House Hunters

Coast Guard Family Relocates From Florida to Mobile Alabama But Only Has Five Days to Find and Buy a Home (39x4)

Air date: Dec 09, 2009

Roberto Torres is a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard and lives in Ormond Beach, Florida with his wife, Jenni, and their kids Ariana, Mateo and David. The Coast Guard just reassigned Roberto from Ormond Beach to Mobile, Alabama. Since this tour of duty will be over four years, Roberto and Jenni decided to buy a house in Mobile. The only catch? The Coast Guard gave them about a month to research Mobile. Now, Roberto and Jenni only have five days to actually go to Mobile and buy a house. Adding to that pressure, they have a pretty long list of things they need in the house. With such a tight time frame, their agent Kyla Gaston has her work cut out for her. The first home they check out is listed for $185,000. It's a model home, which is on the market. This place has 4 beds, 2 baths and is 1,930 square feet. Jenni loves the upgraded open kitchen. The backyard is big and unfenced. Their biggest concern is that there is a lot of construction in the neighborhood. The next house they look at is brand new and is listed for $222,000. This place has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and is 2,320 square feet. Jenni likes the easy to care for floors and master suite. They both like the fenced in backyard. But, they are both concerned that there isn't enough storage space and that the living room may not be big enough for their piano. While the kitchen is updated, it's a bit small and isn't open to the family room. The last place they see is a custom built home. Jenni and Roberto like the custom details, such as the hardwood and tile floors, the addition and jetted tub in the master suite. The backyard at this home is also fenced in, which is a plus. They don't like some of the more funky details, like an incense holder and the built in TV cabinet. The kitchen is a bit dark and the price is on the high end of their budget. After weighing the pros and cons of each home, Jenni and Roberto make their decision within their 4 day window.