[Janel] Look at this view.
It is amazing.
[Catherine] What a gorgeous view.
[narrator] Now that her children are grown,
Catherine's moving full time
to her favorite vacation spot.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina.
[Janel] Hot tub!
[Camryn] Oh, my gosh. No way.
[narrator] But to land the prime beach location she wants,
she may have to settle for something
much smaller than she thought.
[Janel] It is a condo style townhome.
This was not what I was envisioning.
[Janel] You can make this kitchen amazing
if we got the right price for the house.
[narrator] And it'll be up to her daughter, Camryn,
to convince Catherine that buying
the home of her dreams is worth it.
Even if it means breaking the bank.
[Camryn] You've got that view
you've been dying to have.
It's move-in ready. It's ready to go.
Why not? Treat yourself.
[doorbell ringing]
[theme music playing]
-[Catherine] Ooh. -[Camryn] Oh, that's a nice one.
That's a good one.
I'm Catherine. I help law enforcement
solve crimes through technology.
I have three adult kids.
They have all grown up,
out of the house.
Just recently, I got rid
of the last one.
That's been, uh, kind of nice
being on my own
for the first time in a long time.
Are you gonna let me keep
the ones that we find here?
-Look at that one. -Because you have
thousands of shells.
Um, no, those are mine.
[Catherine chuckles]
[Catherine] I live in Clifton, Virginia,
in a townhouse.
Really looking forward
to getting out of that area,
out of the traffic.
[Camryn] Oh, my gosh, look at this one.
[Catherine] Oh, wow!
I grew up coming to the Outer Banks
since the '70s.
The beaches are absolutely beautiful.
[Catherine] Look at the shades of blue on that.
It's so pretty.
I've been planning for this move,
for at least the last five years.
I'm looking to buy
in the main part of the Outer Banks,
like the Kitty Hawk area.
There's surfers out there.
It's a little chilly to be surfing.
I don't think I could do that.
[Catherine] My daughter Camryn
is going to be joining me
on my house hunt.
So, I'm looking forward
to having her help me.
I am so excited about making this move,
especially, at this time in my life.
I can still work.
But I can do it remotely down here
in a much more relaxed area.
I'm excited. I can't wait.
It's going to be fun.
When we were driving in yesterday,
I really noticed the coastal cottage type,
you know, beachy houses.
The different colors on the outside of the houses.
Yeah, I really like those.
I'm kind of hoping there'll be some
that's, you know, the reverse floor plan.
The living room, dining room, kitchen,
and primary bedroom on the one level,
maybe even, you know, room
for my office.
But then on the lower level,
having two or three more bedrooms
with a couple of bathrooms
for all the family
and guests to come.
I really would like to have something
on the sounds, because on the sound side,
if it's the western part
and they'll have the sunset.
So, that would be my perfect...
It would be nice, but if you find something
on the beach side, too, it could be
kind of cool to have something beach side,
right on the... on the sand
and the ocean.
You know, I've been in the townhouse
for so long. I think I would really like
to have a single-family home.
And that sounds like
more money every month.
[Catherine] That's true.
Yeah, there is going to be that,
you know, balance. you know that...
You know, with the condo, you're gonna have
the high condo fees.
There's more people there.
You've got a pool,
HOA, you've got people to meet.
Condo could be beneficial.
I'm willing to go with 475,000.
But if I can find something lower,
I like the idea of renovations
because I can make it my own.
But what if you find something
a little bit more,
that you could just move-in ready
and not have to really do anything?
You know, you already did that
with the old house
that you did some renovations.
You really wanna go through that all over again?
You might get something
that you've always wanted
with a higher price.
Like, if you can find an amazing view,
for a little bit more than
what you're wanting to spend,
but you get to see that view every single day,
I say, go for it.
[Camryn] Wow, we're really going deep in here,
[Catherine] I tell you.
But I do know there's a lot
of year round folks
-that live back in here. -[Camryn] Yep.
[Catherine] Which is nice.
Water straight ahead.
