Did JC really buy a house over the phone without having seen it? While I love this movie, I found that to be the most ridiculous part, especially considering she was supposed to be a smart woman. But I guess in the context of the story, she was in a position to do something outlandish at the time. What does everyone else think about the plausibility of the house buying?
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Plenty of people do it. Especially when changing countries. Inspections are done just the same. I've done it myself and the house ended up being much better than others I personally viewed.
I'll speak for you, Father. I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion.
She only saw the house from that photograph in the ad. I think it appealed to a whole other side of her - a whimsical one who doesn't get house inspections done! ;) The one that was sort of lying dormant and ignored - put off until another time while she took over the company & fought her way to the top. I think that's what was stirred awake upon Elizabeth's arrival.
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Be excellent to each other!
I guess it is part of the "whimsy" in this film, that clearly many viewers enjoy -- like a baby who starts out 11 months old and is STILL 11 months old A YEAR LATER -- never aging!
No you can't buy ANY house like that. I know -- I once bought a house (10 years ago) over the internet, because my husband was being relocated 1000 miles away.
Though I did see the house online in pictures (many pix, not just one), I had to fly to that state to finalize the purchase, and my husband had to see it, and do a "final inspection", and even if we had not, the REALTOR would have had to see it, as well as the local city inspector, and the mortgage company and the INSURANCE company.
It would be nearly impossible for a house with such drastic problems -- a dry well, a falling in roof full of giant holes, etc. -- to pass any inspection by those folks -- because if it did, you would have grounds for a lawsuit. At the minimum, the seller would have to disclose the problems, so you would know what you were dealing with!
There is plenty of humor in the old "buying a house in the country" theme -- "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" is a great one -- or the underrated "Funny Farm" -- but in this film, it is a clunky and not very believable part of the story.
I always assumed she bought the house after viewing it...we just didn't see her going to the house to look at it. The house's problems all started AFTER she moved in and was there for a few months.
Dammit Carol Sue, where is the vodka?!
I could be wrong, but when she and the baby arrived to take possession, it struck me that she was seeing it for the first time.
shareNo less ridiculous than two strangers meeting at an airport for less than 5 minutes, exchanging a baby and not checking IDs.
..I'd go to middle earth and look for Unspoiled Monsters. Then move to the country.
I think everyone is taking her line to little Elizabeth too literally when she said, "see, Elizabeth? That's our house. I just picked up the phone, dialed the number, and bought it."
I'm sure she checked it out ahead of time, had to get credit-checked, etc., and then bought it. We, the audience, didn't see any of that "action", however. We just saw her using that line with her daughter on moving day, from New York to Connecticut.
I believe she paid cash for the house so you wouldn't have to deal with inspections or appraisals etc. These days you can buy a house unseen with online document signing, etc, but they would have had to fax the documents and had them notarized and overnighted back...
shareI don't believe that anyone would have bought an antique house without having an inspection, unless they were buying it "as-is" at a rock-bottom price.
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