House Hunters - General Discussion

[Rootbeer]

3 hours ago, chessiegal said:

The housing market is so hot in our area you could buy a house today and sell it in a few months for a profit. Houses are going for asking or above. I'd say those parents will make out just fine.

Was it the same 3 years ago?  Because these folks need to buy a place knowing that they will be able to sell at a profit in 3 years with the fact that the daughter and boyfriend will not do any major renovations and that they will be living there with 3 large dogs.

For the last year or so, home sales have hit record highs and a lot of markets that never saw sales above list or bidding wars are seeing those things now.  I think it would be a gamble to presume that the sellers' market is going to remain that strong for 3 years.

The daughter and boyfriend claimed that they needed to buy a home because there was a shortage of rental properties in the area where they were looking.  I think what they actually were dealing with was a shortage of rental properties for people with 3 large dogs.  There was probably some sort of student housing near where she was going to be training, but those landlords are not putting up with 3 dogs (or any probably).  As a resident, she is probably earning around $60,000 a year which, considering her partner not working,  is not going to go far enough for any big renovations while making mortgage payments on a house that size and it seemed clear that the down payment was all her parents planned to contribute, which is really pretty good considering the situation.

Edited November 13, 2021 by Rootbeer

[chessiegal]

Even if the market cools down a bit in 3 years, I don't think the parents will lose money. Our market's been hot for several years now. As long as interest rates are low, the market is going to be hot.

[buttersister]

In River North, HOAs tend to be higher because the amenities cost. In a union building, door staff and maintenance staff salaries/benefits and utilities alone can account for almost two-thirds of the annual budget. And it's Chicago--Rahm taxed water and made it an income stream for the city (no pun intended).

[LittleIggy]

Dallas: The exterior shot of the first house, the one they bought, had a cat (the HHs had three cats) in the window, but, when the HHs walked in, the house was empty. Doesn’t the production team notice things like this? I guess they don’t care!

[Jess14]

On 11/13/2021 at 5:53 PM, Rootbeer said:

Was it the same 3 years ago?  Because these folks need to buy a place knowing that they will be able to sell at a profit in 3 years with the fact that the daughter and boyfriend will not do any major renovations and that they will be living there with 3 large dogs.

For the last year or so, home sales have hit record highs and a lot of markets that never saw sales above list or bidding wars are seeing those things now.  I think it would be a gamble to presume that the sellers' market is going to remain that strong for 3 years.

The daughter and boyfriend claimed that they needed to buy a home because there was a shortage of rental properties in the area where they were looking.  I think what they actually were dealing with was a shortage of rental properties for people with 3 large dogs.  There was probably some sort of student housing near where she was going to be training, but those landlords are not putting up with 3 dogs (or any probably).  As a resident, she is probably earning around $60,000 a year which, considering her partner not working,  is not going to go far enough for any big renovations while making mortgage payments on a house that size and it seemed clear that the down payment was all her parents planned to contribute, which is really pretty good considering the situation.

Agreed. I don’t know anything about Dover, Delaware, so perhaps the rental market is bad, but no matter the market, it’s likely going to be difficult to find a place that will allow 3 big dogs. 

The parents really didn’t bother me at all. The mom was absolutely correct that painting the white kitchen brown would make the kitchen feel smaller and be unhelpful for resale value. White kitchens aren’t for everyone, but this wasn’t the daughter’s long term home to be making changes like that.

I also didn’t really understand the situation with the boyfriend’s truck. Was the problem that it’s too big to sit in the driveway bc then, the girlfriend wouldn’t have room to back out of the driveway? Just seemed a bit odd that he needed additional space when all of the driveways seemed to be a decent size.

[Grizzly]

L.A. The third house had the best yard for the dog. Sorry,  had a partial knee replacement today, not concentrating on the details. #1 had a lot of renovations to do. Did have the most indoor space.

[CrazyInAlabama]

With Dover, Del. the biggest problem was the giant truck won't fit in the garage, so it needed a separate parking pad.    Many HOAs won't allow giant trucks, or work trucks, and at least the third home was a small lot, and had an HOA.    I think the truck, and the sofa dominating the home selection was the boyfriend putting his foot down.   

