My Recent Obession: Real Estate

Let's be honest here...it's not a recent obsession. I've been googling and looking for houses for years. I've been on craigslist almost daily to look for the brand spankin new apartment that Joe and I can move into next. But with the recent deals and lowered interest rates, my obession over new apartments made a shift to actual houses.

I know that Joe and I have a rent that is beyond what we really should be paying. If I really wanted a house, we should realistically be renting someone's basement apartment for no more than $1000 total with all utilities included. We should NEVER or hardly ever dine out. We should not have comcast and just stick with basic cable. But who are we kidding? Joe does laundry twice...sometimes three times a week which runs up our electric. I dine out with my friends ALOT. And as for basic cable? I'm already depressed that our HBO subscription is up and I can no longer on demand Sex and City episodes...even though I've seen them all at least 4 times. What brats we are...

But we're making changes! There's a way we can have our premium cable and avoid living in someone's moldy basement! We're moving in with my sister and her boyfriend Bernard in a 2 bedroom apartment in our bldg....giving us a savings of almost $500/mo. YAYS! Although there are some obvious downsides (Joe can say goodbye to doing laundry twice a week), having the savings will allow us to have money for a down payment to a house somewhere.

During my recent searches, I've found some promising townhouses. However, being the brats that we are, the ones that Joe and I like are probably beyond what we can realistically afford (ALTHOUGH according to cnn's home affordability calculator, we can "afford" $700k on a house! - cha ching!- But really now....)

Here's a list of what I've found so far. My main criterias are -
Hardwood floors somewhere
Bigger kitchen (would be aswesome if it had an island)
Big Deck so I can grill and have crab feasts!!
BIG closet
At least 1 garage
Inside the beltway in NOVA (or just beyond the beltway)
Now is that too much to ask for???

http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?MlsCompanyID=2&MlsNumber=FX7043802&Add=5213-BALLYCASTLE-CIR,Alexandria,VA-22315

http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?MlsCompanyID=2&MlsNumber=AX6982256&Add=984-HARRISON-CIR,Alexandria,VA-22304

http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?MlsCompanyID=2&MlsNumber=AX6964264&Add=5113-GRIMM-DR,Alexandria,VA-22304

http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?MlsCompanyID=2&MlsNumber=AX6977210&Add=270-CAMERON-STATION-BLVD,Alexandria,VA-22304

http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?MlsCompanyID=2&MlsNumber=AX6977210&Add=270-CAMERON-STATION-BLVD,Alexandria,VA-22304

http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?MlsCompanyID=2&MlsNumber=AX7017200&Add=170-MARTIN-LN,Alexandria,VA-22304

http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?MlsCompanyID=2&MlsNumber=AX6979774&Add=5020-BARBOUR-DR-#B,Alexandria,VA-22304

http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?MlsCompanyID=2&MlsNumber=AX7034578&Add=353-PICKETT-ST-#30,Alexandria,VA-22304

http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?MlsCompanyID=2&MlsNumber=FX7035228&Add=5580-JOWETT-CT,Alexandria,VA-22315

I love this one! http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?MlsCompanyID=2&MlsNumber=AX6921719&Add=TRIADELPHIA-WAY,Alexandria,VA-22312

http://www.mlsfinder.com/md_mris/kurtandrocioduty/index.cfm?action=email_listing_detail&property_id=FX7038631&domain=thedutygroup.yourkwagent.com

http://www.mlsfinder.com/md_mris/kurtandrocioduty/index.cfm?action=email_listing_detail&property_id=FX6927071&domain=thedutygroup.yourkwagent.com

There's so many more places out there though... Anyway, WELCOME to my new obsession!