Pattern: My own, basic stockinette socks
Yarn: Interlacements Tiny Toes
Needles: Crystal Palace size 0 dpns
Notes: I could have made them longer! I always seem to be afraid of running out of yarn on socks, perhaps it is time to try toe up? I really like the colors of these socks, and the fit is nice. The heel is a tiny bit big, but I have narrow heels. Next time I will make them smaller. I thought the yarn was nice but not exceptional. I should note that the 2nd skein had two sections that were unevenly spun, resulting in me having to cut the yarn in those places.
Stockinette socks are my new thing! These didn’t take too long at all, and they are so warm and comfy – just in time for the weather to start cooling down! Last night we walked to trivia, and it was cool enough for me to wear boots. I love boots, I would wear nothing else all year if I could get away with it!
My next socks will be either Austermann Step yarn, or Trekking. The Austermann I salvaged from a failed pair of chevron socks and I really want to make it into socks.
I also finished the main knitting on Juliet (wow, that was fast!) and it is now drying, and awaiting buttons and weaving in the ends. I usually weave them in before blocking, but I wanted to be absolutely sure of the length before I hid them. I found some buttons in my grandma’s old button jar, and I can’t wait for it to dry!
My next sweater will be either the CPH or the Tilted duster (I reswatched above, and got gauge on size 8 needles… unfortunately my size 8s are in use, but I can switch some things around!) Marc really was excited about the hoodie, so I might give it a go… but I do love that peruvia, so we will see!
Today we went to the bank to discuss loan pre-approval with our loan officer. It went pretty well, all things considered, and while we have a few things to do to make our credit score look a bit nicer, all things considered I feel much better. Not to mention, prices seem to be dropping in the area we are looking, so hopefully we will find something (I don’t have a date in mind, although we were thinking spring for a house, but when something we like comes up that is when we will buy!)
Has anyone got any experience with buying a house without a realtor? I don’t mean FSBOs either (that’s what we did with the place we live now.) Marc has friends who bought their house that way, and he really does not want to hire a realtor, but that makes me much more nervous. I didn’t even think you could buy a house without one… and I am worried that we will not be taken seriously?
Prices in the area we want are so strange too… ranging from really low to crazy high for similar properties. Of course, since it is a downtown area, the neighborhood varies block to block… but still.
From this house, at the low end of our price range to this house at the high end (the second house is located on a walking court, and I love it. I just want it to be cheaper… and have less wallpaper I would have to remove. I am a wallpaper hater.) And then there is this house, which is in a scuzzier neighborhood I suppose, but oh my goodness… I love that house so, so much.
It’s all so exciting! I have always wanted to own one of those houses! We were looking to buy one that needed work, but found to our surprise that we can afford one that is already nicer!
Green apples - Stitchywitch Creates 
I’m afraid I don’t have any advice about buying without a realtor, though I know that some people do it. I just want to make sure you know how lucky you are to live somewhere you can afford such a beautiful house! I love portland and everything, and wouldn’t trade it for the world, but that first house you linked would be 2-3 times that amount here. All three of them are gorgeous!
Good luck in your search!
I’ve never even bought a house, so I don’t have any advice there. I just *love* all of those houses (especially the second and third houses). I love the interior on the third – look at all that wood flooring! I’ve always thought there was great beauty in Louisville… good luck!
I would give anything to have those house options at that price! They are all so pretty! I can’t find anything in my area below 350!
I love the color of your sweater! That sure was fast knitting though!
Wow, Those are all great houses! My vote is for #3. Is that Toile wallpaper (fun)? I love the attic. Then you can have a craft room like Martha!
I don’t have any advice…but I am officially a wall paper hater now too! I love the charm of the first house, the second one is gorgeous. And what’s with the red and black and white bathroom…um?
Are you currently renting? I’m not sure if things are different in KY (I think that’s where you are), but I’m in MD and when we bought our house, we were moving out of a rental, so we had nothing to sell. The sellers of the house we bought paid the realtors’ fees – selling and buying agents. So for us, there was no reason not to have a realtor. Unless in KY it’s different . . . but I’m not sure why it would be, it’s sort of a bonus to first time home buyers. I would definitely call an agency and ask! Good luck!
I just re-read and saw that you said you sold your place yourself. I still think that the seller is responsible for all agent fees, so you could still get one for buying. That’s why a lot of people do FSBO – to avoid those steep commissions!
It might be different in the US, but when I lived in Canada and we didn’t have a realtor, the selling realtor looked after everything.
As for those houses they are all so gorgeous. OK, so there is the exchange rate to consider (which is around 80 cents US to our dollar), but here in Melbourne, Australia, you would not find a house like that for under a million, or even two million – heck maybe even three…I kid you not…and unless you were willing to move a LONG way out of the city, 300K would buy you a small apartment or flat.
