re: #92 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus

So I watch House Hunters, to see how reality (fake) TV is packaging the real estate business these days.

Now the show, as a reality show, is really about the drama the couples experience under pressure - that is why people watch the show.

But if one listens carefully to the sales pitches, then scrutinizes the product (house) being pushed, it is clear that (like other HGTV shows), little attention is paid to the really important things. At best you get couples bickering over commute time versus price.

It’s the usual game, of real estate sales people pushing naive clients through the process. In one recent episode a young couple, who could not agree with each other and didn’t want to compromise, was finally convinced by the sales person to see a new construction (which was a compromise for both and probably the best choice for their marriage).

When it came on screen some things popped out to me, as so typical of new-construction cheapness and things the sales person will not of course mention. However, the builder did put in sidewalks (was it required by the municipality?):

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Ick, un-yard.

The fake shutters thing is not new. Parent’s house back in the 1970’s was a wood-frame, vinyl siding house and it had the fake shutters. At least the lot sizes were bigger back then since we had at least 3x the space between the houses if not more.