House Hunters International

Mark and Carolle Cotter love living in Northridge, California and find it to be the perfect place to raise their six-year old son. However, life is all work and not a lot of play, so after visiting Costa Rica's Lake Arenal, the Cotters decided to look for a restful vacation home there with beautiful and relaxing views of the lake.

Throughout their fifteen years of marriage, Steve and Susan Miller have traveled the world, with trips to sites such as Sicily, Panama, Tahiti and Australia. At present, the Millers reside along the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky, but are looking for another waterfront property as a second home - in the Dominican Republic.

Lesley and Clive have been together for more than thirty years. Both lovers of music, dogs and travel, they've decided it's time to look for a second home in an exotic location. Tired of London's rainy and wet weather, the Allingtons are anxious for open space and warm weather in beautiful Granada, Spain.

After attending college in the United States, 27-year-old Tyson Ennis returned home to Costa Rica and moved back in with his parents, who own a place in the city of Escazu (southwest of Costa Rica's capital, San Jose). Tyson is close to his family, but after living on his own, he now feels a little closed in. So, although it's customary for children in Costa Rica to live with their families until they marry, he is breaking tradition and searching for a space to call his own. He's hoping to find a place with two bedrooms and a view that is close to his parents' home, but he knows that with a budget equivalent to $150,000, he'll probably be limited to buying a condominium. With his family's blessing--and their input--the search is on. Real estate Agent Edward Fridovich signs on to help.

Real estate agent Michelle Owens adores her life in Charleston, S.C., but after vacationing in Belize six years ago, she fell in love with the exquisite natural beauty of the Central American country--so much so, that she's decided to make it her new home. She wants a large house with plenty of guest bedrooms for visiting friends and a drop-dead view of the Caribbean Sea. She doesn't want the hassle of construction, so to increase her options, she widens her search to include not only the beach area, but also the scenic jungle regions, where wild monkeys are neighbors and breathtaking views are still the norm. Helping with her search is real estate agent Howard Oldham.

Gary Howorka and his girlfriend, Rebecca Anderson, love the laidback lakefront home they live in on Minnesota's Lake Minnetonka. But with cold temperatures half the year and crowded tourist-filled waterways the other half, they are ready to escape to a true water-lovers paradise--a secluded tropical island. After hearing about Roatan, Honduras, from a friend, the couple went for a visit and were hooked by the friendly locals and beautiful water spots. They are ready to pack up and move there permanently. Local real estate agent Jeff J. Thekan is ready to show these Minnesotans how to invest their money wisely in a piece of island paradise.

Stacey Jones is a transplant from England who moved to Amsterdam for a change of pace. She has been living with roommates in a rented apartment close to the city center, but the apartment is being sold and she can't afford to purchase it. She has decided to leave renting behind and strike out on her own by purchasing something she can afford. Real estate agent Johann Overeem signs on to help with her search.

Newlyweds Bérénice and Loïg Raoul have been living in a '70s-era one-room flat in the historic first district of Paris, where Loïg hopes to run for city council. They would like a larger place with two bedrooms in a historic Parisian building. They realize that a flat in the center of Paris with their $480,000 (US) budget will be difficult, so they've asked agent Jérôme Cacarié to shine the way in the city of lights.

Romayne Wright, originally from England, is a single career woman who now rents a place in Paris' artistic neighborhood district. She works in marketing for an auto company and is on the road five days a week. When she is at home, though, she loves the neighborhood and has recently decided to make it her permanent home. She likes her one-bedroom rental and would buy it if she could, but it's not for sale. She's on the hunt for a unit with high ceilings and would love a bathtub so she can really unwind when at home. Room for a home office and more living space are also on the top of her wish list. Relocation expert Tanya Halton tackles the challenge.

Follow an American art student searching for a space to spread his creativity in Stockholm Sweden.

Join a couple searching for the perfect tropical respite from their otherwise hectic lives.

Two bedrooms; two baths; by the beach; for only $200,000? Now that's a tall order!

Explore Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with a pair of newlyweds excited to be starting their lives together.

