I don't own Hjerim so I can't really weigh in on that. But I do own Honeyside and it is a gorgeous home; if I had known about it sooner it would've been the first house I bought. It's one of the few homes where you get a patio to sit on; great for roleplay. I love having my main character sit out on the porch, eat breakfast and watch the sun rise over the water.
However if you're playing a Paladin, it might not be a good idea, as Riften is a city of thieves and unless you wait and do the Season Unending quest linked to the main quest - basically not taking a side in the civil war in the meantime - you may have to do some unsavory things to get it. I honestly wouldn't know though as I did Season Unending and basically have automatic Thane-dom and can buy whatever house I want thanks to that (excluding Hearthfire homes obviously).
If you have the Hearthfire DLC and some spare septims, I'd suggest getting Lakeview Manor. It's pretty centrally located and it would be a very healing place to live, which to me would be a perfect fit for a Paladin. If you don't do a whole bunch of Enchanting and don't have a family in game, I would recommend Breezehome. Centrally located to most crafting stuff and most towns, and perfect for a Paladin because it's nothing extra, nothing more than one person would need.
Hope this helps somewhat.
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