Showing posts with label Atlanta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atlanta. Show all posts

May 20, 2012

House Hunters: What happens to a dream deferred?


Description: Atlanta couple needs to find a cheaper home right away.
Available on HGTV.com

So I got a cat, Charlie, about two weeks ago and I haven't blogged since I got him. Here's how my first attempt went.


I don't normally have a flat sheet on my couch. It's so he won't scratch the side of the couch.

Anyway, this week's house hunters are:


Liz and Alex from Roswell, Georgia, and they are the 99%. Alex lost his job in the real estate segment of a bank, so now they have to sell their 7500 square foot, $635,000 custom home.


The columns date all the way back to 1972 2008. Liz gets verklempt talking about selling a home they've only had for two years. She says, "I thought this was gonna be the house that my kids were gonna be taking the pictures for their wedding." Clearly structuring sentences isn't her strong suit. Also, what? Your oldest kids are in their teens. Why are you thinking about weddings? Alex says that Liz has been "amazingly supportive" throughout all this. Yeah, it's almost like she took a vow to do that or something.


They're going to miss their master bedroom the most because it's large and because the master bathroom has "two restrooms." I think Alex means it has two toilets. The master bathroom also has columns because that's class.

They can only afford a $400,000 house now. If only someone like Lorraine Hansberry could write about their plight so that we too might know the struggles of upper middle class white people. 


The first house their realtor Karen shows them is a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 3300 square foot house that costs $389,000. I think it looks like a funeral home. 


Liz puts on her stank face and says "it's a little bit small." 


Liz and Alex agree that the kitchen needs to be updated.


They also think the bathroom needs to be updated, but I don't see what's so bad about it. It's a half bath with a working toilet and sink.


Liz and Alex aren't crazy about the master bedroom and bathroom. Alex says, "This is definitely smaller. What do you think of the open toilet?"


Heavens to Murgatroyd! An open toilet! Somebody fetch my smelling salts!


The second house is 4 bedrooms and 4 baths in 3300 square feet for $335,000. 


Liz instantly doesn't like the foyer because "the ceilings are kind of low."


Once again, Liz and Alex don't like the master bedroom and bathroom, especially because the master bathroom also opens to the hallway and that just won't do at all. Where is the butler with my smelling salts?


After checking out the bonus room, Alex says, "I love back stairs. I think they're neat." I feel Alex on this one. But I would never use the word neat.


If I recall correctly, there's a video of Kurt Cobain and like Kathleen Hanna reenacting this scene, but I couldn't find it.


There's an additional bonus space in the basement, but Alex thinks it's "kind of low and dark." Yeah, who's ever heard of a basement being low and dark?


The third house is $395,000 and is 5 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms in 2400 square feet. 


And another foyer does not live up to Liz's high foyer expectations.


She says, "It's a little cramped right here, coming in right to the stairwell." Bitch, please. My entry way is like 3 feet by 2 feet.


The living room is, wow, ugly. There's no excuse for that wall paper. 


Alex thinks the deck is too small and that it wouldn't fit even one-quarter of their furniture. Well then sell some of your furniture and get your broke ass some money. That's the main problem rich people face when they become poor slightly less rich. They don't know how to hustle.


Of course they love the stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.


Um, what is going on with the light fixture in the dining room? That thing is bananas. It looks like a brass octopus. And you know the cameraman thought it was bananas too, because why else would he focus on it?


The master bedroom furniture is pretty heinous too, but it's not as bad as that place in St. Petersburg. Alex would prefer a master bedroom on the first floor, though, because "once you get used to having that master on the main, you forget your sunglasses or you want to go grab a hat, you don't have to go up and down the stairs all the time. It's something [they've] really gotten used to." How much shit are you forgetting that it's that much of a hassle to walk up some stairs?


Liz loves the "private potty room." Adults who say "potty" should be punched in the mouth. Same with "tummy." These people sure are obsessed with not peeing in front of each other. I bet they're WASPs.


Liz and Alex discuss the houses. House #1 has a first floor master and lots of potential, but all that potential costs money. House #2 is the cheapest, but for Alex "that house is just OK." Sick burn, Alex. House #3 is move in ready and has, Liz says again, a "private potty." So I owe Liz two punches to the mouth. They decide to go with House #1. 


Two months later they've made the ugly cabinets uglier.


As much as I do not like these people, this would make a cute photo.

Update:

It was Sonic Youth, not Kathleen Hanna.


April 29, 2012

Exploring the 2012 Green Home


Since 2008, HGTV has held an annual Green Home giveaway. This year's home is located in the suburbs of the terribly urban planned city of Atlanta. Let's take a look!



But first, a word from their sponsors:






I find it really ironic that one of the sponsors of the green home is bottled water

Also,



you know what's even better for the environment than a fuel efficient car? Not driving.

Anyway, they really should have called this year's house the 2012 Terrible Light Fixtures Home:







The last one is especially bad. It looks something Dr. Dre would have in his private office at the Oakland California Love compound in dystopian 2095.


Just because someone is into helping the environment doesn't mean they only like earth tones.






That's the view they don't want to distract from? Some stairs and mulch and bushes? Let's get some color in here.


Finally! There's still brown, but at least there's a good amount of blue.


And chevron stripes!


More chevron stripes! Although these are kind of ikat-y.


And more color! I do have to question some of the art choices in this home, though.


This dog looks mentally challenged.


To quote Tom Haverford, this looks like something a death row convict would make in art therapy.

I can only assume that the designer is a Portlandia fan.



Because he or she put a bird on it.


The second floor of the house has a craft room.



I wish my apartment came with a pre-stocked craft room. I do, however, have a 12-pack of Mr. Sketch scented markers, the gateway marker, which I do not see in this room.



I also wish my apartment had even one set of washers and dryers. But I've never understood putting washers and dryers anywhere but the basement. What if it floods? Then an actual nice part of your home has flooded instead of just a crappy basement.

One thing I do not currently have in my apartment and don't want:


Jane Austen books. Uggggh.