I've lived back in Dayton a year-and-a-half now, fixing up my duplex. It's a somewhat odd dilemma I have -- In order to find a different job in a different place, I need to have the place fixed up and ready to go. But the other side of the coin, and the other side of my mouth, I really like my place. It will be tough to sell it, although I must in order to move up and beyond.

So, somewhat casually, I've been doing on-line searches for places in Cincinnati. That's one of the four cities I've identified where I will make a concerted effort to look for a new job. It was with a twinge to the ole heart-strings when I came across the listing for the place I rented when I lived there.

Isn't it cute? It was, let me tell you. I lived on the first floor with that front porch and a view of the entire downtown skyline. More tugs to see two of the interior pics of my apartment entirely redecorated; new paint jobs, different layouts, everything. Gotta admit, the new tenants have done a nice job with the place, don't you think? (Has it really been a year and a half since I lived there?)

A bit out of my price range, though. I like more affordable fixxer-uppers, which this one is definitely not. When the time comes to seriously look, my goal will be to find something selling per-unit at or below my current annual salary. I bought the place in Dayton with those criteria and while maybe I couldn't apply that rule if this were San Diego or Phoenix or Las Vegas, the so-called real estate bubble or maybe tsunami has largely missed Ohio so I think that will be still possible...