Couple finds dream home on Long Island with help from HGTV's 'House Hunters'

For three years, Maryliza and Robert Isaac had been searching for a house on Long Island, going through three real estate agents, and having two offers accepted on two homes before falling through.

But they found their dream home this spring with help from the HGTV show “House Hunters." The long-running reality show offers a behind-the-scenes look as potential homeowners learn what to look for and decide whether a home is meant for them.

The episode, "Long Island Oasis," airs Tuesday at 10:01 p.m., and is described by HGTV as an "NYC couple looks for their first home on Long Island, which is also their first big push away from the city. He's eager to fix up a home, and she's all about creating an oasis vibe since buying a house means less money to go on vacation.” While the details of the purchase are hush-hush until after the TV show airs, it was clear the home fit the buyers.

The couple had been renting an apartment in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, since 2017, and ideally wanted a home in Nassau County.

“We’ve always wanted a house to call our own and to start a family in,” Maryliza Isaac, 39, said. “We wanted more space, which became more evident after the pandemic. The kind of space you just can’t get in Queens that would fit within our budget.”

They started looking, she a registered nurse, and Robert, 36, a professional DJ and music producer. But a few setbacks — having their offers outbid by other buyers, or having the offer fall through after the home inspection — they took a break.

“This made us, especially me, feel distraught and frustrated with the whole home buying process,” Maryliza Isaac said.

The competitive nature of the housing market, low inventory in their desired area and rising mortgage rates made her feel defeated.

While their house hunt was on hiatus, agent Danielle Michelakos of Compass in Manhasset reached out. She had met the couple at an open house for another home last year and said she would keep an eye open for a house in their budget, with the desired size, around 1,500 square feet.

“What they wanted was a house in Nassau County and the problem was their max budget was $575,000,” Michelakos said.

At the time, the average three-bedroom house in Nassau was $660,000, the agent said.

“She wanted a turnkey house, which is very difficult to do in that budget,” Michelakos said. “He was looking for a house to rehab because he knew it was going to be hard to get a property that was going to fit their criteria.”

“This home for them was meant to be, there were so many signs,” Michelakos said.

 “The stars aligned and everything fell into place, from the finances to fitting the majority of our wish list,” Maryliza Isaac said.