Tonight's L.A. attorney buying in Inglewood is so funny.     #1 older condo, I wouldn't touch it.  It has a full bath in the primary bedroom, and a half bath.  The outside of the building is going to need new stucco, and that will be very expensive, the kitchen is hideous, and will cost a lot to gut.   The tile floors are terrible, and turning one bathroom into two won't be cheap.   Popcorn ceiling may have asbestos.  two covered parking spaces. 

#2 cuter condo, with a detached garage.  I like this one.   Hardwood floors, but 600 sq. ft.?   Sautillo tile kitchen and dining room.   I like her friend, who says that the smallish fridge would work for her, because she only eats three things, shrimp, salmon, and potatoes.  Bathroom needs a big vanity, with counter space.  It's a one bedroom, but there is a stackable washer/dryer too. 

#3-Single family.  In Florence Graham(?) near Inglewood.   Bathroom is totally redone, flooring looks brand new, 2 bedroom, but only one bath. Lovely redone kitchen. Full size washer / dryer, in a laundry room.  Nice backyard, but street parking only. 

She buys #1, and will be fixing it up for a lot of money, and a lot of time.  She thinks it will cost $25k to renovate the place.   I think her budget will cost three or four times what the home buyer estimates.  The realtor or friend's (I'm not sure which one) said $4k for a complete kitchen remodel, no way that will happen for that price.   Plus, removing the popcorn ceiling safely, redoing all of the floors, plus I'm sure painting every wall.   Who knows how much electrical, plumbing, and other structures will need to be done to current code.   I'm sure she'll want all new lights, and if there are any mirrored closet doors, they would probably be on the list to redo also. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Grrarrggh]

14 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

She buys #1, and will be fixing it up for a lot of money, and a lot of time.  She thinks it will cost $25k to renovate the place.   I think her budget will cost three or four times what the home buyer estimates. 

If she is only doing floors and keeps that as a single bathroom, and she has a good contractor, she'd have enough left to get new counters and a fridge at least. 

[amarante]

The LA condo will cost almost all of her $25,000 just for the floors. Removing tiles and prepping the subfloors is expensive. I am not sure what kind of floor she thinks she can get but even cheap laminate with installation is expensive. 

The popcorn ceiling almost certainly has asbestos because that is what was use in apartment buildings in 1962. You have to hire an asbestos remediation company and then it is expensive to redo the ceiling properly. 

The bathroom needed to be gutted and that would be about $25,000 for anything better than lowest grade stuff. 

LA is a very expensive in terms of labor costs. Any decent GC is fully booked for a year and the cost of materials for any construction is incredibly expensive.  I did a gut remodel on a 1965 condo and the real estate broker was smoking crack when she was giving her cost estimates. For $4000 you might get a relatively inexpensive new counter and sink in he kitchen. And that is assuming there aren’t issues with electrical and plumbing that is 60 years old. 

[snarts]

10 hours ago, amarante said:

The LA condo will cost almost all of her $25,000 just for the floors. Removing tiles and prepping the subfloors is expensive. I am not sure what kind of floor she thinks she can get but even cheap laminate with installation is expensive. 

She could easily put vinyl plank or laminate down over the tile.  Agree that removing the tile and prepping the subfloor would far exceed her budget so I can't imagine she'd think she could do that and the bathroom remodel for $25k, A higher end vinyl plank throughout would immediately spruce up the place but she should take care of the popcorn ceilings first.  

Basically, I disliked all of her options. LA home prices are insane. 

[amarante]

39 minutes ago, snarts said:

She could easily put vinyl plank or laminate down over the tile.  Agree that removing the tile and prepping the subfloor would far exceed her budget so I can't imagine she'd think she could do that and the bathroom remodel for $25k, A higher end vinyl plank throughout would immediately spruce up the place but she should take care of the popcorn ceilings first.  

