I want

I want a house.  I am 40+ year old professional single mother.  I am well educated.  How do I not own a home yet?  I have friends who keep telling me it is better to rent.  I don't believe them.  I give a bunch of money to some stranger every month and they put it away as their investment.  And I have nothing at the end of it.  I want to own.  I want a place that feels permanent.  I want to own a house. 

Just not here.

I have been looking at the housing market in 5 states now.  I want to live in one of those 5 states.  I prefer 1 state, feel good about 2 other states, and have family in the remaining 2 states.  All are neighboring states.  I want to buy there. 

I found a cute little historic house in one town.  The back yard is a brick patio with a little patch of dirt.  No mowing for me but a little dirt for Ladybug to create a little garden.  I would paint the kitchen and change the hardware.  The red stairs would need some serious work.  But it could be a home.

I found a condo in a town I use to live in.  I love that town.  No seriously, you have no idea.  I LOVE that town.  I don't understand why I left.  What was I thinking?  I could live with a condo -- again, no yard work. 

My favorite 2 houses in my mom's town have sold.  Sweet little places. 

Some things I have learned about my desire for a house:
I prefer old places.  I know it means work but new places just seem sterile to me.
I would like 2 bathrooms because I don't want to share one with Ladybug (seriously disgusting) but I don't like cleaning bathrooms so no need to have a lot.  Right now we have 2.5 bathrooms and that is at least .5 bathrooms too many.
I can live in about 1000 square feet.  I don't need a lot of space.  And again, it is less to clean.
I don't like galley kitchens. 
I like the open concept.  I think I would use all of my rooms more if I didn't feel cut off from them. 
I like hardwood floors.

Okay tantrum over...just hoping I can make it a reality soon.

Mean Mama