Join a soon-to-be married couple in their search for the perfect Paris palais.

Explore the City of Lights in search of a cozy chateau for two.

Join a Hong Kong business woman's search for new digs nearer the heart of the city.

Escape with a busy Buenos Aires entrepreneur seeking a vacation retreat in Uruguay.

Follow our newlyweds as they search for a home in warm, sunny Spain.

Join a family's search for the perfect home by a bay in Baja.

Impressed with Panama's environmental policies, a couple is drawn to Panama City.

Join an avid diver in his search for a second home on the island of Roatan.

Justin and Maria Guenin met in business school and now live and work in El Ejido, Spain. They're searching for a seaside vacation home close to Maria's family and, hopefully, with spectacular views.

After traveling throughout Europe as a young man, American Ira Leifer fell in love with France and dreamed of returning to live there one day. When home prices hit an all time high in Washington DC, Ira took the opportunity to sell his home for a good sum at settlement. However, with the value of the dollar diminishing, he's anxious to finally make his move to France. Will he go for something in the wine country or a more urban setting?

Adelina and Jose have a large family with many children and grandchildren. In fact, their family has expanded so much that space is limited in their Lisbon home. They have decided to leave the city in favor of the Portugal countryside, where they hope to find a large home with a swimming pool and a garden.

Catherine and Paul Newell are expecting their first child and looking for a larger home. They're currently in a two-bedroom, two-bath condo with an incredible wrap-around deck that overlooks the ocean. Now, they want a home with three to four bedrooms, a nice-sized yard and a location within walking distance to parks and other amenities.

Linda and Malcolm House live in the small seaside town of Maldon, England and have chosen the Dominican Republic as their permanent vacation getaway. They're looking for a home within walking distance to the water. Inside the home, they hope to have three bedrooms: one for them and two for their children or other guests. With a budget of $600,000 U.S. dollars, the Houses are setting their sails on their search.

Brian Raab and his fiance Kacey Lindquist have fallen in love with the people and the beauty of Costa Rica. Brian plans to open a restaurant in the Central Valley area, and now he and Kacey are looking for a home there with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and lots of room for guests - including visiting chefs.

Ron and Emma Bushaway are natives of London, England and are hoping to make their permanent home in the sunny Andalusian region of Spain. After traveling around the country, they fell in love with the village of Colmenar and knew this is where they wanted to live. While they agree on the village, Emma is interested in a country home, while Ron fears this will mean more work for him and thus prefers something more modern.

Doug and Kendy Steeves have been in a whirlwind ever since Doug was offered a job in the Cayman Islands. They've sold their home in Ontario, Canada and begun a house hunting journey on Grand Cayman in the western Caribbean Sea. Doug would like a more formal home, but Kendy really wants something with Caribbean character and charm.

Brian Dahl is ready to give up the quiet neighborhood he's lived in for 17 years in favor of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. He'd love to be able to walk to work from the trendy, centrally located neighborhood he's picked out, but he isn't sure what his budget will afford him there.

Richard and Chitra Pullen decided to escape their hectic lives and exhausting jobs in London and move to the French countryside. Now, with two children, they are looking for a house with four bedrooms and a decent-sized yard for less than 550,000 Euro (about $850,000). Ideally, they'd like to find an older, traditional style home that has been upgraded with modern conveniences, and they've asked real estate agent Anushka Paverman to help them in their search.

Sue and Mike Shiroi have spent most of their married life in a country home outside of London, where they raised their three children. Now that the kids are grown, they've decided to semi-retire and leave the London fog behind, heading to the beautiful island of Cyprus. Their daughter Annabel moved to Greece several years before and now works as a realtor there. They want an open and airy floor plan with beautiful views, a great garden area for their dog and still enough bedrooms for their other kids to visit. With a budget of 800,000 pounds (about $1,000,000), Annabel is sure she can find the Mediterranean home of their dreams and make her Mum and Dad very happy.

