House Hunters on HGTV

[GoodSense]

I used to watch House Hunters but found it too boring. I was working as a realtor for a while. It was just like w*rk! Plus, I disagreed with most of the buyers' choices. I think they overestimate their fixer-upper skills, especially some of the couples in their 20s with a young baby.

I watch HHI sometimes and for the most part, enjoy it. I get a little tired of the CA episodes. Again, because I think the buyers don't realize what they are getting into and how it would become more of a burden. I love the idea of owning a condo in the middle of Nicaragua, but how much time are they going to spend there when both of them are still working?

I did enjoy the episode on Turkey. The condos were below $95,000, possible as a second home for a middle-class couple still working.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins You see, this is what I'm afraid would happen to me if I retired. I would get up, loaf around sipping coffee, go to the gym, then come home and watch HGTV all day. I guess eventually I would get out of my rut.

This routine has been working very well for spouse...

... don't knock it if you haven't tried it for at least 30 days!

I keep offering to connect the treadmill to a generator so that she doesn't even have to leave the livingroom to work out. She might even produce enough power to run the TV. But no takers yet.

[kcowan]

We love living in Mexico. Right now all the snowbirds are here from Wisconsin, Illinois, NY, CA, Ontario, BC and Washington. It is busy just keeping up.

Our condo costs us under $200/mo including utilities and trust fees. Food is normally really cheap. But right now there is lots of restaurant eating.

[Orchidflower]

I'm glad to hear that, kcowan, because I have been questioning why my single friend is spending so much money there. Seems he could get by on less or am I wrong?
He does have a gardener and maid to take care of the house.

[kcowan]

We have a maid that spend five hours twice a week for 200 pesos a time.

Just like home, you can spend more by going out a lot!

[DangerMouse]

Think I saw the ultimate in stupidity on this show this week. A couple from North Carolina went to Costa Rica to buy a vacation house. Their budget was $700,000. What I can't believe is that anyone would commit that kind of cash to a place they had never been before. What were they thinking They had 3 days to buy something on their first ever trip to CR.

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DangerMouse Think I saw the ultimate in stupidity on this show this week. A couple from North Carolina went to Costa Rica to buy a vacation house. Their budget was $700,000. What I can't believe is that anyone would commit that kind of cash to a place they had never been before. What were they thinking They had 3 days to buy something on their first ever trip to CR.

I saw the last half of this one.... was thinking the same thing... the guy kept saying "I thought a beach house would be on the beach"...

I wonder what they get doing the show... and if they are supposed to buy or not...

I can tell you that I have never bought a house with only looking at three...

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud I can tell you that I have never bought a house with only looking at three...

I suppose it's possible they looked at more, but they only focused on three of them that seemed like they were on the "short list" to consider.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud I can tell you that I have never bought a house with only looking at three...

My ex and I bought our house in College Station (in the late 1980's) after looking at only three. This one was the first of the three. We loved it and instantly just knew that was our home.

But actually I do understand what you mean. I looked at over two dozen houses with the realtor, and did over 200 drivebys without him, before buying my present house. I think he was about to give up. This has been a good house for me, though. I bought it with the idea that I would spend the rest of my life living in it.

[DangerMouse]

To me the craziness comes from buying in a country you have never been to. It's not just another part of the US, but another country, another culture. I have been places on paper that I thought I would love, but the reality once you get there is so different. To make that kind of investment without having experienced Costa Rica is so out there. Think it was CarDude who was thinking about moving there, but after he went there for a couple of months realised it was not for his family. $700k is a lot of buyer's remorse to experience.

[Rustic23]

We bought a house in Houston without ever seeing it. I knew the area, and we had our daughter go by and look at it. We knew we it was not going to be our retirement home and we would only be there four or five years. My comment to my Daughter was 'If you like it and you think we would buy it!' Worked out fine. However it helps to know that this was our 18th move in 26 years. We have lived in lots of houses. It is really what you make of it. That being said, it will be a cold day in H3ll before I pay $700,000 for a home in a foreign country! That kind of money will buy you a 5,000 sq ft home on about 2 acres of lake front in my neighborhood.