Oh, my gosh, it's so pretty. Wow!
Okay, I think it's this one.
-The greyish-green. -Wow, it looks... almost new.
Wow. Oh, gosh, I got goosebumps.
[Camryn chuckles]
-[Janel] Hi, ladies! -[Catherine] Hello.
I told you I'd show you some with a water view.
[Catherine] Wow. This is beautiful.
So, this is a beach box.
It's not your reversed floor plan
where your kitchen's up top
with your beautiful view.
But look at this.
The house is a little bit
over Catherine's price range,
but I do feel that the house is a great deal.
A single-family home,
with an amazing water view
priced extremely well.
It's gonna fly off the market.
[Catherine] Oh, wow!
It's very beachy. I love the skylight.
It's beautiful.
I like how large and open it is.
[Janel] Yeah. Amazing sized dining room.
[Camryn] This is a great table.
You have water view from every window.
[Camryn] Wow. That's so cool.
[Janel] So this goes out to the deck here.
[Camryn] Wow.
[Catherine] This is nice.
So, which way are we facing?
[Janel] We are facing the east.
Okay, so, the sunrises we're gonna see
over here, so for the coffee and stuff,
but the sun's gonna be behind us
-in the afternoon for the sunset. -[Janel] Yes.
Let's check out the kitchen.
[Catherine] I really like
what they did with the island here.
I thought that, that is unique.
It's cute.
I like that.
[Camryn] What do you think of the countertops, Mom?
[Catherine] You know, I don't mind them.
To me, they're not very beachy.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too,
but it kind of matches.
[Catherine] I mean, it's not bad.
[Janel] Okay, then over here.
You have your bathroom on this level.
[Catherine] I see how they... I like how they did,
you know, the... some tile work.
[Janel] And then we're going to go into the bedroom here,
which you can access
from the living room or here.
[Catherine] Now it looks like to me,
I don't think a king would fit in here.
If it did, it would be really tight.
You could also do, um...
you know, a bunk bed set
if you had, like, kids down here
-like a bunk bed. -[Janel] Oh, completely.
[Catherine] Yeah, I see all this is open.
You know, I have... I have a fear of heights.
-So I've always had a hard time... -[Camryn laughs]
with these type of things.
[Camryn] I don't mind it. I kinda like being...
[Catherine] I know a lot of people love that,
but it would take a little getting used to, for me.
[Janel] The only other downfall with these is
you always see the dust
on the top of the fan.
[all chuckling]
-[Camryn] This is a nice sized room. -[Janel] Yes.
-Is this the main primary or... -[Janel] No.
[Catherine] No. Okay.
[Janel] This is just a guest bedroom.
-[Catherine] Nice. -[Janel] It's super cute.
This is the primary bathroom.
This is gonna be the bathroom
that these two bedrooms are gonna share.
[Catherine] Wow! I like the soaking tub.
What a beautiful shower.
They did a nice job with the shower.
[Janel] Now we're going to go into the primary.
You may reconsider coming up here.
It's huge.
[Catherine] Wow, that's pretty.
-I love that. -This would be what you wake up to...
every morning.
[Catherine chuckles] Oh, wow!
What a gorgeous view.
You could easily put your desk over here.
-[Catherine] I could... -[Camryn] Put your desk outside.
[Catherine chuckles]
I don't think I would wanna have
my desk and all up here.
I think having a... office separate
from the bedroom is important.
[Camryn] How are you gonna do
going down on these stairs?
[Catherine] This, you know, I just
I just stay more closer to the wall.
[Janel] You know, you could get one of those
elevator chairs that go up.
[Camryn chuckling] I am not doing that.
[Janel] Okay, so, what are the pros
and the cons to this house?
[Catherine] The view is absolutely beautiful.
-I mean... -[Janel] Everywhere.
[Catherine] I'm seeing view of the water
from every angle,
and it's absolutely gorgeous.
But it is eastern view,
not sunset view that I was really hoping for.
