All language subtitles for Worlds.Bargain.Dream.Homes.S01E07.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH_Track03

This view is priceless.

[narrator] Imagine a world of
bargain dream real estate...

-Just $41,000.
-[Larry] What?

This is unheard
of for the States.

...global destinations...

-Bonjour.
-I'm gonna embarrass myself.

-Fromagerie.
-I love it.

Great way to meet
your neighbors.

-Yeah.
-[woman #1] Yeah [laughs].

-This architecture is amazing.
-[bell tolls]

...and local expert know-how.

[woman #2]
The cost of this in
the States...

I think would be
double for sure.

The cost of living here is
so much more affordable

than the U.S.
-It is definitely a bargain.

Thank you.

You can afford it to live
your dream...

-Whoo!
-[both laugh]

I can't believe this is going
to be my new home.

...at a price you never
thought possible.

You did incredible.

This is exactly what we came
all this way for.

[bell tolls]

What is this?
That is really creepy.

-It's like a nutcracker?
-[Marisa] That makes sense.

[Regina] This stuff is
absolutely fascinating.

I think this is a game of
figure out what these things

are for.
These are so cool.

-What is that?
-I think it's a coffee grinder.

Grind it.
And there's your coffee.

Oh [laughing].

[gentle music playing]

Occitanie --

a vast region in the southwest
corner of France.

[saxophone crooning]

Just a little over a five
and a half hour train journey

from Paris, and within easy
reach of the Mediterranean

Coast and the ski resorts
of the Pyrenees,

you can still snap up a bargain
home here for as little

as 150,000 U.S. dollars.

-I'm Regina.
-And I'm Marisa.

And we're here looking
for, um, a house for me.

Every time I've come here,
I've just grown more and more

attached to this place,
to the lifestyle, and I was

just like, this is it.
This is just it.

At this point, I just want to
settle down and just feel like

I have a new home and I have
a new start in life.

I was born in Budapest.

The dual citizenship allows us
to come here and live

anywhere we want.

I'm on this journey with
her too because I wanna

make sure she finds
a nice place

for me to come and crash at,
something I like as well.

But with both being over 5,000
miles away from their hometown

Seattle, Regina and Marisa
will need help

finding a bargain.

I'm Australian
through and through,

but I've always loved France.

I moved here six years ago,
and I specialize in helping

international clients
who wish to buy a property here,

but who don't
speak the language.

Where we are, there's some
great public transport links,

an airport not too far,
Spain is two hours away,

the beach is under one hour,
the mountains is two hours.

It's an incredible location.

[accordion playing]

The jewel in the crown
of the southern Occitanie

region is Carcassonne,

famous for
its medieval walled city.

[accordion continues playing]

[gasps] That --
that is calling my name.

You've got this one.

I'm not sure that can
support anybody.

-Hey, guys.
-Bonjour.

-Hi -- bonjour.
-Oh, hi.

-Bonjour, you must be Regina.
-Bonjour.

-We've got bonjour down.
-Bonjour, how are you two doing?

So, tell me, why France?

The food, the people,
the weather.

So I finally decided
this is it.

Was there any reason that now

you decided to make
the big move?

[Regina] And I am fortunate
to work remote, so I will keep

my same clients
and just do it from here.

I'm fortunate to have
a dual citizenship

with an EU passport,
which means I can move here.

So why wouldn't I?

OK, so what about
you, Marisa?

What's your role in this?

I think she needs a little bit
of help sometimes.

I tend to kinda go off
the deep end sometimes,

so she kinda grounds me.
-Yeah, she does.

-Voice of reason.
-[Marisa] Exactly, yeah, yeah.

Definitely looking forward
to coming and visiting

her as well.

Um, so, I wanna find her a nice
big place with a enough room

for me.
-Absolutely.

-So, yeah.
-Tell me more about the house.

Like, what are we looking for?

Definitely at least
two bedrooms, um,

obviously, to have space.

Absolutely, number one,
I love natural light.

And I would really, really love
to have some character.

What about the location?

I mean, will you have a car
when you're here, for example?

Absolutely has to be walking
distance to at least

the basics, to the boulangerie.
-Very important.

I need to get my baguettes
and my coffee on a regular --

my croissants on
a regular basis.

You've got
your priorities straight.

-I like that.
-[all laugh]

-[indistinct]
-You're moving here
for the right reasons.

There you go.

Well, we're working
with a budget of $100,000

to $150,000.

The fact that I could own
for a third of what I'm paying

for rent right now is just --
is just -- is just crazy.

I mean, my expenses
will go down

probably 70%.

I mean, I could never afford
anything in the US by myself.

What are you paying
in your rent currently,

and what do you get for that?

