Heading for Suburbia

Just before we applied for our mortgage, Jenn and I realized that we thought we could afford more than we really can. It happened slowly: we started at the right number and didn't see anything we thought we could live with in the area we wanted. We assumed people were overpricing their properties, so we increased the top end of the search one step, then two. Then we looked at houses to see what they were like inside, and then somewhere we lost track of what our true price range was.

We are hoping to find something in the DC suburbs just outside the Beltway.

Pre Approved.

I go the call from our mortgage officer that we've been pre-approved, and now its time to start looking at houses in earnest.

Which pants should I wear to ask for a great deal of money?

Today's a big day. Jenn and I are going to the bank to apply for our first mortgage. I'm excited and scared at the same time. We freaked this weekend when we realized that we had been looking at houses way out of the range of what we could afford. But I think if we can get into something and pay on it as opposed to continuing to pay rent we'll be ok. Our next house will be better than this one, but we have to start somewhere.