Ooh! This is nice!
[narrator] Dan has spent years living in small apartments
since he was always on the road for work.
But now he's ready to settle down near Kansas City
and buy a house.
We would call this a martini deck.
Oh, really? Is that the official...
That's the official term.
[narrator] But since he's in his late 40s,
he feels late to the real estate game
and wants to make sure it's a place that'll build equity.
For the price, you're getting a lot of house.
[narrator] And he's particular.
So, his high school friend and agent will have her work cut out for her.
Oh, no!
I just hate these doors.
They never get clean.
That can be changed.
Isn't grout over?
Goes well with the countertops.
-No, it doesn't. -Oh, well, agree to disagree.
[both laugh]
[doorbell ringing]
[theme music playing]
[upbeat instrumental music]
What will you be doing?
They need nurses to assist the doctors doing triage.
They're probably lucky to have you, you know, a full-time nurse.
Well, I think they're lucky to have me, too.
-We'll see. -Well, who wouldn't be?
[laughing]
I grew up in Overland Park, Kansas.
But in my younger years in Los Angeles,
I went on reality television.
The Challenge and The Real World.
And it was really fun making public appearances,
and I became a model and I did Fashion Week in New York.
But after having an existential crisis,
I just I walked into a nursing school one day and said, "Sign me up."
It has been a great decision, but working as a travel nurse,
as exciting as it was for a while,
I am worn out,
and I need to be close to my mom and stay home more.
So when my apartment complex raised my rent, I thought,
"Now is as good a time as any to finally make the jump and buy a house."
-Hello! -[Judith] Hi, Jen.
-Hi, Judy. How are you? -[Judith] Good to see you!
Jen and I were friends in high school.
-We were both in choir together. -Yes.
[Dan] We have the same groups of friends,
and Jen has built a really successful career as a real estate agent.
-There you go. -Thank you. Thank you so much.
So, how have you been?
-Stressed. -Stressed.
-Stressed trying to buy a house. -Why are you stressed?
There's been so many years when I have been living in cheap apartments,
-when I really should have been investing in real estate. -[Jennifer] Right.
And everyone my age,
they're selling their homes and moving into bigger homes.
They're just so much further along than I am.
Well, the good news is, I'm here to help
-and take all the stress off of you. -Yeah.
So, why don't you tell me a little bit about what you're looking for?
-Well, I have to be close to my mother. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
That's the whole reason why I live here.
You know, when I started thinking about buying a house 20 years ago,
I was living in Los Angeles,
and my friends were living in these really cute, Craftsman,
-arts and crafts cottages. -Okay.
Where they weren't big, but they had a lot of personality.
-[Jennifer] Okay. -[Dan] You know, and they had this little kitchen,
and a little dining area, and everything is separate.
-Okay. -Because I do not wanna sit on my couch
and stare at my stove.
I just need to have a bathroom that's separate for my guests to use,
-that's not my bathroom. -[Jennifer] Okay. Mmm-hmm.
-And having a two-car garage in my mind is... -[Jennifer] Two-car?
-Yeah. My father was a carpenter. -[Jennifer] Okay.
I do have some tools that I would like to put in the garage
-that were his. -[Jennifer] Okay. Very nice.
You need a yard where you can plant and eat outside.
[Jennifer] Do you have pets?
-No pets. -[Jennifer] Okay.
But I would love to be able to plant flowers.
And I just want a kitchen with a view.
-Okay. -Because, for years,
I have either lived in my little apartment
or hotel rooms for months at a time
where I had to do all my cooking
-on the counter of my bathroom with a hot plate. -[Jennifer chuckling] Okay.
-And I just wanna-- -[Jennifer laughing] We're gonna fix that.
Yeah. In terms of price, my loan, I got approved for a $300,000-loan.
-[Jennifer] Okay. -I have some money in the bank
-that I can, you know, work with. -[Jennifer] All right.
-But not that much. -[Jennifer] Okay.
There is kind of a tall order with the price range, but I'm up for a challenge.
-I believe in you, Jen! -[laughing] Thanks.
[upbeat instrumental music]
I just worry about her. Like, she's not someone who needs any sort of care,
but she's at the age where I start to get nervous.
-[Jennifer] Oh, for sure. Yeah. -Yeah.
It'll be nice that you're not traveling as much
and can be close by.
It's only about 15 minutes from your mom,
but it has great highway access for you,
for your job, or getting downtown.
Downtown Overland Park has got lots of restaurants and good shopping.
Now, the one thing about this house is
the seller wants to sell it as is.
It's fine if it has some things that need to be done,
but I don't want to have too much work.
Okay, so here it is.
[upbeat instrumental music]
[Dan] Well, this has to be painted.
-The paint's peeling off. -[Jennifer] Oh, yeah. A little bit.
[Dan] The siding's coming down.
-I'm trying to keep an open mind, Jen. -[Jennifer] I know.
It needs a little extra curb appeal there,
-but you can add that. -[Dan] Yeah.
[Jennifer] All right.
[Dan] Open concept.
It is open concept,
but you do have really nice high ceilings,
and you've got lots of light in here.
[Dan] Yeah. Those windows are fabulous.
It's really hard to find a Craftsman-style in Dan's price range.
So, what I wanted to do was show him a unique home.
For the square footage and everything that it has to offer,
it is priced well.
And this home, I felt, with the high ceilings and all the windows,
at least gave it character, which I know is very important to him.
Look at the window over the sink.
I've never had a window over the sink.
-[Jennifer] Beautiful countertops. -Yeah, this is...
-This has been replaced recently, I feel like. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
[Dan] Hmm.
-Hello, down there. -[laughing]
[Jennifer] The garage is down there.
I mean, this stair is really weird.
But it is interesting to, like, have something in the middle of the room
-that sort of breaks it up. -[Jennifer] Divides it a little bit.
Yeah.
Well, let's look at the rest of the house.
This one's got three bedrooms.
[Dan] Wow. This is a nice room. I have no idea what I would do with it.
-Look at this. -[Jennifer] I know.
-The molding. -Mmm-hmm.
Houses don't have stuff like this anymore.
[Jennifer] No. Definitely adds that character piece.
You get a full bath there, so that would be for your guests to use.
-[Dan] Oh, I like this bathtub. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
Sort of iridescent green.
-[Jennifer] Oh, I guess it is. Mmm-hmm. -[Dan] I like this.
[Jennifer] This is the primary.
-[Dan] It's big. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
-[Dan] It has a door in the primary bedroom. -[Jennifer] Yeah, but open it.
See what surprise you find. Look at that!
We would call this a martini deck.
-Oh, really? Is that the official... -That's the official term.
[Dan] That's pretty sexy!
-And then... -[Dan] Oh, no! No!
[Jennifer] What's wrong?
[Dan] First of all, who painted it this green color?
That can be changed.
[Dan] I just hate these doors.
They never get clean.
Every house, when you move into it,
is going to have things that you're going to want to change.
I'm going to have to come up with thousands of dollars to do it.
But I feel like, just from an investment perspective,
that this house could be a really good deal
because, if you put a little bit of work into it,
it's going to increase the value quite a bit pretty quickly.
A little bit of work could go a long way.
-[Jennifer] Here. -[Dan groaning]
I mean, the deck needs some work, for sure.
But look at the yard, Dan.
-It's big! -[Dan] It's big.
[Jennifer] It needs your special touch.
[Dan] This yard actually does need lot of work.
I don't think these trees have ever been trimmed, and it's dangerous.
And, like, you can tell that the ground is in such bad shape,
all the soil's washed away.
-This is asking a lot. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
-It is a little steep. -[Dan] Yeah.
So, here is your two-car garage.
Laundry is also gonna be in here.
And there's already a pegboard there for your dad's tools.
[Dan] The two-car garage is great.
-Big primary bedroom is great. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
-You like the kitchen. -[Dan] The kitchen is great.
For the price, you're getting a lot of house.
I know that they're selling it as is,
-but there's some work that needs to be done. -[Jennifer] Right.
And I think we might be able to negotiate
'cause it's been on the market a little bit.
[Dan] But this just isn't what I thought my house was gonna be.
Okay. I understand it's not that closed-off Craftsman-y
-that you had hoped for. -Yeah.
You know, when you have a vision of something you want,
why not get it?
[narrator] So, his agent finds him an older home.
But its charm isn't exactly what he had in mind.
-This kitchen is really well thought out. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
Other than the sink.
[upbeat instrumental music]
[Jennifer] A song came on from that musical
that we were doing our senior year,
that I decided not to be in because I didn't get the lead.
Do you remember that?
-[Dan] Yes, I do remember. -What a diva, I was.
I love it.
-[laughing] -Well, this is nice, parks and places to walk.
-Yeah, it is. -[Dan] I like it.
This house is smaller, but I know you said that was okay.
You didn't need, you know, a big house.
-But It's close to your mom. -[Dan] Yeah.
Below the price point and...
-A lot below the price point. -[Jennifer] A lot below.
It's updated, so it should be pretty ready to go.
[Dan] That would be nice.
[upbeat instrumental music]
[Jennifer] Got a little bit of landscaping that's nice.
Well, it's four bushes. I mean...
-"Landscaping." -[Jennifer laughing] It's something.
-This is nice, right here, the trim. -[Jennifer] Yeah, it's cute.
Okay.
So, this house is giving you the closed concept that you wanted
where we're gonna have separation.
[Dan] Good. These floors look nice.
[Jennifer] Yeah! These are probably original.
This house is 75 years old, too.
-Oh, wow. -Mmm-hmm.
Nice, big picture window.
[Dan] Yeah, the windows are nice.
-This is a nice kitchen. Look at this. -[Jennifer] Updated. Mmm-hmm.
I mean, we rarely see, in this price range,
-this nice stove hood. -[Dan] Yeah.
Although, I don't really understand, why is the sink here?
I know. It looked like there'd be room here.
[Dan] The sink should be here.
You're gonna crane your neck looking out. [laughs]
[Dan] It's not a big deal.
-This kitchen is really well thought out. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
Other than the sink.
[Jennifer] All right, so this is the garage. One-car, but it is deep.
Well, you have to have room for your car. And, then, that's the laundry hookup.
This is the laundry hookup.
I don't know about tools, room for tools.
Maybe over here.
I don't know if I want to do my laundry in the garage in the winter.
I do my laundry when I don't have anything to wear.
Uh-huh. Oh!
-Maybe you better put your coat on. -Yeah.
[Jennifer] So, here's the backyard. Needs a little work.
But this backyard, it actually doesn't need anything major.
-[Jennifer] Oh, yeah. -[Dan] Like, these planters, I mean,
those have probably been there for who knows how long.
-And you can actually fix those up. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
[Dan] They would actually be really cool.
And this patio is really nice. This looks almost new.
-[Dan] Yeah. -[Jennifer] And there's water tower!
-[Dan] I mean... -You're always gonna have water
and you're always gonna know where you are.
[Dan] That's nice.
[upbeat instrumental music]
This house does only have two bedrooms,
so let's look at the size.
-[Dan] These bedrooms are, maybe, a little small. -[Jennifer] Yeah.
I mean, we're dealing with 768 square feet here.
I think you can fit a decent-sized bed in here.
-[Dan] Good enough closet space. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
Do you have a lot of clothes?
-I have a lot of scrubs. -[Jennifer] Okay.
One bathroom, but it's really nice.
-[Dan] This is beautiful. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
[Dan] Wow! The vanity is new. The floors are nice.
[Jennifer] Pretty much move-in ready.
As refreshing as this house is,
there are some obstacles.
Having a second bath, is it a deal breaker?
It's not that I need a second bath,
but when I thought about buying a house,
it had two bathrooms.
And how far am I going to go off track for the sake of getting a really good deal?
The house has a very cozy feel to it.
-It's cute. You do not need to do a lot to it. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
And it would be nice to move into a house that was ready to live in.
But at the same time, maybe we should go look at another house.
-Something that's a little bigger. -A little bit bigger.
Yeah. Just for the resale value of the house, down the road.
Mmm-hmm.
[narrator] So, they head to a much larger house.
But it comes with many interesting features.
Why do they have that?
