House Hunters - General Discussion

[BrownBear2012]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I assume that’s a joke, like she dances with her kids in the kitchen & that’s what she calls it. (The phrase “mama bear” gets on my nerves.)

Right? 

[BrownBear2012]

10 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I found the house the Annapolis couple bought by going to their real estate agent's web site. It is indeed in Severna Park. It is in her name alone, sold on September 11, 2020 for $925,000. It was built in 2011. It appears that it might have been land attached to the house next door. I'm guessing the owner of the other house got the lot split so another house could be built. The house they bought is number is #A, while next door is just the same number. At one point, it appears an owner of the next door house sold the land that created the current lot.

The husband was a jerk. He stated his job was a recruiter for Annapolis. What???? Makes no sense.

The other story line that it wasn't on the market yet was BS. Who has an empty house that they are just sitting on waiting list it? 

Maybe he's a recruiter for the swim team? He may be on the coaching staff or part of the athletic department? Annapolis has a very good Division One sports program so it's conceivable he works as a recruiter. He was a jerk..conceited and annoying.

[ByaNose]

Neither of the Annapolis couple (while attractive looking) came off particularly likable. I’m always torn by the HH couples. Are people really like that in real life?? Good lord! I liked the house they picked but I really liked house #3 but I knew #1 would be the one because it was a random house that the realtor didn’t even knew about. Whether that was true or not had me thinking they were going to choose that one. The husband really had the beach vibe going and the wife had that frustrated “I wanna have a show HGTV” look. LOL!!! the realtor looked like a nice guy. I’ve never been to Annapolis (and, I’m only from Philadelphia) but it does look like a beautiful place to live. The rich part at least. The kids were really cute and hopefully they will survive the gym rack in the garage along with the father with ADD and working out. 

[chessiegal]

10 hours ago, BrownBear2012 said:

Maybe he's a recruiter for the swim team? He may be on the coaching staff or part of the athletic department? Annapolis has a very good Division One sports program so it's conceivable he works as a recruiter. He was a jerk..conceited and annoying.

Out of curiosity, what in Annapolis has a good Division One sports program? If you're talking about the Naval Academy, no one would refer to that as a recruiter for "Annapolis", they would say the Naval Academy. I'm a volunteer at the Annapolis Visitor Center. His statement about being being a "recruiter for Annapolis" had me shaking my head trying to figure out what he meant.

[Dehumidifier]

Annapolis guys shorts looked so uncomfortable -- too short or too tight. Just not right.

[doodlebug]

12 hours ago, BrownBear2012 said:

Maybe he's a recruiter for the swim team? He may be on the coaching staff or part of the athletic department? Annapolis has a very good Division One sports program so it's conceivable he works as a recruiter. He was a jerk..conceited and annoying.

I would presume that a US military academy would not need civilian recruiters for athletics.  After all, the standards to get in are pretty high and the commitment to military service after graduation is not going to appeal to many kids looking to play college sports.  Kids who are going to commit to that are going to be using more than sports as their criteria. They've also got their own staff for each team who probably do the recruiting for their respective sports.

He was a jerk, IMO.  All that insistence that he needed a gym to practice ju-jitsu to handle his apparently self diagnosed ADD while whining and moaning about yardwork was also off-putting.  You've got two little kids and a dog, they need a place to play and you've got the money to afford a yard; so buy a house with a yard and burn off your ADD angst by mowing it.

As a couple, they seemed like they deserved one another.  Another mother who thinks her kids are going to die if they are not constantly in her visual field and that buying a house with a staircase is akin to letting them play with loaded handguns.   Her kids are small now and need close supervision, but, in just a couple of years, they'll be able to take stairs two at a time and she'll be wishing there was a space apart from her where they can play.

Edited January 1, 2021 by doodlebug

[BrownBear2012]

5 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Out of curiosity, what in Annapolis has a good Division One sports program? If you're talking about the Naval Academy, no one would refer to that as a recruiter for "Annapolis", they would say the Naval Academy. I'm a volunteer at the Annapolis Visitor Center. His statement about being being a "recruiter for Annapolis" had me shaking my head trying to figure out what he meant.