This location. I mean, I'm good... 15-20 minutes
away from the highway.
Is it too far away?
I really like this.
But it would be nice to see something
that you know, a little lower in my price range,
because I still wanna have some money left
over to where I can make it my own.
[narrator] Her broker finds an off-market condo
right in Kitty Hawk with an owner
who's ready to make a deal.
But there is a reason.
That's gotta go.
Now this one is only
a couple of miles,
once you come off the bridge.
You don't have to go so far.
[narrator] Their broker's found a vacant
vacation property in Kitty Hawk
that the owner is considering selling.
It's currently unlisted, but should fetch
an offer in the $440,000 range.
All right, these look like townhouses or duplexes.
Not what I was thinking.
That's okay. We'll see what the inside...
Maybe it's all beached out.
[Catherine] Not what I was expecting.
[Camryn] Kind of looks like we're in Northern Virginia.
Interesting. The door's on the side
of the house.
[Catherine] Yeah. I'm not too sure about
the columns, though.
-[Janel] Okay, I know. -[Catherine] Not what I was expecting.
[Janel] I know. Just humor me.
This is a three-bedroom, 3.5 bath
condo style townhome that feels like
a single-family when you pull up.
-[Catherine] Okay. -Come on inside where it's warm
and I'm gonna tell you why you might like it.
[Catherine] Okay. Definitely needs to be painted...
[Camryn] It's big though, Mom.
-It's a lot of space. -[Catherine] Yeah, it's nice and big.
I could see this as not only dining room,
but play games. My family likes
to play board games.
The island's interesting.
I'm not too thrilled
-about that big column. -[Camryn] Not really.
[Catherine] That's got to go.
-The countertop can be changed. -Yeah.
Imagine this gone, new appliances
and painted white cabinets
and a beautiful blue backsplash.
This place would look completely different.
You could make this kitchen amazing
if we got the right price for the house.
[Camryn] You really want to do all that,
or would you rather just
buy something that's already done
and you don't have to do anything?
I do like the idea of being able
to take something and make it my own.
Okay. I'm not seeing any water.
[Janel] This one doesn't face the water.
But we can get a better deal
versus being on the water.
So, you're about a half of a mile to the ocean
and about a half of a mile to the sound.
There's tons of beach accesses
right across the way.
-Is there a community pool? -[Janel] Yes.
-[Catherine] Okay. -[Camryn] That's really nice.
-[Catherine] The primary? -[Janel] Yes.
[Catherine] Wow. This is a nice size.
I could fit a king-size bed in here.
You like that it's on the bottom floor?
'Cause, you know you like...
you wanted the reverse floor plan.
I know I really do like
the reverse floor plan,
but having that bedroom on the first level,
-it's kind of nice. -[Janel] So, I knew it wasn't...
exactly what you asked for,
-but I was thinking it had... -It's a good option.
...some things that might fit your needs.
[Catherine] Right. This is interesting.
I'm not too sure about this.
I don't think I've ever seen lights
on a mirror.
It's kind of dark too.
I would have some work to do in here.
[Janel] I was thinking that you could
use this space up here as your office.
[Catherine] This gives me more than just office space.
It gives me office space,
sitting area, craft area.
You're warming me up.
This definitely could be the guest bedroom.
You mean my bedroom.
[Janel] And when you paint these walls,
you're white and you're blue and stuff,
it'll modernize it and everything.
I like the floor, the color of the tile,
and I think I can make it more beachy.
I mean, even though the cabinets
are just your basic, I mean...
I could paint them, can add knobs and pulls, and...
[Janel] $2 a knob makes a world
-of difference. -I know, it does.
Wow, this is huge.
I could really envision seeing
the bunk beds in here.
For the grandkids, the grandnieces,
you and your friends.
I really like it.
Wow, that is a nice soaking tub.
Oh, my gosh, all the grandkids would love this.
And still a...
[Janel] You still have a stand-up shower.
Make a couple of other good points to you.
