weeks, bet that didn't happen. 

I skipped a few reruns, but the couple in Buffalo, NY are hysterical.  She's a voice over artist, needs a studio space, and the husband wants a full basement for his football watching area, and is very worried about ghosts.  First one is an old house, second was an updated vintage house, and third is the updated 50's ranch with a great deck, and everything is updated.   So they pick the 50's updated ranch.  It had the big yard, everything up to date, and will convert a small bedroom to an office/voice over booth. 

When I changed cities, I bought, because I had dogs.    I also didn't want to move twice in the same year, and I always had the 20% down, and I wasn't ever buying the amount the bank said I could finance.   I always had a top budget amount in mind, and didn't go over it.   I also either had a recommended realtor, or knew what the good areas were, and where to avoid.  Before ever applying for a job (it was the same agency, and I always knew someone who had lived and worked there) I always researched the real estate prices, and options, and figured out what area of the city would work out the best.  

I hate that some realtors, or mortgage companies will say you can afford a certain multiple of your salary, and that's way over what you really should be spending.   

Edited May 16, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[LittleIggy]

On 4/16/2021 at 5:07 PM, Crashcourse said:

Hippy dippy herbalist Stafford wife annoyed me a bit when she was talking about knocking down walls like it was no big deal at all.  Otherwise, I liked the castle house they chose.   

Finally saw this episode. For someone who went on about how quirky she was, the herbalist had beige tastes in interior paint.

[Grrarrggh]

16 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Amen! I’d take the high offer. Period. Who knows what kind of bull💩 someone has made up to get a house when they know/suspect they don’t have the highest offer.

Or, even worse, what kind of prejudices the sellers have.

[snarts]

6 hours ago, amarante said:

I don't understand since you would still have whatever you need for the downpayment and rent would be in lieu of the monthly mortgage expenses. If anything the amount paid for rent would be less than a house would be when taxes, maintenance and mortgage are added up.

And you could rent something less expensive knowing that it was just a temporary fix. 

Not in LA.  Rents are crazy high, it's likely their mortgage/insurance/maintenance are less than what they would've paid to rent a comparable home. Not to mention paying moving costs twice.   

Plus, they knew where they wanted to live. They just had to make some trade-offs (square footage) to make it happen.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm wonder if those cutesy letters to the seller really win even if they're a leading bidder, or if the person just had the right offer, and went without any inspections, or conditions to win the house?     I may be mean, but when I'm selling, I pick the best financial offer, without a contingency that the person has to sell a previous house first.     I'm never going to ask that anyone waive inspections, because I want the buyer to know they bought a nice, safe house.    

I wonder how many of those cutesy letters are full of lies?    

The two women buying in Syracuse NY are so funny.   Their wish list couldn't be more opposite if they tried.   Their number two deal breakers are huge closets, and trees for a hammock in the back yard, and two car garage.   They do make hammock stands, no trees involved.   How many times a year will you use a hammock in Syracuse?    I don't know how the summer weather is, or how long either.   

 Their realtor was Kayla's babysitter a long time ago, and then Kayla was the babysitter for the realtors two boys. 

#1 129,900 Raised ranch, 3 bed 1.5 bath.   2 tiny bedroom, and the master is decent sized, and the closets aren't that small. (closet organizers can be done easily, and aren't expensive).  House is move-in ready.   

#2 Cape Cod style. 3 bed 1.5 bath.   Big yard, but no side fences.    Upstairs master is the full bath,    Upstairs has two bedrooms, so turn one into the giant closet.   Nobody mentioned the patched ceiling cracks in this house.

#3 is another raised ranch. Split Level, 2 car garage, but over budget.   3 bed, 2 full baths. I like this one, great, slightly sloping driveway.   The house has a great sunroom ,and a pool, yard is fully fenced.   The kitchen needs to have cabinets refaced, and another wall oven (the current one is disgusting).   Big main bedroom, great closets, en suite, a big guest bath, two guest rooms (they're huge).   

They choose #2.  (I would have bought the third one, and put a hammock on a stand in the sunroom.   Then you could use it year round. 

I know under the HH rules to be on the show, the 'buyers' have to own the house, but I wonder if they ever look at the decoy houses, and wish they had made another choice? 

Edited May 16, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama