[narrator] House Hunters is getting the star treatment.
You could probably do a plunge pool.
No, I want a bigger pool.
You don't even swim.
[narrator] For the first time ever,
our experts are leading the hunt.
Trust me, I have your back.
[narrator] Taking buyers to see homes
in the towns they know best.
Mina is synonymous with the city of Indianapolis.
[narrator] Giving expert reno advice
on the biggest fixers.
Having Jasmine is like having a magic genie here.
♪ Anything that you want You can have ♪
[narrator] And real estate know-how
to get buyers in to their perfect home.
This is why you brought the pros in.
[narrator] It's House Hunters on a whole other level.
Let the house search begin.
-Yes! -Yeah. [chuckles]
This is fun.
Let's talk about the elephant in the room.
[narrator] Tonight in Atlanta, Georgia,
Mike Jackson and Egypt Sherrod,
from Married to Real Estate,
help newlyweds find their first home.
And Greg has his heart set on just one thing.
Holy cheese balls!
What? You actually did it. You found it.
-[Mike laughs] -This is amazing.
[doorbell ringing]
[theme music playing]
I really just wonder...
-Do you like those? -I do.
Can I say something for a second, though?
-[Egypt] Yes. -When you look at the palette
and what you have on, you look good.
-Are you flirting? -Just a little bit.
-[laughs] -All right. Well...
-Question. -[Egypt] Yeah.
What time is Gelene and Greg supposed to be here?
Oh, actually, any minute.
We're in our city, Atlanta, Georgia,
and we're both really excited to help Gelene and Greg
find their first house together.
Gelene and Greg have been living in Gelene's apartment,
where she lived before they started dating.
But it's not big enough to expand
for the family they're looking to have.
I'm really excited to be working with Mike and Egypt.
Oh, yes.
-I'm very, very excited. -Yeah.
We lucked up with this one.
Gelene and Greg reached out to our office because...
[Egypt] I'm a real estate broker.
-Mmm-hmm. -And designer.
And I'm a builder.
We love to find people the home of their dreams,
and we know how to make it perfect for them.
What would it take
to completely remove the fireplace?
A sledgehammer
-and some hard work. -[all laughing]
[Egypt] This house has an opportunity
-they just haven't seen. -[man] Oh, my gosh.
[woman] This is amazing.
-Are you crying? -I totally am crying.
They're gonna come in today and assess how to pull
all of their wants and needs together.
I know we're on different pages.
-Okay. -But a house is a very big purchase,
and I wanna make sure we make the right decision.
We're not just on different pages,
we're in two different books.
-[Mike] Oh, hey. -Hi, guys.
-Hello, hello. -[Mike] Hey, how are you guys?
-Hello. -Hey.
-[Egypt] Welcome. -Hey.
I think Mike and Egypt are the perfect people
to help us find our first home together.
They really know the area,
they specialize in design as well as renovation.
They can help us bring our ideas together.
I understood from you,
on the telephone, that y'all just can't come
-to any agreement. -[chuckling]
-Just complete opposites when it comes to the house. -Why?
It's because she ain't got no vision.
She don't got... You gonna start the morning like that?
Oh, it is what it is. We already started.
-[all laughing] -We already started.
Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm.
What are your must-haves?
We want a three-bedroom, two-bath.
-Mmm-hmm. -[Mike] Okay.
I really would like an office space.
-Just a private space to work. -[Mike] Mmm-hmm.
Um, I like a federal-style home.
I really like the brick.
What I would like is, so when you look at the house,
you're gonna have this "Wow" moment.
I want you to look at it and say,
-"This is not typical." -[Mike] Okay.
You want it to look like a music video.
-That's what it is. I see. -Yes.
-Exactly. -[all laughing]
Also, I wanna bring that "Wow" moment
from the outside to the house,
-so as soon as you walk in... -You want a formal foyer.
A formal foyer will be very nice
or just something we can get decorated very nicely.
Greg, he likes more of a standout home.
-But I love coziness. -You don't want a museum.
