Anxiety Dreams

Tomorrow we're leaving for Norfolk to go house-hunting.  Daniel has tried to be apart of the process of searching for homes online, learning about the Hampton Roads area, and talking to lenders about the right loan, but most of the load has fallen on my shoulders.  Partly because he just isn't as interested in the process because he's planning for deployment, but mostly because he works 12 hour days. 

I talk to my dad almost nightly about my progress, good faith estimates, and comparable market analyses.  I wish he would fly out and look at houses with us, but he said he thinks a Realtor can hold my hand through the process.  :)  We'll see.

Two of the houses our Realtor is taking us to on Friday

Since we'll probably sell the house in less than 3 years (we will either be restationed or Daniel will be out of the Navy), we are getting a 15 year loan to build equity much faster.  That takes us down a notch on wha we could get for a 30 year loan, but we realize it's just a "starter house," so we're trying to be positive.  It's just hard for us to swallow that we are looking in the price range of what our parents' homes cost in Tulsa, just because the cost of living is so much more there.  I read an article on CNN Money showing all of the median house prices across the country.  If we had gotten stationed in San Diego, we would have seen an average house at $355,000.  Tulsa's median price is $127,000.  Norfolk is right in the middle at $204,000.

This whole process has been amazing stressful.  I'm just thankful that tomorrow will (hopefully) end my dreaming about ugly cabinets, outdated tile, and a money pit house because I'll finally see the area and have some more peace about what we're getting ourselves into!