No down payment too piddly, sara. There's always something to be done.

This is true. First time home buyers can qualify with very little down. I was shocked how little actual cash we had to cough up to buy. It took a while to dump the PMI payments, but it was worth it. It would have taken us several more years to come up with the full 10% down.

I probably have enough for 10%, maybe even 15% depending on what my parents want to do.

sarameg, you should be fine. We got in with 5%, though we had to put up with PMI (mortgage insurance) payments for a few years.

And when calculating whether you can afford the mortgage payment, keep in mind that your paycheck will likely go up because less is withheld for taxes. (Thanks to interest, real estate taxes, and during the first year, any points you've paid.)

Despite having Homebuying for Dummies I'm remarkably clueless about...well, all of it. My mind sort of overloads on details.

sorry, it's a bit of a one-off

I keep getting spam telling me how I "can refinance my home, for up to $350K"... The wee little place next door to my house sold for just under $700K. Spam is woefully underestimating the market here. And explains why I rent.

Anybody watch MI-5? Anybody who watched Spooks and can tell me what they cut?

Congrats to 'Ouise and -t! The actuaries seem to be multiplying.

We prefer the term 'compounding'.

bt! Good to see you.

I just saw a fascinating play. I Am My Own Wife is about Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a transvestite who survived the Nazis and Communist East Germany while keeping a furniture museum and a gay nightclub in her house. I love it when I know absolutely nothing about a show before I see it.

billytea! Why does wearing an eyepatch need an orange? Maybe it's PotC talking here, but I thought wearing an eyepatch necessitated more in the way of kohl. And some ambiguity.

Hi BT!

I was listening to Boom Crash Opera earlier today and I thought of you.

P-C is back! (I changed my tag while you were gone).