Well, my rent is a little over
$2,200, plus a couple hundred

dollars a month in utilities,
so basically $2,500 a month

for a one-bedroom apartment.

[Ben] You'll be shocked at how
much better value the property

market is here in this region
compared to where you are

in the States.
-Well, that's why we're here.

Yeah.

[gentle music playing]

The search for Regina's
bargain dream home will focus

on the towns and villages
surrounding Carcassonne.

A largely rural area,
it's seen

much slower growth
than the coast.

And as a result, is one of
the most affordable places

in the south of France.

Just over a 30-minute drive
south is Limoux...

famous for hosting the longest
carnival in the world.

For three whole months, life in
this town is one long party.

But even on your average day,
there's a busy town square

with a weekly market, cafes,

and the beautiful River Aude.

All within walking distance
of the first house.

[Ben] Alright, ladies, what do
we think about the location?

It's exactly what I was
looking for.

I really wanted to be off
the main area but within

walking distance, and I just

love how beautiful
all these little streets are.

Just the shutters,
the buildings.

I can tell I'm in France.

[Ben] And the other great thing
about this house,

it's a very
affordable $139,000.

Oh, wow.

I don't even think we can get
a toilet back home for that.

-Or a closet.
-[Ben] Yeah, well,
we can budget.

-Yeah.
-A shoe closet, maybe.

-Yeah.
-[Marisa] Yeah.

That's --
it's honestly incredible.

[Regina] So exciting.

Wow.

I mean, it's got the beams,
the character, the size.

I don't know what else
I could ask for.

Set across three floors,
this 1,200-square-foot historic

townhouse has been remodeled
to maximize light.

A large living room
and bathroom

are on the second floor.

On the top floor is
the principal bedroom

and two further bedrooms.

[Regina]
Well, I will say

this is very cute, but it needs
seating, and definitely,

I would replace
all the appliances.

Next, it's upstairs
to the living room.

-Oh, now this...
-Oh, wow.

-...I really like.
-Here's your natural light.

Here's my natural light.

These windows, that's exactly
what I was looking for.

Beautiful fireplace.

I mean, the warmth in
these floors is just wonderful.

Oh, this is it.

I can see myself
with a blanket, my baguette,

my wine, my cheese.

[Marisa] I mean, this compared
to your living room back home

it's very spacious.

You kinda have it crammed

because it's very small
in Seattle.

That is exactly
what I'm not looking for.

I want it to have the look
that I know I'm in France.

I want charming character
with some updates.

Well, wow.

Well, this is
a pleasant surprise.

Absolutely huge bathroom.

Technically, you do
have a window.

[Regina] I'm not sure what
it's looking at.

There is a window between
the corridor

and the bathroom itself.

Not sure whether that will suit
every person.

But the design of that is to let
light into the bathroom.

Hi.

I can just see you taking
a shower

or going to the bathroom.

It would actually
have to be covered up.

Wow.
There's my beams.

There's my beams.

[Regina gasps]

Oh, my God.
Look at this.

Ah!

I love these beams.

I've got the sun coming in.

Oh, not what I was
expecting at all.

This is huge.

I think this is definitely
the right place for her to be.

She wants to find a place that
she really can call her home

and not just move around

from apartment to apartment
like back home.

But we need to do something
about the closet.

That is not even enough
for my shoes.

Never mind all my clothes.

That's a really tiny closet
if that's all that there is.

[accordion playing]

[happy music playing]

[Ben] So what did you think?

[Regina]
I gotta hand it to you.

I mean, this definitely checked
a lot of boxes.

I mean, that bedroom,
that living room,

it was all wonderful.
-Mm-hmm.

And Marisa, what were
your overall impressions?

I think I could definitely
see her here.

There's so much space.

And let's not forget, this is
only $139,000, so you can

really see how far your money
goes here in France

compared to something in the US.

The value that you get for
the money is just amazing,

and it is giving me a lot
to think about.

[accordion playing]

If there's one thing
guaranteed to put a smile

on everyone's face, it's
a visit to a local fromagerie.

-Bonjour.
-[Regina sighs]

[Marisa]
There's so much cheese.

-It smells so good in here.
-Welcome to the fromagerie.

[Regina] It smells like heaven.

All right, so the pronunciation

of fromagerie, the French R is
in the back of the throat.

-Fromagerie.
-I'm gonna embarrass myself.

-Fromagerie.
-[Ben] Uh, not bad.

Not bad.

From -- mm.

-I can't get that R.
-"Grr."

-[rolls tongue]
-[Ben] No, that's --

no, that's Italian.

-Wrong country.
-[Marisa] Merci.

-Oh, wow.
-That's so good.

There's nothing better than

using cheese as your way
of learning the language.

The only thing better
could be wine.

