job landed... next step home?

Life... it brings so many unexpected and wonderful things to us when we let it.  Our little family has grown so much since we sealed our marriage 5 years ago.  We have a four year old girl, a 22 month old boy, and a 5 week old baby girl (quickly and happily born at home).  My hubby graduated this year in teaching high school art along with digital media certifications and just landed his first teaching job at an amazing high school known for its art program.

Finally... The job is landed so we can actually be serious about buying a house to be a home right?  The answer to that is not yet determined... I think its yes one moment and no the next...  

The problem is no matter the answer I want to get into a place we can really call home so bad it hurts but the places close by to his new career are just barely out of price range, like by a few thousand... about ten thousand to be more exact.  I keep trying to figure out grants and there just isn't anything out there any more, all the cool programs I've found were discontinued a few years ago.  Its so hard to ask friends or family for gifts of down payment or closing cost money (although the thought has run across my mind a few times).  So this blog is going to be my outlet (to keep me from going crazy while we figure this all out).