Our New Apartment!

Hello everybody and indeed.

Yesterday we got the keys to our new apartment so I felt a new blog comming on. Plus I told this story to my two best friends over the phone and it took way too long (especially twice), so it just needs to be written down.

The Search:

Since we arrived a week ago Monday, Tuesday we started the search for a place to live. Burbank would be the best area because it is closest to both of our jobs, suburban (which we like), quiet, and quaint. But, alas, after a day of driving around and calling numbers on signs outside buildings, we were only able to view 1 apartment. And it was a 2-bedroom for $1300. Ouch. So the next day we resolved to answer Craig's List postings in surrounding neighborhoods such as Hollywood and North Hollywood. Those are still close to our jobs, but the areas are built up a bit more with commercial stuff. We had 3 appointments Tuesday and 2 more apartments were just open for viewing so we had 5 choices. Tyler and I came up with a code because when you look at apartments in front of the people who own or manage the building you don't want to say bad things about it so NICE was "nice, good, we can take it" and ALRIGHT was "no way am I going to pay money to live here". Appointment #1 was a no show (later rescheduled but it was an "alright" closet for $960 in Hollywood.) Open viewing was another "alright" closet down the street also for $950 in Hollywood. After both of those, we were discouraged. Not only was our limit $900, but we weren't finding anything for that little and for more than that we were finding places that were too small for our things. And we are not space hogs or snobs. But we have a king bed. Nough said. So we went on to open viewing #2. It was huge, had hardwood floors (which I love), and pleantly of storage space. NICE. Until we pick up the application on the kitchen counter. Extra deposit and extra rent for Charlie, our cat and the need for paystubs were among the problems. We took an application anyway and were thinking of ways to get around these things on the way to appointment #2. This one was actually in Burbank (a followup from the day before). We meet the man who owns and manages the building, Paul. Very nice man. The apartment is wonderful. For $950 it looks comperable to our apartment in Chicago. It even had a refridgerator (which very few apartments in Los Angeles do. Wierd I know!). There is less storage than we would like, but we can work that out. We take an application and are set to just live there. But we have one more appointment. But in our minds, this viewing was just to confirm how great Paul's apartment was going to be. It's in North Hollywood and we think it's for $950 as well. We walk in and meet Robert, the building manager. The apartment is huge, has a dishwasher, has a closet the size of a small office, and a big enough bedroom for our bed. And he corrects us. Rent is $895. Cha Ching! So we schmooze Robert to death. And we take an application. We have to get it in the next day (Thursday) because he is going on vacation until the following Monday!

The Application Process:

So we apply for both Robert's and Paul's apartments the next day. We have Debra, my mother-in-law co-sign to speed up the process. We applied for our second choice too, because Robert explained the day before that "they" (term to be used frequently from here on out and to be loathed, so be ready) have a heavy screening process for their applicants as if it's more like a co-op than just an apartment complex. But we are not worried about that after we see Robert Thursday. We schmooze some more. Aparently Robert's passion is photography. How convenient! And at one point he just turned to us and said, "I really like you!" We did a little dance when we left. Or rather, I did, and Tyler laughed at me.

Scare #1:

Paul calls back a few hours later and gives us the good word that we got his apartment. Yea! But we have to let him know that day if we want it because apartments go VERY quickly here and he has another person to give it to if we don't want it. Bummer. So we call Robert to ask what our chances are of getting our dream apartment. It should be noted here that you never get Robert on the phone. You leave a message and he calls back. And not always right away. So a while later he calls back and says he looked over the apartment and while he doesn't make the decision, "they" do, it all looks good. So we tell Paul no. Now we have to wait 4 days and could end up with no apartment!

Scare #2:

Early Friday morning Robert calls and explains that there are reservations because Debra lives out of state. It doesn't look good and he recommends that we tell our second choice that we'll just take that apartment. We are freaking out! We no longer have a second choice! And we are angry because, duh! These "they" people are just stupid. Haven't they every heard of the post office! Living in another state shouldn't matter in the least. Do they think they need the ability to physically come and knock down Debra's door if Tyler and don't pay our rent? DUMB! dumb dumb dumb! So we call Robert back and suggest that Tyler's uncle who lives here could be the co-signer if necessary. We have Debra leave a message trying to reassure him. And then we feel really helpless. Because if we could just schmooze "them" we would be golden. Maybe one of them has a passion for photography! And we really don't want to wait until Monday for a NO at this point and lose 3 apartment hunting days in the meantime. So we call back and leave another message asking if we could have the phone number of "them" because Robert is on vacation so we could give them any answers they needed in the meantime. Robert finally called back and reassured us that we weren't necessarily waiting for a no, that he got all 3 messages and relayed them to "the powers that be" he called "them" this time! So we were put at ease for the weekend at least.

Scare #3:

Monday morning we wake up late and I realize that our cell phone has been left in the car. No surprise that there are 3 new messages! Yikes! So the first one is Robert saying we got the apartment! Yea! But that we need to call him asap and confirm that we still want it and if so, we need to pay 2 months rent for the security deposit plus the first month's rent. So we have to drop $2700! And we have run out of checks for our account in Chicago. And he stipulates that it must be cash, cashier's check, or money order. And it says the message was left at 11:15. I am listening to it at 10:15 pacific time. So I think my voicemail is now stuck on a different time zone. Whether that be moutain or central time I don't know. The next 2 messages are Robert telling me to call him asap or he will give our apartment away to the next applicant! AAHHH!

Scare #4:

So we call Robert back and leave a message and he calls us back and says there is a new problem. He can't verify Tyler's new job at the Blockbuster here that we wrote down! He hasn't started yet so of course they've never heard of him at that store. So we call back with the distric leader's name and cell phone number. The disctrict leader calls US and then Tyler has to talk himself back into a job! She was unaware that we were coming out here to get into the film industry and she wasn't not happy about it because many of her employee's leave the story to take a film job. Well, hello! You are the district leader of HOLLYWOOD, CA! So we don't know if she told Robert that he doesn't have a job. We don't know if he even has one. So now there are more complications.

Scare #5:

How are we going to get Robert $2700 by 3 pm that day? No clue. We can't get the money out of our Chicago account and into a Cali. account fast enough because we have no checks. We can't even get a wire from Debra until the next day! Plus after all the red flags that have been raised about our ability to pay rent, we don't want Debra to have to pay the initial payment. That really looks fishy. So we call Robert back and explain that we've just opened our new account here that day, but that there is a hold on the account until the next day until all the funds are cleared. So he is okay with us paying the next day if we still come by and sign the lease and fax a copy to Debra to sign. Well, obviously we are okay with that! He also mentions that he talked to Jenny, the district leader, and confirmed Tyler's job, so that fiasco was resolved as well.

Epilogue:

We signed the lease later that day and paid him the next. But Monday was hell. Keep in mind that after frantically recieving these 3 voicemails, we showered and left our house right away, so we didn't end up eating until 4 pm and with all these new developements, I thought I was going to throw up most of the day. There were so many emotional highs and lows and we felt that this was worse than a flat out "no" if we didn't get it because it was like it was just being dangled in our face!

But, yea! We got it and it is a steal of a deal. We want to live there for many many years (barring any more problems). We fully expect many of you to come and stay here now! Because I miss you all very much! Love, Jenny

PS. E-mail me if you want our address!