So, all-of-a-sudden, I've gone from being a habitual rent-boy (no, not in that sense...) to a gen-yoo-ine house-owner. I've managed to trade what stock I have in the company plan for a few bits of brick and mortar (and stucco, obviously!), and an absolutely enormous debt. Despite that, I'm happy as Larry (who's generally regarded as being the happiest man at the happiest party on the annual celebration "happy-day" in happy-ville).

The whole deal was significantly easier than I expected ... Mother-dear is an estate agent (a "realtor" to you Yanks) back in Blighty and, as far as I can tell, house-sales generally tend to drag on for several months. I spent a weekend looking, had made an offer by Monday, and had bought the place 17 days later... It helps that I'd been looking on the 'net for the last 6 months, so I already had a shortlist. It helps (!) that I was, ummm, "financially constrained" as well [grin].

House prices in the Valley are high, but only roughly as high as London. The thing is that you'll get more house out here than you would in London. I used to live (rent) opposite a house that was sold the year-before-last (just before I came out to the US); the house had 3 bedrooms, no front yard, a tiny back yard, and was joined to the neighbours on both sides ("terraced"). It sold for £350,000 ( or ~$630,000). That's a lot of money for a small house with very little in the way of grounds, in a not-so-great neighbourhood on the very outskirts of London (end-of-the-line on the 'tube' rail system)...

That aside, I'm now looking forward to finding out everything about the neighbourhood - which pubs/clubs stay open late, where the best restaurants are, what my neighbours are like, etc., etc. Should be fun :-)