Go house hunting with Pacer C.J. Watson

UPDATE:
Due to a last-minute scheduling change, HGTV has postponed airing of this show, putting the show "Flip It to Win It" in its place.

Ever wonder how pro athletes like the Pacers's C.J. Watson relocate in about as much time as it takes the ink to dry on their new contract?

They turn to people like realtor Jason Abrams, who specializes in finding high-end homes in a matter of hours.

On Tuesday you can live vicariously as HGTV's "Scoring the Deal" season finale features Watson's search for an Indianapolis home.

Abrams had about 48 hours to find three places to show Watson, who left the Brooklyn Nets for the Pacers in July.

Watson, a Las Vegas native, wasn't too picky, Abrams said Thursday in a phone interview.

"His main goal was, 'I'm coming here to win championships and play basketball, and I don't want an hour drive ahead of me every day,' " Abrams said. "He was looking for something that was 'cool' and felt good."

Watson told Abrams he'd be fine with a furnished or unfurnished place, although he wanted to rent, not buy. He preferred a modern style and a place that would feel like home. He needed room for his family to visit and wanted to spend less than $5,000 a month.

That last requirement wasn't hard to fulfill, Abrams said, because money goes a long way in Indianapolis.

Not that it was simple to make a match, Abrams said. Cool in Indianapolis isn't as easy to find as it is in a city like Miami, which has a plethora of apartments with white tile floors and sweeping views.

"In Indianapolis there wasn't a large number of high-end luxury rentals," he said, "and your city is kind of spread out."

Some times when Abrams goes on the hunt, he looks at as many as 40 properties in a few days to cull out the crème de la crème for his clients.

To identify additional options for Watson, Abrams and his colleagues called potential sellers and asked if they would be willing to rent instead.

"You don't have to make those calls in other cities," Abrams said.

All the work paid off. Abrams narrowed it down to three different properties from which Watson could choose, including an industrial loft near Downtown and a gorgeous contemporary home outside the city.

So which one did he choose?

To find out, you'll have to tune in whenever the show finally airs.

Call Star reporter Shari Rudavsky at (317) 444-6354. Follow her on Twitter @srudavsky.