[both] Wow.
-Oh, wow! -This is it. Yeah!
This is why you live here.
[narrator] David and Will are leaving California behind
in favor of more-affordable Portland.
-Oh, wow. -Oh, look how cute!
[narrator] But their goal to live mortgage-free
may not be as easy as expected.
That's not good.
-Hello, Mission Control. -[all chuckle]
We'd have to spend a lot of money
working out the quirks of this house.
[narrator] Plus, David's after a charming craftsman,
while Will's eyeing a new construction,
Oh, it has almost zero charm.
[Will] I love it. It's so clean. Look at it.
[narrator] They'll have to find common ground
if they want to make this move.
It's just so small.
It's such a practical, smart move.
[opening theme music playing]
[Will] Ooh, their house looks cute.
Millie, Come on. Yay! Come on, boo.
My name is David. I'm Will.
[David] We're both music teachers.
[Will] We met 21 years ago
and, uh, he was my teacher.
It's not as salacious as it sounds
because it was a summer music workshop.
[clears throat] I was an adult,
but he was still my teacher.
[David] Look how green everything is.
We wound up buying, in 2008,
our home in Pacifica, California,
outside San Francisco.
A gorgeous home, we have ocean views,
It has a great backyard for the dog,
but we would like to move to a less-expensive area.
Um, hopefully, cash-buy a house,
and should be able to walk away with over 800k in equity.
-Hey, guys! [chuckles] -[David] Oh, my God!
-Hi, Millie. -Hello there, baby.
[David] Portland was the natural choice,
keeping our professional lives going in music.
We have dear friends here.
-Hey! [chuckles] -[Will] What's up?
It's in the culture and the food,
and, uh, the outdoor scene, mostly for David.
Your home is so cozy.
This is what I want. I want your home.
-[Scott] Sold. -[all chuckling]
But what about fishing?
All I think about is fly fishing.
My earliest memory was catching my first fish with Dad.
There has to be a place to put the boat.
We have a drift boat.
-[Will] Uh-huh. -[David] It's 16-feet long.
Then maybe we can get a two-car garage.
-It'd be nice to put at least one car in the garage. -Yeah. Okay.
You've done your homework on the neighborhoods?
[Will] Oh, yeah. I like Southwest Portland.
It's more suburban and it's a little less expensive.
I don't want to go any higher than probably $700,000.
[Scott] You're missing out on a key feature of Portland, though.
-Which is what? -Like, these great neighborhoods,
-being able to walk to... to places. -[David] Yeah.
-[Will] That's true! -Walkability, I want coffee shops, wine bars.
I'm a bit tired of driving everywhere.
You know, that was one of the downsides in Pacifica.
But you're gonna pay for it.
We can spend upwards of $850,000,
and still be mortgage-free.
I think we play it more conservatively.
We have money left over to possibly buy another property.
An ADU would be great.
We wanna make some money.
[Alissa] Well, Portland is an ADU city.
-Like, there are... it's a culture. -Exactly.
-[David] You see a lot here, huh? -Oh, absolutely.
We already have investment properties in Tennessee.
[Will] We have three cabins. I enjoy keeping the books,
talking to the cleaner, talking to the handyman.
It's just been a fun, little side hustle.
What do you want in a house?
I think I want a new build,
three bedroom, two bath with modern amenities.
It'd be cool to have a double vanity,
maybe a breakfast bar.
You know, I grew up in Air Force Base housing,
which is really charmless and characterless.
I'd love the idea a craftsman,
crown molding, the built-ins,
hardwood floors, no carpets.
[Will] Think of all the work that Scott and Alissa put into this house.
I don't mind doing a little bit of work.
I also want a backyard where...
where I can garden.
I like to cook.
I want a generous kitchen.
We've lived in small spaces.
Our home has only 1,260 square feet.
We're ready for something a bit more luxurious, something bigger.
I have no problem with 1,500, 1,600 square feet,
plenty of room.
