Ooh. Now I like this room.
I love how bright it is.
[narrator] Attorneys Cynthia and James are leaving Seattle
for his hometown of Charleston,
so their boys get a South Carolina childhood like his
Going shrimping and crabbing.
[narrator] But going south will be a huge culture shock for her.
What's that sign for?
-[JaVonna] I've heard about like alligators... -It'll be okay.
Oh, great.
[narrator] She wants fully upgraded and modern.
I love the style of this kitchen.
[narrator] But he wants a unique and homey craftsman.
It makes me feel like, I'm back at the countryside with my grandparent's house.
[narrator] With only a few days in town,
they need to find common ground fast.
Hopefully find the one that we love.
-Oh. -Ooh!
-Who's ready to party? -[all laugh]
[opening theme music playing]
I'm excited. Everybody's coming over.
We're about to have something good to eat.
We're both attorneys and we live in Seattle.
[James] You just work on those onions
and we'll get this all put together.
We met in law school, at a school dance.
[Cynthia] I saw James, like dancing in the middle
and like, "Ooh."
-I don't remember that. -You--you don't remember?
-I don't--I don't remember all that. -Um...
[Cynthia] I thought he was kind of cute.
Ten years later and two kids and doing our thing.
How's your family taking the move?
Pops is excited because he loves Charleston.
I've wanted to move back to South Carolina for a long time.
I moved to Washington when I was about 11 years old.
[James] I've always wanted to go back.
And being able to show my kids the things that I grew up doing,
I'll also be closer to my family and won't have to wait
for the yearly visits that we get.
My family's in the Summerville area.
But I grew up in Charleston, so that holds a place in my heart.
And I want to get back to that area.
-Hey. -Hey.
-Hello. -Hello.
-Honey. -Hey, Isaiah.
[Cynthia] We come from a really close knit Filipino family.
Four sisters. Right now, my kids,
they can go over to their cousin's house
or go see their grandma.
It's a big decision to move to a whole another state.
It's really important to me
to have our kids know their--their whole family.
Cyn, what's the plan?
We are flying out to Charleston.
I'm gonna be there for 10 days.
[Cynthia] We have someone that we've been working with,
-to hopefully find the one that we love. -[cork pops]
-[both] Ooh. -Who's ready to party?
We need to get this house fairly quickly so that our boys
can get enrolled in school and have a natural transition.
My goal is to find a place like, really close to the beach,
something that's more modern, open concept.
What's important to me is when you walk inside,
does it feel like, a modern style house.
What she's saying is, "Does it go bling blough when she walks in?"
[chuckles]
What I like about a craftsman is I'm big on details
and I want to feel like I'm at home.
I'm okay with some openness, but not everything.
I also want to have a screened-in porch
so that I can sit outside and enjoy it.
How big of a house are you guys looking for?
I'm really trying to look for a place that has a space,
so that when any of you guys come visit, you'll have a room.
[Cynthia] We are able to work remotely.
We 1000% need two offices.
Because Cynthia, when she has meetings, she just laughs all day.
Are you guys getting a pool?
I told James, I want to find a place with a pool
-so we can hang out by the water. -We'll have something.
I don't know if there will be a pool in the backyard,
but we'll be close to the beach.
It doesn't have to be right in our yard
because then I don't have maintain it which is great.
I also want like a big backyard so we can play with the boys.
Small fixes. I don't want to have to do a full gut job.
[Cynthia] We just did a kitchen remodel.
I do not want to go through that again.
We are going to keep it as a rental.
And if anything doesn't work out,
we could always come back here.
You guys gonna come visit?
Yeah, it would be fun to come during Christmas.
Get away from the Seattle weather.
[Cynthia] I'm willing to spend around the 650 range.
If you have it, then spend it.
You know, like it's okay to buy the nicer things
[chuckles] and live more freely in the moment.
I would rather spend more like 550,000.
Someone's got to do the planning.
-We can't all just go free. -[laughs]
I remember our first trip together
-to South Carolina -Because I went into the water.
With my mouth open because I was like,
so excited that the water was warm
and I could actually swim in it.
And then a wave hit me and I was like, [gags] "It's so salty."
Yeah, I don't know why you swam with your mouth open,
but it's okay.
