House Hunters: Dream Rental Edition

Since we sold our house, we've been looking around for a new place to rent. We like our apartment, but we would really like a house where the boys can run around outside. We would also like to be "inside the beltline," the area of Raleigh inside the circle formed by I-40 and I-440. Plus, because we were completely screwed by the housing market, we aren't going to be in a position to buy again for many years - at least five - so we want a house where we can see ourselves living for awhile.

Should we choose...

House #1: The completely renovated house with four bedrooms on 1/3 of an acre but farther from downtown Raleigh?


House #2: The 3-year-old house in Historic Oakwood with a small backyard but only a mile from Michael's work and a half mile from both the library and the children's museum?











House #3: The small house with the beautiful fenced in backyard in Five Points but with a really crappy kitchen?










House #4: Or the beautifully renovated bungalow in Boylan Heights with a brand new kitchen and big fenced-in backyard? (Okay, okay, this one is for sale, not for rent, but I really want it. Michael tried calling them and asking if they wanted to rent it to us, but they said no. If someone wants to offer to buy this house for me, I would not object! :)











Actually, we've already made our decision, but you will have to wait for the results after the break...