HOUSE HUNTING!!!

I made a major decision, sometime last week (I think). My goal of 2009 is to have a house before the year ends. PERIOD. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I decided to stake my claim and write out my vision.

Of course, the first person I told about this was T. LOL. T's my boo, in case anyone didn't know.

He seemed fairly happy for me, proud of me and all of that jazz.

Afterwards, I told my SPBFF (spiritual best friend forever, lol) Lil' D and one of my roommates, Fergalicious (names have been changed to protect the innocent....or not, lol).

Then I told my favorite person to talk about all things financial - DADDY-O!

My dad's a realtor, so this was actually a great conversation to have with him. He spoke to me in his usual Church Hill slang (RICHMOND, STAND UP!) about how I need not try to furnish my whole house as soon as I get it; how I need to rent out rooms to people or as he called it "git me a coupla tenants." Ohh...I love my daddy. He got so randomly off topic - yet kinda sorta on topic, but eventually he turned the convo around and talked about me being a first time homeowner and all of the wonderful benefits I will get as a result. He ended the convo asking me, "yo gon' let me write yo house up, right?!"

OF COURSE Romey-Rome!

He was proud of me...and that made me happy.

I started watching, "So you think you can dance" with Fergalicious the other night and were busy chatting out how we're both buying our new homes next year, when our lease is up. She mentioned how her parents were going to invest with her. I thought that was coolio.

I was going to do it all myself. Or so I thought...

My boo had a different idea....I was emailing him all types of condos and floor models, when he just said, babe - are you looking for YOU or us?

I'm like...me, this is a goal I wanted for myself and I didn't know whether it fit into your timeline, or our timeline...or not??

A bit of background - T and I are soul mates...we're getting married and we both know this. We talked about this...parents have met. My mom calls him "son," everyone knows it's going to happen sooner rather than later. With that being said, even though we're uberly connected...I'm not trying to spoil the SURPRISE! I don't wanna know when, where or with what...I just know the "question's" going to get popped sometime probably within the next 12 months (LOL).

I guess its safe to assume we're going to be engaged by this time, next year - but who wants to assume that? And look like a LOSER, if it doesn't go as expected. Not I, says the cat, so better to keep my original goals intact and if he so happens to happily interrupt me, cool beans - I'm on board :)

T was like, listen here crazy girl...your "house" dream fits in my timeline of being your husband. Which basically reads: let's look together, retard!

Again - I try not to ask anymore questions...but now I know, to stop looking for cheaper condos and start looking for a cute little townhouse with a garage. YIPPEE!

I try to keep all of this in mind and I start talking to Fergi and then BAM! this advertisement for these GREAT homes comes up on TV...YAAAHOOO!!! I exclaim and start looking. Perfect location, perfect price, perfect homes!! So Fergtastic and I are going to go look at these bad boys tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, I tell my Spbff about the website. She's super psyched, as I knew she would be...she's always happy for me lol, and she stakes her claim on one of the bedrooms of our "new house." Gotta love her...

I do hear Poppa Rome in the back of my mind though. Daddy-o says that we should start looking SERIOUSLY 2-3 months before our lease is up. SOOO - I figured I'm probably being extra right now. But I wanna know what I can and cannot afford, what I like, what I want, just EVERYTHING!

I want to get my feet wet :)

The major thing I'm going to do it prioritize - maintain credit balances of 10% and below. Save, save and SAVE! My job gives a benefit of $12,000 in closing costs. I'm trying to have at least 10% of my OWN money saved to put down as a down payment.

Since my rent is DIRT cheap (I have two roommates) this is something I can easily accomplish. Okay...maybe not easily. I can accomplish it with a bit of discipline.

A subject not foreign to me, so I think I can handle it.

Anywho - I'll keep you posted on how it went (the open house that is) since I'm going tomorrow.

OH - I cannot wait to see :)