House-iversary

Today is the one-year anniversary of me becoming a homeowner. I celebrated by pruning the bougainvillea that is threatening to cause a short-circuit by twining around the power lines coming into the house, and pulling weeds in my front yard (and once again, vowing that the damn lawn will be gone by the end of the summer). On the other hand, I also walked over to a new coffee shop this morning, and then to the neighborhood farmers' market this afternoon, and am now sitting in my back yard with a glass of wine, admiring how pretty the bougainvillea looks in full bloom.

A few people have asked me if I wish I had waited to buy, given the way the market has tanked, but I can honestly say I don't regret buying one bit - if I had waited, I might not have found a house as perfect for me as this one. So here's to my house!

Single Female Homeowner seeks the One

When I bought my house last year, I didn’t realize that I was part of a growing trend but apparently, single women are the fastest growing group of homeowners. That doesn’t really surprise me, since women are earning more than they used to and I think there are more and more quirkyalone-type women who just don’t see the point in waiting for a relationship before setting down permanent roots. And I absolutely love my house – it’s in a great neighborhood where I can walk to restaurants, coffee shops, the post office and library, plus it’s just the right size for me and the dinner parties I like to throw (OK, OK, the dinner parties I keep intending to throw). But every once in a while, I do miss one important thing about my pre-homeowner life: a landlord to call when things go wrong. When a sprinkler head breaks, or I discover that a small lake forms under my house every time in rains, it would be awfully nice to make one call and forget about it. On the other hand, it’s hard to beat the feeling of accomplishment and pride when I fix that sprinkler or get the sump pump working. It helps that I have a few people to call to ask for help and advice, like my engineer father or my lifesaver realtor. But I’m still searching for the ONE – that one, reliable, indispensible guy that I can call at anytime, who will tell me no problem is too big or too small, that he’s happy to help me with them all. So if anyone can recommend a dependable handyman in the San Diego area, please let me know!