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NARRATOR: This is the tale of two very different cities...
There's lots of great things to do in San Francisco.
There's lots of music and festivals.
Charleston is absolutely charming.
There's all sorts of walking tours,
museums, old homes.
...and two very different families...
We actually got married at Burning Man this year.
My wife passed away four years ago,
and we want to find something that's right for us as a family.
...with the exact same budget.
Find out how far $650,000 will go to buy a lifestyle
in "A Sale of Two Cities" -- San Francisco and Charleston.
San Francisco -- home of the Golden Gate Bridge,
famous Fisherman's Wharf, and iconic cable cars.
With notable neighborhoods, like Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown,
and a culture scene covering everything
from the bohemian to the ballet,
San Francisco is one of the most diverse and exciting cities
in the United States.
For newlywed techies Jennifer and Josh,
the city is the only place
they want to buy their first home.
I'm a software engineer. I like working in startups.
JOSH: I also work as a software engineer.
We actually got married at Burning Man this year.
It's this crazy festival in the desert,
full of lights and sounds.
We both love board games.
We often have our friends over to play various games,
and I will make food for them when they come over.
We have a little dog named Ella.
Ella, come here.
She is adorable
and she follows us everywhere we go.
There's so many things to do in San Francisco --
festivals and concerts, lots of great food.
After four years of renting,
they've decided to buy a place of their own
in the city they know and love.
Let's take a look at this one here.
What neighborhood is this in?
That's really far south.
[ Singsong voice ] Oh, my God.
JENNIFER: San Francisco's a very expensive city to live in.
We're currently renting a 600-square-foot apartment
that's 1-bedroom, 1-bath, for $2,600 a month.
That's pretty ridiculous.
Yep.
Helping them find their San Francisco sanctuary
is real estate agent Kiesha.
San Francisco's highly desirable.
We have great nightlife.
The architecture is amazing.
You're surrounded by water. You're surrounded by parks.
So excited that you guys are looking to buy a home.
Tell me what you're looking to buy.
So, we're looking for a 2-bedroom house
and we definitely want to be kind of near the transit lines.
We would love to have laundry en suite. That would be awesome.
Definitely need to have laundry, or else I won't do it.
[ Laughs ]
I would like to have a big kitchen, myself.
I love to cook.
And storage would be great.
Got it.
If it is only one bath,
I've definitely seen some apartments
where you have to walk through the bedroom to get to the bathroom,
and I do not like that.
Okay.
And which neighborhood?
We really like The Mission.
Yeah, we used to live in The Mission,
and we really liked it.
There are a lot of restaurants and bars
and nearby grocery shopping,
really close to the Muni-lines, the BART line.
Would you consider something in Portola?
Where is that?
It's actually a very nice neighborhood,
up-and-coming in San Francisco.
You could still get a single-family home
in your price point, good for freeway access.
So I think you should at least look at it,
so you can consider the option.
Sounds interesting. We haven't really heard of it before.
The thing about the places you have selected --
they're desirable, so there's a lot of competition
in all of the neighborhood.
I can't wait to get started.
Awesome.
NARRATOR: For starters, Kiesha has lined up a property
right in the heart of the Mission District.
This diverse neighborhood is steeped in history
and has recently become one of San Francisco's hottest 'hoods.
It's known for its clothing boutiques, art scene,
and views of the San Francisco skyline.
The Mission is great.
It's got wonderful boutiques, BART is close by,
so I think it's perfect for them.
NARRATOR: Since the Mission has been rediscovered,
bidding wars are common.
Houses here can fetch
$50,000 to $100,000 over the asking price.
It's listed at $599,000, which is an amazing price, right?
I'm assuming it'll bid up, though,
but that's our starting price.
It's a 2-bedroom, 1-bath,
and it's a little less than 900 square feet.
Does this place have H.O.A. fees?
There are H.O.A. fees. They're $350 a month.
And it's actually not a condo. It's a tenancy in common.
What's that?
For instance, if you have a condo,
you own the space inside from wall to wall.
Here, you would own a percentage of the building.
Okay. Cool.
I don't see a garage here. Is there parking?
There's actually parking a half a block away.
It's leased for $180 a month.
Hm.
We'll really have to figure out that parking situation.
All right.
Oh, wow.
It's pretty bright.
Yeah.
This seems a little small for a living room.
Is this, like, normal?
This is actually a really good size
for the era it was built -- the early 1900s.
You have high ceiling heights.
I like the little details on the ceiling.
Yeah, me too.
I love these floors. Are they in pretty good shape?
They're in great shape. They're actually the original hardwood.
It's hard to find that in San Francisco.
It seems like a strange setup,
with the TV in front of the fireplace.
Actually, the fireplace isn't working.
That's exactly why they decided to put the TV there.