[narrator] First a house that could be a compromise.
Halfway between the beach and his family in Summerville,
with both modern and craftsman touches.
JaVonna, well, she's pushing the limits
on what I really want to spend.
[Cynthia] Don't discount this house already before seeing it.
It has five bedrooms, three baths.
I'm not gonna discount it, but just because it has
a high price doesn't make it perfect.
[Cynthia] Oh, wow. This is cute.
-[JaVonna] Hey. -Hey, JaVonna.
Nice and hot for you.
Yeah. All right. Good to see you guys.
-You as well. -It's beautiful today.
-It is. You look great. -Thank you so much, you too.
So what do you guys think at first glance?
[Cynthia] I just love the style that's got that southern charm.
I like the porch and the green area.
It reminds me of, you know, growing up, lot of nature.
They do have a community pool,
-which I think the boys will love. -Yay.
[JaVonna] Y'all see the porch? Isn't it nice?
-[Cynthia] Yeah. -[JaVonna] You guys can put some nice rocking chairs.
You got some beautiful chimes up there.
It's just singing to us.
I like the tall ceilings and the crown molding.
[James] Good detail. I like that there's like a family...
-...area where we could all eat. -[JaVonna] Yes.
[James] That's pretty cool, and it's still kind of outlooks on that porch.
As a relocation specialist as well as Charleston native
my goal is to make sure that Cynthia and James know the city inside and out.
This is a very family friendly neighborhood,
lots of restaurants and fun things for families to do.
[Cynthia] I like that it's open in here.
Even though it's hot here, I still like the ambiance of a fire.
We could have a very intimate dinner right here.
-Two chairs. -Just the two of us.
-We can just assume y'all, right? -We can get a bigger table.
[James] I like that it has a bar over there.
That's pretty cool.
-[Cynthia] Wow. -Not so fast, James.
-You didn't see the kitchen yet. -Okay.
[both laugh]
-[Cynthia] Ooh, James. -[JaVonna] James, I know you like to cook.
I do like to cook, and I see an area where Cynthia would like to be,
which is over here on the peninsula.
-Yay. -Yes, this is where I'll be.
What I don't like is the color of this countertop,
and I'd probably switch it out to like a white.
I do like the cabinets, though.
At this price point, I need you to look in your heart
and find some acceptance for this as is.
If we buy this house,
I think it needs to stay like this for a while.
[Cynthia] This is beautiful.
[James] The only thing I don't like is that
you've got the neighbor's yard right there.
[JaVonna] Well, let's go look a little closer.
-You got a grill area. -[James] A grill...
-[JaVonna] What you're saying? -[James] I like a little grill area.
Well, I can imagine enjoying this space, especially this area.
And whatever nature is inside there.
What's that sign for?
[JaVonna] No swimming in the pond.
It looks like no people should be around here.
[Cynthia] I've heard about like, alligators.
[JaVonna] You guys could put up a fence.
You might see them from time to time,
but it'll be okay.
[scoffs] Oh, great.
My favorite thing about this house is the outdoor setting.
I love the nature as well as the room.
[JaVonna] You can make this into a bedroom
for your friends, your family, when they come down.
And they have a full bath down here.
[Cynthia] I really do like that.
There's a whole separate living space.
[James] Some nice stairs, I'm not mad at this style.
[JaVonna] All right. Take your time. Come on up.
You got the primary bedroom.
[Cynthia] I do like how big this room is.
You can see the pond from here.
I don't know about this color.
-[James] Yeah. -[JaVonna] Bright blue.
[James] That's okay. I like...
...this space.
You like baths, I like showers.
-Yeah. -So we can get out of each other's way.
[Cynthia] I like this room a lot.
I love how bright it is.
[JaVonna] So both of y'all were working here?
No, Cynthia is definitely working by herself.
[both laugh]
[Cynthia] This could really work for the boys.
They told us they want to share a room.
[James] They have a cool setting.
-They can like, look into... -Yeah.
the foliage and be cool.
[Cynthia] Oh, nice. It's big.
[James] I like the fan.
[Cynthia] This could be James's office.
[JaVonna] You guys happy so far?
-Yeah. -Are you liking what you see?
Yeah, I think so.
It's definitely an option.
