I have been casually looking at local houses and condos for sale online for a while now, knowing that a move is somewhere in our future. Right now, I’m just keeping an eye on the market and seeing what’s available. It’s likely that what’s on the market will change in the interlude before we buy again. In my head, I have a practical, very personal house calculus going on behind the scenes: Can I find a fantastic, newish home with the features we want, in an area we like, for a STEAL?! How much is a steal nowadays? There are numbers that make me want to shout “THAT’S REALLY AFFORDABLE!” and plenty that make me think “No way, even if we qualify we’re not going to pay that amount for mortgage!” Newer homes with 2,000-2,500 sq. ft. that are listed under $200K grab my attention, but most of these are condos and I’m not sure we want to go that route. Also, do we need that much space? I think I’m picturing a home of around 1500 sq. ft. I just don’t see why we would need a larger space– it just means more area to heat and cool … and clean … (higher long-term expenses)
Our current home is about 1800 sq. ft, which we share with a roommate– and even with three adults in this house there is “wasted space”– or space that we do not really optimize on a daily-use basis. I think that a well-designed, newish home, around 1500 sq ft. and under $160K would really be in the ballpark for us. Michael wants a garden tub or jacuzzi and multiple stories; I want lots of light, decent storage space, a great kitchen (probably square-shaped), tall ceilings, and possibly a screened-in back porch for the cats.