When we watch HGTV (we all do, quit lying to yourself), part of the point is that we’re looking at homes and items within homes that we could never afford in our wildest dreams.
Homes often going over $1 million, featuring a marble-topped island in the kitchen that’s the size of my bedroom, you name it, and it’s been on HGTV for us to fantasize about.
But now and again HGTV will air episodes of shows that relate to the common person. Maybe it’s an episode of house hunters in Atlanta where the budget is *only* $130,000. Or maybe it’s an episode of Fixer Upper where their all-in budget is somewhere around $200,000. They’re few and far between, but they do exist, and it sort of helps to keep (most of us) grounded on what we can really afford.
Which brings us to Lakefront Bargain Hunt, which airs Sundays on HGTV.
When you see the word “bargain” you would think you are watching a show where the houses are affordable, and everyday people are looking for these places along the water.
You would be wrong.
Most of the time these bargains are north of $300,000 and are not even a permanent home for the people looking, but a weekend getaway spot where they can play with their boats, jet skis, and whatever other rich person toys they might own.
Just this past Sunday the episode on had a max budget of $380,000 and the lake they were looking at was man-made, and essentially a gated community that had a pool and clubhouse, basically a resort to keep the poors out. And like I mentioned earlier, this was not going to be a permanent home for this family. $380,000 for a weekend lake house in a gated community, some bargain.
And then they start to complain, as is the rules of every HGTV show.
Oh, this deck is too small. Oh, this weekend house that we’ll only go to in the summer doesn’t have an updated enough kitchen. Oh, there are trees in the way of the view of the lake, even though we can still see the water. Hmm, the water is only 3 feet deep here off the dock, we really wanted to be able to jump in off the dock. Shit like that, which are really the ultimate first-world problems when you’re buying a weekend house.
And then sometimes they don’t even buy a house on the lake!
One episide this couple bought a house that had lake views, and was a 10-minute walk to the water. That’s not lakefront! That’s near a lake, or has lake views. You’re lying about the name of your show if the couple picks this house! I want my 30 minutes back.
I get these people have worked to buy this place, or maybe they just had parents die and got lucky, but to insinuate the homes they are looking at on this show are a bargain, is insulting to 99% of the world.
Yes, they might be a “bargain” to someone who has almost $400k to spend on a lake house, but to those of us who are looking at a regular full-time house for under $100k, that’s not a bargain at all.
Long story short, what I’m saying is that I’m mad at all these mayonnaise looking people on HGTV who can buy a lakefront house on a “bargain” and get a TV show made about it.
OVERALL RATING: 7.5 out of 10. Would watch again.
HOT SPROTS TAKES 
Ok I’m not even sure where to start on your comments, you wrote “When you see the word “bargain” you would think you are watching a show where the houses are affordable, and everyday people are looking for these places along the water.” I am an everyday person, I put my pants on one leg at a time, I go to work everyday, I coach my daughters soccer team, I drive a Ford. I am a financial planner by trade who just happens to own a home at Lake Waynoka, a weekend cottage to be clear, single pain windows, with about 4 feet of water in front of my dock and yes I wish is was deeper. All of these people on this show are making an investment that is how you have to look at it, it’s an investment much like a 401K. Just like a 401K it is expected to grow in value over time. Just like a 401K you will have to pay taxes on the growth, you get something from the bank every month, but there are some definite differences to this investment, for example with this investment you don’t just get a statement in the mail you get a set of keys! When was the last time you had someone over to enjoy your 401K? I have lived a very blessed life, my parents bought a home on the shores of lake Erie, back in the early 70’s for something like $35,000. The term bargain is not the same a cheap, in real estate, it’s location, location, location. So getting a home in the 300’s in today’s lake home market that is a bargain because they are far and few between. As for our lake it by no means is a country club, it is out in the middle of nowhere. You wrote “Most of the time these bargains are north of $300,000 and are not even a permanent home for the people looking, but a weekend getaway spot where they can play with their boats, jet skis, and whatever other rich person toys they might own.” I have a boat it cost me $9000 I hardly think that bumps me out of the everyday person category. And you miss the point it is not about playing with toys, it about creating memory’s with our family. Not everyone can afford a lake home, but should you be so blessed someday, then you to will do…And then they start to complain, as is the rules of every HGTV show.
Oh, this deck is too small. Oh, this weekend house that we’ll only go to in the summer doesn’t have an updated enough kitchen. Oh, there are trees in the way of the view of the lake, even though we can still see the water. Hmm, the water is only 3 feet deep here off the dock, we really wanted to be able to jump in off the dock. Shit like that, which are really the ultimate first-world problems when you’re buying a weekend house.
They aren’t really complaining they are comparing and contrasting which you do with every home or other major purchase for that matter.
Yes, they might be a “bargain” to someone who has almost $400k to spend on a lake house, but to those of us who are looking at a regular full-time house for under $100k, that’s not a bargain at all. Life is all about perspective and since you have shared your prospective is finding a house for under 100K you don’t understand that the average price of homes sold in May of 2017 according to the census was $406,000 truth is that surprised me as well. So the fact is finding one on a lake under 400K is a bargain, not to you but to the average everyday person in this country it is.
Lastly I wanted to set the record straight about our gated community. You wrote, Just this past Sunday the episode on had a max budget of $380,000 and the lake they were looking at was man-made, and essentially a gated community that had a pool and clubhouse, basically a resort to keep the poors out. And like I mentioned earlier, this was not going to be a permanent home for this family. $380,000 for a weekend lake house in a gated community, some bargain. Their is not essentially about it we have gates you have to be a property owner of want to be one to come in. But it is not to keep the poors out, it’s to maintain safety on the lake, I used to work at the Bass Pro shop a few years back once again a real everyday persons job. Bass Pro choose Cincinnati in part because of the number of boat owners here. This lake is to small and would make it to dangerous to have it open to the public. Don’t believe everything you see on TV “Fake News” is real. While I love my little mud puddle called Lake Waynoka the show did a great job making it shine, we laughed at many things about it. Yes we have a beach the sand is one step up from dirt, but it is a place to play with the kids oh yeah you can find homes here for your 100K they just won’t be on the lake you can rent a dock for a few hundred dollars a year or just trailer you boat as I did for 10 years before I bought our cottage.
My goal was not to embarrass you in any way, it was to point out that you can’t believe everything you see or hear on TV or the news, and that perspective has everything to do with how we should look at others. I don’t know the buyers but I plan on going over and introducing myself just to be neighborly.
Peace!