-You want an actual house. -Yeah. I want an actual house
-that I can actually live in every day. -Gotcha.
We also want our own
separate sinks in the bathroom.
That's something we don't have now.
The marriage savers.
-[Gelene] Yes. -Yes.
[Greg] Mmm-hmm.
Give me the stressors. What are the biggest issues
that we can't come to agreement on?
I would say the biggest issue is the budget.
-Mmm-hmm. -[Mike] Okay.
[Gelene] I'm a CPA, and just looking at the numbers,
I think that we should stay within the 350 range.
I'm more 375.
But we can stretch a little more.
[Gelene] I absolutely do not wanna live in a house
that's being renovated.
I want a house to renovate.
You want a house to renovate.
Like, you wanna walk into a renovation.
Yes. I have some things that I like,
uh, that are not on the market.
Like a U-shaped island.
-Yeah. -You said a "U-shaped island?"
A U-shaped island.
-Why a U-shaped island? -[Greg] 'Cause I'm a chef.
To the right, you have your prep station.
Cut up my vegetables. Cook 'em.
To the left, you have your wash station.
Clean my dishes. Use 'em.
So, you don't like the format
of it all being in a straight line.
[Greg] Yeah, no.
-He throws down. -He throws down.
[chuckling]
If you can find a man who can cook in the kitchen,
he's a keeper!
-That's why I'm still here. -[chuckles]
Now, is there a specific neighborhood?
Our neighborhood is pretty broad that we're looking at.
A suburb, but closer to the city.
Like Smyrna.
-That area's good. -Smyrna.
Yeah, I work remote some days and then... Like, hybrid.
But those few days I go in the office a week,
I don't wanna sit in traffic.
I feel as though if we go a little further out,
we'll get more for our money.
So, budget, location, what's the next one?
Um, I need a pool.
Okay.
I'm not into the pool idea.
I just think the maintenance was too much.
It's gonna be my job, so I don't know
why you're so worried about it.
Because I'm gonna have to come behind you and check it
-and make sure it's good. -Oh.
Make sure you're actually doing it.
Wait. How did you two get together again?
You could not be more polar opposites.
-Oh, my gosh. Polar opposites. -Maybe that's why it works.
-Yeah. -This is 19 years here.
-We cannot be more opposite. -[Gelene] Oh, wow.
Here's the thing. Real estate professionals are therapists,
and this is gonna be a really important
-marriage lesson for them... -Mmm.
About compromise.
I have a feeling that you guys
are really going to give us some go.
-[chuckling] -Oh, yeah.
-[laughing] -And I'm up for a challenge.
-We're up for a challenge, right? -I'm up for it.
Bring it on.
-Mmm-hmm. -Bring it on.
[narrator] Egypt and Mike set up a home
to see the next day
at a suburb outside of Atlanta.
I really don't wanna do this drive
to Douglasville all the time.
You work hybrid.
So, you don't have to do this drive all the time.
It's not just about work, though.
Our whole life is in the city.
Wow.
-Hi. -How's it going?
Look at y'all. Look at y'all.
Looking like a bunch of thumbtacks, all sharp.
-[all laughing] -Right, thank you.
[Mike] So, what do you think of the style of the home?
It didn't give me my "Wow" factor
-that I was looking for when you drive up. -Okay.
It does seem a little plain.
[Gelene] And it's not federal-style, like I like.
-But I do like the brick of the home. -[Mike] Okay.
-And this nice entryway. -[Egypt] I would agree.
Asking price is $295,000.
-[Greg] Wow. -[Gelene] Wow, I love that.
That's a good price. That's a good price.
This house is well within budget,
with room for projects, still staying
in the comfort zone for Gelene.
You get lot for your money out here,
and it is cozy.
All right. Come on in.
[Gelene] Wow.
You definitely got cozy.
I definitely felt cozy as soon as I walked in.
I don't have my grand entry.
[Mike] Well, that's 'cause you have a project.
You gotta bring it to this place.
-[Egypt] You said project. -I did say project.
