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NARRATOR: The sand, the sun, the surf.
From ocean swims to sunset strolls,
this is beachfront living,
and it's only for the rich...
or so you thought.
I wouldn't ever think that we'd be able to get a view like this
for $299,000.
Million-dollar view right there, I guarantee you that.
Today, we're beachfront bargain hunting
the abundant waters of Matlacha, Florida.
TONI: Right around the corner, you're in big open water.
KANDACE: That's just less than a minute.
It's a stone's throw, practically.
NARRATOR: This fishing village
is known for its vivid art galleries, seafood restaurants,
and traditional Floridian cottages.
Is there room for a pool back here or what?
Beachfront homes here sell for as high as $2 million...
That's really close.
...but we're searching for a place to drop a line
all for under $200,000.
And we want to be right on the water.
You walk right into a view. Look at that, Dad.
RICHARD: Look at that water view.
Look, you can see Sanibel right there.
NARRATOR: Get ready to beachfront bargain hunt.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
That was pretty good.
You will catch something with that out there.
I'm Kandace.
And I'm Richard.
And we're looking for a vacation home
here in Matlacha, Florida.
We do everything as a family.
We work together, we have a business, we travel together.
We just can't imagine doing anything kind of on our own.
Our family business is new technology communications.
We do copper, fiber,
anything to do with telecommunications or data.
We live just outside of Wichita, Kansas, in a rural community.
Kansas winters do get cold.
It's kind of prompted us to come down here.
Kandace and Dad found Matlacha, Florida,
and the small-town feel of it, and they fell in love.
It's island-y.
Almost every home is on the water.
You have a boat launch, kayak launch --
just all possibilities.
I was looking online, and I did see this one.
However, I don't know if it's gonna be in our budget.
Driving around,
it seems like every home here in Matlacha is on the water.
Gosh, this is a dream. Look at this.
The palm trees right in front of the water.
RICHARD: Isn't that nice, though? It really is nice.
We weren't sure if we were gonna be able to afford
something on the water.
What do you think, Dad?
I don't know that this one's gonna be in our budget.
I think you guys better look for a real-estate person.
I'll tell you that.
We're excited to get the process rolling.
We've been looking for some time, and we're ready to move.
KANDACE: We've been saving for a while now,
and we would just like to get down here
and find our own piece of paradise.
TONI: Why Matlacha?
This area has really struck us.
Mom and I really like the quaint little shops,
Dad loves to fish. Sage likes the water.
So you want to tell me a little bit
about what you're looking for in a home?
It's not a primary home,
so we're not looking for anything extravagant.
Okay.
Ideally, we would like three bedrooms, two baths.
Mm-hmm.
And it goes without saying, we want to be on the water.
Of course, that's number one.
You know, whatever we have to give up, sacrifice,
compromise to be on the water is what we'll do.
Easy access to the water would be the main thing for me --
just the fact that we don't have to drive somewhere
and put in a boat.
We want the boat there.
Well, Matlacha's the perfect place then,
because everything here is on water.
And then what price range were you thinking about?
What would you like me to stay under?
All right.
With your price point, I'm not sure what I'll be able to find.
If I do find something out of the area just a little bit,
you're open to taking a look at it?
We'll take a look. As long as it's on the water.
Oh, look at that.
Nice boats.
That's really nice.
RICHARD: Nice boats in here.
Nice neighborhood, too.
And it's just a few houses down and you're in the open water.
Look at that waterway there.
You could put a good-sized boat through here.
Look at that one.
Oh, I think this is it.
This one does have a carport and a lot of yard maintenance.
Looks like it could be a larger lot.
Some pretty houses down this.
It's gorgeous.
Look at all the palm trees on this lawn.
TONI: The first home that I'm gonna show the family
is called Bayshore.
The home is absolutely darling.
It is on water, the view is amazing,
and there's room for a pool.
Welcome to Bayshore.
It's a two-bedroom, two-bath listed at $188,000,
it's on the water, and I think you're gonna love the view.
I want to tell you right now,
there are other interested parties.
But I do want to show it to you
just in case you might want to make a higher offer.
Sounds really good.
All right, take a look at this.
Is there room for a pool back here or what?
This would really work.
I think you've got room for an Olympic-sized swimming pool
over here.