Ryan Marshall works as a human resources consultant in Tokyo and has been renting a tiny apartment in the city of Nishi-Azabu. He recently decided that it's time for a more permanent residence, and he's searching for a larger and quieter space in Akasaka. A major concern for Ryan is to have a better view, which is especially difficult in a dense city of 30 million people. With a $500,000 budget, he hopes that realtor Naoko Okada will find the space and the view that he desires.

Derrick and Shannon Nelson of Vancouver Island, British Columbia didn't want to jump too quickly into home ownership. Although their rental apartment has lots of nice features, they have already outgrown the small space and have decided to look for a home to buy. They hope to find an open kitchen in a home that is surrounded by nature, so they can wake up every morning to great views of the mountains.

Vandna Patel and Debbie Elvy are happy living in their home in Surrey, 15 miles outside of London. However, they long for better weather. Debbie has finally convinced Vandna to look for a vacation home, and they've agreed that the island of Cyprus has the weather and the lifestyle they are looking for. As they search in the city of Larnaca, they are looking for a true getaway with beautiful swimming pools, landscaped gardens and low maintenance.

Ex-pats from Kirkland, Washington, Carolyn and Bob McConnell have lived and worked in Europe for the past six years. They've now decided that they want to live half of the year in the States, and the other half in Italy. Through their travels, they fell in love with the region of Umbria, about two hours north of Rome, and they are looking forward to the warm, sunny climate and relaxed lifestyle of the area.

This busy family of 6 loves their Tucson, Arizona lifestyle, but they yearn for a relaxing Fiji island getaway. Top of their list is a place with plenty of room for themselves and their guests, a large eat-in kitchen, ocean views and a big pool with plenty of outdoor living space. They'd like to stay under their $500,000 budget. The first place their agent Will takes them to see is a 1700 square foot house that's listed for $275,000. It only has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, and no pool, but it's on almost an acre of land so there is room to expand. The home has breath-taking ocean views, but the kitchen is older and the fridge is tiny. The next house they look at is priced higher, at $325,000, but it's also larger, with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms in 2500 square feet. The best feature of the house is the enormous great room that opens out onto the large deck.

Scott Medina is relocating from Miami to the Dominican Republic to kick-start his real estate business into high gear and to return to his Caribbean roots. He's looking to set up shop and find a condo in the high-end beach district of Punta Cana, known for its white sand beaches and luxury hotels. Scott's main priority is location- he'd love to be able to walk to the beach. He's also looking for a two-bedroom place so he can have a separate office and more storage, and he'd like a pool on the premises. He's hoping his real estate expertise will help him find all of these amenities in a 200 thousand dollar budget. Real estate agent and friend Frances Pimentel is going to help Scott on his search for the right place. The first condo that Frances shows Scott is a one-bedroom, one and a half bath condo right on a golf course. It's listed for 195 thousand dollars and is 1100 square feet.

Evan, who is from the Midwest, and Maria-Isabel who is from Nicaragua, own a restaurant together in historic Granada, Nicaragua. They are ready to buy a home but don't exactly agree on where. Evan wants to be as close to their restaurant in the city center as he can get, while Maria-Isabel is seeking a quieter, possibly more distant refuge. They both agree on size: 2 bedrooms plus an office, and on style: they like historic homes, and appreciate architectural authenticity. They also like to entertain and would like a hip space to do so. Real Estate Agent Sean Dennis shows them an historic home in the heart of town. Evan and Maria-Isabel love the home's authentic details and view of the cathedral, but Maria-Isabel is concerned about noise. Next Sean shows them a Colonial Reproduction a few minutes outside the center of town.

Now that her daughter Paola is a teenager, Rebeca Zuniga wants to get her out of the crowded big city of San Jose, Costa Rica. Rebeca's a business consultant who can work from home, so she wants to pack them up and move them into a brand new home in the laid back beach town of Playa Hermosa. As a single mom Rebeca has a limited budget, so she's relying on her real estate agent Dean Studebaker to help her get a deal. With Paola along for the tours, they check out a move-in-ready 3 bedroom condo priced at $575,000, a 2 bedroom condo with access to a private beach club that's priced at $485,000 and a 3 bedroom condo with an amazing ocean view that's listed for $585,000. With just one big decision to make, Rebeca and Paola will get to start their new lives by the beach.