You know, what is so cool about Portland or Oregon...
-What? -...is that there's no sales tax.
[David] Oh, that's right. Yeah.
Oh, I've got to do some shopping.
[Will] This is really beautiful.
I am so excited about this house.
It's $699,900.
That's a hundred bucks under budget.
A $100, that's like one happy hour.
But this is so far away from everything.
I mean, I think we'll get used to the distance.
And this is on a lake.
I do know that.
[Will] This is it.
Interesting color.
Oh! All right.
-Lulu, nice to see you. -Welcome.
-[David] It's very brown everywhere. -[Lulu] It is.
That's all right. The magic's gonna be in the back, with the lake.
Definitely in the back.
So it's a really fun house, mid-century modern,
definitely a different era.
This mid-century modern home was built in 1946.
I think this is a great property for David and Will.
There are some drawbacks.
You've got a lot of renovations that need to happen,
but you've got this fantastic view,
garage for the car,
and room for a boat to be parked outside.
All right, well, let's start out in the bedrooms.
Each of the three bedrooms has an en suite bath.
-[chuckles softly] Okay. -[David] That's nice.
That's not good.
-[Lulu] Their own wallpaper. -[David and Will chuckle]
-[Lulu] We've got slate flooring. -[David] Lots of gold.
Is this a microphone? Can I sing in that?
That is actually a shower sprayer.
I guess if you wash your hair in the sink, maybe?
-Hello, Mission Control. -[all chuckling]
[Lulu] The guest bathroom.
-[Will] Very nice. -Oh, it's silver in here.
The foil is silver.
-[Lulu] Hmm. -[David] It's very '70s.
-They're got the textured walls here from that era. -[David] Wow.
-And here-- -I like this wall over here.
-These wooden walls. Those are pretty cool. -[Lulu] Those are really nice.
-Now, this is looking better. -Nice cedar.
-The kitchen has been updated. -[David] Oh, okay.
-[Lulu] They've got these new waterfall-- -[Will] Yes!
[David] Oh, this is what you wanted, honey.
-Breakfast bar stools. -Look at those.
[David] Yeah. I like the grey cabinets.
Nice, clean look.
This is a bigger kitchen than home,
-so this is an upgrade. -[Lulu] Okay.
[David] And lots of counter space, right?
[Will] Yeah, this is a lot more counter space.
The kitchen is gorgeous.
-I mean, look at this. -[Lulu] This is a nice remodel.
So, we've got the vaulted ceilings,
which is really big in the mid-century homes.
This is the only area that's carpeted, but it's nice.
-It's not a shagged carpet. -[David] Yeah.
-Nice, short... -[Lulu] It works.
-So how about the view? -Look at these three windows?
-[Will] Wow. -[David] That's amazing.
If that doesn't get a lot of sun,
that could be an interesting place, maybe, for a piano?
-A little place down here? -[Lulu] Oh, that would be great for a piano.
I was, you know, ultimately looking for a newer build,
but it really doesn't have an older feel.
It has this open concept,
and, you know, those views,
those trump anything.
[Lulu] All right, guys, it does not get much better than this.
-[David] Wow, this is it. -[Will chuckling] Wow!
-Oh, wow! -Yeah.
This is why you live here.
-Was this worth the drive? -[David] It... [chuckles]
-Kind of... Yes... Yes, it is. -[Will] Yes, it was.
-Absolutely. -It is worth the drive for sure.
[Lulu] And it's hard to believe you're only 30 minutes from the city.
Let's come over here.
This, David, is where you would have your boat.
[David] Wow! That's a perfect
-outdoor spot for the boat. -[Will] Oh, that's awesome.
And, Will, that would... I know you're looking for a garage,
-so that would give you your garage for sure. -[Will] Yay!
-Absolutely. -Yeah.
-[David] Oh. How retro! -[Lulu] This would be the party room down here.
-[Will] Ooh! -And look at the beautiful ceilings up there.
