You Want Me to Live Like This?

August 30th, 2007

I went looking at places today. It seems like no matter how much I’ve searched, I can’t seem to find that win-win combination. Even when I take pricing out of the equation, I struggle to find a space that I fall in love with COMBINED with my desired location.

The three places I looked at today all had one great aspect of what I would look for in a home but they fell miserably short in other categories. Some of the places made it hard to believe that people would even make an investment to live there; the first showing was near the light rail, but for the $209 HOA I would expect the grounds to be clean, well kept and the buildings not crumbling from neglect.

The second location gave me a little more hope. The lawns were well manicured, I could hear the birds chirping and the environment was much more pleasant. However, the site of the actual townhouses left me feeling like I had flashed back to the 1920’s and not in a trendy cute retro kind of a way. The units were boxy and seemed counterintuitive to today’s living standards. Of the three visits this was probably my favorite, but I had a hard time picturing myself getting excited to come home to a place like this everyday.

My final viewing took me to Cherry Creek, the pricier area of town. In spite the yuppie location the grounds were again unkempt, the neighbors questionable, and the buildings could have passed for a rundown version of the local Motel 8. The upside of this unit was the interior. The owner was incredibly artistic and her home was her masterpiece. Goes to show that with some creativity, a little paint and some patience you can fix up just about anything; I wish she would have shared her talents with the Home Owner’s Association.

Although my viewings today were disappointing, I have been able to locate a town home that would be ideal for me. It’s about 30 minutes outside of downtown which is further than I wanted to be, but the possibilities the home presents are intriguing. The layout is quite simple- two bedrooms, two floors, 1.5 bathrooms and a fireplace. 904 square feet, which is just enough for me to entertain and have a home office, and the place is complete with a micro-patio, bedrooms with sky lights, a fireplace, and a bay window, (my favorite feature of all time!).

It’s a real estate owned home, so I’ve asked a friend who has dealt with these kinds of homes to come take a look with me. I’ll also want to be sure to carefully do my research since the house is sold as-is. If there are no serious structural issues, the price is great and I will be on my way to owning my own home at the ripe old age of 23. I’m trying to force myself to remain rational about the situation and not get too attached, but what can I say? I think I’m already starting to fall in love. I hope this one’s not a heart-breaker.