I just want to say how much I like Property Virgins, and how much more I enjoy it than House Hunters.

PV seems so much less scripted, than HH which is so OBVIOUSLY fake.

Just the extemporaneous comments from the prospective buyers are an indications of how much more real PV seems.

Sunday night's show with the ...reaction of the wife to seeing carpet in a bathroom, the way she looked into closets.....and the previous show with the 'diva' who wanted a certain level of condo....to me they' are REAL reactions...comments like WE'D REALLY make.

I think this show must really follow people on a REAL search.

Sunday night's show even had a phone call...but not the kind of PHONY phone call we all hated on HH.

I am SOOO over HH.

"My First Place" is just OK. I RARELY watch it.

...love you, Sandra!

Canadians aren't any more intelligent than we Americans are. Why are their shows so much better, with less fake drama, more real design and less shennaigans? As a viewers I'm jealous on people who get to watch HGTV Canada.

I want intelligent programs, too!

quote:

Originally posted by clbselah:
I just want to say how much I like Property Virgins, and how much more I enjoy it than House Hunters.

PV seems so much less scripted, than HH which is so OBVIOUSLY fake.

Just the extemporaneous comments from the prospective buyers are an indications of how much more real PV seems.

Sunday night's show with the ...reaction of the wife to seeing carpet in a bathroom, the way she looked into closets.....and the previous show with the 'diva' who wanted a certain level of condo....to me they' are REAL reactions...comments like WE'D REALLY make.

I think this show must really follow people on a REAL search.

Sunday night's show even had a phone call...but not the kind of PHONY phone call we all hated on HH.

I am SOOO over HH.

"My First Place" is just OK. I RARELY watch it.

...love you, Sandra!

Canadians aren't any more intelligent than we Americans are. Why are their shows so much better, with less fake drama, more real design and less shennaigans? As a viewers I'm jealous on people who get to watch HGTV Canada.

I want intelligent programs, too!

I like Property Virgins too. Some of the buyers give me a royal pain though. The couple who didn't want to give up anything, like the big motorcycle and big car payments. Honestly, I wanted to smack that sulky, snotty look off that girls face. Love the way the host deals with them. HH has gotten better in some ways, to my way of thinking. I do like that they show the prices of the houses now as opposed to when the show first started....but yes, it's still stilted and often phony looking.

As for Canadian programming.....the Canadian government (from what I understand from a Canadian friend) gives grants and supports good programming. Think of it as PBS for home shows.

Apples and oranges are both fruits.

"Property Virgins" isn't a "House Hunters" show and vice versa. Having the same theme doesn't mean one show is better than the other.

PV is a behind the scenes script.
HH is a feel good let's look and chose the best out of 3 houses script.
"My First Place" is a combination of both emphasizing the buyers as opposed to the realtor aspect.

I like all three shows.

yardbee I confess I'm lost.

What do you mean PV isn't a HH show.

The prospective buyers are clearly looking for houses...it's clearly a house 'hunt' show.

Both shows have the 'buyers' go through a house they (supposedly) haven't bought or seen yet.

And you can tell HH is more phony.


And, the Canadian government's support has nothing to do with the quality of show. HGTV could support qulity if it wanted to.

We know it can because it did in the past and grew exponentially in the process.

The 'phone call' on HH's drives me nuts! It was even worse in the beginning of that show. "Oh honey we got the house! -hug kiss!-" riggghhhttt!

I watched the property virgins last night and I like that the couples realized the first house was just was too pricy for their budget. Thats smart thinking imo. One has to wonder why so many people got into trouble with the recent housing market. 'Buying' houses they can't afford and signing up for these adjustible or just interest style rate payments! It's like a car loan, if you have to stretch that loan to 4,5,6 years to be able to pay the payments --YOU CANNOT afford that car and should just move on. Same with a house!

What can we say though, we live in a 'buy big, live big, we want what we want - when we want it' society!