-[Will] This is a great space. -[David] That's fun.
[Lulu] So here is the primary suite.
I could wake up to that view every morning.
[David] That's phenomenal.
[Lulu] Here's another blast from the past.
When was the last time you saw a mustard countertop?
-[David] Oh... -[Will] You mean, like,
-The Brady Bunch or something? -[Lulu] Right.
-[David] Oh, this hurts a little bit. -[Lulu] Here's your tub.
This house isn't completely updated.
We'd have to put some work into it.
And that kind of gives me pause
when I think about the dollars we're gonna have to spend
to update the rest of the house.
-[Lulu] Here's the view again. -[David] There it is!
-[chuckles] I'm like-- -This is just... a prime piece of property.
-[David] Oh, my gosh, that's incredible. -[Lulu] Just look at that.
Yep, you've got Mount Hood in your backyard.
Can people ski in the summertime?
Yes. Timberline Lodge has the only
year-round skiing and snowboarding in North America.
[David] How fun!
The back of the house looks great.
It just needs to be cleaned up a little bit.
This place is pretty amazing.
Great entertainment space,
updated kitchen.
I love the living room, the views.
-[Lulu] Pretty magnificent. -And for $699,000?
[Lulu] I know. that's what happens when you get
further away from the city, the prices go down.
The tradeoff is being so far away from neighborhoods.
But this is amazing.
I can imagine waking up in the morning,
going out here at sunrise and getting in the boat.
One drawback,
it needs an ADU or multifamily,
some sort of income-generating property.
And it needs so much work.
we'd have to spend a lot of money,
sort of, working out the quirks of this house.
I feel that we have plenty of cash to make...
the improvements that we wanna make,
and make this home ours.
[narrator] Their broker wants to make them both happy.
So she finds a new build with an ADU in the city.
But will David go for it?
The house itself, it's really tiny.
Man, dinner last night was so good.
I'm just so excited about the food culture here.
I mean, we're gonna have a great time exploring.
Other than the fact that we are so urban right now,
I am... really excited to see this house!
It's sleek, it's modern.
[David] The house itself, it's really tiny.
So, yeah, the main part is only 1,000.
The ADU's another 500 or 600.
The price is awesome.
It has almost zero charm.
Narrow windows.
I love it. It's so clean. Look at it.
-Yeah, it's clean. -[Lulu] Good morning, guys.
-Hey, Lulu. -Welcome.
I know there's no garage to this home.
Um, does this happen to belong to the house?
No. Your property line would run
-right along the fence line here. -[David] Because that would...
be a perfect place to store the boat.
I have to get to know the neighbors, right? See if they'll let me do it.
-[Lulu] Bring them some cookies, maybe? -[David] Maybe. [chuckles]
You are in a fantastic location.
You've got restaurants, galleries just blocks away.
Something positive.
[all chuckling]
[Will] There'll be lots of other positive things.
-[Lulu] This is gonna be interesting. -[David] All right.
[Lulu] Come on in, guys. A little history on the house.
Well, there isn't really any history 'cause it was built this year.
[David and Will chuckle]
[Lulu] This unit's got two bedrooms, two and a half baths,
and then next door, the auxiliary dwelling unit
has one bedroom and one full bath.
-Perfect. -Our home is 1,260 now.
And now we have 1,500 something,
-so that's bigger. -[Lulu] Combined?
But it's not accessible to us.
-[Will] But it's... -That's not part of our daily living space.
...two units as opposed to one.
It's pleasant wood in the kitchen, on the cabinets.
It's a nice-sized sink, but it's a small kitchen.
[Lulu] And right under the island...
-Oh, yeah. Okay. -...you've got a whole row of cabinets there.
-[David] All right. -So you gonna open those up and see...
-[David] Oh, you do get your, your, uh... stool thing. -Plus... room for barstools.
[David] Yeah.
[Lulu] How would your existing furniture fit in here?
