Searching

Day: 305
High Temp: 93F

You all may have noticed that the day counter is ticking slowly up towards the magical 365 day mark.  Our one year anniversary in Texas is nearing, and beyond being a sentimental anniversary, it also means that Tom and I will soon, blessedly, be released from our current apartment lease!

We are early in our search (having seen only 3 places so far) but last night, we had an experience that took my confidence in finding a nice, affordable place down several notches. Most of you who read this blog have gone through the dual excitement/headache of finding a new place to live, but what Tom and I went through last night should win top honors for the worst apartment hunting experience ever...

We responded to a Craigslist ad for a small bungalow situated in the heart of one of Austin's best urban neighborhoods, Hyde Park. This little place had a great price, and while it didn't promise a lot of room, it was just two blocks from a locally owned grocery store, a great bakery, and several popular restaurants. We got there, and it was surprisingly run down.  Huge holes in most of the window screens were apparent before we even stepped foot inside. Once inside, we saw it was vacant, but the previous renter's trash and other unwanted items were still in the house. It certainly had not been cleaned, and generally it did not appear to have been "made ready" to go back on the rental market. Given the fact that it was vacant, this seemed like a red flag warning me of poor management.

It certainly was not the charming, cozy bungalow the Craigslist ad had been promised, but matters got worse when after just a few minutes of looking around the rental agent said "oh my god!" and started slapping at his ankles.  It was right around this time that I felt a sharp sting on my own leg, and looked down to see dozens of FLEAS swarming my ankles. I ran to the kitchen sink (which was filled with cleaning supplies and trash) and turned on the water which I proceeded to splash on my legs and feet, trying to rinse the little devils away.  Grabbing a stray roll of paper towels, we quickly exited the place to continue our frantic slapping outside.  I was horrified.

The rental agent could not have been more apologetic or embarrassed, but I was incredibly angry that they had agreed to show the property without first confirming that it was in livable condition.  Not only did it waste our time, but I walked away with no less than a dozen red, swollen welts from the bites.

Horrible right? I am just hoping that this awful experience gains us a little positive house-hunting karma, and that we will soon find the perfect house at just the right price.