I think it's big enough that we could cover it with a lanai.
Maybe a little, you know, reading area.
It's big enough for a pool house, as well -- a small one.
Oh, yeah. I like that.
It's a large lot.
TONI: It is. It's an oversized lot.
I can really see the family out here together.
I'm really excited about this one.
Okay, let's go ahead and go around
and take a look at the interior.
Right into the kitchen.
It's bright.
Yeah, nice view.
Oh, nice.
The kitchen's small.
It's functional.
But it does need a little remodeling.
The cabinets look dated.
Look, you can be right here in the kitchen,
see through the living room right to the view.
I like the placements of the couch.
Toni was saying that this is a two-bedroom, Sage.
So this looks like maybe the third bedroom.
[ Chuckles ]
Pull-out couch.
Little pull-out couch, maybe.
Whoa. Check it out.
It's really bright, but I like it.
It's got a king bed.
Yeah, that's true.
It is big enough for a king bed.
This one isn't too bad.
It's not bad.
A little small.
It's updated -- no remodeling.
It's the second bedroom.
It's tight. It's really small.
You have an exterior view to the water and the lanai.
RICHARD: Oh, that's great.
We still need to find the next bathroom, though,
if it's a two-bath.
Toni did say there was two baths.
Well, where's it at?
It's a small house. How could we have missed it?
I don't know. We're gonna find out.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, it opens all the way.
And it keeps going.
Oh, wow. That really opens up the small house.
Hey, that is ni-ice.
That's great.
It's like removing a whole wall.
Where's Toni at?
TONI: Well, hey, Richard. You sound distressed.
Well, I can't find that bathroom.
Well, let me show you.
Come over here and take a look.
There you go.
Look at that.
Oh, my gosh. It is real.
It's a real bathroom.
Pretty good-sized. It needs remodeled, but --
It's a full bathroom. Can have a party in here.
Thanks for helping us find it.
[ Laughs ] No problem.
Come on out here, guys.
I would call this a little bonus.
I think you're gonna like it.
KANDACE: A bonus room.
You could either put another bedroom, a workshop,
boat house, whatever you want to do here.
Definitely have to be a bedroom. It does need work.
I like that idea. That's a good idea.
TONI: Come out here and take a look at this dock.
You're the one that wants to drop his line in the water.
Would you do it anywhere else better?
This one looks like it's ready for a boat lift.
It is. It doesn't have one in now.
That's another thing you're gonna have to add.
That's just another cost.
But this is only $188,000.
But we just got to put everything in the budget.
You know, if we're entertaining a pool,
we'll have to throw that in there.
But I will say, there is room for a pool.
Yes, there is.
Well, it's -- I don't know.
We'll just have to think about it.
Well, there are some other properties to see.
Okay, well, let's look around, see what you think.
Yeah, that sounds good. I'd like to see more.
Good.
We've got the bay right there.
We're only one house from the bay.
RICHARD: And I don't think it'd take very long to put the boat in
and get on out here and get fishing when I want to do.
Hey, hey. Look, guys. Look at the bird up there.
SAGE: I believe it is.
One thing I love about Matlacha
is just the fact that two steps out your back door
and you can drop a paddleboard or a kayak
and you're off.
You've canoed before, right?
Nope.
You've never canoed?
Nope. Ain't had no reason to.
Matlacha is a great place
for the family to get out on the water,
do a little kayaking.
I can take Deuce with me and just get together,
kind of explore the little islands, the mangroves.
This is my kind of kayaking -- somebody else paddling.
Queen of the boat, right, Kandace?
Hey, I prefer princess.
Who needs an electric motor when you've got Dad?
Oh, look at the color scheme here on these cottages.
Oh, my gosh. Look at this.
Sea horses and fish -- Where do you get away with that?
Right here.
I can see a canal from over here.
So all of these homes along here are on water.
I'm seeing a lot of different sizes of canals.
That concerns me.
The next house I'm going to show the family is Coco Plum.
The price is amazing.
It is a great bargain for a home on the water.
Welcome to Coco Plum.
It's a two-bedroom, one-bath,
and they're only asking $155,000.
Hard to believe, isn't it?
It's on the water.
Wait till you see the water view.
So why don't I just send you guys in,
take a look at the house, and I'll meet you out back.
Okay, that sounds good.
