Things that might be decidedly odd…

Mission Accomplished

I won’t delay the good news: I have a place to live! Story follows.

This morning I went in search of postcards. I figured there would be plenty down at Pike Place Market, so I walked down there from my hotel. Lo and behold, there were plenty to be had for low prices (5 for $1). After that I headed back to my hotel and looked through the apartment ads craigslist on a whim to see if there was anything interesting. Originally, I hadn’t planned to look, figuring I would just way to hear back on the two places I had applied to.

Up popped a nice sounding 1 bedroom for $1200/mo on E Thomas between Bellevue and Summit:

We just remodeled this apartment and it is now ready for the special person lucky enough to join our family at Weisenbach Properties.
This unit has brand new wood floors, brand new kitchen cabinets and drain boards, new cabinets in the bath as well. We have completely gone through this unit to make it a special home and living space of this third floor home that has an overlooking view of Thomas Park.
You must see this apartment before you make any decisions about your quest of finding a new home. We pay the water sewer and garbage. This 1914 building has been completely updated with new copper pipes and new up to code wiring throughout. Seldom does an opening ever happen in this building. Our average tenant in this building has been here for more than seven years and we think this speaks for the quality of the living experience here. There is a large shared yard with patio and built in barbeque. This is truly the hub of activity here in the spring and summer. We truly are a micro community where everyone knows one another and shares and cares about one another. There are four bus lines close by with the number 14 only an eighth of a block away ready to whisk you to downtown and home again. On the other hand, you might just decide to make the twelve-minute walk to the center of the business district in downtown Seattle. We are just four blocks from Broadway where you will find everything you will need in the way of grocery, merchant, plus a plethora restaurants to fit the most discriminating of tastes. Please visit us at our website for further information about us and this building at http://www.weisprop.comCall us today to arrange to look at your new home today at (206) 322-8030
Weisenbach Properties is four privately owned apartment buildings nestled on the west side of Capitol Hill.
Every endeavor is made to insure each of our tenants has an enriched living experience while living at our properties. With an average tenant stay of more than four years, we feel we have reached this goal.

Here is the info from their website on this specific building.

The guy who I talked to wasn’t able to show the place until 3pm, because he had to go buy “some parts”. It turns out that he was working on the unit and needed some additional materials for the new shower being put in. Anyhow, he took me up to the unit which is on the top floor of a 3 story building. I liked it quite a lot and was able to submit an application on the spot. The manager took me over to her apartment and ran the credit check right in front me! As I expected, the check came back fine and she offered me the place then and there. I told her I would need to think about it for a bit still and that I’d call back tomorrow morning. I went and grabbed dinner and meandered around Broadway for an hour or so before deciding that this was my prefered place out of the 3 in the running. I called the manager up and told her I wanted to pay the deposit right now. I went over there, cut the check and sealed the deal.

Almost everything in the unit is new or remodeled, yet it still has that feel found in older buildings (high ceilings, vintage door handles, vintage windows, etc.). It is not as large as the place over on Bellevue E and Roy, but it’s still decent sized with a separate living room and dining room. The location is good too. It’s 5 minutes to Broadway and 5 minutes to the express bus stop (I timed it). Another nice thing is that it has a gas stove (man, do I HATE cooking on electric) and gas heat (still cheaper than electric despite recent spikes in natural gas prices). One downside is that there is no parking available on-site. That means I’ll have to hunt for street parking, although I’m not planning on driving daily so hopefully that won’t be too painful. A spot should be coming available in an adjacent building owned by the same people within a month or so that I could pay for if I want.

The place is still being worked on, but they assured me it would all be done by the weekend in time for me to move in on Sunday. Hence, I can fly back home tomorrow night, then worry about driving all my stuff back up here.

Wow, I’m so happy to have a place and be done with this draining processing of looking at apartments!

