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[quote=Anonymous]Hey OP, we lived in a car/couches on the WC too. (How weird is that?) I totally get you.

So, my first house was just like you described. It was a 1925 highwater flat with a porch swing and a picket fence. It also had the most beautiful redwood trees in the backyard. In the afternoon the sun would some in through the windows just so... I *loved* that place and still think of it as home as I lived there longer than I'd ever lived anywhere in my life.

But, it had some drawbacks that I didn't see when I bought it. (No experience with such things.) The windows were original and during big storms the curtains would actually blow inside the house. It also didn't have central heat/air, which in NoCA was not that big of a deal, but would be an issue in DC. The kitchen was total crap too - mismatched appliances and cupboards without doors. I thought it was charming when I bought it but it was a problem for resale when I got married and had to move. Finally, it had no garage and it was bloody miserable to go from car to house in the rain.

The thing to keep in mind when you buy a place, IMHO, is how easy it's going to be to sell if/when you are ready to move on. So, much better to get a smaller house on the edge of a really nice neighborhood that is near transit than it is to get a bigger house far out or in a scary neighborhood. Look at schools and make sure that kitchens and bathrooms are updated. Whatever you do, ignore paint. Paint is cheap and easy to change. You have to learn to see past it.

Good luck![/quote]

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