Basically, I disliked all of her options. LA home prices are insane. 

You actually can't do that as the tile surface will cause the laminate or other flooring to not look right. I think it will void any warranty because the lines of where the tiles were will show through. Any installer who would do this is an incompetent which is why - after doing my remodel - I am generally suspicious to remodels because I assume many people took short cuts to cut costs and the result is less than acceptable.

The only thing you can do with a tile floor is to use carpet because the padding and the carpet hide a multitude of sins. That is why cheap construction often uses carpet because you can put down a terrible subfloor.

I had about 1000 square feet of popcorn removed which had asbestos. It cost about $6000 for the asbestos remediation company to remove and then a significant amount for my GC to do the ceiling so that it looks smooth and beautiful. It is not something that can be done after you move in because all the furniture has to be out as they won't work around it. I had a small bit of drywall that had to be removed because of a neighbor's flood. It had asbestos in the mud used and so the asbestos remediation company had to remove it and they had to create a plastic air tight room to contain the air and the material removed. 

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by amarante

[Grrarrggh]

Why waste money doing the popcorn ceilings? Do people really spend that much time looking at their ceiling? 

[Rootbeer]

Just now, Grrarrggh said:

Why waste money doing the popcorn ceilings? Do people really spend that much time looking at their ceiling? 

Popcorn ceilings do look dated, otherwise, they're functional.  If she plans to be there long-term and would rather not live with asbestos in the ceiling, then, removing them makes sense, I guess.  As long as they're left alone, the risk of asbestos exposure from them is tiny.

I laughed out loud when the realtor told her a kitchen remodel would run $4000.  Not even close.  Presuming she is going to have to hire out the majority of the work, replacing the flooring is probably going to cost around 4 grand.  $20-30,000 is a much better estimate for a kitchen remodel presuming there are going to be plumbing and electrical upgrades needed and she hires a reputable contractor.  

[amarante]

23 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

Why waste money doing the popcorn ceilings? Do people really spend that much time looking at their ceiling? 

I had my popcorn ceilings removed when I did a gut remodel. 

I lived with popcorn ceilings for years. There is a huge difference as the popcorn is dingy and collects dust. Painting them makes the problem worse because it becomes more difficult to remove down the line. 

You don’t realize how much ceilings affect the look and feel of a room even if you aren’t conscious of seeing them.  My rooms look brighter and airier and everything looks better. It is just more pleasant to be in the room even if one doesn’t focus on the ceiling. As an experiment, see what is in your field of vision when you walk into a room or even if you are relaxing in a prone position on the sofa  

I don’t mind vintage looking homes as I deliberately opted for vintage styles to some degree rather than of the moment trendy. I don’t even mind some textured plaster ceilings which weren’t uncommon in homes built in the early part of the 20th century. Plaster textured ceilings are nit the same as popcorn ceilings  

Popcorn was a cheap method to do a ceiling because it was just sprayed on and didn’t require the skill of a smooth ceiling. Even when it was being used, it was only done in cheaper construction like tract homes or cheap apartment buildings. 

The LA condo was originally built as a cheap apartment building and was converted to condos without even renovating it  

[edie3]

17 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Sorry,  had a partial knee replacement today,

You will be glad you had it done. Not today, not tomorrow, but soon! Here's to a speedy recovery!

[amarante]

What are the economics involved in military purchases of home. 

Obviously they are picking up moving costs and there is a housing stipend but I don't understand how buying a home every three years works.

There are generally significant closing costs as well as real estate commissions. Are these also paid for by the military when someone moves?

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, amarante said:

What are the economics involved in military purchases of home. 

Obviously they are picking up moving costs and there is a housing stipend but I don't understand how buying a home every three years works.

There are generally significant closing costs as well as real estate commissions. Are these also paid for by the military when someone moves?

