House Hunting?

Apartment living is starting to get a little wee-bit annoying. Every year the rent goes up and I'm sick of moving to a place for a better price. Mom and Dad even threatened to not help me move again unless it's a permanent residence, i.e. back to their house or to a house of my own. That's fine...but I have a lot of stuff and my boyfriend can't carry that couch all by himself.

I have a big list of wants for this future house of mine...a house that I'm not yet sure I can afford. Next week I find out if I'm pre-qualified and I'll have eight months in my current lease to save up for a down payment...it's either saving or getting a second job.

Then there's the whole...location thing...Westside? Southside? Mandarin? Ack!

Work is in the Southside but all of my family is in the Westside and all of my friends are just sprinkled all over the place. Right now I live on the Southside and I don't know for sure if I want to make it my permanent home. Not when church is on the Westside and when all these birthday parties and babay showers are on the Westside. Oh, and that trip across the river is over 30-minutes and not friendly on the gas tank.

What I'm looking for:

• A project house that's not a money pit - Painting? Yes. Light fixture updates? Sure. Gutting? No!


• A house for entertaining - I've got about 30 people that I consider family in Duval County and I think an open-floor plan is what can hold them all.


• Walk-in closets- not neccessarily Carey Bradshaw's closet but Carey-esque

Can you hear angels singing? Maybe not THAT big. but definitely a walk in.

• Not necessarily a house for the rest of my life but at least a house to grow into.




• At least two bathrooms




• Big Kitchen...because yours truly loves to cook and what I have right now is pitiful.

How do you not druel over this kitchen?

• Hmm....let's see what else....decent sized rooms. Three bedrooms should really mean three bedrooms and not an office.


• I wouldn't mind an office, a garden tub, wood floors, a sun room, a garage but those are things I see myself having later on.


• Last but not least....nobody living under me or above me!