Manfred Marshall is a busy Costa Rican lawyer who has saved up for the past decade so he can buy his dream vacation home on the beach in Mal Pais. He's turned to his good friend and real estate agent Molly Harris for help in finding just the right high-end property. It's important that he finds a place with room to rent out, so he can keep his costs down. They see a large compound with 3 separate villas and 2 pools listed for $2.6 million, a smaller 4 bedroom beach front house priced at $3 million and a gorgeous 3 bedroom home with amazing ocean views listed for $2.7 million. Manfred's just one decision away from vacation home paradise.

Christopher has always wanted to live in the Caribbean, but he can't get his wife Tracy to make such a big commitment and leave their Mesa, Arizona home for good. So, they split the difference and decided to buy a vacation home on the Turks and Caicos Islands. The couple is looking into a Fractional Ownership home, which offers them the opportunity to share the ownership of a multi-million dollar home. It also means they could only stay for a specific number of weeks per year, perfect for Tracy. Christopher would still like to have the option of living in the home full time. Elite Home Destinations' Bill Bisanz steps in to help them decide if they should invest in a fractional or full ownership. Christopher and Tracy have a budget of $700,000 for a home that's a fractional and $2.5 million for one that they can own fully. They check out two fractionals: one that is available for $700,000 and offers an 8 week stay and the other is priced at $500,000 for a 10 week stay.

California residents Jesse and Kelly love spending time at the beach in their Santa Barbara area. The active couple is especially fond of soaking up the sun and surfing the waves. When they got married they went on their honeymoon to San Juan Del Sur, a premier surf destination in Nicaragua known for its pristine beaches and amazing waves. They fell so in love with the coastal region that they've decided to buy a vacation home there. They're hoping to find a home that's near a surf beach and ideally falls within their $150,000 to $200,000 budget. Helping them find a home is their close personal friend and realtor, Brooke Rundle. The first place their pal shows them is a 900 square foot studio with amazing beach views and is listed for $185,000. The condo property is adjacent to a hotel that allows homeowners access to its restaurant and pool area. The second option is a 1600 square foot, two bedroom villa in a gated community that is listed for $200,000. Like the first property, this one is also near a hotel that allows homeowners access to its pool and restaurant. The final home they look at is two story home listed for $175,000. The 1500 square foot property has two bedrooms and is located right at a surf spot with fantastic views. Jesse and Kelly are just one decision away from a surf side vacation paradise in Nicaragua.

A stressed family wants to find a second home in Calabria, Italy.

Angel and Maria have always wanted to have a second home near their relatives in Puerto Rico. They want to have their kids reconnect with their roots. Now that they've paid off their home in New Jersey, they decided it's time to fulfill that dream. While they are in agreement on all of the basics that they want in a house, there is one point of contention. Maria wants a home with luxury, but Angel wants to get a good deal. To help them find a luxurious home at a great price, they're turning to realtor, Molly Assad, at Paradise Properties. Molly takes them to see a beautiful condo with stunning views of the island for $680,000, a tri-level home next to a golf course for $480,000 and a house with a private pool for $719,000.

Karl's life took a huge turn in late 2007. The manufacturing company he works for sent him overseas from New York state to Edinburgh, Scotland. He found an expatriate social group and while attending a social event met Rachel. Soon Karl told her of his interest in buying real estate in downtown Edinburgh. Since Rachel has been a great guide for Karl and has helped immerse him in Edinburgh life, he's asked her to help in his house hunt...or rather -- his cool, hip Edinburgh apartment flat hunt. She recommended a local real estate company, Destiny Scotland, and soon Karl met Andrew Landsburgh, his realtor. Andrew is hip to the downtown market scene there and Karl couldn't be in better hands.