I think it depends on the rank of the soldier and where they are being stationed.  Most military personnel don't purchase a home each time they're transferred although many will end up buying a place in the states near a base where they hope to retire and rent it out to other military families until then.  For that matter, a lot of rental units are handled that way, especially overseas.  One family passes their place onto another family transferring into the area.  Especially overseas where English is not widespread, there tend to be pockets of military families all living in the same neighborhood close to the base.  Many military personnel are required to live within a certain distance from their base overseas so they can be recalled to duty in case of emergency at any time.

[Crashcourse]

4 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

I laughed out loud when the realtor told her a kitchen remodel would run $4000. 

I don't even know that much about remodeling but even I laughed out loud at the clueless realtor's estimate.

[amarante]

11 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I don't even know that much about remodeling but even I laughed out loud at the clueless realtor's estimate.

If a realtor ever made such an ignorant statement I would get another agent because it would indicate such a lack of basic knowledge of real estate that I wouldn’t trust her advice on anything.  

[Jess14]

I understood the LA attorney picking the one that she did for space. The second condo, while nice, was very small and the lack of parking for the single family home would be an absolute dealbreaker for me. However, I agree with everyone - her expectation of the cost of the remodel was completely unrealistic. Upgrading  the floors, kitchen, and bathrooms will easily, easily exceed $25k. That’s not even getting into dealing with the ceilings or painting.

[snarts]

19 hours ago, amarante said:

You actually can't do that as the tile surface will cause the laminate or other flooring to not look right. I think it will void any warranty because the lines of where the tiles were will show through. Any installer who would do this is an incompetent which is why - after doing my remodel - I am generally suspicious to remodels because I assume many people took short cuts to cut costs and the result is less than acceptable.

You absolutely can put vinyl plank over ceramic tile so long as it's level and in good condition. Just google it.

https://www.flooringamerica.com/custom/mf7979web/vinyl-plank-on-tile 

https://www.thespruce.com/installing-vinyl-floor-over-existing-floor-1822801

https://areaflooringtile.com/vinyl-flooring-over-tile/

https://atkinsoninspection.com/can-you-install-vinyl-flooring-over-tile/

[StatisticalOutlier]

22 hours ago, amarante said:

Popcorn was a cheap method to do a ceiling because it was just sprayed on and didn’t require the skill of a smooth ceiling. Even when it was being used, it was only done in cheaper construction like tract homes or cheap apartment buildings.

Maybe this was an outlier, but I lived in a condo that was in a converted apartment building that was built in 1968.  It had popcorn ceilings.

The complex was all brick.  There was a fire in a downstairs unit that completely destroyed the interior of that unit and killed the woman inside.  It was right near my unit and I watched flames coming out of the windows.

No other units had any fire damage--not the one that shared a wall with the burned unit, and not the one that was directly above the burned unit and shared the entire floorplan.  They did have smoke damage, but only the one directly above took more than a couple of days to remediate.  Oh, and there were some scorch marks on the outside brick above the burned unit's windows.

But that was the extent of the damage, so I don't think the complex was built on the cheap.  Naturally, I was in the process of selling mine, and they took down the police tape after a week or so, but the stench was there for a long time.  Talk about no curb appeal!

[amarante]

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Maybe this was an outlier, but I lived in a condo that was in a converted apartment building that was built in 1968.  It had popcorn ceilings.

The complex was all brick.  There was a fire in a downstairs unit that completely destroyed the interior of that unit and killed the woman inside.  It was right near my unit and I watched flames coming out of the windows.

No other units had any fire damage--not the one that shared a wall with the burned unit, and not the one that was directly above the burned unit and shared the entire floorplan.  They did have smoke damage, but only the one directly above took more than a couple of days to remediate.  Oh, and there were some scorch marks on the outside brick above the burned unit's windows.

But that was the extent of the damage, so I don't think the complex was built on the cheap.  Naturally, I was in the process of selling mine, and they took down the police tape after a week or so, but the stench was there for a long time.  Talk about no curb appeal!

Obviously I don't know the specifics of your building but in general apartment buildings are not built with higher end finishes.

There is a differentiation in general between buildings that were built as condos and those which were converted in terms of the finishes. 

