House Hunters - General Discussion

[msmarjoribanks]

Arizona wife was super unpleasant (I felt a little bad for the realtor, but then remembered she's playing a role for the show) and the stairs thing was crazy, but I felt a little sorry for her as I think she was legitimately (if extremely irrationally) worried, and they've gotten into a dynamic where he is going to be fun parent and she's going to be the nagging stressed out worried about everything one.  Not fun.  

I actually thought the house was probably the best fit (although not because it lacked a second story, just that there were bigger issues with the other two houses, none of which I liked).  However, adding to the grass in an AZ yard seems like a bad idea.  Isn't grass tough there anyway?

[ehall1052]

Arizona couple: disliked both of them. Crabby wife. Husband “needing” his own room for hot dog machine. Grow up.

Did anyone read today’s comic Arlo and Janis?  I thought of House Hunters.

Edited July 20, 2019 by ehall1052
Oops, punctuation mistake.

[Cherrio]

I agree that both husband and wife in Arizona were bad, but it I had to choose only one.....it would be the husband and his stupid f-ing hot dog machine.

He was acting like a 2 year old about everything. Well if I don't get a 2 story, I am gonna get this.....whine whine whine.

He is fine with giving his son a tiny corner to play in.   What an asshole.

[msmarjoribanks]

On 7/17/2019 at 11:55 PM, LittleIggy said:

Cooperstown: I knew the third place wasn’t an option, but I loved that house. What a gorgeous view!

I loved the Cooperstown episode.  The Victorian was similar to some places I looked at and totally up my alley, and I'm typically all about location, so I knew it was the obvious choice.  And I normally always go for vintage.  I knew they would pick it, super obvious the others were decoys.

That said, the others were great and interesting.  The first was so cool, although clearly 120 acres was ridiculous (I didn't think of selling off the land, wonder what it goes for there), and I would have so loved growing up in the third and love it now (again, even though I normally always want vintage).  (My sister and I would have loved the kids area so much and not even needed a wall.) The views were amazing and it was only 4 miles from town.

But still the Victorian was great too and IMO the right choice (yes, it's pretend).  They lucked out it was on the market when they were looking.

I like that area -- I'm not specifically familiar with it, but I am familiar with the Finger Lakes and the Berkshires and it's in-between. 

[juliet73]

Mason:  From listening to the selfish wife's comments , the husband should probably just get his own place.  I'm sure he will soon enough because I can't see them being married for very long.  But just when I think she was awful, Phoenix wife shows up in the next episode.  UGH!!  She had to be one of the worst people ever.  The constant side eyeing and snide comments to and about her husband, the insistence on a single story home because their FOUR (!!) year old could fall down the stairs, the carpet, the laundry room, etc.  She looked pissed every time they were in the car; actually she looked pissed all.the.time!  And him with his stupid sports room and hot dog machine!  He needs an entire room for himself to accommodate a small kitchen appliance?  What a complete douche! However, I don't understand why one of the extra bedrooms couldn't be used as a playroom (or his stupid sports room).  I felt sorry for the realtor - she seemed more like a marriage counselor when she was talking to them.

I'd be curious to know how many people work at a hospital and have "seen things", yet are still capable of owning a 2 story house.  

Edited July 20, 2019 by juliet73

[KLovestoShop]

That Arizona wife was awful.  I’m getting tired of these young mothers who are so afraid about everything.  Millions of kids are brought up in two story houses and they survive.  I did like when the husband said they will teach their son how to handle stairs.  She really was a biotch.  And I really don’t get the hot dog machine.

Grass in Arizona is a bad idea.  Unless you thatch two times a year, and change the type of grass, you’ll have nothing but burnt straw.   When we first moved to Az, one of the first things we did was to get rid of the grass.  

