HOME SWEET (vastly expensive) HOME

So I just spent far too much time looking at prospective houses/condos/lofts online.

Mother phoned this morning and told me to look up Red Door Reality because one of our neighbours had put his house up for sale (for a cool 3/4 million, if you don't mind) and needless to say, I got carried away.

I then decided to see what a quaint house for one would cost 'round these parts, and then what a new condo would cost, and then what a summer home in Mahone Bay would set me back, and before you can say 'fixed mortgage' an hour (ok maybe more) had gone by and I was on TorontoLofts.com looking at the floor plans of $600,000 condos.

Lately I've been thinking that I would really like to invest in real estate. I figure if I'm going to spend $X hundred in rent every month, I might as well put it towards owning something of my own. Ahh what a wonderful notion - an entire space that is mine and only mine. It is probably the only "grown-up thing" that doesn't freak me out. Marriage? Eek! Long-term career? OHGod.. Children? (look of utter shock/mild nausea) House to call my own? Alright..

Sadly, I am as green as the basil on the caprese salad I had for lunch today when it comes to real estate and realistically there is no way I can currently afford anything close to my dream home. Anybody want to go splits on an overpriced, slightly minuscule yet grossly fabulous loft in an old Toy Factory?? Anybody??