HGTV's House Hunters International is a Treat for Armchair Travelers

Last week, I purchased a pied a terre in Paris, a beachfront house in Belize, and a cute condo in Turks and Caicos.

Did I just win New York State's Mega Millions lottery? Unfortunately, no such luck.

I simply watched HGTV's House Hunters International, a highly addictive show that lets viewers step into the shoes of aspiring homeowners looking to buy property abroad.

HGTV's House Hunters International is a Hit

House Hunters International is a spinoff of HGTV's House Hunters, which highlights the various aspects of shopping for property in the United States.

The format of the successful House Hunters is pretty straightforward and never varies from the established, tried and true formula that has made it such a sensation for HGTV.

First, House Hunters introduces the prospective homeowner and explains their reasons for purchasing a new home (for example, a single apartment dweller becomes a first time homebuyer, or a family or individual needs to relocate to a larger home in a different location.)

The homeowner meets the real estate agent and goes "house hunting"; three different properties are viewed, the pros and cons of each are discussed, and after a period of suspense and some deliberation, each thirty minute episode of House Hunters ends with a reveal of the property chosen by the homeowner.

A big part of the fun of House Hunters is the feeling of actually being there with the hopeful homeowners as they tour the properties in question and wrestle with their decision; trying to figure out which home will win the heart of the homeowners is also quite fun and addictive.

The reliable format of House Hunters, by now as familiar as a well worn pair of bedroom slippers, along with charismatic long time host Suzanne Whang, has made the program one of the most loved shows in HGTV's lineup (House Hunters airs most nights of the week at 10 p.m. EST on HGTV.)

House Hunters International grew out of the House Hunters phenomenon, and has become a smash hit in its own right. HGTV produced so many episodes of House Hunters International that this half hour show now airs many nights of the week at 10:30 p.m. EST, right after House Hunters.