lol, you list handling all maintenance as both a pro and con. Start with more basic questions: does it make sense for you to buy? How long would you live in it? Are you prepared for the headaches of landlording if you do decide to "rent it out." They exist!

Homeowners insurance is good. You can a good security for your house by the insurance. When you want to sell a place you can stay until place replacement by the man who buy your place. You can know about homeowners insurance colorado by their website. It will be better and then you will get your answer?

Home owners insurance is a must!

You avoid a crappy place by hiring a good inspector, AND putting in the offer to buy "If this this... or this ... it will be fixed by seller, or the contract is null and void." On some houses you can get a HOW - home owners warrantee in case something goes terrible wrong in the first (10?) years.

There will not be much return on investment if you move out in only a few short years, but there is zero on renting - except for the price and cost of repairs differential.

But most importantly, make sure your gf likes the place. {That also means a safe neighborhood, good schools, close enough to services and work, etc(.

You listed most of the good and bad points but I disagree with one--you can't assume you will be able to sell whenever you feel like it. I bought my house in 2008 and it's worth about 25 percent less than I paid so I'm kind of stuck here

I'm moving into a new place in a few months and i'm trying to weigh the pros and cons here. I don't have a ton of experience, so I would appreciate a bit of help populating my list. I am moving to Virginia by the way, houses in Suffolk/Chesapeake are CHEAP. At least compared to Colorado/California where I grew up.

Pros:

1) It is cheaper to own. I can get a good rate on a VA home loan, much better than renting similar houses.

2) I need a single family home. I have 2 chinchillas, 2 parakeets, 2 cats, and a Husky. I need the space and private back yard. Renting rarely allows so many pets.

3) I can get a return on my investment by selling or renting the place when I want to move out.

4) I get to handle all maintenance by myself, I can do whatever I want.

Cons:

1) What if it takes a long time to sell/rent the place? Then I have to live in it longer than I want to, or pay for a place I don't even live in.

2) I have to handle all maintenance by myself. (Is homeowners insurance good/applicable?)

3) What if I buy a crappy house with secret problems? How can I avoid doing this?

Thanks in advance for whatever help you can offer me.