[JaVonna] A good room for growth with your family, too.
But the boys, one day they may want to have
separate rooms instead of sharing.
[James] I do like that there's a lot of spaces in this house
that our family can enjoy.
Even though it's not like a modern, completely open floor plan.
It is somewhat open.
[James] I like the patios setting as well as the outdoors.
It is closer to the beach, which I know would make Cynthia happy.
This one has an actual space
[Cynthia] with a bathroom that's in the same space
-where you could be separate, so... -Yeah.
[James] It's over what I really want to spend,
and we're on a timeline, so we gotta get moving.
[narrator] But to get a better price,
they might need to give up a few things.
Do you know how close it is to the beach?
[James] Forty minute drive.
[upbeat music playing]
This is what I remember growing up as a kid
and going shrimping and crabbing.
[narrator] Today they're trying a place near James's family
that has some of his craftsman style.
But a more modern interior for Cynthia.
Do you know how close it is to the beach?
[James] It's closer than the beaches in Washington to us.
-[chuckles] -But it's probably about a 40 minute drive.
You'll get there.
And also my sister Giselle is out here.
And the price you got to appreciate the price.
Yeah, but I want the whole,
you know, South Carolina vibe.
[upbeat music playing]
-[JaVonna] How y'all doing? -Doing good. How are you?
-Hey. -[JaVonna] Awesome.
What did you guys think about the neighborhood?
It was beautiful.
Near my grandpa's house where I grew up.
Babysitters.
-We can hope. -Yeah.
Well, I have a lot of things to show you guys.
[JaVonna] They've updated it, and it's really nice.
-[James] I like that has a front porch that's where... -Yes.
...sit there and sip some lemonade.
Yeah. [chuckles]
I like the floors.
-Yes. -This is nice.
[Cynthia] I don't know if I like these popcorn ceilings
like we'll definitely have to scrape this.
Ooh, I like the kitchen.
It looks like you know, they did some updates recently.
-Yes. -Definitely my style.
Would like a little more space that I can prep
and not have people be in my way.
You could either do like one of the islands that you can move
or you have an eat-in kitchen here.
It's kind of separate from the living room area.
The setup is okay. I like that there's, like zones.
-We're still together, but like separate, you know. -Yes.
I love this.
[Cynthia] I would want to put a couch like, a seating area.
-[JaVonna] And watch the kids play? -Yeah.
I hear they have a fire pit already out here for y'all.
So where am I gonna put my grill at?
You can, you can extend this area.
-Yeah. -I'll get you some more concrete.
[James] I wish we had more open space so I could play with the boys over here.
On that side, you have a little bit more space than this side.
[Cynthia] The only thing that would make this better is if it had a pool.
So the neighborhood has a pool.
-Okay. -So they got a full work out on that.
More maintenance, more money.
Something I don't have to take care of. That's great.
I think Cynthia is okay with this house, but I know it's not her dream.
She really wants to be close to the beach.
But I want to make sure that it's good for the family.
-[JaVonna] There's like a whole extra room. -[Cynthia] A whole other room.
This is cool.
-Look, there's a separate air conditioning. -[JaVonna] Yes.
I figured I could raise the roof real quick.
Yes, but you know what? This would be perfect for,
like all of my nieces and nephews,
when they come and visit.
[James] Or I could just work in here. That would be cool.
This is too big for an office. [chuckles]
[JaVonna] This is the primary bedroom.
[Cynthia] I love this color.
-Being able to, like, see out the front. -[JaVonna] Yeah.
-[James] Yeah. -Somebody coming over to your house
-and you don't want to see them. -[JaVonna] Yeah. [laughs]
-Neighborhood watch right here. -[Cynthia] Yeah.
Ooh, I don't know if I like this door.
That's a easy fix.
[Cynthia] I like that it's separate.
It looks modern.
-Ooh. -Going on.
This is my room.
-It kind of like matches the bedroom. -Hmm-hmm.
-[Cynthia] This is nice. -[James] Good for the boys.
I like the tile.
They won't be so jealous of y'all's bathroom because it has tiles as well.
They don't pay any bills.
[both laugh]
[JaVonna] This is awesome space.
-[Cynthia] Good space for bedroom, for sure. -[JaVonna] Yeah.
