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NARRATOR: Scott and Angie have decided these sandy shores
blow their current day-to-day life out of the water.
I got to be out the door in 10 minutes.
[ Baby crying ]
And so they're packing up their hectic Minnesota lifestyle...
I'm so sick of driving in traffic.
...for a life in Nicaragua
where they can leave their cares surfside.
All right, Angie!
But when it comes to the house hunt,
Angie's more pragmatic approach starts to make waves...
SCOTT: I like that. You can just walk five feet to the pool.
...especially when it comes to their daughter, Elsa.
ANGIE: But then we have to worry
about Elsa being able to open the door and running out.
I just shoot by the hip, fly by the seat of my pants.
I mean, I just want to stand here all day.
You guys can look at the house.
I'm just gonna watch the surfers.
I don't know if we can afford it.
I have dreams, so when I heard her say that,
it did bring me down.
Dreams and reality go head-to-head...
...in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.
[ Doorbell rings ]
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Oh, this is a nice view.
It's beautiful.
Scott and Angie are busy engineers
making the most of their little free time together.
We love to travel a lot and be very athletic,
adventurous, active.
NARRATOR: And after the arrival of baby Elsa,
they've committed to leaving the daily grind of St. Paul behind.
SCOTT: We work eight hours a day,
spend a couple hours in traffic,
just wasting our lives away.
NARRATOR: After a recent trip,
they decided that the slower-pace life in Nicaragua
was more their speed to raise a family.
ANGIE: We went surfing there,
and we fell in love with that lifestyle.
People down there value, like, their families
and life so much more.
I'm just excited to spend more time with her.
She's only young once.
NARRATOR: The move will allow Angie to stay home with Elsa
and Scott to make his own schedule
as an engineering consultant.
Nicaragua's a perfect country to do that.
It means that we can escape
from the rat race in the United States
and kind of relax again.
NARRATOR: But Angie is concerned
about what she'll have to leave behind
in order to achieve their dream life.
So, are you pumped to move down there?
ANGIE: Yeah. There's a lot going on
in my head right now, but it's exciting.
SCOTT: Yes, it's a big change.
I mean, it's gonna be a huge adjustment for me.
Away from family, it's gonna be really hard.
Kind of nervous, but excited.
NARRATOR: Scott and Angie leave
the comfort and stability of St. Paul behind
to regain the lost hours of their lives
in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.
San Juan Del Sur is a great town
on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua.
You have the Bay of San Juan in town,
which is where all the action is.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
It is one of the best locations in Nicaragua for tourism,
plus tons of expats are coming in.
But the town has managed to keep its personality
in terms of all the local Nicaraguans
that are here enjoying it.
[ Conversing in native language ]
I love coming down to work
and seeing the guys fixing their fishing nets,
and then I have to wait
for a bunch of cows to cross the street.
The great part about living in San Juan
and working in real estate
is the wide range of properties that are available.
Narrator: But the challenge for real-estate agent Justin Fahey
lies in finding Scott and Angie a property
that fits both their dreams and their budget.
What you looking for?
I think at least two bedrooms, maybe three.
We'd like to be close to town.
We don't want to have a car.
We'd like to be a part of the community if possible.
The reason there is that if Angie's gonna be home with Elsa,
it'd be awesome for her
to have some people to mingle with during the day.
What's the budget that we're trying to come in under?
Well, I think the upper limit on our budget is $150,000.
What else are you looking for?
It'd be nice to have a pool. That would be excellent.
We don't have too many of those in Minnesota,
especially this time of year.
Preferably near the beach, on the beach would be amazing,
if you can work that out.
For under $150,000, huh?
Okay.
NARRATOR: With mostly guest houses and hotels
located within the town limits,
Justin finds an unorthodox way to keep them in budget,
but take them to the beach.
[ Car door closes ]
All righty, guys.
We are right in the middle of town
at the Hotel Villa Isabella.
Okay. Wait, wait. Hotel?
So, this isn't stand-alone?
Right. It's not stand-alone,
but the reason I wanted to show it to you
is it fits the budget.
It's for $127,500.
It's 2-bedroom, 2-bath,
fully furnished, low-maintenance.
It's got a pool.
You're only 2½ blocks away from the beach.
I love that the beach is so close, right in town.
You can feel the town, the liveliness of the town.
I like that.
That's nice. It just looks really busy.
Yeah, it's a beautiful afternoon.
There's a lot of people out and about in town.
Okay.
All right.
All right. Here we go.
Unit 3 at Hotel Villa Isabella.
ANGIE: My first thought is, it's really dark in here.
Yeah, you're on the first floor here, and it is a little dark.
But if you think about it in the long run, it's nice and cool.
So when you and the baby are trying to take a nap,
you'll be able to enjoy that, as well.
