Back when we moved to Indiana, I told you all about my love for HGTV’s House Hunters. Not only do I love peeking into other’s homes on the TV show, I usually* love my own house hunting excursions.
*Have you ever house hunted ALONE with TWO little bitty children and an aloof realtor??? If not, I’d HIGHLY recommend against it to avoid the loss of clumps of hair and at least four years off of your life because OH MY GAWD it’s FRUSTRATING to say the LEAST. Two kids in and out of car seats, waiting on a slow motion realtor, keeping four tiny hands from touching other homeowners’ tchotchkes and yowling cats, and rushing to see just three! more! homes! on the opposite end of town through lunch hour traffic before nap time. It’s not fun, it’s not fun, IT IS NOT FUN.
And we’re back…
So this go round of house hunting was not nearly as fun as normal. Luckily for the sake of something to actually write about on this blog, there was one notable occurrence.
It had already been a long day of house hunting and our realtor suggested we see a lovely ranch with a fully finished walk-out basement on nearly an acre in a neighborhood on the west side of town. Since this fit the description of exactly what we were looking to buy, I begrudgingly agreed to go see it before pleading to take a lunch break. Driving up to the house, I already knew it wasn’t “the one,” but felt like we should at least go in and look since we’d driven all that way.
Walking in the front door, I immediately noticed a very heavy scent of some sort of spice. The odor permeated the air and made it difficult for me to even look at the house. I quickly checked out the upstairs rooms (one was a tiger room (???), complete with a velvet painting of a Bengal tiger…raur!) and headed to the finished basement.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, we could hear a TV blaring. My realtor and I looked at each other with a mixture of confusion and fear, as she called out, “hello? is anyone here?” I felt so awkward looking at a house with someone possibly in it! What if they heard me say something unkind about the decor!?!
An elderly couple emerged from the basement bedroom. The gentleman was tall, with a slightly hunched back. He was dressed in a wrinkled suit and his white hair was disheveled. He motioned to us to come in, waving his hand and nodding his head over and over and speaking in a language we didn’t understand. (At least he probably hadn’t heard or understood me making fun of the tiger motif upstairs. Phew.) His wife stood behind him, short and stout. Her silver hair was pulled up in a bun and covered with a scarf and and she wore a navy blue dress that reached her calves. She looked at us hopefully and repeatedly nodded also.
We had suddenly stumbled into the old country.**
**I don’t know WHICH old country, just AN old country.
Since I feel weird looking at houses with the people inside, I wanted to turn right around and run back upstairs, out the door, throw the kids in the car, and squeal my tires as I made my escape from the old country, but the elderly man insisted that I see their bedroom. Across every inch of the floor lay about five handmade blankets of every color of the rainbow. I tiptoed carefully across their blanket floor since they were persistent and really wanted to show me around. There were two twin beds on opposite sides of the room, a bookshelf, and a 13-inch television on a small table in the room. After showing me their closets, they looked at me eagerly, all the while speaking to me in a language that I didn’t understand.
I looked around as quickly as they would let me, apologized for the intrusion, and thanked them for the tour, hoping they’d understand at least something I said. As I tried to escape, they saw that I had a baby and wanted to see her closer.
“Foiled!” I thought to myself. “I just want to get out of here!”
The man pointed at me and pointed at Ella and then at me again while saying things I did not understand. I smiled and nodded politely. He put his head on Ella’s head and said, “God bless you.”
That I understood. Sweet as it was, though, I was still uncomfortable and READY TO GO. They waved to us and repeated “God bless you” to us over and over as we made our way to the stairs.
It was such an odd encounter.
Nothing like this EVER happens on House Hunters.
Krista
Twitter: marriedlife
October 13, 2008 at 12:41 am
Ooo, weird and crazy! Did you figure out what the spice was? Was is stronger in the “old country”?
Is there any way you can get a new realtor??? Does not make me look forward to getting into the house hunting market…
Krista´s lastest post..18 Months!
Krista
Twitter: marriedlife
October 13, 2008 at 12:42 am
And by the way, I have posted quite a few things since that “18 months” post that keeps showing up with the CommentLuv…
Margaret
October 13, 2008 at 1:36 am
They were saying God Bless You because in spite of your repeated insulting of their sacred tiger wall thingy, the one that has been in the family for CENTURIES, even gringos like you need God’s blessing. Now quick go pour some holy water over yourself and say 3 Hail Marys or something before some tiger curse lands on you and your house begins to smell like theirs!