This would be perfect as a guest room.
You know, it would be better if they didn't have
to share a bathroom with the kids.
-[JaVonna] Yeah. -Yeah.
[JaVonna] This can be a formal eat-in,
dining room area.
[Cynthia] I love the big window.
Like I love how bright it is in here.
[James] I can still do my neighborhood watch if I need to.
Yeah, see if she was coming over.
You know, like this house surprised me.
I like all the modern updates that they did.
But it still needs a lot of updating,
like the popcorn ceilings.
The popcorn, at this price, it's something I can work with.
[Cynthia] It's a little further from the beach than I'd like.
[narrator] So they're back to the coast.
But with time running out on their trip,
Cynthia's worried she could be giving up something else.
Is there a pool in this neighborhood, in this community?
[upbeat music playing]
What was it like growing up here?
I love playing in the marsh,
-Ooh! -but the thing was to watch out for, like, quicksand.
Quick sand?
Yeah, you don't want to, like, drop down in the marsh,
and then nobody finds you.
-Oh, my God. -And I'm just gator meat.
I don't know if I want the boys to be doing that.
I'm really excited to see this next house.
It is a little bit less than what I'm willing to spend.
We've got to get into a house before the boys start school.
-So... -Yeah.
Hopefully this is, this is the one.
[Cynthia] I like the shutters.
So how was the drive?
How's the neighborhood?
It's good. It felt like an old vibe that I had when I was young.
So I like the connection there.
[Cynthia] I love the house like I love the color
and the shutters and the porch.
Oh.
I like the stairway.
The dark and the lights very modern.
To the left here we have a flex space
that can be used for James's office.
[James] I like that. Or we could even put guests down here, maybe.
-We needed to... -[chuckles nervously] I mean...
That's okay. We needed to check on them too see how they're acting.
We'll give them a curtain or something.
Well, maybe when y'all see the rest of the house, you may change your mind.
-Okay. -Yeah.
[JaVonna] The formal dining room area.
[Cynthia] I like the color.
I like the molding around the ceiling.
-It's kind of... -Yeah.
-More upgraded? -Yeah.
It is, yeah.
[Cynthia] I'm already seeing something I like here in the kitchen.
The color of the cabinets.
You know, the modern fixtures, the countertop.
But, you know, I would really prefer an open space.
Like from here,
you can't even really see where
-everything would be. Yeah. -[JaVonna] Everything is.
We don't have to all be together all the time.
But you know, that's how my family is.
-They'll adjust. -[scoffs]
[Cynthia] Is this real brick?
[JaVonna] It is.
I think it's a start.
-It's waiting to be finished. -[JaVonna] Yeah.
-Probably paint the whole thing white, -Yeah.
just to make it look a little bit more modern.
Um, but I like it. I like the mantle.
-[JaVonna] Yeah. -[Cynthia] Yeah.
[JaVonna] Ooh. Cynthia got her little screen porch.
[Cynthia] A screen-in porch.
Makes me feel like I'm back at the countryside
with my grandparent's house.
-[James] We can be up here... -[JaVonna] Yeah, definitely.
[James] ...doing our adult stuff,
and the kids can be out there playing.
JaVonna, I don't know about this screen.
It's supposed to keep the bugs out, not let them in.
[James] These stairs need some work, too.
I know you like to grow.
You see any spaces over here?
[James] Yeah, I think I'd have to build a space out.
But this looks like it could work if we, you know leveled it out.
[Cynthia] This backyard is really big.
Is there a pool in this neighborhood, in this community?
So this community does not have amenities.
But, you know, they have those pools at the store
that aren't a bathroom and above ground pool.
The boys would really like that.
More I'm gonna have to spend.
Just say, "Yes," when the time comes.
[Cynthia] How nice it's carpeted.
[JaVonna] Yep. You walk down this way and you go straight
to the primary bedroom here in the back.
[James] It's a little small.
Yeah, and there's like holes in the wall.
They had to get out quick.
[chuckles] They had to get out quick.
-[Cynthia] The sink is more modern, but... -[JaVonna] Yeah.
but this tile is kind of outdated.
So there's two bathrooms up here.
[JaVonna] Yes, a guest would have to share that bathroom as well.