[accordion continues playing]

On route to
the next rendezvous...

[Ben] Give me a couple of
sentences that you wanna learn.

I always have to go
to the bathroom.

Of course.
That's a very good one.

-Où est le toilette?
-Où est le toilet.

Pretty good.

-Yeah, I'm giving that
a 7 straight off the bat.
-OK.

[bright music playing]

We're heading further
southwest towards

Sainte-Colombe-Sur-L'hers.

-Oh my God!
-Oh, here we go!

-Wow.
-The view.

-[Marisa] That's amazing.
-Wow.

OK, so there is a gorgeous
lake just here.

-Wow.
-It's called Lac De Montbel.

[bright music playing]

This secluded 1400-acres of
crystal clear lake water are

perfect for swimming,
sailing, and fishing.

[Ben] And ladies, this lake
is right on your doorstep.

So while all the tourists
are swimming at the beach,

the local French people
are swimming here.

Wow.
It is absolutely gorgeous.

[Ben] And it will look even
better in summer.

-[Regina] Absolutely.
-[all laugh]

♪♪

And it's all just a short drive
from the next property

in the sleepy village of
Sainte-Colombe Sur-L'hers.

As you can see, we've got
a beautiful church here.

Very traditional to have
that in the main square.

There's a lovely little
hairdresser over here.

And you can see behind us
is the mairie.

So that's where you go for
all your local administration.

So they might even have
French classes there.

Oh, that'd be great!

♪♪

[Ben] Now, I know we're not in
the middle of a town like

yesterday, but we are only
10 minutes walk to the village.

What do you think so far?

I mean, I think it's just
absolutely adorable.

It just reminds me of
my grandma's

house when I grew up.
-[Ben] It's got lovely shutters,

lots of original features.

It is on the market for a very
affordable $145,000.

-Well within budget.
-Yeah.

Right.
I love character.

Um, I do know that this is
a little too far out for me.

So 10 minutes away
from the village, a bit too far?

About 10 minutes too far.

[romantic music playing]

I wanted to challenge you
with this one.

I mean, it's a great price,
but having to walk 10 minutes

to get coffee or anything,
that'd be way too quiet for me.

[narrator]
Well, that's a no then.

Even at the bargain price
of $145,000, this spacious

three-bedroom property with
kitchen, dining room and large

garden isn't going to persuade
Regina to compromise

when it comes to location.

What could you get for
$145,000 in Seattle?

Absolutely nothing
I can get in Seattle.

Um, the wonderful thing about
France is there's so many

beautiful areas that I could
actually get something

within that price range.

[accordion playing]

December in Carcassonne
means one thing --

a trip to the St. Nicholas
Medieval Festival.

♪♪

[speaking French]

[Regina] Hi.

I took the liberty of ordering
you both a mulled wine.

It's warm red wine
with a little bit of honey,

some spices, very traditional
at this time of year.
-OK.

-Santé.
-Santé.

-Wow.
-What do you think?

That's not what I was expecting.
That's good.

[Ben] How are you feeling
right at this moment?

It's starting to
become reality.

There's so much to discover,
tasting new foods,

discovering new cities,
just the people,

everything's to be new
and it's gonna be very exciting.

That is exactly
the right mentality.

[gentle music playing]

And is this the kind of thing
you could run into back home in

the States,
a festival like this?

Absolutely not.

Definitely not like this
and not in a castle.

[mellow music playing]

After a medieval night,
it's a bright French morning

and the search for a bargain
dream home heads south

to Saint-Hilaire.

[Ben]
So, ladies, we are headed into
sparkling white wine country,

and I have a fun fact
for you, OK?

[both] OK.

Sparkling white wine actually
was not invented in Champagne.

It was invented right here
in Saint-Hilaire.

♪♪

With no wine shops open...

-Bonjour.
-Bonjour, madame.

Here she goes.

Trois chocolatines,
s'il vous plaît.

...Regina's found the next best
place to practice her French.

-Et voila.
-Ah, merci.

-Au revoir.
-Au revoir.

-Bonne journee.
-How'd you go?

-[indistinct]
-You made it.

-Good job.
-Good job.

-It's warm.
-[Ben] Très bien.

-Cheers.
-Oh, cheers.

-Santé.
-Santé.

Really, really good.

I mean, I will gladly practice
my French if it's gonna get

me in this wonderful
chocolate croissants.

Around the corner,
this historic three-bedroom

house is right in the heart
of the oldest part of the town.

I'm super excited to be
showing you this house.

It's one of the oldest
in the village.

I mean, this is so cute.

[Ben] Honestly, in my line
of work, it's very rare to see

properties this old coming
on the market.

You are genuinely buying
a piece of French history.

Wow.
That is exciting.

