Dear Diary,

These are the houses I looked at today.  I have put a caption on each picture with my opinion. They are all in a small town about 25 miles from my home - the town is a county seat and has lots of large old homes,  old buildings and they are known for their
Bar-B-Que.  It's a very quaint little down town with a town square and the Court house in the center.  It has lots of cute little shops - and lots of character.  Definitely a maybe as far as the town is concerned.

I like the character of this one - but.. It has 2 steps going into or out of every room.  I think this would be an issue for those with mobility issues.  It also would take a lot of time and $ to get it in shape including tearing out the carpet and sanding the oak wood flooring that has been covered for years!  The wallpaper in the kitchen and dinning room will have to be tore out and the kitchen flooring replaced and the kitchen and all 3 bathrooms would have to be updated.  The house was built in the 30's and I think all the upgrades were done in the 50s!  I don't think this is the one.

Loved the spaciousness of this one - great scrapbook space, dining area and breakfast area, 4 bedrooms, single story & the price are all pluses.   The negatives are the limited parking - smaller yard, and no "character". 

Loved the location of this one - 5 acres in the country. BUT

the floor plan was not at all suitable for scrapbooking.  I thought maybe the three car over sized garage might be a possibility -

but  decided it would be very expensive to finish it off & add heat & AC.  It's a no go!

The plan is to go to another town this weekend - and just keep looking!

What do you think?  Are the steps an issue?  How important is the "character" of the house?  What do you think about the small town atmosphere!