[Pickles]

All of this talk about the hot dog machine just cracks me up. Who would have dreamed a hot dog machine would play such a role on House Hunters. This ranks up there with the hidey hole episode. 🙂

[jcbrown]

31 minutes ago, Pickles said:

All of this talk about the hot dog machine just cracks me up. Who would have dreamed a hot dog machine would play such a role on House Hunters. This ranks up there with the hidey hole episode. 🙂

She was such a piece of work I really found myself rooting for him to get his space (to get away from her) and his hot dog machine. I don't understand why you would go on this show and act as if you don't even like your spouse. Or, alternatively, why you would go on this show if you truly did not like your spouse, which is what both the Mason and the Arizona couples seemed like.

[Kenzie]

4 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

That woman was truly insufferable. Her husband looked humiliated every time she opened her mouth and spouted something insulting about him and their little boy.

The husband liked Christmastime! He wants to decorate the house with lights! He wants a popcorn maker and a hot dog machine for family movie night!

That woman has a real keeper for a husband and doesn't appreciate it at all.

[LittleIggy]

Wilmington: “Haint Blue” must be a NC thing. I’ve lived all over the south and have never heard of it.

[MsTree]

5 hours ago, jcbrown said:

I don't understand why you would go on this show and act as if you don't even like your spouse.

One word: Money

[cameron]

10 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

That Arizona wife was awful.  I’m getting tired of these young mothers who are so afraid about everything.  Millions of kids are brought up in two story houses and they survive.  I did like when the husband said they will teach their son how to handle stairs.  She really was a biotch.  And I really don’t get the hot dog machine.

Grass in Arizona is a bad idea.  Unless you thatch two times a year, and change the type of grass, you’ll have nothing but burnt straw.   When we first moved to Az, one of the first things we did was to get rid of the grass.  

A four year old should be able to navigate stairs on his own.  Cut him some slack.

6 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Wilmington: “Haint Blue” must be a NC thing. I’ve lived all over the south and have never heard of it.

Actually, it's quite common in Charleston SC in the historic homes.  Our porches have Haint Blue ceilings and even major paint makers list Haint Blue as an official color.

[Kohola3]

5 hours ago, MsTree said:

I don't understand why you would go on this show and act as if you don't even like your spouse.

5 hours ago, MsTree said:

One word: Money

And four more:  Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Although why you'd want to be on the teeeveee looking like a jackass is beyond me.  I guess any exposure is good exposure to these famewhores.

[chessiegal]

Don't they only get $500 for filming? Last time I looked at the requirements to be on the show, you had to set aside 4 days for filming. $500 for that much time is chump change.

[cameron]

The Wilmington couple sure didn't see eye to eye on anything.  Couldn't understand his fixation about playing his guitar.  You would thing a supposedly general contractor could recognize a vintage staircase when he sees one.  Also her hangups about the used bathroom fixtures were odd.  Grow up people.

[Empress1]

13 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

I did like when the husband said they will teach their son how to handle stairs.

I mean, he's four! Hasn't he used stairs at some point? Even people who live in homes without stairs encounter stairs.

13 hours ago, juliet73 said:

I'd be curious to know how many people work at a hospital and have "seen things", yet are still capable of owning a 2 story house. 

I remember reading an article about things ER physicians say they'll never have because they'd seen too many injuries as a result of those things and they were things like motorcycles and trampolines. Stairs were not on the list.

She did look sour all the time and she had a generally stank attitude. If she's THAT concerned about safety, I'm surprised she rode in a car. 

14 hours ago, msmarjoribanks said:

I felt a little sorry for her as I think she was legitimately (if extremely irrationally) worried, and they've gotten into a dynamic where he is going to be fun parent and she's going to be the nagging stressed out worried about everything one.  Not fun.  

I did think her fears were both genuine and extremely irrational, to the point where I wondered if she should seek treatment for anxiety. I'm not being flippant. She's only going to need to loosen the reins on her son as he gets older, and I wondered if she'd be able to do that.

That hot dog machine looked like a toaster oven to me.

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

Don't they only get $500 for filming? Last time I looked at the requirements to be on the show, you had to set aside 4 days for filming. $500 for that much time is chump change.

And it's not like you're going to get real-deal, lucrative famous by being on this show. It's publicity for a realtor but there's not much reason for anyone else to do it, other than out of a desire to be on TV.

