Westside Story

For the people who have screamed out about "catching a falling knife", I hear ya, really I do. But the uncertainty of living in a rental or buying at a (what we consider a reasonable price) greatly reduced (think early 2004) price in a superior school district at 6.5% interest on our loan really influenced our decision. We will be in a neighborhood that we love (even at night) with parks, superior schools and a grocery store within walking distance. The backyard has room for the swingset of doom. The guest room is sufficiently removed from the rest of the house so my mother in law doesn't have to listen to my children at odd hours of the day and night.

Cue the theme from "The Jeffersons". We made an embarrassingly low offer through our no frills discount broker and were rejected out of hand over a year ago. We made an offer last weekend for less this year, using a full-service broker and were accepted. It's a fixer-upper and easily the ugliest on the block, but it's about to become ours for an amount less than the 2004 lot value. I'd put a picture of it up, but it's so hideous that people are bound to recognize it. Let's just say that rose tulle should NEVER be a primary decor feature.