House Hunters TV Show

[paintnolish]

Did anyone see the HHI with the retired couple looking in Italy? Their biggest consideration was where to put the hot tub. Every. single. place. "Honey, look at this beautiful, resored monastary. Wow. Original frescos on the wall! But where will we put our (tacky) hot tub?"

 

[Robinrs]

Did anyone see the HHI with the retired couple looking in Italy? Their biggest consideration was where to put the hot tub. Every. single. place. "Honey, look at this beautiful, resored monastary. Wow. Original frescos on the wall! But where will we put our (tacky) hot tub?"

I remember that one!

What I can't understand is people moving to a town with homes that look like CAVES and they're fine with it????

 

[Philagoofy]

The nearest neighbor looks like they are almost a half block away and you hear "Oh, the neighbors are too close, I wouldn't feel comfortable drinking our morning coffee on this deck".

 

[Robinrs]

Actually, what she says is that they have been approved for $XXXX, and have a down payment of $XYZ, for a total budget of $XXXXYZ. So if they have been approved for a mortgage of $200000 and have $20K for down payment, they can look at houses with a purchase price of $220000. She is absolutely correct. When I do a mortgage pre-approval, the paperwork we give the clients is for the mortgage amount they are approved for, not the purchase price.

She's a REALTOR, the higher the amount the bigger her commission check. Of course she's gonna add and not subtract!

 

[Tinkermommy]

Anybody else miss Suzanne Whong????

I didn't even know she was gone. I never warmed up to her. She always seemed so stiff and moved her arms awkwardly to me.

I used to be addicted to HH, but don't haven't in a couple of years. I may have to check out an episode though.

Are the houses in CA still outrageous or have they become a bit more reasonable with the housing market as it is?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

plenty of room for guests!

this one always leaves me scratching my head. I live in Florida and we rarely get visitors. No way is family flying to Fiji or Costa Rica. And it is even more funny when that statement is preceded by....we want to get away from the busy life we have...go to someplace secluded so that we can have privacy....but we must have guest rooms for visitors.

 

[mishasmom]

I love HH and HHI! A couple of totally overused sayings that make me want to throw something at the TV whenever they say them:

The whole man cave thing.

That's what I'm talking about. I swear every time a man sees a big backyard or basement he says this.

 

[mishasmom]

this one always leaves me scratching my head. I live in Florida and we rarely get visitors. No way is family flying to Fiji or Costa Rica. And it is even more funny when that statement is preceded by....we want to get away from the busy life we have...go to someplace secluded so that we can have privacy....but we must have guest rooms for visitors.

ITA! They are always talking about room for entertaining. They are usually in a foreign country and spend a couple of weeks a year there, who are they going to be entertaining?

 

[JamieW]

...but we really wanted Hardwood.

That''s my favorite. Poor, horrible carpet. How will they ever survive if the house has carpet instead of hardwood.

 

[omghidanielle]

I just turned this on........what is wrong with these people?

oh, this has so many STAIRS
STAIRS are DANGEROUS!
oh my god, a garden FOUNTAIN?!
This just screams DANGER!

 

[FayeW]

Since you have a lot more mortgage knowledge than I, could you explain how mortgages are different in the US? Sorry I only know how they work in Canada. Thank you!

Most of what I know about mortgages in the US I learned either on the American real estate programs or here reading about mortgages from other posters. The biggest difference is that they don't seem to separate interest rate terms from amortization. The sign a mortgage for 20 or 30 years, with an interest rate that is applicable for that entire time so in theory, they could just pay their mortgage every month for 30 years and never have to worry about the interest rate changing. Here, we might take a 25 or 35 yr mortgage (amortization) but the interest rate is locked in for a much shorter term, usually 3 or 5 years, so when that term expires you have to negotiate the interest rate for the next term.

I don't know how they work out the mortgage payments, they must do it differently than we do because payments here on a $200K mortgage would be somewhere beteen $1100-$1200 (depending on the interest rate) but on the programs I have watched where they quote the mortgage payment, it always seems much higher than what we would pay on the same mortgage amount. Perhaps they are including property tax and homeowner association fees as well.

