House Hunters - General Discussion

[LittleIggy]

Georgetown: I liked the place they picked. If I had boatloads of money, I would have picked it, too.

[CrazyInAlabama]

TOday's OWN reruns seem to be self centered twits.   

The couple moving to Dallas/Ft. Worth are currently childless (unless she's pregnant like a bunch of the house hunters seem to be), but she wants space for three Christmas trees, a giant kitchen with prep space.  He wants a ranch, one-story to limit cooling costs.     She wants a two-story, with all of the bedrooms on one floor together.     

She also wants a two-story with a grand staircase for prom pictures, and a giant Christmas tree in the entry hall.   Plus, she wants a kid's space Christmas tree, and another color coordinated tree.     They're both musicians, so they need a studio practice space.      I can't believe someone without kids wants a staircase from prom pictures.   Who says they'll have kids, or they'll go to prom?    $360k budget, for an engineer and a doctor, who do music on the side.  She also needs room for some grand piano her family has passed down.    As usual, what they call Craftsman is laughably not a Craftsman.   

Since #3, the "Craftsman" has a doggy door, a piano in place, then I'm guessing they'll get the over budget #3.   It also has Christmas lights around the staircase railing.    

Instead, they went with #2, a two story traditional bought for $10k over list. 

The two women house hunting in Salem Oregon for a 2 bed 2 bath, are trying for the quirky House Hunters award.  They hug kitchen islands, announce what they entertain for, and everything else.  So she buys the small cottage, #1 with small closets.  She promptly puts modern gold metal look light fixtures that look like giant  dandelions that went to seed, and were painted gold.   

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[cameron]

44 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

Georgetown: I liked the place they picked. If I had boatloads of money, I would have picked it, too.

And that's a great location too!!

[buttersister]

The piano couple ep ended with her playing scales😂so quite the player.

Not to be confused (I think) with the guy who needed a “room of rock” for his average white band to play around in. When his wife, who previously insisted that room have a door, reported she could hear the band, outside, four-doors down, I felt super bad for the neighbors.😡🥵

I’d say there was a theme, but then they showed a woman buying a 2B condo a few blocks away from me😂 

Edited July 17, 2021 by buttersister

[Grrarrggh]

39 minutes ago, cameron said:

And that's a great location too!!

I thought the Arlington house was better but I'm biased. 

[Crashcourse]

2 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Georgetown: I liked the place they picked. If I had boatloads of money, I would have picked it, too.

If there's one thing DC is (in)famous for, it's issuing parking tickets, so yeah, having a boatload of money would help. 😁  Of course, everyone's got their own preferences, but  I'm just so glad I moved outta DC and into the 'burbs.  

[cameron]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

If there's one thing DC is (in)famous for, it's issuing parking tickets, so yeah, having a boatload of money would help. 😁  Of course, everyone's got their own preferences, but  I'm just so glad I moved outta DC and into the 'burbs.  

Looked up the house and it has parking in the rear access by an alley.  Very common for the area.

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, cameron said:

Looked up the house and it has parking in the rear access by an alley.  Very common for the area.

I thought I heard the guy say he could park in front of his house, he didn't mention rear parking.   The red light cameras will get them though, lol.  

In case it wasn't obvious, I absolutely hate driving in DC. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 7/17/2021 at 5:53 PM, Crashcourse said:

I thought I heard the guy say he could park in front of his house, he didn't mention rear parking.  

In the wrapup, he said he didn't get the parking pad (a term I wasn't familiar with) he wanted, but it's not an issue because he's never had a problem finding a parking space in front of his house.  Which surprised me.  But if there's a park across the street, that means only half the street has people living on it, which would help.  And if the houses do indeed have rear-access parking, that would also free up spots on the street.

[amarante]

5 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

In the wrapup, he said he didn't get the parking pad (a term I wasn't familiar with) he wanted, but it's not an issue because he's never had a problem finding a parking space in front of his house.  Which surprised me.  But if there's a park across the street, that means only half the street has people living on it, which would help.  And if the houses do indeed have rear-access parking, that would also free up spots on the street.

