Rebecca and Derek were as timid, uneducated and overwhelmed as most real estate neophytes when they started looking for their first house.
So when the Toronto couple learned through the television production company where they both work that Property Virgins was launching its second season with a search for potential home buyers, Derek and Rebecca (who asked that their last name not be used), leapt at the chance to appear in the reality television show on HGTV Canada.
The pair saw it as a great opportunity to have some expert help and hand-holding during a daunting process.
"I think we would have probably scared ourselves into renting for another five years," Derek says.
Now the two are happily ensconced in a house near the Little India neighbourhood in the Gerrard Street and Coxwell Avenue area. And they're surrounded by neighbours just like them: young couples with their first baby on the way.
"We have no regrets at all," Derek says of the charming two-storey they purchased with the help of real estate agent - and Property Virgins host - Sandra Rinomato of Coldwell Banker Terrequity Realty.
Meanwhile, the show is currently searching for new property virgins as it heads into its third season, with shooting starting this month.
Ms. Rinomato previews the properties, shows them to the first-time buyers, then gauges their response.
"And then I give them my take on their response. I have to guess what they will be willing to make concessions on without really knowing them."
As the host of Property Virgins, Ms. Rinomato says first-time buyers are unrealistic about what they can afford - "always."
In the unusual case of Derek and Rebecca, they were unrealistically conservative. The agent showed them that they could actually handle a bigger mortgage than they had previously thought. The couple had done some searching on their own, but they were looking in a lower price range.
Ms. Rinomato walked them through the monthly payments on mortgages of different sizes and taught them to see past asking prices that often seem terrifying to first-time buyers.
"That was the real education. We were both afraid when they would fire the big number at us," Derek says.
According to Ms. Rinomato, everybody has a real estate problem - they just don't know it.
Typically, new buyers want to live in a $1-million property area but have only $300,000 to spend.
Ms. Rinomato often has to show inexperienced buyers the difference between a house that has been "staged" to look as appealing as possible but doesn't match their needs and a cluttered house with outmoded decorating that does fit the bill.
First-time buyers tend to go for the staged house.
"We can see past that stuff but they never can," she says. "First-time buyers buy emotionally. Staging works really well for them."
Ms. Rinomato says she never imposes her will on a buyer - the ultimate decision is up to the client - but she encourages them to think about factors such as resale value.
"Never buy the penthouse" is one of her maxims. When all the other condos are worth less, a penthouse is going to be a tough sell.
Ms. Rinomato says Parkdale in the west end and Leslieville in the east are two areas where she can sometimes find an affordable property for first-time buyers.
"We deal with a lot of young people who don't have a car. They want to be close to downtown," she notes.
But she sometimes has to point out that a sketchy neighbourhood may not be a wise place to be walking around late at night.
In some cases, an up-and-coming neighbourhood is a good place to invest. A "transitional" neighbourhood means multiunit dwellings and grow-ops," she adds.