That's what I'm thinking he meant by Annapolis...and yes, I did mean the Naval Academy. I know several people that attended the Naval Academy and one that played basketball there and they always refer to it as Annapolis...people just know what that means. But who knows what the hell this guy was talking about...I'm thinking she was the breadwinner between the two of them....I was just spitballing trying to explain his vague job description. There is no "professional" swimming career. You swim after college or during college to try and qualify for the Olympics. If you don't make the cut then that's the end of the line in terms of swimming. There are no "professional" swimming leagues that pay you to swim.

[chessiegal]

Found Annapolis recruiter Joe.  Joe is a recruiter for Booz Allen Hamilton. He was on the swim team at Auburn.

[cameron]

22 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I felt bad for the kids too.  The dad said he had ADD which is why he's into jujitsu, but I hope he doesn't work those young boys too hard in that garage "gym."

The one positive for those twins is that the house belongs in a good school system area when they grow up.

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, cameron said:

The one positive for those twins is that the house belongs in a good school system area when they grow up.

She seemed the type to go for the name cachet of a private school. 

[cameron]

36 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

She seemed the type to go for the name cachet of a private school. 

That area has very good public school systems.  

[swimmom]

4 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Found Annapolis recruiter Joe.  Joe is a recruiter for Booz Allen Hamilton. He was on the swim team at Auburn.

Do you have any idea how old Joe is? He seemed so familiar to me. My kids were swimmers too and I wonder if I knew him from the meets if he was around their ages. My kids are 30,34,36 ,and 40.

[chessiegal]

5 minutes ago, swimmom said:

Do you have any idea how old Joe is? He seemed so familiar to me. My kids were swimmers too and I wonder if I knew him from the meets if he was around their ages. My kids are 30,34,36 ,and 40.

He graduated from Auburn in 2006.

[Empress1]

12 hours ago, chessiegal said:

He graduated from Auburn in 2006.

He looks a bit older than 36 to me.

[chessiegal]

From another web site, Annapolis Joe's birthday is 6/21/83.

[doodlebug]

19 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Found Annapolis recruiter Joe.  Joe is a recruiter for Booz Allen Hamilton. He was on the swim team at Auburn.

How hard would it have been for him to say I'm a recruiter for a large consulting firm?  Never mind, I watched the show.  

[ByaNose]

Poor Joe is sure getting a lot of love here. LOL!!! He was so casual it came off as he didn’t work or have a conventional job. I was okay with him until all his required jitsu room and equipment became his storyline. Good lord. I thought it was funny that the twins had styrofoam weights but then I just watched the father for a half hour and then I got worried. LOL!!!! It’s very rarely that HH makes any of the couples seem likable. I don’t know if it’s editing or they intentionally are that lucky to find such annoying people looking for homes. That said, I don’t want a camera following me when I look for my house this year. Maybe, I’m annoying and I don’t know it.  

[ByaNose]

Panama City Florida: A couple with a blended family. They admitted it was a rental property but still chose a one bedroom with no dinning area and it doesn’t even have bunk beds for the two young daughters when they do visit. It was also the most expensive. I still don’t get people who do that. Just spring a little more $$$ for the two bedroom. It will payoff in the end. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess, they only bought for an investment, and they will never stay there.    Even with blow up mattresses, there wasn't enough room for seven people (her two daughters, his three older daughters, and the couple), so my guess they were just there for filming on the beach.   You notice they weren't shown on the balcony, or in the apartment at the end.      They only purchased the one bedroom, without bunks because they wanted the best net rental profits.     

I'm betting a great majority of the Hawaii, beach, lake, and vacation, in the U.S. and overseas home house hunters are just looking for an investment property.    

