Yesterday was an exciting day for Ryan and I. Not only did it finally snow, but we also began investigating the possibilities of staying in Northern Virginia by looking for alternate places to live. It has been a very hard decision, as I'd love to be closer to my family and move to Pittsburgh. But, we are doing well in Northern Virginia and want to start a family very soon, so the risk we take by moving to Pittsburgh may not be the right thing for us now. My biggest fear is not seeing my family, and my kids not getting to know my family. Ryan has said a thousand times, and I know he is right, that when we have kids we won't be able to make that trip as often as I may want. So, we're still keeping all options open; we've just never explored the options here.
So, we started out the afternoon by visiting one of two apartment complexes I've found and liked over the past few weeks. We really like the apartment and the location. The complex is huge and there are many apartments crammed in the tiny area, but they have nice facilities (a pool, exercise facilities, business center, etc) and gorgeous apartments (complete with crown molding, built-in shelves, multiple bathrooms, and cabinet/closet space I'd give anything for at this point). They also have storage units for inexpensive rates, so we could probably stay there for a year or two if we had to.
Then we moved on to looking at townhouses and condos to purchase by looking at Open Houses. Ryan was excited about the possibility of owning our own place. It was eye-opening for me to realize what a huge committment it is for such a small amount of space. We saw some condos that were in a nice location, but they were so small and included outrageous condo fees each month. It makes more sense to put that money into a townhouse that doesn't have any fees. Our friends Kate and Bernard recently bought a condo, and befriended their realtors, who we've met a few times. Ryan called and talked with them today and they suggested we begin by inquiring about what we can afford so we can see what our options might be...so for now...we're investigating and enjoying the tiny bit of snow from our meager apartment.
So, we started out the afternoon by visiting one of two apartment complexes I've found and liked over the past few weeks. We really like the apartment and the location. The complex is huge and there are many apartments crammed in the tiny area, but they have nice facilities (a pool, exercise facilities, business center, etc) and gorgeous apartments (complete with crown molding, built-in shelves, multiple bathrooms, and cabinet/closet space I'd give anything for at this point). They also have storage units for inexpensive rates, so we could probably stay there for a year or two if we had to.
Then we moved on to looking at townhouses and condos to purchase by looking at Open Houses. Ryan was excited about the possibility of owning our own place. It was eye-opening for me to realize what a huge committment it is for such a small amount of space. We saw some condos that were in a nice location, but they were so small and included outrageous condo fees each month. It makes more sense to put that money into a townhouse that doesn't have any fees. Our friends Kate and Bernard recently bought a condo, and befriended their realtors, who we've met a few times. Ryan called and talked with them today and they suggested we begin by inquiring about what we can afford so we can see what our options might be...so for now...we're investigating and enjoying the tiny bit of snow from our meager apartment.
3 comments:
There was a news special on TV the other day about condos in your area that are being rented out because the owners just cannot sell. Seems to be a big deal down there. Keep looking.
You might be able to get a good deal on a condo too since the market is so good for buyers right now!
Good to know...thanks. We're not opposed to anything, just want to make sure we can be comfortable for a few years. You know - room to grow ;-)
Good to know...thanks. We're not opposed to anything, just want to make sure we can be comfortable for a few years. You know - room to grow ;-)
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