Amy and Jimmy’s goal: find their dream getaway home that helps them make fond memories with their three girls. This House Hunters travels from Iowa to Illinois to track down three potential vacation places for the happy couple. Jimmy and Amy met seven years ago at an outdoor concert. He helped her back up after a high heel incident. They waited five months, and then began their romance.
Amy and Jimmy have been married for four years, have two small daughters together, and raise part-time Jimmy’s older daughter. They currently live in Davenport, IA, but they’re looking for a lake house in Lake Carroll, IL, a place about an hour and a half from Davenport.
Amy and Jimmy’s budget ranges from $300,000 to $375,000. They want to stay as far away from the top of that budget as possible.
Wish Lists
Jimmy and Amy both want a move-in ready place that’s on the water, and is rustic and furnished.
His List: Jimmy wants a cottage style home. Despite running a landscaping business, hee doesn’t want to have to do any landscaping. He wants a place with no trees. Jimmy also wants a fireplace for the winters.
Her List: Amy wants an A-frame home that also has a hot tube.
House #1, $369,000
This home has the A-frame details that Amy likes. It’s also a rustic cottage with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It’s right off the lake. The first thing that catches your attention is this home’s high-ceilings. The stone-fireplace is an extra rustic feature that creates the ideal winter vacation home feel.
Unfortunately, this place doesn’t come furnished. It’s also missing a yard and the lake view has a steep incline, which could be dangerous with two small girls running around. It has features that create extra relaxation like a hot tub and finished basement.
House #2, $244,000
This home is about 100 yards away from water, which kind of defeats the purpose of buying a vacation lake home. It has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The ceilings are high, and Jimmy and Amy have the option to negotiate and get it furnished.
The home contains nice extra features like a finished basement, a hot tub, and french doors. The kitchen is a little small, but overall the place is spacious and comfy.
House #3, $400,000
Their real estate agent, Cindy, lets Jimmy and Amy know that the place has been on the market for awhile. So she may be able to negotate the price down to fit their budget. This home has amazing views of the lake; every room has windows with a view of it. The kitchen is just the right size for their needs, but the appliances are outdated.
This ranch style home comes with a front and back deck. It also has a finished basement, a big yard, and a fireplace. The master bedroom is small but the home has plenty of room with four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Decision Time: House #1’s steep lake view and lackluster backyard seemed to eliminate this house from the running. House #2 not being on-water killed this home’s potential.
This only left one home…House #3
Cindy managed to get the asking price down from $400,000 to $360,000.
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