House Hunters International on STX

That's funny, I haven't seen the most recent but I remember the jerk. Until then, I have never seen an episode where it ended in a really really low and insulting offer and the couple didn't end up buying a house, after stringing along the realtor for a year after exhaustive showings . The house hunter always buy a house in the end, but not that episode.

I did see the earlier episode and didn't like it all! What do you mean about the guy being a shill? I'm surprised the network aired that show.

@ margaritagirl.....if you're reading this, just how "real" is the experience? Can you even tell us, or are you bound to some contract?

(FYI...margaritagirl was also a buyer on an HGTV show.)

I just hate to see posters ragging on Doug and Lindy (the couple on the aforementioned show). First...Doug can't really be a "shill working for the company" if he is indeed "stringing along the realtor". I know those remarks were made by different people, but he can't be both.

Just saying I doubt it's "real", anyway.

When the show is taped, the sale has already been finalized. The outcome is known, they just recreate the experience. There have been a couple shot on STJ. I think they shot at least one on STT. All in all, the ones shot here are pretty cheesy 🙂

I haven't seen the most recent show. I always enjoy watching because we have "insiders knowledge". Probably the most interesting thing to look for is price. I do not own here now, I rent. However, if you check my older posts, I have always complained that USVI real estate pricing is way too high and very slow to react to market trends. I own property in California that has dropped in price by 50% during this real estate adjustment. St Croix property prices have barely moved during this time, but they have barely sold....Ok, the asking price for many condos has been reduced quite a lot, but they are still not flying off the shelf because they are still overpriced. ( remember,the insurance and homeowners fees are very high,so that is part of condo cost).

We all know that most property here is held by local families who never sell and mainland buyers who usually do not "need" to sell. That has kept the selling price artificially high. I think it has hurt the dynamics of the real estate market. I see that asking prices, particularly on condos have been going down a bit, and sales reflect those lower prices. USVI real estate is still no bargain. You can go to the Florida Gulf coast and buy a nice ocean view condo for $69,000. I don't want to live there, but the price is attractive.

Back to House Hunters, I saw the show with the couple living here who made offers and still did not buy. I agree they did the right thing.They made a fair offer then walked away until sellers decided they really wanted to sell. We should all do that.

When I said he was a shill, he is a agent for the realtor !
Plus, after living on island a year, you don't know what area you want to buy in??
IMHO they were just showing off the houses they had to sell. Was very disappointed in HHI.

I think it has hurt the dynamics of the real estate market.

How do you hurt the dynamics?

Value is derived by the motivation of both buyer and seller...there is no such thing as a good or bad market, it's just not the market you want.

I'm a buyer....it's a great market for me!!! I'm a seller...um...not so great. All Mash Up has hit the nail on the head.

Hi Juanita,

Sorry, it wasn't me. Can't remember who it was. They did post here after the show.

Seriously? He is a jerk for a low offer? Oh boo hoo... those poor realtors being strung along? you must be joking. The realtor is an agent for the seller and is motivated by a commission (6% on houses 10% on land). their legal obligation is to the seller to get the highest price for the property and their monetary obligation to themselves to make the most in commission via that higher price. If the poor strung along realtor didn't want to take this prospective buyer, I'm certain she was free to tell them to find another realtor.

Anyone know of any upcoming viewings for this?

I searched like more than a week out and couldn't find any.

Maybe it's just because of my working-class upbringing, but it seems to me that most of the buyers shown on HHI who are shopping in the Caribbean feel like they need so much that I'd never consider asking for. On the last one, they showed a house that had ocean views AND a pool. If you're close enough to the water that you can see it, why do you need a pool? And the woman fussing because the house had tile countertops instead of granite annoyed me, because the tile is a pretty good step up from the cheap Formica in the apartments I can afford. It showed them complaining about the prices of the homes, but if they weren't looking for all the bells and whistles, they wouldn't be looking at houses that were at the top of their price range. I just don't get it.

Hi Juanita,

Sorry, it wasn't me. Can't remember who it was. They did post here after the show.

Sorry about that. I have my posters confused, I guess. Who was it???? They bought at Gentle Winds Condos. It was a couple, with 2 sons.

I have to agree with stephy, sometimes it's annoying how "picky" the buyers are, but that just goes back to my original thought that the show isn't "real". I mean on the show with Doug and Lindy, the broker (Honnie Edwards) goes to the Realtor, (Ness Fennessey) and tells her to hurry up and make the sale. I mean really! How set-up and, as mentioned, cheesy, was that?

Anyone know of any upcoming viewings for this?

I searched like more than a week out and couldn't find any.

according to mike from ziggy"s the next viewing will be fri. july 22,@10:30pm.

Cool, I'll get to catch that episode 3 days before I move down to STT.

Juanita, it was pirategirl that bought at Gentle Winds. She has not posted in over a year.

