Anyone watch Propety Virgin on HGTV?

[MrsPete]

I really like the Property Virgins show. I like how Sandra tries to reel in unrealistic expectations. Our joke when watching that show is that every single buyer wants granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Even if their budget is next to nothing, they want it, no exceptions! They act like any house that doesn't have those 2 things needs to be torn down or be condemned as uninhabitable or something!

Yeah, I laugh at that too! I'm 43 years old, I live in a paid-for house, own three paid-for cars, and I have no debt. I still don't have granite countertops and stainless steel appliances!

Of course, that's not a huge sacrafice. I don't even LIKE stainless steel. It looks too cold.

 

[disykat]

Yeah, I laugh at that too! I'm 43 years old, I live in a paid-for house, own three paid-for cars, and I have no debt. I still don't have granite countertops and stainless steel appliances!

Of course, that's not a huge sacrafice. I don't even LIKE stainless steel. It looks too cold.

Me too (except I'm 47 and we still owe 30K on our house.) We even redid our kitchen counters last year and went with (get ready for the shock) laminate to save money. We had laminate before and it looked fine to us, cleaned easily, and wore well so we stuck with it.

This house is our second house - the one we upgraded to. It's nice, but it's not magazine nice. Our starter house only had a one car garage, no dishwasher, no master bath, etc.

 

[mum4jenn]

It is only a 30 minute show!! I am certain they look at more than 3 houses but the producers have them boil it down to 3 choices.

 

[Shmily1]

I love this show too. The show itself may be based in Canada, but the filming in the towns is certainly not all Canada. They show her all over the US too, including down in Atlanta.

I did hate the accapela group show!! That guy singing all the time was driving me nuts. He was looking to pay between $500,000-$600,000 and ended up buying a 4 bedroom house and living in the garage so he could rent out all the rooms!!

 

[jen0610]

Here's an entirely different gripe about that show: They don't do a thing to help people understand anything about closing costs, interest rates, etc. For example, I was watching it tonight and the couple couldn't get a loan . . . they did'nt have enough downpayment . . . so they called every number in the book until someone gave them a loan. The show didn't say, but I guarantee you that was a BAD IDEA! If all those other places wouldn't loan them money, I'm sure the one who finally agreed gave them a HIGH interest rate -- but the show made it out to look as if these folks were so determined and smart to keep looking (after multiple places had turned them down).

This gripe would be for My 1st Place. DH about fell off the couch when they flashed that a parking place in Chicago could run you an additional $25,000. He and I also could not believe that they were looking for a home to buy before even getting financing set up. HELLO......you might want to know how much someone will loan you before you go signing a contract for XX amount, then not get the financing for it. Normally on this show, they show how much the loan was for, the terms (30 yr fixed at whatever the % is), then the monthly payment. On the show last night, they only showed the payment. $2600.00 on a $349,000 loan. DH and I were both like Holy cow did they get the shaft on a interest rate.

 

[onelilspark]

See, I think Sandra shows these property virgins what they really can afford. For instance, on a recent show, this couple had set a $140,000 top price. Yet, they were paying $1100 in rent. So she showed them that they needed to look at the monthly mortgage payment, instead of focusing on the asking price. And the asking price is higher than the price you're going to pay.

And yes, some of these episodes were filmed in 2007 & 2008. I like the shows (Househunters) that show the angst of buying a foreclosure! (so much more realistic!)

That's the one I was watching. But you never know if that $1100 rent is killing them!

I'm young, just bought my first place last year, etc etc. My realtor didn't show me anything above what I said I could afford. The bank said I could afford more...I said no. I wasn't comfortable with it, period. I don't think it's realistic to look at a place and expect them to come down in price. The couple who had set a 140-145 top price wound up buying a home for $159,900 plus the 3% "so it's more like $155,00." It's still $15,000 more than what they said they wanted. And if they did look at a property that was close to their range ~145, I wish they'd show it and show their reaction to it and the buyer's decision to then go above what they wanted to spend.

It frustrates me to see it. And I have no clue how the accapella guy on House Hunters got a mortgage.

 

[MrsPete]

It is only a 30 minute show!! I am certain they look at more than 3 houses but the producers have them boil it down to 3 choices.

Logically I know this . . . but the show gives the impression that you can find a house magically by just looking at three!

This gripe would be for My 1st Place . . . On the show last night, they only showed the payment. $2600.00 on a $349,000 loan. DH and I were both like Holy cow did they get the shaft on a interest rate.

Yeah, when I watch these shows, DH is always saying, "Where do these people two years out of school get all this money?" We have never had a mortgage that high, and that's WHY we're comfortable financially!

