Tuesday 31 July 2012

love and apartments

Apartment hunting, people. It's an ugly business right now. The city is full of homeless, and it looks like I will be joining them shortly. I line up to look at apartments, I fill in forms, smile hopefully ... but no one smiles back. No one says my name. No one wants me for a tenant. Reminds me a lot of my high school romantic career.



Actually, there's a pretty good parallel there. I am the eager suitor, wandering up to various unattached girls. I find myself revising my standards, trying different opening lines, chatting easily, winningly, desperately, wondering which one of them will say, Sure, I'd love to go to a show and how I will feel about that.


Right now there are three candidates in view, three very different apartments with my bid. If they were girls (is this anthropomorphism or objectification?), they would be: the smokin' hot one, the cheap and easy one, and the nice one. And there are good things to be said about each of them. (Guess which one the pic is supposed to represent.)




I'll let you know how the romance goes, but before I get to the individual characterisations, did you know that the average downtown apartment is renting far above the asking price? Open houses generate multiple bids, and the competition can get fierce. One realtor was telling me about a place in Little Italy listed for 1600/month that went for 2200. That's a pretty good hike.


Because you see the same people over and over again at various open houses, you find yourself bonding with them. You are fellow travellers on a tough pilgrimage. There's an incredibly cute younger (everyone is younger than I) couple from the States I've seen a half dozen times. We seem to like the same things about places, and I said a couple of times, If I don't get it I hope you do. So far, we are all still looking.


More soon. I'm on my way to take a look at a 2 bedroom with den in a nice neighborhood close to amenities laundry ensuite girl. Maybe she'll be the one!

8 comments:

Marilyn said...

It's insane, the prices. That's probably why I stay in my place, even though my landlord is crazy, unfriendly and has anger management issues. The location is great and there are only a couple of hookers and drug dealers.

Richard Scrimger said...

Crazy angry and cheap? Sounds like some of my apartment girls.

Anonymous said...

Go for the one you think is all that and a bag of ketchup chips. If it has counter space for a toaster.

Sand

Richard Scrimger said...

Yeah but I think it has some emotional baggage. I'm pondering ...

Anonymous said...

Ah. In that case always better to check things out carefully on your own and not rely on those internet landlord messaging boards. Hope it all works out for you and yours.

Sand

Anonymous said...

Though it is silly to pay big rent for extra space to store sentimental stuff like massive scrapbooks or pot pourri bowls. C'est vrai ça.

(Go to sleep, Sand)

Gotcha. :)

Kellie Huffman said...

You are scaring the crap out of me. I have been hoping to do some apartment hunting in this big, dirty town as well, not looking forward to hanging out at Ronald McDonald House for the next 2-3 years, hadn't had the courage to peek around and find out just how expensive it is....even with hubby back at work. He doesn't make Toronto wages. Perhaps we will be staying with our Sugar Daddy. Not much of a home but the rent is free.

Richard Scrimger said...

Gotta love the sugar daddies! Sweet sweet rental deal. If you haven't eaten him out of house and home next year, maybe I can move in too ...