What was the experience of picking a house on TV like?
It was so much fun! Jarod and I were just saying we wish we could do it all over again! It was such a great time. We thought we'd be nervous with three cameras following us around house to house, but the producer and crew were so fun and made us feel so comfortable. In regards to being filmed walking through and commenting on each house, I remember thinking 'Don't say all the cliche things everyone says on House Hunters!' Though I'm sure we did.
Kathy - what was it like for you as their realtor?
Whether it's on TV or not, it's always a challenge to find the right house for all members of a family. Working on TV took some getting used to. I must have looked directly into the camera 20 times, which everyone knows is a Hollywood "no, no!" The Goenners were a dream to work with and I'm so happy we found the perfect house.
Why did you want to be on HH?
We were in the final stages of paying off all our debt, and what better way to celebrate buying our forever home than being on House Hunters, right? In all honesty though, we were so ready and excited to finally find the house of our dreams, I just decided on a whim to apply. It's an amazing memory we'll always have as a family to look back on - even if a bit cringy - to remember how much fun we had.
How did you finally agree between a historic home and turnkey?
Jarod knew I was never going to go for a historic home after our experience with our 1930's house in Virginia, but I was willing to compromise on something from the 1980's if it was in a neighborhood we liked, had a nice backyard, and wouldn't require serious fixes. The home we chose in Sturbridge fit all of that criteria and more. The previous owners (who actually built the home! kept it in immaculate condition, the backyard backs up to hundreds of acres on non-buildable land on the Harpeth, and the neighborhood is gorgeous. While we both loved the beautiful finishes inside the turnkey home, being a big outdoor nature family, we knew the teeny backyard was not going to work.
Kathy - how do you get couples to compromise?
Well, the key was listening to why they wanted the features that they wanted. While Katie wanted new construction, she really wanted "trouble free." She also wanted a house with a grand feel. The house that they decided on was extremely well-maintained so the fear of it being a money pit was eliminated and the circle drive and columns of the house they picked were classic and definitely had that grand feel. Jarod wanted historic, but that is because he wanted a house with character. The house they picked had a historic paint color on the front door, Bellmeade Green and there were pocket doors and some cool large print wallpaper that really helped give the house some character.
How are you enjoying your new home? Are you loving being in Franklin?
We love it so much! I think we say to each other on a weekly basis that we cannot believe this is our home. I personally love our living room with the wall of windows bringing in all the light each morning. Jarod loves being able to watch all the deer and wildlife roam in our backyard and the ability to walk to the Harpeth River. Together we love taking walks to Pinkerton Park and downtown Franklin and the boys are especially enjoying rounds of flashlight tag in the field. We also hit the jackpot with neighbors -- everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. When we moved to Franklin six years ago, we knew instantly it would become the place we'd raise our family and grow old together.