Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
NARRATOR: Television personality Ross Mathews
and partner, Salvador,
are looking for a Palm Springs escape
from the Hollywood fast life.
I like some space.
I like a mister.
I'm not talking about this mister.
I'd like a mister.
But Ross wants practical, affordable,
and close to town.
I can almost, almost see Palm Springs from here.
NARRATOR: And Salvador is all about mid-century modern.
SALVADOR: It's so glam to me.
I love this.
I love that, too.
That might be the ugliest thing I've ever seen.
ARLEEN: Paint it hot pink.
Hot pink doesn't fix everything, Arleen,
contrary to popular opinion.
I think it does.
[ Doorbell rings ]
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Let's go to Ross Mathews first. What do you think?
I like the whole Goldie Loc part.
You know, I connected with you,
but it's hard for me to connect with the hippity-hop music.
But when you bring in a nursery rhyme,
it really builds that bridge for me.
Any time you got Ross hippie hopping...
[ Laughter ]
My name is Ross Mathews.
I live in Los Angeles with my partner, Salvador Camarena.
We met 3 1/2 years ago at a bar right down the street,
and I was on a date with somebody else.
It wasn't a great date.
It's a classic story, you know?
We met at a bar with somebody else.
It's a beautiful story.
NARRATOR: Ross is a television personality
known for his work on "The Tonight Show"
and "Chelsea Lately,"
and Salvador is a wardrobe stylist.
I think red is a good standout for you.
You know I like my red.
SALVADOR: Basically what that is,
is I make people look pretty for red carpets or TV shows.
You know, I have some celebrity clients.
We like L.A. a lot,
but we're here because we work in the industry in this town.
I don't know that I would choose to live in L.A. full time
if I had the choice 'cause it's so nuts.
They prefer the calmer pace of life in nearby Palm Springs,
so they're looking for a vacation home there.
It's an hour and a half, two hours away,
and it's a deep breath.
You like casual.
I like casual.
I like some space.
I like a mister.
I'm not talking about this mister.
I like a mister.
I find it very, like, chic
and sophisticated and glamorous.
And I look into, you know,
the old photos from, like, the '50s
and when it was Hollywood's playground and all that,
and I'm really, really attracted to that aesthetic.
They'd like to spend around $230,000,
but could go as high as $250,000.
I think that's pushing it, right?
That would be -- that's not pushing it.
That's like yanking it, pulling it, shoving it.
I just always imagined
that it would be a little condo somewhere near downtown.
Ross likes it to be walk-able to a coffee shop
and a happy hour and a tsotchke trinket store.
He can care less about what it looks like.
He just wants it to be close to things where he can walk.
And on the other hand, I want it to be, like, a glam palace.
I want mid-century design and great architecture.
I want it to look pretty.
That being said,
the dream would be to have our own pool
because I'm not taking my shirt off
in front of sexy, sleek Palm Springs people.
It is about the pool.
I don't know if we can afford a whole house.
I like the green salsa with those whole-wheaty-chip things.
Yeah.
One thing that we love about the house here
is that it's, like, it's indoor-outdoor,
so we can be in here
and our friends are out there by the fire pit,
sort of, hanging out.
And so in Palm Springs,
it's sort of important to us that, like,
we have a space where we can do that, as well.
And they'd like at least two bedrooms.
We can have a place for my mother,
who I hope will come down about 400 times a year.
Mnh-mnh.
I want you to try it.
The dream has always been for me to retire in Palm Springs
and one day become,
you know, like, the most fabulous honorary mayor
in the history of Palm Springs.
I just want to go to ribbon cuttings
and celebrations and have a little mixer.
And you could be the First Gentleman.
I like that. Very Jackie O.
I like that a lot.
Today their agent, Arleen,
is showing them a home in Palm Springs'
historic Movie Colony neighborhood.
I like that it's downtown, Arleen.
It's right in the center where we want to be.
ARLEEN: It's exactly where you want to be.
But let's turn around and look at the mountains.
That I love.
It's a great view.
This looks like a lot of work, but that looks like a pool.
How much is it?
It is $249,000, but it was $298,000.
Mid-century.
It is that era you like.
I do. I love the bones of it.
When was it built, Arleen?
Okay.
Three bedrooms, three bathrooms.
It's 1,233 square feet.
Three bedrooms, three bathrooms?
Three bedrooms, you're right.
That's a lot of house.
And this is a lot of ugly.
Well, that's landscaping, Ross.
That's not the end of the world. Let's see the house.
I love the doors.
Yeah, I like this whole window thing.
Yeah, it's really cool.
You can see all that.
A lot of glamour.
Okay, let's go see.
Oh, it's bigger than I -- Wow, look at that!
This is what we wanted --
an open kitchen, open entertaining space.