Margaret´s lastest post..How To Win a Pissing Contest
Marcy Writes-The Glamorous Life!
October 13, 2008 at 1:49 am
Okay you know why it never happens on house hunters? Because they film that show AFTER they found a house they want. Then they find two more simlar and they go an film it like it is the first time ever they are going in the house. I heard from a techie on the show sometimes when they film- the people have already closed ESCROW. Mega cheating. But I still like it. Once when I was house shopping we walked in on someone having S-E-X. Um, yeah I didn’t buy THAT house!!!
Vic
October 13, 2008 at 5:16 am
@Krista – I’ve noticed that too. Sometimes it helps if you register and login at commentluv.com and sometimes not. Maybe the new version of the plugin is just buggy.
I would be so freaked with some old couple showing me round their bedroom, especially after the whole tiger room thing.
Vic´s lastest post..Be Our Guest
Shanna
October 13, 2008 at 6:30 am
Wow. You should come with the real version of House Hunters! I would totally watch it.
Shanna´s lastest post..Happy Weekend
Jennifer
Twitter: playgroupie
October 13, 2008 at 7:05 am
@Marcy HA!!! That takes the cake in awkward house hunting moments!
Jennifer
Twitter: playgroupie
October 13, 2008 at 7:06 am
@Vic, Thanks for the heads up about the plugin. My feed doesn’t show up at all when I comment anymore. Maybe I’ll try registering at the site.
jen
October 13, 2008 at 8:17 am
oh my.
while house hunting, we encountered a house with a bedroom completely devoted to a rabbit, a tree with a jackalope in it and a basement FULL of beds and pornographic pictures on the walls. ALL in the same house. and it was a scheduled open house.
but, if the owners would have been there. i would have been scared too.
jen´s lastest post..34 years old, 34 reasons why we love you.
Sandy
October 13, 2008 at 8:25 am
LOL Well, it could have been a lot worse.
Sandy´s lastest post..About the Economy…
Shelly
Twitter: shelly_overlook
October 13, 2008 at 8:28 am
We probably looked at close to 150 houses in our search. Apparently people don’t even care anymore and I’d say that for at least 20 houses the people were at home for the showing. WTF people?!
Shelly´s lastest post..Last Week in (Many) Pictures
Devan
October 13, 2008 at 9:11 am
ugh. We looked at one house when we were house hunting last year, that had an old lady in it. She insisted on showing us around and showed us magazine articles while insisting that BLUE carpet is IN. riiight.
That was weird.
Devan´s lastest post..Memory Lane
Deb
October 13, 2008 at 9:15 am
I think it would make for a highly entertaining episode of House Hunters!
Deb´s lastest post..Disappointing?
Heather, Queen of Shake Shake
October 13, 2008 at 9:35 am
Personally, I think House Hunters would be way more interesting if things like that did happen.
You should start your own show.
Heather, Queen of Shake Shake´s lastest post..This is how we do crazy around here. Alternate Title: How many times can I ask what the hell?
iMommy
October 13, 2008 at 9:52 am
That is a little nuts… wow! And yeah, the house hunting with two kids? Sounds terrifying. I can hardly get through grocery shopping with one…
Kudos for getting through it, and I wish you lots of strength to continue until you find that dream house. Good luck!!
iMommy´s lastest post..The one in which I make an ass of myself…
Heather
October 13, 2008 at 10:50 am
I love house hunting. I would spend every Sunday going to open houses if I could. Sometimes I convince my son Jack to come with me, but usually have to bribe him with a toy or ice cream.
Heather´s lastest post..What Would You Think…
Connie @ Young & Relentless
Twitter: connieaw
October 13, 2008 at 11:19 am
OMG! You do know what that tiger is about to do to that poor deer right? It’s Bambi all over again!
Did those old folks own the house? Or are they prisoners?
Jennifer
Twitter: playgroupie
October 13, 2008 at 11:33 am
@Connie, I *think* they were the grandparents. Upstairs (besides the tiger pic) there were photos of a young family with three kids.
Or they were prisoners.
