After
6 months, it is super close to time for me to move out of my parents’ place. I’ve
taken the time to get on top and ahead of my bills, I settled in court on my
car accident and paid my car off, and I have collected enough furniture items
(remember, I started with ZERO) to not look like a squatter when I get an
apartment. When I was really upset a few months ago about living at home at 28,
my mom said, “You didn’t move back in, you’re just regrouping.” Made me feel SO
much better! So now that I have mostly regrouped, I am ready. The question is,
which of 2 great opportunities do I take??
One
of my closest friends, Lori, just purchased a 2,500 square foot house off of
Marine Drive on an acre of land. She is scheduled to close on the house July 17th
and plans to be officially moving in by August 1st. Financially, she
needs to rent one of the rooms to someone, and I have said all along, if I was
going to get a roommate I would love for it to be Lori. She doesn’t have dogs,
kids or a husband, she is super laid back and fun, and I don’t see any “roommate
red flags” in the situation at all. It would be closer to work (my next
promotion is likely to be another Vancouver property) but still closer to
Milwaukie than living in Washington…it would be a great location.
My
other option is to wait until July 1st, when my cousin Lyle finds
out whether or not he gets this position at his church. IF he does, the one
bedroom condo he lives in now will be available, and I would be renting from my
uncle, not from a big community. It would be a little more expensive (not much
more) than living with Lori, has secure parking, is in Milwaukie, and would be
my very own place. The downside is, Juno’s not allowed there, so I would have
to hide her, and it is in a very quiet, mostly senior community. It’s also
tiny.
The
obvious worry is, Lori can’t wait for me until July 1st, because if
I’m not moving in, she needs to find someone else. So what if I tell Lori I am
going to wait on the condo and then either Lyle doesn’t get the position or doesn’t
move until the fall? Then I am back at square one, where I don’t want to be.
With Juno, it is hard to rent a room off of Craigslist, which is more what I
can swing with my budget – one bedroom apartments are super expensive, and I
don’t have any other roommate prospects.
I
think I have this romanticized idea in my head of living alone, when in
reality, I think with as much as I am away from home, having a roommate and
knowing my cat was still getting some love, is sorta nice. Between work and the
gym alone, I am gone 11 hours in the day…that’s a big adjustment for my poor
cat, who is used to having Molly there with her all day and my mom getting home
at 3:30. And I am a homebody; do I
really want to be enclosed in 600 square feet all the time?
I
just don’t know…decisions, decisions…
Think of all the things that make you feel good when you are home; What does the house have that the condo does not? What does the condo have that the house does not?
ReplyDeleteThink of how you like to spend your time; Alone or in the company of another? Passing pleasant, elderly neighbors in the hallway or having a noisy bunch of young people around?
Think of your life style preference; Making sure you follow HOA rules or working out problems that WILL come up while being able to keep a friend? Quiet? Loud?
Do you want to spend time doing yard work in a yard where you can go hang out or no outdoor experiences either negative or positive?
Think that both landlords involved need you to decide sooner, rather than later.
Make this decision based on what PLACE is better for you, not a moving date
You're so smart, mama. =)
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