Exhaustion Follow-up

Well, I heard back from the manager who showed me that one apartment today. Unfortunately, the tenants aren’t going to move until the very end of the month, which pretty much eliminates that place as a possibility. Part of me says I should suffer for a week or two living in temporary housing until the ideal place opens up. However good this place is, it’s not ideal though. The place on Bellevue East and Roy is actually nicer inside, but more expensive. Its location is slightly less ideal, although as my mother pointed out, it is a shorter commute to work which I’ll be doing twice a day as opposed to doing things like grocery shopping which only happen about once a week.

Hopefully, I’ll hear back tomorrow that my credit and background checks have gone through. 24 to 48 hours seems to be the typical window, which means today or tomorrow they should be done. Right now, I can’t forsee any major problems with my credit or background, but who knows what could happen. I’ll figure it out as it unfolds I imagine.

Exhaustion

I woke up a bit late this morning and ran down to breakfast just before they closed. Already, I’m getting a bit tired of the same offerings for complementary breakfast each day. Still, I can’t complain because the food is good and included in the cost of the hotel room. I came back to the room unsure of what my plans for the day were. I figured I’d take a bit of a break and maybe call some places this afternoon.

Around 11:30, I got a call from somebody I had left a mesage with yesterday morning. I grabbed the next bus up to Capitol Hill to check out this place on Republican and 11th. Like some of the places I saw yesterday, this is a large one bedroom. It’s smaller than the third place I saw yesterday that I liked so much. The guy said it was about 850 sq. ft. which is about the size of some of the nicer two bedrooms I’ve looked at. It has windows on three sides being that it’s in a building with only 6 units (2 on each floor, taking up half the floor). That means it’s bright inside, although the place from yesterday is brighter being that there are no blinds or curtains. It also has a separate dining room and living room. There’s also a small “room” with no windows, which could be used as an office. Again, it’s an older unit (building is from the 30s) so it has that old-fashioned charm I like.

The price is fairly good at $1150 and the guy indicated that he’d be willing to rent it for less being that he’s had trouble finding a tenant. Utilities are extra, but includes steam heat and hot water as well as water, sewer and garbage. The location is better than the place yesterday as well in that it’s closer to Broadway as well as streets like 12th and 15th which have a number of businesses. The big downside though is that it may not be ready until Feb 1st. The manager said he’d talk to the current tenants to see if they could be moved out by this weekend in exchange for a weeks worth of rent. He’s supposed to get back to me today sometime regarding the results of that. If it can be vacated by then, I think I’ll submit an application. The other downside is that there is no on-site parking available. The more I think about it though, the more I realize I can probably get by with on-street parking. I’m not planning to commute by car, which means I shouldn’t have to hunt for a space every evening. Moreover, from this place, Safeway is about a half mile walk, which means I probably wouldn’t even need to drive to the store.

However, I’m still waiting for word back on the two other places I’ve submitted an application with. Normally they say it takes 24-48 hours to do the necessary checks. Considering that yesterday was a holiday, I should hopefully hear back tomorrow or Thursday on these places. It would be great if I could get an app in for this last place today too, because any later means I may already be back in socal by the time I hear the results.

So far, I’m feeling a lot more satisfied with these large one bedrooms compared to the dinky two bedrooms that are in the same price range. It seems that the price of a two bedroom is more than the price of a one bedroom with the same square footage. My potential guests shouldn’t fret though. I can always invest in a futon or couch sleeper if necessary.

Rounding out the day

After taking a break back at the hotel for a bit, I jumped back on the bus up the hill again to turn in the application for the third place I saw today. The more I think about the place, the more it seems to be the right one. I like the hardwood floors and the brightness. The location is pretty good. Even if it is a bit expensive, I can certainly afford it. More than anything, I think I like places with that old-fashioned charm. Modern apartments just all seem the same, especially when like me you’ve looked at around 10 of them in the course of 3 days. Hopefully, the application process will go smoothly and I’ll hear soon that I’ve been offered something.