Oh. Wow. Look at this room.
Is this, like, an office?
Actually, this is the second bedroom
This is a pretty good size, too.
Oh, good -- a washer/dryer.
Nice.
Bathroom.
There's storage under the sink,
and it's been recently upgraded.
This looks good.
A little small.
This is the master bedroom.
Looks like a big closet.
That looks small to me.
[ Chuckles ] Fair enough.
This is a great-size kitchen.
Nice light.
Yeah.
You have your stainless-steel appliances.
Josh, I know you're the cook.
You can actually cook quite well in here.
Plus, we can eat here, too.
I really like this granite countertop.
For a house that was built in the 1900s,
this is a very large kitchen.
JOSH: Yeah, it looks really good.
Although this house is pretty old,
it looks like they had really updated it well.
Yeah, the appliances are nice and new.
I think we can move right into it
without having to do any work.
So, what do you guys think?
The kitchen's a good size.
Definitely kind of what I had in mind.
Perfect.
The bedrooms are a bit small.
JENNIFER: But both of them were at least reasonable-sized.
There's no yard, though.
Yeah.
The price is amazing.
Since it's a tenancy in common,
you're getting a really good deal.
NARRATOR: 2,800 miles away, on the East Coast,
is Charleston, South Carolina.
Famous for its historical landmarks
and Southern hospitality,
Charleston offers a unique mix of cobblestone streets,
Southern manors, and beachfront.
For Jonathan and his daughter, Kristina,
nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina.
For many reasons, Charleston is just a wonderful location.
Apart from the beach and the history,
it's also a very friendly place to live
and very warm and inviting.
See, that door is actually a false door.
It leads into the porch, rather than to the house.
That's a very, very typical Charleston design.
There's all sorts of walking tours,
museums, old homes.
There's ghost tours.
As a matter of fact, it's supposed to be
one of the more haunted towns in the United States.
I've actually become fond of bluegrass music.
Living down here, you hear more of it,
so I've actually picked up the mandolin.
I like to sing.
With Kristina starting high school,
Jon's hoping to find a home with a little more space.
It's just the two of us,
and so I really want to make this next house
something that's right for us as a family.
They'd prefer a newer home with an open kitchen,
a media room for entertaining,
and a bedroom sized right for a teenager.
Jon wants a separate home office,
while Kristina's angling for an extra bedroom
just for her guinea pig, Cody.
My guinea pig, Cody, needs his own room
because they move around a lot during the night,
so I decided Cody needs his own room so I can sleep.
They'd like a neighborhood
just minutes from downtown Charleston,
and all for $650,000.
Helping them on their search is real estate agent Krystine.
First on her list is a Southern manor-style house
in the historic Grassy Creek neighborhood,
located 15 minutes from downtown.
Grassy Creek lies on the banks of the Wando River.
Grassy Creek is a great neighborhood.
The homes here have got the Charleston style
that Jon is interested in
and the construction is fairly newer,
which they both wanted.
This is a nice neighborhood here.
This house is actually 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths,
1 half, 2,900 square feet,
listed at $639,900, which is under your budget of $650,000.
Great.
I think it looks pretty good.
Well, come on in.
JON: Wow.
NARRATOR: Find out when "A Sale of Two Cities" returns.
NARRATOR: We asked...
The answer is "C" -- the fortune cookie.
Urban legend states it was first served
in the Japanese Tea Garden of Golden Gate Park.
It's "A Sale of Two Cities,"
where two different sets of homebuyers
in two very different cities
have the exact same budget of $650,000.
In San Francisco,
newlyweds and first-time homebuyers Jennifer and Josh
checked out a condo in the Mission District.
The building had been recently refurbished,
and while it didn't offer
any of the outdoor space they were looking for,
it was close to their favorite restaurants and bars.
2,800 miles due east is South Carolina.
Jon and his daughter, Kristina, are looking
for a classically charming Charleston home.
Charleston is just a wonderful location.
It's by the beach.
KRISTINA: It's always warm and sunny.
It's also a very active community.
There's a lot of bikers and runners.
Their real estate agent, Krystine, is showing them a home
in the historic Grassy Creek neighborhood,
just 15 minutes from downtown.
Well, come on in.
JON: Wow. This is really lovely.
It's got a great feel when you walk in.
It does.
It's a very, very impressive entrance hallway
with the columns leading into that grand-rotunda area
with the high ceilings.
You know, sometimes you see a piece of a house
that you wish you could just take out and carry with you.
This actually has --
you don't see this a lot -- a dumbwaiter.
JON: I think you could put your guinea pig in there, Kristina.
[ Laughs ]
Yeah, yeah.
Well, here's the kitchen.
I think it's a good size.
It's got a lot of great features,
like the granite countertops.
It's got the stainless-steel appliances.