 

[Robinrs]

I love HH and HHI! A couple of totally overused sayings that make me want to throw something at the TV whenever they say them:

The whole man cave thing.

That's what I'm talking about. I swear every time a man sees a big backyard or basement he says this.

I SWEAR if I hear the words MAN CAVE one more time!!!

and needing a 3 car garage for the 2 cars and the Winnebago/motorcycle/horse barn, etc... or going to DIE if they don't get parking with their high rise condo and end up taking the one WITHOUT parking...

 

[elizke]

Huge fan here! Been watching obsessively since it first came on. Guess I just like living vicariously.

I definitely miss Suzanne!

The only repeated comment I get irritated by is the usual closet joke. I think the rest are just common opinions. If it were scripted there would be more variety. I'm sure they do require that they make comments throughout.

I am amazed how almost every single house hunter these days requires granite counter tops! I mean those things are expensive!

Alittle disappointed to find out how they already have the house and the other two are fake, but it does make sense.

Anyone remember how in the beginning it was always house #3? Changing it every time and adding the prices really made it much better.

What I miss most is that they more often used to come back even up to a year later for the wrap-up, after most had done work to the house. Did they used to pay more or something, cause they always seemed to have spent money on the place. I assumed they got money they were required to spend on the house or something. But I loved it! It was like a house hunter/make-over show in one! Now I get so frustrated when it's a really cool place with potential and they come back a month later with nothing done yet.

 

[jen0610]

The MOST overused line in the show...


This ___________ would be perfect for entertaining.

This drives DH crazy. He'll talk to the TV asking them if they are buying a house to live in or are they buying a building for a party place.

Huge fan here! Been watching obsessively since it first came on. Guess I just like living vicariously.

I definitely miss Suzanne!

The only repeated comment I get irritated by is the usual closet joke. I think the rest are just common opinions. If it were scripted there would be more variety. I'm sure they do require that they make comments throughout.

I am amazed how almost every single house hunter these days requires granite counter tops! I mean those things are expensive!
Alittle disappointed to find out how they already have the house and the other two are fake, but it does make sense.

Anyone remember how in the beginning it was always house #3? Changing it every time and adding the prices really made it much better.

What I miss most is that they more often used to come back even up to a year later for the wrap-up, after most had done work to the house. Did they used to pay more or something, cause they always seemed to have spent money on the place. I assumed they got money they were required to spend on the house or something. But I loved it! It was like a house hunter/make-over show in one! Now I get so frustrated when it's a really cool place with potential and they come back a month later with nothing done yet.

They just had a show on Monday(?), that featured a 23 single girl in MO. Very low budget - 120,000.00. The first house she saw was a small 2 bedroom, 2(?) bath that needed some TLC for 114,000.00 and ended up being the one she picked. She NEVER once mention granite or stainless steel appliances. She was happy that the white fridge was staying. The things she didn't like were easy fixes. Most of the people they feature would turn their nose up at the place. It was a cute little STARTER house. She ended up paying 109,000.00 and the owner fixed the foundation problem for her.

This is one of the most current episodes that I have enjoyed. It showed someone with a mindset that they want to own a home, but they know they have to start out here and work your way up to there. Most of what they show young couples buying as a starter home, would be my dream home, not something to live in for a few years then move on to even bigger.

 

[eeyore65]

I have really hated the recent property virgins in San Diego. Those poor young families don't seem to have a chance in that hyper competitive low end of the market. Did you see the one couple that looked at 80 houses!?!

DS and I hate it when they don't get a house.

I do love these shows. It is fantastic fun to see how others want or choose to live. I especially enjoy HHI for this reason.

 

[sasywtch]

This use to be one of my favorite shows along with Property Virgins. I do like to see other neighborhoods and places I've never seen. Since my boyfriend and I have had paycuts, it's sort of watching toy ads on tv of things you can't have for us.
I do like watching the flipping shows now just to see what they do. When we are on our walks, we look at an old run down house and think what we'd do with it.

