House Hunters - now I've heard it all

[Minnesota!]

I watch this show quite a bit....and I was horrified last night by this woman. From being the SAHM to 2 pugs, to her adversity to the carriage horses, to the facial expressions she made when she didn't like something.

I actually turned it off before they made their decision b/c she was so annoying. If I were him, I would send her packing back to NY and live in the house alone.

Charleston looks like a beautiful town, however! Lots to do for families? Maybe thinking of a vacay there sometime...

 

[DVCLiz]

Charleston is spectacular. I was listening to a radio show recently and Charleston, SC came in on a survey as the number one city in the US to visit, even ahead of New York, etc.

 

[Sugardimples]

I remember the episode where they were looking for a home with a special place for the lady's pet turtles!

I remember this one. She was quite unusual! I remeber she traveled weekly for work and took the turtles with her. I guess some hotels are turtle friendly!

 

[JoBird]

Charleston is spectacular. I was listening to a radio show recently and Charleston, SC came in on a survey as the number one city in the US to visit, even ahead of New York, etc.

It was Conde Nast Traveler. http://www.usatoday.com/story/dispatches/2012/10/20/charleston-best-city/1646229/

I can't tell you how many people have told me they came for a visit and never left.
It's like nowhere else.

 

[alex9179]

I watch both House Hunters shows all of the time-although my favorite is International. I just love looking at the homes, areas, and what's available at the different price points. Shoot, I look at our area listings, online, a couple times a month!
We have to tear out a leaking shower and are going to take this chance to reno the bathroom. I've been looking at my neighborhood's baths to gauge what's in the comps as well as what you can find at the higher price points in deciding if a bigger shower or double sinks is the way to go, if my budget can't handle moving the plumbing to accommodate both. I think real estate is fun.

My husband can't stand the scripting, but I don't pay too much attention to it. I know that it's exaggerated and a set up.

 

[Mokat76]

I just always crack up at the young couples living in 2000 sq ft who need a larger place because they're having a baby. Not quintuplets. Not octomom. A baby, as in one. Good grief.

I will confess I bought a house with a porch I could screen in for the cats, but I enjoy it, too. I don't get to be their SAHM, though. I have to pay off the mortgage since they won't get jobs. Little jerks.

Still, I enjoy the show. I wonder about people's priorities sometimes, but I did seek out houses with screen-in-able porches, so who am I to judge, eh?

 

[Callie]

I just always crack up at the young couples living in 2000 sq ft who need a larger place because they're having a baby. Not quintuplets. Not octomom. A baby, as in one. Good grief.

I will confess I bought a house with a porch I could screen in for the cats, but I enjoy it, too. I don't get to be their SAHM, though. I have to pay off the mortgage since they won't get jobs. Little jerks.

Still, I enjoy the show. I wonder about people's priorities sometimes, but I did seek out houses with screen-in-able porches, so who am I to judge, eh?

My sister would need a similar house! Her cat loves to go on walks, and cries at the door lol. She might even build a cat enclosure like one couple on HH planned too.

My childhood friend was a realtor on the show. They classified where I live as a suburb of a large city. Um, its a 2 hour drive to the city through country!

 

[CdnCarrie]

Have you noticed that they usually pick the one they've complained the most about?
.

That's because it's fake and they want to trick us on which one they buy. You can usually tell with HH as it's the empty house. Harder with the HHI as the are usually furnished.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Nah, I don't take much stock in the descriptions they give of the people on the show...did you ever notice that they are never a grocery store cashier, a janitor, unemployed, etc? They always make the descriptions of the couples career sound more upscale and glamorous than it probably actually is. She used to work in the IT field could mean she worked for Geeks to Go, He is in finance could mean he's a bank teller...whatever. I'm guessing that 'she quit to be a stay at home mommy to her dogs could mean that she's mentally unstable and had to take a LOA from her job to participate in intensive therapy with those anxiety dogs. You just never know what kind of spin they are putting on these things, and you know they are going to try to make the people look better as much as possible.

I agree that the stories are often fake especially for HHI. They show their names on the screen and you can often google them and find the real scoop. Often they are young people who blog about their experiences on the show or whatever.

However with HH they do have to be in a certain point in the house buying process. Forget the word for it. Maybe escrow? So they have already bought but have not moved in. That's why you do see some before and after pictures. So they wouldn't be qualifying for mortgages if they were unemployed or on a LOA. I mean the house search is totally faked but the actual house purchased is not nor is the timing.

HHI is totally fake as often they have lived there for a long time already. I guess it's harder to find people willing to do it that have moved from another country. I read that most of them do it as they get the free trip back home for the "farewell" scenes.

I always have to roll my eyes on HHI when they talk as if someone just decides to up and move to a foreign country without a job or knowing anyone. Nothing about getting work permits or Visas. Just up and move for a change.

 

[KennesawNemo]

I'll swear that I'm not going to watch another episode and then BAM! there I am back at the TV watching another episode.

this is so me!

 

[scoutie]

This show annoys/amuses me too. I get a kick out of the very young couple who is buying their first house with a shoestring budget and wanting a huge house with all of the bells and whistles. Your budget is $80,000. You're not going to get your dream house.