-Okay.
[Greg] How you feel about the beams?
I feel they're too low.
[Gelene] I actually really like them.
There is a way to sort of appease both.
If we use these same beams,
but not as many, for instance,
kept that one, took this one out,
kept that one, took this one out.
And then, Mike, you actually rework the beams,
so that instead of going straight across,
-they arch up. -[Mike] Mmm-hmm.
So, now you get all of your ceiling height
-while still keeping your character. -Right.
And you don't have to pay for the materials
because the ones that we save...
-Mmm-hmm. -...we utilize to fill.
I love that idea. I like the way they are now...
-[Egypt] Mmm-hmm. -But...
I don't like the way they are now, so.
[Mike] Mmm-hmm.
[Greg] We need to do something else,
-and I think that plan was great. -[Mike] Right.
Let's talk about the elephant in the room.
-This kitchen. -Multiple.
We got multiple elephants in this kitchen.
-Wow. -[chuckles]
Let's take a look at this kitchen.
[Greg] We got multiple elephants in this kitchen.
[Gelene] I think that the cabinets
and just the kitchen itself is very old.
[Greg] And I do not see space for my U-shaped island.
You could just remove the kitchen cabinet doors,
keep the original framing, reface new doors,
which gives it a modern look with new hardware.
Add a peninsula here and replace the countertops.
There is a good version of this
-for 30K. -[Mike] Mmm-hmm.
I do like that idea.
I don't wanna live through a renovation.
End of story.
We can feel you're not really feeling it right now, okay?
So, would you rather see the bedrooms right now?
[Greg] That would be great. After you.
On the right, you have a full bath.
[Gelene] It's very...
old.
-And green. -[chuckling]
Mike, to reface this bathroom,
keeping plumbing where it is and beautifying it,
what are we looking at?
$10,000.
-[Gelene] It's a lot. -[Greg] That's worth it.
[Gelene] It's adding up.
[Egypt] Then you have a secondary bedroom here.
-[Gelene] It's a decent size. -[Greg] Definitely.
And then, you have an identical secondary here.
[Gelene] And there's enough space for an office.
[Egypt] Right here is the primary.
Oh, okay.
It's a little tight.
There is room for a king or queen size bed here.
And then, here's your en suite.
[Gelene] Oh, wow. This is very small.
And there's no space for double sinks.
This will not work.
Here's the thing. If you look straight ahead,
if we were to go through that wall,
there's just a small closet at the front entry
that you would potentially lose.
So, what could happen is,
if you're going to renovate anyway...
-[Greg] Mmm-hmm. -...blow through that wall,
give you a larger shower going that way,
which would move everything down
and allow for a double vanity here.
-To make this what you really want... -Mmm-hmm.
You're looking at a 15K price tag.
But we're not done yet.
-More to see. Come this way. -Okay.
Whoa.
-Wait, wait, wait, whoa! -[Gelene] Wow.
Holy cheese balls!
What? You actually did it. You found it.
Holy moly!
This is amazing.
I've been waiting my whole life for this.
-[Mike chuckles] -[Egypt] A plus?
[chuckles] A huge plus. I'm sold.
-You're sold? [laughs] -[Greg] I'm sold.
Ready to move in. When do we move in?
-[Egypt] I don't think she is, though. -Yeah.
-I have a lot of concerns with it. -Mmm-hmm.
Not only the price to renovate,
but the monthly cost for maintenance.
It's just a lot. A lot more than I wanna do.
And we're not even in a prime location.
Definitely gonna have to keep looking.
[narrator] So, Egypt and Mike find a home
that's turnkey and close to the city.
Based off of the listing they sent us,
it looks like it's a townhome.
When you say the words "town house,"
my gut does not make me feel happy.
And it feels wrong.
-Hi, guys. -Hello.
-What's going on? -What do you think?
-I love it. -[Mike] Yeah?
Love it. I love driving up.
The city's great. The area, the brick.
You guys, you guys...
[Mike] You are excited.
