When house hunting in Mumbai

Thoughts arrive like Jericho missiles when one has to look for a house in Mumbai. Several at once and they do a great depth of damage to length and breadth of whatever scenery of your life you've painted in your head.

These are my internal debates on moving. From a suburb not *that* far to a place closer to work (Lots of people handle the commute splendidly but I am less competent than lots of people). Involves a lot of:
Searching. First deciding location, budget, work delegations, allocations (how'll the rooms be split) and acquisitions with roommates, *then* comes the legwork of going and assessing and again, settling on one.

Money. Mostly saying goodbye to it. Desperately counting how much per kilometer or minute of commute cut that you can afford to and are willing to pay without asking Dad (the shame, the shame). The regrets and the promises to save prudently once this current ordeal has been survived (and juuust one housewarming party is done).

Brokers. Sometimes dealing with manipulative ones, almost always dealing with greedy as fuck ones. Some are good but that's after years of getting repeat brokerage which is a scam.

Houses. Meh to good ones - all out of your budget. Some aren't even affordable when you'd have to be blind with no sense of smell to inhabit it.

Owners. Blind and olfactorily disabled owners/brokers of aforementioned dank dumps. You could get both good house and owner/broker too. 

Society regulations. They're the worst.

(All this is just on rent, buying is a different hell altogether)

Misery is best multiplied* so I thought I'd
compile and share as many of these Jericho missile thoughts I can.
(Jk I know its sorrows are best divided.  Don't be pedantic)

I dunno if I should just get an apartment cheaper even if bit further. Makes fiscal sense.

Should just suck it in and commute like a competent adult.

I should go back to my village. Could probably build an empire as a freelancer.

^LOL

But seriously, I'd like my folks to visit more and stay longer. Been working for how many years now? Reminds me, I should call them.

They're probably asleep.

Man, 1BHKs don't come cheap in Bombay!

Just one - two more raises.

AND I'll be moving away from friends damnit 

Why the f, life?

WHAT IF I go through this fresh job opportunity based in frikkin town and it happens then back to same situation as before.
Probably worse considering increase in commute. IF.

What did I just even consider

Will I drink more or less if closer to work

And a lot many more which I may or may not add because my laziness generally trumps my enthusiasm as the frequency of posts on this blog proves.

At what cost for what joy questions questions questions