I quite enjoyed some of the very early ones (UK) but they were very different from the programme it became - people looking for eco-living on canal barges and the like. As I recall they were as likely to end in makeshift campsites as luxury homes. I've not seen it in ages. But yes I'm with you on the greed aspect that seems to creep into every aspect of life. Perhaps as a species we are beyond help, and making ourselves extinct will be our greatest gift to the universe.