-[David] It wouldn't. [chuckles] -Is that enough room...
-[David] It wouldn't. -...for your couch and your dining room table?
It actually would. I mean,
sofa here, loveseat there.
[David] Then the TV has to go over there.
[Will] I know.
-Great deck. -[David] What's with this wall?
[Lulu] That divides the two units,
so you can have some privacy on either side?
We could just extend it all the way there.
They get some deck, plenty of deck...
-[Lulu] Oh, that's a good way to do it. -...and all the side yard.
[David] Plant some grass over here on this side for Millie.
Possible garden.
This seems like it's getting a little bit of sun.
All of the upstairs is like this?
[Lulu] Yes, the entire upstairs is carpeted,
except for the bathrooms.
[Will] It's comfy, cozy.
-Ooh! -[Lulu] Here is the primary suite.
[Will] Beautiful. Look at this light.
[David] Yeah, there's good light, big windows.
[Will] It's a good size.
[Lulu] Let's look in the bathroom.
[David] Not terribly spacious. Only one sink.
[Will] Yeah, that's a bummer.
I mean, everything's brand new. Everything's nice.
[Lulu] So this is the guest bedroom.
[Will] Look at the window, look at the views.
-Oh, wow. -[Lulu] And it's also en suite.
[Will] Oh, that's perfect!
-All right, next door... -[Will] Yeah.
-[Lulu] ...the attached ADU. -[Will] The money-maker.
[chuckles]
-[Will] Mmm, it's got that new smell. -[David] Oh, wow.
[Lulu] This is a good size for a renter.
-[Will] This is great. -You've got a college nearby,
so you can have students renting this out.
-[Will] Absolutely. -[David] So this is the eating area and...
-[Lulu] The living room. -[David] ...the living room.
-Altogether. -[Lulu] Correct.
[Will] Really nice kitchen for them.
I mean, look at these appliances.
And I mean, at this price,
we get two units.
It's just a no brainer.
[Lulu] So this is the bedroom.
[Will] It's a good-sized room. Again, tons of light.
[Lulu] And the full bath.
[Will] Perfectly nice bathroom.
[Lulu] Yeah, it's a good size for a guest room.
Yeah, it is.
[Will] Great price, income-producing,
clean, modern. I love it.
The space next door, I know there are two bedrooms,
but downstairs is just so small.
[Will] It's actually a lot packed in that space.
And... the walkability.
[David] You're absolutely right about the walkability,
but the tradeoffs for the space here,
which is beautiful and modern,
but it absolutely... [chuckling] lacks the charm
that I value, that I want.
But think about the money that we would have left over.
It's such a practical, smart move.
[narrator] David is still pushing for a place with character,
so their broker lines up another option,
but it will cost them.
That price is depressing, honestly,
Oh, Chef's Door. I can't wait to check that out.
Nice.
This must be the...
the village-y part of the neighborhood.
Oh, look how cute these houses are.
So many craftsmen.
I'm not thrilled about that.
The price is depressing, honestly.
[David] Yeah, but look what we're getting for that.
It's 2,400 square feet.
That's like a McMansion.
-[chuckling] -I mean, that's more space than we would ever need.
-Oh... look how cute! -Oh, wow.
Well, no wonder it's so expensive.
[David] Look at that. Three different roof peaks.
That's so interesting.
[Will] And I like the colors.
-Lulu! -[Lulu] Welcome!
-Hey, Lulu! -[Lulu] So what do you think?
[Will] I mean, I know it's craftsman.
It's not really my style, but I actually really think it's...
-whoever picked these colors... -It's nice and neutral.
-...it's gorgeous. -It's a newer craftsman.
There's some nice upgrades on the inside.
[Will] I'm noticing only one car garage.
It's kind of a bummer.
You're right in the middle of a lot of really fun things.
You can walk everywhere. Let's take it inside.
-Beautiful woodwork as you enter. -[David] I love it.
