So many houses out there!

Last night, we went out to Culver's to get ice cream (technically custard... lol) Anyway, after enjoying our treat, we drove past one of the houses that we are going to view on Monday. It's a short sale and someone has already put an offer in on it, but they said we can still take a look at it so we have a better idea of what we are looking for in a house that is in that particular price range. The kids both fell asleep in the back seat so we drove around some more trying to find the house we saw earlier in the week that was going to have an Open House on Sunday. In the midst of doing that, we found several other Open Houses and many more houses for sale. It's amazing how many are out there when you've got your eye out for the signs.

Tomorrow, after church, we'll probably check out a few Open Houses and then on Sunday, our agent scheduled us to view three houses. I'm falling in love with two of them right now, but am hoping that God finds a way to narrow down my choices because I just saw a few more online today that we might be interested in. 

The great thing about all of this is that God is totally preparing my heart for this process -- both emotionally and mentally. I feel like I know a lot more about mortgages, fixed-interest rates, home inspections, escrow, choosing a home, and so much more.

A glimpse into what we're looking for -- 

• 3+ bedroom -- If we find the perfect one and it only has 3 bedrooms, that's great. We'd prefer 4 just so there's extra room for any guests and we could potentially use it as a den/computer room. Although, if it has a half-finished basement, that'd add extra space too). 
• 1+ bathrooms -- I grew up with 7 people in my family and we all lived with just 1 bathroom so I know we'd survive. It's just a little nicer to have a 1.5 or 2 bathroom house especially with guests or get-togethers.
• Garage -- It's not a huge deal if it's attached or not. My preference is attached.
• Backyard -- If the yard isn't really big, I'd like to live within walking distance to a park. Otherwise, I'd prefer to have some mature trees in the yard to offer shade.
• Kitchen -- I don't know how to explain how it should look, but there needs to be enough room to have 2 people trying too cook/bake at the same time without stepping on one another's feet. The layout has to make sense. There also has to be a window or two because right now, there's no natural light in my cooking or dining areas.
• Living Room -- I'd like a big, old living room as a place to gather with friends and family.
• Saukville/Port Washington area -- We'd prefer to stay in this area since it's a shorter drive for Tim to go to work and it's a nice central location even if Tim (or I) would get a job in Sheboygan or Milwaukee. Also, everything we need is in close proximity -- church, grocery stores, parks, library, etc.

There are probably many other details that I'm leaving out, but that gives you the gist of it. It's so fun to look at all the options out there. The one great thing is that we don't have a deadline on when we need to buy so that relieves a little pressure on the whole buying process. I know once February and March start up, there will be more competition in the buyer's field. Hopefully we'll have a good head start on them!