House Hunters - General Discussion

[cameron]

The Oklahoma couple buying a beach house in Texas with the newly married pregnant daughter.  What newly married couple wants to vacation with their parents.  Certainly that wouldn't have been me, either newly married or married for a bunch of years.

[laredhead]

Has House Hunters permanently gone to House Hunters Beachfront Property now?  I want to see the original HH concept. 

[chessiegal]

I think they are just burning off beach episodes.

[CruiseDiva]

44 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I think they are just burning off beach episodes.

I hope they run out of them pretty quickly.

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

I hope they run out of them pretty quickly.

Do you have something against people looking to buy 2 bedroom / 2 bathrooms condos and end up buying a 1 bedroom condo? LOL!!!! I also hope the burning end soon. I'm guessing they are saving the regular HH for September along with the new Brady Bunch House Flip.

[chessiegal]

I like the beach episodes. We rented beach front 3 summers in Atlantic Beach NC. Then we rented 3 times at a beach front condo in Treasure Island FL. We love that condo - it had a great pool, gym, bar at the pool, and gorgeous water views. We've thought about buying a unit there.

[Ohwell]

53 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I like the beach episodes. We rented beach front 3 summers in Atlantic Beach NC. Then we rented 3 times at a beach front condo in Treasure Island FL. We love that condo - it had a great pool, gym, bar at the pool, and gorgeous water views. We've thought about buying a unit there.

But isn't there already a show devoted specifically to beach homes?  

[chessiegal]

There can never be too many beach home shows as far as I'm concerned.

[Ohwell]

I just checked the schedule for the rest of the week and it doesn't look like any more beach episodes.  I sure hope not.

[CruiseDiva]

57 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

But isn't there already a show devoted specifically to beach homes?  

Yes, indeed there is. 

[Babalooie]

3 hours ago, Ohwell said:

But isn't there already a show devoted specifically to beach homes?  

This is probably a cheap way for HGTV to show more "new" HH episodes.

[cameron]

Just watched the New York state B & B episode.  The wife reminds me of a  softer voice version of the women on the Fairfield Ct.. episode.  Has to be this, has to be that.  Luckily the husband had business sense about him to successfully run a B & B.

[WI GIRL56]

I looked up the B&B couple and they took ownership in October.  I thought they were all nice but loved the one they picked.  Ever since Newhart I have dreamed of a B&B.

[chessiegal]

I can't think of a worse way to make a living than running a B&B.

ETA: Other than owning and running a restaurant.

Edited August 7, 2019 by chessiegal

[Pickles]

I have never stayed at a B&B. The ending of the show last night--they showed guests coming down for breakfast in what looked like their pajamas!  Is that really what people do?  Maybe some of them had on loungewear type outfits.  I would not like staying at a B&B, because I don't want to have to make small talk with strangers over my vacation breakfast. But, I have family members who love B&Bs. I will take a hotel any day. I like being anonymous. 

[chessiegal]

The few times we've stayed at B&Bs, I've never seen anyone show up at breakfast in PJs. When my husband retired, his office gave him a 3 night stay in a lovely B&B in Wilmington NC. We hate the small talk at breakfast. Another thing is the lack of ice. We ended up buying a small cooler and a bag of ice for evening cocktails.

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

I have never stayed at a B&B. The ending of the show last night--they showed guests coming down for breakfast in what looked like their pajamas!  Is that really what people do?  Maybe some of them had on loungewear type outfits.  I would not like staying at a B&B, because I don't want to have to make small talk with strangers over my vacation breakfast. But, I have family members who love B&Bs. I will take a hotel any day. I like being anonymous. 

I’ve stayed at a few. Nobody ever came to breakfast without being fully clothed. Also, the ones I’ve stayed at had breakfast rooms with multiple small tables and sitting with strangers at breakfast was definitely optional.  I always opt out of the community breakfast experience and it seemed like most other guests did too.  I had no more interaction with anyone else than if I’d been in a restaurant or regular hotel.

[QuinnM]

8 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

I’ve stayed at a few. Nobody ever came to breakfast without being fully clothed.

I've stayed at Hamptons and had people at the breakfast buffet in pjs.  So I'm not one to judge B&B's.

