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This is the open feel. Yeah, for sure.
I hate the countertops, though.
NARRATOR: Bridget and Kevin have strong opinions
on how the house they buy in Montgomery County, Maryland,
should and shouldn't look.
That's a pretty staircase.
And the ceiling is high.
This is amazing.
There's a lot of, um...faux paint.
It's just kind of odd that some of these pieces
are lighter than the others.
FRANCO: No, it's supposed to be like that.
Yeah, it is different.
NARRATOR: Adding to the challenge,
Kevin insists on a home with a catwalk.
With a catwalk, you can always just look right down
into the family room and say, "I need this."
NARRATOR: Is their agent, who's also Bridget's brother,
up to the task?
It's very...blah.
Is there anything positive here?
[ Doorbell rings ]
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
That is a cool dinosaur, bud. That's awesome.
BRIDGET: My name is Bridget Voritskul,
and I work in the Montgomery County Public School system.
My name's Kevin Voritskul.
I'm an insurance agent in Silver Spring, Maryland.
We've been married for seven years.
No.
11. January of '01.
It's been 11 years since we've known each other.
We have two kids.
Our daughter, Julianna, she's 2,
and our son, Evan, is 4.
And Evan is a lot like Kevin.
Dragons coming up.
[ Growls ]
Very energetic, very goofy, a lot of jokes.
Hey!
[ Laughs ]
I'm Italian.
And I'm Chinese.
Family is a huge part of our life.
Hi, mama.
Hi, mama mia.
Most of our family is right here.
We're all within 10 minutes of each other,
both on my side and on Bridget's side.
Our previous house was a townhouse.
For us, it was great.
But then, once Julianna came along,
we knew that it was time to start looking for another house.
Their toys were conquering the house.
They were everywhere.
NARRATOR: They've been temporarily living
with her parents while they house hunt.
Go feed the goat over there.
No, no, no.
It's been nice having an extra set of eyes with the kids,
and the kids love it.
But we do have that kind of anxiety to get a house.
Will I miss them? 100%.
But they haven't seen the last of us.
[ Laughs ]
NARRATOR: The couple does intend
to buy as close to their parents as possible,
so they're targeting the suburbs here in Montgomery County,
just north of Washington D.C.
Being part of the D.C. suburbs, it's great
because it really keeps us far enough removed from the city,
but if we want to go into the city, we can do that.
It's just a hop, skip, and a jump.
Style is important for us.
I love the colonial, the grand look from the outside.
And we want the open floor plan on the inside.
And we like crown molding.
We like detail but not overboard.
In our house hunt, I've started noticing catwalks.
You know, with a catwalk,
you can always just look right down into the family room
and say, you know, "Hey, Evan, I need this!"
I'm not a big fan of the catwalk at all.
I just see it as being dangerous,
so that's a big disagreement that we've had.
Right.
And you know, also, I play piano,
so I grew up with a grand piano.
I would love to have a grand piano,
so I've been really looking for a living room
where we can put it and fit it right.
So he's looking for a room
specific to something we don't have yet.
I'd like to have one.
This one's nice, but it has three bedrooms,
and we want at least four.
NARRATOR: Kevin would also like a home office.
Kitchen -- Oh, the kitchen's really white.
How do the countertops look to you, too?
They don't look like granite.
My wish list includes an updated kitchen --
stainless steel appliances.
That's a huge factor on my wish list.
A play room is absolutely important for me.
Kind of close the doors and that's it,
you know, with the toys.
The budget that me and Kevin are looking at
is between $600,000 and $700,000,
but under $700,000 because that's really stretching us.
So, meatball in spaghetti sauce today.
Every Sunday.
NARRATOR: Bridget's brother Franco
will be acting as their real-estate agent.
He's very enthusiastic, so it's been nice.
His energy has kind of gotten us pumped up, too.
Bridget and Kevin are different than most of my clients
because Bridget is my only sibling.
But it can be difficult working with family
because I'm constantly on call,
getting texts and phone calls at all hours of the night
in addition to all day long.
NARRATOR: Today, Franco's showing them a spacious colonial
in the town of Derwood, just 20 minutes from their parents.
This is pretty.
I like the front yard.
Yeah, I like the walkway. It's nice.
Hi, guys. How are you?
Good. How are you?
Good. Good to see you.
This is nice.
Yeah, I think you guys are really gonna like it.
It's just over 3,400 square feet.
It's listed at $699,000.
Let's see what we got.
Oh, wow. This is nice.
It's big -- nice and open.
It's a pretty good sized living room. What do you think?
Yeah, this is not bad.
I like the crown molding. It's very nice.
Think this would fit the piano?
I don't know.
It's good space, but a little small,
but I think so.
How do you like the walls? [ Laughs ]
There's a lot of, um...faux paint.
Is that what it is?