I have absolutely no idea.
[upbeat instrumental music]
Can't you sell me a house in Florida?
-This weather is terrible. -I know.
So, this house that we're looking at, it's updated.
It's in a fantastic neighborhood.
And it has $40,000 stashed away that will help me pay for it.
Well, I think you're gonna like it.
It's gonna be this grayish blue one right here.
Wow. This is cute. Okay.
Make sure we don't fall going up these steps. [laughs]
A little water feature. Ooh, be careful.
[upbeat instrumental music]
-Oh, it's nice and warm. -[Dan] Oh.
[Jennifer] So, this is a side to side split.
This side of the house is where you're going to do your living.
That side of the house is where you're gonna do your sleeping.
-And I thought I wasn't gonna learn anything today. -Well, you are so welcome.
Nice living room
that flows into the dining room. But you can't see the kitchen.
[Dan] It's good.
-Ooh, wow! -[Jennifer] So, nice updated kitchen.
[Dan] You can look out at the neighbor's bird feeder.
Love it.
So, I don't know about this tile.
-I mean, it's a lot. -[Jennifer] You don't like it?
Isn't grout over?
Goes well with the countertops.
-Yeah, it doesn't. -Oh, well. Agree to disagree.
[both laughing]
So, then, this is, I guess the hearth room,
is what I would call this room.
This is where orange wood paneling went to die.
-They updated the floors, but not the wood paneling. -[Jennifer] Yeah.
-You can paint this, kind of, taupe-y grey. -Yeah, but then...
I think that would go with the floors and flow into the kitchen better.
-But it's gonna cost you some money, so... -[Dan] Yeah.
I don't think we wanna go outside 'cause it's way too cold,
but I think this yard's really nice.
[Dan] Yeah, they installed a koi pond.
-[Jennifer] Got a little garden bed over there. -[Dan] This is nice.
Let's go see the other side. Let's go upstairs.
This is gonna be your guest bathroom.
-[Dan] Very narrow. -But it's nice.
[Dan] How do you get into the tub?
[Jennifer] You are so dramatic.
-[Dan] I know. -Come on. [laughs]
[Dan] Oh, my gosh.
[Jennifer] This is bedroom number one.
[Dan] It's good. And it's two closets?
Looks like. Oh, I think... Hold on.
-[Dan gasps] Oh, my God, hi. -Hello!
[both laughing]
Why do they have that?
-I have absolutely no idea. -Hmm.
[Jennifer] This is the primary.
[Dan] This is nice!
I love the vaulted ceilings.
You can just breathe so much easier in here. I love this!
And you have your own deck!
[Jennifer] Again, a martini deck.
You have to start drinking martinis.
Primary bathroom.
[Dan] Well, once again, pretty small.
I just feel like, for $340,000 in this market,
you should have a bigger bathroom.
I appreciate the double showerhead, but, like, how do you...
-[Jennifer] Yeah. -...you know, wash?
I can't... Like, you're just sitting here getting, you know,
-assaulted by your showerhead. -[laughs]
Like... [groans]
-It is kind of unpleasant. -Well, it's something to consider.
[upbeat instrumental music]
-[Dan] This is a nice, big garage. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
[Dan] I like it.
Plenty of room for dad's tools, too.
[Dan] I mean, it's wonderful that they redid the basement,
but you have to go through your freezing garage to get there.
[Jennifer] You've got a little rec room down here.
-Oh, a window. -[Dan] I like that window.
[Jennifer] Here's where your laundry would go.
[Dan] Yeah, so that's good.
What would this... I don't understand what this would be for.
[Jennifer] It's whatever you want. You could have it for an additional office.
Wait for it, Dan.
-A workout room. -Yeah, not gonna happen.
[laughing]
[upbeat instrumental music]
The house is big.
-The primary bedroom is fantastic. -[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm.
Even as an open concept, which is not something I was looking for,
here, it works.
I mean, there are some updates that would need to happen.
The bathrooms are a big bummer.
But this house is already below
what this neighborhood usually sells for.
-Oh. -So, there's some room for you to still do the updates,
and come ahead.
I need to think about if I can actually afford this,
or if I even want to.
