In My Father's House there are Many Rooms

So when I was planning to move to Boston, my future (now former) roommate and I set aside one week to look for an apartment. We made an offer on one apartment and it was taken right out from under us. Then, the last day we'd allotted for the search, we found it. Yeah, in retrospect, it was a little slummy, but there was off street parking and it was a somewhat open floor plan and near some nightlife (though the closest we got to night life was coming home late from class and studying). We had a slum lord, but in the grand scheme of things not even a really slummy slum lord and the police officer living next door was really very kind and would fix major problems.

My roommate moved on to bigger and better things (she now gets to put dr. in front of her name) and I needed a new place to stay. I had just joined a small group and a woman in the group had a friend who was looking for a roommate. This place was even better than my first place, I had my own room this time, there was still a good flow for socializing and my roommate and I, while not terribly close, got along quite well.

That roommate too decided to move on to bigger and better things and two other really fun women were looking for someplace to call home. We searched high and low and found nothing that was a good fit. There were lots and lots of slums far out of our price range and one "compromise" apartment that would mean street parking for two cars and as far as we could tell, no front porch ever! Then, the clouds opened and it was as if a dove flew down and said "This is my apartment in which I am well pleased!" In desperation one of the women posted what we were looking for and in what price range. Randomly, the person who was to become our landlord for the next 2 + years saw that posting. Even now, thinking back on that apartment I almost cry tears of joy.

It was like God had crafted that place exactly for the three of us. There was central air conditioning for the Alaskan in me, two parking spots for our precisely two cars, three rooms, one perfect for each of us, and every little detail, down to bike hooks in the basement demonstrated that this place was ours. It was meant to be. There was no other explanation as far as I could tell. It swooped in right when we needed it and answered every singly petty prayer we had about a place to live. When we finished looking at it the first time we went back to my friend's apartment baked brownies and rushed back to ask when/where do we sign?! I had decided to live in this apartment until I got married -- and even after if I could convince the landlord to sell the place to me!

It didn't exactly follow through on that plan (much to my regret, still to this day). I did manage to outlast my two other roommates. And I still dearly love the place, but last June I moved out. I moved into another place that I really felt had been perfectly created for this part of my life. A cheap place with lots of space (another serendipitous find by the friend who found my last apartment) near friends so my boy and I had a community. A good apartment to help us save money and pay off debt. Last week, we moved my friend out of the apartment I loved so dearly and it felt like a loss again.

Then, randomly searching trulia last Friday, I found something that replaced that apartment in my heart. I found a house that I couldn't find a flaw big enough for it to stop nagging at me, calling to me, whispering sweet nothings at all hours (sure you might call it a stalker, I call it mine). It had everything I could dream of in a house, it had space for a garage and to build an in-law apartment (if and when we ever have money), it had a real yard, big enough for tons of tomato plants (and a grape arbor lush with grapes, my boy loves wild grapes), it had three large bedrooms, and a basement where we could store stuff (instead of behind a curtain in our living room). It's still in our area, but in a slightly less fancy section, in a section that is close to a community center and should be slightly cheaper to buy in. Except. . . . This place is not. It's not cheap at all. In fact it's at least $50,000 overpriced. I was trying to figure out a way we could afford the place. I figured, if we offered them $50,000 less than what they wanted and we could come up with a 10% down payment we could totally afford the mortgage, taxes and insurance. The problem (you're thinking _the_ problem as in ONE? and I am ignoring you) is we don't really have any savings. We've worked on paying off debt, not on saving (don't lecture, I know it's stupid). I tried to figure out how we could swing it. I told my boy, well, I have $5,000 saved and we could use the $8,000 incentive as part of the down payment if we can convince someone to give us a loan and the people to drop their price tons all before November 30th, and we can save my paycheck for the next two plus months and then you can borrow the rest from your 401(k). And if you didn't think I'd lost my boy before then (well you'd be wrong) I certainly did at that point. He put his foot down. He pointed out our credit card debt. He mentioned the fact that we should be focused on other things, not houses.

He is sure that if this house sells (he may have said when. . .I am ignoring that), there will be plenty of other, different houses that will also be a perfect fit for us. I am not convinced. Did I mention this house has central air conditioning?! No houses in Boston come equipped with central air. Anyway, I am praying that they are in slight denial about the market and how much their house is worth. I am also praying that they don't decide to really sell this house till the spring. I am praying that one of those stupid people who always buys during the 20% off part of the going out of business sale (SO DUMB) doesn't swoop in and buy at the far too high price. I am praying that all of this works out so that in the spring I can be living in what I consider to be MY house. The house, that like my last apartment, was fearfully and wonderfully made just for ME.

Oh, and why didn't I post a link or a picture? Cause even though I am trying to put it in God's hands, I am still superstitious and don't want to call extra attention to the place. Email me if you're interested (and didn't already see my google talk status on Friday :)). Also, don't think this is just a completely selfish desire (maybe mostly selfish, but not completely) the in-law apartment desire is so that all of you lovely people spread hither and yon can come stay with us for extended periods! It's almost the compound I've been yearning for, almost.