And our spirits remain high, despite reality. We already made an offer on a place but another buyer swooped in with a higher offer. The temerity! I guess money is important to buyers? Whatever. 

Here are the types of houses we consistently encounter in our price range: 

The Trickster: This one lures you in with its photos — so sunny, so spacious! Why is the price so low?—but you get there and it’s nestled against a gas station.Or the highway.  Or, as soon as you open the front door, the mildew smell hits you like a wet sock. No number of French Vanilla Yankee Candles® can hide the fact that it’s situated squarely in a flood zone.