Looking for the one that is "just right"

MM and I went out on Sunday with the realtor as scheduled and looked at houses.  We had 10 properties on our list; of those, 2 were short sales that we ended up not viewing--one because the bank had recently accepted a prior offer and the other because we could tell as soon as we opened the front door that the previous occupants had trashed the hardwood floors and much work would be required to fix them.

Of the eight homes we saw, each had something about it which was not to our liking.  I joked that I felt like Goldilocks because none of them was "just right."  If we liked the interior, the yard was completely taken up by the pool and/or backed up to a busy road.  If we liked the yard, there was something about the floorplan that didn't suit us.  The only house we found that came very close to meeting all our criteria was priced nearly $40K more than we want to pay.  (We have not totally tabled the idea of making a low-ball offer for that place, but we're not 100% in love with it.)

Our current plan is to go out with the realtor again on Sunday and look at four more homes in our preferred neighborhood which are within our price range, as well as checking out a new development slightly farther from work (still only 20 minutes' drive) where the builder is offering some big incentives to sell some spec homes.

My friends and acquaintances seem to be pretty evenly split regarding whether it's better to purchase a new home in a new development or a pre-owned home, 10-12 years old, in a nice, established neighborhood.  I suppose the split is due to the fact that there are pros and cons to each.

Both MM and I are sick of looking at houses and just want to settle on some place and be done with looking.  On the other hand, we recognize that this is a major purchase and a big decision, so we feel obligated to look more and make sure that we make a good decision.

Several people have told us "when you find the right place, you'll just know."  HOWEVER. . . . people have also been telling me that about my love life for years, and I haven't found it to be true for me there, either.  ;-)

Other than house hunting, there really isn't much new going on with us.  Once we close on a house, MM is going to buy me an engagement ring, and we are going ahead with our plans for a small, private wedding ceremony on Maui while we are there for vacation around Thanksgiving.  Our relationship is good, and actually, the stress of the house hunting has highlighted the fact that we are pretty compatible and also able to disagree and discuss without causing a rift. . . good things to know.  (When I briefly house hunted with my ex SL, it should've been clear to me then that we were not on the same page: we hardly agreed on anything, even areas to look!)

Work is status quo; it's still bloody hot.  Not much new to report. . . .