And it's got a breakfast nook, as well.
I like how they have this.
I think it's kind of cool because it's modern,
not something that you see a lot.
Because you're gonna be the one doing all the cooking, right?
Maybe I can cook more here. What do you think?
The last time you did that,
when you put the rice into the microwave, you burned it.
Well, all right.
So I don't think I want you to do that.
[ Laughs ]
All right, well, this is the master bedroom.
It's got the hardwood floors -- they're beautiful --
throughout the whole downstairs.
To be honest, this is smaller than the bedroom I have now.
Oh, wow.
And quite a bit smaller, actually.
So, this is another one of the bedrooms,
that could be used as your space, Kristina.
What do you think?
KRISTINA: I think it's nice. It's not too small.
Also, what's great about this room
is that it actually has its own private bathroom.
Good counter space. I like it.
We're checking off everything on that list of yours?
Yeah.
I think that the room is a good size.
I would probably change the color of it,
but other than that, I like the room.
What about an office?
That's one of the things I really needed for myself.
Great.
So, Jon, a lot of money went into this,
to do the built-in cabinets.
Is it my imagination, or does this seem really low?
This strikes me as this would be a pretty low place to sit.
I mean, obviously, they had kids,
which, I imagine, maybe that was the kids' desk.
That could possibly be it, yeah, since it's so low.
It's a great space,
but the stuff that's taking up the space
isn't really quite there.
I'd probably take a sledgehammer to it.
Oh.
The office definitely will need some reconfiguring.
Look at this space right here.
Here's your Juliet balcony.
This is something new
and something you don't see in a lot of Charleston homes.
So you definitely can enjoy entertaining
and talking to your friends while you're up here working,
in case it's one of those nights.
What do you think?
It's striking, much like the ceiling and the chandelier.
It gives the illusion of a much larger space,
almost like you're in some sort of palazzo in Italy.
This is such a nice added feature, to have this balcony.
KRISTINA: Yeah, this is really cool.
This is so private out here.
There's homes on each side,
but you don't have anything behind you.
It is very private.
The back is lovely,
and even the foliage around the sides
cuts off the view of the neighbors,
so it seems like you have the whole backyard to yourself.
KRYSTINE: So, what did y'all think?
Well, I think it's got a lot of potential.
First of all, I really like
that front walkway and the open-floor plan.
Great place for entertaining.
The kitchen, although a little small,
flowed very nicely into a very nice backyard,
and that main space, we could use as a TV room.
It wasn't quite the media room I had in mind.
I thought it was really nice.
I liked how the rooms were a really good size.
Well, this one definitely merits some serious consideration.
Okay.
NARRATOR: Both Charleston and San Francisco
have a highly educated population.
Find out when "A Sale of Two Cities" returns.
NARRATOR: We asked...
The answer is "D" -- 37.
With 62 institutions of higher learning,
Charleston has more than double the 25 schools
you'll find in San Francisco.
On "A Sale of Two Cities,"
two families in two vibrantly different cities
want to see how far $650,000 will go to buy a lifestyle.
In Charleston, South Carolina, Jon and his daughter, Kristina,
toured a spacious manor-style house
in the historic Grassy Creek neighborhood.
JON: Wow. This is really lovely.
Back on the West Coast,
San Francisco's Jennifer and Josh are newlyweds
with an adventurous side.
There's lots of great things to do in San Francisco.
JENNIFER: There's really great urban hiking.
You got great views of the water all over San Francisco.
I climb. It's a thing I found when I moved out here.
I'm a little stuck.
You're gonna go up to the right in a sec, there.
Well, where am I trying to go?
[ Chuckling ] Thanks.
This couple has their hearts set on buying a house
on one of the mural-lined streets of the Mission District.
Their real estate agent, Kiesha, is taking them to a condo
that fits their wish list and their budget.
Jenny and Josh want to be in The Mission,
which is exactly where we are.
It's close to their friends for game night.
They'll be able to walk their dog easily,
It has great shops, great eateries,
and their commute to work will be really easy.
Hey, guys. Welcome.
This is really in the middle of everything.
It is.
It's a 1-bedroom, 1-bath.
It's priced at $615,000,
which is also below your price point.
There's deeded parking,
so you don't have to pay any lease parking fee,
and it's a little less than 800 square feet.
JENNIFER: When we walked up to this place, we were really excited.
JOSH: It's just a block away from the BART.
It's by all the bus lines,
so it'd be a really easy commute for us to work.
Okay, here we are.
JOSH: Oh, wow.
JENNIFER: Wow. This is a really large room.
Yeah, it is. It's natural light. You have a big window.
Yeah. What's out there?
It's not much of a view out here.
But it gives you a sense of privacy,
and it's also very quiet.
I was really impressed with the really large living space.
