House Hunting

Well, hello 2013. Nice to see you. We had that Mayan 'end of the world as we know it' scare last month, you know.

Aside from the number of things that changed in 2012 (new job, got rid of Charles for good, all expense paid conference in Las Vegas) I'm now ready to concentrate on a new project. Buying a house.

It's time. I've been in North Carolina almost 3 years. And as much as I really love my apartment and where I'm living, I'm ready to make an investment and purchase a home.

I already pre-qualified for a mortgage. One of those sweet FHA loans at 3.25% and I only have to put 3.5% down.

I've decided to look in Durham.

Given my desire to keep my monthly housing costs around the $900 mark, that leaves limited options. There are townhomes that are 15 - 30 years old in the area that I'm looking in. The subdivisions are nice and have walking trails and close access to a gorgeous shopping mall. It's less than 20 minutes to work, but that's on secondary roads with lots of lights.

Or I can cross my fingers and find a detached home downtown, next to Duke University.

The homes here are absolutely charming. Little bungalows with tons of character. Neighborhoods to keep an eye on: Trinity Park and Northgate Park.

However to get into one that I can afford, I"ll be looking at a fixer-upper. But I think I'm up for the challenge.