I like this.
Nice, big open space.
Stainless appliances and sink, granite countertops.
I actually love the brick wall,
and the mantel to me feels so Palm Springs 1950-something.
Yeah, this is really unusual.
It's kind of a rose-color mirror detail.
I like it.
It's so glam to me.
You love that?
I love this.
I love that, too.
There's so much potential here we can do
with, like, the courtyard
and all the glass in the house
and, you know, all the beautiful windows and views.
If we spend that much, we can't do anything with it!
So it'll just kind of sit here looking like this.
And we'll sleep on the floor.
Or I'll sleep in the pool.
Salvador can sleep on the floor.
ARLEEN: This could be your master.
ROSS: Now, I love that you can see the pool from here.
But this used to be a garage, I think.
It looks like, since that's the carport,
that this was a garage.
Now, this closet -- what do you think of this closet?
ROSS: You could put a bed in here.
And this is huge!
Sal, this is -- you're like Carrie Bradshaw in this closet.
I think it's too big, though.
We don't need this much room.
We haven't been in the closet for decades.
[ Laughter ]
SALVADOR: Oh, there's the bathtub that I like.
A multi-level bathtub.
Can we just dive in? Arleen, can I dive in the pool?
You don't own it yet. You can't go swimming.
You have to wait.
This is amazing!
We could be people with a pool.
Pool people?
I never thought I could ever be a pool person.
This is the dream.
So here's a bedroom that you could use
as an office or a guest.
This is the bathroom for this bedroom
and the hall bathroom.
Ugh! My least favorite thing in the world.
My least favorite thing in the world.
Pedestal sink.
Ugh.
This room I could picture my mom staying in
'cause it's, you know, tucked away.
And it opens to the courtyard.
SALVADOR: Which is not great.
That might be the ugliest thing I've ever seen.
Paint it hot pink.
Hot pink doesn't fix everything, Arleen,
contrary to popular opinion.
I think it does.
I love that it's mid-century.
Yes, I love that it's in downtown Palm Springs,
exactly the location where we wanted,
but it's a lot of house.
And a lot of money.
And a lot of work, which is a lot more money.
NARRATOR: So now they're going to see a move-in-ready home.
Where -- where are we?
'Cause I have no idea where I am.
You don't get tired of this view,
but you can totally see that we live in, like, city.
Yeah, freeway in the middle.
NARRATOR: Ross and Salvador are hoping to escape L.A.
with a Palm Springs retreat
that has a little mid-century glam
and a pool for under $250,000.
The first place they saw had a pool
and some mid-century charm.
But the high price tag wouldn't leave enough money
for much-needed improvements.
Today their agent, Arleen,
is showing them an updated home in a newer development.
Where -- where are we?
'Cause I have no idea where I am.
We are in Cathedral City.
It's the border city between Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs.
How far from downtown Palm Springs?
'Cause the whole point of doing this --
buying this house -- is to be in Palm Springs.
You're about five miles from Palm Springs.
It's really not that far.
Is that a pool?
This is a community pool.
It's a large, beautiful community pool, actually.
So, wait, for all of these houses, there's one pool?
It's very large.
You know how I feel about community pools.
Like human soup.
Is this it?
This is it right here?
It's to the right.
This house is $249,000.
It's over 2,000 square feet.
SALVADOR: I love the balcony.
It's really pretty, Arleen.
Are their H.O.A. fees in this development?
There are H.O.A. fees.
They're around $200 a month.
Yes.
It's a grand door.
Wow!
I think I'm gonna like it here!
This is, like, done. This is like a house.
This is, like, done.
SALVADOR: I love the clean lines.
But it doesn't feel like Palm Springs.
It doesn't feel like Palm Springs at all.
It feels like we could be in the middle of Omaha.
ARLEEN: I don't want them to be in a vacuum.
I want them to see what their options are,
see what's out there,
and have a good education before they make a decision.
It's a lot of beige, isn't it, in here?
Well, that's the way it's decorated.
I mean, you can always change that.
SALVADOR: Feels resorty like that.
This I love!
I love this kitchen! This is huge!
I feel like I can entertain here.
It's a little dining area outside.
Cute.
It's not big, but it's usable space,
and it's really, really pretty.
It's super-cute, and it's super-private.
Look how tall...
Yeah, the wall's really tall.
ROSS: It feels, like, a little prison-like.
Just a little bit. I know that seems, like, rude.
You're being dramatic.
Am I being dramatic?
You're being drama.
News flash.
I might go perform a crime if this is gonna be the prison.
[ Laughter ]
So, this is a full bathroom.
And is this a bedroom here?
You know, it's not a bedroom 'cause it doesn't have a closet.
So there's three bedrooms and the den.
