House Hunters Marika and Brian have been married for seven years, and it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. A year and a half into their marriage, Marika was diagnosed with cancer. For the last five years, the holidays haven’t been the happiest of times as Marika fought for her survival.
Now five years later, she’s been fully cleared of cancer. Originally Brian, Marika, and their two daughters, Caitie and Carly lived in Indiana, but they moved to Scottsdale, AZ for Marika’s treatment. Along the way, they also got a dog named Stella.
Marika and Brian fell in love with Arizona and plan to stay there. Caitie and Carly are away at college, but their parents still want to give them space to visit. Brian and Marika have a million dollar budget.
Wish Lists
Brian and Marika want a split floor plan, so they can give their daughters privacy when they come visit. They also want a big yard for Stella.
His: Brian wants a mid-century modern home. He would also prefer a fixer upper.
Hers: Marika wants a pueblo style home and she doesn’t want a fixer upper.
House #1, $899,900
This mid-century home has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and an entire separate guesthouse. Marika and Brian both hate the cork floors. It would be one of the main renovations for this house, and it would be an expensive one.
This home has somewhat of an open concept. It also has a lot of colors. The kitchen in this home is large, white, and a dream to any home chef. The master bathroom is a dream, with a separate shower and tub, and a double vanity. The backyard is also nearly perfect with a pool and plenty of grass space for Stella.
House #2, $775,000
This home has a completely 70s vibe inside. It looks very retro, and not in a good way. The more Marika and Brian walk through it, the more projects they pick out. It has three bedrooms, and two and a half bathrooms.
The home is off the lake, so Brian could get a small boat, replacing the one he had to leave in Indiana. The backyard is very large but not fenced. It would be hard to find a safe spot for Stella to run without leaving the backyard area. The bathroom is very small compared to House #1, and Brian even jokes that the tub could become his new boat.
House #3, $950,000
This spanish-modern has a nice open concept, high ceilings, and a lot of space–over 3600 sq ft to be exact. It has five bedrooms and three bathrooms. The place has a huge open kitchen, fireplace, and pool.
The backyard looks like something from a movie. It’s glamorous. It also has some enclosed parts for Stella.
Decision Time: The right choice was obviously House #1 right? So of course, that’s not the one they picked. House #3 was out of the running from the moment Brian and Marika stepped in it. It was just too large for them. House #2 needed so much work that it seemed like it would end up costing more than it was worth. However, the views and the lake made the home a lot more appealing.
Marika and Brian picked…House #2
They ended up paying $725,000 instead of the $775,000 asking price. Marika and Brian also decided to delay renovations until after the holidays. They plan to remove a wall to add more square feet and turn the living room into an entire master suite.
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