Condo, or house?

Ok, so this is plaguing me. Do I want to purchase a house - a single-family, detached home; or, do I want to purchase a condo/townhouse type deal?

I'm thinking a house. I love the condo I showed you guys in that photoset, but after more thought, I don't think it suits my lifestyle. It's too segregated, with too many stairs. But it's also a condo - so is it just the layout, or is it the condo living itself?

What do I want?

• Two dogs
• A decently sized, fenced back-yard
• Autonomy to make changes

What are the possible issues?

• I'm lazy. There's no way I'm mowing any lawns, let's be realistic here - I know me, if I have to mow, it'll be a jungle. But - that's a minor issue, I can pay someone to mow/landscape and be quite happy with that.
• More autonomy also means more responsibility. Repairs, etc. I'll need to get on good terms with a contractor to do "handyman" type jobs around the house.
• Dealing with roofing and siding can be an outright pain in the arse; there are other issues present in a house that are not present in a condo.

But, traditionally, single-family homes appreciate more. Also, I can have a fenced back yard. I could add a hot tub if I want (and I do want). I could expand the house with time, if I wanted. Depending on the cost, if I can find one within my budget, I can renovate and put my own touches on. The condo is slightly over my budget (manageable amount) but it's all done - but, it's not what I'd have chosen. Oh, it's gorgeous but if I was designing it, I wouldn't have made many of those choices. Some of those choices can't be fixed - such as the layout and structure.

So, I am pretty sure I'm going to go with a "no", I still have the deposit and want to look at places this weekend - as was pointed out to me, I may see single family homes and want this condo very badly. But I'm beginning to think not. If I don't want this condo then the time sensitivity is once again gone (other than my lease being up on June 4th) and I can expand my search a bit, check out Portland, and some of the other areas around here.

2 big dogs, though, that requirement I've been putting off for a long time; I think it's time. That pretty much means a yard, which means a house.

sighs

We’ll see.  Chris and Wendy are going to give me a tour of surrounding areas this weekend, and my agent is going to be taking me to a whole ton of places next week, so we’ll see how things work out. =)

---

But I’m sure there’s something in a shade of grey…
Something in between…