Ok, so let me say first of all that I don’t consider myself an old curmudgeon in any way. I’m a fairly tolerant, open-minded person, but I do like to have a sense of orderliness and peace around my home.
Recently FavNeighbor and her hubby moved out because they bought a condo. I was so thrilled for them, but so sad for me, because they were amazing neighbors. We had similar schedules, similar expectations, and similar lifestyles. We liked to keep our duplex neat and orderly and we were friends with each other. We got along so well, and I guess I sort of forgot that it’s not always that way with neighbors.
The place was vacant for a few weeks, and I spent that time wondering who was going to move in next door. It is important to like and trust the neighbors that you share a common wall with. Not to mention the fact that our backyard is a common space, as is our basement.
Very few people had come by to see the place, and I was worried that the management company might start to get desperate to rent it out. My fears were warranted, as it turned out. I should mention that the management company was anxious for me to sign the new lease to my house. I was glad to do it, especially because I found out they weren’t going to increase my rent. I was really dumb not to wait to see who was moving in next door, especially because my lease wasn’t officially up until September 30th.
Tuesday I arrived home after a “koffee klatch” with Ish, to discover a bunch of plants, a medium-sized dog, and a bunch of backpacking equipment in the house next door. No people. I wondered what was going on, since I hadn’t been told that anyone was moving in.
Later in the evening, two people arrived. One guy in his mid 20’s and his father, who I found out was 45. Both men had long hair and a bit of a hippie vibe, but I wasn’t judging them by their appearances. They seemed like nice people, and I found out that the son was an artist from Santa Cruz who moved here because this city has more of an artists community than Santa Cruz does. (I knew we had some great galleries in this city, but I didn’t know it was such a hub of artistic talent).
Anyway, the father then proceeded to tell me that he used to do drugs (as evidenced from his lack of teeth – he has maybe 7 in his whole mouth) and had spent some time in jail. Again, I believe that everyone makes mistakes and everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt. I also learned that they were going to leave at midnight to pick up the younger guy’s girlfriend and her dog.
So, just in case you aren’t following this, that makes 3 adults and 2 dogs living next door in a 1-bedroom unit. Definitely a sign of trouble.
The first couple of nights went fine. They were quiet, friendly, and I thought that things might work out. Thursday night painted a whole different picture.
Thursday night they decided to start drinking, playing the music incredibly loud (I had all my doors closed and could hear it clearly), and were hooting and hollering. They were hanging out on the front steps, and the vibe was just really low class and trashy. I know that makes me sound snobby, but so be it. I work too hard for what I have and care too much about my home to live next to something like this.
So, I wrote a letter to the management company explaining what was going on, how unhappy I was, and why I wanted to change my lease from 1-year to month-to-month. Lots of my co-workers are in the process of buying condos or smaller houses since the real estate market is down right now, and I started thinking, “maybe I can afford to buy something, too.”
I got an email the next day (Friday) from the management company explaining that they had talked the the neighbors and assuring me that they would cease and desist with the noise. The thing is, the noise was only a small symptom of a greater problem. The main thing is that these new neighbors simply don’t know any different – they’re used to living like this and I’m sure they see nothing wrong with the way they live or the noise they make. The fact that so many of them are crammed into a 1-bedroom unit should be an indication. Plus the fact that the son is the only one with a job. Now, I know that the economy is tough right now, but they don’t strike me as the hard-working sort.
The neighbors obviously realized that I spoke to the management, and that fact was confirmed when I heard the father say, “wow, she pretended to be so sweet, but she’s actually a fucking bitch.” Nice. It’s going to be just wonderful living next door to this, right?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I’m at the place in my life where I want to live in an area where everyone cares about their home as much as I do. My area isn’t like that. My area is full of traffic, homeless people, and down-and-out sorts. I’ve made huge improvements to this place, and I love my duplex, but if I’m honest, I don’t live in the best neighborhood. By any means. So maybe it’s time for me to move on to something better, somewhere nicer.
My mom always says that everything happens for a reason, and maybe the reason these people moved in was to show me that it’s time for me to look into buying a condo. It would be a stretch, but I could probably afford something small. I don’t have any money for a down payment, but there are new home buyer and teacher programs in my city that may make buying a place more affordable. Plus, this is the time to buy because prices are down.
I pulled my credit score on Thursday and was happily surprised to discover that it’s gone from “poor” to “good” in the course of 3 months. My Experian rating is 706, which isn’t stellar, but isn’t terrible, either. I’m starting to get a bit hopeful that maybe I can join the ranks of homeowner. So, I’ve contacted a real estate agent, and I’m waiting for his call. I’m excited to see what might happen.
Things might be a bit uncomfortable for me at my current home, but with the idea that I may be moving onward and upward, I’m feeling positive.
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