So if you haven’t heard our big news yet, we’re moving! Jake got a job offer from a big hospital and I’m freaking out trying to imagine moving all our craziness to a whole new state.

It helps my sanity when I trick myself into thinking I have some tiny bit of control over something. So I have been living on Trulia.com lately and doing a lot of long distance house hunting. Which is a very weird experience. This morning, I realized that it’s an awful lot like online dating. Or at least how I imagine online dating would be because I’ve been married since the internet was in diapers. Here are five ways I imagine house hunting is like online dating…

1. First impressions are everything.
It takes two seconds to look at a profile pic and decide to swipe right or left. Now I know there’s more to true love than just curb appeal. It’s what’s on the inside that counts, after all. But if the main picture on your profile is a Google satellite image, I don’t trust you.

2. People lie.
If it seems too good to be true, it is. I wish it weren’t but it just is. With just a few extra minutes of internet snooping, you can usually weed out the liars. A quick Facebook search can easily out the “bachelor” who is actually married with three kids. In much the same way, a quick google image search using the profile picture of that gorgeous and unbelievably affordable house will show ads for that same house in Alabama, Missouri, Wisconsin, and New York. Ugh. People are mean.

3. Sometimes the timing just doesn’t work out.
You finally find the perfect thing. Close by, loves dogs, and very good-looking. You work up the courage to take a chance and reach out only to find that someone else got there first. And your house is riding off into the sunset with someone else. Like mama always said, the right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing. Sigh.

4. You send in your wingman to check them out.
Everything looks good on paper but because of those aforementioned reasons up there, I have a few trust and commitment issues. So I call my best friend and ask her to spy because there’s got to be something wrong with this one. Seems very attractive and established. Looks strong. What are they hiding? Is there a funky smell or squirrels in the attic? My wingman will take one for the team and report back.

5. Love at first sight is totally a thing.
I have completely fallen in love based on an online profile. I find myself checking in from time to time just to drool over the pictures once again. It’s a little out of my league but I’m still stupidly optimistic. I try to guard my heart because I know how disappointing it will be if it doesn’t work out but my hopes are already way up there. I’ve already mentally moved in and redecorated. I’m nervous to meet in person because I really hope they like us, too.

*****Update***** We just got word that we’re one of three finalists for a house. Total confirmation that it is EXACTLY like online dating. We just received a rose and now it’s time for a hometown date or a renters-tell-all or something. Sigh.

So what do you think? Have you ever had to search for a new home (or friend) online? How did it go??