Thank you for all of the good advice! It makes me realize how little I know about real estate!

We have decided to start by seeing if we can qualify for a home loan and how much we can afford. I am a little concerned about out-of-pocket expenses, especially since I saw at one lender that the closing costs alone were 3% of the purchase price (average homes in this area are over $200,000- we are hoping to find a home for $150,000 or less).

Denver was once the foreclosure capital of the country (it's lower now) so there are many homes that are at auction or can be had for less money than going through an agency. The bad thing is that apparently it can be hard to get approved for a loan as a result. I guess we'll see what happens. I'd really love to own a home- $1000 a month towards rent doesn't go towards any future investment like a mortgage payment would. I also put a ton of books on hold at the library about buying your first home, so hopefully I will do my research well.

Quote Originally Posted by Emeraldgreen
p.s. I used to have a Pembroke Corgi. My family got him from the Humane Society in Toronto back in the 70's. We had him for 15 years. They are great dogs!! Does yours nip your heels when you run?
They are great dogs! My dogs don't nip but they will always run after anyone running!