House Hunters

COURTESY OF THE ISHBIAS

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Lindsay and Nikki Ishbia, 24-yearold twins, have lived together since their childhood home in West Bloomfield and shared dorm and apartment space together all through their college years and beyond. So, when the lease on their last rental apartment was up, the sisters decided buying a home together was the next logical step.

Though they are identical, the sisters have very different views on what they want in a home. While Lindsay, a marketing analyst, wants new modern construction and close proximity to downtown Royal Oak where she can walk to restaurants, shops and nightclubs, Nikki is more of a homebody who prefers nights in surrounded by the charming features of an older home, such as arched doorways and fireplaces.

One thing they have in common is their love for HGTV’s House Hunters.

“If there are over 2,000 episodes of House Hunters, we joke that we’ve probably watched half of them,” Nikki said. “So, when we were starting to look for a house, we said, how can we go through this process without being on House Hunters? We’d be letting ourselves down if we didn’t.”

So, after filling out an application, it was not long before they began their house hunt last May in the Royal Oak/ Berkley area with a film crew in pursuit.

The Ishbias, together with their realtor Dana Cooper of Max Broock, hosted a watch episode when the episode first aired on Dec. 2. The episode is now available on demand. You can watch the Ishbias check out listings in Royal Oak and Berkeley, shown by Cooper, as they lovingly tease each other and squabble over who gets the biggest bedroom as only sisters can do.

“We’ve always been very responsible with our money and finances,” said Nikki, who is an accountant. “When our lease was up, we decided that buying a home would just be a really good investment for both of us. When we decided to buy together, the first question people would ask was, ‘What if one of you moves away, or what if one of you gets married someday, who keeps the house?’”

Lindsay, a social media and marketing analyst. was quick to explain.

“Obviously, we are still young, and eventually we are going to get married and move on. We want to live here for a few years and then eventually rent it out. It’s not like we are planning to live here for the next 70 years. When the time comes and one of us marries or wants to move, we’ll figure it out.”

Lindsay said when they conducted their house search in May, there was a tight inventory. But she added that they “lucked out” and had the winning bid on the first house they tried to purchase at a competitive price point.

They both agreed that it was a bit strange having a camera crew follow them around on their house hunt. But the experience and the direction they got from the producers helped them focus on what they were looking for in a home, how their tastes were similar and where they contrasted.

Nikki didn’t mind being further off the beaten path and was drawn to the charm of older homes that may need some TLC after move-in day. Lindsay wanted to find a modern, open layout as close to new construction as possible within walking distance to Royal Oak’s shops, restaurants and bars. They did manage to compromise on a Royal Oak home they’ve lived in since July. Since then, they’ve enjoyed decorating and hosting friends for backyard barbecues and most recently, a “Friendsgiving” feast.