How does one purchase the house in Riften? I've Googled and everything. People say you have to do the Skooma mini missions before you can talk to the Jarl about buying the house. Well, I did those missions and neither the Steward nor the Jarl says anything about the house. Is it one of those deals where you have to help the people of the city? If that's the case, shouldn't I be getting a 1/5 and 2/5 and so on as with other cities? I've done a few missions for the people of Riften, but I'm not getting any hint that I've actually progressed.

I just want the house, dammit. lol Please, someone help.

One way for sure is to be in the legion and take over the rift.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Honeyside

I just went around doing quests for people in Riften (after the Skooma quests) and I suddenly got a pop-up message saying to go see the Jarl. I did and she said she wanted to make me a Thane, but I needed to buy a house first...

Thanks, my dudes. I figured it out myself, though!

I just went to the jarls dude and he let me buy it. I think the legion took over though

Cheers

I'm still trying to get the house in Riften.
It's a pig to get as most of the help folk quests are blooming annoying.
Go get 10 fire salts, or 60 (3x20 herbs), get a mammoths tusk, several flawless gems etc.
And helping the erm... 'local' guild doesn't seem to count either unlike Winterhold where heloing with mages personal tasks counted for at least two of the three I needed there for Thane.

Compared with the usual go to dungeon X and get a book/shield/whatever they are a pain.
(Dungeons tend to be nearby relatively quick, and a good XP/loot trip to boot)
Either lots of wandering and searching, or pot luck with loot/mobs etc.
I'm still short some nimroot and fire salts and a gem but have over 30K gold.
It is definately the worst one for Thane quests.

It's too bad they don't have a smelter there. The riften house would. be the best then!

Check the quests here: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Riften

This is my only gripe with the current houses. The only one with a nearby smelter is in Whiterun.

*spoiler alert*
riften has umm... a shift in leadership if you're not careful about making sure you've chosen stormcloaks or empire before you do the dragonborn chain... or it can, depending on what you suggest as a compromise at the summit with the graybeards. I'd suppose the whole area might be difficult to navigate depending on where you are in other chains. I've found a lot of quests that overlap or change the lines in other quests.