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By: Jen Russon

Harold, his wife, Tangela and their six-year-old twins, Tokyo and London had quite a wish list for their new home.

“I want a balcony so I can be like Rapunzel,” said the little girl. Her brother hoped how to learn to play golf with his father, a police officer. Tangela Cummings, an event planner, said a playroom to hide the kids’ toys was a must.

The Miramar family with dreams of moving to Parkland, appeared on the August 24, 2018 episode of House Hunters Family, a spinoff of the popular HGTV program. The family had outgrown their home of 16 years, and were looking to upsize from just under 2,000 square feet of living space to the sprawling floor plans Parkland homes are known for.

House number one in Heron Bay hit a few of their check boxes, but at just under $800,000, it nearly maxed out the family’s budget.

High median home values are a given in this part of Broward County. According to Zillow, the average cost of a home in Parkland rings in at a breathtaking $622,800. But the Cummings appeared keen on keeping their house hunt relegated to a city known for its excellent schools, pristine landscapes and gorgeous park-like setting.

Their bright faces actually seem to dim when their Realtor, Joseph Firman, takes them to a 6-bedroom house just outside the city limits.

“We’re technically in Coral Springs now,” Firman said, gesturing around a house that has the clean, modern lines the family wants, but not the zoning.

“I think people want to move to Parkland for the socioeconomic aspect,” said Craig Levine, a Keller Williams realtor, said.

House number one was and is, Levine’s listing. A broker associate with Keller Williams, he had communicated with producers at HGTV to show the Cummings Family the 5 bedroom four bathroom home.

Levine said the home seemed to have everything they wanted, but the carpet turned them off.

“Kind of mustardy,” the Cummings family agreed at the beginning of the half hour episode. They deliberated as a group, the kids weighing in with their own thumbs down, and ultimately decided the house needed too many updates.

House number one did have a pool, however, which can tack onto the price of a Parkland home considerably.

“I don’t know why they didn’t make an offer, but soon someone will. The property is now offered at $50,000 less than when they saw it,” Levine said. He added that he doesn’t have trouble moving Parkland homes.

“People love a bedroom community this close to Palm Beach. Parkland homes, in communities like Pine Tree or Cypress Head, they can offer you a lot – a triple acre lot, golfing.”

Although he didn’t accompany the Cummings to showings, Levine watched their House Hunters episode, and mentioned that he recognized a listing from Watercrest at Parkland. He also glimpsed another property he is familiar with: Cascata at MiraLago.

“I think that last house – the one that the Cummings said they bought – was there, at Cascata – but I know the realtor there and she said they never moved into it,” Levine said.

He was referring to a surprise twist at the end of the Cummings’ televised house hunt.

At press time, the Cummings could not be reached to confirm which Parkland house they chose. You can watch the episode yourself and wager a guess.

Moving On Up in Parkland, Florida