-Okay. -Unless they come in your bathroom.
-[Cynthia] No. -[JaVonna chuckles]
[Cynthia] This room is pretty big.
You could fit two twin beds in here.
This is definitely a smaller room.
-[James] It might work for a guest room. -[Cynthia] Yeah.
[JaVonna] So this is what I think you guys would like for family.
-Like a family cave. -Yeah. [laughs]
And it would be really cool if we put in a bathroom
and made this, like its own separate, you know...
-Yes we... -You know, yeah.
The only way we can afford to do this
is have you live through another renovation?
-Are you ready for that? -Well, this renovation is out of sight.
So I'm okay.
[JaVonna] Little bit easier.
[James] What does that door lead to?
[JaVonna] That door actually leads to the garage.
[Cynthia] My family could even have a separate.
[JaVonna] People wouldn't have to come in the house at all.
Okay, so you guys have seen the house.
What do you think about the overall home?
[James] It needs some work, but it has potential.
[Cynthia] We could put a pool in the backyard.
But it doesn't have that open floor plan that I was looking for.
I could think about it, an option.
You can think about it, but I don't think
you're gonna be happy for long because you want it ready right now.
That's true.
[upbeat music playing]
My sisters sure are happy to see you.
I'm so excited to see them.
[narrator] Cynthia and James are moving to his hometown of Charleston,
and must decide on a house
before heading back to Seattle.
We don't really have a lot of time
because the boys are starting school soon,
so we want to be able to get into a place and start to make it home.
What about that, uh, five bedroom with the pond?
Not too far from the beach.
Oh, my gosh, you guys. There's gators here, right?
-Yeah. -Yeah.
-Okay. -They're not really gonna bother you.
That's the least of your concern.
What I really did like about the house was the nature,
because you got to see some stuff in the wooded area behind the house.
[Cynthia] This was the only house with five bedrooms
and also an extra full bathroom.
The price of that one, though, was 600,000,
and that's a lot more than I want to spend.
[James] So we looked at the two story brick house,
which was in Summerville.
That is close to family.
And what I really liked about that was the price of it.
And that one has the community pool
like there's a lot of popcorn ceilings in there.
It wasn't as close to the beach as you wanted.
[Cynthia] And I want something
- that's close to the beach. -[Giselle] Yeah.
[James] And then from there we went and saw
a four bedroom colonial house
priced at 530,000, not too far from the beach.
Um, and that one was interesting.
The way it was split up.
There was a really modern kitchen in there
- which I know Cynthia liked. -[Cynthia] Yeah.
-[James] It had-- -[Cynthia] The kitchen was amazing.
And the backyard on, that was really nice.
We could fit a pool back there.
-[Cynthia] Yeah. -[Giselle] Good on hot days.
Oh, my gosh. But really, that wasn't the open floor plan
that I was looking for.
I'm trying to figure out where we should
put the boys beds.
We decided to purchase
the two story brick house in Summerville.
Bunk beds here,
maybe like a TV game system over there.
-[Cynthia] Yeah. -[James] That could be cool.
It was a huge deal to get in this house before school started,
so our boys were on time.
[Cynthia] Isaac and Isaiah are back in Washington with their cousins.
[James] We just got the keys to the house,
and we're gonna move in within a few weeks.
-Hey. You too. -Good to see you again.
Great seeing you.
[Cynthia] We chose this house because it's closest to James family.
And it also had that open concept and modern style.
We are thinking about putting a dining table
like a long one right here.
Just so our, you know, when my family comes over,
there's enough seating space.
One of my favorite things about this house
is actually this room because of all the light
that comes in from this window.
So I definitely want to get some, like swivel chairs,
so I can just hang out there and enjoy the sun.
Relax, yes.
[James] The house was listed at 450,000,
and after a bidding war, we purchased it for 460,000.
This house is a little further from the beach than I had hoped,
but it is closer to family,
which is the main reason why we moved.
[James] As far as the yard goes,
I think it's going to be fine because the community does have a pool
and lots of open space so that we can utilize.
I'm really happy we're in Summerville
so the boys can grow up with a piece of my childhood.
This is my favorite part of being here.
This is beautiful. It's like you have the best of both inside and outside.