Doylestown Family Featured In HGTV Episode Of House Hunters

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A Bucks County family will appear on the latest episode of the HGTV series, “House Hunters,” as they look for a new home in Doylestown.

The episode - “Philly Charm Vs. The Burbs” - is scheduled to air on Friday, January 9 at 10:30 p.m. and again at 2 a.m. on Saturday on HGTV. Check the HGTV schedule for future airings of the show. The episode will also be available through the HGTV YouTube channel.

“House Hunters,” which airs internationally, takes viewers behind the scenes as individuals, couples and families learn what to look for and decide whether or not a home is meant for them. Focusing on the emotional experience of finding and purchasing a new home, each episode shows the process as buyers search for a home.

Friday’s show will follow Lauren Perno, a seasoned local realtor with Caldwell Banker, and her husband, Michael, a senior executive with a software solutions company, as they house hunt in Doylestown for their growing family of five.

The couple had been living in Furlong, but outgrew their three-bedroom townhouse, where their two-year-old was relegated to spending her nights in a walk-in closet converted into a small nursery.

“We knew we had to get out of there because this poor girl is getting big and she’s in a closet,” said Lauren. “It definitely put the pressure on.”

Michael Perno with their youngest, Sophia.

The filming of the episode took place over five days in September 2024. During the episode, the couple will visit three houses in the Doylestown area before picking the one they want to buy.

“We adore Doylestown and all the community has to offer, which is why it took us one and a half years to find the perfect home,” said Lauren. “We didn’t want to move the kids out of their school district or leave Doylestown.”

Lauren, a 13-year veteran realtor of the Bucks County housing scene, said house hunting was a challenge given the higher interest rates, affordability factors, tax rates and the limited number of homes on the market.

Unlike other episodes where the couple is taken around by a realtor, for this episode, Lauren will be doing quadruple duty as wife, mom, home buyer, and realtor.

“It was a fun experience. It was very surreal to be micced up and on camera, but the kids were amazing,” said Lauren. “There were cameras in their faces, and they didn’t flinch,” she said of her three kids - DJ (14), Cecilia (9), and Sophia (2).

The Perno family at Doylestown's Arts Festival.

“Of course, they were sad to leave our old neighborhood. They had a lot of friends there, but because we’re in the same school district, their friends are only 10 minutes away,” said Lauren. “And they absolutely love the house now. They get it now why we had to move, plus their sister was in a closet.”

The family will be getting together with friends and family for a watch party on Friday night, where they will see the episode together for the first time.

“The whole experience has been surreal,” said Lauren. “I do think that it’s going to be one of our coolest core family memories. It’s going to be hard to top this one. We learned a lot about ourselves. We learned a lot about how we interact as a married couple and making sure we’re keeping everyone’s wants and needs in mind.”

Lauren said that for locals who watch the show, hopefully, they will be seeing a lot of familiar town landmarks and neighborhoods. “We tried to showcase the town as much as we could as we were driving around on certain streets.”

Lauren and Michael Perno at Puck Live in Doylestown.

With that said, Lauren said they haven’t seen the episode yet, so the finished product will be a surprise to everyone. “We’re hoping that Doylestown is on camera and visible so people can see what a cool, quaint town we have, that also has great schools and is a wonderful tourist destination.”

Lauren is encouraging everyone “to go along for the ride” as their family goes through the house-hunting process.

“It was a long housing market ride for us in a tough market with high interest rates and at a very stressful time," said Lauren. "I think a lot of people can relate to that if they bought in the last couple of years.

“We also put our family first through the process,” she added. “We wanted to be in Doylestown because that is where are hearts are.”