Buying our first place

It's true that we are looking at houses again.

The market is in the pits, which means the ball is in our -- or the buyer's -- court. Still, in the last week, three of the homes we were interested in looking at were sold. That's good news. It means that even when the market suffers, homes in southwest Minneapolis fare somewhat well. And that's good for us, considering our first home will be a starter place -- not a gem out of some HGTV episode -- that we'll likely sell down the road.

We've looked at eight properties so far, three of which might be worth a second look. Most were built around 1900 or 1910. So they have the charm of homes built in that era -- hardwood floors, built-ins, fireplaces and "hidden potential." But they also have the quirks -- radiator heat, air conditioner boxes instead of central air and tiny bedrooms.

The prospect of buying our first home is exciting. But Ben and I share different opinions on some of the homes we've seen, making it a little bit stressful, too.

I hope we find a place that wows us and is suitable for our future dog, Indiana (Ben named our dog today after watching his favorite movie Indiana Jones).