In late June of this year, I waded in and finally took the plunge into the deep waters of home ownership. As a first-time homebuyer, I had a lot of things going for me — the tax credit, lower-than-ever interest rates, and an endless parade of real estate listings. After many (MANY!) months of pounding the pavement to see new condos, my eye began to stray. Could I afford an old townhouse in Brooklyn? Maybe a fixer-upper? One with vintage plaster mouldings and a lovely history? Hmmm…

Two weeks, three listings, and one serious blog obsession later, I had an accepted offer on an 1890′s single-family limestone on a beautiful block in south Crown Heights. I was totally smitten.

And so the renovation begins…