Season 13

April 11, 2010

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.

April 14, 2010

Darrell and Frankie are an engaged couple that live in the Marietta, Georgia area. Each of them has children who have grown up and gone off to school or work, so now it's just the two of them. Darrell works long hours while Frankie deals with a hectic commute to the office, so they'd like to have a place where they can get away and relax. They chose Costa Rica as the location for their vacation home after the couple went there on a trip and fell in love with a small, tranquil area called Playa Samara. They're looking for a low maintenance home with a large kitchen that is located near the beach. Darrell would also like to be sure that he is looking at places that are desirable to the locals that fall within their $600,000 budget because the home is also an investment property. Their real estate agent, Ryan Tuttle will show them the wide range of properties they can choose from in Costa Rica.

April 25, 2010

Joe and Shannon Godar of Ohio have been buying and renting out vacation homes in Florida for years. And for all those years, they've dreamed of finding one right on the beach that they could keep for themselves. But real estate prices in Florida keep climbing, and the couple all but gave up. Then a friend told them about a newly developed area in Panama called La Barqueta, where they could find large, luxury, oceanfront homes for a million dollars. Having spent little time overseas, Joe and Shannon were hesitant, but ultimately excited to realize their dream. In Panama, real estage agent Fatima de la Guardia shows them three gorgeous homes, each more luxurious than the next. The first is priced at 1.1 million dollars, but lacks a pool. The second is listed at $800,000, but lacks privacy. And the third is priced at a budget-breaking 1.4 million dollars, but lacks nothing.

April 7, 2010

Jeff and Tamara Katko love the life they've built for their family of four in comfortable Perrysburg, Ohio. There's only one thing missing; wintertime sunshine. For that, they're heading to the U.S. Virgin Islands in search of a vacation home that's sure to deliver. They'd like a two or three bedroom, two bathroom condo that's fully furnished, with a nice patio or deck, and that is within walking distance to a beach. If they could score an actual water view, they'd be delighted. Their budget is $350,000 - $450,000, which actually won't go a very long way in St. Croix, so this could be tough. Sales Associate Kerry Waldo is ready for the challenge. The first place she shows them is listed for $379,000. It has three bedrooms and two large decks, but is far from the beach. The second condo, listed at $460,000, is just steps from the sand, but only has two bedrooms, which means the Katko boys would have to share a room.

July 6, 2010

Between updating her condo, running her bead shop and hitting the slopes, Sienna Kaczmar's day-to-day life in Calgary is jam-packed. To get some much needed R&R, this self-professed "water baby" has decided to buy a second home on the island of Ambergris Caye in Belize. Real estate agent Dennis Kay is ready to help Sienna find the perfect beachfront home in this popular Caribbean dive spot. Traveling by golf cart and water taxi, as Ambergris Caye has few paved roads, Sienna and Dennis check out a 3 bedroom stand alone villa priced at $315,000 US, a 2 bedroom move-in ready condo listed for $299,900 and another 2 bedroom place that's close to town and costs $349,000. Now Sienna's just one decision away from having her very own vacation retreat in Belize.

August 1, 2010

Bostjan and Anja love their life in Slovenia but they want to move out of their tiny apartment and find a larger home where they can eventually raise a family. They've decided to buy a home in nearby Croatia where they can not only afford a bigger place, but they can also be right on the beautiful coast. They both agree on the larger home but when it comes to the details the couple doesn't see eye to eye. The most important thing for Anja is a home with an office, while Bostjan is focused on having a pool.

May 2, 2010

Bruce Chipps leads a stressful life in Los Angeles, California, directing a live, four-hour television broadcast from area race tracks. But the job comes with one fabulous perk: Bruce gets up to six months off each year. Recently, Bruce saw the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" which tells the story of an American woman who moves to the Italian countryside to renovate a centuries-old home, and live "the sweet life." Bruce was inspired and decided he wanted to do the same thing during his ample vacation time each year. He has just $65,000 to spend, so instead of Tuscany, which is known to be expensive, Bruce plans to look for a villa in the nearby region of Abruzzo. Helping Bruce realize his dream is real estate agent Nicola Anne Di Girolamo. The first place she shows Bruce is listed right on budget, at $65,000, and has 1300 square feet. The downstairs is in good shape, but the upstairs requires a total renovation.

June 29, 2010

After selling his trucking business in St. Lucia, Glenn Sorensen decided to move to his favorite vacation spot, the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. With plans of opening a golf pro shop on the north side of the island, Glenn knows he wants to buy a place in that area. While he can spend over a million dollars, he's not going to tell his agent, Simon Octave, the limit, in hopes of driving a hard bargain. But, with dreams of private ocean access, beautiful views, privacy and luxury details, Glenn discovers that he may have to pay a lot more than he had planned.

May 6, 2010

Nikolaus Neubauer's job as an executive with an international paper company has him moving from country to country every few years. This year, he's in Sweden, which he finds cold, dark and somewhat unfriendly. He's ready to put down some roots in the country of his choosing; Croatia. He's drawn to Croatia for its sunshine, scenery, and friendly people. With a budget of $180,000 it might be hard to find the sea-view condo he's hoping for, but real estate agent Daniela Cecavac thinks she can do it. The first condo she shows him has a nice, open floor plan but the view to the sea is partially blocked by buildings. The second condo has a wide open view of the sea, but the rooms inside are tiny. The third is the closest to the sea, but again here, the view is somewhat obstructed. Helping Niki make the decision is his friend who just happens to be an interior decorator. Will she steer him in the right direction? Find out, when House Hunters International heads to Croatia.

April 4, 2010

Chen is moving away from home for the very first time. She currently lives with her mom in Tel Aviv, Israel, but now that Chen has saved up, she's ready to find a place of her own. With help from her mother and big sister, Chen will search Tel Aviv for an apartment. She's hoping to find a place that's close to her mom but is also near the downtown action. She'll check out several apartments in Tel Aviv where she'll encounter the beauty of the city and face the frustrations that come along with finding the ideal first home.

May 13, 2010

British expats Lemar and Bev are tired of farm life in the Bulgarian countryside, and want to buy a condo in Varna, a bustling port city on the Black Sea. They're hoping to find a place close to the city center, with sea views and enough space for their adult sons to stay when they visit.