Personally, I would not want to live too close or too far from work. Too close and I’m tempted to go in even on weekends. Too far, and I don’t want to go in even on weekdays. 🙂
For me, 15-25 minutes is the perfect commute.
If you think you’ll be employed at the location you’re at now for awhile, I would draw the bounds of an area that would keep your commute under 25 minutes and focus on those areas.
But that’s just me.
Also – don’t think you’ve specified the ideal square footage? Number of bedrooms? lot size? Amenities you want nearby? Number of stories? Coffee or tea? Paper or plastic? What was in this drink I just drank?