-[Will] Oh, wow! -[Lulu] Right?
[David] Columns. Love the hardwood floors.
-Yeah. -So these are engineered hardwood,
and they're more water resistant,
and they won't warp like regular hardwood floors do.
They'll still be great for the wet weather here.
-[Will] This is a great dining room. -[Lulu] It's fantastic.
-[David] Look at the windows. -[Lulu] You get a view of outside, the gardens.
We've got the open concept.
A lot of counter space.
[David] Nice! That's what I like.
-[Will] Oh, wow! -[David] Oh, my gosh, it's huge!
-Isn't that nice? -One thing I noticed is there's no,
kind of, breakfast bar, a place for stools.
-[Lulu] Well... -It's kind of a bummer.
[Lulu] ...you could add an overhang to this.
[David] That's super high.
It's more money. I mean, this house is expensive.
[David] I love the cabinets.
[Lulu] Goes great with the craftsman.
So you've got some white woodwork,
and then you've got the darker cabinets.
-This is-- -[David] Well, I think this space is large enough
for our couch and the loveseat,
and probably, we could put
-a baby grand piano in here, right? -Yeah, piano here.
[Lulu] Oh, that'd be nice.
-[Will] This is beautiful. -[Lulu] So, what do you think about the box beams?
-Oh, yeah. That detail in the ceiling is really unique. -It's nice for the craftsman.
[David] I love the garden. Plenty of room,
That... that's enough room for Millie for business.
[Will] Yeah, and it's all fenced in.
[Lulu] Yeah. So, David, you've got an apple tree,
-you've got a pear tree. -[David] Sweet.
[Lulu] So let's go in and see the garage.
-One car... one-boat garage. -[David] One-boat garage.
-One-boat. Oh, God. -[David] Thank you very much. [chuckles]
[Lulu] About 20-feet deep,
so you'll have some storage room.
How big is the boat?
Mmm, you just need 16 feet for length...
-Okay. -...and about 55, 60-inches width
[Lulu] Oh, yeah. That should do it.
-[Will] Yeah. -[David] I love the fact that there's no...
carpet down here.
-This is wonderful. -Okay, then you're gonna wanna close your eyes...
-[David] Oh, my gosh. -...'cause there is carpet going upstairs.
[David] And it's not just carpet, it's shagged.
[Will] It's not shagged.
[David] It's like 1977 all over again.
It's comfortable.
[Lulu] So this is one of the guest rooms.
[David] It's a good-sized room.
We could put the queen bed in here,
maybe the bookshelves.
[Lulu] Here is the smaller... bedroom
-of all three. -With shag carpeting.
-Carpet's fine. -Yeah, it's nice.
[Will] It's not gonna hurt anybody.
[Lulu] All right, mow, this is a nice big room for you guys.
-[Will] Oh, wow. -[David] Oh, this is huge!
This is like three times the size of our rooms. Nice.
[Will] I just don't think we need this much space, but...
[Lulu] The primary bathroom is fabulous.
Here is the big walk-in shower
-I was telling you about. -[David] Oh, wow!
-That's enormous. -Correct.
Oh, there should be two showerheads in here.
-It's so big. -[Lulu] You can add that.
[Will] I could have my own sink.
-[Lulu] Yes! -[David] Oh, I like that countertop.
-This is absolutely stunning. -[Lulu] All right, so--
So many things that I was looking for.
The hardwood floors downstairs,
-really wonderful. -Carpeting upstairs?
[chuckles softly] Well...
-we'll talk about that. -All right.
There's nothing wrong with the carpet.
[David] It has all of the character that I'm looking for in a home.
-[Lulu] Mmm-hmm. -[David] But it doesn't have the old age problems.
-[Lulu] Right. -I really like the house. It's... It is gorgeous,
and... expensive.
[David] But the space that we get here,
the neighborhood is--
-It's a fantastic neighborhood. -Yeah.