[Kohola3]

26 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

And it's not like you're going to get real-deal, lucrative famous by being on this show. It's publicity for a realtor but there's not much reason for anyone else to do it, other than out of a desire to be on TV.

Except that we know some of those realtors are played by friends, relatives, or acquaintances.  Maybe they hope they will be "discovered" whilst using their wonderful acting talents.

[chessiegal]

1 minute ago, Kohola3 said:

Except that we know some of those realtors are played by friends, relatives, or acquaintances.  Maybe they hope they will be "discovered" whilst using their wonderful acting talents.

Maybe on HHI, but I've looked up plenty of these real estate agents and they are the real deal. We were thinking of moving to Wilmington, NC at one point, and I looked up the agent featured on the show, and he mentioned on his web site that he had been featured on HH.

[CruiseDiva]

10 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Wilmington: “Haint Blue” must be a NC thing. I’ve lived all over the south and have never heard of it.

Very common in Louisiana.

[cameron]

House Hunters in general.  Who in the right mind lets their realtor pick out houses for them to see.  I always give the realtor a list that I want to see, not the other way around.  And the hangup some of these people have about older homes.  When we bought our first home at age 24, really wanted a historic property. 

[CruiseDiva]

18 minutes ago, cameron said:

House Hunters in general.  Who in the right mind lets their realtor pick out houses for them to see.  I always give the realtor a list that I want to see, not the other way around.  And the hangup some of these people have about older homes.  When we bought our first home at age 24, really wanted a historic property. 

When we last house hunted we were moving from one state to another. My husband knew the area we were moving to quite well so I depended on him in terms of location (one county vs adjacent county). Before we made our house hunting trip, the RE agent asked us for features we wanted in our home and sent us brochures and an MLS book. We picked a few houses we'd like to see and she found about two dozen additional houses to show us that were similar. All were appropriate for what we told her we were looking for and we picked the one we liked the best. Turned out that we selected well and have lived here happily for more than 31 years.

[LittleIggy]

Wilmington: Does the wife hold it in when she is out of her house since she won’t go on a toilet someone else has used? 😆🤣

[doodlebug]

5 hours ago, cameron said:

A four year old should be able to navigate stairs on his own.  Cut him some slack.

Actually, it's quite common in Charleston SC in the historic homes.  Our porches have Haint Blue ceilings and even major paint makers list Haint Blue as an official color.

Well, since his mother called him a 'toddler', I expect he's used to being treated as though he's much younger.  Lady, a four year old is many things but he is NOT a toddler!  She said something about a family member having been injured falling down stairs.  If she wasn't just playing to the camera, I'd say she has a real psychological issue as her anxiety about accidents is out of proportion to the actual risk and she could probably do with some counseling.

[laredhead]

CruiseDiva, I live in Baton Rouge, LA, and my porch ceiling is painted in a blue Sherwin Williams color called "Swimming".  Sherwin Williams also makes a color called Haint Blue.  It's a very common thing to paint porch ceilings blue around here.  I don't know if the theory is true that it keeps bugs from getting on the ceiling, but I've had a blue porch ceiling for many years, and no problems with bugs on it so far. 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Wilmington: Does the wife hold it in when she is out of her house since she won’t go on a toilet someone else has used? 😆🤣

I can't believe they found another HH like that; years ago, there was a guy on the show who had the same hang-up.  I don't understand these people; avoiding public restrooms is one thing, but don't they ever go to the bathroom at work or at friends' houses?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I had to laugh at the Wilmington, NC woman demanding that a perfectly good tub, and toilet would have to be switched out, because they had been used by other people.       But yet she loves vintage?    Some house hunters do seem to be putting on for the cameras, but she seemed absolutely serious.         I'm glad they bought the new build, because they would have ruined the vintage house with their updates.  

There was also an Atlanta house hunter where the wife was all upset about using a tub anyone else had used, and said if they bought a used house, the tub would have to be replaced.      

Since Wilmington had serious flooding a while ago, my number one criteria would be "never flooded".     And if you want Haint Blue porch ceilings, paint them.    It's not difficult, and you don't have to add that fee to the mortgage cost either.    

