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Swing and cha-cha-cha.
NARRATOR: This Alabama college professor
wants a new house and a new social life.
CLARA: I'm no longer married,
and so I'm looking to begin to date again.
NARRATOR: She's bringing her friend Sonya along
on her house hunt.
When that fire's going on,
and you and your friend are looking in each other eyes, oh!
But she'll discover that Clara's as picky about her homes
as she is about her men.
CLARA: It's a little small.
I definitely do not like the countertops.
SONYA: Everyone woman want a rose in her life.
Yes, but I'm the rose, so I don't want the bushes.
You could afford a bigger house if you wanted to,
'cause you know you're banking.
[ Doorbell rings ]
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
How do we get to understand what it is that we really believe?
Because when you get older, you've had some experiences
that have caused you to believe something different.
My name is Clara Young.
I've lived in Montgomery for the last 13 years,
and I came here because of employment.
I am an associate professor at Auburn Montgomery.
I teach in the School of Education,
and I teach the foundation courses
that all education majors have to take.
Montgomery's the capital of Alabama.
It's not a large city,
but there's always things to do here.
NARRATOR: Recently single again,
she's been renting a house, but now she's ready to buy.
I don't like putting money in someone else's pocket.
I cannot change the house the way that I want to.
I can't paint. It's not mine.
Step out with your left, and step back with your right.
NARRATOR: So she's asked her friend Sonya
to help her find a place of her own.
Sonya and I met because we were both instructors at a gym.
I was teaching kickboxing. She was teaching dance.
And double, double, then you cross over with your left.
Turn all the way around, swing, and cha-cha-cha.
Sonya's the diva,
and she really has an eye for style.
And I think she would do well
when she's helping me look for a house.
Definitely want a ranch-style house.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, okay. We can stop looking right now.
I want an open-concept that flows from the kitchen
to the dining room to the living room.
I would like three bedrooms, two baths.
You definitely want granite countertops.
Yes.
I am a modern woman, and I want modern things.
Let me go on down
and see what the kitchen looks like.
Ah, it's stainless steel.
I really like black appliances.
Why do you want black appliances
instead of stainless steel?
'Cause that's more or less updated, stainless steel.
Just seem to be pretty stuck on the black.
I love the way they pop in the kitchen.
That's what I prefer.
It's really important
that I have a double vanity in the bathroom.
Are you gonna be able to use two sinks at one time?
No, I can't, but in case I have a guest...
But your guest gonna be in the guest room, right,
unless you have a personal guest.
Okay, well -- All right, let's go on, then.
Let's get something else.
Okay, I thought so. Moving on.
Love hardwood floors
because I tend to have a problem with allergies.
A garage is very important to me.
I definitely want to buy a house with a garage.
I will not purchase a home that has a garage in the front.
I absolutely feel like
it takes away from the aesthetics of the home.
NARRATOR: She also has a strong opinion on landscaping.
The bushes, the trees, and those things warrant bugs.
I definitely do not want that at my new house.
So, what about your price range?
Well, my price range is going to start at about $150,000
and go up to about $180,000.
Well, you know, it's a big difference
between $150,000 and $180,000.
I would prefer to keep it on the lower end, if possible.
When you want certain things, you know, they're pricy,
so you have to go higher up.
I'm going to definitely choose a house
that has most of my wish list.
Well, good morning, ladies.
Good morning, Melissa.
Let me show what a beauty I have for you today.
Okay.
What do you think so far?
No bugs.
Right. Absolutely.
Low maintenance in terms of the bushes.
The garage -- definitely not what I'd like.
Okay, Clara.
This house has a garage facing the side.
It's in the front, but it's a side-facing garage,
which may take her a little bit of time to get used to,
but I think that won't be a deal breaker.
This house is listed at $152,000.
It's 1,554 square feet.
And it's three bedrooms, two baths, okay?
Are you ready? Let's go.
Okay!
Whoo! Nice.
Yes, like!
Open.
Open-concept.
The dining is over here in this section.
This'll be your formal dining area.
It's a little small.
SONYA: It is pretty small,
but, you know, it's only you.
And I can work with this space here.
MELISSA: Will you be okay with the carpet here?
CLARA: I prefer hardwood floors.
I would want the wood to extend all the way over
into this area here.
This is an eat-in kitchen,
which you see has tile flooring.
Right. Definitely love the tile floor.
What do we have here?
Oh! pantry.
Hmm.
If you put the table here, a chair here,
then every time you move,
you're gonna have to move the chair out of the way.
MELISSA: I have a solution for that -- get a smaller table.
[ Laughter ]
Hmm, definitely don't like the counters.
This is laminate.
Definitely want granite.
Clara's very classy.
