Behind the scenes at HGTV

He wanted a house up in the mountains. She wanted something a little closer to the beach. So, which house did they choose?

If you’re a fan of the House Hunters series on HGTV, you know how easy it is to get completely absorbed in the episodes. The Beam got the scoop from Beacon Medical Group systems apps specialist Stacy Brunette about what it was really like during her search with her boyfriend Russ Linman for a home in Costa Rica for House Hunters International.

Stacy and Russ’ episode, “High Hopes in Costa Ballena,” first aired on Jan. 2. You can catch it again through Comcast On Demand or by visiting the HGTV website and entering your cable provider information.

Their adventure started with an email to the show, followed by several Skype interviews with an HGTV talent scout and then the producer of their show. Stacy and Russ also filled out an eight-page questionnaire and submitted lots of photos of their family.

The Beam: What was it like to learn that you’d been selected to have an episode filmed?
Stacy: It was exciting! We were given a chance to do a very unique opportunity that would result in creating a memory that we would have a digital copy of forever.

The Beam: Start to finish, about how many hours did you spend filming for the show?
Stacy: We did the “back story” of where we currently live (in Niles) back in April. That was one full day of filming. We then did our Costa Rica filming in July, which encompassed four full days of filming. We basically filmed for 12 hours a day, resulting in roughly 60 hours of film. All of that for a 22-minute episode! Can you imagine how much got cut? Russ and I now have a better understanding of how much actors have to work to shoot a movie.

**Warning! This section contains spoilers!** 
The Beam: Which house did you pick?
Stacy: We chose a contemporary home that was located on a ridge just off the coastal highway.

The Beam: What were some of the features that you both liked about it?
Stacy: We loved that the home allowed for an ocean view (out the front) as well as a mountain view (from the rear). We loved the infinity pool and the covered deck that affords us the opportunity to sit outside even during the rainy season in Costa Rica.

The Beam: Are you looking forward to many years of vacation memories there?
Stacy: We are so excited to go back as often as we can — we are traveling there soon for a six-day visit. The plan is to go there at least once or twice a year to explore the area more. In the meantime, the house is on a few rental sites so that others can use it to create their own vacation memories.

The Beam: What was the best part of the experience?
Stacy: The best part was having the chance to do something not many people ever have; we never realized how much went in to filming a TV show before this, and that has given us a greater appreciation. It was also very cool to feel like a “celebrity” when we filmed in Costa Rica: The film crew would block off certain areas for us to film and all of the other people around were wondering who we were and what we were filming. It was pretty neat.

The Beam: Do you think you and Russ would consider being featured on TV again?
Stacy: I think we would consider it again in the right situation. It was definitely a lot of work, but such a unique experience that overall we enjoyed the experience. We are actually obsessed with “Tiny House Hunters” right now on HGTV and we keep saying that is the next show you will find us on. So you never know!