A residential apartment building would still be built in accordance with fire codes and most buildings have very specific regulations which attempt to prevent the spread of fires from one unit to the next. For example, I live in a high rise and any building above four stories has to have steel framing as well as other features such as steel fire stairs with fire doors. 

My condo was built as an apartment in 1965 and converted to condos in the late 1970's. As an apartment building it was built to safety code but didn't have high end finishes and still had the popcorn ceiling when I moved in. FWIW, many residential apartment buildings had popcorn ceiling because it was also a bit sound absorbing and fire resistant as well as being less expensive.

Conversely there are some buildings I am familiar with that were originally built as condos but after the market changed, they were rented out. The finishes are higher than would be typical in a rental apartment because of the different economics that were considered when they were being built.

And of course this is a generalization as there are luxury rental apartments but in general units that were built as rentals originally would have less expensive finishes and be more of a tract home as the builder wants to maximize profit per unit and someone renting a unit is not going to be as concerned with having the highest quality finishes unless it is a very unique high end building.

And safety in a fire has nothing to do with it being cheap. I was referring solely to the discretionary finishes and not the mandated building codes.

[cameron]

2 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Maybe this was an outlier, but I lived in a condo that was in a converted apartment building that was built in 1968.  It had popcorn ceilings.

The complex was all brick.  There was a fire in a downstairs unit that completely destroyed the interior of that unit and killed the woman inside.  It was right near my unit and I watched flames coming out of the windows.

No other units had any fire damage--not the one that shared a wall with the burned unit, and not the one that was directly above the burned unit and shared the entire floorplan.  They did have smoke damage, but only the one directly above took more than a couple of days to remediate.  Oh, and there were some scorch marks on the outside brick above the burned unit's windows.

But that was the extent of the damage, so I don't think the complex was built on the cheap.  Naturally, I was in the process of selling mine, and they took down the police tape after a week or so, but the stench was there for a long time.  Talk about no curb appeal!

Popcorn was a style trend along with swirl ceilings back in the 70 and 80"s.  Don't think it had anything to do with cheap finishes.  Remember shag carpets.  Had one and thought it was really the in thing.  Thank goodness our tastes change as we age.

[rhofmovalley]

Yeah, "wall to wall" carpeting was considered a luxury item.

Last night in San Antonio, made sense the house with enough bedrooms for the entire family plus an office was the one they'd already bought.  The "Victorian" was so not a Victorian.  At least not to me.

[Cetacean]

3 hours ago, cameron said:

 Remember shag carpets.  Had one and thought it was really the in thing.

I fondly remember the red shag carpeting in my bedroom.  So soft on my feet.

[Grizzly]

Raleigh, NC. A woman who wants a black kitchen, where did they find her? The endangered species list? #1 was too small. I liked the new construction house. It was a good choice and she can get a black closet.

[Texasmom1970]

3 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Raleigh, NC. A woman who wants a black kitchen, where did they find her? The endangered species list? #1 was too small. I liked the new construction house. It was a good choice and she can get a black closet.

Sorry she didn’t get her black kitchen. If she would have said white kitchen I would have put my head through a wall. So tired of that trend, desire.

[CattyK]

I agree with the husband, the price for the little house in Raleigh was ridiculous.  The outside looked unfinished with the black section and the posts on the porch looked like bare wood. 
I can’t imagine a totally black kitchen!  I think the one they bought had some light gray cabinets and some that were a kind of grayish aqua which was nice.  

[amarante]

All I could think of when I see the first house in Raleigh was that must have literally been a shack before a flipper did one of the worst flips possible including gray laminate fake floors AND painting the brick of the fireplace and exterior black.

The husband mentioned that he remembered how terrible the neighborhood used to be and I thought that I wasn't surprised.

It reminded me of the third house in LA that was across the street and next door to what looked like heavy duty commercial companies like cement plants. HH tried to hide how industrial the neighborhood was but didn't entirely succeed. During the day you would have had constant heavy trucks as well as parking by the workers and probably food trucks - which may or may not have been bad. 😂

I didn't realize that Raleigh was that expensive in terms of housing. Judging by the literal shack for $450,000 in a gentrifying neighborhood, any housing stock that had been built originally for a middle class person would have been considerably more. And what I mean by middle class is something equivalent to the relatively modest home they bought which was a 3/2. 