-[Gelene] Yes. -How do you feel?
-[Mike chuckles] -What are we doing here?
[Mike laughs]
[Greg] There's no "Wow" factor.
All the townhouses look the exact same.
I don't like it.
Right now, there are only five homes
on the market, period...
-Right. -...in Smyrna.
So, that tells you about the demand.
I wanted you to see what your money would actually get you.
-369 is the asking price. -[Greg] 369.
-Uh-huh. -[Mike] But you also have
-the community pool, right? -[Greg] Okay.
[Egypt] You ready to see the inside?
Yeah. Let's do it.
-[Mike] Let's do it. -[Greg] After you.
-[Greg] Wow. -[Gelene] Wow.
[Egypt] You wanted a moment, you said,
-when you came in. -I did.
A two-story great room works for you?
-I do love the tall ceilings. -Okay.
[Gelene] I like the openness of the space.
I love the kitchen. I think it's great.
[Greg] Imma ask you one quick question.
Do you think this is enough space
for my U-shaped island?
I honestly think,
if we take this entire island, the face,
-and it came here... -Uh-huh.
Then you create that U back there...
-Hmm. -Right?
And I disagree.
But, if you do it,
you take away the dining space.
That's why I disagree.
If you're dead set on a U-shaped island,
you would enter that way.
And we literally just give you additional prep space here.
So, you've got your U-workspace
while still being able to have barstools
without losing your dining space.
[Gelene] I like that. It doesn't look as weird.
-Wait. My way was weird? -[chuckling]
[Mike] My way had stools, too,
and we didn't block off anything.
You know how we always say, as real estate professionals,
-we're kinda therapists as well. -Mmm-hmm.
I feel like, right now, we need a therapist,
because we can't seem to agree
on how to get this island right.
And then, you have a secondary bedroom here.
-[Gelene] Okay. -[Greg] Oh. You do.
[Egypt] How does the size feel for you?
I think the size is great for a guest bedroom
or maybe a future kid's bedroom.
[Greg] Oh, this is the bathroom.
[Gelene] Wow. This is nice.
[Greg] So, lack of space.
-Uh, it doesn't have a tub. -[Mike] Mmm-hmm.
-Upstairs may offer more prospect. -Right.
Come on. Let's go see what that looks like.
[Mike] After you.
[Egypt] All right.
Right.
[Egypt] This is considered the primary.
Really?
This is considered the primary.
Really?
-It's a loft style townhome. -[Mike] Right.
[Greg] I think it's not practical at all.
I'm snoring, people can hear me downstairs,
-trying to watch the game. -[laughing]
And I done fell asleep.
-Uh, that's not gonna be good. -Gotcha.
If you put up a wall here,
-which we can easily do, right? -Mmm-hmm.
That closes off that area, gives you privacy.
-Smart. -And then,
we create a space for a room.
[Egypt] Ooh, I like that idea, babe.
I think that's money well spent.
[Greg] Mmm-hmm.
Especially if you're snoring.
Put that wall up and that's a sound barrier.
I don't like the way you looked at me
when you said "snoring."
Well, that's a whole 'nother story.
-There's... No. -[laughing]
So, you have your bathroom here.
[Greg] Bathtub.
-[Gelene] The bathtub. -[Greg] With the jets in it.
[Gelene] More importantly,
the double vanities are perfect.
This is exactly what we're looking for.
Now, that you've had the once-through,
where does this house fare for you?
I really like the location.
I really like the...
The style of the home, the federal-style, the brick.
I also really like that it has the double vanity.
[Greg] At the end of the day,
the townhouse doesn't really give me
the "Wow" factor that I'm looking for.
-Okay. -Okay.
-So, tomorrow morning we're back at it. -Yeah.
[narrator] So, Egypt and Mike find a home
that's more of a compromise. Something that'll impress Greg
in a prime location for Gelene.
All right, I think we're almost here.
[Greg] Oh, there it is.
-Hi. -[Gelene] Hey.
-Hey. -[Greg] Hey, guys.
