the search

We are officially on the hunt for a new place to live.

It is a trying experience, and is keeping us busy. It's eye-opening, you know? You have to look at your finances, you have to look at them again, and again...and then when you come up with your price range, you see exactly what you can get for the money.

So you raise your price range.

We had a funny, eye-opening experience yesterday. Our price limit was putting us in shady neighborhoods (bars on the windows, dead-bolts on the fence gates, you know) and when we finally decided to look at one of the duplexes, we realized that I'd been duped by the photos online. It was falling apart.

So here are my tips to anyone looking for a place to live.
1. Do not believe what you see online. They have purposely taken lo-res photos to disguise the mold in the bathrooms, cracks in the walls, dirt on the carpets, and holes in the backyard.
2. Drive around and figure out where you really want to live. Don't budge. I tried to budge and Ryan wouldn't have it. I'm glad he has stood his ground. It's for my own safety!
3. Be realistic about what you want and what you can afford. Don't be like me. Don't try to live the dream. We'll have our dream home someday...but for now, it's putting money at the feet of the rental dieties.
4. Use a realtor or a locator to do the hard work for you. They can call about pets, etc. They are your friends.

I still want my home to be out in the country, with my big kitchen and backyard that overlooks a pasture. But for now, we will see what we settle for. Hopefully we'll find something this week. We have to be out of here in a month! Yikes!

It's going to work out just fine, though. :)