[WI GIRL56]

Last year in Alaska we stayed in a cottage that had a communal breakfast in the owner's home.  They had a few large tables and some smaller ones.  Everyone was fully dressed.  We enjoyed talking to everyone and finding out their stories.

I am glad that more B&Bs offer private bathrooms.  I would never consider having to share a bathroom with strangers.  And the fact that I get up 2-3 times a night to use it.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, Pickles said:

I have never stayed at a B&B. The ending of the show last night--they showed guests coming down for breakfast in what looked like their pajamas!  Is that really what people do?

I would never stay at a B&B, but I figure if you're going to put up with staying in a house rather than a hotel, the trade-off should be that you can come to breakfast in your PJs.

[SpiritSong]

I loved all the houses in the Finger Lakes episode. They were each beautiful in their own way, and so different from the usual cookie cutter houses we get to see. More episodes like this, please.

[Grrarrggh]

7 hours ago, cameron said:

Just watched the New York state B & B episode.  The wife reminds me of a  softer voice version of the women on the Fairfield Ct.. episode.  Has to be this, has to be that.  Luckily the husband had business sense about him to successfully run a B & B.

I thought it was the worst of the lot. The B&B looked like just any other house. Nothing special about it except the porch and the setting, though that road right there wasn't great.

[cameron]

1 hour ago, Grrarrggh said:

I thought it was the worst of the lot. The B&B looked like just any other house. Nothing special about it except the porch and the setting, though that road right there wasn't great.

I really liked the first one which was right in town.  The in town location would have been a major draw.

[laredhead]

I don't really like to have overnight guests in my house, so I know I would never want to run a B&B.  That's a 24/7 job or close to it, unless you hire staff, and there's another headache to deal with.  Beautiful area to look at though. 

[SpiritSong]

23 minutes ago, cameron said:

I really liked the first one which was right in town.  The in town location would have been a major draw.

I agree. If the farmhouse had been right on the lake I might have preferred to stay there, but the in town house was really nice and very convenient to the shops and restaurants. The lake view from the farmhouse wasn't all that.

[ByaNose]

When I saw him cooking up all of that sausage I was like Hell No! LOL!!!! I never understood wanting to own & run a B&B. That said, they provide a great service and people love them. I’m not really sure if they’re as in demand as they were in say the 80’s & 90’s. I’m 55 and I know my parents have stayed in them a few times and it was hit or miss. I think the house they picked from the outside perspective had a nice view but the inside was kind of meh. The wife seemed kind of depressing & the husband was kinda of hot in a silver daddy way. LOL!!!!  A

[Mu Shu]

On 8/4/2019 at 9:59 AM, Johnny Dollar said:

My take on the Jersey Girl bartender is that the boyfriend was really the one buying the house but he didn’t quite fill out his shirt as well as she did. 

Her comment to her son about being able to go to the beach everyday in FL was odd considering she came from Toms River, NJ which is literally ten minutes from the ocean. 

But the keys have no real beaches. I don’t consider Bahia Honda a beach.

Also, KW is crowded in the summer. It’s super crowded in the winter. There are annoying wild roosters roaming and waking you up. Drunken fools from all over the world puking on the sidewalks. Old women painting their boobs like bananas for Fantasy Fest. The first time they spend 12 hours on the road evacuating because of a hurricane will take the bloom off the rose. 

[Pickles]

Owning a bed and breakfast would seem like pure drudgery to me. Up early to fix a big breakfast. Having to be chatty and acting happy to have guests. A lot of laundering towels and sheets. 

My brother and his wife went to a B and B and LOVED eating breakfast with the other guests and hearing everyone's story. My brother would even get up extra early and go have coffee and hang out in the kitchen while the hosts were getting breakfast ready. I thought, oh boy I bet the owners loved that! 

[LittleIggy]

15 hours ago, WI GIRL56 said:

I looked up the B&B couple and they took ownership in October.  I thought they were all nice but loved the one they picked.  Ever since Newhart I have dreamed of a B&B.

Where is the B&B located specifically? I would like to see its website. 

The stained glass windows in that third place were gorgeous. 

The B&Bs I’ve stayed in have all been in the city (Boston, Philly, and DC). That way, I could walk to places and/or take the Metro or bus.

