I hate renting

Word!  The only advantages I can see right now are that when something breaks I call the property management company and they're on top of the problem - whatever it might be, and at present I'd rather spend my weekends doing something other than home improvement or yard work or anything remotely related to taking care of property.  However, in the not too distant future, we'll be looking into buying a home. 

That's right.  I was trailer trash for about a year as a child.

ah - I do and have owned a home, just not in this city.

A sudden move for work has caused me to rent again.  I will be looking in the new year to buy another home.

Does anyone know how I can find out what they paid for this house in Reno?  I know in Denver there is a website. 

And the interest is of course deductable.

We bought our house here in Augusta for $102k 4 years ago and after doing nothing but cosmetic stuff (paint, mostly), it just appraised for $179.

Very nice, I like.

That's true.  Around these parts, condos and townhomes are often the only way into the market for some first-time homebuyers.  Fortunately, I never purchases a condo or TH when I was previously in the market to buy.  I've heard way too many horror stories from coworkers and friends  about their condo association management company.  The complaints range from management co's embezzling the association's money, or repeated high-dollar assessments because the association failed to make timely repairs to the building so the repairs now cost twice what it should have or the association failed to collect the proper amount of association dues in the past. 

I'm holding out for a single family home, rather than a condo or TH.

I have a condo - I loved living there.   I  bought in 1998 and the value has doubled.   I was president for about 4 years of the HOA and we hired a great management company.   N

ow I have renters in there now - the rent they pay me pays all of my mortgage, my HOA, and some profit.

If the HOA is well-run, I'm sure that condos and THs are fine - the key is having a great HOA.  However, in instances where the HOA is dicey, I don't know that I could justify living in one when I'm receiving $20,000 assessments several times per year.  Might as well own a house at that point.

Real estate will almost invariably increase in value over the long run.  Problem is, so does every other house in the market as well.  So, you are not any better off because you still need a place to live after you sell your house.     Real estate equity is never fully realized unless you go back to renting or move to a cheaper market.  

As an owner of a real estate management company (www.foresidemanagement.com) , I want to clarify that the vast majority of management companies are ethical and professional. I pride myself on the quality service we provide to homeowner association and ability to work with Boards to create a wonderful community  experience.

Do things go wrong? Are there assessments sometimes? Well yes, stuff happens, but you manage it and get through it. My Company grows by word of mouth and that would not happen if we were anything but honest. We also never, ever co-mingle funds between any of the properties or my Company's funds. My accounting department hates it as they have to reconcile a couple of hundred banks accounts every month.

Negotiation time!

Reply with a much more specific addendum that you're comfortable with and a decrease in rent of $50 per month. Figure it at $25 per month to cover the additional $300 in exposure you'd be taking on and $25 per month as a 'renegotiaton fee'.  

I'd go no lower than $30 per month on the decrease and don't sign anything that isn't absolutely specific. Also keep pictures of anything that could conceivably be damaged by a cat.

Check the business/real estate section of local newspaper's online site.  For example, here in Chicago you can look it up at the Chicago Tribune's website. 

It's easily accessible through either your county tax collector, tax assessor or country treasurer's official website.

zillow.com generally has property and sales information right on the web. Their estimates of what a place is worth are sometimes wildly off though, so take those with a grain of salt.