I like PV's over HH's anymore, agreeing with clbselah, it seems more realistic.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CountryChicGeek,

Sandra Rinamato? is one of my favorites. She doesn't try to steer them off the course they set for themselves - she just shows them. She will tell what you can do to fix it up; but she does not lie. She is rough around the edges with the biggest heart of gold. I have seen realtors on HH point out the view when people say the room is too small - Sandra is just blunt - "you can change it."

I just like her - she seems more homest to me. There doesn't seem to be acting.

I think too many of the production companies that program for HGTV try to stage things too much. I have noticed on the Stagers and Property Virgins - it seems more real life. To me, it is the way of the director. The quality that HGTV Canada is much superior.

quote:

Originally posted by clbselah:
yardbee I confess I'm lost.

What do you mean PV isn't a HH show.

The prospective buyers are clearly looking for houses...it's clearly a house 'hunt' show.

Both shows have the 'buyers' go through a house they (supposedly) haven't bought or seen yet.

And you can tell HH is more phony.


And, the Canadian government's support has nothing to do with the quality of show. HGTV could support qulity if it wanted to.

We know it can because it did in the past and grew exponentially in the process.

Apples and oranges are both fruit. I think that comparison makes my post clear.

PV and HH are both housing hunting shows but PV is not HH and vice versa.

Each show has their own focus, their own flavor, their own style, their own scripts to follow.

"House Hunters" is as real as "Property Virgins," maybe even more so. If a realtor spoke to me like what I sometimes hear on PV, I'd would not deal with that person.
I've never heard a realtor on HH being snippy with clients.

They are all shows, scripted shows.
I like all three.

quote:

Originally posted by yardbee:

quote:

Originally posted by clbselah:
yardbee I confess I'm lost.

What do you mean PV isn't a HH show.

The prospective buyers are clearly looking for houses...it's clearly a house 'hunt' show.

Both shows have the 'buyers' go through a house they (supposedly) haven't bought or seen yet.

And you can tell HH is more phony.


And, the Canadian government's support has nothing to do with the quality of show. HGTV could support qulity if it wanted to.

We know it can because it did in the past and grew exponentially in the process.

Apples and oranges are both fruit. I think that comparison makes my post clear.

PV and HH are both housing hunting shows but PV is not HH and vice versa.

Each show has their own focus, their own flavor, their own style, their own scripts to follow.

"House Hunters" is as real as "Property Virgins," maybe even more so. If a realtor spoke to me like what I sometimes hear on PV, I'd would not deal with that person.
I've never heard a realtor on HH being snippy with clients.

They are all shows, scripted shows.
I like all three.

IIf you want a Realtor who will tell you the truth, you won't mind a little bluntness. As a Realtor trying to steer people away from bad decisions, you have to tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. I have only had a couple of people get mad (the majority WANT to know what the Realtor thinks - that's why you are there) but even those people called later and told me they were grateful I didn't let them make a mistake. Surely you can't let your ego cost you a lot of money. Besides, I have never heard her being "snippy".

quote:

Originally posted by CherylJ:

quote:

Originally posted by yardbee:

quote:

Originally posted by clbselah:
yardbee I confess I'm lost.

What do you mean PV isn't a HH show.

The prospective buyers are clearly looking for houses...it's clearly a house 'hunt' show.

Both shows have the 'buyers' go through a house they (supposedly) haven't bought or seen yet.

And you can tell HH is more phony.


And, the Canadian government's support has nothing to do with the quality of show. HGTV could support qulity if it wanted to.

We know it can because it did in the past and grew exponentially in the process.

Apples and oranges are both fruit. I think that comparison makes my post clear.

PV and HH are both housing hunting shows but PV is not HH and vice versa.

Each show has their own focus, their own flavor, their own style, their own scripts to follow.

"House Hunters" is as real as "Property Virgins," maybe even more so. If a realtor spoke to me like what I sometimes hear on PV, I'd would not deal with that person.
I've never heard a realtor on HH being snippy with clients.