FWIW, a parking pad is when there is a portion of the backyard that has concrete and can be accessed from the alley so a homeowner has the option of using it to park or using it as a backyard space.

In my experience, the ability to find street parking in a major city really depends on the exact configuration of the block. If the homes are used by single families, it is generally relatively easy to find street parking because the ratio of cars to curb space is not bad. If the homes were subdivided into apartments, it is more difficult especially if they are row homes built before the era of autos so there are no drive ways or off street parking.

The other wild card is whether the block is near a commercial street. Parking is often impossible even on streets with single family homes AND driveways if they are the ones closest to a commercial street.

Some places have parking for residents with stickers and placards that free up parking for residents and even their guests - e.g. a resident will have two guest placards which visitors can use if they are visiting. Otherwise there is no parking on the block because they don't want cheapskates trying to avoid parking fees by parking on their residential block and hogging all the spots.

I do find it odd that street parking is easy across from a park. In my experience, many people drive to parks in the city. I live close to Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles and parking is impossible - of course for many reasons - but also because of the number of people who drive there in order to hike the trails. 

[Grizzly]

Livermore, CA. Their kid is so cute. I love that he named the house Frank. Did they say what price they closed at?

[buttersister]

It sounded like 1.5, the top of their budget. Affording $1.5M on two firefighter salaries and frugal living? They should write a how-to book (must be more than buying second-hand clothes for the cutie pie).

[LittleIggy]

A firefighter can’t deal with stairs? That was odd. Wonder how much it will cost to finish the rest of the house?

[amarante]

12 hours ago, buttersister said:

It sounded like 1.5, the top of their budget. Affording $1.5M on two firefighter salaries and frugal living? They should write a how-to book (must be more than buying second-hand clothes for the cutie pie).

One was a captain and the other was an engineer. Fire fighters in metropolitan areas make good money especially at the level of a captain. I would imagine they each make in excess of $100,000 easily so they are grossing at least $200,000 a year if not more.  They also have great benefits like top of the line medical insurance. 

They were also selling a hime they had owned for at least ten years so they would have enormous equity. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had no mortgage when they sold which means they would have a very large down payment available.

And I was shocked - just shocked - when they chose the home that was *mysteriously* in the middle of construction with only the lower level done but the mysterious flipper did nothing about the upper levels which had ugly but very functional bathrooms and what looked like new carpeting  😂😂😂Yes shocked as if the ideal configuration for horses and the location being relatively close to town already wasn’t a giveaway. 
 

I don’t know what boarding costs are in Livermore but there would also be significant  money saved by having your horses stabled at home. The amount saved would be available for mortgage payments in someone’s budget.

 

 

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 7/19/2021 at 2:23 PM, amarante said:

FWIW, a parking pad is when there is a portion of the backyard that has concrete and can be accessed from the alley so a homeowner has the option of using it to park or using it as a backyard space.

Aah, okay.  I remember some city where people put overhead garage doors as gates for those parking pads, so it's not like I'd never seen them. 

On 7/19/2021 at 2:23 PM, amarante said:

I do find it odd that street parking is easy across from a park. In my experience, many people drive to parks in the city. I live close to Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles and parking is impossible - of course for many reasons - but also because of the number of people who drive there in order to hike the trails. 

But I would imagine that a lot fewer people drive to a park in Georgetown.

16 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

A firefighter can’t deal with stairs? That was odd.

Heh.  I think going up a flight of stairs unladen by 50 pounds of equipment would feel like I'm flying.

5 hours ago, amarante said:

I don’t know what boarding costs are in Livermore but there would also be significant  money saved by having your horses stabled at home. The amount saved would be available for mortgage payments in someone’s budget.

I thought about that, too.  Same with factoring in other known costs, like how much you can save on transportation if you move to the city from the suburbs and can walk to work--that could be a few hundred bucks toward the mortgage.

