Yesterday Alex and I went to take a look at a house we'd seen advertised on Craigslist. It had looked good online, but the dates weren't an exact match, and I wasn't sure if we could pull it off.
I was half sold before we got there, based on the photos and description, but was trying not to get my hopes up--in part because the dates weren't an exact match for our housing needs. Turns out there was no need to worry--the house is beautiful, the owners are a really nice couple going to Boston for a year (the husband received a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard), and we were able to work something out in terms of the dates.
So, as of August 23rd we'll be living in Kenmore, WA, just north of Kirkland. (Looks like a 20-30 minute drive to work, which is totally manageable.) That means we'll have to extend our corporate housing stay for another month. Hopefully a 3-bedroom will become available--I suspect the close quarters here will start to be a problem after a couple of weeks. But even if we're "stuck" with the small apartment, we can't complain too much; it's like being put up in a hotel suite for a couple of months, with someone else paying the tab.
It's a huge relief to have the housing situation resolved. And the only downside is that the house is so beautiful that it will be hard to leave it in a year! (I've put photos up on Flickr, but they're only available to family and friends.)
Wow! The house is amazing! I'm so happy for you and your family.
Spending a year in Seattle is going to be such an exciting adventure for all of you!
Congratulations Liz! That is so exciting. I trust you're finding good ways to wind down after enduring the twin traumas of moving and buying a house. You got here at exactly the right time of year and bought your house the right way. You're batting a thousand.
We must do coffee sometime, discuss matters of mutual interest in true MicroSpeak, finish our outstanding debate, and start some new ones. Send me a sch+ when you get a chance. I'll be in Amsterdam the week of July 4 though...
Happily we're not actually *buying* a house...with the real estate prices around here, that would indeed be stressful! We'll be happy to go back to Rochester in a year, where we can actually afford to own a nice house in a nice neighborhood.
But yes, we must get together. This week I'm unwinding and settling in with my 8yo son, and next week I start work while you're in Europe. So I'll ping you once you're back in town. (Or you can track me down...I'll be splitting my time between MSR Social Computing and MSN Search).
I'm happy for you!