-Okay. -So, one point is,
as you're driving back and forth to see Camryn,
this is a little bit closer for you because you're closer
to the bridge to get in and out.
So, you could save, you know,
20 to 30 to 40 minutes on your driving.
[Catherine] It is a lot of possibilities.
You did give me that.
And you certainly gave me the office bonus area,
which I was not expecting.
Great space for, you know, the grandkids,
grandnieces, your own office space.
It's a lot of room,
but it has a lot of work to be done, so...
I would really like to see a house where...
that main living space is on the top level
where I have a... even if it's just a little bit
of a view of the water.
You know, I wanna feel like I'm at the beach.
[narrator] Janel comes through with the right style
in the right spot. But...
[Janel] In order to get you the view,
I had to get a little creative.
[Catherine] Wow, look at that view of the sound.
It's beautiful.
I really like this area.
But the homes tend to be
more expensive.
I think that if you find
a house for, you, know, a little,
you know, over your budget,
why not just treat yourself to a nice home
you're gonna live in for a long period of time, you know?
Just go for it.
[Janel] Welcome to your boat house.
[Catherine] This is beautiful.
And it's a lot of water view.
[Janel] Yes, this is the sound.
Complete sunset view.
So this is a two bedroom, 1.5 bath,
1167-square-foot townhome.
So I know a little small.
[Catherine] A little small.
[Janel] But in order to get you the view,
I had to get a little creative.
The house is listed at 600,000.
-Phew! -But this one comes
completely furnished.
It's also completely move-in ready
and just your style.
This house screams Catherine.
[Catherine] New steps that they put in
and a gate at the top,
which is great with the kids and the grandkids.
So, before we go inside,
let's check out this...
Hot tub!
[Camryn] Oh, my gosh. No way.
This is your view, and you're sitting in your hot tub.
I would... a glass of wine, a cocktail.
That is very nice.
I wanted Catherine to see this particular home,
because it does have the reverse floor plan.
It does have the beautiful sunsets that she desires.
But there's a price for that,
and Catherine will know the second
she walks on that property,
if it's meant for her or not.
[Catherine] Wow, this is a great entrance.
I love the color,
and I love the... what they did with the closet.
It is absolutely beautiful.
The vanity is gorgeous.
I love it, looks like driftwood,
and then shower and tub combo.
But this is the only bathroom.
-Only full bath -So, this would be my primary bathroom
that I would have to share with,
you know, the likes of her and others.
[Janel] Only primary bath.
There is the half bath upstairs.
[Catherine] Okay, so, this is, like the second bedroom.
It is a little smaller.
[Janel] Look at the view.
I know it is a beautiful view.
Waking up with that view is, wow.
This is the primary bedroom here.
[Catherine] That's a nice size for a primary.
[Janel] Much bigger.
[Catherine] And you said the furnishings
come with it?
[Janel] This house comes fully furnished.
-I mean, I really like the... -For a dollar.
For a dollars. I like that.
[Janel] For a dollar. Beautiful, beautiful.
So, it just hit me. This is the reverse floor plan.
I'm so excited about that.
This has everything that you wanted,
minus the size and the price.
[Catherine chuckles]
-So you have an upper deck here. -[Catherine] Okay.
You cannot beat that view.
-[Camryn] There's water everywhere. -[Catherine] I know.
[Camryn] That's so cool.
[Janel] So, this is the half bath.
[Catherine] It's cute. Since you only had
the one bathroom downstairs,
I can see somebody needed to come up here
for getting ready and having a little bit more space
to put some things on is nice.
Oh, wow. I love the countertop
and I love the big sink.
-[Janel] Big, huge island. -[Catherine] Right.
Lots of different barstools for your grandkids.
This also gives you plenty of room
over here to be able to eat.
I know. I love the stools.
Still be able to have your roll top desk over here.
But even better, look at this view.
-[Catherine] Oh, wow. -[Janel] It is amazing!
[Catherine] What a gorgeous view.
And what a deck!
-Wow! This is huge! -[Janel] It's huge!