It frustrates me to see it. And I have no clue how the accapella guy on House Hunters got a mortgage.

He's a college student, right? I suspect his parents were helping him. I can't believe the bank would approve a student for a mortgage of that size -- I'm assuming he had essentially no credit history because he looked very young -- whose plan is to rent the rooms to fellow students.

 

[Camicar]

I always felt she was showing them property out of their range to show them that they could not afford all the so-called essentials on their list. Nothing wrong with a reality check.

I just don't like HER or her accent. The way she says the word houses makes my ears bleed.

 

[Philagoofy]

There was another one on last night, a 20 year old woman who had $40,000.00 to put down & was approved for about $200,000 looking for a condo in South Beach. That was amazing how she saved $40,000 by 20 (unless daddy helped).

How about the show Bang for Your Buck. They show 3 families who have renovated a room, say the kitchen, for $80,000.00 each. Then a realtor & one of HGTV's home improvement show hosts comes in to evaluate what was done to see which of the 3 families would best recoup what they put in. The host will say that they should have not done something so specific as a sushi bar because not everyone will want one. But the owners aren't trying to sell their house, they put it in because they like it. So they make the owners say something snarky to that effect. Of course not everyone is going to like what was done, just like the stagers shows.

 

[ksjayhawks]

That's the one I was watching. But you never know if that $1100 rent is killing them!

I'm young, just bought my first place last year, etc etc. My realtor didn't show me anything above what I said I could afford. The bank said I could afford more...I said no. I wasn't comfortable with it, period. I don't think it's realistic to look at a place and expect them to come down in price. The couple who had set a 140-145 top price wound up buying a home for $159,900 plus the 3% "so it's more like $155,00." It's still $15,000 more than what they said they wanted. And if they did look at a property that was close to their range ~145, I wish they'd show it and show their reaction to it and the buyer's decision to then go above what they wanted to spend.

It frustrates me to see it. And I have no clue how the accapella guy on House Hunters got a mortgage.

I saw the show, too. They start off the show in a neighborhood the couple/person likes just so they get an idea that what they "want" is not always what they really need at this time of their life and can actually afford.

We have bought many houses over the years and have always looked over our limit by a set amount. You never know what deal you can get. Sometimes you have to go over to get into a good neighborhood/school district/for resale value.

1st bold--rent. The guy said that they had no problem paying the rent and were able to save money as well.

2nd bold--They did look at a lower priced home, it was very small and needed work. The one they got was move in ready (with a few things they wanted to change, but nothing major). In the first house they would have spent at least $15,000--probably more--plus sweat equity to fix it up and the house probably would not have appreciated to cover what they had spent. The second was also in a nicer neighborhood overall, from the street views that they showed. Also, it only raised their mortgage by $80 a month over the cheaper house and their total mortgage was still lower than the rent they had been paying.

 

[onelilspark]

My boyfriend and I saw the $40,000 one too. He looked at me and said "no way could she save that much!" And I said, "well I could save that much too if I lived at home and had no expenses..."

She was also an investment banker...sad to say, but how much you wanna bet she has no job now and can't afford the place??

 

[onelilspark]

I saw the show, too. They start off the show in a neighborhood the couple/person likes just so they get an idea that what they "want" is not always what they really need at this time of their life and can actually afford.

We have bought many houses over the years and have always looked over our limit by a set amount. You never know what deal you can get. Sometimes you have to go over to get into a good neighborhood/school district/for resale value.

1st bold--rent. The guy said that they had no problem paying the rent and were able to save money as well.

2nd bold--They did look at a lower priced home, it was very small and needed work. The one they got was move in ready (with a few things they wanted to change, but nothing major). In the first house they would have spent at least $15,000--probably more--plus sweat equity to fix it up and the house probably would not have appreciated to cover what they had spent. The second was also in a nicer neighborhood overall, from the street views that they showed. Also, it only raised their mortgage by $80 a month over the cheaper house and their total mortgage was still lower than the rent they had been paying.

Ok, I must have missed the part where he said they didn't have a problem with the rent.

Still, $80 a month x 12 months is $960...which is a lot of money. (It's a trip to Disney!) I guess it still bothers me to show, "ok here's what you want to spend. I'm going to take you to houses in the neighborhood you like, then dash those dreams. Now I'm going to show you houses above what you said you wanted to spend." It bugs me, to me if you're just starting the process and know nothing, I would hate for someone to think that's the "norm."