She love her hardwood floors.
She love her granite tops.
I still say if she love all of that,
that means she need to go a little higher in price.
But it does have black appliances.
Okay, that's true.
This is one of three bedrooms.
CLARA: Oh. Small.
[ Laughs ] Tiny.
Is this a bedroom or a kid's room?
You can use it as an office,
or you can use it for whatever you want to use it as.
It definitely seems like
it would be space enough for an office.
All right, guest bathroom. All right.
Nice size. Nice size. Nice vanity.
Take a look at the second of three bedrooms.
It's much larger.
Definitely can use this as a guest bedroom.
Now where to, Melissa?
Okay, I'm gonna show you. I saved the best for last.
Okay.
Mm!
Has a seating area.
I'm trying to picture my furniture -- my bedroom.
I'm trying to picture your furniture.
Okay, so you probably would put your bed here, probably?
If I put my bed there,
my nightstands will not be able to go next to it.
I'm having a hard time visualizing
where all the furniture that I have can go,
especially with the sitting area
over to the right side of the bedroom.
I'm gonna let you go in first.
Nice bathroom! Double vanities.
SONYA: But you will be painting, right?
Yes. And I think I'd want it a little bit lighter.
MELISSA: One more thing.
Let's travel out here to the backyard
to see what we have.
CLARA: Wow!
See the pavers on the patio? It's already been done for you.
That's great.
This is a large space, too.
Most of your patios won't be this large.
Here, Clara, look. You have your privacy fence,
so when you do get ready to cut a step,
nobody have to be watching you.
I like it.
All right, so that's a plus.
Let's go.
There's some pluses.
Definitely like the floors -- the hardwood floors here.
I just wish it was extending into the family area.
Bedrooms, in terms of one being an office and a guest room,
so I think that works out
pretty well for me, as well, too.
Right, absolutely.
The garage on the front,
even though it's not facing the front --
But it's still on the front of the house,
so I definitely do not like that.
The master bedroom -- my biggest concern there
is whether or not my bedroom furniture will fit.
I definitely would have to live with the carpet.
SONYA: No, you won't be able to live with the carpet.
I know you won't because you want hardwood floors.
You've been wanting hardwood floors for the longest.
What did you think about the kitchen space?
CLARA: I definitely like
the fact that they're black appliances.
You know, I love black appliances. Functional.
Well, you know what? We have some lined up tomorrow.
So, we'll just take it up from there.
NARRATOR: So now they're seeing another option,
but it might be a hard sell.
I don't like all this greenery.
I know. Clara's gonna have to get over that now.
Trees are everywhere.
CLARA: I want something pink.
Yeah, well, you know, your pink and green.
I know, but I'm going to an event now.
I'm going to an event next week.
That's right. So...
So, get your pink. Represent.
NARRATOR: Newly single Clara wants to make a fresh start
in both her social life and her living situation.
With her best friend, Sonya, along for advice,
she's been searching for a home in Montgomery, Alabama,
in the $150,000 range.
So far, she's seen a ranch-style home near work,
but she didn't like the carpet, and the bedrooms were small.
Now her agent, Melissa, has lined up another place,
also very close to her job.
Come on, girl. I think I got a house for you.
CLARA: I don't like all this greenery.
I know. Clara, you're gonna have to get over that now.
Trees are everywhere.
Don't start tearing down the trees
before you look at the house.
Come on in here.
I don't like this, either.
Rose bushes? Come on, Clara.
Everyone woman want a rose in their life.
Yes, but I'm the rose, so I don't want the bushes.
All right, here we go.
It's $144,000.
We gonna go in here,
and I want you to have an open mind.
I will! Let's go!
All right. Come on.
Oh, my goodness!
A wonderful open-concept.
Oh, my God. [ Laughs ]
It's very low,
but a person your height would be fine.
But I think you need to bring it up.
If you have your dining-room table sitting here,
nobody's gonna be sitting in the middle of the table.
CLARA: It does look a little low to me.
See? Watch this.
But you're not gonna be walking under there, Clara.
You gonna be sitting at the table.
How do you like the fireplace? You said you wanted a fireplace.
Love it, love it, love it.
SONYA: Sit in the corner and start sipping on your wine.
Having some pillows down here.
When that fire's going on
and you and your friend -- maybe a new friend --
looking in each other eyes, oh!
MELISSA: Did you miss the floors?
Oh, my goodness. How did I miss the floors?
I don't know. We got turned on by the fireplace.
I guess we just missed the floors.
Absolutely! I love the floors!
CLARA: Man, do I love these colors!
SONYA: Beautiful colors.
I think your bed should go right here.
But, of course, not this carpet.
Why you don't like the carpet? I love the carpet.
