Looking for a House

Mykle and I are looking at houses. We want to put money into an eventual asset rather than spending it on rent, which, while cheaper, won't do much for us in the long run.

By the way, when I say that we're "looking at houses," I mean that we've looked on the internet a little bit. We haven't actually taken any tours or talked to an agent, etc. The reason we began thinking about it at all was Keaton, who told us about how his roommate bought a house in the area for less than $100,000 and no down payment, with the monthly payments at only $800. Obviously Mykle and I would want to do a down payment, but it at least got us thinking. Maybe we could find a bank-owned property, foreclosure, auction, or small home for ourselves.

I'd want to learn about buying a house first, of course, since I know little on the subject. I'd talk to Kate and Danny, my parents, my in-laws, Keaton's roommate, etc, and I'd want to bring Connie or Steve or maybe Esther and Greg along to make sure Mykle and I have somebody experienced with us to help out.

Right now, the basic things I want in a home of my own are:

At least 2 bedrooms, hopefully 3+
At least 1.5 bathrooms
Maximum ~30 minute drive to either UVU or DA
NOT a fixer-upper (e.g. plumbing works, roof is solid, good foundation, no mold, etc.)
At least 1000 square feet
Within our limited price range

Things that aren't essential but would be huge pluses are:

3+ bedrooms
2 bathrooms
A finished basement with a separate entrance (so we could rent it out and save $ that way)
A garage or carport so we don't have to park on the street
Not on a busy street
Extra storage
Kitchen counters with a flat surface (NO tiling!!)

Things that aren't deal breakers but that I would looooove to have are:

A deck
A nice backyard in good condition
Hardwood floors (sigh)
Shaded by nice trees (hopefully not fruit trees)
Built after 1940
Ceramic-topped stove
Walking distance from either UVU or my work
Granite counters in the kitchen
Little to no tiled floors, except for (maybe) the bathrooms (I hate cleaning grout)

Of course if it were up to Mykle, he'd want us to build our own house, specifically a monolithic dome. He is so weird. Though I have to say, a dome home makes sense as far as fuel efficiency goes since the air circulates much more smoothly. Also, construction costs are pretty much the same. There are actually quite a few dome homes in Springville that I'm sure Mykle is dying to have a look at if the residents are willing.

I need ideas and advice and commentary on this topic! Email me if you have something to say, or make a comment here, or message it to me on facebook (my facebook page is still listed under 'Sarah Vasicek'). But here are a few cute local homes:

Gotta love that swing set- not to mention the split-entry and finished basement.

The master bedroom is absolutely gorgeous--- at least in the picture!

I am in love with the deck on this one.

This one is in PG.