Moving forward

7/2/07
We finally started to pack today. Yup. At 11pm, we filled one whole box with dishes and then went to bed because that was all the energy we had left after a full day of work. At this pace, we should be done by December 2009. I am optimistic that we can make some real progress on the Fourth of July. I’m figuring on filling at least 5 more boxes. Actually, my goal was to spend at least two hours per day for the next two weeks. Clearly, I have my work cut out for me.

7/9/07
Not bad. We have filled about 20 boxes with stuff so far. There is still a long way to go before it’s all packed. However, we reached another milestone which was to secure storage units for our stuff. After shopping around, we secured two 10’ x 10’ units for $220 per month. We think it’s pretty good since the storage place is local to our home and offers good security with surveillance cameras and key coded access. The boxes I bought from Bay Area Box Express were in good condition and less expensive. They were also used. Tomorrow we’ll buy locks and begin to move boxes into the units. I can’t wait. My home looks like a tornado came through. It will feel good to create more open space in my house.

7/16/07
It is amazing how many things we, as consumers, accumulate and store. How many times have I said ‘gosh this item doesn’t serve a purpose at the moment but I’m sure I’ll need it some time in the future so I should hold on to it’. There it sits collecting dust and taking up space only to be uncovered years later and thrown in the garbage bag. At the same time, I walk through memory lane as I clean old photos, find my favorite sweaters, and all kinds of keepsakes/knick-knacks. We are about 2/3rds of the way through packing our things. Now it’s time to begin looking for a rental. At first, I was reluctant to move into a rental. I didn’t want to spend the money but I reached certain conclusions. First, my home will be easier to show if it’s vacant. Agents can come by anytime with their clients. Otherwise, I’d have to limit the times my home can be shown while I’m living there so my family has some privacy. I’d hate for some possible buyer to miss seeing my home because I didn’t want to interrupt my life. Also, I’ve walked through homes while the seller still resides in it. It feels awkward to intrude on others (whether they are there or not) which sets the tone for the showing. Also, once we are out of the home, I can focus on replacing carpeting, painting walls or laying down laminate floor without any obstruction from furniture or occupants.

7/20/07
We saw "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" today. I really enjoyed it. While the movie digressed from the original story, I believe the characters were intact. Each character behaved in a way that was congruent with their nature as described by J. K.Rowling. I'd highly recommend it to anyone. We'll probably see it again.

7/25/2007
I’m focusing more of my time on preparing for my broker’s exam which will happen next Wednesday. I’ve been studying for about a month. I’m feeling pretty good about it. This weekend we will spend some time looking at rentals. I’m hoping to find something nice and affordable. Ideally, I want a month-to-month rental versus a lease because I want to flexibility to move out when we secure our next property. Craigslist.org has been very helpful in finding places to consider. We’ll see how it goes.

7/30/07
This past weekend we started viewing a few rentals in the area. We mainly focused on 1-2 bedroom apartments that rent for up to $1200/month. From what we saw, there is a significant difference between what you get for $900 versus $1200. We were looking for a place that accepts cats, will lease for less than 6 months, has a covered garage and offers some security. As we were too busy to set up appointments during the week, we played it by ear when trying to view some places we saw on Craigslist. It was frustrating because the places we called either did not answer their phones or never called back. Out of 12 potential rentals we only viewed 2. The first one was a little scary as the elevator did not work properly, the carpets were beyond old and a facilities were marginal. The second place was on the third floor of a building that has no elevator. That alone killed it for me. I don't mind exercise but not with 5 bags of groceries. I think this next week I will spend more time setting up appointments for this coming weekend. We thought about finding our rental through one of the numerous property management companies but they required a credit check and a completed application. We weren’t ready to commit so much to one company at the moment. Thus, we are left to sift through listings on our own for the moment.

Also we spent time working on our back yard and patio. We rented a powerwasher at our local Cresco store. It was a great deal. We got an electric unit costing $30 for 4 hours. Boy, does that sucker clean the grime from the flagstones. I also spent time using bleach and soap to clean some stains from some of the stones. We purchase mulch and some new plants to replace dying ones. Next weekend, we’ll get to the actual planting. Maybe I can get my mom to help. Once we are done, I’m sure the backyard will sparkle.