 

[diznygirl]

I really like the Property Virgins show. I like how Sandra tries to reel in unrealistic expectations. Our joke when watching that show is that every single buyer wants granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Even if their budget is next to nothing, they want it, no exceptions! They act like any house that doesn't have those 2 things needs to be torn down or be condemned as uninhabitable or something!

I like watching the buyer's come crashing down to Earth in their expectations!

That's what I've noticed about the show as well - that these first-time home buyers want what they want but don't have a clue about how much what they want will cost. They sure have some crazy expectations. Sandra does a good job of showing them their options. She can't possibly show some of these people houses in their price range because such a thing doesn't exist! So she shows them what they want - and then tells them the price for it.


Funny how some of them never do "get it" and opt to wait or continue looking, and the show ends without a sale.

 

[Robinrs]

I actually used to tune in about 5 to 10 mins AFTER that stupid "reveal" at the beginning! How much do you think THAT house is worth?

They may be property virgins but she talks to them like they were born yesterday! There is a way to teach without sounding condescending and she's about to get on my nerves. I used to watch it all the time but now I'm losing interest.

 

[DisLaw]

It also annoys me that she never goes into the house with them when they first go in. Half the time people look around like "huh? Is this supposed to be the dining room? ...Where is the master bedroom???" I think she misses out on part of what her job as a realtor is which is to "sell" the house.

I would bet that people, espcially those new at home shopping, would benefit from being "shown" the house by a realtor familiar with the house already.

Having said that, I personally prefer to look at a house without being led around by the realtor (but that is because I am a broker myself!), I always laugh when the realtors always seem to gloss over the negatives and go right for all the usual highlights "Look at the crown molding!" "See the great fireplace!" "New carpet!"

OK, one more pet peeve is when the buyers ALWAYS seem to complain about the paint colors! Geesh, of all things paint is the cheapest thing to change! Why spend time moaning about it! "Gee we hate the paint, so we'll chose the smaller house that is decorated better.."

 

[Philagoofy]

Actually, I don't mind them going in by themselves, if they can't figure out which room is which... Although sometimes the master bedroom isn't much different in size from other bedrooms. But I always find it funny when the realtor says "And this is the kitchen". Duh, really? What gave it away, the fridge? Sink? Or maybe the stove?

Now I'm getting to figure out which house the couple or person is going to pick on House Hunters. It's the one they don't seem really keen on & gloat over. There's always a major problem like the other night when the couple looked at one that was near a railroad. They said that would be the deciding factor (they didn't want to be near it). That's the one they chose. After complaining about this & that in a house, when they "reveal" which one they chose they say, "As soon as we walked in, we knew this was our home, we couldn't imagine us anywhere else".

Like another poster said, I live vicariously through these people. I'm ready to move.

 

[Randi]

I agree with all of you about those shows. I only saw Bang for Your Buck a couple of times, but it should be up for a comedy emmy!

If you are putting big bucks into a renovation, I hope you are doing it for your own benefit with your own likes & needs. The funniest thing I saw was a kitchen with a marble countertop on a single cabinet. Both the realtor & the so called designer were putting it down as silly to have 2 types of countertops, & how it was not a good idea. Obviously neither of them could bake or they would have known how wonderful it is to have marble to roll out dough That marble countertop upped the value in my opinion.

Kinda like the househunters who want the ultimate in kitchens but don't know how to cook & seem to brag about it.

Or the ones who want space to entertain. Good grief how many parties do they have?

I also get a nasty kick out of watching for the date the show was made & after learning what the buyers do for a living, speculating if they are out of jobs & in foreclosure already.

 

[Straitlover]

this happens ALL the time on House Hunters too and it annoys me so much...and it seems nearly everytime that they are shown a house well out of their price range by the agent on there, they end up picking that one! I just can't believe it...

The thing about House Hunters is it does not work the way they show it. The poeple have already picked a house before filming, and the other two houses are just filler. Someone in the know posted abut this here on the boards awhile back. It's all a big fake!!

 

[Philagoofy]

I like the way the men always get in the bathtubs to check out the size. How many men really take baths (by themselves)? For that matter, how often do women take baths? And if they have no children and don't have a double sink & a tub in the master suite bath, they somehow can't use the 2nd bathroom down the hall?

 

[AKL_Megs]

We are "Property Virgins" and you can call me a "Home Buyerzilla".

I flat out told our realtor, "Our budget is $XXX,XXX and not a penny more. The first time you show us a house that is a CENT more, we are finding a new realtor."

So far, it's been great houses well under our budget.

I was also SUPER strict on our "wants". The same rule applies if he tries to show us a house WITHOUT a basement, just because he "thinks" we'll like it. Nope. We won't.