[Orchidflower]

An older lady (80?) who lived by me in Illinois had two older daughters in their mid-40's to early 50's. First, they bought a house over the internet with the help of a realtor in Florida. Then the 3 of them bought a convertible and took off for Florida from Illinois. Next, when they got to Florida, they bought themselves a boat after never having driven one even! Within a couple years, the mother died, but I was always thrilled for her that she got this one last swing at living it up with her kids. What a way to go, eh?

Actually, I know a few people who have purchased their houses over the internet without ever seeing them in person first. Nobody seemed disappointed, so guess it worked for them.

[explanade]

Regarding the 3 houses, that's probably more to do with the constraints of the 30-minute show. They don't want to show more because people would lose interest.

Actually, I heard that some buyers are close to buying a home and then the producers come up with two others for them to look at so that they have 3 homes to look at in the show.

[DangerMouse]

Interestingly enough on an expats board I am a member of, HGTV are advertising for people to go on HH International. The requirement is you must have bought in the past 2 years, which makes me think that people may have already bought and moved into a place and HGTV just comes up with another couple of places to look like there really is some decision making going on.

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R My ex and I bought our house in College Station (in the late 1980's) after looking at only three. This one was the first of the three. We loved it and instantly just knew that was our home. But actually I do understand what you mean. I looked at over two dozen houses with the realtor, and did over 200 drivebys without him, before buying my present house. I think he was about to give up. This has been a good house for me, though. I bought it with the idea that I would spend the rest of my life living in it.

I am not saying that I would not buy the first house that I looked at.... just that I would look at MORE... just to make sure...

I also took a long look online at all the houses before I went... so I knew their layout etc.. and I guess if I saw one that blew me away... well, no... even then I would look at others... but would make an offer quickly on the one that I liked...

I am 52 and in my second house... the first one I had for 25 years...

[Kronk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud I am not saying that I would not buy the first house that I looked at.... just that I would look at MORE... just to make sure...

We're trying to buy the first house we looked at. Went through it at an open house, loved it. Went through it again with the realtors, loved it. But even we needed to see 7 more houses and look at a lot more online.

[Onward]

I watch HH Intl so much that I've come up with a system for predicting which house they'll choose:

1. Throw out the highest priced place
2. Of the other two, pick the one with the best location.

I guess I need to get a life.

What I can't understand is all the buyers who claim they can run their US-based business from a beach in Belize, using just a laptop and a portable printer. It's hard enough to run a US-based business from the US. I've telecommuted exclusively for the last ten years, and there are so many complications. How does a realtor from Baltimore move to Central America and sell houses in Baltimore? I just don't get it.

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onward I watch HH Intl so much that I've come up with a system for predicting which house they'll choose: 1. Throw out the highest priced place 2. Of the other two, pick the one with the best location. I guess I need to get a life. What I can't understand is all the buyers who claim they can run their US-based business from a beach in Belize, using just a laptop and a portable printer. It's hard enough to run a US-based business from the US. I've telecommuted exclusively for the last ten years, and there are so many complications. How does a realtor from Baltimore move to Central America and sell houses in Baltimore? I just don't get it.

Well, I guess it might work the majority of the time... but that Costa Rica one picked the highest priced one... and I don't watch it enough to know anything...

[Onward]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud Well, I guess it might work the majority of the time... but that Costa Rica one picked the highest priced one... and I don't watch it enough to know anything...

It didn't work in Curacao last night either. Overall I've had pretty good luck with it. It works at leat 33% of the time.

[cardude]

That was our friend from Nosara who was selling the house. He said it's all rigged and they had already been there shopping for a house beforehand, and the one they wanted (the one on the hill) was already picked out. I thought the couple was a little strange with the little dog and all, but he said they are very nice and super friendly.

We actually stayed in the house with the great pool and super high up observation deck last time we were there. Great house.

The real estate is really high there, obviously.