Last year, my rent increased significantly, and I wasn’t prepared to do anything about it but swallow it. Prices were high everywhere and I didn’t have moving expenses saved up to be able to get out of the higher rent. I am willing to bet that my rent will also go up this year, regardless of the state of the market. I’m also suspicious that my landlord might decided not to renew my lease, simply because I’ve been living here for a good long while and they probably want to jack the rent up even more than they’ve been doing with me.

And so, for the last year or so, I’ve been slowly gearing up to try and buy a home. I wouldn’t be able to do it without financial support from my family, seeing as I’m a millennial who works for the government, but luckily for me, I do have that family support available. That brings my ability to afford a house from a true joke all the way to possibly being able to afford a fixer and some dirt.

Prices are still pretty crazy in the Treasure Valley, causing me to expand my search well beyond Boise city limits. And if I’m going to be living outside of Boise and what it has to offer, then I decided that I would get a piece of property that includes a substantial amount of land, not just a city lot in a small town. This has limited my choices when it comes to available real estate, but I don’t see that entirely as a bad thing – there’s such a thing as too much choice!

And so, my husband and I have been visiting properties. We’ve decided that the Twin Falls area is not for us, but would still be open to Fairfield. I like the idea of west better than east, so we’re also looking towards the Oregon border (though not over the border, where property listings regularly tempt me). My workplace is going to allow me to be fully remote if I move from my current residence, but they prefer me to be within driving distance for the times of year when I will be required in office.

It’s taken me a good amount of time to warm up to the house hunting process, and I’m glad I’ve been able to take my time. But that window of time is drawing to a close. The lease I’m living under now ends before summer, and I may only have until the end of this month to continue my hunt. I just need to find that property that feels right. That feels like I could make it my home. I want a space that is calming to my spirit. The question is, does such a place exist at a price I can afford?

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