Ooh. This is cozy.
Look. That's awful close.
That's a low ceiling.
This is definitely a fisherman's cottage, kind of.
And looks original.
[ Chuckling ] Original.
I wonder what year it was built.
This would be a remodel for sure.
This would definitely be a remodel.
I don't even know if you could put much furniture in here.
Everything is right here.
We've got the kitchen, a little dining area.
I don't know.
This one would be a lot of work for sure.
We could remodel, but you're not gonna gain any space.
Well, the one thing about this house
is it's well on the bottom end of our budget.
But you're not gonna remodel space
unless you add a second floor.
[ Chuckling ] It could get pricey.
Yes.
It's tight.
Well, let's see if there's any redeeming features outside.
That's a good idea.
Oh, now, this is nice.
We've got the bay right there.
We're only one house from the bay.
Oh, that's nice. Absolutely.
And I don't think it'd take very long to put the boat in
and get on out here and get fishing when I want to do.
That's what I'm here for.
Well, hey. How's it going?
KANDACE: Well, this is definitely
the really nice part of the house.
Doesn't get any better than that.
That's really close.
TONI: What you're looking at right now is Matlacha Pass.
So you can take your boat out there
and then go back around in the mangroves there,
drop a line, great fishing around the mangrove area.
So, why don't you tell me what you thought about the place?
I mean, sitting out here is wonderful,
but I think we're just gonna keep looking.
Let's go.
Oh, see?
You can see water in between every house down every road.
There's gonna be no yard maintenance with this.
No, there is no yard.
But it's really cute.
That's never a bad thing, I mean, when you're on vacation.
To mention when you're not here,
you're not paying anyone to come do the yard.
That is very right.
I'm just about ready to show the family Manatee Manor.
It's in Matlacha, which is exactly where they wanted to be.
We've got the water for Richard
so he can come out and drop his line,
and they can go boating and do whatever they would like.
This is the perfect place for them.
Welcome to Manatee Manor.
Okay.
So, this is our beautiful water view back here.
What do you think?
You know, Toni, it is on the water.
Once you get out right around the corner,
you're in big, open water.
That's just less than a minute.
It's a stone's throw, practically.
Sounds good.
Let me tell you a little bit about the house.
It's $249,000.
It's a two-bedroom, two-bath.
I'm just wondering a little bit about the two-bedroom,
but let's get in there and take a look.
Okay, come on in.
Go around to the front here, and we'll take a look.
[ Sighs ] I am loving this house.
The color -- it's great.
Island-y.
Yeah, this is definitely island-y.
Look, you can even see out to the canal from here.
I love the shutters.
Look at those Bahama shutters.
Roomy, spacious.
This is big for being on the island.
Yep.
I think this is all right -- fancy.
Looks like a sleeper couch
can solve the temporary third bedroom.
That's true.
Floor's all tile. I love that tile.
Spacious.
I like it. I do, too.
Formal dining room.
Yeah.
Look at the little work area.
Not that we'll be doing a lot,
but you could put your laptop down and tinker around.
Yeah.
Oh, I can already tell I like the bathroom.
It's very updated.
Look at this baby.
Look at this shower.
I can enjoy this. This is nice.
KANDACE: This has a ton of room.
I mean, for such a little space, there's a lot of room in here.
It's good.
This is really nice.
I wonder if this is maybe
the smaller of the two bedrooms.
You could probably squeeze a king in here if you wanted to.
The fan is really unique.
This is nice. I really like this.
RICHARD: Oh, my. Look at this place.
Do you like that height, Dad?
It'll work great for me.
That's really perfect.
And, ah, once again, the view and my favorite little shutters.
I do like those.
How great is that?
So you don't even have to have the doors open,
but you still have the view.
That is awesome.
If we're paying for a view,
I want to enjoy every minute I can.
Those shutters are absolutely wonderful.
Second bedroom, which seems to be the master bedroom --
very big.
You like this one?
I like this really well.
You could get a king in here and still be comfortable.
I think so.
And the master bath. Nice.
This one's got a full tub instead of a stand-up shower.
That is nice.
These could be yours and moms.
I'll take it. Really nice. Very spacious.
Yep.
Hey, Toni.
TONI: Okay, so, what do we think?
I think it has that island-y feel we're looking for.
It's so cute.
