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.