That's a lot of space.
I kind of love this as an office, though --
this little chair and desk I can take.
I need a little bell.
I like this a lot. And my books.
I like the staircase.
Oh, Rapunzel.
Rapunzel?
I'll let my hair down for you, Sal.
Sold! I want it! Let's move in!
This is an amazing master bedroom!
It's beautiful.
Talk about Rapunzel.
She could throw her hair over the balcony here.
I can't even -- I'm freaking out.
I'm freaking out!
It's really, really pretty.
You know what, Arleen -- I can almost --
almost see Palm Springs from here.
This balcony could be a game changer.
Definitely.
It would take a really good house
to get me out of Palm Springs.
And this is a really good house.
But there's no door on this bathroom, Arleen.
I don't love that.
I don't want to be in a zoo when I shower.
I like to just -- let me close the door.
A zoo? You need to relax.
You know what you're gonna love?
Come with me.
Oh, my God.
Would you look at this?
It's a great walk-in closet.
Here's another full bathroom.
This is good for guests. This is really nice.
I mean, as big as it is,
and I don't know if that's what we need,
I can see our families filling these rooms up
and utilizing all this space and all the bathrooms.
Well, let's go see the community pool.
It's so nice. I mean, look around.
It's a huge pool.
And that's a kiddie pool, and there's a Jacuzzi.
I just don't know that I'm gonna be wanting to, like,
come out here and be like,
"Yoo-hoo, here's me in my teeny-tiny one-piece."
I think you'd be more comfortable
if you had your own pool.
Everybody probably would,
but it just depends on the numbers.
ROSS: There's so much I like about it.
You know, it's so much house, it's so big.
The views are fantastic and beautiful.
Just, you know, open the door and start living here.
We wouldn't have to do a thing.
And that's a real pro.
As much as I love this house,
I wish I could pick it up and move it
to downtown Palm Springs, you know?
Because if that was the case -- sold.
Show me where to sign. I'm done.
NARRATOR: So now they're going to see a place downtown.
Two bedroom, two bathroom.
And look at that!
[ Laughs ]
Nice to get out of L.A. for a few days.
NARRATOR: Ross and Salvador have a $250,000 budget
for a glamorous Palm Springs retreat
from their hectic Hollywood lives.
The first home they saw has a private pool,
but the asking price wouldn't leave much money for upgrades.
The second place is move-in-ready,
but it's five miles from Palm Springs.
Today their agent, Arleen,
is showing them a place near downtown.
ARLEEN: It's a very unusual condo.
So this is a condo.
It's a condo, yes. It's 1,200 square feet.
That's a big condo.
It was $229,000, and now it's $219,000.
It's reduced.
It has two bedroom, two bathroom,
and look at that.
[ Laughs ]
Fiesta!
Are you serious?
Just look past the, you know, the tsotchkes --
Free chips and salsa with this place?
Margaritas on Tuesday.
Oh, my gosh.
Private spa.
I mean, you have to look past all of this
because this can all be changed.
Okay, give me a second to just look at the layout here.
The space is incredible. I love the courtyard.
Sal, do you like that?
I like the space.
I don't think I could get past everything else.
Can you picture yourself
floating on, like, a floatie in here, Sal?
You can't?
This could do for me.
I like having a private water,
sort of, pooly, kind of, space.
It's a community pool, but you'll have your private spa.
Can I tell you something?
I hated it so much when I walked in.
I spent like 30 seconds here, and I'm, like, loving it.
Now I'm, like, into it. It feels festive.
ARLEEN: Come on in. Come on in.
Look at this!
This is a whole lot of lotta.
ARLEEN: But look past all of this.
If you cleared everything out,
what you have is a humongous open space.
Exactly.
Sal, I think you have to envision this a little bit,
like -- it could be very industrial and cool.
Look at those light fixtures in the kitchen.
I love the stove.
And this island is humongous. Sal.
I get it. I get it.
It feels still -- it's all kinds of wrong.
My heart is racing in a bad way.
He's like, "Get me out asap."
And I get it. It is a little, "Aah!"
But maybe I'll convince him.
SALVADOR: I think it would take a lot
for him to convince me to get this place.
Maybe like a million dollars or something.
Maybe a brand-new car.
Is that a blue refrigerator?
It is a cobalt-blue refrigerator.
I never knew before that I wanted a blue refrigerator,
but it turns out I haven't been living till now.
I swear, Sal, if you could just take an eraser
and see just the space...
Honey, do you trust me? This could be the one.
Sometimes.
Today not so much.
I don't know. I'm in love.
They converted this to a dining room,
but this is the second bedroom.
Nothing about this says "bedroom" to me.
This is not a bedroom.
Well, you can make it an office/bedroom,
a pull-out couch or something like that.
