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.
"That's where it becomes difficult," and an agent's expertise is valuable, says Ms. Rinomato, who is putting the last touches on a book to be called "Realty check - the real scoop" for Wiley Publishing.
In some cases, a couple may not have a large enough budget for a house at all. In that case, she asks if they will look at condominiums.
"They may not have even considered that, and you can't be afraid as a realtor to suggest it."
The HGTV production has travelled to a variety of locations around North America, including Dallas and Cincinnati. The coming season will feature episodes in Washington, D.C., and bedroom communities nearby.
Not surprisingly for reality TV, casting director Sue Skinner says she is looking for property virgins who are outgoing, chatty and not afraid to let viewers see the entire process.
"Everybody always has a story to tell. We're not looking for people who are quiet and shy. We're looking for people who are willing to speak up and be perky and sassy," she says.
Ms. Skinner says participants can be single, couples or families. The more family members who want to get involved, the better.
She adds that she wants to hear from potential participants about their circumstances: Have they just come together? Recently graduated from school? Are they living at home and mom and dad saying it's time to get out? Are they having a baby?
"We get in touch with every single person," says Ms. Skinner. Applicants are asked to fill out an incredibly detailed questionnaire. "Do they want that fenced backyard because they have a dog?" Ms. Skinner gives as one example. "That's not to say they're going to get one."
During one episode last year in Dallas, she adds, all of the criteria for the house revolved around the dogs. The family needed parks nearby, extra urethane for the floor, and a way for the older dog to get up and down the stairs.
"We want everyone involved," she adds. "Teenagers, and children and the baby in the papoose."
Participants now need to supply proof that they have preapproved financing, she adds, after one episode fell through at the last minute.
Couples are asked to fill out the questionnaire separately because clashing expectations sometimes make for good TV.
"We don't necessarily want fighting couples," Ms. Skinner hastens to add. "We're not Jerry Springer."
Ms. Skinner says the purpose of Property Virgins is to provide buttressing to the novices. "It's so much easier than you think. It's about being there to support them through the process because they're nervous, they're terrified."
Rebecca and Derek figure the home-buying process would have taken much longer if the couple had continued to look on their own. Even finding a real estate agent, Rebecca says, was intimidating because the pair didn't know how to determine who to trust.
With Property Virgins, the couple saw only three properties. While they initially rejected the first as too expensive, they came to recognize it as good value when they saw what else the market had to offer.
They also found that filling out questionnaires and going through rounds of interviews for the show helped them to focus on their requirements.
"They had grilled us," says Rebecca. "We really had to give a lot of specifics, so when they showed us our first house - which was the house we ended up buying - it was bang on."
Since purchasing their home last year, Rebecca and Derek have been slowly making improvements. They've upgraded the electrical system and torn down the tired panelling in the living room.
They had a nasty surprise when, one week after they moved in, the basement drain collapsed and sent water flooding back up into the basement. While the couple had been forewarned that the old clay drain would eventually fail, they weren't expecting it to happen so soon.
"It was a shock," Derek says.
But, while updating the drains and plumbing was expensive, the two say, they know they've improved the value of the house.
Now they're making some architectural fixes to the walls and baseboards. They'll likely move on to painting and more cosmetic improvements next year.
Ms. Rinomato says she finds young people are rapidly becoming more educated with the help of the Internet and shows like hers. In the past, people typically looked at 10 houses before they bought one. Now the average number is five or six.
The agent sometimes gets her property virgins involved in bidding wars if the house they want is hotly contested. It's wrenching for everyone when participants lose, she adds. It's also hard on the agent who has to start all over in finding a suitable property.
"That's an emotional roller coaster for the buyer, but for the realtor, too, because we have to sell them a house four times before they get one," Ms. Rinomato says.