Picking a first home

Soon I will officially be a home owner. I know the real estate market is down right now but hopefully I will be able to stay in my new condominium until the market picks back up and it gains a lot of value. Today I will start the first of many blog entries which recap my home shopping process and maybe help other perspective home buyers with their decisions. First I'm a college-educated, single engineer in Northern California. For this reason my home needs are very simple, however I decided that I would be aggressive with my purchasing choices and hope to get a roommate to defer some of my costs. With this in mind I decided to get a two-bedroom and two-bathroom unit. Also, given the size of the apartments I had lived in before, I wanted something at least 1,000 sq. ft. to ensure that it would be comfortable for a roommate and myself. I also wanted at least two assigned parking spots (hopefully in a garage). With these requirements in mind I would be able to let a real estate agent find some properties for me.