-You have a lot to think about. -Yeah.
My life, I've lived in small apartments, hotel rooms, single rooms.
This may be just too big for me to live in by myself.
I don't know.
[upbeat instrumental music]
-I brought coffee. -Oh, my gosh, thank you!
You're welcome.
[narrator] Dan's meeting with his friend and agent, Jennifer, at her office
to decide on his first home purchase.
[Jennifer] So let's talk about the tan house with the vaulted ceiling
that's listed at $300,000.
That's not like a house I've ever seen before.
-[Jennifer] Mmm-hmm. Unique. -[Dan] It's very unique.
It has two full bathrooms, a big garage for two cars.
-It has a lot of beautiful windows. -[Jennifer] Right.
[Dan] The backyard needs some work, and that's going to be expensive.
So, I don't know. It's just such a weird house.
-I did not want an open concept. -[Jennifer] I know.
But, sometimes, weird can be fun.
I mean, look at you.
[laughing]
Good one. Good one.
[Jennifer] So then, speaking of more closed concept,
the ranch with the one-car garage.
What do you think about that one?
[Dan] Very cute house.
-The yard is really big. -[Jennifer] Right.
[Dan] But besides being an investment, I also have to live there.
-The kitchen's really nice, but that weird-- -[Jennifer chuckles] Window.
[Dan] Weird window and the sink.
The problem with that house, really, is
-my apartment now only has one bathroom. -[Jennifer] Yeah.
But at such a low price, it's gonna be a lot easier
to afford the renovations that this house could use.
I could make it really nice.
[Jennifer] So, the bigger house,
the side to side split with the wood paneling, priced at $340,000.
How are you feeling there?
[Dan] So much space.
The kitchen is beautiful.
The primary bedroom with those vaulted ceilings.
I mean, these are little things that make a difference.
But on a day-to-day basis, do I really need this much space?
And, you know, okay, it has this enormous basement that I'm paying for.
-So what? -[Jennifer] But that'll be really good for resale, too.
-So, that's something to consider. -Yeah.
-I mean, sometimes, you have to take a risk. -Mmm-hmm.
You know, we've been having fun and making jokes about this whole process,
but I still go home and, like, have an anxiety attack every night of, like,
"Oh, my gosh, I'm gonna buy a house."
You're gonna love being a homeowner and having your own space.
-Well, we'll see about that. -[laughing]
[dramatic instrumental music]
[doorbell ringing]
[Judith] Find me something to put up here.
I have approximately 27 more cabinets in this huge kitchen,
-so you can dig through. -[Judith] Okay.
I ended up choosing the raised ranch with the vaulted ceilings.
For years, I have been cooking on a hot plate
on the bathroom counter in a hotel room.
I've never had a window before in a kitchen.
And when I walked in here and I saw all the windows in this kitchen,
I thought, "Finally. This is exactly what I have been looking for."
And it really delivers.
It's just a really unusual house, and I kind of appreciate that.
By learning to let go of my expectations a little bit,
I ended up getting a house that is a really good deal.
The house was listed at $300,000, as is.
But there were a lot of repairs that needed to be made.
So, Jen was able to negotiate it down $295,000.
I've had several real estate agents inform me,
like, I could sell this house today and make $50,000, easy, on it.
[Judith] I'll deal with the kitchen. You get the wood rot.
Yeah. [chuckles] Thanks for reminding me of that.
-Thank you, yes. -[Judith] Very welcome.
My dad was a really talented carpenter,
and I've already been able to use some of the tools
to fix up the house a little bit.
I'm converting one of the spare bedrooms into a giant walk-in closet,
and it is fabulous!
The backyard is going to be fantastic
after I lay down a new layer of topsoil.
You know, people talk about, "Oh, you're gonna love being a homeowner."
Well, it's a lot of work, but I do like it.
My mother has been my biggest cheerleader, so that has been great.
I'm just so proud and so happy.
I know you've wanted your own house for a long time.
Thanks, Mom!
Oh, yeah. You're my little boy.
[laughs]
You don't have to pat my fat belly, though.
-You can just, you know... -Better yours than mine.