It is really nice.
It just doesn't do anything for me.
So what is it supposed to do for you?
Well...
Oh! Double sinks. Definitely wanted those.
Definitely love the tub.
Garden tub. Nice tub.
SONYA: Put you some candles over there on the side
and drink you a little wine.
Okay, boy, you are really putting your wine on me.
Y'all sure drink a lot of wine.
But when I'm bathing, I'll close the blinds.
[ Both laugh ]
Oh!
I absolutely love the black appliances.
Love the black sink.
I definitely do not like the countertops.
Yes, I know you wanted granite.
But if you wanted granite,
you can go look for a bigger house that have what you want.
That means it's gonna cost more, right?
Oh, you could afford a bigger house if you wanted to,
'cause you know you're banking.
[ Laughter ]
My job is to, more or less,
help Clara pick a home to fit her.
And, more or less, to pick a home that fit me, too,
'cause I'm gonna be visiting her a lot.
If you're looking at $144,000,
an extra $10,000 won't hurt you if you getting what you want.
Melissa and Sonya think I could get a bigger house.
That requires I have to clean a large house,
and so I think this is ample space to clean.
Probably a little bit too much space to clean.
NARRATOR: The garage is in the back of the house.
Oh, my goodness.
Definitely not too fond of this view right here.
MELISSA: When you get in here, this is going to come down,
so you won't see that.
You'll know it's there, but you won't see that.
I don't think that's gonna be an issue.
That view is not gonna affect the value of this home, period.
It's always been back there,
and people still buy in this neighborhood.
This will definitely be my guest room here.
And I'd like it closer to the bathroom,
so this will definitely be my guest room.
Nice room. This will definitely be my office.
So, what's the deal with this floor right here?
I almost tripped.
Well, they just put the hardwood floors in
to make the home more sellable,
so they're probably gonna put the threshold there and finish it off.
Do you think they could just rip this carpet up?
I can be glad to talk to the seller and see what they could do.
I definitely see some greenery out there
that I would have my yard man to take out.
I really would love to see these hardwood floors extended,
especially into the bedroom.
I think the bedroom was a nice size.
Definitely like the bathroom.
And it is a two-car garage, so I absolutely love that.
And it had to be in the back, and so it is in the back.
But, gosh, the view...
Typically, people don't sit in their garages and look out at the view.
SONYA: I really love the kitchen,
because when you in the kitchen cooking,
if you have guests -- "Hey, Clara, what's up?"
Definitely love the black appliances.
Definitely want granite.
Spend a little bit more money,
you can get granite.
It has potential. It definitely has potential.
NARRATOR: So, Clara's agent lines up a place
with more high-end finishes.
But...
It's definitely a distance from where I work.
Definitely a distance from where I go to church.
And so that means I'd be traveling a lot.
What you thinking about dating or...
I want someone who's, you know, high-energy and --
Yeah, they need high energy, dealing with you.
[ Laughs ]
NARRATOR: Clara's enlisted her friend Sonya
for guidance on which house to buy
to start her new life as a single woman in Montgomery.
While she can afford to go higher,
Clara would like to stick to a $150,000 budget.
They've seen a home with an open concept,
but the side-facing garage was an issue.
The next place had a garage in the back,
but the view wasn't the best,
and she didn't like the countertops.
Today, her agent's showing her a more expensive home.
Hi, Melissa. How are you?
MELISSA: Hi. Doing fine.
This garage is definitely not something
that I want in the front of my house.
MELISSA: Okay.
No trees, though, Clara.
But it is definitely a distance from where I work,
definitely a distance from where I go to church.
And so that means I'd be traveling a lot
and having to deal with a lot of traffic.
It's three bedrooms, two bath, 1,516 square feet.
Let me tell you what the price of the house is --
$174,900.
Oh.
$175,000 is a lot.
I do not want to spend
$25,000 more than my ideal budget.
It's a new development.
It has the granite, the fireplace, the wood floors.
Most of the things that she said she wanted
this home has.
VoilĂ .
Wonderful.
I love it! I love it!
I love it! It is great.
I asked for open.
I give you open.
It has a nice entryway into the dining area.
It really is. It really is, Clara.
I want you to check out these floors.
Nice-sized tiles really make the kitchen look
a lot more open than what it is.
Love the countertops.
SONYA: Clara, your granite.
I see, and it is wonderful.
And these are all brand-new appliances.
I really imagined all-black appliances.
You need a refrigerator, Clara,
but you can mix that black and stainless steel together.
You really can and make it work.
Okay.
You go buy the refrigerator.
You buy this house, maybe I could.
[ Laughter ]
NARRATOR: Off the kitchen are two guest bedrooms.
You notice the floors carry on to the hallway.