I never had to eat breakfast communally. In Boston, breakfast was brought to your room. It was in Beacon Hill, a great location. The squirrels on the Boston Commons were so cute. I would bring peanut butter crackers to feed them, and they would get on the bench with me, sometimes even get in my lap!

Edited August 8, 2019 by LittleIggy

[cameron]

7 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Where is the B&B located specifically? I would like to see its website. 

The stained glass windows in that third place were gorgeous. 

The B&Bs I’ve stayed in have all been in the city (Boston, Philly, and DC). That way, I could walk to places and/or take the Metro or bus.

I never had to eat breakfast communally. In Boston, breakfast was brought to your room. It was in Beacon Hill, a great location. The squirrels on the Boston Commons were so cute. I would bring peanut butter crackers to feed them, and they would get on the bench with me, sometimes even get in my lap!

Magnolia Place, Hector New York.

[Mu Shu]

The Houses in Rochester were beautiful, especially the one with all the woodwork and stained glass. But maintenance must be a bitch. I was on board with the husband having a second income stream with the party facility. They may be able to make more doing that. I mean, he seemed to love the industry, and living where you work is super convenient. I could see using the commercial facility for dances, weddings, proms, corporate events, etc. But the wife was a wet blanket. 

I stayed at a 7 guest room in PA. It really wasn’t that huge, so the upkeep was reasonable. Husband cooked, and they had a full time housekeeper and someone on the weekends. I think they had plenty of time off, and had a separate house next door. 

[Empress1]

Loved the house the DC couple ended up with, especially the outdoor space. I'd be out there all the time.

[Ohwell]

The DC house they chose didn't fit in the neighborhood at all, it was too modern and to me it was distinctive in a bad way.   I grew up in DC, and it really saddens me to see the new condo construction everywhere.  (Yeah, yeah, I know, that's progress for ya.)  Even the "remodeled" homes tend to look the same inside, looking at the real estate listings I've seen over past few years.   That gray row house they saw was ugly on the outside and sterile on the inside.  We never owned, but we lived in several rented row houses waaaaay back then, and I get a kick out of going on Zillow and seeing those same houses going for over $900,000.  I go whaaaaat? 

[cameron]

14 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

The DC house they chose didn't fit in the neighborhood at all, it was too modern and to me it was distinctive in a bad way.   I grew up in DC, and it really saddens me to see the new condo construction everywhere.  (Yeah, yeah, I know, that's progress for ya.)  Even the "remodeled" homes tend to look the same inside, looking at the real estate listings I've seen over past few years.   That gray row house they saw was ugly on the outside and sterile on the inside.  We never owned, but we lived in several rented row houses waaaaay back then, and I get a kick out of going on Zillow and seeing those same houses going for over $900,000.  I go whaaaaat? 

Have to remember $1,000,000 is relatively cheap in the DC area now.  Even the hard core areas of NE like Trinidad are getting high prices now.

[Ohwell]

26 minutes ago, cameron said:

Have to remember $1,000,000 is relatively cheap in the DC area now.  Even the hard core areas of NE like Trinidad are getting high prices now.

Oh, I know about how expensive real estate is now; however, I don't think $1 mil is "relatively cheap," even in hot areas. 

https://www.redfin.com/city/12839/DC/Washington-DC/real-estate-for-sale?utm_campaign=1015859&utm_content=352585341731&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=google&utm_term=kwd-583348202

Also, my point was that it's funny to see the prices now as opposed to when I lived in some of the houses way back when.

Edited August 9, 2019 by Ohwell

[txvoodoo]

On 8/7/2019 at 5:38 PM, Mu Shu said:

I don’t consider Bahia Honda a beach.

I know it's thin, but it's a beach. Or was when I lived there. In fact, one of my favorites - so much great snorkeling! 

[cameron]

13 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Oh, I know about how expensive real estate is now; however, I don't think $1 mil is "relatively cheap," even in hot areas. 

https://www.redfin.com/city/12839/DC/Washington-DC/real-estate-for-sale?utm_campaign=1015859&utm_content=352585341731&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=google&utm_term=kwd-583348202

Also, my point was that it's funny to see the prices now as opposed to when I lived in some of the houses way back when.

