Let the House Hunting Begin!

So we are gearing up hard core (again) into the world of house hunting. I had forgotten how painfully annoying and exhausting it can be. One thing that is striking now is the difference between looking for homes in early 2007 and late 2010. We bought out first home in Pittsburgh near the peak of the market and left in the throes of the Great Recession for better jobs and lifestyle in Nashville in early 2009.

Although our home in the 'Burgh is still for sale, we have budgeted (a severe decline in my J.Crew budget!) to be able to buy a home here. Homes have dropped in price significantly (as much as $100,000) and realtors are falling all over themselves to get homes sold.

Here are a few of the ones we saw yesterday (to protect the innocent, I edited the pictures.):

House #1:

Pros: Great layout, good bones, solid structure, plenty of living space available, including a sitting room off the master which has a fireplace (it would make a KILLER walk in closet).

Cons: needs some updating (kitchen and floors) and animals in the house previously means that ALL of the carpet needs to be replaced. It also has high voltage electrical lines in the back, which is a major bummer.

Verdict: I don't want my babies having two heads, so no thanks.

House #2:

Pros: Two magnolia trees in the front (a dream!), a spacious basement and a nice sized backyard with a quiet neighborhood. It was also the most well kept of the homes we saw.
Cons: Choppy layout, small kitchen, obvious DIY renovation in the basement and I was not a big fan of the outside impression of the home.
Verdict: Not a great flow for entertaining, so not so much.

 House #3:

Pros: Great neighborhood feel, nice flow to the house with plenty of living space, great Tudor architecture with leaded glass windows and large bedrooms.
Cons: I got charged by the friendly next door pit bull when getting out of the car. Electric fence, my a$$. Original 80's windows = drafty house = thousands to replace windows. Also needs an updated kitchen and updated flooring.
Verdict: I don't feel like ending up in jail for *accidentally* shooting someone's pit bull, so no go.

We soldier on...