They are all shows, scripted shows.
I like all three.

IIf you want a Realtor who will tell you the truth, you won't mind a little bluntness. As a Realtor trying to steer people away from bad decisions, you have to tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. I have only had a couple of people get mad (the majority WANT to know what the Realtor thinks - that's why you are there) but even those people called later and told me they were grateful I didn't let them make a mistake. Surely you can't let your ego cost you a lot of money. Besides, I have never heard her being "snippy".

I haven't noticed that Sandra was "snippy" either. She tries to teach them to look beyond someone elses decorating and things that can be easily updated with a little elbow grease. She explains that they can remove wallpaper at almost no cost, paint or reface cabinets, etc at a little cost. Also that things can be done over time. She encourges them to stay inside their comfort zone about budget and she stresses that. When they are competing for a property, she will tell them to give her the number that they absolutely can't go over and still be within their budget. Everything that she does, is to help the "virgin" not hurt them. I wish that there had been a program on when I was buying my first house, but there were only 3 networks back then

Telling a client the truth isn't the definition of snippy.

Snippy is when a person makes smart remarks that aren't necessary. It isn't being cute either. More than once the PV host has made comments that fit the definition of snippy. No matter how much she smiles when she speaks, it doesn't change the fact sometimes her words could have been selected better.

PV is one of my favorite shows, as is the host. It doesn't change the fact she has that snippy glitch.

I do not know if she is snippy or not because she reminds me of an Italian lady (mother-type) that got me through my adolescence when I was younger. The type that would kiss and hug you because she hasn't seen you for a while and then hit the side of your head (softly) for not coming around. I think Sandra is the best.
She never gives out any airs - she is just who she is.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: chrissyfrog,

quote:

Originally posted by yardbee:
Telling a client the truth isn't the definition of snippy.

Snippy is when a person makes smart remarks that aren't necessary. It isn't being cute either. More than once the PV host has made comments that fit the definition of snippy. No matter how much she smiles when she speaks, it doesn't change the fact sometimes her words could have been selected better.

PV is one of my favorite shows, as is the host. It doesn't change the fact she has that snippy glitch.

I agree - both with liking the show and also feeling that I would not put up with an agent who behaved the way Sandra does sometimes. I perceive an undeserved disrespect at times. It is not necessary to be disrespectful or snippy in order to tell the truth; one has to do with style and the other with substance. I am also in a "people" business, and if you don't learn how to get the truth across while also being polite, you will alienate more people than you need to.

At the same time, some of the clients on PV seem goofy or trying to act "cute" (or maybe it's just self-consciousness with being on camera). I could see how Sandra's patience might wear thin - if the show were not scripted.

I still don't think Sandra is snippy. I answered a similar question about this in another post.

What I like about her is this. She is basically a 'snap back to reality'. I said in my other post that these people come in wanting the perfect house, perfectly painted/decorating to their liking, all the froo-froos and a built in butler -- and they want to pay $1. --Not exactly, but you get my point.

She shows them what their 'dream house' and 'wish list' house will ACTUALLY cost. The couple then sees the reality of that and then realizes they will have to give up some wish list things. THATS reality, and thats what I like about this show and Sandra. She shows them that even though the rooms are painted in horrible colors or the counter-tops aren't all that pretty, shes stresses that EVERYTHING is fixable and changeable! I think anymore people are just too lazy and don't want to have to do any work. jmho

If someone wants a perfect house, they should built one from scratch.

I think Sandra is right on!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CountryChicGeek,

Much as I love Sandra and DON"T want her to change at all...

...she is a TEENY WEENY bit snippy.

Or perhaps, she's so "animated," and hyper (in a good way)....energetic, yeah let's call it that...

..that she speaks so franklyly that it could be perceived as snippy.

(How's that's for finessing and parsing a personality?)

quote:

How's that's for finessing and parsing a personality?)

You did good- Girl!!!( I have never met a person that wasn't a little snipppy at times but she is liked by me.