So, the rooms are back here.
You've also got the kitchen area right here.
I think it's okay. Pretty basic.
Definitely a little outdated, I think.
I do like the ease of the Hotel and the management.
If we decided to go that route, that's very appealing.
But the aesthetics maybe aren't our speed.
Here's the first bedroom right here.
Has its own bath, has a door right out to the pool there.
I got to check out how close the pool is.
Go right ahead. Have a look.
Wow, okay.
That's really close, actually.
ANGIE: It is nice.
But then we have to worry about Elsa being able
to open the door and running out and jumping in the pool.
That's true. That is true.
We're bringing our daughter down here,
and I don't know how comfortable I feel
with this space for her, I think.
Why don't we have a look in the back at the next bedroom?
Okay.
All righty.
Okay. Well, I like the two beds,
but it does kind of have
a little bit of a hotel-room feel.
I don't know. How do you feel about it?
It's okay.
So, this is a little bit different
from what you guys described as what you wanted,
but what do you think?
Well, the first obvious thing is location.
It's in town and it's very near the beach.
I mean, we can see it. We can smell it.
That's great.
You just walk out from the bedroom
and jump right in the pool.
That's very appealing.
It's a little dark for me, a little claustrophobic.
And I think maybe we'd be interested in seeing
some stand-alone houses to compare.
FAHEY: The hardest thing for Scott and Angela
is gonna be trying to decide between some of their criteria.
Scott's got his eyes on the beach and some surf lessons.
Angela is thinking about the logistics of raising a child.
Having a baby in town -- might have some sleepless nights.
We are coming into a yoga-based development.
NARRATOR: It's impossible to find what they're looking for within town,
so Justin pushes them outside the city limits.
There just seems to be one thing missing, and that's the beach.
FAHEY: It's probably about 20 minutes away.
SCOTT: All right, let's go and get a surfboard, huh?
All right.
Look at the waves coming in.
NARRATOR: Scott and Angie are risking stability in St. Paul
to escape the daily grind
and live their dream life in San Juan Del Sur.
MAN: Probably the best board would be this one.
This one's got some width and some volume.
Over the years, its low cost of living
and endless supply of fun in the sun
has made San Juan Del Sur a haven for expats
looking to escape the 9:00-to-5:00 cycle
for a less hectic lifestyle.
But without anywhere to call home,
Scott and Angie's dreams are in jeopardy of being crushed
by a wave of reality
unless they can find a place
where Angie feels comfortable being left alone.
She wants to be part of the community
if I'm away from the house.
NARRATOR: While the condo at Hotel Villa Isabella
comes in under their $150,000 budget
and provides Angie with plenty of company,
she may be having second thoughts
about living in the center of town.
It's okay.
Just looks really busy.
Seems a little too communal.
I know I said I wanted community,
but I want privacy, as well, if it's out there.
FAHEY: So, the next part of the strategy
is to show them something that is stand-alone.
If you don't have a car, it could be a pain,
but it really only costs about $1 to take a taxi into town.
NARRATOR: In an effort to make Angie feel more at home,
Justin takes them just outside of town to a yoga collective.
So, this is a community?
FAHEY: This is a development, so, again,
maybe you could bum a ride to town if you needed one.
ANGIE: He said there's expats living here.
There's a community here.
There's yoga here, which I'm excited about.
All right. So, here we are, brand-new 2-bedroom house.
This is just completed, coming in at $99,900,
so it's under 100 grand.
So, this is new construction?
Brand new. Just got finished.
That's nice.
Yeah, just seems to be one thing missing,
and that's the beach.
How close is the beach?
The beach, well, if you want to go surfing,
it's probably about 20 minutes away.
I'm a little skeptical based on that, but...
Let's check it out.
All right, let's have a look.
Wow. Okay. Yeah.
FAHEY: Yeah.
You're getting all the furniture you see,
plus this is all brand-new.
So, Angie, what do you think of the kitchen?
New appliances -- I really like that, lot of counter space.
Yeah, the kitchen's nice. I like the open space.
I love the inside space.
Everything was new, which was a big plus.
The aesthetics, I really liked.
I like the natural light.
And there's great light in the bedrooms, as well.
Do you want to have a look?
All right.
Let's check out the master.
Has its own bathroom.
Okay. It's nice.
It's a little small for a master bedroom.
Yeah. I like the king bed, though.
That's nice for us.
FAHEY: The guest room and the guest bath are both back here.
Okay.
Like it. It's pretty small, though.
It would work for a baby room for Elsa.
It might be kind of tight
to have another bed in here for a guest.
Yeah. Ideally, that room would be a little bit bigger.
If we want to have friends and family come,
I would like them to have some more space.
Space inside is small,
but my favorite part of the house is outside.