We could use that for the office and the living room
at the same time, I think.
JOSH: The floors obviously needed a bit of work.
This all looks pretty out-of-date,
and I'm really not a fan of this red color.
That would be an easy fix. Anything cosmetic is easy to do.
I guess this bathroom's okay.
Oh, wait. That tub looks like it needs some work.
It does need a little bit of work,
but you can refinish that
At least there's a fair bit of storage in it.
Yeah, good cabinets in here.
This isn't too bad, actually. It's bright.
Not a bad size.
Still upset there's no second bedroom.
If we're looking at condos in the same price point,
it's going to be a 1-bed in this area.
If we want a 2-bed, like you guys prefer,
then it's different neighborhoods.
I think we were hoping for at least a little more space
to use as an office,
so it's a bit limiting in that sense.
There doesn't seem to be much of a view here, either.
You don't get the view, but you get the privacy,
so at least you're not looking
directly into somebody else's window.
So, what do you guys think?
Well, I like the location,
but the 1-bedroom part really bothers me.
JOSH: Yeah.
That large living space, though, is really nice.
We could do a lot with that.
The kitchen could use updating.
Yeah, as could the bathroom. It was a little bit dismal.
But it is under our price point,
so we'd have a little extra money to do that with.
There is parking, so that's a good factor.
There's some pros and cons to it,
but I guess we'll have to think about it.
Okay.
NARRATOR: The City by the Bay
is the second-most-crowded city in the country.
On average...
Find out when "A Sale of Two Cities" returns.
Looking to make a move?
Find information about cities and homes all across the country
to compare to your home
at hgtv.com/twocities.
NARRATOR: We asked -- on average...
The answer is "C."
An average of 17,000 people
are crammed into San Francisco's 49.6 square miles.
Compare that to Charleston,
which has an average population density
of just over 1,000 people per square mile.
It's "A Sale of Two Cities," where two families
are looking to buy homes in two different cities
with the exact same budget -- $650,000.
In San Francisco, newlyweds Jennifer and Josh
looked at a 1-bedroom condo in the Mission District
with an appealing open floor plan.
Wow. This is a really large room.
Nearly 3,000 miles away, in Charleston, South Carolina,
Jon and his daughter, Kristina, have the same budget
as they search for a spacious, newly built home
from the Civil War guns at Battery Park
to downtown Marion Square,
Charleston is full of Southern charm
and a welcoming coastline for beach lovers.
KRISTINA: There's a lot to do. There's a lot to see.
You really can't go more than a couple miles
without finding yourself on the water,
and there's a lot of boaters in the area,
kayaking, and I've even tried paddleboarding, recently.
Real estate agent Krystine
has found a home in Mount Pleasant
that she thinks has plenty of space
for Jon and his daughter, Kristina.
Located just across the Ravenel Bridge,
this neighborhood's quiet streets
and Southern architecture feel a million miles away
from the bustle of downtown Charleston.
So, today, I'm showing Jon
a beautiful Charleston-style home here in Mount Pleasant.
What's so great about the neighborhood --
it is so family-oriented.
There's a lot of events, and the amenities are fantastic.
Morning, Jon.
Hey, Krystine. How are you doing today?
I'm well. Thanks. How are you?
Good. I just dropped Kristina off at school.
Oh, good.
It's a 5-bedroom, 4-full-bath
right at your price point, at $650,000.
That's perfect, then.
It's a fairly large house. It's 3,800 square feet.
Ooh. That's actually a lot of space.
I like the 2-story porch.
I know Kristina's gonna like that a lot.
I'm gonna take a picture of it, if you don't mind,
just for Kristina, just before I forget.
Right.
Okay.
Great. Thanks.
So, Jon, welcome.
This is a great entry, I have to tell you.
And I like this office. This is nice.
And then, off to the other side
is actually the formal dining room.
Oh, very nice. This is great, too.
I love the plantation shutters.
Ah, yes, indeed.
And here is the den, open up to the kitchen,
so you have an open floor plan.
Ah. I tell you, I really like this.
This is really a nice area here.
I don't know if I've ever seen an island this big.
I know. You know?
And we spend so much time in the kitchen,
so I like this a lot.
And also, too, I like the woodwork.
It looks very sharp.
The den/living room/kitchen area is really special.
It's a nice space, and it flows very nicely.
Behind you, actually, between the dining room and the kitchen,
is a great butler's pantry.
I see a little wine cooler, as well.
It does have a wine cooler. Exactly.
This is actually the entry to the master bedroom.
You can see that there's tray ceilings.
That's pretty cool. I like that.
It's a large space.
Yes. This would be more than sufficient.
The master bedroom is superb in terms of its size.
It's very cozy in spots. It's very well-put-together.
The floor plan is very nice.
