Insane weekend
Jun. 14th, 2009 09:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
next_to_normalOh, dear. I am quite behind on my flist. I even have a fic just about ready to post, but haven't gotten around to it because my life suddenly got turned upside down.
The good news: I was offered a new job in DC.
The bad news: I start in a month, which means I have to find an apartment and move in less time than that, all the while still working at my old job, and figuring out what the hell I'm going to do about the 7 months left on my current apartment lease.
This, it seems, will entail trips to DC pretty much every weekend from now until I move. Got up at 5:30 yesterday morning so I could drive down and meet my parents for our first weekend of apartment hunting. My mother would love for me to get a condo, so I can build up some equity rather than throwing away money on rent, but so far, we've only found one place I could afford, and I wasn't crazy about it. I don't want to buy the first place I see, just because it's a great price. As my mother says, if you buy something on sale, and then you don't like it, you didn't really get a bargain.
So I'm also looking at renting an apartment - which is also absurdly expensive. Once we ruled out all the places that either were out of my price range, or in bad neighborhoods, or so much of a dump my mother wouldn't let me live there, there aren't that many choices, but still, I think it's going to be a hard decision. I've got it narrowed down to probably Arlington or Alexandria, if anyone who either lives in or is familiar with the area has any advice.
I'm looking for a one-bedroom, although we did look at a few studio/efficiency apartments this weekend. The studio would definitely be cheaper, but I worry about a.) not having a private bedroom area when I have guests, especially guests who sleep over, b.) less space for the kitty, and c.) not enough room for all my furniture. I'm in a one-bedroom now, and it's fully furnished, so all that stuff will have to go somewhere. (I suppose it could go in my parents' basement, but the main problem seems to be the bedroom furniture, and I don't know where I'd store all my clothes if I can't fit my dresser in the apartment...)
There's a fair amount of sticker shock, going from where I live now, which is one of the most expensive apartments in my (admittedly small) city, to finding out that, on the same salary, I qualify for low-income housing in the DC metro area. Talk about your cost of living differences.
Anyway, since we didn't find anything that was absolutely perfect, we will probably be going back and looking at more places next weekend. It's a damn good thing I like spreadsheets, because trying to keep track of all this is making my head spin.
It's entirely possible that this may become "Eowyn's apartment hunting journal" for the next few weeks, for which I apologize in advance.
The good news: I was offered a new job in DC.
The bad news: I start in a month, which means I have to find an apartment and move in less time than that, all the while still working at my old job, and figuring out what the hell I'm going to do about the 7 months left on my current apartment lease.
This, it seems, will entail trips to DC pretty much every weekend from now until I move. Got up at 5:30 yesterday morning so I could drive down and meet my parents for our first weekend of apartment hunting. My mother would love for me to get a condo, so I can build up some equity rather than throwing away money on rent, but so far, we've only found one place I could afford, and I wasn't crazy about it. I don't want to buy the first place I see, just because it's a great price. As my mother says, if you buy something on sale, and then you don't like it, you didn't really get a bargain.
So I'm also looking at renting an apartment - which is also absurdly expensive. Once we ruled out all the places that either were out of my price range, or in bad neighborhoods, or so much of a dump my mother wouldn't let me live there, there aren't that many choices, but still, I think it's going to be a hard decision. I've got it narrowed down to probably Arlington or Alexandria, if anyone who either lives in or is familiar with the area has any advice.
I'm looking for a one-bedroom, although we did look at a few studio/efficiency apartments this weekend. The studio would definitely be cheaper, but I worry about a.) not having a private bedroom area when I have guests, especially guests who sleep over, b.) less space for the kitty, and c.) not enough room for all my furniture. I'm in a one-bedroom now, and it's fully furnished, so all that stuff will have to go somewhere. (I suppose it could go in my parents' basement, but the main problem seems to be the bedroom furniture, and I don't know where I'd store all my clothes if I can't fit my dresser in the apartment...)
There's a fair amount of sticker shock, going from where I live now, which is one of the most expensive apartments in my (admittedly small) city, to finding out that, on the same salary, I qualify for low-income housing in the DC metro area. Talk about your cost of living differences.
Anyway, since we didn't find anything that was absolutely perfect, we will probably be going back and looking at more places next weekend. It's a damn good thing I like spreadsheets, because trying to keep track of all this is making my head spin.
It's entirely possible that this may become "Eowyn's apartment hunting journal" for the next few weeks, for which I apologize in advance.
no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 02:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 01:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 03:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 01:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 03:55 am (UTC)Actually, I love reading moving/home hunting journals. I've told my BF that as long as I'm in school I'm fine with this apartment but when I'm done I'm leaving.
Which is a little sad because I just know I'll have to leave the city.
no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 01:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 06:07 am (UTC)Sorry, am too damn worn out to add anything else. Looking forward to hearing your moving trials and tribulations, though.
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Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 01:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 07:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 01:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 07:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 01:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 01:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 01:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 15th, 2009 02:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 16th, 2009 01:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 16th, 2009 03:20 pm (UTC)My cousin (who's like a sister to me) and brother both rent a house in Arlington. The rent up there is just whoa, so I can sympathize.
no subject
Date: Jun. 17th, 2009 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 17th, 2009 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 16th, 2009 03:43 pm (UTC)In the very broad sense of living in the same metropolitan area.
Don't have much advice about Arlington or Alexandria. My understanding is that depending on where you live and work, you may not need a car in Arlington (probably the same goes for some neighborhoods in Alexandria).
no subject
Date: Jun. 17th, 2009 02:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 17th, 2009 07:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 17th, 2009 02:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Jun. 21st, 2009 06:53 pm (UTC)She said she would email me some more info about the neighb for your reference. I also found this: http://www.gloverparkdc.com/.
I also put a call in to another friend that was living in Alexandria a year ago, also carless and working for the Grand Hyatt in event planning in downtown DC. If I get any more info for you, I'll let you know!
no subject
Date: Jun. 22nd, 2009 03:11 pm (UTC)