Well, it's a big day...

Well, I've either made the smartest financial move of my life or the dumbest. I made an offer on a house - actually a townhouse in the White Marsh area.

Part of me is thinking I'm nuts - I should have looked at more houses (I looked at 3), that the housing market may tank, and that my life is about to get more difficult.

On the other hands, I did lots of research, so I didn't really need to look at a lot of houses, because I knew what I wanted in a house and what neighborhoods. And I really like the neigborhood - I feel like it's the worst house in a great neighborhood, and that it has lots of potential.

Of course, I won't have a ton of money to put into the house, or anything else. The amount of money going to housing is going to triple - although that may say more about the cheapness of my current apartment than the high cost of my mortgage. I'm not going to have a whole lot of slack in my budget, and will probably have to give up eating lunch out and my occasional cup of Starbucks. But I will also have a much more enjoyable living situation, and if I really end up needing money I can probably get a roomate - one of the things I liked about the house is that it has two full baths (so if you know anyone whose looking for a roomate....)

So we'll see. I feel pretty good about things, though, and the comps make it seem like it's a pretty good deal. So now all I can do is wait, hope, and pray.