I would love to have
something unique.

And it's also something
that doesn't even really exist

in U.S., Australia,
the countries like ours.

-Right.
-So this is really something
different than at home, right?

-Exactly.
-You're not gonna
find that scale.

Yeah, exactly, exactly.

It's slightly over your budget
at $161,000, but I personally

think I can negotiate
that down a little bit for you.

-You definitely can do that.
-[Ben] I'm gonna try.

[Regina] OK.

[dreamy music playing]

Wow.
I did not expect this at all.

-Wow.
-The beams.

[Marisa laughs]

It might be an old property,

but it's been
recently renovated

with open-plan living,
giving it its higher price tag.

It also has 1,100 square feet
and a fabulous east-facing

classic French courtyard.

[Regina] Look at the size
of this kitchen too.

-Gas.
-Oh, my God.

The stone walls,
that fireplace.

I mean, this is what I want.
The floors.

I'm obsessed with these floors.

And one of the best things
is that it's got modern

appliances, but it's got
all this character around it.

And it's not dark.

[Ben] I've been really listening
to her feedback.

If this one doesn't
blow her socks off,

I really don't know what will.

[Regina] Just imagine sitting
here with a fireplace going.

I could definitely get used
to this.

Reading, relaxing
with a blanket, glass of wine,

some cheese, fromage.

I would, yeah, this is just
heaven, absolute heaven.

[softly] Wow.
[normally] Now, this...

is an oasis.
This is absolutely incredible.

And it's private.

This is way bigger
than I thought it would be.

-[Marisa] I know.
-Well, here we go.

There's so much space here.

On the first floor, there's
a utility room and bathroom.

Oh, my God.

This is so unexpected.
Beams in the bathroom.

[both laugh]

[Regina] Wow.

And they've continued
my wonderful floors

that I'm so in love with.
-My floors?

-This isn't your place yet.
-Could be.

[softly] Oh my God.

[normally]
You've got more beams.

[Marisa chuckles]
This is so cute.

You can never have
too many beams.

I'll put it that way.
I could say this is my office.

Oh, wow.
This is bigger.

-Yeah, this might be my room.
-OK.

You can have the other one
for your office.

OK, so I have my office
and guest room,

and this will be your room.

They actually have foam here
for people.

They're [laughs].

I've never seen something like
this and probably never will.

Well, maybe not in
Seattle anyway.

[Marisa] Oh, wow.

Mom, you have a ton
of storage space up here.

For my shoes?
Christmas stuff?

-Probably your shoes.
-That is great to know.

You can never have
enough storage.

This house is a little over
budget, but with average house

prices in Seattle coming in at
over $800,000, Regina's getting

a whole lot of beams
and bang for her buck.

Well?

-I'm dying to know.
-What did you think?

-What is there not to love?
-I totally agree, totally agree.

It is amazing.
Beyond what I was expecting.

Tell me what you loved
about the house.

Open floor plan.

[Ben] Yes -- that's really rare,
by the way,

for a French townhouse.

I can't get started
on the beams.

I mean, there's
beams everywhere.

-[Ben] Yes.
-[Marisa] I loved it.

It seems like
the typical French house.

There's no train station in
the town, but we are only

20 minutes away
from Carcassonne.

So how are you feeling about
the fact that you might

need a car?
-[sighs]

So the big problem
with that is not a matter of me

wanting a car.

It's getting a French
driver's license.

You have to know the language

to be able to pass that test.
And I'm just not there.

And I know I've gotta
make a sacrifice.

I'm not gonna get everything
on my list.

So I have to think about if
that location is worth getting

a house this beautiful.

[soft, dreamy music playing]

[Marisa] Well, now that we just
saw the last house,

how are you feeling about this?

I mean, it's difficult.

Like, there's pros and cons,
and sometimes you just wanna

pick the house up and put it
somewhere else.

That first townhouse in
the middle of the village was

exactly how I wanted it,
location-wise.

I loved how close it was to
everything, but I don't think

I could make that downstairs
area work.

Walking right into a kitchen,
there's too many stairs.

The house in the country,
too far, too lonely out there,

that wouldn't work.
Then, house I loved the most,

[sighs] I mean, what can I say?

That's got everything and more
that I could possibly think of.

But one of the biggest hurdles
that I -- was for me

a deal-breaker is not being
close to a train station.

Yeah.

It's not even close
to a bus station.

It's so far.

And having to force myself to
have to get a driver's license

right away and learn to drive,

I don't know if that's possible.

What's really been great is
that my budget is not

an issue in France.

So what do you think
it's gonna be next?

It's packing,
getting my life organized,

and booking that one-way flight.

We're gonna just keep
looking until I find

the perfect home in
the perfect location.