I actually really like the vibe of the first house, and the last one appeals because it is brick!
Good luck, can’t wait to see what you end up buying!
Hi! This may be my de-lurking comment. I don’t know that I have commented before though I have been reading for a month?
I don’t know how it works in KY, but in Texas (we bought and sold a house in the beginning of the year) the buyer has a realtor and the seller pays the fee for that realtor as well as the fee for the realtor to sell their house. Because the selling realtor is making something like 6%? And of that he gets 3% and 3% goes to the buyer’s realtor. The buyer pays no fees. The other thing they do in TX is that a lot of times the seller will also pay the buyers closing costs.
Hope that helps a little. And I hate wall-paper too. I think most young people do.
My parents and my sister have both just bought houses. One with a realtor and one without one. I have to say that watching and listening to them both that my parents who uses a realtor had a little more protection. She helped them determine when a house was over or under priced and also when to question certain things. Also, you can agree to go with a realtor, but if things don’t work out with them (ie, they are continually showing you houses that are either not you or not in your budget) you can normally switch to another realtor. I would strongly caution you on dealing with just the selling realtor as they are at that point in a catch 22 since they cannot advice either party fully without breaking confidence with the other. Case in point – the realtor my parents used showed them a house she was also the selling realtor for. She could not help them with ideas on what the seller would accept price wise or even if the property was over or under priced.
I would recommend at least checking out several realtors as they are better prepared to explain what they can do for you?
Best of luck on the house- it can be very frustrating!
How do you block your cotton sweaters? I am almost done with a Fad Classic and am afraid of stretching it out too much. Juliet looks great- that one is next on my list!
I love the color of those socks!
On realtors: In some ways you may be at the advantage to not use one. That’s how my husband got his house actually. He made an offer on a FSBO house after they had already received a full price offer. His was accepted because he didn’t have a realtor and the seller didn’t want to pay half of the other buyer’s realtor fees. In my experience buying a condo, I did way more research than my realtor, who was actually on vacation when I found the condo I wanted (also FSBO). I ended up using a colleague of hers who just helped with some of the paperwork for a smaller commission.
LOVE the socks! I heard that yarn is to die for!!
Can’t wait to see you model Juliet!
We bought our house without a realtor. Not to offend any realtors out there, but honestly, it’s just not hard. It’s mostly about filling out papers, and if you can read, you can do that.
But may I just express my overwhelming, soul-stirring envy at the unbelievably beautiful houses you can buy for less that you could get a one-bedroom condo here? You can’t even buy a house like any of those in this city, because practically everything was built after 1960, mostly out of scotch tape and cardboard. Hardwood floors? No way. Wood moldings? Uh-uh. High ceilings. Uh, no. It’s all stucco tract housing on tiny lots with no character whatsoever. Now I’m scowling at my family room. Hmmph. Good luck with the house search!
housing in louisville is so much more affordable than in the DC area :(. i feel like i’ll never be able to own anything if i stay here!
in any case, i actually like house #1 the best (which, incidentally, also happens to be the cheapest!). the clawfoot tub, the original (?) woodwork, and the stained glass windows. beautiful!
second on my list would be house #2 because it is pretty cheap considering its square footage. the inside is lovely (aside from all that wallpaper), but the outside is not as charming as house #1!
sorry i have no useful advice for you, but i think that as a first-time home owner, i think house #1 is a great choice! it’s a great size for a newlywed couple. 🙂
I really am impressed you make so many beautiful sweaters so quickly.
I can’t wait to see the modeled Juliet. I just got to the armholes on mine.
The socks are a stunning green. (Green’s my favorite color, too.)
Sorry I can’t offer any house advice!
I echo the comments about the houses – but I also totally envy the information about the neighbourhoods available on the website!! My SIL & her SO are thinking of moving to Canada, and I just spent several days trying to dig up half that much info! Meanwhile, I’ll go back to haunting my MLS for “As Is, Where Is” houses (aka “handyman’s special”) – good thing we like a good demolition project!
Having just moved to San Francisco, I’m extremely jealous looking at those beautiful homes. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to afford to buy here!
I’m not a realtor, but I have worked in a real estate office in the past. I would highly recommend going with a realtor, especially as first time buyers. As someone else said, the commission is paid by the seller, so there is really no reason not to. Realtors know the market and will be able to tell you if something is under or over priced. Someone experienced will be able to walk you through the whole process, help you negotiate, and in general, make your life much easier.
I really wouldn’t rely on using the seller’s realtor. This is not even legal in some states. The more the house sells for the bigger their commission, and although it’s totally unethical for them not to put your best interests at heart… you never know.
Good luck!