And what are we looking for?

In a word, we're looking for space. To some people, that would probably mean 5 acres and a 3000 square foot home. But for us, space would mean something with more than 1200 square feet and a yard big enough to fit a couple of adirondack chairs, a bar-be-que, and some plants.

Realtors advise buyers to think about and categorize their desires by "wants" and "needs." Our needs aren't very descriptive: at least two bedrooms, at least one bathroom, easy access to BART or a Transbay bus line, at least minimal yard/outdoor space. That doesn't really eliminate much of anything. Our wants are all over the map: it would be great to have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, an attached garage with interior access, original built-ins, a kitchen with an island, a separate family room, and two stories. We'd much prefer a house that already has a lot of the work done--and I don't mean updating, I mean a new to new-ish roof, upgraded/retrofitted foundation, modern wiring, new to new-ish furnace and water heater, energy efficient windows.

The homes in our price range in neighborhoods that we like often don't have a lot of those things. These are 1920s (or earlier; a few are from the 1930s) homes and construction back then just wasn't anywhere near as safe or secure as modern standards. On the other hand, these homes are full of character--the built-in bookshelves, dining room hutches, window seats, and the molding and woodwork are unlike anything you see in a modern home. Unfortunately, sellers seem to want to put all their "let's get this home ready to sell" budget into granite countertops and stainless steel appliances; I'd rather have shear walls and a 30-year roof and make my own kitchen remodeling choices down the line.

And of course we're looking for a deal. The house that we lost would have been a steal (I'm still crossing my fingers that it falls out of contract--awful, I know) and it's hard to see homes that aren't as nice listed (and going) for $75k more than that one. But we have learned that even in this "buyer's market" decent homes in good neighborhoods can still command, if not a bidding war, at least multiple offers and committed and qualified buyers.

We should be receiving disclosures on a couple homes our Realtor has recommended to us--maybe one of them will be "the one."

So who are we?

In browsing home listings and attending open houses, I've come to the conclusion that finding a home is a lot like finding a partner. Everyone is right for someone, but finding the right match can be tough. We've visited lots of lovely homes that will be great for someone, but just not great for us. Rather akin to how my friend's boyfriend complements her delightfully, but he would not be right for me. Thinking like this helps when I feel frustrated that we haven't found "our" house yet.

Mr. EastBayBuyer (Mr. EBB) and I have been married for just under nine months now, but we've been together just over nine years. Neither of us are California natives, but we plan to make the Bay Area our home for the foreseeable future. We currently rent a perfectly adequate apartment in a very nice neighborhood in Oakland. We have a balcony where we can grow potted plants, we have a pool in our complex (not that it's ever warm enough to use, this past weekend excepted), our building manager gets everything and anything fixed promptly, and our commute to work in San Francisco couldn't be easier. We also haven't been able to unpack about 75% of our wedding gifts because there is no room to put anything. So the wall of Crate & Barrel boxes that towers over the "office" nook of the apartment looms as a constant reminder that we. need. more. space.

By the end of July we'll have lived in this apartment together for three years. We have been looking at listings for about the last year and have been attending open houses regularly for the past six-eight months or so. It's kind of sad that we've run into the same agents at multiple open houses and we recognize each other. We're hoping to buy within the next few months; otherwise work/scheduled travel will likely push our plans off into next spring.

Next up: what we're seeking.

Welcome

I'm starting this blog to chronicle my husband's and my search for, and hopefully eventual purchase of, a home in the East Bay (across the bay; east of San Francisco). Since it's doubtful we'll find a house in perfect shape in our price range in a neighborhood that we like, I'll also have home improvement projects to talk about--again, eventually, in the hopefully not-too-distant future.
We have a Realtor (look--it's capitalized! because it's trademarked!) but are otherwise near the beginning of the process. We're still browsing listings and going to open houses, so I'm kicking off this blog for the duration. We did have one disappointment last week, but that deserves its own post or two.
Until then, welcome!