I was very confused by the "we reconfigured to get the bedrooms on the first floor" routine too, but I think they said that the right number for the parents, and kid are on the first floor, and the others they don't use normally, are on the second, and I bet if there's an office it's either small, or on the second floor also.   

Edited July 21, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[laredhead]

Same here about the reconfiguring of the Wilmington house to make enough the bedrooms on the first floor to accomodate the children and the parents.  Sounds to me like they just chose another floor plan because when they toured the model home it was listed as a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath house.  I am assuming that all of the exterior shots were of the model and not their house in the final reveal.  I did notice that she got her white kitchen counters, and that the $7,000 hutch or whatever it was did not show up in the reveal.  They must not have moved in either, because the room they were sitting in was empty and they were sitting in what looked like patio chairs. 

[edie3]

did anyone notice at the end of the staircase lady episode the little boy tripped over some curbing or rocks?  I was ready for her to overreact, but she seemed unfazed.

[MsTree]

15 hours ago, Empress1 said:

And it's not like you're going to get real-deal, lucrative famous by being on this show.

Agree...and yet, 9 out of 10 buyers are shown either playing guitar, drums, singing, dancing... and any other "talent" they believe they possess.

[CruiseDiva]

16 hours ago, laredhead said:

CruiseDiva, I live in Baton Rouge, LA, and my porch ceiling is painted in a blue Sherwin Williams color called "Swimming".  Sherwin Williams also makes a color called Haint Blue.  It's a very common thing to paint porch ceilings blue around here.  I don't know if the theory is true that it keeps bugs from getting on the ceiling, but I've had a blue porch ceiling for many years, and no problems with bugs on it so far. 

Laredhead, I'm originally from Baton Rouge and our home there in Sherwood Forest had the front porch and carport  ceilings painted pale blue to confuse the bugs.

[DonnaMae]

23 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Wilmington: Does the wife hold it in when she is out of her house since she won’t go on a toilet someone else has used? 😆🤣

I think she's had to use too many gas station toilets, which are often disgusting.  But what's wrong with a used tub... unless it's chipped?

[Ohwell]

Does Wilmington wife not know that she can just wipe down the toilet and get a new toilet seat?

[javajeanelaine]

The thing that got me about the Mason couple was that they were newlyweds.  Just imagine how she will be 10 years down the road.

I talked to my sister who lives in West Chester, OH and she told me that Mason is a desirable place to live. 

[chessiegal]

Repeating myself, but watching reruns, and these parents who want to be away from their kids-why did you have them in the first place?

[LittleIggy]

Arizona: I finally watched this and was expecting the “hot dog machine” to be a big fancy retro contraption like this: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/paragon-8020-dog-hut-hot-dog-steamer-and-merchandiser-120v-1200w/3808020.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9MzA85rH4wIVCJSzCh2FYQIgEAQYDiABEgKNv_D_BwE

 Boy, was I underwhelmed! 😆

[hoosier80]

I caught an episode today (around 5 pm) where the couple was looking in Columbus, OH.  I live in metro Columbus, so I left it on to watch.  They always show the city in such a fake way - not how it really is, like show shots of downtown, and they're 15 miles or more away.

I didn't see where the first house was located, have some suspicions that it may have been in Clintonville, but didn't see enough to be sure.  Second house, when they said Olde Towne East - just no.  Gorgeous houses there, area has been on the upswing, as in glacier like crawl upswing for the past 10 years.  You can be in a very nice block, then the next block is awful.  It's near some very bad sections of town, too.  There was a big to do about how it's being 'gentrified' like say the Short North area, but again, it's been a slow, slow, slow, roll.  I remember reading within the past year a human interest story in the local paper how one resident there kept on watch due to vandalism.  It had died down, but no way no how.   Especially since they had a small child.  Unless they had the little girl go to a private school later on, they'd be stuck with the Columbus City Schools (abysmal ratings now - D or F by the state).  Even without all that, there was tons of work to do in that home.  It had beautiful windows and woodwork, but the wallpaper - yikes! And the basement and kitchen did need some TLC.  

