Why Don't We See More Nova Homes on House Hunters? (Arlington: real estate, apartment)

[normie]

I'm addicted to HGTV's "House Hunters" series.

If you're not familiar with it, this show follows people buying homes in various cities. Each show features a detailed tour through three homes (the buyers look at 30-40 homes but select three for the show), as well as brief looks at the neighborhood. The show ends with the buyer explaining which house was chosen and why.

A show like this is a great way to see what neighborhoods look like... which is why I wonder why more shows aren't shot right here in Virginia. You'd think our local realtors would be signing up in droves for the chance at free marketing. I saw one done in Alexandria (Del Rey), and so far that's been it.

The producers of the show claim they are always seeking real home buyers who wouldn't mind having a camera tag along behind them. And right now there are so many people moving here. So you'd think there'd be a few dozen shows touring homes in McLean, Reston, Ashburn, Burke etc. What do you think the reason for this dis-interest is? Does it say something about Virginians (maybe that we value our privacy?)

If you're moving here, what would you think about being on a show like this? If you're a local realtor, would you think a show like this would make an effective marketing tool? I guess I'm just nosy but I'd really love to see more about some of the Nova neighborhoods. And a chance to see what homes in Arlington or Falls Church or Manassas are like on the inside.

[ShannonMilligan]

I believe it all depends on the production company's location. If you look on HGTV it tells you one must live within X amount of miles from X areas. I know it once said X amount of miles from DC. We lived just outside that radius if I recall.
I think it is good show, but I much prefer Real Estate Intervention which seems to be focused on the DC Metro area...I have seen MD homes, Arlington, Alexandria, etc on that show. And i just like that Realtor who tells it like it is!

[FindingZen]

I like watching House Hunters and other similar shows on HGTV. I believe I saw that same episode in Alexandria, normie. Property Virgins has been in the DC area a few times but I think they were only in the District and MD 'burbs.

twinmma, good to know that Real Estate Intervention features a lot of DC metro homes. Then again, that may stereotype us as an area of sellers with unrealistic expectations. LOL

[normie]

Originally Posted by twinmma

I believe it all depends on the production company's location. If you look on HGTV it tells you one must live within X amount of miles from X areas. I know it once said X amount of miles from DC. We lived just outside that radius if I recall.
I think it is good show, but I much prefer Real Estate Intervention which seems to be focused on the DC Metro area...I have seen MD homes, Arlington, Alexandria, etc on that show. And i just like that Realtor who tells it like it is!

I never heard of that show, I'll have to check it out.

[Claire2900]

Real Estate Intervention is eye opening to the fact that people are blind when it comes to their own homes. I Tivo'd the show and they made about a dozen. I love the real estate guy, Mike Aubrey

[michgc]

I've been watching House Hunters for years! It started out that all of the episodes were in Southern California. And then they would occasionally go on the road and do shows other places. If I'm not mistaken, it's still pretty much this way. So DC area homes to come up occasionally but not super often. There are other shows on HGTV that do showcase the DC area. Real Estate Intervention is one. Another is Designed to Sell - they have three different hosts in three different areas and one of them profiles homes in this area (the other was Chicago, and the third in CA). I don't watch these shows very often anymore but when I did, that was how it worked.

[Ashburnite]

I believe that House Hunters has done several episodes in the DC area. Maybe it was one of their week-long themes.

[South Jersey Styx]

normie, I saw something last year for a call-out to the DC metro area for some of the HGTV shows. They selected people and filmed during Spring 2009 which are the shows we see aired now. I have seen the House Hunters shows already mentioned but I have also seen some on My First Place and What You Get for Your Money. The furthest west I've seen was a couple in Vienna (near the metro area) who were trying to buy a townhouse before their wedding. Of course on What You Get for Your Money it's no great surprise to see what you get here compared to other parts of the country.

And sometimes there are some shows where they don't really tell you where the house is (or they breeze by the info). For example, I saw Curb Appeal the other day and there was this really great re-do on a house in a group of brick rowhomes that looked like Capitol Hill or Eastern Market. At first I thought that it could have been any city but when they started planting the trees and shrubs, they were plants popularly used in the NovA-DC area (same ones I used on my house!)

[themommy]

Originally Posted by Tone509

I like watching House Hunters and other similar shows on HGTV. I believe I saw that same episode in Alexandria, normie. Property Virgins has been in the DC area a few times but I think they were only in the District and MD 'burbs.

twinmma, good to know that Real Estate Intervention features a lot of DC metro homes. Then again, that may stereotype us as an area of sellers with unrealistic expectations. LOL

Property Virgins featured a couple hoping to buy a townhome in Vienna several weeks ago. Not sure if it was new or a rerun, though.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

I have seen DC area homes on Househunters about 3 times - but it seems they must be really old because the homes are priced much higher than they are now -
I love to watch Househunters International - fun to see how people in other countries live - when I see how crammed they are in a tiny but very expensive Paris apartment - I feel better about how small my home is.