Doug and Lindy Freeman had the dream of moving to St. Croix for many years. They were making a decent living back home in California, but are quick to disclose that they were not rewarding themselves for the hard work they were doing. They saved everything they could and cut back as much as possible. Finally, with saving and living "way below our means," they were able to move to St. Croix. They sold everything they owned and are now renting a home on the island. The Freemans now want to buy a single family home with a guest cottage or apartment so that their friends and family have a place to stay when they visit. They also want this guest space ready for an expansion as the kids get older and need more room to grow. They hope realtor Ness Fennessey can deliver. Only problem is, Doug wants to pay cash and even though the family has saved up, the Freeman's still don't have enough in the budget for everything they want in their island paradise.

Antony and Stephanie met in 1989 in London through a mutual friend and were friends for eight years before they started dating. They were then married and were living together in London in a house Stephanie had bought when she was 21. Antony, a banker, has been offered a job in Switzerland and he and Stephanie have decided to take a step out of their comfort zone and move the family to Zurich. They believe that, along with a better job for Antony, it was a chance at better quality of life for them and their three daughters, Natalia, Katarina and Alexandra. Natalia, in particular, will benefit from the move. She is a special needs child and there is a school near Zurich that is known for the quality and care in which they help these kinds of students. They hope that all of these factors will make the transition and giant move they are making worth it. And they hope they can find the right home to suit their needs.

Lasith and Kathryn want a better work-to-life balance and more family friendly area to raise their daughter; longing to return to their roots, they look at an area in Cape Town.

Olivia tries not to break the bank while house-hunting in the Kensington neighborhood of London.

Shelly has accepted a teaching contract in Abu Dhabi which is a city in the United Arab Emirates, now she needs to find an apartment before school begins.

British musician Sam loves his life in Leeds, UK, but he longs for a rural getaway that reminds him of his upbringing in the English countryside. With his girlfriend Lauren along for advice and support, he's heading to the Bulgarian countryside, where real estate is a bargain.

Phil and Amanda Grapes moved from London to the south of France seven years ago, and since that time they've renovated five homes, and lived in all of them. That's a tough lifestyle for anyone, and especially tough for the parents of young children, like Phil and Amanda. With no formal training in home renovation, the couple has had to learn on the job, but they've enjoyed doing it, and have found it to be a profitable career. However, Amanda is tired of living in a construction zone and she's ready to buy a home that is ready-to-move into, and will be permanent for their young family of four. They want to stay in France's Languedoc-Roussillon region, and they want to find a grand home with plenty of local, historic character. Their only other request is for a large garden where the kids can play. Their budget is $512,000. Find out if they get what they want when House Hunters goes to France's Languedoc-Roussillon region.

Vladimir and Milica moved from Serbia to The Netherlands two years ago for his job as an IT consultant. While they love their adopted country, Milica is dying to move out of their sleepy village of Maarssen and into in freewheeling Amsterdam. With a budget of $380,000, they want to buy a 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment in the popular neighborhood of Pijp. One of the biggest challenges their real estate agent, Jaap Russchen, faces is to find an apartment that will have the city views for Milica and a peaceful quiet space for Vladimir.

A couple who fell in love in Italy wants to buy a vacation home in the country.

Brett and Eleni went to the Dominican Republic resort of Punta Cana on their honeymoon years ago, and have spent every anniversary there ever since. Now, with two high-pressure jobs, and two teenaged daughters, they want to buy a place of their own so they can get away from it all without having to book a hotel room. The couple wants a place with ocean views, and plenty of room for family, but their $200,000 US budget will make that challenging.

British comedian, Gerry Kyei wants to expand his fan base to mainland Europe. So he and his wife Colette are in the market for a vacation home on the southern coast of Spain. They'd like a vacation home to use both for when he's performing in the area and as a getaway place for their family of six. Their agent will take them to see three very different places in the area for Gerry and Colette to chose from.

A couple wants to leave the pandemonium of Brisbane for the islands of Vanuatu.

An Australian writer wants to fix up an old ruin in Portugal.

Worried about how the crime in Johannesburg may affect their children, a couple looks to relocate to Sydney, Australia.