Pittsfield, Hinsdale Featured in HGTV's House Hunters
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire County was recently featured on the popular HGTV show "House Hunters."
In season 221, Episode 3 of the show titled "Big City to the Berkshires," "A professional musician looks to escape Boston city life for the tranquil existence in the Berkshires; he's torn between a family home for his young daughter and a quirky place with style."
The episode aired on Wednesday and shows the prospective buyer looking at three homes in the county, and purchasing one of them. It includes shots of him driving through the streets of Pittsfield and aerial views of Hinsdale.
Michael, a 36-year-old trumpet player for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops, was looking to "escape the city and lay down roots in the Berkshire Mountains." The musician was living in an apartment in the city and said he is not there very much despite his employment.
"It's definitely a totally different pace than living in the city," he said about the county. "It's all small towns. Everyone's nice. Everyone's taking their time."
Michael looked at two properties in Pittsfield and one in Hinsdale. He fell for the woodsy atmosphere of the Hinsdale home.
"I’m looking for a craftsman-style home or maybe a bungalow, it can be kind of a cabin-y feel as long as it doesn't feel cookie cutter," he explained.
"I grew up in that, I’m just kind of tired of it, so it's something unique or even quirky, something that's memorable when you walk in and you think ‘that's a very specific cool house."
Michael said that he wanted to be 10 or 15 minutes from Tanglewood, where the BSO performs in the summer, but settled on about a 40-minute drive and said he will love every minute of it.
He was comfortable spending $300,000 to $350,000 and was looking for a place that is close to water, has two to three bedrooms, and has studio space.
Michael also expressed a desire for a funky home that is far away from neighbors.
Accompanied by a friend, he first headed to Elm Street in Pittsfield to look at a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home built in 1928. Zillow prices it at $169,900 and it is marked as a pending sale.
He then traveled to Hinsdale to view a two-bedroom, one-bath home with a loft that was built in 1940. The home is also close to a lake. His friend commented "we are not in Boston anymore" while they stood on the back porch and looked into the wooded property.
At the end of the episode, it was revealed that Michael purchased this home for $257,500 with all of the furniture included. The sale closed this last April.
"This is secluded it's in the woods, not cookie cutter," he said about the home. "I can see the lake from the back porch. It feels really new and different but really, really good."
Michael noted that his 7-year-old daughter will love the loft space when she visits.
The last home that the musician viewed was in Pittsfield. It was a four-bedroom, two-bathroom, brick home with a pool listed for $329,900 that had "vintage quirky character."
Michael explained that the BSO gives the musicians a summerly stipend for housing and it provides financial flexibility. He will be keeping his apartment in Boston.
"House Hunters" is an American reality show that follows people making a decision about a new home or rental with the assistance of a real estate agent. It aired in 1999 and is produced by Pie Town Productions.
The house hunt is largely staged (though often with real homes the buyer has looked at) and the participant has usually purchased the home at the time of filming, according to numerous people who have appeared on the program.
The show has more than 15 spinoffs including "House Hunters International," "House Hunters on Vacation," and "House Hunters Renovation" and shoots hundreds of episodes a year.
Tags: reality show, television,
