Our House Hunt Begins

1. We’ve officially started looking for a new home, and it feels both exciting and a little daunting.
2. Last week we met our real estate agent for the first time to begin the process.
3. She made a great first impression — experienced, straightforward, and with a sense of humor that put us at ease.
4. She didn’t try to push us into anything outside our budget; she was realistic about what our money will buy in this market.
5. We spent time describing our must-haves and nice-to-haves: number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, layout preferences, and other priorities for our next house.
6. She entered our criteria into her system, which quickly matched our specifications with available listings in the area.
7. Six properties showed up as matches right away, which felt like a promising start.
8. To put it gently, the six listings weren’t exactly the stylish, move-in-ready dream homes we’d been pinning and imagining.
9. If you’ve seen photos of staged, modern interiors and open-concept renovations, these listings were the opposite in almost every way.
10. Instead of frustration, we’re trying to find the humor in the situation — house hunting can be its own kind of comedy at times.
11. We were warned that the local housing market is very hot right now — an ideal time for sellers.
12. That means a challenging environment for buyers: fast-moving listings, bidding situations, and fewer bargains.
13. Buying a house in a market like this feels a lot like gambling; you have to decide how much risk you’re willing to take and how much you trust a property’s potential.
14. I’ve been comparing the experience to pregnancy: everyone has a story, advice, and sometimes unsolicited opinions they’re eager to share.
15. People we know have offered horror stories and warnings, along with suggestions that weren’t always helpful or relevant.
16. We’re trying to sift through that input and make decisions that suit our situation rather than letting outside voices steer us.
17. On a practical level, that means being selective about which houses we tour and realistic about what we can renovate or live with.
18. Our first official house tour was an eye-opener: the structure had potential, but it also had obvious issues.
19. There were moldy bathrooms, holes in the drywall, no working furnace, and a yard more like a dandelion field than a maintained lawn.
20. The interior carried noticeable odors from pets and smoke, which made it hard to picture ourselves living there without significant work.
21. With enough budget to completely gut the property and start over, it might be transformed into something lovely, but that level of renovation is more than we’re ready to take on.
22. So, despite the potential, we decided to pass on that particular place and keep looking for something that needs less intensive work.
23. Meanwhile, I’ve been having fun dreaming and saving inspiration on my “Dream House” boards on Pinterest — it’s a helpful way to clarify what we really want.
24. Dreaming is one thing, but reality keeps our expectations grounded and helps us focus on practical, achievable options.
25. After giving our agent a clear wish list, we’ve also learned to lower a few expectations, which has oddly opened up more realistic possibilities.
26. We’ll continue touring homes, refining our list of priorities, and keeping an open mind as we search for the right fit.
27. I’ll share updates as we make progress through this house-hunting journey and as we learn more about the local real estate market.

PS — In the meantime, we’re enjoying our time in the temporary rental home that’s serving as our in-between space. It’s been a cozy, low-pressure place to regroup and plan our next steps while we continue our search.

You can find a recent tour of our current rental house online where we’ve been savoring small comforts and testing layout ideas for future renovations and decorating plans.