I love watching house hunters for really expensive cities

[Delicateflower]

Anyone else want to admit it?

I'm watching a Seattle episode right now, and they are looking at cramped houses on top of six lane highways for $500,000. It's making me feel much better about living in a small town!

[mtm]

If it helps Delicateflower, an attached house by me would go for around 500,000, a detached 700,000. I live in a big city which I love but I don't love the housing prices.

[sebarnes]

I'll admit it. I love watching the crazy expensive cities. But I love watching House Hunters International when they do places like Paris or Italy, more. I think it's because they expect to have really tiny places, and they know how to use the little spaces in such creative and unwasteful ways. It's kind of inspiring after watching all of the whiny Americans who think their 2000 square foot homes are too small for their three person family

[Delicateflower]

Originally Posted by sebarnes

I'll admit it. I love watching the crazy expensive cities. But I love watching House Hunters International when they do places like Paris or Italy, more. I think it's because they expect to have really tiny places, and they know how to use the little spaces in such creative and unwasteful ways. It's kind of inspiring after watching all of the whiny Americans who think their 2000 square foot homes are too small for their three person family

Oh, I know! I'm watching a Boston one now, and some of them are such chopped up spaces, it's just wasteful.

[delicious]

i prefer house hunters international. everything is so much prettier everywhere else. lol!

[Thystle]

Originally Posted by delicious

i prefer house hunters international. everything is so much prettier everywhere else. lol!

Yeah, and some of the episodes are not "bloated" priced houses. I have seen quite a few where they were looking under $250,000 US dollars.

[mamatoakd]

I love that show and wish they would mention the year of filming. Prices have fluxuated drastically in some of the bigger cities and it would be interesting to know whether the prices are (or were) peak or are they a couple years out.

I really envy people that get to look at big houses on big lots. Lots are tiny in my area and prices are still outrageous.

[artemis33]

ah but Seattle is such a great city to live in

I love to watch the international ones the most - I also look for good space saving ideas!

[April411]

OMG...a couple of weeks ago I saw an episode where a family was looking for a second home in Key Largo. They wanted something on the water and ended up paying $500,000 for a funky old trailer and ended up spending additional $ to fix it up.

[lalaland42]

Originally Posted by Delicateflower

Anyone else want to admit it?

I'm watching a Seattle episode right now, and they are looking at cramped houses on top of six lane highways for $500,000. It's making me feel much better about living in a small town!

But living in Seattle is so worth it. :

[Delicateflower]

Originally Posted by lalaland42

But living in Seattle is so worth it. :

Umbrellas are cheap

[Norasmomma]

Originally Posted by Delicateflower

Anyone else want to admit it?

I'm watching a Seattle episode right now, and they are looking at cramped houses on top of six lane highways for $500,000. It's making me feel much better about living in a small town!

And then those people come to where I live and buy land and build 2nd homes and drive up the land and home prices, so no one can afford them-it sucks:

We're 3 hours away from Seattle and have a ton of second homes that have made it almost impossible for many friends of mine to even get a house.

Actually Seattle home prices are down by quite a bit-many houses now are in the 300's, not the 500's anymore.

[SAHDS]

I gotta third the "but it's so worth it."

[lalaland42]

Originally Posted by Delicateflower

Umbrellas are cheap

heh I am a native and I have to tell you that I didn't even own an umbrella until graduate school. I love me some rain.

[wildmonkeys]

prices are high for a reason, but be worth it to live there.

[Carley]

Originally Posted by Delicateflower

Umbrellas are cheap

Hey now! Seattlittes do NOT use umbrellas!

We bought our house in Greenwood (Seattle) right before the neighborhood was "discovered." We got it for a great price.

Our 850sq house is "zillowing" for 390k (apparently not close enough to the freeway to ask 500k - Darn! ) It's pretty awesome & marks potential for when the real estate market unfreezes, but even still...

that doesn't mean that's what it would "go for" if we put it on this ice cold market, but it does reflect the possibilities we might have by holding onto it.


I dunno. I'm pretty jealous of the 500k people right now! I wonder what neighborhood they were in. I'm thinking Eastlake or something? With a view?

[Carley]

Originally Posted by lalaland42

heh I am a native and I have to tell you that I didn't even own an umbrella until graduate school. I love me some rain.

I missed your comment

[Chicky2]

I watchy it sometimes, too. I cannot imagine paying $500k for a house. We have 2700 sq ft, plus 5 acres for $135k.

[Ellp]

I don't watch the shows but I live in a very expensive town. The average house price here is well into the $550,000's and thats ACCOUNTING for all the run down, tear down houses. Its the land that holds the value.

What kills me is when you see a house on the east side (not a good side) that needs 100,000's of thousands of $$ to make livable, and they want $500,000 for it. Sheesh!

Take a look at this... The area's not the best, despite what the ad says.
http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetail...ertyId=8045720

[monkeybars]

Originally Posted by mamatoakd

I love that show and wish they would mention the year of filming. Prices have fluxuated drastically in some of the bigger cities and it would be interesting to know whether the prices are (or were) peak or are they a couple years out.

I really envy people that get to look at big houses on big lots. Lots are tiny in my area and prices are still outrageous.

A friend of mine works for the production company that makes the show and she was featured on it years ago. I did ask her this questions too. She didn't give a specific timeframe but said they are fairly recent and they can't repeat really old shows (years old) because of the fluctuations of the housing market.

I love all the house hunter shows too, and especially appreciate the high COLA since I'm in one. It actually drives me a bit nuts to watch the majority of DIY shows giving makeovers to people already living in nearly new, spacious homes! So many of us live in tiny, awkward spaces and could use tips on how to make it more workable.