We received the option of quite a few different mortgages from our broker today so we’re very excited now!  I rang up our landlady to make an offer, with my heart beating very fast and feeling very like Kirstie from Location, Location, Location….she wasn’t in!!!!!!!!!!!!  How frustrating?  Still, in the meantime I rang a solicitor who had been recommended to us by a friend who’s used her twice.  I expected to be speaking to someone very important sounding and felt a bit scared but in fact she turned out to be a very bubbly welsh-woman.  She started to give us a quote, then said “hang on, what’s your postcode?  there are some areas in this city that are exempt from stamp duty.”  She looked it up and, lo and behold, we don’t have to pay it!  Hurrah!  Another exciting thing :-)  So now we’re just waiting for our landlady (who doesn’t have an answer machine!) to be in so we can make our first offer.  Watch this space!