Also, off the master
is this huge and beautiful master bathroom.
Oh, wow. This is very nice.
It actually has his-and-hers closets.
That's great, but right now, there's only a "his."
Well, we'll work on that hers.
[ Laughing ] Right. Thanks.
So, Jon, this is the F.R.O.G. --
the finished room over the garage.
Very nice.
Also, it could probably be used as your media room.
I definitely could see putting a large-screen TV setup there.
I think this would be a perfect space for that.
It's got a wonderful media room. It's very spacious.
And we could make it a really special living place.
So, Jon, here's another bedroom.
Okay.
A little bit smaller in size.
Yeah, I have to say,
I think, as a bedroom, it might be really tight.
Although, it might be good for Cody the guinea pig.
It also has this great balcony.
Look at the view.
Oh, I love these balconies.
I tell you, this is very nice.
The balcony actually has a second door
that leads into another bedroom.
Absolutely.
This is really a nice feature. I like this suite area.
But I have to say, one of the things
that Kristina really wanted was a much more expansive bedroom,
as she goes into her teen years,
and I'm not sure this fits the bill,
because it's a little tight in here.
Well, it has a wonderful balcony,
and while the guinea-pig room
is certainly sufficient for the guinea pig,
her room is a little tight.
KRYSTINE: Well, Jon, here's the screen porch.
Very nice.
Yeah, it's a great space,
but what I'm really excited to show you
is this fabulous backyard and the pool.
I mean, what do you think?
Ah, Krystine, this is really nice.
I love the pavers and the tile along the back of the pool.
I mean, the detail in this backyard is fantastic.
This is a great space for you to entertain,
for Kristina to have her friends over.
Yes. You know, it would be great to jump in right now.
[ Laughs ]
So, let me take some pictures of this.
This house has a lot of what we need and what we want.
It's in a wonderful neighborhood.
It's got a unique and beautiful backyard.
Certainly, the interior's been very well-cared-for.
It's decorated very nicely.
It's an excellent house on so many levels.
It merits serious consideration.
NARRATOR: Measuring 1.7 miles long,
San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge
is one of the most impressive
man-made structures in the world,
but this iconic red bridge isn't the longest.
Find out when "A Sale of Two Cities" returns.
NARRATOR: We asked...
The answer is "A."
Charleston's Arthur Ravenel Bridge
is almost a mile longer than the Golden Gate
and is the third-longest cable bridge
in the Western Hemisphere.
It's "A Sale of Two Cities," where two different homebuyers
with the same budget of $650,000
search for their perfect home in different cities.
In Charleston, South Carolina,
Jon toured a classic manor-style home
in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.
I love these balconies.
I tell you, this is very nice.
All the way across the country, in San Francisco,
Jennifer and Josh are headed to the Portola neighborhood,
12 miles south of downtown.
JOSH: What neighborhood are we going to?
I think this is the Portola district one
that Kiesha was talking about.
Potowa?
Okay, you say it, then.
I can't say it, no. I'm trying to figure it out.
Potola district?
[ Laughs ]
It's an 11-minute drive
from the Mission District to Portola.
This neighborhood is a mix
of locally owned shops and restaurants.
There are many single-family homes here,
compared to the larger multistoried buildings
of The Mission.
You have San Bruno Avenue, that's right around the corner.
You have great shops, you have transportation that's two blocks away.
You have a major grocery store that's a block and a half away.
NARRATOR: Kiesha has lined up a 2-story unit
that's somewhat over their budget.
She wants them to see what they can get for a little more money,
if they open up their search
to neighborhoods outside of The Mission.
This house has 4 bedrooms and 1 bath,
but it's $49,000 over their budget.
Hey. How's it going?
Good. It's good to see you.
JENNIFER: I love the color.
Yeah, they actually just painted it within the last year.
It was a bit of a hike for us to get here.
Yeah, I know it's technically in San Francisco,
but it doesn't feel like it's in San Francisco.
I was trying to get you a single-family home
and a certain price point.
There aren't any H.O.A.s, so you could afford more house.
This is a little far out.
Our commute would be pretty long.
But the great news is they have two rooms downstairs,
which you can rent out,
so that'll help with the mortgage.
Well, let's check it out.
It's really pretty.
Look at the walls, too. What's the deal with these?
Since it's a Victorian, built in the early 1900s,
it's tin that they painted over.
That's really cool.
Looks good.
You have the high ceiling, the nice medallion on top.
Absolutely.
It's open because you're looking across at the park,
so that'd be perfect for your dog.
I think the whole layout would be a little cramped, actually, for our stuff.
So, the dining room is open to the kitchen.
Oh, yeah. I really like this layout.
Oh, and the appliances are all new.
Cabinets are a little dark for me, though.
You know, the cabinets, you can change the exterior.