Equally annoying is when the realtor encourages them to go over their budget. Yes..that's great advice.

 

[chris1gill]

I don't think it's all staged, I have a cousin through marriage who was on the show two years ago.... she was looking for homes on the market, the only thing with her, is that she saw a house she wanted to look at outside her target neighborhood and Sandra didn't really want to show her that house... After a little pushing Sandra brought her to see the house and that's the house she bought. I can't say they didn't edit the show (they did) but each property was an actual property for sale and she was an actual buyer who then married my cousin shortly thereafter.

 

[mdsoccermom]

I don't think it's all staged, I have a cousin through marriage who was on the show two years ago.... she was looking for homes on the market, the only thing with her, is that she saw a house she wanted to look at outside her target neighborhood and Sandra didn't really want to show her that house... After a little pushing Sandra brought her to see the house and that's the house she bought. I can't say they didn't edit the show (they did) but each property was an actual property for sale and she was an actual buyer who then married my cousin shortly thereafter.

That's Property Virgins, not House Hunters.

 

[Kimberle]

I like the show, because I like seeing the houses, especially the international shows. However, I don't believe they are "real" (like most other "reality shows".)

A couple years ago, we went to Tahiti. Since then, I get emails trying to "temp" us back. A couple weeks ago, I got an email from a luxury home vacational rental vendor. They said, watch House Hunters on xxx, they are featuring 3 of our homes! They attached lots of pictures of the homes. I watched, and sure enough, a LA couple was moving to Moorea. The 3 homes they were choosing from were the exact 3 homes from my email. At the end, they "bought" one of the homes.

 

[luvwinnie]

I'd quit my job in a second to be a SAHM to our pets! Lol ok, I'd also spend my day working for our bulldog rescue organization and volunteering for hospice, but yep, in a second if we could afford it.

Count me in as someone who starts screaming at the tv over the spoiled brats on that show. "no granite, no walkin closet? I simply cannot live here." funny, I've lived without those things all my life and I don't feel deprived. I don't wallow in self pity over the lack of granite in my life.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I'd quit my job in a second to be a SAHM to our pets! Lol ok, I'd also spend my day working for our bulldog rescue organization and volunteering for hospice, but yep, in a second if we could afford it.

Count me in as someone who starts screaming at the tv over the spoiled brats on that show. "no granite, no walkin closet? I simply cannot live here." funny, I've lived without those things all my life and I don't feel deprived. I don't wallow in self pity over the lack of granite in my life.

I doubt the people on HH do either. It's stages and they are told to say that.That's why they all say it.

 

[POOHsie]

Some of my favorite buyer complaints are:

Ooo. The paint color!
Ooo. We'll have to replace those rugs! (Sometimes the rugs are brand new but unappealing to buyer, sometimes the rugs are worn and soiled. What's a seller to do?)
Ooo. Laminate counters!
Ooo. Walk-in closet, but it's too small!
Ooo. Only ONE walk-in closet in the Master BR!
Ooo. This $80,000 house won't fit our California King!
Ooo. The Master shower is in a gold frame! The tub has no Jets! There is only one sink! I don't like all those Mirrors!
Ooo. The basement of this $100,000 house hasn't been upgraded!
Ooo. There's no Fridge! Or, there's a Fridge but it's not stainless. Or, it's not side-by-side, or it's not French Door.

In most cases above these homes have "the right things wrong." These are things that are deducted from the selling price, but cost little to upgrade and can mostly be done by the new homeowners. If you buy a home with these faults, for a few bucks you gain lots of equity. It's a no-brainer - especially if the house is in the right neighborhood, right school district, etc.

 

[mdsoccermom]

I'm going to start a drinking game.

Drink everytime a couple looks at a walk-in closet and the wife says to her husband, "but where are you going to put your clothes?"

Drink every time a couple walks into a kitchen and someone says "I can just picture myself cooking here."

Drink every time a couple says a space would be perfect for entertaining or dinner parties.

 

[POOHsie]

I'm going to start a drinking game.

Drink everytime a couple looks at a walk-in closet and the wife says to her husband, "but where are you going to put your clothes?"

Drink every time a couple walks into a kitchen and someone says "I can just picture myself cooking here."

Drink every time a couple says a space would be perfect for entertaining or dinner parties.

I'll add one: Drink every time a couple walks into a kitchen and someone says, "I hate this kitchen. But I don't cook."

 

[DisneyCrazyMomma]

I'm going to start a drinking game.

Drink everytime a couple looks at a walk-in closet and the wife says to her husband, "but where are you going to put your clothes?"

Drink every time a couple walks into a kitchen and someone says "I can just picture myself cooking here."

Drink every time a couple says a space would be perfect for entertaining or dinner parties.

I was watching one a couple weeks ago where this couple and their young child were searching for a house. They had a fairly big budget, she didn't work. He wanted to be on the north side of town, close to work. She wanted to be on the south side of town, so she could be closer to her sister. The looked at three gorgeous homes... one where he could see his work, one right in the middle of the two, and one close to her sister. She kept whining, saying "but we're so far from my sister" and you can guess what house they bought. He was going to drive 1.5 hours each way to work, so she could stay home and play with her sister. Ugh, I wanted to smack her.