Edited January 6, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[LittleIggy]

Panama City Beach: Nothing to add to what has been said except that the wife seriously needed a fashion makeover. 😬

[BrownBear2012]

3 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Panama City Beach: Nothing to add to what has been said except that the wife seriously needed a fashion makeover. 😬

She looked like she was a beauty pageant kind of gal....she had the bleached blonde hair with extensions and had the runway walk.

[BrownBear2012]

3 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

My guess, they only bought for an investment, and they will never stay there.    Even with blow up mattresses, there wasn't enough room for seven people (her two daughters, his three older daughters, and the couple), so my guess they were just there for filming on the beach.   You notice they weren't shown on the balcony, or in the apartment at the end.      They only purchased the one bedroom, without bunks because they wanted the best net rental profits.     

I felt scammed by this episode...they led the viewer to believe they were searching for a condo for their blended family to use as a vacation home but all the while they were just looking for an investment to buy and rent out. If House Hunters is going to start having shows about people buying rental properties then have a separate show and call it House Hunters Rental edition.

[chessiegal]

I thought the Panama City Beach folks were very upfront about buying an investment property.

[Crashcourse]

15 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I thought the Panama City Beach folks were very upfront about buying an investment property.

But they also said they'd be vacationing there.  

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

I thought the Panama City Beach folks were very upfront about buying an investment property.

They were. That’s why I wasn’t mad at the episode. Usually, they never admit it. 

[Grrarrggh]

39 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

They were. That’s why I wasn’t mad at the episode. Usually, they never admit it. 

But they also claimed it was to be for their family. If they hadn't filmed the entire family there I'd feel a bit better about it. But it became clear that they were lying about having it for family. 

[ByaNose]

51 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

But they also claimed it was to be for their family. If they hadn't filmed the entire family there I'd feel a bit better about it. But it became clear that they were lying about having it for family. 

That’s also true. They were all shown and they kept commenting on bunk beds for the younger kids. I guess it was a 50/50 investment. They want to use it and rent it out. I still think one bedroom is dumb but they apparently are able to get big money in rental due to the view and location. 

[LittleIggy]

5 hours ago, ByaNose said:

That’s also true. They were all shown and they kept commenting on bunk beds for the younger kids. I guess it was a 50/50 investment. They want to use it and rent it out. I still think one bedroom is dumb but they apparently are able to get big money in rental due to the view and location. 

I’m sure the pandemic took a bite out of that.

[Dehumidifier]

Ian in Dallas. Your female best friend Hayden is obnoxious. I am embarrassed watching her embarrass you on national TV.

[Grizzly]

21 minutes ago, Dehumidifier said:

Ian in Dallas. Your female best friend Hayden is obnoxious. I am embarrassed watching her embarrass you on national TV.

And Ian's laugh is so annoying! I wouldn't rent an apartment from him since he wouldn't be able to fix anything if it went wrong.

[edie3]

Pushy little thing, wasn't Hayden?

[cameron]

9 hours ago, Dehumidifier said:

Ian in Dallas. Your female best friend Hayden is obnoxious. I am embarrassed watching her embarrass you on national TV.

That screeching voice drove me crazy.  

[Crashcourse]

8 hours ago, cameron said:

That screeching voice drove me crazy.  

Yes, that voice made me want ear plugs.  Also, that hair was fried to death. 

[Tess23]

Ian in Dallas, I would have bought condo #2 with its enormous fireplace just to spite your BFF Hayden.

[LittleIggy]

5 hours ago, Tess23 said:

Ian in Dallas, I would have bought condo #2 with its enormous fireplace just to spite your BFF Hayden.

I actually liked the fireplace.

[Jeanne222]

That fireplace could be amazing!  Painted white?

But I think that one faced the doggie bathroom park!  Not the most romantic!

[amarante]

Dallas HH was a financial idiot as well as being annoying.

You don't need a rental property to necessarily exhibit a *profit* based solely on mortgage and HOA fees - especially when you don't plan to rent it immediately. There are tax benefits, maintenance costs and also factoring in that some properties are more likely to appreciate in the future and/or command higher rents.

