MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — After calling Murfreesboro home for more than a decade, and an appearance on HGTV’s popular show “House Hunters,” Middle Tennessee State University School of Journalism and Strategic Media professors Dan and Christine Eschenfelder have found the perfect place to call home sweet home.

Their episode, titled “I’m Not a Hoarder,” aired in late February and followed the Eschenfelders through the process of buying their first home. Their wish list included storage space (so Christine could keep trinkets and clothes from their children’s childhood), a backyard for their dog, Captain, and an open floor plan.

The Eschenfelders said their real estate agent, Chad Robinette, asked if they would be interested in applying to be on the show after seeing an advertisement seeking people who were ready to buy a house and had an interesting storyline. 

“With our longtime careers working in television news in numerous markets, we never lived in a place long enough to purchase; (the show) saw that as unique,” explained Dan. “Coupled with the fact we are both college journalism professors, and I am a veteran, having served in the Army, they thought we’d be a great fit.” 

Having been in the television business for years, Christine, as an anchor and reporter, and Dan behind the scenes, the couple said it’s still a unique experience being involved in a show like “House Hunters.” 

“We have had the wonderful opportunity to work in and around TV for many years from every aspect. (We’re) aware how reality TV is produced,” Dan said, adding, “It was a unique experience for us. It was exciting to see how the show, having watched for many years, was produced from the perspective of the home buyer instead of the viewer.” 

Both Dan and Christine said the show really captured their personalities.

“We tend to be a bit self-deprecating, we try to have a sense of humor about things, and we’re real partners, both in life and in work, so I hope that dynamic came through pretty naturally,” Christine said. 

While parts of the process of producing a show like “House Hunters” can’t be divulged, the couple said it was a great experience, calling the crew fantastic. 

“There were some things happening in my personal life at the time that made it especially poignant for me. I loved seeing MTSU and Murfreesboro featured so beautifully,” Christine said, adding, “It was fun to shoot with Chad, our real estate agent. We had moments where we all just could not stop laughing.”

“House Hunters” is featured on Hulu, YouTube TV, Disney+, HBO Max and more.

— DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)