[Catherine] Boy, you've given me something
to really think about.
I'm gonna have to really, really try
to figure out the numbers on this one,
and see...
But it's so pretty.
My mom has always kind of made sure
that the kids are taken care of first,
before her and that she likes to make sure
that we're all settled and we have
everything we need, but I think
she needs to really put herself first
and really just go for what she wants.
It is super cute.
I really like it.
I love the reverse floor plan.
So thank you for it. Yeah.
I love having the living room, dining room up here.
-And then the view is incredible. -It's nice cooking dinner.
The bedrooms downstairs,
they are super cute.
Having to share a bathroom...
-I mean, I grew up that way... -[Camryn] A little iffy.
...so I mean, the price...
that's kind of pushing it for me.
Everything is, you know, here.
It's move-in ready. It's ready to go.
Why not treat yourself
and spend that money
and have everything you want?
You've got that view
you've been dying to have.
Why not spend just a little bit more money?
You need to make a decision.
I want to be at the beach like tomorrow.
I know, we all do.
[narrator] After decades of planning,
Catherine's ready to purchase her dream beach house
in North Carolina's Outer Banks.
[Catherine] Let's talk about that beach box.
Super cute, beautiful views.
[Camryn] The kitchen was gorgeous.
The open concept from the living room
into the dining room,
with the view of the water.
Only 480. It fit a lot of your needs.
But it is quite a drive.
[Camryn] What did you think
of the place that wasn't listed?
Condo style with the community pool.
[Catherine] Wow, every bedroom had its own bathroom.
It was so close to everything there
in Kitty Hawk, and I really liked that idea.
What I didn't like about it
is that I didn't feel like it was at the beach.
[Janel] For the right price,
you could rip everything out
and totally Catherine it.
[Camryn] Do you really wanna take on
a big project like remodeling?
'Cause you're not just redoing one thing.
It's going to be a lot.
[Janel] And what did you think
about the townhome on the sound?
The hot tub, the gorgeous Catherine kitchen,
beautiful sunset views.
[Catherine] To me, that speaks beach.
I really, really love the place.
It's super cute, but that 600,000.
[Janel] You're also paying for completely remodeled,
-all the furnishings... -[Catherine] True.
...the view.
The view is priceless.
And not to rush you at all.
The prime season is coming,
so you do need to pick a property
really, really, really, really fast!
[chuckling]
[doorbell ringing]
What do you think about mine?
That's cute.
I bought the unlisted condo...
with the community pool in Kitty Hawk.
Having that extra office space,
having those three full bathrooms
really appealed to me,
because I know I'm gonna have a lot of people
in and out of here, and I like to make sure
that they're all comfortable as well.
Where are you gonna put your desk?
That rolltop desk that I painted.
I'm going to put it
right between the two windows.
Since, I was gonna have
to put some work into it.
I did not want to pay more
than 425 for this house.
So, we put an offer for 425 and it was accepted.
And I knew that this would
give me the opportunity
to make it the beach house
that I want it to be.
I can't wait for Janel to come see it,
because, you know, she has seen it,
you know, before, you know, at the beginning,
-the way it was. -Oh, yeah.
Since I closed, within the four weeks,
I was able to get quite
a bit of the renovations done,
such as new flooring, new carpet,
new toilets, new countertops,
new furniture, paint, fresh paint
throughout the whole house,
and I'm very excited about it.
It is so much different
-and so open and so sparkling. -[Catherine] And beachy.
-Yes. -[Catherine] Did I beach it out?
There were quite a few compromises
I had to make with choosing this home.
One, I'm not getting my view.
But I am very close.
So I am taking that as an opportunity
to get myself out more and walking more
so I can go see those views.
Finally a cocktail!
[all chuckling]
[Catherine] I have been coming down to the Outer Banks
since I was little,
and it's always been my dream
to come down and live down here.
I haven't even really had the chance
to sit down and let it soak in
that oh, my gosh, I'm here
in the Outer Banks.
This is it.
This is gonna be my forever home.