House Hunters International

Richard and Chitra Pullen decided to escape their hectic lives and exhausting jobs in London and move to the French countryside. Now, with two children, they are looking for a house with four bedrooms and a decent-sized yard for less than 550,000 Euro (about $850,000). Ideally, they'd like to find an older, traditional style home that has been upgraded with modern conveniences, and they've asked real estate agent Anushka Paverman to help them in their search.

Sue and Mike Shiroi have spent most of their married life in a country home outside of London, where they raised their three children. Now that the kids are grown, they've decided to semi-retire and leave the London fog behind, heading to the beautiful island of Cyprus. Their daughter Annabel moved to Greece several years before and now works as a realtor there. They want an open and airy floor plan with beautiful views, a great garden area for their dog and still enough bedrooms for their other kids to visit. With a budget of 800,000 pounds (about $1,000,000), Annabel is sure she can find the Mediterranean home of their dreams and make her Mum and Dad very happy.

Ryan Marshall works as a human resources consultant in Tokyo and has been renting a tiny apartment in the city of Nishi-Azabu. He recently decided that it's time for a more permanent residence, and he's searching for a larger and quieter space in Akasaka. A major concern for Ryan is to have a better view, which is especially difficult in a dense city of 30 million people. With a $500,000 budget, he hopes that realtor Naoko Okada will find the space and the view that he desires.

Evan Hopkins and Stephanie Jack currently own separate condos in Calgary, Canada and are looking to buy a home together. They're looking for a free-standing home that has character and doesn't require a lot of updates. In addition, they'd like up to four bedrooms, nice big closets, a backyard and plenty of space to entertain guests. With a budget between $400,000 and $550,000, Stephanie and Evan have asked realtor Wendy Niefer to help them find a home that they can grow into.

American-born Anthony Laue moved from Burbank, California to the Czech Republic to teach English eight years ago. With the birth of his son Samuel, now two years old, he's decided to make the Czech Republic his permanent residence and purchase his first home. He hopes to find an older flat with at least three rooms, including a space for an office. Finding a non-Czech bathroom is also a priority, and Anthony hopes to find it all with a budget of 2.5 million crowns (roughly $160,000 US).

Barbara Braun is a true New Yorker, but now that she's retired and her daughters are grown, she's ready for a new adventure in Buenos Aires. She is looking for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in a historic building with a great kitchen. Since she's looking in one of the more expensive areas of the city, Barbara expects to pay up to $300,000 and has enlisted the help of realtor Michael Koh.

Danny Ragan is a commercial helicopter pilot in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who's looking for a place close to downtown. He wants a nice kitchen, plenty of room to entertain, very little maintenance and lots of style, all for under $400,000. Realtor Karen Stanko is on board to help Danny find the new home that he envisions.

Jill and Jeremy Fenby-Taylor and their two children love their home in a rural English village, but they've fallen in love with a recent vacation destination: Asturias, Spain. Realtor Miriam Malga-Smith is helping them find a holiday home there with at least three bedrooms, ample outdoor living space and mountain views are a must, while the kids are hoping for a place that isn't so remote that it has no internet access.

Military life has made Mel and his wife Frederika professional travelers. Since Germany is a frequent jumping-off point for their vacations to other countries, they've decided it's time to buy a home in Berlin. Their real estate agent is encouraging them to consider a variety of neighborhoods in Berlin, and since this will be their second home, they're looking for a move-in ready one- or two-bedroom apartment.

Bill Vivian lives in San Diego and is looking for a vacation home on Italy's Almalfi Coast. He would like to find a two-bedroom, two-bathroom house that's as close to the Mediterranean waters as possible. Bill has an eye for detail, and he doesn't need a lot of space, but his relatively small budget of $180,000 means that he will need an agent who knows the Amalfi Coast well to help him find a home that has everything on his list.

Terry and Kathy Keep hope to join the ranks of the 300,000 Brits who own property in France. Currently in a rental in the town of Saint Jean d'Angely in southern France, they are ready to buy and have set out to find a stone house with three or four bedrooms, a large fireplace with a swimming pool or space to add one. With a budget of about US$550,000, they've enlisted UK expatriate Matthew Barry to help them find them a house.

Sandra Myhrberg, a photographer, was working in New York when she met graphic designer Daniel ''Klokie'' Grossfeld. They soon were married and chose to live in Europe for a change of pace. With a budget equivalent to about US$500,000, and now with kids, they're focusing their search in a southern neighborhood of Stockholm, Enskede, to be closer to Sandra's parents and to the children's daycare. With a realtor on board, this young family is ready to find a home and spread their wings.