There is a lot of faux paint.
It does carry throughout.
But remember, it's just paint.
Kevin and Bridget can get this house for under list price.
With the money they save,
they need to look at this house like a blank canvas.
Hardwood throughout the house.
It's kind of odd that some of these pieces
are lighter than the others.
This is actually Brazilian hardwood.
So you see some of the variation,
which kind of gives it its beauty.
Yeah, so, this piece here, is that a replacement,
or is that how it's...?
No, it's supposed to be like that.
Yeah, it is different.
NARRATOR: There's a half bath off the dining room.
Kevin, this is your high ceiling.
Yeah, I really like that. It's great.
Oh, and I got my catwalk.
Oh, yeah, your catwalk.
I'm not a big fan 'cause of the kids.
There's a lot of faux paint.
Terrible. [ Laughs ]
This space, Kevin,
I think would be a great place for your office.
Or a play room.
Or my office. [ Laughs ]
I love the countertops.
What is this? Is this granite?
This is granite.
The sellers actually updated the kitchen just a few years ago.
I do see an electric stove.
Let's focus on the positive.
There are stainless steel appliances.
But you're right. This is an electric stove.
Yeah, I'm not feeling the backsplash.
I don't like the backsplash.
Really? I mean, at least it's done for us.
Yeah, I don't know if I agree with that.
Nice!
Oh, wow.
Man, it's getting windy out here.
This has an added feature
that we haven't really talked about.
It has a pool.
I don't like the pool, actually.
Why not?
The first thing I think about are the kids.
I can see this being really dangerous.
Maybe what we could do is put a fence around the pool,
and they would add like an extra layer
of protection for them as well.
We have two kids, 2 and 4, and I do not like the pool idea.
But the yard is nice. It's a good sized yard.
That's a good-sized dining room.
I see more every-other faux painting.
It'd be nice if we had a chandelier
so we could actually eat in here,
but I guess that's another thing that we'd have to add.
Man, this carpet doesn't look very clean, either.
And the steps are really steep.
Let me show you the master.
Not a bad size.
Yeah.
I definitely don't think that looks nice.
KEVIN: Yeah, that is a monstrosity.
Well, the good thing is
that there's more faux painting in this room.
So that's great. I'm so excited about that.
It's just paint. It's just paint.
The tub looks like it's a jetted tub.
BRIDGET: Yeah, so that's good.
Told you it's nice.
This can be one of the kids' rooms.
Yeah. I like the double doors.
NARRATOR: A Jack and Jill bathroom
connects to another guest bedroom,
and the fourth bedroom is nearby.
It's not as big as I thought.
Could be the office, could be a guest room.
But this room has its own private bathroom.
Oh, that's nice.
I mean, I like the house.
From the outside, too, it was a nice appearance.
I like the family room -- good, high ceilings.
And we had the catwalk.
Yeah. But the pool is a big thing for me.
And the price point of where this house is at right now,
what I keep thinking about is, you know,
we have to get rid of all this faux paint.
I mean, it has it everywhere.
The house has been on the market for a while,
so we can always put an offer in.
The worst thing they can say is "no."
NARRATOR: Now they're looking at a house
with fewer cosmetic repairs and no pool.
It's really well-manicured.
What's that?
Fun fun.
Fun fun. Good!
NARRATOR: Kevin and Bridget love their extended family,
but they're tired of actually living with them
in Montgomery County, Maryland,
just outside of Washington D.C.
So they're looking for a home of their own in the $700,000 range.
With Bridget's brother as their agent,
they've seen a colonial at the top of their budget
with a catwalk and a pool.
But it needs a lot of cosmetic work.
Today, they're seeing a house in Rockville,
just 10 minutes from where their parents live.
BRIDGET: It's a beautiful front.
I love the entrance.
It's really well-manicured.
It's a beautiful neighborhood.
Yeah, I like how it's really nice and quiet,
and it's kind of secluded from the main road.
This house has five bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths,
and it's just about 3,500 square feet.
It's listed at $720,000.
Oh, wow. That is above --
KEVIN: This better be worth it.
I know this house is over their budget,
but it's in a great location and it's move-in ready.
BRIDGET: Oh, wow. This is nice.
Yeah, I like this. That's a pretty staircase.
And the ceiling is high.
KEVIN: One of the things I didn't see was a catwalk.
And although that might not be important to many people,
these are one of the things that I really think
make the rooms look grand.
It's a small office.
I think it's sufficient.
I mean, it's big enough to fit,
you know, my computer and desk in here.
I like the molding. It really stands out.
This feels kind of like a living/dining room combination.
KEVIN: It feels maybe a little too open.
It's too much of one room.
It's a little awkward.
So, open but not too open.
See? You know.
I don't know where we would put the piano.
But I do like the floors.
BRIDGET: Wow. This is amazing.
