Had To Grow Up Sometime…I Guess
Well, I have no new knitting to show you. I’ve been busy lately!
I’ve decided that with my 30th b-day on the horizon, it’s time to grow up and buy a house. I submitted my loan application, so now I’m just waiting for the approval. Shouldn’t be long I’m guessing. I was approved for one a couple years ago, so I’m not that worried. I started looking online to find some houses I may want to look at. I’ve found quite a few. Some need lots of work, some are move-in ready. I don’t mind the whole painting/cleaning/yardwork thing, I just really don’t want to have to do a whole kitchen remodel. I don’t have the cash for that!
I have a few different areas I’m looking at. Cuyahoga County taxes suck, so I’m also looking in the northern part of Akron. I really don’t want to move any further south, but the taxes are better down there. But still, I really, really, really don’t want to move to Akron.
I’ve also decided that since I’m probably going to be living in a less-than-desirable neighborhood, I’m getting a dog. I’ve found the perfect one that I want to adopt. I hope he’s still available in a few months. He’s a Great Dane, about 4 years old, and very well trained (yippey!). Doesn’t hurt to have a huge dog when you’re living in a shitty neighborhood. Now, I’ve never had a dog before, but I’m sure I can do it. I think it will be nice to have a dog around since Matt’s not home much anyway. I’m not sure what I’m more excited about, the dog or the house! I’d also like to get a pig, but I think I’ll tackle that one after I move out of the city.
It will be really nice to have a room for my office / knitting. It will also be great to have an extra bedroom for when family or friends come to visit. I just hope you don’t mind sleeping on the floor cause after I buy the house, I won’t be able to afford another bedroom set hahaha. I will also have two extra bedrooms so that when Matt decides to move out, I can get another roommate if I want to. A backyard, an attic, a garage – woohoo!
Hopefully I’ll be going to open houses soon and have some updates! Cross your fingers for me! Also, I’m scared to death about doing this, so send me some happy thoughts!
I came across your blog on Technorati. Nice site layout. I will stop by and read more soon.
Mike Harmon
buying a house is totally worth it.. just don’t get one of those ARM loans. they are scary! Fixed rate all the way!
We just bought our house last summer and it is the best move you can make. If you want to paint a room purple you can, if you decide *that* wall sucks you can take it out! It is a great feeling!
Congrats on your decision! We bought our house 5 years ago, and while it was a little scary - it was definitely worth it. One of the first things we did was get a dog - a black lab puppy. She was a hand full and then some at first, but now she has settled down quite a bit and is just awesome. We opted to live in Cuyahoga county despite the high taxes and insurance because we wanted to be close to the places we love, i.e. restaurants, shopping, parks, etc.
Hey Jenni - I just bought a house too. Like you’re anticipating, my neighborhood ain’t the best; but that’s ok. It’s still *my* house
And it’s actually in a ‘revitilization area’; so the neighborhood quality may … no no … WILL improve 
Anyway - congrats on your decision! As Rebecca mentioned, I too recommend fix rate; those arm shindigs are soooo risky (unless of course your a billionaire
). So many people are getting into so much trouble with those arms and such.
I’m sure Ohio -v- Maryland home-buying has its differences, but if you want some general feedback on the process - let me know. I closed in December, so it’s still semi-fresh on my mind
Good luck!!
I drove by the house on my way home. It’s has a fenced in backyard but I can tell you from experience that street is crazy in the morning so it may be hell to get out of your driveway! The upside is you would be two streets over from me!