[Egypt] You wanted city.
Yeah, it's definitely in the city.
-[Egypt] We gave you city. -I love the location.
[Egypt] This house has been recently renovated.
[Mike] And I feel like Greg is gonna like that.
It's giving that "Wow" factor.
-But it's still a brick house. -Mmm-hmm.
which gives that traditional vibe
-Gelene might like. -Right.
I actually love the outside. Something about it
-that stands out to me. -[Mike] Okay.
-[Gelene] It pops. -[Greg] The blue door.
You wanna see the inside?
-Let's do it. -Let's do it.
-All right. -After you.
So, it's right at 375.
-[Gelene] Oh, wow. Okay. -But three-bedroom, two-baths.
-[Greg] Okay. -[Gelene] Okay.
-[Gelene] Oh. -[Egypt] Yeah.
[Gelene] It is a really cozy room.
It's definitely updated. I like that part.
-I do like this living room, dining area combo. -[Mike] Uh-huh.
Let's take a look at the kitchen
and see how that works out for you.
-Okay. Wow. -Yeah.
[Greg] It does look aesthetically pleasing,
but I don't see where I can put a U-shaped island.
Here's one for you.
What if this whole side was the kitchen?
Let me stop you right there.
Greg, this kitchen is move-in ready.
We don't need to do anything else.
-Let's just move on. -Great. No opinions from me.
-Whatever. -[chuckling]
[Gelene] I also really like the window
and a lot of natural light that comes into the kitchen.
I think this is perfect.
However, I do see something missing.
-Yeah, we kinda figured that. -Yeah?
[Egypt] Well, okay.
Well, come on, step out. Let's talk about it.
[Greg] Let's step out.
[Gelene] Wow, this is a big backyard.
I think this is perfect for entertaining.
[Greg] It is a pretty big backyard,
but I am missing my pool.
Here's the bright side. It is far and few in between
that you'd be able to find a house in the city
-that has a yard this size. -[Mike] Yes.
[Egypt] You could add that later,
and a pool would, say on the low end,
you're talking about $60,000 to put a pool in.
Okay.
[Egypt] Back through the kitchen.
Here's secondary bedroom number one,
-Nice size? -[Greg] Mmm-hmm.
[Gelene] Yeah, nice size.
And then, you have a full bath.
[Gelene] Size-wise, for a guest bath, it's good.
[Greg] It's actually pretty big for a guest bathroom.
[Egypt] And then, secondary here.
I love the idea of using this room for an office.
-[Egypt] Yeah. -[Greg] I agree.
[Egypt] All right, let's see that owner's suite.
-[Mike chuckles] -All right.
-Which is right here. -Right over here.
-[Greg] Okay. -[Gelene] Wow.
[Greg] Nice. This is very spacious.
I love this shower.
-But, babe... -[Gelene] Yeah.
-There's no double vanity. -[Greg] No double vanity.
How much would it be to get a dual vanity?
Honestly?
-It's not gonna happen, guys. -Mmm-hmm.
Because you're gonna either lose room from that bedroom
-to create a larger bathroom. -Yeah.
-Or you're gonna lose room from here. -Right.
It's gonna be a give and take.
This was getting you closer to the city.
-Okay? -Absolutely.
And when you go for location, you're not getting
-as much square footage. -Right.
But what can this house be for you?
Can it serve its purpose,
or does it just feel like it's not going to work?
[Gelene] I think this house is a great option for us.
It's move-in ready.
-It's the perfect location. -[Mike] Mmm-hmm.
[Greg] The no pool definitely was a heartbreak for me.
However, I do like the "Wow" factor
with the white brick and the blue door.
[Gelene] But, of course, price is my biggest concern.
We definitely need to think about it.
And I've gotta go home to my spreadsheet,
crunch the numbers, and see... see what we can do.
♪ We're living the good life ♪
♪ Living the good life We're living the good life ♪
After you, my lady.
-[Greg] Hey, guys. -Oh.
-Hey. -[Egypt] Hi.
