Twenty-five year old financial planner Rob Benton is trading in his life savings for an overseas paradise. After penny pinching his entire life and living at home, he is going all in on a tropical beach house in Port Douglas, Australia. Will this ambitious Kiwi find a house that hits all the right notes? Or will his dream home have to wait? It is serious business on the laid back shores of Four Mile Beach, when House Hunters lands in the "Jewel of the Pacific Rim.
Todd and Allison Nevins are looking for a lifestyle change. After years of saving, they've decided to sell their Dallas home, and everything in it, for a fiesta-filled fresh start in vibrant Merida, Mexico. Merida is the perfect locale for them to relax, while allowing Todd to run his internet businesses from home. They hope their $335,000 in savings can afford them everything they want in their dream hacienda - 3 bedrooms, a pool, a backyard for their dog, a colonial facade and a garage - all located close to the historic downtown center. But the couple has not yet sold their Dallas home and aren't sure if their life savings are enough to buy a place in Mexico's cash-only system. Real estate agent Keith Heitke attempts to show the couple properties that satisfy their requirements, but keeping it within their budget is tough.
Paul and Wendy Manning's work-filled, U.K. lifestyle is no longer their cup of tea. They dream of a slower pace of life and more family time with their two sons, James and Daniel. Having visited Portugal, they found the town of Alvaiazere to be perfect - rural living, beautiful landscapes and a place where family comes first. And because of the low cost of living, the couple is confident their $350,000 budget will afford them a nice home. However, since they are running their U.K.-based ad business from afar, Paul and Wendy will need to supplement their income once in Portugal. This means their dream home, which already includes 4-bedrooms, a pool and close proximity to a school, must also include a rental property - their plan to make money after the move. Real estate agent Sarah Keogh knows that finding a place with everything that the Mannings want will be tough, but she tries to offer a range of choices, while ticking off as much as possible on their wish list.
Tiffany has an affinity for all things French and her mom Debra is passionate for the arts. Now, their interests have merged while hunting for a bourgeois pad in the city of lights. But with a small budget in the most trendy zip codes of Paris, are frumpy furnishings and dime-sized studios all they can hope for? Find out when House Hunters strolls the boulevards of Paris with real estate agent Caroline Dropsy.
Steve used to be a country-hopping bachelor. But after living in England and the USA, he found his way to Vancouver and into girlfriend Marleen's heart. Canada, however, doesn't feel like home to Marleen, who misses her family and friends. So Steve plans to set sail once again, this time to Amsterdam. But this adventerous couple isn't looking for any old house - they want to live their new life the Dutch way on a houseboat on one of the city's many canals. Their budget of $700,000 shouldn't be a problem for Real Estate Agent Charles Grayson, but Steve wants a real boat. Marleen? She wants an ark, which is a house situated on the water. Finding a new home on the water that these two can agree on will be quite a challenge, especially when they're faced with little space, low ceilings, and gawking tourists. But that's just life on the canals as House Hunters sails to Amsterdam, Holland.
Even though these two Texans have only lived in their custom dream house for a year, Curtis and his wife Sharon have decided to leave it all behind after Curtis received a job offer overseas. Now that the Norwood's are house hunting in the world's fastest growing economy, they're not sure if buying a place downtown, and consequentially diving into the culture feet first, is the right move to make? Perhaps a more western-style suburb would be a safer bet for raising their two kids? As the initial culture shock wears off and the realities of the housing market start to set in, real estate agent Alex Griffiths will hopefully be able to help the Norwoods make the right decision. Join House Hunters as this episode explores the real estate scene in Shanghai, China.
Karl Chong is a former Wall Street banker who grew tired of the daily grind. He quit his job and sunk his life savings into an internet business which he believes will flourish in his ancestral Singapore. With help from his younger brother Chris (who took a year off from college in Australia), karl gets everything nailed down before jetting nearly 10,000 miles from New York City to the Republic of Singapore. Once on the island, Karl and Chris enlist local real estate agent Vicky Willis to help them find a live/work space from where they can run their business. Given their situation, Vicky thinks they should rent and while there are plenty of options, the brothers can't agree on where to live. Chris wants to be in the middle of the action in downtown Singapore but with his life savings on the line, Karl prefers a cheaper place further away from the action.
Martin and Tanya started a love story while living in Spain. They soon parted ways - he to his native Ireland, she to university in Bulgaria, but they're determined to keep their flame going in the medieval city of Veliko Tarnovo. In Bulgaria, foreigners need to buy a business to own property. Luckily for Martin, the entry price into the real estate market is low and he should enough left over to start a bar business. But when Martin arrives, they realize their choices are overwhelming in this underperforming market, where Real Estate Agent Stephane Lambert informs them that prices have been slashed by up to 50%. Will it be the space and charm of village life? Or the convienience of of modern city life that will woo Martin and Tanya? Find out when House Hunters journeys to ancient Veliko Tarnovo.
