what am i looking for?

what i want and what i'm looking for are two very different things. due to what i am able to afford, i have to be realistic as to what i expect to buy at this point in my life. what do i want? i want a 3-bedroom end unit townhouse with a garage in a community that is less than 10 years old that's updated up the wazoo. can i have that? HA! not right now. that's what i want in many, many years from now. right now, i'm looking for a 1- to 2-bedroom condo, with the 2-bedroom condo being a luxury. the catalyst to that being the annual taxes. i've budgeted plenty for the association fees (a monthly fee that covers snow removal, grounds maintanence, pool fee, etc.), but the taxes are sometimes the deal breaker (especially around here, where i live).

my must-haves
-- top floor of a building (whether it be the second floor of a 2-story or the third of a 3-story, etc.)
-- laundry room (or closet) in the unit
-- vaulted ceilings

so the first two have always been die-hard requirements with no room for compromise. the third must-have, however, was born as i got deeper into my search. many of the condos around here are not exactly big on square footage, but those with the vaulted ceilings make the place look so expansive and roomy, and it look g-r-e-a-t.

another feature i seem to surprisingly encounter in most places is a fireplace. i'm not exactly dying for a fireplace, but it's "nice" to have, and with a high probability of having one, i'll certainly enjoy it.

i should also address a big reason why i've been searching for so long. i'm picky! this is SO, so, so much money -- how can i possibly settle?!

wish me luck... (i need it!)

background.

so who am i? why have been i searching for so long? is there any end in sight?! well, that last question i don't think i can answer (just yet). but the rest...

i'm a 26 year old single female. i set a goal for myself that by age 25, i wanted to have saved enough money to be able to afford to buy my own place. i'm proud to say that i achieved that goal, in that i was *able* to buy something at 25, but it's a matter of finding WHAT to buy. that is what i haven't found yet.

my current situation is that i've moved back home with my parents so that i can save that much more money. it's helped A LOT. you don't realize all of the things you'll have to sink money into. but aside from the money itself, you better make sure you have stellar credit. no ifs, ands, or buts about it -- my number one advice is to either already have the excellent credit (wouldn't that be nice?) or start improving it N-O-W.

read about what i'm looking for.

welcome.

this blog was born from my (exhaustive) search of a first home purchase. here, i'll share my experiences as i go from place to place, the ups and downs, and what i learn along the way. there is SO, so much information to learn before starting this process, that i can't imagine having gone through with a purchase in the beginning. i've now been searching for over a year, and i still don't know a fraction of what there is to know!