 

[klj27]

Most of what I know about mortgages in the US I learned either on the American real estate programs or here reading about mortgages from other posters. The biggest difference is that they don't seem to separate interest rate terms from amortization. The sign a mortgage for 20 or 30 years, with an interest rate that is applicable for that entire time so in theory, they could just pay their mortgage every month for 30 years and never have to worry about the interest rate changing. Here, we might take a 25 or 35 yr mortgage (amortization) but the interest rate is locked in for a much shorter term, usually 3 or 5 years, so when that term expires you have to negotiate the interest rate for the next term.

I don't know how they work out the mortgage payments, they must do it differently than we do because payments here on a $200K mortgage would be somewhere beteen $1100-$1200 (depending on the interest rate) but on the programs I have watched where they quote the mortgage payment, it always seems much higher than what we would pay on the same mortgage amount. Perhaps they are including property tax and homeowner association fees as well.

Yours may not be as different as it seems. Our mortgage was for $170,000 and our payment was just shy of $1000 per month before taxes and insurance.

 

[starrzone]

The nearest neighbor looks like they are almost a half block away and you hear "Oh, the neighbors are too close, I wouldn't feel comfortable drinking our morning coffee on this deck".

Oh my GOSH, this bugs me SOOO much!!! Honey, if you're looking for a house in the NYC/Seattle/San Diego/etc. suburbs, chances are you MIGHT see another house or two from your back yard! I want to tell them to build a 30-foot high, solid privacy fence.

I just turned this on........what is wrong with these people?

oh, this has so many STAIRS
STAIRS are DANGEROUS!

There was one episode where the wife was VERY whiny on this point. "I really wanted a siiingle story. Waaahhhh...." I felt like telling her "You didn't tell the realtor that you wanted a single-story home. This one is gorgeous and within your budget. People have SURVIVED with stairs, and their kids haven't died wither!"

I SWEAR if I hear the words MAN CAVE one more time!!!

and needing a 3 car garage for the 2 cars and the Winnebago/motorcycle/horse barn, etc... or going to DIE if they don't get parking with their high rise condo and end up taking the one WITHOUT parking...

The 3-car garage thing astounds me. You're just going to use it for storage anyway! Especially the people who are looking in warm-weather areas; we live on the East Coast of Canada and don't even put our cars in the garage during the winter. GASP- we have to SHOVEL the snow off of them!

 

[Philagoofy]

About the proximity of the neighbors, try living in a row house (that's townhouse for you youngins) all your life. With an alleyway or small yard so you get to see 30 other houses behind you and 29 other houses to the right & left.

I'm always amazed that after the show returns 2 months later, the couple had their baby, bought 2 new dogs, ripped out the kitchen & 2 bathrooms & put in all new tiles, floor, fixtures, cabinets, etc. Oh, and they painted everyroom (heaven forbid if there was a scrap of wallpaper, they wouldn't have bought the place then), pulled up all the carpets & laid hardwood down.

And they all say, we did this & that. Not we had this & that done. Yea, you did it all yourselves. And you bought the property that was a little over your budget but it was the perfect one (except for all the negatives you talked about while looking) and you had enough money to do all this.

Oh yes, during this time they both finished their studies/exams.
But I love HH & love to see the different homes in different parts of the country & what people do with them. They really do fix some of them up nice.

 

[stichy]

Does anyone else watch this? I love looking at the different houses and getting ideas for what I want in my next house. But the price of some of these and what their budget is just gets me. I asked my husband what we are doing wrong!

There was an episode of a young couple (25 yo) where she was a Pharmacist (same profession as my DH) and he was a student. They paid $400,000.00 for a house in Florida! The first thing I asked my DH was do Pharmacists make that much more in Florida than Ohio? There was no way we could of afforded a house for that price when we were 25 yo.

If that is the same one I saw my DH checked out the area they bought in. The couple I'm thinking of only looked for houses in different parts of a gated planned community. A ton of the houses there were in foreclosure.