PC, do you think you'd really live there for five years? If you think you might move out of town in two, then it might not be as likely to make you enough money to be worth it. But five, you're probably fine.

Yay bike for juliana. YAY baby heartbeat for Stephanie! There was some other yay in there, but I forget it. BOO Sparky's employers.

Yay Stephanie!

PC, do you think you'd really live there for five years? If you think you might move out of town in two, then it might not be as likely to make you enough money to be worth it. But five, you're probably fine.

Yeah, that's the other big issue. I'm much more confident about being here for two or three years at least. I like the area, though, and could find another job here pretty easily if I needed to, I think. But I don't know. Maybe I'd feel stupid if I do stay for five years and hadn't done it.

Also P-C consider that nationwide we are at the peak of a deflating real estate bubble. Of course real estate is a very local thing; so maybe your area is immune. Also even if there is downturn, owning property tends to make money in the long run. Still - take into consideration; it really is not a good idea to buy in an area you are likely to move from. Even without the bubble as was said above you need to stay at least five years to get your upfront costs back; could be longer if there is a downturn.

I have no faith in any of our bridges, and hate that I have to travel over one on a regular basis. Well, that's not true. I-90 is actually new enough that I think it's okay. 520 is, however, not, and it wouldn't take a huge quake to kill it. A sudden major windstorm would be enough.

Also, I avoid the Viaduct like the plague, and have been scared of it since 1989 and the SF quake.

I wouldn't buy anywhere as a starter right now. I'd only buy if you plan on being in a place for at least a decade.

P-C, I don't know if Val's bro is local to the Bay Area. If he's not, I highly suggest going and talking to a financial advisor that's connected to a bank that has a presence here - Wells Fargo, in particular, has an awesome infrastructure for homebuyers.

Also, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MIRACLEBORNS!

In less scary and more happy news, I had my first appointment with my new midwife this morning and heard the baby's heartbeat!

YAY! How many weeks now?

P-C, if memory serves, you have no debt at all and a ton of savings already. Buying a condo is a good idea, so long as you buy in a neighborhood that isn't likely to lose value in the next five years. You can always rent it if decide to move elsewhere. (But don't buy somewhere that is overinflated. Talk to people like Juliana said!)

I bought a condo at age 23 in CT and sold it five years later for a $50K profit. Given that the original asking price was $80K, that wasn't bad. I rolled that into my house...and then lost it all in the divorce. But that's beside the point. I hate that I can't afford to be a homeowner in SoCal. I love the security of owning a home.

That said, it is very expensive, and talking with a financial planner who is not just a mortgage broker is essential. S/he can help you to map out your long-term financial goals and help you to determine how much you actually have to put down and how much you would be spending each month in mortgage, dues, utilities, and the various repairs that always show up.

Wish I could own something. Should have bought years ago when I had a chance. Maybe. Didn't price things then so I have no idea.

My meeting was a sales pitch, which I sort of wasn't expecting. Still, it gave me a chance to go to the Farmer's Market, where I not only scored some interesting lunch, I also ran into someone I haven't seen for a bit.

I have no comprehensive new updates on my dad. He's being blasted with a lot of antibiotics, but they've only found the staph infection and still think there's something else going on. They aren't telling my mom much, I guess because they don't know much, but maybe because they're being French. When I lived there I didn't need to check out the medical system so I really can't compare. For that matter, I haven't really needed the medical system here, either. It is possible he has only a staph infection eating the bone, although you'd think they'd have come to that conclusion already. I don't know what is stumping them. They do seem to think his problem has been building for years, and just now started to really cause problems. I think he hasn't made much improvement yet as he still seems to be rather paralyzed in his arms at least.

I feel better having finally gotten the passport application in, and I am definitely going to book tickets soon for the end of September, per my mother's request. I expect he'll still be in the hospital. At least they're under the social health system and supposedly won't lose their shirts over the hospital stay but I feel so bad for both of them.

But YAY for Stephanie and heartbeat! I wish you lived closer to me so I could give you pregnancy massage. I love working with pregnant women.

I'll check them out too, juliana. Thanks.