From there, I walked over to the Safeway on 15th and John to buy some groceries (read frozen dinners and snack food) for the next couple days. The place was fairly busy and all the lines had quite a few people in them. As I waited in line, I was struck by realization that there were lots of men waiting in line and very few women. Moreover, many of the men seemed to be gay (or was I just projecting?). It’s still fairly surreal walking around Capitol Hill and perceiving so many gay men. Sometimes I think I must be imagining things, but I’m probably not. The population is certainly there, living everyday lives.

I’m not entirely sure what my plans for tomorrow are yet. I may try to follow up on some places I still haven’t seen because the contacts having gotten back to me. I’ll probably look through the new listings on craigslist as well and check them out. Something amazing could pop up still and it’s always good to see more places in case both of the two other places I’ve filed applications with don’t work out.

Apartment Hunt Continues

Today was another big day of looking at apartments.  I managed to see 5 units in 4 buildings.  Here’s the run-down:

The first place was way over on Pike and 18th.  Inside it is VERY nice.  In addition to new carpet and appliances, it has vaulted ceilings with skylights and a nice view of Lake Washington.  It also has a loft, which is kinda cool.  It’s also the most expensive place I’ve seen and the bedrooms weren’t really very large (even compared to other places I’ve seen here).  Still, I liked it quite a bit.  Unfortunately, it’s fairly far away from the bussle of Capitol Hill–too far I think.  It’s only about 2 blocks from Trader Joe’s which is cool, but there’s not a whole lot else over there.  Technically, it’s not even in Capitol Hill according to certain websites I’ve looked at (others put it on the edge of the neighborhood), but rather the fringe of the Central Area.  Now, the Central Area is the historically bad part of central Seattle (from what I’ve managed to read) and apparently has a gang problem.  Although this place isn’t in the middle of that, it made me a bit nervous.  The neighborhood around seemed perfectly fine this afternoon.  In fact it was nicer than many of the other neighborhoods I’ve been looking in.  However, I went by there this evening and there were two dudes standing on the corner and not in a good way.  It’s also a bit too close to the cell phone/radio/tv towers for my taste (about a small block away).  I’m thinking this type of place would probably go for more like $1500 (they’re asking $1300) if it was closer to the center of things.

The second place is about a block from the first on Union and 17th.  At first nobody was there, so I waited around for about half an hour until somebody showed up.  The units are nice enough.  There are three identical two bedroom units, all of which have been recently renovated with new appliances and paint.  Two of the units were on the ground floor, which I’m too excited about (price $1100/mo).  The third is on the second floor, but more expensive ($1150/mo).  Closet space and what not is fairly limited and there seemed to be some old wiring (only one phone jack).  Also, the location is about the same as the first, which means it’s a ways out although it is within walking distance of several grocery stores.  Generally, I wasn’t too excited about this place.  I could pay about the same for the same thing closer in more or less I think.

The third place is a bit further up on Republican and 19th Ave E.  The neighborhood and building seemed pretty ok.  Unfortunately, the bedrooms are just WAY too small (seemed to be about 8×8).  It’s probably a good deal for the $1025 rent, but I’d rather pay more for something larger and closer in.

The fourth place I visited fairly late in the day.  I had already come home to end the day, but one of the people I called earlier in the day gave me a call back.  I took the bus back up to this place which is on Harvard and Olive (one block off Broadway).  I looked at two units–one with one bathroom and one with two.  I really don’t need two bathrooms, but I figured I’d look anyways.  The units were ok, but nothing had been redone (except the carpet) in either one in several years (older applicances, cabinets, etc.).  The location and price were pretty ok ($1050/mo for the 2 bed/1 bath), but again I think I’d rather pay a little more to have a slightly nicer place.  Moreover, while both units are already vacant, the 1 bath one is still being cleaned and having the carpet replaced.  It probably won’t be ready in the next few days, which means it’s effectively out of the running.
Also, I heard back from the last place I looked at yesterday that it won’t be available until February, which means it’s out of the running too.  Right now, I’m leaning towards the second place I saw yesterday.  It’s close in to where the action is, close to the bus stop, reasonable priced and has new appliances and what not.  The rooms are nothing spectacular and the bathroom could probably use a remodel, but seriously how much time does a person spend in the bathroom?