Now, this is nice.
This is the open feel.
Yeah, for sure.
I hate the countertops, though. Terrible!
Yeah. Why isn't it granite?
You've turned into my granite diva.
[ Laughs ]
Hey, gas stove. That's a plus.
Stainless appliances. I like that.
Wow. I like this deck.
It's definitely good for entertaining.
And there's a play area out there for the kids.
BRIDGET: Oh, yeah.
And I do see a lot of trees, which means a lot of raking.
You'll be doing the raking.
Franco can help us with that.
Come on, you're our realtor!
BRIDGET: It's nice. It's a good space.
Take a look at the focal point, though, of this room.
Yeah. The fireplace is gorgeous.
Is it gas or wood?
It's actually hooked up for gas right now.
NARRATOR: Next to the family room is a half bath.
These are a lot of steps.
BRIDGET: Oh, this is cute.
FRANCO: It'd be good for a little girl's room.
Yeah, Julianna would love this.
KEVIN: It's like a builder's-grade bathroom,
but I like that there's a dual sinktop up here.
It's a big master bedroom.
This is a really big room.
I see it has the vaulted ceilings,
so it feels nice and high.
Take a look behind you.
It has two of 'em!
Nice!
Yeah.
There's a nice-sized tub over there,
but it doesn't look like it's jetted.
No.
Wow, it's hard to get past the color.
It's definitely tinier. Right.
NARRATOR: A Jack and Jill bathroom connects two more bedrooms.
BRIDGET: This is a good size.
This room actually, I think,
is a little bit bigger than the other ones.
It's a nice house. I like the entrance.
Outside is very nice.
KEVIN: And it's a good neighborhood that it's in.
Yeah. Love five bedrooms. That's a huge plus.
I don't like the living room/dining room,
that confusion.
Is that something we could live with? Probably.
Fireplace is gorgeous.
I like the deck. The deck was nice.
Yeah.
I don't even know if this is something
that we can handle financially.
It's a keeper, but the price is huge.
NARRATOR: So now they're heading to a more budget-friendly place.
This house, it's the cheapest, and it's actually the largest.
KEVIN: Oh, I like how that sounds.
No, the cat goes "Meow." Right?
Yes.
NARRATOR: Bridget and Kevin are eager
to buy a large family home in Montgomery County, Maryland,
just outside Washington D.C.
Working with a $700,000 budget,
they're targeting neighborhoods close to both their families,
and they'd like the house to have some architectural flair.
It looks like they updated it recently.
Oh, look, there's a catwalk.
Oh, I like that catwalk.
Yeah, that one's nice.
Their agent, Franco, Bridget's brother,
has shown them a spacious house with Kevin's catwalk.
But they didn't like the faux paint,
and the pool was a concern for Bridget.
The next home was more updated, but it was pricey.
Now they're seeing a colonial that's well under budget
in the town of Gaithersburg,
20 minutes from Bridget's parents.
It's a nice walkway.
FRANCO: This house, it's the cheapest
and it's actually the largest.
Oh, I like how that sounds.
It's listed at $650,000.
That's good.
This is interesting.
FRANCO: First impression.
When I said catwalk, I didn't mean foyer walk.
You weren't specific. [ Laughs ]
Yeah, and this is -- That's pretty gross.
[ Floorboards creak ]
What is -- what is that?
Yeah, that's noisy.
So, loose board.
Just needs a couple screws.
I noticed the crown molding doesn't really stand out.
Keep in mind,
once you actually paint the walls a different color,
the moldings are gonna pop out a little bit.
You think we'll be able to fit the piano?
I think so.
Straight across into the formal dining room.
Okay.
And what is this I see on the bottom half of the wall?
Relax. It's not faux paint.
Even better, it's wallpaper.
Oh, good, so now I can peel it off and then paint over it!
Everything on the inside needs, pretty much, of a refresh,
and I don't even know if the money
that we're saving on this house is gonna be enough
to cover the cost
of what it takes to get the house where we want it.
Is there anything positive here?
I like the natural light. Yeah.
That's something I want you guys to focus on.
NARRATOR: They see the half bath
on their way to the great room.
BRIDGET: I like the open feel to this.
This is nice.
Oh, I like this room.
Take a look at the ceilings over here.
This is amazing.
KEVIN: Yeah.
Bridget, what do you think of the kitchen?
I like the big, big feel of it,
but it's very...blah.
What does "blah" mean?
There's no -- It doesn't pop.
That's a big refrigerator.
KEVIN: I'm not a fan of these white appliances, either.
And the countertops -- no granite.
No granite.
Remember, this is --
this is the least expensive house that we looked at.
And look how much space this breakfast room has.
Bridget and Kevin need to keep the size of the house in mind.
They're getting a lot of *** for their buck.