Also I admit I am like my privacy but I don't understand why an adult would deliberately purchase a condo with a desire to rent to a random stranger. There might be living situations which make sense somewhat - i.e. planning to move in with an old friend or relative or having a set up in which there is some degree of privacy but for the most part you would be living with someone in fairly small quarters in which there would essentially be no privacy.

As I recall Ian bought the unit where the kitchen cabinet door fell off when it was opened. That door appeared to be made of cardboard as it was incredibly thin and I would imagine the rest of the stuff was as cheap as possibly constructed - not even what is generally derogatorily called - builder grade. I wouldn't be surprised if it were originally constructed as apartments as buildings built for condos are generally better constructed unless the conversion is because the building has interesting architecture - e.g. the proverbial loft converted to condos in Soho. 

[Crashcourse]

14 minutes ago, amarante said:

Dallas HH was a financial idiot as well as being annoying.

That pretty much sums it up.  I think he thought he was impressing the viewers with his "financial acumen."  

[LittleIggy]

I watched an episode on ID the other night which would make anyone think twice about renting to a stranger! 😬

[edie3]

4 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I watched an episode on ID the other night which would make anyone think twice about renting to a stranger!

was it the one with the older woman in Palm Springs?

[CrazyInAlabama]

Another factor with buying a condo or townhouse, or other HOA property for rental is, many HOAs have strict rules, and enforce them.    If the Dallas buyer gets one bad tenant, he can expect to get huge fines from the HOA.   I hope he checked to see if there was a cap on the number of rentals in the condo complex too.    I bet he thinks buying the condo, and renting it out will be a gold mine, but he's not looking at the potential down side. 

[Crashcourse]

I agree.  My HOA has pretty strict rules on the number of rentals allowed.  Also, bad tenants can cost the owner much $$$.   

Edited January 10, 2021 by Crashcourse

[LittleIggy]

6 hours ago, edie3 said:

was it the one with the older woman in Palm Springs?

Yes! It had me yelling at the TV. 

[edie3]

11 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Yes! It had me yelling at the TV. 

that was scary because I can see that happening.

[Grrarrggh]

The Dallas buyers friend has seen waaaaaayyy to many Flip or Flop episodes. She seemed to not understand that there is more to design and architecture than "modern" white/grey open concept. 

[laredhead]

I just watched the Dallas episode.  The friend was so annoying, and she has a boyfriend who must be able to tolerate her.  I bet her house looks like a clone of Property Bros, Flip or Flop, Joanne & Chip, etc. redos.  I did like Ian's comment that he did not always take his friend's advice. 

I agree with Amarante in her supposition that some of these units were originally built as apartments and converted to condos when that became a profitable thing to do years ago.  I lived in 2 developments like that before they were converted to condos, and I would have never bought one to live in.  Renting one on a temporary basis was fine, but not to invest in and for me to live in. 

I personally liked the one with the fireplace. At least it was different. 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

So a family with five kids (I think five) moving from Houston to Atlanta, and the wife wants land so she can have farm animals?      Bet within six months of move in, she found out running a farm meant she did all of the work, and the animals were rehomed.  

I felt sorry for their realtor, who had another couple of buyers who had ridiculous differences between their budgets, their list of must haves were total opposites, and even if it was just for the show, were awful.  

[chessiegal]

Unless I missed it, the Atlanta episode was sure vague about where they were looking. Never a mention of a town or even area. North, south, east, west of Atlanta? Because they were clearly in the boonies. Having lived in the northeast burbs, it doesn't take much to get into rural areas.

[buttersister]

With that Atlanta couple, the farther away from other people they ended up, the better. Yikes.

Edited January 13, 2021 by buttersister

[LittleIggy]

Atlanta: Those weren’t gargoyles! Those were gryphons. 🙄

What is it with parents not making their kids do things like mowing the lawn?