The housing saga continues…

I have been vocal in the past about my unhappiness with the apartment I live in. The flaws are many, we live there because it is convenient to everything. We pay for that convenience, but other than that it is an overpriced, time-worn 1 bedroom apartment. Overall it is a livable space — it would be perfect for one person who isn’t home very often and doesn’t entertain much. When we decided to move in, we were rather rushed to find a place and I thought it had potential to be “shabby chic”.

After living there over a year, the minuses are really stressing me out. I struggle mentally everyday and say to myself “I should be happy with what I have! There’s a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food to eat, car to drive…” etc. because I know there are many people who don’t have that. There were times in my life I never thought I would see the light at the end of the tunnel, I feared I would live in poverty forever. However, I have always worked hard and strove for my own personal success. So is it wrong of me to want to have something nice to show for my hard work? While I’m considered financially secure for the most part, I’m still not at a level I’d like to be. And living in this town, this area really drives that point home.

It’s little luxuries like having my own washer/dryer in the apartment, a dishwasher, and new carpeting that would make me so happy! Not to mention a lower oil bill in the winter! The antiquated furnace in the basement has caused our oil bills to be sky high in the winter! It burns oil at an alarming rate and we often run out without any warning. Let me tell you, that is NOT fun in the dead of winter! Our landlord has not replaced the furnace despite my plight – it would cost over $10,000 for not only a new furnace, but the asbestos cleanup around it! Trust me, I can feel that pain. That is a lot of money all at once. However, it is their responsibility to fix this situation. Lawes said they cannot fix the furnace because it’s over 50 years old and it’s already been patched tons of times.

That is the real reason we need to move from there. I mean let’s face it, the other things are nuisances and can be worked around. However the furnace is a quality of life issue.

We can afford to pay a little more, but quite honestly the prices around here are crizzazy! For a nice, more modern 2 bedroom apartment or “condo”, you easily have to shell out $1600 or more! I browse Craigslist and other sites, and for under that price level you’re looking at an older complex or yet another “shabby chic” situation. And who knows if the landlord will even be accessible to us! I will give credit to our landlord, they are usually available any time night or day.

This listing in Craigslist today sounds like exactly what I’d want. But for $2300/month I better OWN the place. Actually a few weeks ago the person was asking for $2500. Obviously no takers. I wonder why! *snicker* We’re not all stockbrokers on Wall Street buddy! Sheesh. Anywho….

I looked at a new apartment building this morning on Shrewsbury Avenue. Being that it is recently refurbished, I was hopeful. However, the lady I met was quite upfront and honest with me before we even looked at the apartments. She said “I’ll be honest with you, your neighbors will be big Mexican families. You’re also likely to have a cockroach problem.” Lovely, eh? I decided to take a peek anyway.

There are 8 units available and most of are definitely considered 2 bedroom, though the bedrooms are very small. She also informed me they are selling most of the units as 3 bedrooms because they can charge more money and “the Mexicans don’t really need a living room, they need more space for people to sleep.” It took all my will power for my jaw not to drop! I think out of all of the units, only one slightly interested me, but the bathroom was a closet with a shower stall! *sigh*

Don’t get me wrong, living in a diverse neighborhood would not bother me in the slightest — Hello! I lived in Philadelphia for many years! But this isn’t a diversity issue, this is a quality of life issue. I know this is becoming a common occurrence in communities throughout the nation, including here in Red Bank. The Mexican/Latino population is booming – this isn’t a new thing. I’m OK with that. What I’m not OK with is landlords allowing 10+ people living in a cramped space. Quite honestly, she took one look at me, 30 something white chick, and wanted to deter me from the get-go. I don’t know if I should thank her for that, or just be flabbergasted.

So the search continues.