Going on a Lion Hunt

I’m fairly certain I’ve called every apartment complex with rent in my budget in Orange. Honestly. I’ve used more minutes on my cell phone in the last week than I think I used last month. Made quite a few appointments, got fed up with a few managers. One told me to call back when I decided to spend more on my monthly rent, another quoted me 3 different prices, depending on which website I found them through, and another kept insisting that the rent was a great deal since it included cable. Or the one who answered the phone in Spanish and when I asked if she spoke English, her reply was, “Si!”

Apartment #1: close to my house, lots of kids from my daughter’s school in the complex, 2 bed/2 bath, I only pay electric, garage for storage. No pool, across the street from a bar and railroad tracks. Submitted my application – didn’t get it.

Apartment #2: semi-close to my house. Bigger than apartment #1, fireplace, 2 bed/1.5 bath, vanity, fridge, pool. No storage, the commute to my daughter’s school is long because there’s no freeway nearby, lots of signals and freight train tracks.

Apartment #3: employee showing the apartment was 30 minutes late for our appointment, asked us to wait another 15-20, and no cell signal.

Apartment #4: took off 45 minutes early from work to view a 2 bed/2 bath. My conversation with the apartment manager was this (exactly this):

Me: “Hi, I’m Michelle. I’m here to see a 2 bedroom apartment.”
Manager: “We don’t have any.”
Me: “I called Wednesday to set up an appointment for today.”
Manager: “Oh, we already rented it.”
Me: “When? Yesterday?”
Manager: “No, about 30 minutes after you called.”

Yeah, thanks for calling me to cancel my appointment so I didn’t have to leave work early. NOT doing business with you. Ever.

Apartment #5: really close to my house. 2 bed/1 bath, first floor, patio, large pantry, only pay electric, pool and BBQs in the complex, very much in my budget. Submitted my application.

Apartment #6: halfway between my house and my church. 2 bed/1 bath. Upstairs unit, cramped. 1 laundry room per building, each with only 2 washers and dryers.

Apartment #7: close to my grandparent’s house. Very spacious 2 bed/1.5 bath. Walk-in closet in the master bedroom, small complex, rent below my max.

Apartment #8: repeat conversation from apartment #4

Apartment #9: farther away from my house and my daughter’s school (not to mention my office), but a very good school next to the complex. Rent below my max, 2 bed/2 bath, pool. Not available until October.

Apartment #10: farther away from my house and my daughter’s school (no decent school in the neighborhood), spacious 2 bed/2 bath, decent-sized storage closet and pantry, pool, large complex, quiet for a weekend.

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Heard from apartment #5 today; because of my bankruptcy 5 years ago (thanks, ex. REALLY appreciate the crap you put me through), corporate will have to decide whether or not they will rent to me, and if they do rent to me, how much more than $300 I’ll have to put down for a deposit.

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Wednesday, August 4, 2010 11:25 AM

I got the apartment! #5 will be all mine Saturday morning! No extra deposit, no cosigner! Woohoo!!!

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Tags: apartment hunting, calling, comparison, emotion, ex-husband, frustration, moving, punishment, stress