Huh?
Wow.
Okay, yeah. This is pretty great.
Yeah, and you can see there's a path
all the way around the house.
You got plenty of room to enjoy the outdoors.
And you're private.
You don't have any neighbors right here.
They're just right over the hill
where the pool and the common area are.
Okay, yeah, 'cause you really do feel
like you're kind of in a jungle setting here.
It's a little different than I imagined.
We imagined being right on the beach.
This is a different flavor, but I'm kind of --
This is definitely growing on me.
So, what do you think, Angie?
I love the new construction.
You did mention there's a pool.
What's the deal with that?
Well, you're part of a development here.
There's about 10 other houses in there.
There's a nice common pool area
with the yoga studio and a little kitchen
that everybody's allowed to use, as well.
You know, that might be nice.
I still feel a little isolated out here.
So, there is no beach view. There's no water view.
Again, we moved down to Nicaragua
to really see the ocean, and this doesn't have that.
Trust me. You're gonna like it when you get up there.
All right, 'cause you're getting me a little nervous
with this road here, Justin. I don't know.
This is not quite as close to town as we were thinking.
Yeah?
NARRATOR: Justin attempts to deliver
the beach house of Scott's dreams.
Oh, wow. Look at that, Angie. You can actually see the break.
This is phenomenal.
You know, take it out to where you think the break is
and you can stand out there and then set the board up.
NARRATOR: Scott and Angie
have left their cares behind in St. Paul
and are taking full advantage of time together
in San Juan Del Sur.
All right, Angie!
Yeah, there you go!
And with Scott working
as a part-time engineering consultant in town,
he's freeing himself of the constant pressure
of a 9:00-to-5:00 job.
Coming to San Juan Del Sur, it means that we can escape
from the rat race and kind of relax again.
It means that I'm gonna have more time with my family
to really slow down and appreciate that pace of life.
Is it time for a cerveza now?
I think so.
NARRATOR: But with a budget of $150,000,
choosing a home isn't such an easy decision.
While House 2 won't leave Angie isolated...
FAHEY: It's stand-alone.
It's part of a community, but you have some privacy.
ANGIE: It has the yoga. It has a pool.
Some expats live here.
NARRATOR: ...its jungle location
crushes Scott's dreams of being on the sand.
Just seems to be one thing missing and that's the beach.
FAHEY: So my strategy now is to show them a property
that's gonna be near a surf beach.
The budget they have makes it a little tricky
to get them close to the sand.
NARRATOR: In order to fulfill Scott's fantasy
of being beach-bound,
they must make a bumpy 20-minute trek
uphill from town to Maderas Beach.
FAHEY: Trust me. You're gonna like it when you get up there.
All right, 'cause you're getting me a little nervous
with this road here, Justin. I don't know.
This is not quite as close to town as we were thinking.
Yeah?
What do you think, Angie?
ANGIE: We're not in the States anymore.
When we first pulled up here, they were sort of complaining
about the road on the way in.
But once we got out of the car, Scott's jaw hit the floor.
Oh, wow. Look at that, Angie. You can actually see the break.
ANGIE: It's beautiful.
This is what I was thinking when I thought about Nicaragua
and surfing and the beach, the great view.
You can see Costa Rica on the horizon there.
Oh, wow. Good job with this view right here.
Yeah, well, hopefully you'll like the place.
Okay.
All right.
So, here's the pool that these apartments share.
Look at this, Angie.
Nice size.
Yeah, so, what's the catch?
It's too good to be true right now.
We're coming in a little bit over your budget on this one.
$165,000.
Ooh, is there any negotiating?
FAHEY: There's a little wiggle room,
but I don't want to get your hopes up.
You're gonna have to come in pretty close to $165,000.
But this is our dream.
I mean, that is pretty amazing, Angie.
I just want to stand here all day.
You guys can look at the house.
I'm just gonna watch these surfers here.
Yeah.
At that point, I didn't even really care about the house.
This is what we came down here for.
I was just blown away.
Here we go.
Okay. All right, well,
immediately I'm noticing the natural light.
Absolutely. It's very bright in here.
You've got 2 bedrooms, 2½ baths.
Couches, chairs, tables,
everything in the kitchen is included.
And the pool right outside.
Yes. You can see the pool.
Exactly. Have a look at the kitchen.
Let me know if you think it's something you can work with.
What do you think, Angie?
Yeah. It's nice. It's open to the living room.
Plus you get the patio outside
if you want to have a drink out there.
Why don't we go head up and look at the bedrooms?
All right.
This is the guest room right here.
ANGIE: It seems like it'd be big enough
for our daughter and maybe a guest bed.
SCOTT: Yeah, I'm liking that.
I mean, if we got family coming down,
it'd be a little tight for them,
but they could definitely all fit in here.