It is.
Tall ceilings.
Furnishings included.
I like that, yeah.
Okay, bring your toothbrush.
Toni, this is so cute.
Well, I have some more stuff to show you.
Let's get going.
Let's do it.
All right.
I'm gonna toss this out.
You want to place a wager who catches the first dinner?
I want to wager whether you get it in or not.
All right.
[ Laughter ]
Just love the fact that we can try new things here in Matlacha.
Oh, my God! I got one.
Got one? Easy. Slow.
Get him, get him, get him.
Get him.
Oh, we got him.
RICHARD: I was really impressed with Kandace.
I didn't even know she had skills like that.
She caught a crab, and I couldn't believe it.
KANDACE: Think you can get it? Ew!
There you go.
Dinner.
This next house is out on St. James City.
Okay.
But are you gonna be open to it?
I don't know. I like Matlacha.
Pretty hard for me to change my mind.
And, Sage, I think you're open.
Oh, I could tell by the way you're looking around,
you like this area.
I'm not gonna argue. The views are nice.
It is nice.
It'd have to be a pretty impressive house
to get you guys out of Matlacha, isn't it?
It sure will be.
The fishing cottage is located in St. James City.
I'm showing the home
because Richard and Kandace and her family
wanted wide-open water,
and out here, they're at the tip of the island,
just minutes away from boating and fishing.
It's absolutely beautiful.
It's a two-bedroom, one-bath, beautiful view,
it's only 10 miles away from Matlacha,
but the view's so amazing,
I couldn't help but bring you here.
It's listed at $197,000,
and there's something very interesting about this property.
I know that that looks like the front door,
but it's really not the entrance any longer.
This is.
Back when they built these properties,
it wasn't about the view.
So instead of having the bedrooms
in the back of the house,
which is the way it was built,
they've moved the bedrooms to the front of the house,
and they've put the living area in the back of the house
to where you can enjoy that beautiful view.
Oh, that sounds good.
So when you go inside and take a look,
you're gonna absolutely love it.
I promise you. Okay?
I'm just excited to go look.
Let's go.
This is nice.
You walk right into a view.
Look at that, Dad.
Right on the water.
Yeah, that's nice.
I like this. Look at that water view.
Look, you can see Sanibel right there.
That's beautiful down through there, isn't it?
Yeah, that's gorgeous.
Oh, you're on the water.
You can't see the neighbors. It's secluded.
Yeah, this would be nice in the winter or the summer.
Oh, I could enjoy this, baby.
I'm telling you, this is really nice.
Is that where we're gonna see you most of the time
Both.
Oh, right into the kitchen. That's nice.
Those are not original cabinets. Those are newer cabinets.
Do you think Mom would like to do dishes right here
where she can take a look at Sanibel?
As long as she's doing them and not me.
[ Laughter ]
You know Kandace isn't doing them.
No, I don't do dishes. I do take-out.
Oh, it's got a dishwasher.
We don't even have to worry about it.
I like the view. Look at that.
That's nice out there.
You can just fix lunch and go right out here,
and you can look down the canal.
Wow. Check this out, guys.
Pretty nice, huh?
This is bright. I like it.
But I'm not much on paneling.
SAGE: Low ceiling. View is nice.
I love this.
This is absolutely beautiful.
Oh, that's perfect. That's nice.
I could stay out here all day long.
Yeah.
You know, we could put just a little table here
where you could eat and look out
if we're gonna make the sun-room our family room.
Yep. Looks good. Looks real good.
Well, what do you think this is?
The doors are odd.
I think it's maybe a bedroom.
I don't know.
It has a window.
Yeah.
Oh, this is different. What is this, guys?
What do you think this is?
I think it's a closet.
It is, isn't it?
It's got closets in a closet then.
Not big, but it'll work.
Maybe just a really small, little office, you know?
SAGE: We need bedrooms.
It's more closet than bedroom.
[ Laughs ]
Where would you put a bed?
You wouldn't.
Maybe a single cot there.
Yeah, maybe.
This must be what Toni was talking about
when she said this used to be the front of the house
and now it's a bedroom.
RICHARD: Well, it's pretty good-sized,
and I think it's my bedroom now.
Dad and Mom win.
That's right.
You have no door.
That's all right. No privacy.