I mean, yes, this house is great,
but there's no place to put an ADU.
And it just doesn't have the potential to cash flow,
so I don't know if it's worth the $800,000.
I have a feeling, in this market,
someone's gonna swoop in there
-and offer 50-over or something like that. -Mmm-hmm.
And then... then what do we do?
-Then it's like-- -They are expecting an offer, actually.
So we'll have to see what happens with that.
We don't wanna get in a bidding war.
I'm really looking forward to learning more about the plants that work here.
[Alissa] You can grow anything in Portland.
-[David] It looks great. -[Alissa] You can spit in the dirt
-and grow something in Portland. -[all chuckling]
-That's nice. -I plan on that.
[narrator] David and Will are anxious to call Portland home,
once they agree on a place.
[David] We saw a really interesting lake house.
Yeah, mid-century, "updated" lake house.
But it was really stunning.
[David] The back part of the house that looks at the lake
had a nice modern vibe to it and really sleek.
[Will] But then, if you go to the bedrooms,
it was like stepping back in time.
[David] I'm okay with renovating.
I can totally see myself being there
with easy access to the water.
Lakefront property in Portland,
that's gonna be a ways out.
It's at least a 30-minute drive.
[Will] But don't forget, it has a place for your boat.
Most places in the city aren't gonna have that.
Let's talk about that multifamily,
brand-spanking new,
and it was the least expensive home we looked at.
It got all the modern amenities.
Um, it's so walkable
to coffee shops, restaurants.
[Will] Best thing about it is that it can generate income every month
'cause we can rent out the ADU.
The added income, I think, is a real positive,
but no privacy from the renters.
And it was so small.
[Will] Like, two people and a dog,
we don't need that much space.
[David] Yeah, but there was no place to keep the boat,
and street parking looked very difficult there.
[Will] We saw this the other home, a craftsman.
The neighborhood was very walkable.
Loved the curb appeal of that.
Loved the garage.
Perfect place for my boat. [chuckles]
-[Alissa] What about a boat and a car? [chuckles] -[Will] Nope.
[David] But the downstairs, really open space,
really great kitchen.
[Will] Great backyard for Millie.
I loved the double vanity,
but 2,400 square feet,
that's just overkill.
[Alissa] You wanted an ADU.
So does this house have that?
It does not.
So we're spending all that money for one unit.
Ooh, yet another martini glass.
We decided to purchase the 2017 modern craftsman.
We are so excited about this decision
and our move to Portland.
[Will] I love the modern build,
all the modern amenities, the en suite bathroom.
That's... I'm the most excited about that.
[David] A great kitchen, wonderful garden,
the proximity to the things we want to do in Portland...
Good for margaritas.
I was hoping for a home with a bit more history to it,
but because it's modeled after a craftsmen,
a lot of that charm is still here.
-[both] Hello! -[Lulu] Millie!
It's actually really ironic how we got this house.
There was another couple who came to look at the house three different times,
but they had a boat
and it did not fit in the garage.
So the sellers were worried that it was gonna sit
on the market a little bit longer,
and that's how we got the deal.
Have you measured the garage for your boat?
I did the other day. It fits.
I would have liked to have spent less money,
but we feel so fortunate
to purchase this home outright.
I know that's a huge accomplishment.
Look, I can already see your tomato plant!
-[David] I already planted it. -[all chuckling]
I compromised on an ADU,
which is disappointing,
but I'll figure out a way
to get us to scale up in properties.
[David] So the carpet is a big issue for me.
We'll save up some money and...
and change it.
[Will] And the garage, maybe eventually, you know,
I'll get sad that I have to still park on the street,
but... I might also get over it.
One thing that we did not find yet
in any of the boxes are the knives.
We love so many people in California.
And we love so much about California.
So leaving that behind was a really hard decision.
But we've been talking about it for a long time,
and I think, I personally
was up for an adventure,
and so I'm really excited.
I think that says it all.