You can even change the doors. You can even paint.
Things like that, we can work with.
The nice thing is that you have a separate laundry room.
You have ample storage here.
Yeah, it's huge.
Great bathroom.
But this is a really strange location for it.
It is off of the kitchen, but I think it's good for guests,
especially since you guys like to entertain in your kitchen area.
Oh, wow. Look at this.
Yeah.
And there's a little fire pit. Does that come with the place?
It does come with the fire pit.
What's the deal with the shed?
The shed is actually wired for Internet and electricity.
KIESHA: This is the attic space
that they're using as their master bedroom.
I don't think I would like having my bedroom up here
and the bathroom all the way downstairs.
You can add a master bathroom.
True.
And I imagine I'm gonna be bumping my head on the ceiling
every time I get up off the bed.
JOSH: Yeah, I think so.
KIESHA: So, what did you think of the house?
I really love the way
that the kitchen and the dining room are attached,
and that would be great for entertaining.
I really love the large washer and dryer
and the storage in there.
But I can't imagine walking down the stairs
in the middle of the night, going to the bathroom.
JOSH: Yeah.
It's definitely a house we'll consider, though.
NARRATOR: Back on the East Coast, in Charleston,
Jon's traveling to Daniel Island,
a neighborhood just 20 minutes north of downtown.
His real estate agent, Krystine,
has found another classic manor-style home.
Jon, I know you love Daniel Island.
I know you want the Charleston, Southern feel,
and I think you really can find it here.
Today I have Jon with me because Kristina's at school.
This is a great area -- There are a lot of parks around here,
and there's a lot of young families.
All right, Jon, well, here it is right here.
Lovely from the outside.
It is. It's a beautiful Charleston-styled home.
This is actually under your budget, at $639,900.
That's great.
It's got 5 bedrooms,
and then it's got 3 full baths and 1 half-bath.
Excellent.
So, I'm excited to let you see what's inside.
Let's take a look.
Well, come on in.
Oh, this is very nice.
I'm a big fan of hardwood floors,
and I see them here on the first floor.
Are they throughout the house?
And even in the bedrooms?
Ah. Very good.
Well, Jon, here's the office.
Oh, very nice.
I like the fact that it's separate from the bedroom.
There's an office, which is great.
On the other hand, the office is a little bit small.
Well, let's see what else the house has to offer.
Let's keep moving, then.
We're walking into the kitchen/great room.
Oh, very nice.
You have a kitchen, the dining,
and the whole family room is all combined in one,
so you don't miss out when you entertain.
It's got the stainless-steel appliances.
It's got the granite.
And then what I love about this
is this has the gas versus the electric.
Well, once I find more time to learn about cooking,
I'll certainly use that.
Take advantage of that.
So, here, Jon, is the master bedroom.
Ah, very nice.
This is larger than the one I've got now,
and it's got the same high ceilings as the other rooms,
which gives it a real sense of space.
The bedroom really fits me. It's a very nice space.
And it has a very comfortable feel to it.
So, Jon, I think this would be a great media room.
Sometimes, when the roofline comes down like that,
it can create a little bit of a choppy space.
If we're gonna use this as a media room,
I'd have to give that some thought.
I see a media room,
which architecturally is very interesting,
but it could work.
How do you feel about Kristina being up here?
Well, to be honest, you know, ever since she was little,
she always was in the room next to me or across the hall.
But I think if I put a mini fridge with her,
she'd never come down, right?
[ Chuckles ] I'm sure she'll come down.
You know, since Kristina couldn't come with us,
I'm gonna just take a few pictures here, if that's okay.
Absolutely. Please do.
Very nice.
So, Jon, here's another bedroom.
Okay. This could be Kristina's bedroom.
And what you have here is a bathroom that's shared
with the media room and another bedroom,
which is a great space, as well.
I don't know. Is that too grand for the guinea pig?
[ Laughs ]
I think he would be perfectly happy in there.
Jon, here's the screened porch.
It's not a large porch.
But now that we're out here, I can actually see the backyard,
and it does look a little bit small.
It's a little less private, too, than other places.
I have to give that some thought
because I do like my privacy.
You know, the lot size is relatively small.
When I come home from work,
I like having that complete escape,
and in this case, you don't have that.
What did you think of the home?
There's a lot of things I like about it.
On the upside, I'm glad it has that office,
although I will say it's a little bit small,
so I'm gonna have to give that some consideration.
I do like that great room into the kitchen.
I think that would be a great space for us.
But, again, the backyard, of course, is pretty tight
and a little less private, so that's a bit of a concern.
But on the plus side, I like the media room upstairs.
It's a fabulous space.
At the same time, it's so nice
that if Kristina's up there, she may never come down.
[ Chuckling ] True.