They didn't mention how far House #2 in Raleigh was because that would have been the most sensible decision - or the equivalent. An older large home in good shape with dated cosmetic finishes which can be upgraded over time.

That specific house didn't have the layout she liked but there must be a lot of those types of houses in the market. I often wonder why a HH doesn't just modify the search slightly - don't like the condo on the ground floor that is below your budget - just get one on a slightly higher floor and pay a bit more. Or conversely they will be shown an over budget penthouse that is otherwise perfect in terms of location and configuration and I think they should have just opted for a slightly lower floor within their budget. 

And Aryan Master Race Husband was creepy and the "pod" in the jungle would have been a hard no from me. An outdoor kitchen and living in what is essentially a glass version of a tractor trailer is not my fantasy. Did he come from South Africa because the Germans in that country were really the ones who were the most racist - not that the English were beacons of progressivity but they tended to be the standard imperialist variety.

[kirklandia]

I appreciate that during the pandemic HGTV has managed to keep turning out new content. But I am getting tired of seeing HH in the same geographical areas. (And yes, HHI, I'm talking to you too.)

I'm assuming we have been seeing the parts of the country with the fewest pandemic restrictions, and the most open to filming.  

I feel like, throughout the pandemic, HHers have not ceased in their insistence on proximity to bars and restaurants, and the necessity for lots of space to entertain large groups.  

Please correct me if I'm wrong! Have there been episodes that addressed house hunters changing needs, due to the pandemic? 

Two parents working from home with kids doing online schooling? Families living in city spaces looking for a single family home with covered outdoor space to safely socialize and a yard so the kids wouldn't go stir crazy indoors?  Because that's what the media is telling us has happened in the housing market in the last year and a half.

Edited November 20, 2021 by kirklandia

[LittleIggy]

On 11/17/2021 at 6:40 PM, Crashcourse said:

I don't even know that much about remodeling but even I laughed out loud at the clueless realtor's estimate.

I know, right? Doesn’t she watch HGTV? 😆

[deirdra]

I suspect HH (and the rest of us) never thought Covid would last so long and wanted to do "normal" shows that could be rerun for several years.  I noticed some shows where everyone is distanced (but maskless & probably tested) - they would have looked odd pre-Covid.  Instead I now find myself shocked when watching reruns with strangers hugging with no distancing since it looks abnormal compared to the rules where I've lived through the last 19 months.

Edited November 20, 2021 by deirdra

[Cetacean]

8 hours ago, kirklandia said:

Were there episodes that addressed house hunters changing needs, because of the pandemic? 

After Covid (if there is EVER and after Covid) I wonder if they will start doing "climate refugee" stories where people are fleeing areas prone to weather-related disasters and heading to safer states/countries.  Instead of bars and restaurants they'll be wanting areas that aren't targets of massive hurricane damage or forest fires.

[rhofmovalley]

I also noticed there seems to be a lot of episodes where the real estate agent is a "longtime family friend" or "family member".  Possibly to keep exposure to a minimum?

[amarante]

There are very few episodes where the realtor is in the same car as the HH. 

There are almost no episodes in which they visit any indoor places of interest. This is especially noticeable in the international episodes 

Often if they meet, it is outdoors.

In the international episodes, you can often see masked people in the background although they try very hard to avoid these shots. 

[jcbrown]

 

On 11/17/2021 at 3:40 PM, Crashcourse said:

I don't even know that much about remodeling but even I laughed out loud at the clueless realtor's estimate.

That was ridiculous. And she estimated $5K for new flooring in the whole place, as others have noted. Just keep your mouth shut, realtor, as clearly you have no idea what renovation costs.

I watched one last night--not sure how long it had been hanging out on my TiVo--with a couple who were separated and she was his agent to buy a new place for himself. I was impressed with how well they got along for a couple getting divorced.