Then they showed house #3, in Powell.  Yeah, they've got a top school district, low crime, very desirable.  I'm like if they don't take this house, then they're morons.  Sure enough they chose that one.  The houses in that area go fast.  A co-worker wanted to upgrade houses, stay in that district (he has kids in school - middle to high school). They actively looked for several months, having lost houses in bidding wars.  They finally got a new house, with their own house selling within days.   If they did have to sell or want to move, they'd get their investment back easily.

[Empress1]

On 7/18/2019 at 3:19 PM, SpiritSong said:

And I hope those kids grow up into obnoxious teenagers who blast loud, irritating music at full volume in the living room when the parents are trying to work in the kitchen or take important phone calls. They should be happy to put up with that, because they can see them in their frigging "open concept" house.

I always think open concept will backfire once kids become teens. Teenagers want and need privacy. I loved that episode with the single mom judge in FL who said she wanted a condo with bedrooms on opposite sides of the house because her teen daughter (who didn't appear on the show) needed privacy as she got older. If I were a teenager living in an open concept house, I'd spent all my time in my room. (Which is basically what I did, and the house I grew up in had a standard "closed" floor plan because open floor plans weren't a thing then.)

[LittleIggy]

San Diego area: How would they be able to move into that house in two weeks? 

[laredhead]

Cannot believe the prices in southern California for so little square footage.  The San Diego's couple choice was a no brainer as far as the square footage.  The husband is a contractor, so that was a huge advantage for them.  They could possible move in in two weeks, if they were willing to live in a house with unfinished projects, which they seemed to be willing to do.  I cannot believe they have been living in such a small place for years, and when that 2nd child came along that condo shrunk.  The son must live with them full time.  Would love to see it when it's finished.

[alexvillage]

On 7/18/2019 at 3:19 PM, SpiritSong said:

I think at least 90% of the "I must be able to see the children at all times" is scripted producer driven BS

The whole show is scripted. It is also a bunch of nonsense, contradictory stuff. 

"I need (insert item here), it is a deal breaker!"

After house is chosen, it does't have the desired item: "It was the perfect choice!"

The show starts after the house is chosen, the other houses are simply filling. The buyers didn't necessarily looked at the houses. Probably some sponsorship that gives the houses some free advertisement. The writers are terrible, they don't care about continuity and make the buyers seem like total assholes (some of them might even be, but the lines they are fed are simply pathetic).

The cliches: granite counter tops, vaulted ceilings, stainless steel appliances, two sinks in the master bathroom, walk in closet - and the women in a man-woman couple always have tons of shoes and too many clothes that will never fit in the biggest closet. Boring as fuck. 

I don't have cable, watched episodes on Hulu and it makes me sarcastically laugh at those fame-seekers that play horrible people for their 15 minutes of fame. 

[ByaNose]

On 7/13/2019 at 10:00 AM, laredhead said:

The realtor in the Hawaiian episode was very pretty, but she acted like she was posing in every scene.  She was also very dismissive of some of his concerns about each house.  I thought he made some good comments about the defects in each house, and what it would take to fix them.  His comment about the wood floors being damaged in one house was wrong - those were laminate floors, not wood.  He seemed to be rationale about his checklist for a house, and realistic about what he could and could not afford. The only house I would have considered would have been #3.  I guess I would have a hard time buying a house in Hawaii unless I made a lot of $$ or won the lottery.     

I thought the realtor was really attractive but it cracked me up how she dismissed everything as no biggie. Usually, it’s the homeowner who isn’t realistic but in this case it was the realtor who would make some off handed comment just as she was about to walk out of camera range. I would never hire her. I think I’m used to them being so scripted on HH but she was the total opposite which would give me pause to hire or recommend her.

The male homeowner was either Hawaii laid back or way dull because without his looks he didn’t bring much to the table. His friend was way annoying. I agree about Hawaiian real estate. You could spend $800,00 to millions for a 70’s dump. It’s crazy. 

[txvoodoo]

I'm just here to pre-emptively roll my eyes at the Fairfield CT lady and her "the house MUST match my birdhouse" fetish. 

