From what I understand, "Mrs." translates to/means "wife of" so in strict etiquette should only be used before a man's first name, not a woman's. Mrs. John Smith means wife of John Smith... So Mrs. Mary Smith would translate to wife of Mary Smith which although often done, is obviously improper. If the women's first name is to be used, then Ms. should be used. Widows can use Mrs. (with deceased's name) or Ms. Also, Ms. should be used for divorced women whether they use their married last name or go back to their maiden name.

I think a good addition to this discussion is how my parents got married. It was August 3,1935. The impact of the Depression was still felt and so couples delayed getting married for financial reasons. My parents' crowd of friends included 4 unmarried couples and one married couple. They were all in their 30s and even early 40s. My mother was a preacher's daughter, but her father could not perform the ceremony in those days as my father was (Chicago Irish)Catholic. So everyone wanted to elope. They put together a caravan and traipsed all over central Illinois that day to each other's weddings. Dad had a friend who was a priest in Toluca, Illinois, so that was where they were married. Then they all went off for their honeymoons.

MOST municipalities or states have laws that say essentially the same as your old lease said--if the landlord finds a new tenant, they can't keep charging you rent. So really, I bet your situation isn't ANY different than it was in the last lease. It's just that in the new lease, they didn't bother to put in the stuff that's probably covered by local or state laws. And, quip is right--while the landlord has to make reasonable attempt to rent it out, he isn't required to steer whatever tenants he finds, to YOUR apartment. He may not even be required to rent YOUR apartment to any tenant YOU bring him--he may be allowed to say, "thanks for finding me a tenant; I'm going to rent him 2B instead of your apt." That's probably no different, really, than your old lease. You want to buy in an area you don't currently live in--that means market research will be slower and harder (bcs you'll have to travel a short bit to go to open houses, etc. I'm betting March will be just fine. Also, if you're ready to put in bids in December, you'll probably find that sellers are pretty motivated then. If they're selling in Nov,/Dec./Jan, it's usually because they HAVE to. So that might stand you in good stead. I wouldn't sweat the "breaking the lease" thing right now--you need more info on your market, etc. You don't *need* to rush, really--you're living together now, so you're not in a hurry to accomlish that. And the market is probably not rising rapidly, so you don't need to rush on that account. It's possible your current rent in the more expensive area is more than your potential mortgage would be, but by the time you factor in moving costs, points, etc., I don't think you'd come out that far ahead by moving sooner and not later. Esp. if the market is dropping a bit. (also, if you're ready to buy a house together in the next few months, why not just get married in the same timeframe? I've never quite understood the "we know we want to get married in the future but not now" mindset. Either you want to get married, or you don't. If you do, why are you waiting a long time? If someone is willing to go through all the financial permanency and paperwork, etc., of buying a house, why not a marriage ceremony? I work at a weddings magazine, and I really hate that my daily work contributes to the fact that so many people are waiting until they can "afford" to get married--which translates "until we have $20k to waste on a fancy party")

Does your Stepmother have an income? Does she depend on rental of the house she owns to pay her bills? Was she financially dependent on your dad? Did or does she work and have a pension? For instance, if she didn't have a job because your Dad wanted her to stay home or because she needed to be available for things he wanted to do -- a situation that is common for women -- she may have a very reduced pension if any at all. You say she took excellent care of your Dad and they lived together for at least 16 years. This is a long term commitment not a gold digger because presumably there is only a house left to inherit, no big stocks and accounts. What kind of circumstances will she be living in -- a one room apartment in a poor neighbourhood? Do you understand what I am getting at? You are young with life ahead of you and ability to make your own way. You say your father said he wanted to put your name on the house. Frankly, I don't think it's so simple to see what is "fair" here.