Hopefully, I’ll be able to see a couple more places tomorrow.  There’s one that got listed yesterday on craigslist that I somehow missed and two I still haven’t had my messages returned on.  There’s also another place having an open house tomorrow afternoon, although the location of that last one is not entirely ideal.  I admit I’m getting tired of looking, but at the same time I think I’ve gotten a decent feel for what’s out there for what I’m looking for.

More Apartment Hunting

After kicking back for a while, around 4:30 I decided I’d call up some of the people I left messages with earlier in the day. The first guy I called told me he was showing his place in about 5 minutes to somebody else and would be around until 5. I rushed over there, arriving just in time. Walking up to the place, I had second doubts about even looking at this place. It looked pretty bad from the outside. Inside though, it was quite nice. The building is from 1918 although it’s been renovated a couple times since then. It’s smaller than the other places I’ve looked at, but I like the setup. The second bedroom actually has french doors that open out to the living room. That would work well for an office. Parking is included as well, which makes it a good deal at $1050 per month. Also, has a small washer and dryer inside the unit.

Still, I think I’d be willing to pay a little more for something nicer, but the more I look the more I wonder if such a thing exists. There’s places going for $1000-1100 and then places going for $1500+ which is more than I want to spend. There’s nothing really wrong with saving money though and this place has a good location being just about 1.5 blocks off the section of Broadway with a ton of restaurants.

Unfortunately, I forgot to ask the guy when the unit would be available. I emailed him and hopefully he’ll get back to me with a date that works for me.

Getting down to business with the apartment hunt

After a lovely complementary breakfast at the hotel (they had waffles!), I went back upstairs to my room to scour craigslist and the classifieds in the newspaper for apartments. I ended up calling probably about 10 places up, but I only spoke to one person (the other 9 were voice mails). I met the manager of the building at 11 and looked at the place. They were asking $1000 for a 2 bedroom, which is on the low side of my price range. The place was relatively small, on the ground floor and had bars on the windows (never a good sign). The neighborhood seemed nice though. Close to shopping and nightlife, but enough blocks off of it to be in a quiet place.

I then walked around a bit more, trying to find another place I was planning to check out at 1pm, when there was supposed to be an open house. After finding it, I wandered some more until I stopped for lunch at a Pho place (mmmm, pho) on Broadway. While in the restaurant, I realized I had a missed call from one of the places I had called this morning. I figured I’d go to my next planned showing and call the guy afterwards. I then headed back over to the place I had scouted out for the open house, but nobody was there. I waited around a bit and called the number (voice mail only).

Eventually, I gave up and called back the guy who left a voice mail for me while I was eating lunch. I convinced him to show me the place right away as opposed to waiting until tomorrow. I nearly ran over there, although it was a bit further than I thought. The place was pretty nice. I think I’d be willing to pay a little more for something nicer (rent would be $1095/mo + $65/mo for parking), but it was much better than the first place I saw. A big plus too is that it’s close (just a couple blocks) to the express bus stop over to Redmond.

Now that it’s the afternoon, there’s a whole slew of new listing on craigslist, so I’ll probably make some more calls (and call people I never heard back from again) to see a couple more places this afternoon and evening. Of course, it’s raining again, but I’m taking a break for the time being to dry off.

Some interesting things I experienced while walking all over Capitol Hill this morning: a couple crushed PBR beer cans in the gutter (there must be hipsters around), two women holding hands while walking down Pine Street, the REI flagship store (need to go visit that some time), a couple attractive guys with whom awkward eye contact was made (hmmm, were they gay or just hip?), lots of water laying on the ground and falling from the sky.