It is when you are trying to buy into that area and the homes can certainly go for a lot more money than that.  Comes down to what you are use to.

[Kohola3]

The Denver, like, woman and her, like, spreadsheet where she, like, listed everything she, like, just couldn't, like, live without but wanted it all, like, for a way below, like, the going price.  And that, like, yard in the new build was, like, non-existent.  

Damn, I am, like, so glad I don't have to, like, work with her and, like, hear the Valley Girl speak, like, every day.

[cameron]

8 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

The Denver, like, woman and her, like, spreadsheet where she, like, listed everything she, like, just couldn't, like, live without but wanted it all, like, for a way below, like, the going price.  And that, like, yard in the new build was, like, non-existent.  

Damn, I am, like, so glad I don't have to, like, work with her and, like, hear the Valley Girl speak, like, every day.

The worst one was her visiting friend.  Didn't realize they spoke "Valley Girl" in Kansas City, Missouri.

[cameron]

Find it interesting the way some people  on HH obsess about buying a house like the one they grew up in.

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, cameron said:

Find it interesting the way some people  on HH obsess about buying a house like the one they grew up in.

I'd never want a house like the one my parents built in the early 50s. It was definitely mid-century modern and I didn't even like it as a child.

[Ohwell]

8 hours ago, cameron said:

It is when you are trying to buy into that area and the homes can certainly go for a lot more money than that.  Comes down to what you are use to.

Sure, there are multi million dollar homes in, say, Ward 3 in upper northwest, but $1 million can get you a property in other parts of DC and that price would not be considered cheap.  I moved out to the 'burbs several years ago and you couldn't pay me to move back to DC, for a variety of reasons, mainly crime and fear of getting a parking ticket. 

[cameron]

18 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Sure, there are multi million dollar homes in, say, Ward 3 in upper northwest, but $1 million can get you a property in other parts of DC and that price would not be considered cheap.  I moved out to the 'burbs several years ago and you couldn't pay me to move back to DC, for a variety of reasons, mainly crime and fear of getting a parking ticket. 

I think people are either city people or suburb types.  Everyone has a choice.  Personally for me, it's the city.  Like being able to walk to restaurants, etc.

[Ohwell]

54 minutes ago, cameron said:

I think people are either city people or suburb types.  Everyone has a choice.  Personally for me, it's the city.  Like being able to walk to restaurants, etc.

Yeah, I liked it, too, for many years but I as I got older, my preferences changed.   I also hate go go music.  😈   I've got plenty of restaurants, etc. to choose from, some even within walking distance.  So the only time now that I go into DC is to play tourist, which I do once or twice a year.  

And I'm sorry but they fucked up the SW waterfront, near where I used to live.  It used to be so quiet and peaceful, a nice place to hang out and eat at Hogates, have a drink at the Gangplank. 

Oh well.

[El maestro]

Hawaii bald guy: he seemed like a really fun guy to hang out...but come on, he should have bought a house 20 years ago if he didn’t want to leave the area.

Key West mom: why did the realtor show her a house so out of her budget?

Edited August 11, 2019 by El maestro

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, El maestro said:

Key West mom: why did the realtor show her a house so out of her budget?

Probably because the realtor has learned that people's budgets are often soft. It's a smart way to make a bigger commission. 

[chessiegal]

Agents don't make much more money from a higher priced house. If the sellers are paying a 6% commission, 3% goes to the listing broker, 3% to the buyers broker. The agent selling the house ends up with 1 to 1 1/2 % of the selling price.

[Ohwell]

But it's still more money though.

[chessiegal]

Sometimes agents show homes over the budget so clients can see what it gets them. We bought a house for $100,000 over what we intended to spend, but it had everything we wanted and added $40 a month to our mortgage payment. Bargain.

[laredhead]

Chessiegal, that is a huge pet peeve of mine about the buyers on HH.  They whine if the house is $10 over their "price point".  Only once in a while have I ever heard a realtor says prices are negotiable or even less, say it would add only a few dollars more a month to the note.  If you are so stretched to the max on budget and cannot afford say up to $50 a month more, then maybe you need to lower your price point, or save until you can afford what you really want, or cut out eating our or giving up the specialty coffee habit that you might have.