Well.. the search is on

For a new place to live. To buy. (Gulp)

Don't worry, mom it actually is well thought out. All you have to do is add up what rent will be for the next 2-4 years and we can afford to "loose" that much in the purchase/resell and if we "loose" less than that we're ahead. Since rent is now even higher than when we moved here, it's a fairly well thought out option. OR as well thought out as anything living here with someone in the Navy can be.

So.. that said.. we've re-entered the market. Talked to a mortgage officer. Nothing quite as humbling as admitting what "we" make and how much house we want to buy and the debt/income ratio... Add to that the fact that I don't have a out of the home job, so I'm "just a homemaker" (Excuse me-I am raising and teaching the future generation. I Single handedly balance 40 tasks at the same time AND keep food in the house and prepared, laundry done, the house cleaner than 100% of the foreclosures we've seen AND I am the owner of a internationally known company peddling diapers from my garage, I'm MORE than a homemaker I am an Excutive here. Would you look your mother in the face and call her "JUST" anything?!!)

And it's a conversation with a person who doesn't live in CA and doesn't realize that trailers on rented lots sell for more than what mansions on acres cost in middle America.

So.. anyway.. let me share a few laughs with you- or not laughs, but what he'd found this week..

Property 1- has a 16. yes. 16 foot lot. The Civic can't even park on 16 feet. I'm hoping that's a typo, but I honesty wouldn't be too surprized if it isn't. Other places have lot size in acres or .something acres. Not here. We're talking feet. It's a selling feature if your backyard is big enough for a pool. (other than a 4 foot kiddie pool)

Propery 2- made excellent use of the cropping/zoom feature on the camera. Looks like a nice property, right? IN A BARRIO. We're driving down the street past the half dozen pushing shopping carts dragging ragged children down the street.. muttering this can't be right and right there, behind the liquor store- is this affordable, cute house. But hey, the backyard is big enough for a pool.

Property 3- the picture says it all. A box so ugly, they had to put a fence around it to keep it safe.

Property 4- an example of what happens when a house is in forclosure- the occupants strip EVERYTHING Then can from it and sell it- cabinets, appliances, lighting fixtures, sink fixtures, sinks..they dig up the trees from the yard.. but that said, it's one of the current top prospects.

Property 5- scroll down. This house has been for sale since Nov 2007. It was purchased June 06 for $690K (yes. really, look.) Anyway. It was listed for sale in November 07 for $625K. It's now a short sale for $400K. See what I mean- a relative bargain.

And lastly-
Property 6- again, creative use of the camera. It does not show that what was left of the kitchen in those photos is now torn out - I assume the "repairs in progress" noted in the listing. Also missing is the fact that they put up walls everywhere downstairs (or semi verticle structures involving 2x4's, presumably renting space out. I do not understand how it was sold this fall for 332K, that it's bank owned now and that they're expecting to make a profit on this.. but.. I'll watch and see. Maybe learn something..