Friday, December 22, 2006

EIGHT Other Offers!?!

Yeah, that's right, eight other offers had been made on the townhouse. I found this out fifteen minutes before the presentation. Bummer. I passed on getting into a bidding war.

The right place for me is out there - I just have to be patient. On a more positive note, I just heard from my opthalmologist's office - my cataract surgery is booked for March 8. Woohoo!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Home, Sweet?

I am trying very hard not to get too excited tonight. A couple of hours ago I viewed (real estate talk) a townhouse that feels soooooooo right for me. I'm going back in the morning, with my realtor, to examine the development in daylight. I have been looking for a condo since mid-October, and with the housing market booming for sellers here, I've had slim pickings. Didn't help that the first realtor I was working with didn't seem to be putting a lot of effort into making it happen for me - guess my modest pre-approved mortgage can't match up to the half-million condos she handles in trendy downtown.

One of my coworkers at the hospital is a real estate investor, and she gave me the number of a young, up-and-coming fellow. He has been wonderful, searching for places to suit MY needs and wants, and exhibiting endless patience with my questions. I had a feeling the place I looked at tonight might be right - and if there's no pending offer on it, I plan to make one. Conditional, of course, on an inspection and my examination of the condominium documents.

What's it like? Well, it's a two-storey townhouse, built in 1972. It's a bit dated, but I like it, it's from my youth. There isn't a single stitch of carpet anywhere in it (I have allergies, so that's a good thing), and the living room has hardwood. The rest of the place has lino. Older, somewhat shabby lino. No biggie, a couple of years in, I can have that replaced. The dining area is a bit small, but I haven't had a dinner party in - oh, let's see - at least two decades. The kitchen has tons of cupboard space and a big window. The living room is big, and there's a nifty (translation: I'm not sure I like it completely, but I can work with it) room divider thingy separating the front door from the living room space. Three bedrooms, and the master is big, too. 1 1/2 bathrooms. A linen closet big enough to hold a SmartCar. A closet in every room/space, except the living room, and a full, unfinished basement for storage. The washer & dryer are brand new, and the stove and fridge, while a bit older, are both in good condition.

Other pluses - it's at the back of the condo development, and blocks away from the nearest school or bus route = quiet. It also has not one but two trees in the front yard - a huge evergreen (right in front of the living room window, yay for privacy) and a deciduous tree about 7 feet high that I'll identify come spring, if I buy it. There is a very neat retro light fixture in the dining room, kind of an art nouveau thing. Did I mention all the closets? And not an accordian door on any of them, which is good since I loathe accordian closet doors! Bifold, wooden bifold doors everywhere. Wood=paintable. I can make decorating statements on my closet doors.

So, big enough for me, houseguests, and my books and other junk. From my era. Quiet. No power corridor. In my familiar area/comfort zone. Oh, and the price is right, too - in this city's inflated market, at CDN $159,500.00 it's a steal! Everyone, please cross your fingers and toes and eyes for me and pray to whatever deity you worship that this place checks out and that I get to buy it!