Let's have a look in the master and then out on the patio.
Okay.
Yeah.
Love the high ceilings.
It's got the fan and the air conditioning
and your own private bath off the master here.
Okay.
Wonderful patio outside, too, with incredible views.
This is charming.
SCOTT: It's a little more than charming, Angie.
This is pretty amazing, Justin.
It's...I mean, it is nice, but it is kind of far from town.
FAHEY: Yep.
Uh, that might be worth it.
I mean, look at that, Angie. Look at the break.
Yeah, but if you're out working
and Elsa and I are stuck up here
and I have to run into town to get groceries and...
and it is over-budget.
I don't know.
As far as the budget goes,
I'm not even thinking about it right now.
I mean, I'm just taken with this view.
Okay. Yeah.
I was a little bit depressed when I heard her say that
because I have dreams.
This is one of the dreams of moving down here.
I think the main thing we disagree on is the budget.
Me being the analytical person,
I was just crunching numbers
and realizing, you know, we need a car.
We can't afford a car.
I just don't know if it's gonna work.
NARRATOR: Will Scott's surfside dreams come true
or be crushed by a wave of a reality?
I just -- I don't know if we can afford it.
Nice view. Look at that. Can't beat that.
NARRATOR: Scott and Angie have arrived in San Juan Del Sur
with a budget of $150,000
and the hope of regaining family time lost to the daily grind.
ANGIE: Yeah, it's beautiful.
But they first must strike a balance
between dreams and reality, and also each other.
You know, we should get to the decision here.
This is gonna be tough.
House 1, a condo at the Hotel Villa Isabella,
is located in the heart of town.
You can see the beach from here.
This looks really busy.
It's priced at a bargain $127,500,
but it lacks the comforts of home.
SCOTT: It does kind of have a little bit of a hotel-room feel.
I don't know. How do you feel about it?
It's okay.
House 2 is a stand-alone home located in a yoga community
a short ride from central San Juan Del Sur.
We didn't want to get a place where we'd have to get a car.
The taxi's only $1.
NARRATOR: It comes in under budget at $99,900,
but its location in the jungle is nowhere near the sand.
I mean, we imagined being right on the beach.
This is a different flavor.
House 3 is a cliffside apartment
overlooking beautiful Maderas Beach.
Oh, wow. Look at that, Angie. You can actually see the break.
The price soars over-budget,
coming in at $165,000 for the breathtaking views.
I don't know.
As far as the budget goes,
I'm not even thinking about it right now.
Well, I think we should take one away.
I know what I want. Do you?
I think the one downtown condo --
Yeah.
It's not really a family place.
Yeah.
So, what do we have left?
We've got the beach, surf house with the amazing view.
And we have the house in the yoga community.
What'd you think about that one?
It's nice and private.
I really like the pool, and there's a yoga studio there.
And the house was great. It was modern.
It was new -- new construction.
Yeah, but I want to see that beach view.
I knew you'd love that,
but I just don't know if we can afford it.
That's the dream.
That's why I want to come down here, Angie.
That's -- that is so unique.
It's far from town.
That's true.
Yeah, and I would worry about you being up there.
Yeah, I love the house in the yoga community
'cause I won't feel as isolated when you're working.
And I know that's important to you, too.
I think the yoga community is the way to go.
I agree.
I'm willing to give up the dream of the beach.
You know, the jungle kind of feeling -- that's growing on me.
I can't believe we're gonna do it.
[ Chuckles ]
NARRATOR: Scott puts his surf dreams on hold,
knowing in his heart that House 2
is the most logical choice for his family.
Its under-budget price leaves over $50,000 for taxi rides
down to the beach to catch a wave.
SCOTT: So, living here is a lot slower than Minnesota,
and we really love that.
ANGIE: Look at the surf.
Since Scott hasn't been working yet, we just kind of --
We wake up. Sometimes we go into town.
Start at the beach and kind of run throughout town,
and it's actually quite beautiful.
It's a lot different than running in the city.
How's the water?
It's nice.
It's given us a lot more family time together
that we couldn't do in the States.
How big is Elsa?
So big!
Yeah.
I feel like we made the right decision buying this house.
It's really worked out well.
I think we got a lot for our money.
It's new construction.
We're really maximizing that outdoor patio.
What do you think, Elsa? Do you like living here?
At first, we were very reluctant to move to a place like this
that isn't right next to the beach or in town.
But actually, the privacy
and kind of the rustic feel of it is really working out.
That's been a surprise how nice that is.
So glad that we can just relax
and not have to worry about Elsa being woken up.
You hear the monkeys?
Mm-hmm.
[ Chuckles ]
I guess the way I would describe our new lives --
just listening to the breeze in the trees and no more stress.