You can go right --
Well, Sage can put a door on for me.
How about that?
Oh, I think we've got storage or the old front porch.
I don't know what it'd be used for.
Greenhouse.
Maybe lawn chairs.
It'd be a great place to store your stuff for the beach area, wouldn't it?
Yep, I think so.
TONI: So, what did you think?
The view is outstanding.
That's exactly what puts the value in this property.
Is that Sanibel that we can see from here?
Yes, you can see Sanibel right ahead.
That is amazing.
This is what it's all about. This is what you're looking for.
The only downside I can see, Toni, is it's not in Matlacha.
This is an absolute amazing value out here for St. James.
Well, we've seen some great properties.
Well, we've got a few things to talk about,
but we just got to decide what we want to do.
Okay, great. Just call me when you're ready.
Thanks, Toni. Appreciate it.
You're welcome.
I'm ready.
Let's just hope we're all thinking the same one.
Okay, Dad, Sage, what are you guys thinking?
I know there's one I really don't want.
Oh, Coco Plum.
RICHARD: Oh, yeah, yeah.
It's a little too short in there for what we're wanting.
I agree. The low ceilings and no room for a pool.
Yeah, I think you're right.
Okay, so I think we all agree on that,
but what do you guys think about Bayshore?
There's a lot of things I like about Bayshore.
I like the price.
And you could get your pool.
It's got an excellent view.
There's some remodeling that needs to be done.
But it's in budget.
And I see possibility for a third bedroom.
You could work your magic on that.
Toni did mention that some other people were looking at it.
And that's gonna bump the price up.
It means we're gonna have to be tight.
Got to give a few things up once in a while
to get what you really want.
Especially on our budget, we have to compromise.
Manatee Manor -- I'd have to say that'd be one of my top picks.
It's move-in-ready.
There's no remodeling.
I know it's not the perfect spot in Matlacha for you, Dad,
but that house is outstanding.
The tall ceilings -- I haven't seen that too many times.
And the crown molding.
We have to remember, you know, the two bedrooms,
but the house is big enough
that we could make the living room work with us.
Even if one had to live out in the living room,
you're not gonna feel cramped.
And I feel like I'm on a vacation when I'm in that home.
But...
No pool, I know.
There's not even room for a pool there, was there?
No, there's no room.
Let's talk about the fishing cottage in St. James City.
That one really surprised me.
I didn't think I wanted to go out of Matlacha.
Yeah.
The view was excellent.
And the proximity to Sanibel --
you hop on a boat,
you're there in 10 minutes on the beaches.
The only drawback for me is it's not in Matlacha.
It did have some small rooms, too.
It was two-bedroom, and one of them,
I don't know it you could really consider it a bedroom.
You're right. Does need a lot of remodeling.
I know you're good at that,
but do you want to spend your time on vacation
doing a remodel?
But the price was really good,
so I think we should still think that one over.
All right.
And I think I kind of know what I'm leaning towards.
Do you guys?
I know which way I'm leaning.
You know? Dad?
Well, I think I'm ready.
I think I'm ready, too.
Let's just hope we're all thinking the same one.
Okay, guys, so you brought me all the way to the beach.
Have we made a decision?
We've made a decision.
Think so.
Well, what is it?
We've decided...
Bayshore.
Oh, I'm so happy for you.
For me, it was having the possibility
to the third bedroom.
RICHARD: That view to the gulf
was just absolutely great, definitely.
Just beautiful.
Okay, wonderful.
But let me just remind you,
there are other interested parties on this property,
so we're gonna have to go in a little bit higher
than the other ones.
We were expecting it.
All right, great.
Let's go get this on paper.
Let's do it. All right.
How's it going, Dad?
Looks good to me.
A little shrimp would be great.
Having a home here in Matlacha is just a dream come true,
and I'm glad it has become a reality.
I love it.
It beats Kansas.
It beats Kansas.
Bayshore was the best choice for the family.
Dad can just walk out and fish.
I'm only 30 minutes away from the airport to the front door,
and then I'm on the water.
I think I'll get my pool.
All we need is the perfect boat.
Sounds real good to me.
I'm on the island, I get to spend more time with my family,
and I'm out of the cold.
It couldn't get better than that.
You guys getting hungry?
I think we're gonna be starving.
You better order something.
[ Laughter ]