[chessiegal]

The woman in Atlanta had the ugliest fake eyelashes I've ever seen. They looked uneven. Is that a thing? I expected them to start crawling off her face.

Unless something in Georgia/Atlanta area has changed, when I bought there the refrigerator never conveyed. I bought a new build, and when I moved back to Maryland, I took the refrigerator I bought with me. Refrigerators convey in Maryland, so I had a second fridge which I really like.

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

The woman in Atlanta had the ugliest fake eyelashes I've ever seen. They looked uneven. Is that a thing? I expected them to start crawling off her face.

Unless something in Georgia/Atlanta area has changed, when I bought there the refrigerator never conveyed. I bought a new build, and when I moved back to Maryland, I took the refrigerator I bought with me. Refrigerators convey in Maryland, so I had a second fridge which I really like.

OMG, yes! Why does anyone think that those drag queen fake eyelashes are attractive? Besides being ridiculous looking, they were distracting. They were all I was paying attention to. 😬

[pdlinda]

13 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

OMG, yes! Why does anyone think that those drag queen fake eyelashes are attractive? Besides being ridiculous looking, they were distracting. They were all I was paying attention to. 😬

The wig ( or whatever it was) didn't add to the overall look...

[cameron]

1 hour ago, pdlinda said:

The wig ( or whatever it was) didn't add to the overall look...

Both the buyer and realtor were sporting those long fake eyelashes.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Atlanta episode was too much for me.   I watched until the second house, and then turned it off.   If I heard bling, glitz, diva, or the kid's expensive ideas for finishing the basements into his area, including recording studio, then I just couldn't watch any more. 

[LittleIggy]

The constant mentioning of being a “single mother” drives me nuts too. I heard you the first ten times! It’s not just on HH either.

[Rightside]

18 hours ago, chessiegal said:

The woman in Atlanta had the ugliest fake eyelashes I've ever seen. They looked uneven. Is that a thing? I expected them to start crawling off her face.

Oh my gosh! What part of them did she think made her look good? 

Between her eyelashes and her hair, that is a lot of glue holding her together.

[snarts]

Atlanta: the kid's deep voice surprised me as well. I thought he was playing at first it seemed so unnatural.

New builds make for such boring episodes. She would've been much better off with #2. First time buyers always underestimate the cost associated with landscaping, window treatments, etc.  Plus, countertops aside, it seemed to be a little higher quality & in a nicer neighborhood.

[LittleIggy]

5 hours ago, snarts said:

Atlanta: the kid's deep voice surprised me as well. I thought he was playing at first it seemed so unnatural.

New builds make for such boring episodes. She would've been much better off with #2. First time buyers always underestimate the cost associated with landscaping, window treatments, etc.  Plus, countertops aside, it seemed to be a little higher quality & in a nicer neighborhood.

But...but, someone had already used the toilets! 😏

[CrazyInAlabama]

Last night's new episode with the couple about to have their first child was interesting.    Then ended up with a townhouse, in Dumfries.   Virtually no yard, for the future kid, and way out of town.      The wife saying she was close to work wasn't exactly the real commute, with the traffic in the area.    THe single family a lot further out of town was a strange choice, I guess it was priced right, but not with the improvements they would have had to make.     Needing a big yard for that little dog they had was funny.     I had to laugh at the real estate agent talking up the amenities for the townhouse/new build, and saying that shops and restaurants were coming soon to the townhouse area.     I'm not counting on anything getting added in a neighborhood, until I see the bulldozers come in, and a sign saying what's being built.     

The first one in Arlington was another converted apartment house, and they would have been house hunting in a year to get more room, and more updated for her tastes.    The HOA fees on that one were pretty steep too.    Some of those converted post WWII apartments were gutted, and redone, but I still wouldn't want to live in one.     Also, parking can be an issue at some of the condo complexes.

