House Hunting in LA

My husband and I are looking to buy a house. This seems like an easy process. Problem is we live in Los Angeles and the homes are insanely priced. We have been looking for about 5 weeks and are getting somewhat antsy. We have looked at some beautiful homes that are way out of our price range. Some pretty homes that are in strange areas of the city. Then some crack houses that normally would be the perfect home for us except for the fact that it smells like someone died there. The crack house was listed at $580,000, we had to stop looking at open houses that day and shower.

How does a normal person living in Los Angeles buy a house? We have also looked at condos and found some great condos that are beautiful and in good areas, but still cost $400,000 - $700,000. I have also been obsessed with watching HGTV so I can get some tips for when we do buy a home. I have learned what to look for, what has value and how to decorate. It makes me laugh then want to cry when I watch these shows and the couple looking for a home is paying $200,000 for a huge house somewhere in America and I can't even afford to buy a crack house. I know, I'm the one that decided to live in LA, but it still doesn't make any sense that the real estate here is so much more expensive. At times the only thing I have going for me is I think of New York and the fact the real estate is even more there. Sorry NYers. I actually love NY and would live there, but my husband doesn't want to. We do go there quite a bit because his family lives in Manhattan. I love NY.

Ok, back to house hunting. My friend Leslie says "You'll know when you know." Which is exactly what I always heard about finding a husband. Actually, that sounds like I was searching for a husband, I wasn't, it just happened. So maybe that is the same mentality I should be using while trying to find a house. So here's to hoping that I'm going to become best friends with a house, then we will fall in love, and then I will get a $million mortgage and we will live happily ever after.

Well, here's hoping!