mycatsabacterium

Depending on where you live, you might actually be able to afford a home if a mortgage would be about the same or a little higher than what you currently pay in rent. There are some first-time homebuyer programs that you might be able to take advantage of depending on your personal situation too. If you're wanting to look into the possibility more, I would recommend attending a first-time homebuyer presentation that your local bank or real estate company probably has. You can also talk to a lender and they can help you assess your financial situation and give you a realistic outlook on whether or not you could buy. If you're going to talk to a lender, just make sure they are experienced with first-time homebuyer programs and have good reviews!

You should start the process now! My fiancé and I bought a house last year, and it takes a lot longer than you think it will. We started the process around this time last year and we closed near the end of May/beginning of June. You'll probably have some work you want to do on the house before you move in like painting or repairs, so allowing another month or two to finish that and get moved in will probably put you at the beginning of August before you feel settled. Feel free to send me a PM if you'd like to know more about our experience/timeline! It's quite the daunting process looking in from the outside, but it's not as bad as it seems (and I thought it was actually kinda fun!).

Anyone heard back from CU Boulder BioE?

I got interview invites to both the Microbiology program and the Molecular Biology program at CU Anschutz. I applied to both figuring my application would fit better with one or the other, but I was super surprised to hear back from both. Microbio's interview weekend is Jan. 26th-28th, so if you haven't heard back from them you might be on a waitlist. Mol. Bio's interview weekend is either Feb. 6-8 or February 20-22, so you might still hear back from them depending on who commits to interviews.