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How does one get on the show?
What is the benefit of being on the show?
A house in my neighborhood was featured on the show recently. Our daily paper published a feature describing the process. It's the Realtor who initiates being on the show. Our local Realtor said she bothered the show for a couple of years, begging to be on and they told her they didn't want to do Arizona anymore "because the scenery was boring." She sent them photos of places she wanted to feature (all with dramatic mountain backdrops) and they finally relented.
As other people have noted, the buyer is already in contract before the filming begins. Then it's up to the Realtor to find two other homes for the buyer to tour and "pretend" to consider. The buyer may or may not have even considered those homes. It's not always easy to find prop houses since the seller has to agree to have their property filmed at HGTV's convenience and often harshly criticized by the buyer. In the one from our neighborhood she showed the buyer two new-construction places and one "group living" neo-commune condo community that I'm quite sure the buyer NEVER considered -- but it was interesting if you were a viewer.
This Realtor's buyer was a real PITA and it appeared as if her child had as much input in the purchase as she did. Surprise, surprise, she bought the most boring of the three presentations. She was portrayed as being fixated on new appliances, getting a gas stove, and allowing her son to dictate what kind of SUITE he wanted. Her reason for moving was to "downsize," but in fact she bought a house almost exactly the same size as the one she left.
The Realtor appeared to be quite professional though, so I suspect she got some additional business out of the deal. There was no mention in the article about anyone else getting paid. I honestly don't know what the buyers get out of it since they mainly end up looking like self-important twits who know nothing about real estate. Do you notice they never ask about the condition of the roof or the quality of the windows and they are never shown looking in the basement? It's almost like they're buying the decor.
What I want to know is the real skinny behind getting that cute Matt Muenster from DIY to give me a free bathroom remodel. I don't believe for a minute that those "Crash" people find their subjects at random in a big box store. I'd camp out in Home Depot for a month if I thought I could get one of those extravagant layouts.
Six years after this thread started House Hunters is still doing the same thing using the same format. What many viewers do not understand is real estate is a hard taskmaster that required hours of time and money invested before one gets a return. The average buyers wants cute 3/2 with a garage, large lot, safe neighborhood, and good school on a small budgets. House payments that include mortgage, interest, insurance and taxes often exceed 25% of the net income for 30 years. Most of the clients on HH have incomes in excess of $500,000 - and this is why the show is popular. That this couple lives in the parents basement is added for emotional value.
i still do not believe that most of these realtors know the difference between the Cape Cod, and the Craftsman build. I am not even sure some know the architectural difference between the Victorian and the Craftsman. If you know your houses, or your particular favorite design then you know what's wrong with the realtor before the door is opened. No true Craftsman has the Bungalow entrance.
Six years after this thread started House Hunters is still doing the same thing using the same format. What many viewers do not understand is real estate is a hard taskmaster that required hours of time and money invested before one gets a return. The average buyers wants cute 3/2 with a garage, large lot, safe neighborhood, and good school on a small budgets. House payments that include mortgage, interest, insurance and taxes often exceed 25% of the net income for 30 years. Most of the clients on HH have incomes in excess of $500,000 - and this is why the show is popular. That this couple lives in the parents basement is added for emotional value.
i still do not believe that most of these realtors know the difference between the Cape Cod, and the Craftsman build. I am not even sure some know the architectural difference between the Victorian and the Craftsman. If you know your houses, or your particular favorite design then you know what's wrong with the realtor before the door is opened. No true Craftsman has the Bungalow entrance.
That's why I like the rehab shows. There was one which I think is fairly new called Rehab Addict. She buys old victorians and rehabs them, but to functional and properly Victorian. There was an arch which had been added and its rounded curves were replaced with the origional squared off entry which had thankfully been left when they'd 'fixed' it. She even salvaged tile from one area so the tile would be authentic. It was awesome, but LOOKED like a place a Victorian citizen would admire as home too. These are the ones I really love to watch.
I still want to see a HH when the people come in and declare they hate open floorplans and every room including the kitchen has to have its own door.
Nah, that's all worked out before it's filmed. But it would be different. We're more likely to see that on "love it or list it" or "property brothers" on HGTV.
Six years after this thread started House Hunters is still doing the same thing using the same format. What many viewers do not understand is real estate is a hard taskmaster that required hours of time and money invested before one gets a return. The average buyers wants cute 3/2 with a garage, large lot, safe neighborhood, and good school on a small budgets. House payments that include mortgage, interest, insurance and taxes often exceed 25% of the net income for 30 years. Most of the clients on HH have incomes in excess of $500,000 - and this is why the show is popular. That this couple lives in the parents basement is added for emotional value.
i still do not believe that most of these realtors know the difference between the Cape Cod, and the Craftsman build. I am not even sure some know the architectural difference between the Victorian and the Craftsman. If you know your houses, or your particular favorite design then you know what's wrong with the realtor before the door is opened. No true Craftsman has the Bungalow entrance.
I saw my neighbor on Yard Crashers. He was approached by the show at Lowe's, but he wasn't interested. Incredible, but true!
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I don't believe for a minute that those "Crash" people find their subjects at random in a big box store. I'd camp out in Home Depot for a month if I thought I could get one of those extravagant layouts.