PAINT THE DAMNED BIRDHOUSE.

[irisheyes]

3 minutes ago, txvoodoo said:

I'm just here to pre-emptively roll my eyes at the Fairfield CT lady and her "the house MUST match my birdhouse" fetish. 

PAINT THE DAMNED BIRDHOUSE.

OMG, so much yelling. 

[Pickles]

They were a strange couple.

[KLovestoShop]

I don’t know if the Fairfield wife was putting on a show or if she has some sort of disability, but her whole affect just reminded me of my special education kids.  Her behavior and speech patterns were those of a 12 year old.  Not that the husband didn’t have quirks with his need of slack lines, but she was beyond anything.  I was so taken aback by her immature speaking voice.  I just hope her quirks were producer driven, because if they weren’t, she was just beyond comprehension.  

[ByaNose]

On ‎7‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 9:16 PM, KLovestoShop said:

That Arizona wife was awful.  I’m getting tired of these young mothers who are so afraid about everything.  Millions of kids are brought up in two story houses and they survive.  I did like when the husband said they will teach their son how to handle stairs.  She really was a biotch.  And I really don’t get the hot dog machine.

Grass in Arizona is a bad idea.  Unless you thatch two times a year, and change the type of grass, you’ll have nothing but burnt straw.   When we first moved to Az, one of the first things we did was to get rid of the grass.  

I didn't know kids getting hurt in a 2 story with stairs was a thing. I grew up in one for 23 years and I survived. I don't even think I fell down the stairs. Let alone tripping going up the stairs. I was the youngest of 5 and could have been pushed but that didn't even happen. LOL!!!

[cameron]

Fairfield Ct. couple were unbelievable.  For a start, you don't get very much of a house in Fairfield for $400,000.  It's one of the more expensive towns in southern Ct.  The voice that came out of her mouth was beyond annoying.  Either she was trying to be cute or tv or has an emotional problem.  He's not much better.  Felt sorry for the realtor.

[KLovestoShop]

2 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I didn't know kids getting hurt in a 2 story with stairs was a thing. I grew up in one for 23 years and I survived. I don't even think I fell down the stairs. Let alone tripping going up the stairs. I was the youngest of 5 and could have been pushed but that didn't even happen. LOL!!!

I fell down the stairs at our house when I was 12.  Just tripped and down I went.  Didn't get hurt at all.

[laredhead]

I finally got around to watching the Arizona episode where the wife was afraid her 4-year old would fall down stairs.  This woman needs to get some help with her anxiety about everything, and she needs to lighten up on thinking she has to hover over that child 24/7.  I'm on Team Husband/Dad on this one.  Yes, the hot dog machine was a bit funny, but if he has to live with her, this man deserves a room where he can get away.  The only time she smiled was when she was getting her way, and then it was one of those "told you so" expressions.  Maybe she should change the location of her employment from a hospital to a quiet medical facility that doesn't have traumatic injuries all the time.  That might help her anxiety.  That episode was as bad as everyone has reported.

The Fairfield couple were certainly different.  I could never be a successful realtor if I ever had real clients who focused on stuff like that.  The house they bought was on about 1,100 sf, and it looked like it was situation lower than the road.  I was wondering if there would be water problems in a heavy rain or in the winter if there was a lot of snow.  it also looked dark and gloomy to me.  Actually none of the houses appealed to me, and I would have kept looking.  I wonder how well that paint job is going to hold up on that woodwork, because it looked like the stained woodwork had been coated with a shiny polyurethane which would have to be stripped and sanded well before painting.  Hope that painting was for TV only and they hired a professional to do that.  Oh, and she really make the place look lighter and brighter by putting gray paint on the walls - heavy sarcasm.  Gray is not cheerful, IMO.

No one has mentioned the episode about the Atlanta couple with the 2 small dogs.  I guess their quirks were nothing compared to Arizona and Fairfield - lol.      

[Ohwell]

16 hours ago, Pickles said:

They were a strange couple.

Yes.  Yes, they were.