Demographics indicate that real estate prices should decline for several years, so resist being in any kind of hurry. We’re renting now and waiting this ride out.

While house hunting, you never really know the range of what is out there. Most people actually make an offer very quickly after starting to look; I suspect it’s because they don’t know how common whatever it is that attracted them really is.

You will. All houses you see after this one will be compared to this one. You may find that this was an awesome deal that you can never match, but I doubt it.

Also, don’t forget that you can change the house you get. Now might be a good time to check out prices on certain things you now know you like.

Okay, acreage is hard to change. But you can still research how hard it is to find houses with the acreage you want, and where those lots are located.

How much does it cost to add solar panels, are there any government incentives to do so here, and if you get extra electricity, can you sell it back to a utilities company?

How could you create a workshop room or an office if a house were perfect in every other way? Turn a bedroom into one? A formal dining room? Convert part of a garage? Build an extra outdoor structure? How much would each of these strategies cost?

Note also that getting renovations done is generally considered extremely unpleasant, so it’s best to avoid it, but it’s still best to know your options.

And Matt, thanks for the comment. I suppose I should stop looking as well!

Good luck with the move! (when you’re ready)

Thanks…

You might want to stop looking at more expensive houses since the higher the home is priced, the nicer it is naturally so if you have a budget to work under, then don’t look at houses that go over budget. Don’t let the realtor sucker you into looking at higher priced homes since they know that everyone ends up buying bigger/bigger and higher/higher priced ones as they each one and every house is just a couple thousand dollars more.