[BrownBear2012]

On 11/19/2021 at 9:48 AM, amarante said:

All I could think of when I see the first house in Raleigh was that must have literally been a shack before a flipper did one of the worst flips possible including gray laminate fake floors AND painting the brick of the fireplace and exterior black.

The husband mentioned that he remembered how terrible the neighborhood used to be and I thought that I wasn't surprised.

It reminded me of the third house in LA that was across the street and next door to what looked like heavy duty commercial companies like cement plants. HH tried to hide how industrial the neighborhood was but didn't entirely succeed. During the day you would have had constant heavy trucks as well as parking by the workers and probably food trucks - which may or may not have been bad. 😂

I didn't realize that Raleigh was that expensive in terms of housing. Judging by the literal shack for $450,000 in a gentrifying neighborhood, any housing stock that had been built originally for a middle class person would have been considerably more. And what I mean by middle class is something equivalent to the relatively modest home they bought which was a 3/2. 

They didn't mention how far House #2 in Raleigh was because that would have been the most sensible decision - or the equivalent. An older large home in good shape with dated cosmetic finishes which can be upgraded over time.

That specific house didn't have the layout she liked but there must be a lot of those types of houses in the market. I often wonder why a HH doesn't just modify the search slightly - don't like the condo on the ground floor that is below your budget - just get one on a slightly higher floor and pay a bit more. Or conversely they will be shown an over budget penthouse that is otherwise perfect in terms of location and configuration and I think they should have just opted for a slightly lower floor within their budget. 

And Aryan Master Race Husband was creepy and the "pod" in the jungle would have been a hard no from me. An outdoor kitchen and living in what is essentially a glass version of a tractor trailer is not my fantasy. Did he come from South Africa because the Germans in that country were really the ones who were the most racist - not that the English were beacons of progressivity but they tended to be the standard imperialist variety.

A lot of Dutch settled in South Africa and were also very active in the slave trade. 

[Dehumidifier]

The real estate menage-a trois group hunting right now in Virginia annoy me for some reason I just can't put my finger on. I think it's the finicky fussy husband. Such a big guy. Who would think?

[Grizzly]

Hampton Roads, Virginia. She has 3 boys, why does he want a designer house that they might destroy? House #1 seemed fine to me. #2 was very spacious but I didn't like the exterior. Where's the front? And the model has no yard. #3 was ok.

Even my husband thought Mike was condescending. Laura should run from this guy who dismisses her opinion so easily. Glad they went with her choice.

[Dehumidifier]

Just now, Grizzly said:

Hampton Roads, Virginia. She has 3 boys, why does he want a designer house that they might destroy? House #1 seemed fine to me. #2 was very spacious but I didn't like the exterior. Where's the front? And the model has no yard. #3 was ok.

Even my husband thought Mike was condescending. Laura should run from this guy who dismisses her opinion so easily. Glad they went with her choice.

I'm not convinced he's straight.

[edie3]

He was so irritating! Floors done on site or not, who cares as long as they look good. And there was nothing really wrong with the kitchen counters. Were they laminate?

[buttersister]

Quote

Glad they went with her choice

Oh yeah. But WTF was with him? Like he's Mr. Designer? He dressed like a shlub (she was super matronly) and all he did was narrate those homes like he'd watched every episode of HH that ever was. Quartz! Gas stove! Wall colors are deal killers! While I didn't catch what happened with those boys' bio dad, the wife's comment about the boys wanting big Mike to decorate (not their drabby mom) sounded hugely odd.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Even my husband thought Mike was condescending. Laura should run from this guy who dismisses her opinion so easily. Glad they went with her choice.

This was the first episode I've watched in quite some time, and even though I didn't see the whole thing I barely made it through what I did watch because he was such an imperious twit.

The garage on their house is indeed ass ugly, and I didn't get a good enough look at the layout but I may also have had an issue with having to use the intended dining room as a bedroom.  It's not a house I'd have bought (I wouldn't have bought any of the three they looked at, especially the new build), but he was just insufferable in how he expressed himself. 