Also, the bedroom --
that definitely hits the right notes for me
because it's a lovely space.
I could feel myself very comfortable in there.
I think the house has
a lot of "on the one hand" and "on the other hand."
It definitely hits the minimum checklist
of all the things that I desire in a house.
And while I like the idea of a community on Daniel Island,
at the same time, it's a smaller piece of property
and less privacy.
So it's a very tough decision.
So, I guess there is a lot of pros and a lot of cons.
I'm gonna have to consider this very seriously.
Well, let's definitely keep this on our short list.
NARRATOR: These two different buyers in two different cities
are each working with the same budget
of $650,000.
Which neighborhood will Jennifer and Josh choose
for their first-time home purchase in San Francisco?
I'm not sure if I could put up with that commute.
I think we'd have to do work in order to make it liveable.
And which house charmed Jon and his daughter, Kristina,
in Charleston?
We got to make a decision reasonably soon,
and I think we've got it down to the final three.
It's decision time when "A Sale of Two Cities" returns.
NARRATOR: So far in "A Sale of Two Cities,"
in Charleston, South Carolina,
Jon and his daughter, Kristina, have a budget of $650,000.
Jon's been to three neighborhoods
with Southern manor-style homes.
There is a lot of pros and a lot of cons.
I'm gonna have to consider this very seriously.
Nearly 3,000 miles away, in San Francisco,
Jennifer and Josh have explored three homes
with the exact same budget.
Now it's decision time.
So, what did you think about the Mission 2-bedroom?
I think you'd love entertaining
with that kitchen and dining room,
but we're not really sure where we'd park the car.
There's the lot up the street,
but it's a bit of a walk to get to it.
There's no yard, but there's a park nearby.
Yeah, that's not bad.
I love the location -- tons of really good restaurants,
lots of small, local grocery stores nearby.
Near the BART tracks. It's a really easy commute.
Yeah, and you can't beat that location.
So, what'd you think about the 1-bedroom Mission condo?
The location of that 1-bedroom is really great --
very centrally located, very close to work.
Yep.
There's no good place for Ella to play, though.
There's not even a park nearby.
Yeah, that's a bit of a drawback, too.
I really like the large living room.
I feel like we could do a lot with that space.
We could definitely do something there.
The kitchen needs work, you know.
The kitchen definitely needs work.
Yeah, but it was cheap,
so at least we'd have extra money to do some renovations.
I'd be tempted by that place if there was a second bedroom,
but there just isn't.
Yeah. I know. That is a big drawback of that.
There's also the Portola house.
There was a lot of space in that house.
I really like the living room.
The view out the window was great, into the park.
Oh, yeah.
The backyard was the best feature of that house, actually.
Ella would love it, too.
I think if Ella could vote on which house we take,
it would be that house.
I'm not sure if I could put up with that commute.
40 minutes is awfully long.
That would be a bit inconvenient.
I think we really need to make a decision now.
Yeah, I think we can probably eliminate the Portola house
because it's too far out for either of us.
The big problem is, it's already above our price range.
So, then if it comes down
between the 2-bedroom and the 1-bedroom,
what do you think?
Well, the 1-bedroom was listed at $615,000
and the 2-bedroom's listed at $599,000.
Kiesha did say
that the 2-bedroom would probably get bid up,
but I think I'm willing to do it for the second bedroom.
I think it'll be totally worth it,
considering the location and the park nearby.
We should make a bid on it.
All right. Let's call Kiesha.
NARRATOR: Three time zones away, in Charleston,
Jon and Kristina have narrowed it down
to three spacious, manor-style homes.
They have the same budget of $650,000.
We got to make a decision reasonably soon.
What about the Grassy Creek house?
If you remember, that was the one
that you walk in and you have the columns
and that big rotunda room in the center.
That was pretty cool, wasn't it?
But it seems to me the Grassy Creek house
was more focused on entertaining,
which we do rather infrequently.
And my bedroom is too small,
and that's where I'm gonna be every day.
So if I have one house to veto,
I would use that to veto the Grassy Creek house.
Yeah.
What about Mount Pleasant?
Beautiful home, very well decorated,
absolutely impeccable.
From the pictures, it looks pretty nice.
This is the room where Cody would be.
You can see it's fairly small.
It doesn't have a bathroom, of course,
but, then again, he doesn't need one.
The main issue is, this is your bedroom.
I think it's kind of small.
That was kind of my impression, too.
It's kind of a shame
because the rest of the house was really cool.
My room was great,
and the media room is spectacular.
There was a pool out back.
As beautiful as it is,
it takes a lot of time to keep those pools maintained.
Would you be willing to vacuum it out every day
and put the chemicals in
and make sure the filter was cleaned out?
Maybe not, right? Okay.
Let's talk about the Daniel Island house.