Hillary - The Queen I Am Not
October 13, 2008 at 11:43 am
I’m sure they were a sweet couple, but it sounds totally creepy. I hate looking at houses when the owners are there. We looked at one once, and our realtor stepped into a bedroom only to discover the owner taking a nap. We left in a hurry after that.
misfithausfrau
October 13, 2008 at 12:07 pm
OK–I am going to give you some advice you didn’t ask for. Get a different Realtor. Seriously,–you are being moved by your husband’s company. All it takes is one call that you are not happy. Bam–get a new Realtor. One would think that a Realtor who is helping someone to buy a house would be doing cartwheels in thie economy. #2–don’t feel obligated to look at a house just because you drove to the other side of town. You’ve got kids! In the car! Any Realtor with a brain should know not to waste your time above any one else!
Sorry for my outburst. I’ve felt your pain way too many times. I have home purchasing down ot a science. It’s quite sad, really.
misfithausfrau´s lastest post..Out of the Mouth of Ella
lceel
October 13, 2008 at 1:13 pm
You’re lucky they weren’t cooking something and didn’t offer you lunch!! That’s really weird.
lceel´s lastest post..Columbus Day
patois
Twitter: patois42
October 13, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I was guessing prisoners, too. I do find it sweet, though, that, apparently, their one phrase in English is “God bless you.”
patois´s lastest post..When is it Called "Theft"
Trishy
October 13, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Oh my GOODNESS, you can’t make this shit up! Sounds creepy.
We too had a S-E-X house hunting experience: we showed up to a beautiful suburban home with a realtor around 2 pm to find a living room with all of the curtains closed, coffee table full of empty Corona bottles, a trail of clothing and undergarments scattered down the hall (I saw from afar, didn’t get close) and could hear the mattress springing and headboard hitting the wall in the master bedroom. Left immediately.
mpotter
October 13, 2008 at 4:13 pm
i so know what you mean!
once we went to see a house and the lady came bumbling down from upstairs as soon as the realtor was getting the key in the lockbox. she was sick and asked us to come back. (we’d seen the downstairs and that was it)
and if that wasn’t bad enough, another house was crawling w/ teenagers sleeping! in the basement, on the couch, even in a bedroom. seems somebody had a party or something??? it was awkward as anything to turn on a light and hear “snuff skort snhhhh”.
yeah. i felt like an invader.
mpotter´s lastest post..my first meme
marla
October 13, 2008 at 4:51 pm
sorry this is so painful… but thank you for taking the picture of the tiger… gave me a great laugh!
marla´s lastest post..Mail Goggles…
Rosie
October 13, 2008 at 6:06 pm
you said: Nothing like this EVER happens on House Hunters
But it should!!!
You know what would have made it better? The old lady putting freshly cooked meatballs in your hands!!
Rosie´s lastest post..My Big Redneck Wedding – Jeanne and Phil
Heather~Domestic Extraordinaire
Twitter: DExtraordinaire
October 13, 2008 at 7:20 pm
We went through 4 realtors when we bought our house. When we “found” Debbie, we knew she was the one, she actually listened to us and found our house after taking us out twice (altho each time we went out we saw no less than 20 homes)
After we got into our home we got a nasty letter from one of the realtors that we fired. She was a friend of a friend and she said she wasn’t in it for the money. After she got done ripping us one, she said she looked forward to seeing us at our housewarming.
Heather~Domestic Extraordinaire´s lastest post..Week Six….Can I do it?
Anglophile Football Fanatic
October 13, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Umm? Wow. That’s kinda creepy. I’m so sorry the realtor is being a PITA to you. And, old people in the basement and animals on the wall? EEEK. RUN AWAY.
Anglophile Football Fanatic´s lastest post..Baby Got Back (with VPL)
Mommy Daisy
Twitter: mommydaisy
October 14, 2008 at 10:13 am
Wow, strange. Too bad you WEREN’T taping for House Hunters. Ha ha!
Mommy Daisy´s lastest post..Baptism, day away, and more
marty
October 15, 2008 at 10:33 am
I have to admit. I’ve stopped leaving my house when it shows. I just let them in and wait in the backyard.
Getting a baby and 3 dogs into my SUV and driving around wasting gas for an hour while people who usually don’t even have their house on the market yet tromp through mine to get ideas on remodeling or just feel out the neighborhood? Not so much.
But, I’m a little bitter about the whole thing right now.
I know, I know, I’m hiding it well. Thank you.
marty´s lastest post..Pencil Me In