House Hunters: The Ultimate Open House

What can amount to a chore for out-of-state residents seeking a quick and easy relocation - that is, having a realtor parade you through dozens of houses - suddenly becomes the source of Thursday night leisure with American couch potatoes. House Hunters cameras chronicle one person or family's attempt to choose the best piece of real estate from among three choices.

We'll assume (and hope) that the potential buyers probably walk through more than three houses; but for the sake of a thirty minute time slot, House Hunters has whittled the choices down to the top picks.

Suzanne Whang hosts the show, but does little more than introduce the buyers and provide the occasional voice over. The houses speak for themselves.

We, the viewers, make that initial curb appeal judgment. We question the small foyer, laugh at the dated wallpaper, balk at the small master bedroom, but salivate over the spacious, updated kitchen. The words "granite" and "hardwood" provide an instant hook. We move through the room-by-room play-by-play a total of three times, and then have but a four minute commercial break during which we must guess which house the prospective buyers have chosen.

We weigh the options against the buyer's needs. The wife wants the ranch with the short commute; the husband wants the Colonial with the better home office. House Hunters is a lesson in compromise.

And then there are the buyers themselves, a cross section of young couples, retirees, and burgeoning families. "Where do these kids get that kind of money?" one viewer recently griped, watching a twenty-something couple turn up its noses at a million dollar fixer-upper.

For other first time buyers, the newly weds and college grads, moving into four-digit square footage is an instant upgrade. And finally, there is the "wow" factor. As in, "Wow! They chose that property simply because it had a big yard for the dogs?"

Following the buyer's announcement and defense of his/her/their decision, we get to see the house under its new ownership, usually a few months removed from the purchase. There are always improvements: the ghastly pink guest bedroom has transformed into a muted, khaki-colored retreat, and the scruffy backyard has been newly sodded.

The show is an updated play on Let's Make a Deal, with the big exception being that no one actually knows which "door" will turn out to be the best choice. Indeed, the buyers do make the final call on which house, using what knowledge of the property they have. But as for how the house and neighborhood evolve over the years - for better or for worse? That's fodder for My House is Worth What?