You can't imagine how much easier HGTV makes my job. One of the first things I ask is if they watch HGTV. If so, I ask the buyer to watch PV and seller's DTS - a minimum of 3 episodes. It's not that I don't want to explain everything to them - it's that when I do, they have already heard it from another source and get with the program faster.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by chrissyfrog:
Sandra Rinamato?... She doesn't try to steer them off the course they set for themselves - she just shows them. ..I have seen realtors on HH point out the view when people say the room is too small - Sandra is just blunt - "you can change it."

How can you change a room that's too small???
I mean short of major construction?

I think she's one of the worst hosts. Get's snotty when someone doesn't agree with her.. always has that superior air..the worst show was when she bullied the chinese lady for not liking the unit and ran that "if they don't agree try and break em down" gig on her. Had the poor girl in tears. It should be enough to say "I DON"T LIKE IT". The first thing the lady told her was she liked a loft type place. Not once did she get shown anything like a loft.

quote:

Originally posted by CherylJ:
You can't imagine how much easier HGTV makes my job. One of the first things I ask is if they watch HGTV. If so, I ask the buyer to watch PV and seller's DTS - a minimum of 3 episodes. It's not that I don't want to explain everything to them - it's that when I do, they have already heard it from another source and get with the program faster.

You're right - I have a far easier time with clients who watch HGTV than those who don't. On the other hand, sometimes it's difficult for them to realize that they cannot get the Candace Olsen room they want on a DOOD budget.

I am a fan of PV also. I just wish we could get a peek at what they did with the home after they moved in. Must be expectation left over from HH. Annie

I think it was Property Virgins that I stumbled upon late last night (or early this morning ) where it had a couple who spoke with a distinct accent. They looked at a home but could not place an offer because the seller was not accepting offers in the hope of having a bidding war.

Is this common nowadays? When I bought my present home about eight years ago I was under the impression that if an offer equal to or above the listed price MUST be considered and the only time a "bidding war" would happen would be if multiple offers came in at or above the listed price. Once a seller started negotiating with a prospective buyer they could not renege because someone else offered a higher price.

I think Property Virgins is much better than House Hunters. I agree that it comes across as much more realistic.

I watched an episode of House Hunters last night where a single woman was renting in Denver and decided to move to one of the suburbs. Of the three condo/townhomes she looked at she picked the same one that I would have picked.

I like how they are now stating the prices and square footage of the homes and flashing a price per square foot. Of the three homes on this episode the first was the highest priced but the lowest priced unit was also the highest cost per square foot as it was a tiny home. I think that making a comparison of not only total cost but also by square footage helps to get a feel for whether something is is overpriced, especially in regard to a person's budget.

On this particular episode I also liked that while the woman did a great job of making the kitchen more presentable after moving in all she did was paint the cabinets and install new door pulls. I find it strange when on many of the shows a person buys something near the upper end of their budget and then immediately spends another $20k or more in "updating" a perfectly usable kitchen or bathroom.

The thing that I find most upsetting about HHs is that the decision on which house to buy appears to be made mostly on the cosmetics of the house. I don't remember if it is PV or a different show that at least has the buyer's going through a full property inspection and then dealing with the report of the inspector before signing their life away.

quote:

As for Canadian programming.....the Canadian government (from what I understand from a Canadian friend) gives grants and supports good programming. Think of it as PBS for home shows.

If you think the government supports Public Television, you are sadly mistaken. They do not.

quote:

Originally posted by Furd:
I think it was Property Virgins that I stumbled upon late last night (or early this morning ) where it had a couple who spoke with a distinct accent. They looked at a home but could not place an offer because the seller was not accepting offers in the hope of having a bidding war.

Is this common nowadays?

They were in Canada - don't remember exactly what location in Canada, though. I have seen the same thing happen before in episodes that were filmed in Canada, so they obviously have different real estate laws than the U.S. does. Seems like I've seen it in episodes of "Buy Me" as well.