Homeownership in the Pacific Northwest. For a first time home buyer this is somewhat a challenge. I own a home now, a manufacturer home. It's 16 years old, in pretty good shape as well. No not a single, but a double and I got a good deal on it, though it can use a little more TLC to make it great, but for what it is, it's a cozy place. I want a house though. By this time next year I plan to have one.

Where? How much? What style? How big? How many beds/baths? Questions any first time homeowner asks. My sisters live in houses. They get me wanting one myself. We all live in the Portland metro area where like Seattle, San Francisco, and other major west coast cities, home prices are through the roof. I look at homes in parts of the midwest where I would think of uprooting if I did, and I litteraly get to pick from the cream of the crop. It's feels like I got 2006 money to look at houses with 1976-1986 prices. I can find a nice house anywhere there from $40,000 to $175,000 easy and there are many to choose from. Very nice homes. In the Portland area $175,000 is where I would even start. Eugene is slightly more affordiable and a more likely place locally to purchase a house.

I'm not too picky to find a house, just something nice. Somewhat bigger with space, but not huge. 3-4 bed, 1.5-2 bath, hot tub sounds nice too. Something with a little character.