I'm really thinking about buying a house, not only for my own personal gain in comfort and such, but also for my gliders.
Here's the quick low-down of my situation:
I'm in a overpriced and very, very small apartment that has no dish washer, washing machine, or dryer. Basically, it's many people's nightmare. The only real reason I am living here is because the location is so close to my University that I can simply walk to my classes. Oh yeah, don't forget that I'm super afraid of even trying to pay for a house or the complications of buying or anything that deals with house ownership.
I guess that's where this post is going.. house ownership advice. I would really like to buy my own place so I can do the things I want and have the luxury of not having to go to a friend's house to wash my clothes(sorry mom, I can't talk about you on the internet, it's embarrassing), or finally be able to not see a pile of dishes in the sink and dread to spend the next 10 to 15 minutes washing them to sparkly perfection.
What should I expect during my adventure to look for a house? Any surprises? Should I wait, or jump into the debt-filled life in exchange for happiness? Am I going to pay more than I expected? Please feed off of your first home-buying experience so I can be ready for mine.