So, it's not all the way in the bedrooms.
Hmm, this is not too bad.
Now, the second bedroom -- Is it about the same size?
Okay.
MELISSA: On our way, though, this would be the hall bath
for your guests.
A little bit smaller than the one I saw yesterday.
Yes.
But this might work for your office.
This will have to work for the office.
This is quite small.
Well, let's mosey on across the hall
or the other side to look at that beautiful master.
It's on the other side of this kitchen.
Okay.
My! Very nice.
This is the master.
Ooh, nice. Nice tray ceiling.
SONYA: Very nice.
Still my granite. Granite. Nice.
Oh, now, this is a wonderful shower.
Oh, it is.
Oh, my goodness.
Nice, deep tub.
Double vanities.
Definitely something that I want.
And that closet is absolutely wonderful.
Sonya, I could line all my shoes.
SONYA: All your shoes.
CLARA: Another concern I have
is whether my furniture will fit into this master bedroom.
I'm not sure about that yet. We'll continue.
We're trying.
I really want you to see the outside.
I think you'll be really impressed
because it is really nice.
Oh, it's not real large. It's not real large.
It's not enough room for us to dance.
Oh, that's a problem.
This is small. This is not as inviting.
Several things that I like about the house --
The wood floors. Love the kitchen.
The kitchen -- open.
I definitely want that open concept,
but then some of the things that are a challenge for me --
of course, definitely wanted black appliances in the kitchen,
and of course the garage on the front.
Definitely something that I do not like.
One of the problems that I have is
the patio, to me, is just too small.
And we love to par-tay.
Then again, for over $25,000, I would like to have
more that I absolutely like on this list,
as opposed to having some things I do not like.
I'm not gonna push anything on you out of your budget
that you're not feeling comfortable with.
It's your decision, ultimately, which one you want to choose.
NARRATOR: So now Clara has to weigh her options.
It's time to get down to the nitty-gritty.
It's time to choose.
CLARA: The only way you really know
that you know that you know something -- You have to do it.
But if you never do it, how do you know it?
NARRATOR: And now associate professor Clara
is taking her own advice.
She's working hard to establish herself
as a single woman after her divorce.
Her first act is to buy a home of her own.
Working with a $150,000 budget,
she and her best friend, Sonya, have seen several places.
Okay, Clara, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty.
It's time to choose.
So let's just talk about the ranch-style house.
The garage was on the front.
There was wood floor, but just in the entrance way
and the dining area.
It had some kiddie rooms
where the rooms are so small for little children.
And I would probably use
one of those smaller rooms for an office.
My furniture's not going to fit in that bedroom.
The good thing is the backyard -- the patio.
Oh, yes. Low-maintenance.
Very.
So, I definitely could handle that very well.
Let's talk about the one with all the bushes and the trees,
which I didn't like, but nevertheless --
But the garage in the back.
The garage is definitely in the back,
which I really like.
I definitely love the garden tub.
Oh, yeah. Candles.
Absolutely. Music.
Absolutely.
You didn't like the carpet in the bedroom.
No. And then let's talk about the other house.
This one has the garage in the front.
Yeah, it' a big garage in the front.
It was definitely open-concept.
Oh, man, it was. It was beautiful.
Just walk in, and you can just see everything.
Wood floors.
And then the wood floors extended into the hallway.
Not the bedroom, but it extended into the hallway.
Love -- It had my granite.
Oh. [ Laughs ]
But that back was pretty small.
It went $25,000 over my budget.
But you getting what you pay for.
That's something that you have to think about.
I know it's not my decision,
but the one that I really like is the one that's $175,000.
Forget the price. I just love the home.
The one that I think is the one that's $144,000.
Oh, rose bushes walking up.
It made me feel that it was really home.
It made me feel like I could really make it home.
I really think that's going to be the house.
[ Doorbell rings ]
Hi! Hello!
CLARA: I closed three weeks ago.
I moved in two days after I closed.
I came in $13,000 under my budget,
and I was really excited.
Very nice.
I have some hors d'oeuvres.
I have some fruit in here, some cheese, some wine.
Come on.
I have arranged my furniture,
and I'm still trying to decide on the color,
but I still want to paint this open area.
There were a couple of things that I did not get.
Granite countertops.
That's a thing that I'm going to do in about four or five months.
And I definitely wanted wood throughout the house.
And so that's something I may do and something I may not.
I know I purchased a home with a lot of trees and bushes.
I am definitely worried about spiders and bugs
because they definitely are out there.
But I know once I get those bushes trimmed or removed,
that should cut down on the spiders.
This home is giving me a wonderful fresh start,
new surroundings, getting to know new neighbors.
I'm quite excited about the new start.