Well, it’s official! Brian and I have started our house hunt and are looking to buy in the Milwaukee suburbs! We’ve been talking about getting a house for a while, and after looking on Zillow for three straight months, just dreaming, we’ve finally decided to take the plunge!

Starting the process, especially as first-time buyers, is confusing! Hopefully we will be pros when we come out the other side, but for now, we are relying on friends and family (and our trusty realtor) for support. After getting a few recommendations from friends that have bought in the Milwaukee area, we’ve settled on a realtor and mortgage broker. We took some meetings, decided on our must haves, and are now actually starting to go to showings!

There is a lot up in the air right now, but since I get a lot of questions on what we are looking for, I thought I’d lay out our must haves and wish list for starters!

Our Must Haves

• 3 bedrooms
• 1+ bathrooms (1.5 – 2 would be ideal)
• At least a 1 car garage
• In a good school district
• A decent sized yard
• Central heat and air

Our Wish List

• Walkable to shops, coffee, school
• Wood burning fireplace
• A basement (doesn’t need to be finished)
• A decent size driveway so we can put in a basketball hoop

We know that this is just the beginning of a long road to our first home together. But we are so excited for the journey! And I will try to document our search as best as possible, and maybe even do a tips and tricks to buying once we get everything sorted out. But until then, be sure to check out our search on my Instagram Stories and the blog for bigger updates!

Is there anything specific you’d like to hear about during our house hunt? What helped you when you were searching for homes?