LadyZ: Good luck in your search! Sounds like a long road... but CB is right. The perfect house is coming up ... you just have to wait til the current owners realize they need to sell it!
We bought a house when we couldn't find a place to rent. I love the house. It was new and needed no work, in a good neighborhood. However, we've now been in it 12 years, and guess what?? It needs tons of work after being lived in by 4 very active boys. Little did we know....
Not that that even compares to what you're dealing with.
I do wish you lots of luck and I'll be following your story with interest.
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Having abandoned my search for truth, I am now looking for a good Fantasy.