I hate the commute times the agent give on the Dumfries, and the other potential houses.     The agents almost always give you the commute time, if you're going to work in the middle of the night, not at rush hour. 

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[laredhead]

CrazyInAlabama, I agree with you about that first townhouse in Arlington last night.  They didn't show closets, but I bet they were tiny since that place was built in 1948.  I was hoping that her love of location, and charm would not win on that one.  Once that baby comes, that place was going to seem even smaller because of all of the stuff that babies have now days.  I liked the single family home best, but it was a long commute.  I just can't imagine having an hour commute each way daily, but I know people do it. 

[Crashcourse]

That first place in Arlington looked like it was in Fairlington Village, which is a desirable location for a lot of people because it's close to DC.  I actually looked at some places there, but the rooms were small which is understandable for places built in 1948.    

[Rightside]

And more eyelashes on the lady with her husband buying the townhouse.

Did anyone notice only the relator had on the shoe covering booties when they were all in the townhouse ?

The husband and wife were still wearing their shoes. I hate when people go into the shower with their shoes on!

[pdlinda]

29 minutes ago, Rightside said:

The husband and wife were still wearing their shoes. I hate when people go into the shower with their shoes on!

Unimaginable and DISGUSTING!!!

[Kiddvideo]

The DC couple: The episode was hard-up for drama. I laughed when he grouched the one place was 45 minutes from his parents, but he wasn’t worried about an hour commute for her work.

Does anyone ever not take the new build?

[Texasmom1970]

White cabinets, white countertop; I wish this trend would disappear soon. So sick of hearing people blabber on and on. Yes, I am grouchy!

[CruiseDiva]

9 hours ago, Rightside said:

And more eyelashes on the lady with her husband buying the townhouse.

Did anyone notice only the relator had on the shoe covering booties when they were all in the townhouse ?

The false eyelashes did nothing to improve her appearance. Maybe she thinks the very obvious eyelashes distract from that big old mole between her eyebrows? That was all I kept noticing during the entire show.

I also saw that the realtor had on booties but the buyers didn't. That was odd, but maybe they didn't put them on because they'd already bought the townhouse.

[LittleIggy]

I think it was for the second house segment that the wife didn’t have on the big fake eyelashes in the car, but did have them on in the house. 🤨

[cameron]

8 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I think it was for the second house segment that the wife didn’t have on the big fake eyelashes in the car, but did have them on in the house. 🤨

They are all trying to emulate the ousted olympic track star.

[Crashcourse]

12 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

Maybe she thinks the very obvious eyelashes distract from that big old mole between her eyebrows? That was all I kept noticing during the entire show.

That's all I kept noticing too.   She was making me cross-eyed.  

[cameron]

Arlington Va. couple -Thought that a lot of the background footage and when they were walking around at the end was done in Old Town Alexandria.  Recognized the houses immediately.

[Rightside]

15 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

I also saw that the realtor had on booties but the buyers didn't. That was odd, but maybe they didn't put them on because they'd already bought the townhouse.

Ah, we know they already have bought the house before they even film the show.  Since it is their house,  even more the reason to wear the booties. They still have dirty shoes on!!

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 7/23/2021 at 1:24 PM, pdlinda said:

On 7/23/2021 at 12:54 PM, Rightside said:

I hate when people go into the shower with their shoes on!

Unimaginable and DISGUSTING!!!

Disgusting from a dirt angle?  I don't think it's worse than walking on floors with shoes; at least a shower would be easy to wash down.

The reason I hate it is because I worry about little bits of things stuck in the soles scratching the surface.

[topanga]

On 7/24/2021 at 9:01 AM, cameron said:

They are all trying to emulate the ousted olympic track star.

That’s just the look these days. Not my thing, either. 
 

On 7/23/2021 at 11:08 PM, Texasmom1970 said:

White cabinets, white countertop; I wish this trend would disappear soon. So sick of hearing people blabber on and on. Yes, I am grouchy!