[amarante]

11 hours ago, edie3 said:

He was so irritating! Floors done on site or not, who cares as long as they look good. And there was nothing really wrong with the kitchen counters. Were they laminate?

On site floors are truly much nicer than factory finished floors because you don't have the tell tale gaps between the planks so everything is sanded to the same level and so it is seamless.

You also can theoretically get exactly the stain you want as opposed to being limited to the choices offered by the flooring company. 

It is no different than anything else - buy a sofa from a retail store and you are limited to whatever fabric they have. 

Factory finish floors are probably less expensive because you have economies of scale with an assembly line. On the other hand, you don't have to worry about less than stellar workmanship.

I recently remodeled and I did opt for factory finished floors because it was easier but I only had one color choice effectively since I wanted a lighter finish. On the other hand, all my cabinets are custom made by a local shop and I specified everything about them including the exact stain I wanted - I gave the cabinet maker a chair I liked with a post It to the exact shade I wanted in the cabinets.

However, like many of the HH I find them to be "all hat and no cattle" when it comes down to their choice. They will say that their budget is $500,000 and they *must* have something and then wind up with a home that is $350,000 when they were shown the perfect $500,000 home. I think they were just showing off like this guy who claimed to want to spend a lot and have impeccable taste but when it came down to it went with a cheaper home with inferior finishes.

Also - and has been discussed with various episodes, almost every home owner seriously underestimates the cost of renovating a home. For example, in this episode, the cost of renovating the master primary bath to the kind of level these people theoretically want is probably about $75,000. 

 

[rhofmovalley]

The "agent" was totally openly flirting with him too. The woman house hunter did say her friend dated him first. I saw the sheep's eyes and over the shoulder glances she was giving him. Makes me think they were intimate at some point.

Interesting House Hunters soap opera drama!

And I agree, a home with designer finishes when three active boys will be living there? Obviously fake storyline.

Also, poor kid who has to sleep in the dining room. I used to occupy the guest suite at my brother's house which shared a wall with the family room and was across from the kitchen. I worked nights and slept during the day. Well, tried to sleep. My brother had three school aged children and a fiancee who jabbered non stop. I got very little sleep. That kid will not be able to sleep in past the time the first person gets up in the morning.

Edited November 24, 2021 by rhofmovalley

[edie3]

1 hour ago, amarante said:

On site floors are truly much nicer than factory finished floors

I guess I was saying it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, he seemed very finicky.

[pdlinda]

13 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Even my husband thought Mike was condescending. Laura should run from this guy who dismisses her opinion so easily. Glad they went with her choice.

Agreed!   I think she makes more $$$ than he does, so  he has to overcompensate by being overly "managerial."

I don't think they ever mentioned what either of them does for a living.

This is NOT a match made in Heaven although, I admit, her boys seem to like him.  Wonder what role the boys' father plays in this scenario?

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, pdlinda said:

Agreed!   I think she makes more $$$ than he does, so  he has to overcompensate by being overly "managerial."

I don't think they ever mentioned what either of them does for a living.

This is NOT a match made in Heaven although, I admit, her boys seem to like him.  Wonder what role the boys' father plays in this scenario?

I thought he was really irritating, too, claiming that interior designers who saw his decorating skills were so impressed they wouldn't change a thing.  And he complained that a granite countertop wasn't quartz!  Apparently all the cool kids are doing quartz these days.  He was very impressed with himself for no apparent reason.  I thought all his baloney about on site finishing of floors was mainly meant to impress the viewers with his vast knowledge.  Not impressed.

I do agree that homes with the massive garage upfront don't have as much curb appeal; but as someone with a detached garage, I can absolutely see why someone might choose the convenience over the look.

 

[CattyK]

I just watched the Virginia episode.  Mike was obnoxious.  Glad Laura’s choice won out.  
I noticed that several times her current house was referred to as “tiny”.  Granted it wasn’t huge, but it sure wasn’t tiny.  Probably felt tiny after Mike and his huge ego moved in.