We could make this space work. We really could.
I love the flow. Look, you can stand here.
It's all open.
SALVADOR: I do like that,
and I do like the kitchen.
Everything else is hurting my eyes a little,
like physically hurting my eyes.
You're being a little dramatic.
I'm starting to shake.
This house has so much of what we want --
a little spa,
it's in Palm Springs, the perfect neighborhood.
I think it could really be the one.
Get ready for this.
Sal, I need you to take a deep breath.
Why?
Oh, no!
This is so not relaxing.
Again, you can change a countertop,
you can change a sink.
It's not that much to change. It really isn't.
Oh. Oh. I don't think we can all fit.
It's just big furniture. It's not a small room.
I feel like I'm a little kid, like I'm in a giant land.
You know what I mean?
Like in a fairy tale, and I actually feel very petite.
I kind of like it now. I'm looking at my goal weight.
You can't close this off?
Well, you can put a curtain, but it has no door.
Why would they do this? Is this a trend?
I guess it's the trend.
I want a door in my bathroom. Call me crazy.
That's insane.
Oh, look how pretty!
This is gorgeous!
SALVADOR: It's beautiful.
It's really nice,
and you really have that Palm Springs feeling here,
don't you?
The palm trees and the pool and the blue sky.
Oh, it's heated, too.
It is?
Yes! I love it!
I know communal pools aren't my favorite, but --
It's very nice, though.
You can't deny this is perfect.
It's beautiful here, guys.
It's really, really something.
We're gonna have to talk about this one really seriously.
What are we gonna do?
I don't know, either.
NARRATOR: Salvador and Ross are looking to escape
the Hollywood fast life with a Palm Springs vacation home.
They've seen some great options for under $250,000.
Now it's time to choose.
I don't know.
I don't know, either.
Well, let's break it down.
Let's talk about that mid-century house.
Just about, like, Palm Springs.
And it has its own pool,
which I never, ever thought we would get.
But it scares me, 'cause it needs so much work.
Ohh! The idea of doing all that work
when it's supposed to be a place we could just go and relax.
It kind of freaks me out.
The newer construction townhouse.
It's beautiful.
Beautiful and new and fresh, you know?
Then I feel like it's so move-in-ready.
But it's not Palm Springs, remember?
I know, and the whole reason we're doing this is to be here.
And then there's this fiesta house/
could be amazing if you took that stuff away.
I love this place.
I know you were a little hesitant,
but the price is amazing.
It's in the right location.
It really could be perfect for us.
It looks like a piƱata exploded in there.
[ Laughs ]
I mean, I like them all,
but I think I know which house is ours.
Me too.
Okay.
BOTH: ...two, three...
Mid-century!
Shut up! Yes. That's the one.
There's a lot of work to do, though, on that house.
So if we're gonna get it,
Arleen's got to get that price down.
Or it's not gonna happen.
[ Doorbell rings ]
We are sitting here in our brand-new house.
It's not brand-new.
It's from the '50s, but it's our new house.
And we got it for $223,000.
It's just amazing.
Yeah, we stole it.
We feel a little guilty, but...
We got over it.
Our own pool.
How could you feel guilty about that?
As soon as you feel guilty,
you get in the pool and you're like...
"I'm over it."
We wash away the guilt.
[ Laughs ]
I do feel like if we compromised on anything,
it was having a turn-key-ready house.
I mean, we did have to do some work on the outside
to make it liveable.
Sal had this great idea of taking the driveway out.
And what it did was bring the pool
kind of in the front with everything else.
It's all one big yard now.
More of a flow now.
Yes? Yes? For the guest bedroom.
Sal.
Inside was pretty much done for us, I think --
move-in ready.
And we just needed to bring in our own tastes
and our own, you know, aesthetic
and make it feel like Palm Springs on the inside,
with lots of colors and mirrors,
things that are vintage and new --
just the aesthetic of Palm Springs that we both love.
I got this bell 'cause I thought when dinner was ready,
we could tell our guests...
..."Dinner's ready."
That was the old driveway right there.
Where those olive trees are.
I cannot believe we're people with a pool.
I keep thinking that is gonna go away, but it doesn't.
Every time I go in the pool, I go, "We have a pool!"
Except I did still like that fiesta place.
I still think that could be cute.
I learned to follow my gut instinct.
And my gut instinct said,
"Stay as far away from fiesta house as possible."
You don't even drive by it now.
[ Laughs ] We have to go the long way.
If I walk by it,
I have to walk on the other side of the street.
How are you?
When I'm out there,
and my friends and family are gathered,
and we're all hanging out and laughing,
I mean, there's moments when I think,
"It doesn't get any better than this."
[ Screaming ]
WOMAN: Who's next? Come on in!