It seems like gray cabinets are becoming a thing. I’m not a fan of those either. 

[Grizzly]

Long Beach, CA. This couple seems realistic. Most HHs would turn their nose up at that first fixer upper. Liam is cute. You'd think Bill the realtor might dress up a little for being on tv. Wow, I can't believe what a coat of paint did for that place. And how far they had to go over asking price, that's crazy.

[Grrarrggh]

I had to shake my head in amazement over a comment one of the LA house hunters made. She walks into an open concept room and says something along the lines of wow, it's so big! Only to later wonder where they'd have the room to put a few cat trees. Huh? How can it be both wowingly (why is spell check saying that's not a word? it totally should be) large and yet too small for cat trees?! 

If one more person says they want open concept for the "flow" I can't be held responsible for my actions. 

[ByaNose]

14 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Long Beach, CA. This couple seems realistic. Most HHs would turn their nose up at that first fixer upper. Liam is cute. You'd think Bill the realtor might dress up a little for being on tv. Wow, I can't believe what a coat of paint did for that place. And how far they had to go over asking price, that's crazy.

I really liked them. And, they met on a app. Who knew? It was a very old mid century modern from the front but the inside turned out great with all the painting and the backyard is awesome. The asking was $599,000 and they settled on $680,000. Gulp! Meanwhile, I hoping to sell my house for $280,000 and I would be thrilled with $290,000. LOL!!!! Location! Location! Location!

[Crashcourse]

16 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Long Beach, CA. This couple seems realistic. Most HHs would turn their nose up at that first fixer upper. Liam is cute. You'd think Bill the realtor might dress up a little for being on tv. Wow, I can't believe what a coat of paint did for that place. And how far they had to go over asking price, that's crazy.

I don't know who the guy was, maybe he wasn't really a realtor, but he looked like he jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes.  Didn't even bother to trim the beard.

[buttersister]

1 hour ago, ByaNose said:

asking was $599,000 and they settled on $680,000.

I thought I heard that! But when the usual “bidding war” blah blah wasn’t included, I wasn’t sure. Plus, no kvetching!

[chessiegal]

15 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I don't know who the guy was, maybe he wasn't really a realtor, but he looked like he jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes.  Didn't even bother to trim the beard.

He's a licensed real estate agent. That scruffy beard is his look.

Bill D'Alvia

Attractive couple. Cute cats.

[Crashcourse]

1 minute ago, chessiegal said:

He's a licensed real estate agent. That scruffy beard is his look.

Bill D'Alvia

Attractive couple. Cute cats.

Then he should be ashamed of himself coming on tv looking like that.  I noticed in the photo he had on a jacket and looked a little cleaned up. 

[CruiseDiva]

39 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I noticed in the photo he had on a jacket and looked a little cleaned up. 

Homely guy. The scruffy beard doesn't help.

[Pine]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

I don't know who the guy was, maybe he wasn't really a realtor, but he looked like he jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes.  Didn't even bother to trim the beard.

I think that realtor had on my V neck rust coloured Eddie Bauer t shirt!!!  hahahaha  I am not a cat person, but, I adored their cats!  (I don't hate cats, just don't have any)

[Pine]

2 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I really liked them. And, they met on a app. Who knew? It was a very old mid century modern from the front but the inside turned out great with all the painting and the backyard is awesome. The asking was $599,000 and they settled on $680,000. Gulp! Meanwhile, I hoping to sell my house for $280,000 and I would be thrilled with $290,000. LOL!!!! Location! Location! Location!

For sure!  I watch HH and see houses like mine that are now selling for almost 2 million in my area, going for under 400 or 500K.  Location, location, location is so true.

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

6 hours ago, buttersister said:

I thought I heard that! But when the usual “bidding war” blah blah wasn’t included, I wasn’t sure. Plus, no kvetching!

My guess is that in that area the buyers, and their agents expect everything to go well above list price, so they don't even comment on it.