Listen to UCGal and spdrun. Even if you’ve worked in the office on a short-term basis, you never know if you really want to stay there. Not sure if this is a forced or voluntary move which could be reversed if you choose, but I think it would be much better if you rent first.
Spend the evenings and weekends driving around different areas that you think might be compelling. Talk to coworkers about the different neighborhoods and tell them exactly what you are looking for; see what they recommend. Once you’ve picked a few interesting areas, walk those neighborhoods, visit the local parks if you have kids or dogs, chat people up and ask them about the best streets, home layouts, etc. Some might even invite you into their homes where you can see how things are set up and maybe see what kind of modifications they’ve done to make the homes more livable.
You might even be lucky enough to meet someone who wants to sell their house or know of someone who does, and you can manage the transaction without realtors, saving yourselves a lot of money. Of course, you should consider hiring an attorney, especially since it’s in an unfamiliar state, and definitely get a home inspection.