NARRATOR: Off the kitchen is a screened-in porch
that could be used as a play room.
BRIDGET: This is nice.
Oh, this is a good little outdoor space.
KEVIN: Oh, look out here.
FRANCO: It's 1.7 acres.
Yeah, that is a lot of land.
Wow. That is a big yard.
But it's not fenced around the pool.
If you look just behind me,
all that land is part of this property.
Well, that's good.
That makes me feel better that there's yard.
Oh, I like the little spiral. This is kind of cool.
The bed is right here?
This master kind of has a couple parts to it,
so let's keep moving into part two.
BRIDGET: Oh, wow. This is like a whole nother room.
It's really big.
BRIDGET: That's a good size. That's not small at all.
NARRATOR: Attached is a full bath.
There are two more bedrooms nearby,
one of which could be an office for Kevin.
Oh, yeah, this is good. Yeah, it's a good size.
There's good light in here, too.
BRIDGET: I like the exterior.
It's a nice presentation in the front.
KEVIN: I like the pool idea.
And if you're worried about the kids,
we can actually make it
so that they just can't get down there.
The side yard makes me feel a little bit better.
The kitchen and the family room, I like the big open space.
There's gonna be a kitchen remodel in our future.
Yeah.
Keep in mind, this is $50,000 less
than any other house that we've seen.
There's a lot of play room there.
There's a lot of work to be done.
NARRATOR: With several strong contenders,
it's going to be a tough job deciding,
or maybe not.
I know the house I want.
NARRATOR: Kevin and Bridget are in the market
for a large family home in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Working with a $700,000 budget, they've seen several options.
Now they have to decide.
BRIDGET: What do you think about the house
with the two-story family room?
The family room was awesome.
The catwalk was awesome.
But then, I know you didn't really like the catwalk.
Right. I'm just nervous for the kids.
The living room was a good size.
And the crown molding.
And that room has a lot of faux paint.
The kitchen was nice, though.
I liked the stainless steel.
I hate the pool.
The house on the cul-de-sac,
that was a nice exterior house.
Right. There's not a lot of through traffic.
And we wouldn't have to worry
about the kids playing in the front.
And walking in, the foyer wasn't too bad.
It was a pretty staircase.
But you know what I do remember
is the living room/dining room.
That was a mess.
I know that we want open,
but I mean, I don't think --
I think that has a weird feel to it.
This is way over our budget.
We could always try to submit an offer that's lower,
and if they take it, that'd be great.
The house with the most land has a very attractive exterior.
Yeah, I agree.
But when we walked in, there was like a foyer walk.
And the entrance. That was terrible.
The living room isn't impressive at all, either.
You would expect something more.
And that room feels really small.
I don't know if we'd be able
to put a piano like I want in there.
The kitchen is a great size.
You know what I do like was the side yard.
Right, that was a lot of land out there.
Which I'm not a fan of.
The best feature of this home is the price.
I mean, it is at the bottom of our budget.
I know the house I want.
It's the house with the two-story family room.
Yeah.
I think, out of all the houses,
that's the one that really stands out.
I think the pool is really not that big of an issue
as long as we keep it covered
and we put a fence around the pool.
Right. I mean, it's a cool entertainment, you know, thing.
Yeah.
All right, let's finish, and then we'll call Franco.
[ Doorbell rings ]
Go get it!
I think we found the perfect house.
It has everything I want. It has everything Kevin wants.
The asking price of this home was $699,000,
and we actually got the home for $675,000
with $10,000 for closing help.
Working with Franco was wonderful.
He's my brother. We've always been very close.
So having him in this very, like, special process
was wonderful for me.
We've made so many changes to the house already.
The house was faux paint everywhere.
We painted the family room,
and it's totally transformed now.
I can see we're gonna be spending a lot of time here.
The exterior, all the trim is white now.
Right, exactly.
[ Laughter ]
Tonight's actually our planned first night in,
so the kids are ecstatic.
Yeah, they're excited, and we're excited, too.
We really picked a house
that we thought our kids would really enjoy.
This one? Okay. Thank you.
I know my kids are gonna love the pool.
I, you know, don't like it too much,
but we're gonna put up a fence right away.
Well, we've already gotten three estimates,
so we're ready to put that in.
What makes this house perfect for me is the catwalk.
You know, we've already instilled the fear
in my children not to even attempt to touch it,
so, you know, yeah.
[ Laughing ] We'll keep our fingers crossed.
But we think they'll be fine.
I actually haven't had a grand piano
since I've been to college,
so it feels perfect just having one back in the house.
I know that's something Kevin really wanted in there.
Well, I really play piano, though,
so it's not just for decoration.
We're very happy to have found a house
that's close to our parents.
Everybody's just accessible.
This was one of the best decisions
I think that we have ever made.
This is a house that I think we can grow old in.