adventures in real estate, take 2
Feb. 25th, 2006 12:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaeclecticThe blessing and curse of househunting is having lots of options.
I went out again with my realtor this AM, saw 5 more places, not one an absolute loser.
The first was probably the best: a loft near Jack London Square (1/2 mile to Lake Merritt BART), full points for the cool factor, perhaps not the easiest space to arrange but that's the kind of challenge I like... The layout is a "great room" with a small second-level loft space, which has a sleeping platform and a storage space that isn't exactly a closet and a small area advertised as an office, although I'm not sure I'd use it that way. Under the stairway is another storage space built for hobbits. The whole place is very nicely appointed, stone floor in the bathroom, swanky kitchen cabinets -- not to mention neon lights in the hallways, *giggle* The main room has a balcony, basically a wall of windows looking out onto a roof, so lots of light and complete privacy (the showing realtor cleverly arranged a row of plants along the balcony railing which made it look completely charming instead of a bit barren, as it easily could have). It seems a little smaller than my current space, but the square footage is apparently almost identical, so it's just an illusion of the layout.
Then a place in Adams Point that I had been extremely intrigued by: a nice neighborhood (although kind of bordering on a sketchy one, actually not far from where zabet & drew used to live) and a unit with all kinds of sweet features like wood floors, balcony, in-unit laundry, even a wood-burning fireplace, yet still in my price range. Turns out the main down side is freeway noise, which is quite noticable. Plus it's over a mile from BART.
The other three don't really make the cut (and honestly all kind of blur together in my mind, one continuous swath of beige carpet): two in Adams Point, one a bit further east from there, all nice enough -- one too expensive to make the cut unless it was true love (and it's not), the other two on the bargain-basement side which means a sensible person might prefer them, but I am more in the mindset that I want to pay a little more and be thrilled. Since I can. You know?
I guess I am just intrinsically materialistic.
One thing I really noticed today is how I yearn for storage space. That being one of the big down side of my current apartment, there is really just no place to put things *away*.
As I write this, I keep going back and adding more tidbits to my description of the Jack London Square / 3rd St place. This is some kind of indication that it did capture my imagination. Now I have to fight the battle of: how fast should I go? how many more places should I look at? how bad will I feel if this one gets away? et cetera et cetera
I went out again with my realtor this AM, saw 5 more places, not one an absolute loser.
The first was probably the best: a loft near Jack London Square (1/2 mile to Lake Merritt BART), full points for the cool factor, perhaps not the easiest space to arrange but that's the kind of challenge I like... The layout is a "great room" with a small second-level loft space, which has a sleeping platform and a storage space that isn't exactly a closet and a small area advertised as an office, although I'm not sure I'd use it that way. Under the stairway is another storage space built for hobbits. The whole place is very nicely appointed, stone floor in the bathroom, swanky kitchen cabinets -- not to mention neon lights in the hallways, *giggle* The main room has a balcony, basically a wall of windows looking out onto a roof, so lots of light and complete privacy (the showing realtor cleverly arranged a row of plants along the balcony railing which made it look completely charming instead of a bit barren, as it easily could have). It seems a little smaller than my current space, but the square footage is apparently almost identical, so it's just an illusion of the layout.
Then a place in Adams Point that I had been extremely intrigued by: a nice neighborhood (although kind of bordering on a sketchy one, actually not far from where zabet & drew used to live) and a unit with all kinds of sweet features like wood floors, balcony, in-unit laundry, even a wood-burning fireplace, yet still in my price range. Turns out the main down side is freeway noise, which is quite noticable. Plus it's over a mile from BART.
The other three don't really make the cut (and honestly all kind of blur together in my mind, one continuous swath of beige carpet): two in Adams Point, one a bit further east from there, all nice enough -- one too expensive to make the cut unless it was true love (and it's not), the other two on the bargain-basement side which means a sensible person might prefer them, but I am more in the mindset that I want to pay a little more and be thrilled. Since I can. You know?
I guess I am just intrinsically materialistic.
One thing I really noticed today is how I yearn for storage space. That being one of the big down side of my current apartment, there is really just no place to put things *away*.
As I write this, I keep going back and adding more tidbits to my description of the Jack London Square / 3rd St place. This is some kind of indication that it did capture my imagination. Now I have to fight the battle of: how fast should I go? how many more places should I look at? how bad will I feel if this one gets away? et cetera et cetera