Post: #1

Anyone in here watching that show? I'm getting addicted to it. This show is about people moving to locations around the world, they get to see 3 properties in a given location for a given budget/requirements and agents take them around town to show them 3 properties. Some of these properties in some of these locals are simply incredible deals!

Specially loving the deals in Bali and Thailand!

Huan Hin, Thailand:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD_qHM2s7Fk
I'm in love with House # 2!!!! That house is just gorgeous! Great place for as a retreat for a few months, either alone or with some other like minded guys, each working on their projects while living it up.

Bali:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc9Cb0Ay714
I'm in love with the house shown here!

Very cheap rent prices in Taiwan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yrSrwUoaG8

Ecuador:
Look at that huge house right on the beach and at what a great price!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nZBa5PDmZs

Look at that HUGE 7000 sq feet house in Bali:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkpI-WBjde8
Total panty dropper in a nano second once the girls see the inside of this house!

My goal is to be buying a beautiful house on the beach in either Bali or somewhere in the Caribbean within the next 5 years. And with prices like that, it really makes you start dreaming. Specially that house in Bali is simply MONEY!

Post: #2

If I ever watch those shows I always wonder out loud

- Why are they buying in a new country when they have only ever vacationed there. Any expat needs to rent a place first and live in a country to prevent having buyers remorse especially if after a few months they decide they are home sick or something about their new country/culture bothers them

-Unless they never plan on selling are they aware the process of selling property overseas is often much longer than make home, instead of months think years. Most of the world is a cash market so far less buying and selling is going on creates conditions for longer periods of time to sell your property if you want to get rid of it.

-How do they know they are paying fair value for what they are buying? Most countries dont have a Multiple Listing Service so you dont get a listing sheet with the price clearly shown. What happens then is that the price is up to what the realtor or owner tells you it is and for a foreigner you more often than not will get a cited a higher figure than a local.

-What if political change happens or you run into a problem with a local and need to get the fuck out of dodge? As a foreigner you dont have the same legal protection as you would at home and if the government or an indivual wants to make your life difficult they could and since you are tied to the property it makes leaving difficult without risking losing your investment.

Post: #3

bacon,

You should write a post on ROK: How To Convince A Foreign Girl to Sell you Her Beach House for $100

(Could not resist).

Post: #4

I was really into HHI a few years ago, but then they played a rash of episodes that followed this type of format:

Upper middle class or wealthy person with 9000 square foot house someplace in America looking for smaller (3000-4000 sq ft) vacation cottage in some expensive place so they can spend 3-6 months out of the year there.

Some of the houses were nice and interesting, but I wanted to see more people in my income bracket trying to realistically live somewhere else.

Post: #5

Yeah I watched a few episodes but the couples on there are usually annoying.

In the case of Europe, I learned a few things about its property market. The homes there are really old and cramped, especially compared to the US. You pay a premium for location. The better the location, the worse condition the housing is in.

I don't see any upside to living in Western Europe.

Post: #6

One I remember watching was pretty cool. A couple of homosexuals from England (not really relevant to what made the episode interesting) were trying to buy a cave in Spain. Turns out, in that part of Spain, turning caves into homes is all the rage, and wealthy foreigners will eat that up.

Post: #7

(09-11-2013 11:36 AM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  Yeah I watched a few episodes but the couples on there are usually annoying.

+1

Maybe it is just the way they are directed by the producers, but they seem so full of themselves. And only once in a while is the woman attractive, often an overweight chick bossing her man. But I always enjoy episodes where they are buying stuff cheap, good for a little daydreaming lol.

Post: #8

I saw a regular House Hunters recently where the man had married a Brazilian woman. She made comments like "You deserve a gas stove!" Don't hear that from the American wives. Usually they're all full of "Nice 4000 square foot closet! Where are your clothes going to go?"

I'd probably reply "On the floor on your side of the bed."

Post: #9

I like to watch this show with a girl and constantly dis the (always) whipped husband for spending so much money on his fat abrasive wife. It's my indirect, if not subtle, way of helping to keep her expectations in check.

Post: #10

Just saw an episode recently where the couple was looking for a crib in the Isle of Man. Thought that was cool since that's such a remote place that is hardly ever mentioned.

Post: #11

House Hunters is somewhat fake though. They find someone who has already signed an agreement to purchase a specific house, and then choose a couple of other houses for them to pretend to be interested in. The result is predetermined. It's acting.

While the couples are indeed annoying as fuck, it's a good lesson in what not to do as a man:

If I had a million bucks to spend on a pad, I damn sure wouldn't be dragging a woman around with me, making sure the house suits her petty preferences before I can purchase.

Post: #12

Another similar show, about canadian families who sell their overpriced house in boring canadian cities, of which, not surprisingly Toronto has the lion's share. So the show sends 1 guy and 2 girls in 3 locations of their choice, what the value of their house/condo in Canada would buy them in these locations. In each locations, these scouts show the couple 2 options and they have first chose one per location and at the end, select one of the three properties of their choice to buy. I've watched a few of that shows and there were a few gems to be had.

The most incredible one was a couple from Red Deer, Alberta sold their crappy condo in that shit hole for 160K and were able to get a spectacular condo/house with 2 storeys, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and a killer big infiniti pool. All of this overlooking the green lush hills yet within minutes of a charming old world village and minutes from the beach.

The show is called Live Here, Buy This.
Anyone seen this?

Post: #13

Saw a regular House Hunters episode based in Kauai, Hawaii recently and was intrigued by the story of how the guy met his wife. He's born and raised there and met his French wife on a dating site, set up a vid chat and then flew her out to Hawaii. Three years later they're married and have a child.

I thought she was def bangable.

See for yourself: http://www.hgtv.com/video/town-or-countr...index.html

WYB? Also, it seems that dude could have easily found himself a chick in Hawaii. He surfs, grew up in the jungle, has a chill personality, runs his own business, and seems successful. Kinda surprised he chose to import a French chick the way he did.

Post: #14

I've seen a few really cool episodes of this show but the one that I"ll never forget was a couple of years ago I was at a hotel in Bogota and decided to stay in and watch TV for the night. House Hunters International came on and I thought "oh cool, I wonder what awesome place they'll feature tonight?" It was a guy from Edmonton, Canada shopping for a cheap condo in the city, needless to say, I wasn't impressed!

Post: #15

(12-27-2013 05:18 PM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  WYB? Also, it seems that dude could have easily found himself a chick in Hawaii. He surfs, grew up in the jungle, has a chill personality, runs his own business, and seems successful. Kinda surprised he chose to import a French chick the way he did.

WB no question. She's French...they have a charm, class, and sexiness that I think would be difficult to find in a Hawaiian girl. She brings the Euro style/sensibility. Maybe that's what he was attracted to (aside from her body of course).

Post: #16

The big thing you have to watch out for on these shows is when they were made. Alot of times they play reruns from 2002 or 2005 or even 2010 and the prices have no basis in reality today. There's a small disclaimer in the credits that says when it was filmed.
Either way, cool show. Its fun to watch on a lazy Sunday.