-How are you? -Nice to see you again.
-You, as well. -Mmm-hmm.
-[Mike] What's up, brother? -What's up? What's up?
I'm all right. How are you?
-We ordered some breakfast. -Fine.
Did you get any sleep?
-Not much. -No.
I was up all night looking at my spreadsheet.
And your brains just keep going.
We showed you a lot of great properties.
There's none that I think you could really go wrong with.
It's just a matter of,
where both of you could both feel comfortable.
I really like the fixer with a pool.
[Egypt] They were asking $295,000.
I really liked that price, of course.
The price was well under budget,
and it was the cozy home that I was looking for.
However, it didn't hit my "Wow" factor.
I know that one was also farther from the city
-than where you wanted to be. -Yeah.
However, that did offer an opportunity to customize
-the way you see fit. -[Mike] Mmm-hmm.
Speaking my language.
-You're speaking my language. -[laughing]
But I really don't wanna live in a construction house.
I really liked the federal townhome.
[Egypt] They were asking 369. A little more
-than you wanted to spend. -[Gelene] Yes.
-The location, it is Smyrna. -And that's great to me.
It had the bathrooms that we were looking for.
[Greg] And we can definitely get
a U-shaped island in that kitchen.
The bedroom layout was a little funky.
-[Mike] Okay. -[Greg] However,
I know Mike can definitely make that...
-He's salivating. -[laughing]
-What about the renovated ranch in the city? -Mmm-hmm.
[Egypt] Now, that one, they were asking 375.
[Greg] I love the curb appeal.
-[Mike] Yeah. -[Greg] It was really beautiful.
I loved that that home was move-in ready,
and I loved the location.
[Egypt] However, there was no way
to create a double vanity in there.
[Greg] The no pool definitely was a heartbreak for me.
That was the most expensive house for the smallest space.
So, that part is a little hard to factor in.
This can be a stressful process.
It can be.
[Mike] We've shown them a lot of great properties.
But at this point, the ball's in their court.
I wonder where they're gonna land.
[doorbell ringing]
-Anybody home? -Hello.
-Hi! -Hey!
-How are you guys? -Come on in.
We chose the fixer-upper with the pool.
Even though it wasn't federal-style on the outside,
I still loved the brick.
It has the projects that Greg wanted,
and it's cozy,
which was the number one thing I wanted.
And it had, of course, Greg's pool.
[Greg] I got a ten-foot diving board
already in the mail.
I can't wait to put that up and dive.
Wow, you are really moved in.
-[Gelene] Yeah. -[Greg] Yes.
We're just so excited. So excited.
Financially, this was also the best house for us.
The house was listed at 295,
and we actually got it for 295.
Now, we have a lot of money left over
to renovate the home and just make it ours.
We are ready to start the renovations right in here.
-Are you? -Yes.
I didn't think I would get on board with renovations.
But honestly, this house felt perfect for us,
and we can grow our family,
and I see us living here for a long time.
[Greg] Take a look at our main bedroom.
[Egypt] Oh, this looks fantastic.
I mean, you guys settled in nicely.
We started off on such different pages,
but Egypt and Mike were able to combine both of our visions
and find us a perfect home.
Oh, I see you guys got our gift.
-[Gelene] Yes. -[Greg] Yes.
-We just love it so much. -[Gelene] Yeah.
Egypt and Mike bought us a bar.
Oh, my goodness, I'm so excited.
Look at the bar, ain't it so...
-Thank you guys so much. -You're welcome.
I saw it and said,
"Gregory's moment, right here."
[all laughing]
You know what never gets old?
-Helping someone fulfill their dream. -Yeah.
[Mike] Especially when it's a couple
with their first-time home.
With Gelene and Greg,
it was a long journey to get here,
but they're happy. They really, truly are.
-Yeah. -And we're happy for them.
You guys did it. You made it.
-Yeah. -Thank you, guys.
We couldn't have done it without you.
The first of many compromises.
-Yes. Thank you. -[chuckles]