Well, my classroom situation still isn't resolved. I've sent more emails.

Also, I'm looking into maybe buying a condo. I feel like I need an adultier adult for this. How does this whole thing work? My mom couldn't give me any advice except, "Talk to a realtor."

I understand an important part of negotiating a condo is to be sure about the amount you'll be charged for the monthly association fees. Also have a chat with your bank so you'll be prepared by knowing your financial situation.

Hit up the Bank of Mom for the down payment if that's feasible.

I would never agree to a variable mortgage or a balloon payment.

There, that was probably enough adulting for tonight. Hope it's helpful.

Home ownership has way more ups than downs in my experience. With Condos you just have to investigate the association. Some condo commandos can be super obnoxious with the rules. The fees can be high, but they can also cover a lot of stuff, like some include cable and of course landscaping and that type of thing. If the place is due for a new roof soon, that can bring on a big assessment, but it would if you had a single family home too.

You would think realtors would be more helpful, but frankly if you are a buyer they just want to sell you the place, and if you are selling they just want the listing. Finding a realtor generally has to be from local recommendations.

Hil, check to see what the status of the condo corporation's reserve fund is like before you commit to a purchase. If there is a large pending repair (like roof, or pool, as Laura mentioned), then you could be on the hook for a chunk of that. Otherwise, condo living is pretty good. How do they heat/cool the units? What shape is the plumbing like in the building? How do they do garbage, recycling, etc.? I'm trying to think of things that I didn't think of as a new/prospective condo owner that has potential to be annoying.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

I've also thought about getting a house, because the selection of accessible condos in Cincinnati is pretty slim, but a house would mean having to pay someone to do all the yard work and maintenance stuff and things like that. Plus, there aren't that many one-story houses around here, either.

Hil, my advice would be to see a lender first if you haven't already, and secure funding before you start looking for a place. That way you'll know how much you have to spend (well, they'll offer you more than you probably want, IMO - I feel it's safer to set a price point under what a mortgage banker thinks you can afford). I can recommend a bank if you want - they are in your neighborhood and do a large percentage of local mortgages. I can also recommend our realtor who is lovely and could probably discuss the local condo market in detail, and/or recommend neighborhoods with single-story houses (though I would recommend a condo - houses are a continuing litany of maintenance.)

In re condos - one thing to check is whether they have a number of condos being rented out. A lot of rentals is bad. That's about the sum total of my knowledge of ownership.

The CCRs may also set a limit on the number/percentage of units that can be rented out.

Thanks, everyone. flea, I'll probably message you for that info once I start getting more organized.

I just went to the allergist, and got the whole litany of skin prick tests. So that was blah. She basically said that I'm already on pretty much every medication that I can be on for my allergies and asthma, so she wants to start me on allergy shots. I don't think I've ever gotten to the "You're on every medication that we could possibly give you" point before.

Also, I noticed that one of my distant cousins was listed on the list of doctors at this office. I didn't even know that he lived in Cincinnati -- I've only emailed with him. (He's my mom's third cousin, I think.)