Paula

Alright, I don't want to speak too soon (and who knows- by the time people check this, we may have it all said and done), but after a whole day of seeing apartments and houses all around the greater Seattle area, we found the PERFECT HOUSE for the Soldanos, located SEVEN BLOCKS from my current apartment, with EVERY ammenity that we need, for a GREAT PRICE.
Why am I sitting here writing about it rather than signing a lease right now?
Well.  You know us- we can't make any big decisions easily, duh.  Even though this house is exactly what we were hoping for, we must endure the necessary talks with wise counsel and talk to death the pros and cons of said house. 
The best part of the deal?  Paula.  Paula is the Asian landloard who is quite short and manic.  It's fun to follow Paula around her house as she's crawling down in the vent and/or sticking her head in the oven to exclaim, "I VERY clean!" over and over.
She liked us, too.  Apparently we passed her unsaid test of taking our shoes off before coming in the house (it has new carpet) and kept looking at us slyly, like she had found "the ones." 
Or maybe I was just imagining that. :)
Prayers for what's next for the future Soldanos!