I am confused, the couple with the 2 sons who purchased at GW, that episode is old, at least 6 months. Is there a new St. C episode. I am tired of watching couples buying properties in Italy and Mexico, enough already.

Most of the couples on these shows are annoying, why couples with at the most 2 kids need 4,000 sq foot homes is beyond me. It makes me realize why so many people from other countries hate "spoiled" americans.

Yes there is a brand new one. The people who bought Ziggy's service station in Solitude. They owned a similar business they also called Ziggys in the states. Ness Fennessey once again show them the villas.

The first one was where the couple looked at villas,but didn't end up choosing one.
The second one was where the couple looked at condos and ended up choosing one at Gentle Winds.
This is the third.

I wonder when this last one was filmed? Our last two months on island we noticed how high all the bushes were and how green the island is. On the show it looked trim,brownish, and dry.

This may now be outdated, but the HHI episodes are often repeated on weekends and together as a group, including STX etc. Sorry, but my perception is that HHI is more like an "info mercial" to sell dogs on the market of real estate and are old news. Buyers are shown as overly picky but it's their money. My "opinion" is that if you want things comprehensively available, move to Florida where properties are there for any "desire". And, cheaper too. Ocean is ocean and USVI is an "island area" with built in limits of choices. Jobs, schools, entertainment are never comparable to those on the mainland, since, it is NOT the mainland. It is what is IS. WAPA outages, cistern water, medical care resources are ISLAND resources and limited. Older folks with a need for even future comprehensive care, long term care, will not find it on any island. Even rentals are limited as to choices that reflect cheaper costs and are HIGHER for certain "needs" . Again, this is NOT the mainland. Items are imported and are logically more costly, less available if bought by the majority of the population . Even mainland stores run out or wait for restocking, and they have faster pipeline times for restocking. Picture the scenario on an island where it takes longer and buying patterns deplete items faster. Consider potential storms/hurricanes that cause power outages and ruined refrigerator stock where a generator is not available. Be practical and realistic. Again, this is an ISLAND area. Measure all this against a government that is limited in scope and ability, resources, or even desire to be proactive / reactive. It essentially is a TOURIST destination for short term stay and then leave. NOT a retirement mecca like Florida waiting for you to drop in and find things all adorable for EVERY taste, need, and demand. NOT realistic and rather a fantasy best kept by staying on the mainland where your 24/7/365 comfort is more potentially supported by resources that fit the means of the area location.

Yes there is a brand new one. The people who bought Ziggy's service station in Solitude. They owned a similar business they also called Ziggys in the states. Ness Fennessey once again show them the villas.

The first one was where the couple looked at villas,but didn't end up choosing one.
The second one was where the couple looked at condos and ended up choosing one at Gentle Winds.
This is the third.

I wonder when this last one was filmed? Our last two months on island we noticed how high all the bushes were and how green the island is. On the show it looked trim,brownish, and dry.

Several months go by before an episode airs. I know that was the case with pirategirl and their Gentle Winds condo purchase. So that means this 3rd STX International HH had to have been filmed several months ago before the spring rains arrived & greened up the island..

Jumbie-STX

It is my understanding that House hunters films three episodes with the same agent in each place it ventures, and then airs them spread out over time, so the state of the vegetation should be similar in all three STX episodes.

Hello,
I'm the guy on the latest HHI show. Here's a little info to set the record straight on a few posts.
First, our episode was filmed about 3 months ago (eventhough we bought our house over 2 years ago). The show was a "recreation" of the buying process. We were approached by a friend and asked to do the show and we did it as a favor to that friend and the VI Tourism board. (The other episodes were filmed atleast 18months ago)

Second, we did not pay anywhere near that price for our house. They were off by about $100,000. I have no idea why the network made up a fake price. It doens't help anyone who is considering buying or selling a house on STX to portray a fake market price.

Third, stephyjh, both my wife and I came from lower working class upbringings. We both worked very hard for our entire lives to be able to move to STX ,start a business, and buy a home we would want to live in for the rest of our lives. They filmed us for over 30 hours and picked the clips they wanted to tell the story that they wanted to create. If my wife saying she would like newer countertops or us wanting to have a pool to be able to take our 1 and 2 year old kids (who didn't know how to swim when we moved here) swimming makes us "annoying" to you, I'm sorry we annoyed you.

Thanks for posting yoyo.

Weird how the network inflated our island price. Not a good light to put St. Croix in if the V.I. tourism was involved.

Please don't let random remarks set the tone for most people here on the board. some people make remarks that don't quite show their best side. We all have had someone come across too brash or snooty but we all are here because we want others to see the best the V.I. has to offer.

I didn't see that episode but I think Stepphyi may not be singling you out but making the remark as the jist of how all episodes are made. Like you said, they portrayed your episode how they wanted and not how you would have preferred.

Glad to see you joining our board and hope you stick around

Thanks for the kind words and thought Marlene.