Last Chance To Find An Apartment

Throughout the week my wife and I kept scanning the maps on Trulia and Zillow with the hope that a new listing would pop up. While there were plenty of listings that came to market during the week, there was nothing that fit the criteria that we were looking for, most importantly, the price. With nothing to show for our efforts and our MIL Realtor not having any better luck, we did not make it out this weekend to tour some other spaces.

In an owner’s market, this just hasn’t been a good time to try and find an apartment within the budget that we set for ourselves. I guess we will be staying where we are for now with the hope that we can build up our bank account enough to get a nice starter home around this time next year. The other part of this year long project will be to improve our credit. It’s not that we have bad credit, it is rather good in fact, but there is always room for improvement and it would make things a bit easier when the time comes in trying to secure financing. The basic game plan is simple… build up our bank account, pay down debts, and continue being successful in our jobs (i.e. promotions/raises). How we achieve all this is also simple… work hard and work smart.

So, when the day comes, what will we be looking for in a starter home? The list is a little longer than a rental but, in an ideal situation, here is what the check list would look like:

1. 3+ bedrooms
2. 2+ baths
3. 2+ acres
4. Office
5. Basement (finished or unfinished)
6. Good schools
7. Montgomeryville/North Wales/Lansdale area (there is a little flexibility there for the right place)
8. Reasonable commute time to work (under 60 minutes for me, under 45 minutes for my wife)
9. Garage
10. Not on a main road  

I know what you’re saying… that is why it is called a wish list not a list of requirements. Some of the things are reasonable, some may be fantasy when considering that we will not have much to put into the home but it is a start and it is nice to have a goal.

The most important thing that we need to do now is to make do with what we have and the space in which we currently live. The basic translation of that statement means that we have to clean and organize both of which we have been putting off for way too long. We have a good spot at the moment, not ideal but it is a good apartment at a good rate. And while we may complain at times about various things relating to the building, location, people, and variety of other aspects we have a plan of action and we are better off than most. We have gone through a lot in recent years and we can make it through some more knowing what awaits us just on the other side of the hill.

So, until next year, the hunt is over.