Richard and Chitra Pullen decided to escape their hectic lives and exhausting jobs in London and move to the French countryside. Now, with two children, they are looking for a house with four bedrooms and a decent-sized yard for less than 550,000 Euro (about $850,000). Ideally, they'd like to find an older, traditional style home that has been upgraded with modern conveniences, and they've asked real estate agent Anushka Paverman to help them in their search.

Sue and Mike Shiroi have spent most of their married life in a country home outside of London, where they raised their three children. Now that the kids are grown, they've decided to semi-retire and leave the London fog behind, heading to the beautiful island of Cyprus. Their daughter Annabel moved to Greece several years before and now works as a realtor there. They want an open and airy floor plan with beautiful views, a great garden area for their dog and still enough bedrooms for their other kids to visit. With a budget of 800,000 pounds (about $1,000,000), Annabel is sure she can find the Mediterranean home of their dreams and make her Mum and Dad very happy.

Ryan Marshall works as a human resources consultant in Tokyo and has been renting a tiny apartment in the city of Nishi-Azabu. He recently decided that it's time for a more permanent residence, and he's searching for a larger and quieter space in Akasaka. A major concern for Ryan is to have a better view, which is especially difficult in a dense city of 30 million people. With a $500,000 budget, he hopes that realtor Naoko Okada will find the space and the view that he desires.

Evan Hopkins and Stephanie Jack currently own separate condos in Calgary, Canada and are looking to buy a home together. They're looking for a free-standing home that has character and doesn't require a lot of updates. In addition, they'd like up to four bedrooms, nice big closets, a backyard and plenty of space to entertain guests. With a budget between $400,000 and $550,000, Stephanie and Evan have asked realtor Wendy Niefer to help them find a home that they can grow into.

American-born Anthony Laue moved from Burbank, California to the Czech Republic to teach English eight years ago. With the birth of his son Samuel, now two years old, he's decided to make the Czech Republic his permanent residence and purchase his first home. He hopes to find an older flat with at least three rooms, including a space for an office. Finding a non-Czech bathroom is also a priority, and Anthony hopes to find it all with a budget of 2.5 million crowns (roughly $160,000 US).

Barbara Braun is a true New Yorker, but now that she's retired and her daughters are grown, she's ready for a new adventure in Buenos Aires. She is looking for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in a historic building with a great kitchen. Since she's looking in one of the more expensive areas of the city, Barbara expects to pay up to $300,000 and has enlisted the help of realtor Michael Koh.

Danny Ragan is a commercial helicopter pilot in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who's looking for a place close to downtown. He wants a nice kitchen, plenty of room to entertain, very little maintenance and lots of style, all for under $400,000. Realtor Karen Stanko is on board to help Danny find the new home that he envisions.

Jill and Jeremy Fenby-Taylor and their two children love their home in a rural English village, but they've fallen in love with a recent vacation destination: Asturias, Spain. Realtor Miriam Malga-Smith is helping them find a holiday home there with at least three bedrooms, ample outdoor living space and mountain views are a must, while the kids are hoping for a place that isn't so remote that it has no internet access.

Military life has made Mel and his wife Frederika professional travelers. Since Germany is a frequent jumping-off point for their vacations to other countries, they've decided it's time to buy a home in Berlin. Their real estate agent is encouraging them to consider a variety of neighborhoods in Berlin, and since this will be their second home, they're looking for a move-in ready one- or two-bedroom apartment.

Bill Vivian lives in San Diego and is looking for a vacation home on Italy's Almalfi Coast. He would like to find a two-bedroom, two-bathroom house that's as close to the Mediterranean waters as possible. Bill has an eye for detail, and he doesn't need a lot of space, but his relatively small budget of $180,000 means that he will need an agent who knows the Amalfi Coast well to help him find a home that has everything on his list.

Terry and Kathy Keep hope to join the ranks of the 300,000 Brits who own property in France. Currently in a rental in the town of Saint Jean d'Angely in southern France, they are ready to buy and have set out to find a stone house with three or four bedrooms, a large fireplace with a swimming pool or space to add one. With a budget of about US$550,000, they've enlisted UK expatriate Matthew Barry to help them find them a house.

Sandra Myhrberg, a photographer, was working in New York when she met graphic designer Daniel ''Klokie'' Grossfeld. They soon were married and chose to live in Europe for a change of pace. With a budget equivalent to about US$500,000, and now with kids, they're focusing their search in a southern neighborhood of Stockholm, Enskede, to be closer to Sandra's parents and to the children's daycare. With a realtor on board, this young family is ready to find a home and spread their wings.

Rich Page and his wife Anya currently live within minutes of their offices in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They've decided that it's time to find a home where they can raise a family and stay put for a number of years. Most importantly, they want a home with Old World charm, high ceilings and a big yard where they can garden and grow vegtables, and they have a budget of around $475,000.