I'm very intrigued by that house.
I know you actually haven't been in it yet,
but you've seen the pictures.
What do you think about staying on Daniel Island?
I can go either way.
Coming up, find out
which house Jon and Kristina buy in Charleston...
So, I think that settles it, then.
Yeah.
...and just how much Jennifer and Josh
had to pay to beat out other bidders
for their 2-bedroom in San Francisco
when "A Sale of Two Cities" continues.
NARRATOR: On "A Sale of Two Cities,"
homebuyers Jennifer and Josh in San Francisco
had the same budget
as Jon and his daughter, Kristina, in Charleston --
$650,000.
Newlyweds Jennifer and Josh chose the 2-bedroom unit
in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District.
Now it's time for Jon and Kristina
to make their big choice in Charleston.
I know you actually haven't been in it yet,
but you've seen the pictures.
What do you think about staying on Daniel Island?
I like Daniel Island.
You can get anywhere you want pretty quickly.
And your friends are there.
Okay.
Well, for me, the bedroom was fabulous.
It was big.
Based on the pictures I showed you,
what do you think about the size of your room?
I think it's a really good size.
I liked it a lot. It was a great space upstairs.
I'll tell you what --
I vetoed one because of the size of the bedroom,
and you don't want to live the next five years
in a small bedroom, either.
So cheers. Here's to the Daniel Island house.
Jennifer and Josh picked the 2-bedroom, 1-bath home
in San Francisco's Mission District.
We're unbelievably excited that we got this house.
We have access to great food,
and we can walk by coffee shops on the way to work.
We got a great parking spot just down the street for the car.
We can plug it in.
The commute's been really great. It's less than 20 minutes.
I can take the bus or the BART or I can bike, even.
It's great to be in a neighborhood that we really love.
As Kiesha predicted, a bidding war began,
and the original listing price of $599,000 quickly went up.
Jennifer and Josh's purchase price --
their exact budget of $650,000.
JENNIFER: I'm really enjoying putting our home together.
Yeah, I know.
Being part of a tenancy in common has been awesome.
Our neighbors are really friendly.
Everyone takes care of the building.
We made this at a workshop.
This is where I used to live, this is where he used to live,
and this is our home here together.
Josh has been making me amazing meals in the kitchen.
What do you want for dinner tonight?
I don't know. I always like your pizzas.
How about some zucchini?
And roasted corn?
Okay.
JOSH: And it's great to have an office that we can work out of.
Pretty sure that Ella loves this space, as well.
She's been running back and forth in the hallway,
so she's pretty pleased.
Come on, Ella.
I still really wish that we can have a yard someday,
but the park nearby has been really great,
and Ella's been really enjoying that.
JENNIFER: Ella! Don't chase her.
Ugh!
[ Both laugh ]
Finding a house in San Francisco is really hard.
There weren't a lot of options in our range,
but Kiesha did a great job,
and we found one that we really love.
I think Ella really enjoyed her run in the park.
Yeah, I think so.
I think maybe it would look nice over there.
In Charleston, Jon and Kristina decided on
the charming manor-style home on Daniel Island.
They bought it for the exact listing price --
about $10,000 under their budget.
I'm tickled pink. I'm thrilled to be in the house.
The house really has everything that we were hoping for.
And, actually, this space
is turning into a very comfortable family space.
There you go -- an apple for the student.
I like this kitchen very much
because it encourages me to try my hand at cooking.
So, what do you want for dinner?
You can pick.
Just don't burn it.
He attempted to make a grilled cheese earlier this week
and failed.
My favorite part about the house is probably my room.
Now I can decorate it a little bit better,
and I'm not as focused on how cramped everything is.
It's nice for her to have her own space up there,
so it's worked out really well.
Mm-hmm.
Oh, I know. You're excited.
[ Chuckling ] I think Cody definitely likes his room.
He seems excited whenever I go into his room.
Go say hi to Daddy?
Go say hi to Daddy.
[ Groans ]
[ Scale plays ]
The entire house-hunting process
made me actually appreciate the area of Charleston more.
I think I understand a little bit more
about what makes the area tick.
Charleston isn't a huge city.
It's not a major metropolis.
But as I've gotten to know the city more,
I've really fallen in love with it,
and I find it a wonderful place to live
and a wonderful place to raise a family.
And we are really happy with the decision.
Don't you think?
Yeah. I really like it.
NARRATOR: For $650,000, Jennifer and Josh were able to purchase
a 900-square-foot pad in San Francisco.
For about $10,000 less, Jon and Kristina
found a 3,500-square-foot manor in Charleston.
So, if it's space you're after,
you'll get more Southern comfort in South Carolina,
but if your heart's in San Francisco,
size doesn't matter,
on "A Sale of Two Cities" -- San Francisco and Charleston.