Changes........

So, back from my vacation for a week and what has happened? Lots!


1) I put in notice at my job! Yes, next week I will be starting a new job at a new company! Exciting, yes, because I have been so uninspired by my job it is not even funny. It has not lived up to its promise for the past year and a half and my relationship with my boss has deteriorated as she has continued to poorly manage our group. It is sad because I used to have respect for her as a professional (this is the second time that I have worked for her so she didnt start out this way!)

Anyway, I have been on a job search, but had been looking for opportunities in other cities because I have been interested in moving from the city. But it seems that it is not meant to be right now...... An opportunity (totally unsolicited) presented itself to work in this new company in a new group in the company that has a lot of visibility and is about the only thing there that is of interest to me. So...... I decided to take it..... I negotiated an, albeit small, salary increase despite the fact it is a lateral move. I am ready for new challenges --- hopefully, this will fit the bill! ;-)

2) Change number 2 is that I am now looking for property to buy! (Ugh!) So, since I was planning on moving out of the city, I decide to move in with a friend last year when my rent was up. She has a large townhouse in an area near my (soon to be old) job and the price was right. And it gave me the flexibility to leave whenever I wanted. Well, now that I know that I am not leaving for at least a year most likely, I am being compelled to look at home-ownership. I would probably move a little more slowly if given the chance, for both financial and just comfort reasons, but my roommate has just put her house on the market and wants to sell it in the next couple months so that is putting a little added pressure on me. I am actually looking at duplexes or something that could have some rental income coming in to defray some of my mortgage expense. My agent is trying to encourage me to buy in some transitionary areas on the edge of some really popular parts of town. (He actually owns a duplex nearby.) It is amazing to me that there are new loft buildings right around the corner from these places with units that are selling for ridiculous amounts of money and I get nervous driving down the street to get to it. But apparently the white folks who are buying up stuff in the area do not have the same concern. So, would I be taking a risk buying there? Or getting ahead of a wave of gentrification in that area? Will the neighborhood be cleaned up? How long would it take for the neighborhood to turn? It is all little risky and a little scary.....

So everything is changing, in the matter of a week or so! Whew! I guess I will just hang on for the ride! Wish me luck!