One fish, two fish....

Brick apt, standalone house. No, it doesn't rhyme but I am so fresh I don't need metrics.

The apt hunt goes on, and it's a much more interesting this time around. I have an excellent attitude if I do say so myself.

Found a couple of nice places, one in a house near here that was cozy and had a wood stove and was overall very tempting, despite not being "it" in a variety of little ways that I would have tried to see past. In the end, the decision was made for us when the owner's brother had "drama" of some undisclosed nature and the owner told me he had to let his brother live there. At firt it felt like a bummer, but I was actually thankful because I didn't have to really agonize over it, and also I know that this shit only happens when something more ideal is around the corner, so I'm over it.

So the hunt now concentrates in the city, specifically back in Hampden where we used to live. I really enjoyed living there and although I wouldn't totally poo poo living in another part of the city, I seem to keep coming back to Hampden. I like the stores, the bars, the centrality, the farmer's market and the night walking choices. HN is a little sad, he feels like if we go back where we moved from it's a step backwards but I'm not even allowing that sentiment to crowd my wave so the hunt goes on. I know once we get in somewhere and are happy and *I* am happy, HN will come around and get over it. I have enough postivity for the both of us. Plus his sister lives nearby and that's a selling point.

Today we're going to look at a few places, including one owned by a friend of ours who has been trying to sell it. Said friend is not 100% sure he's ready to give up the dream of selling, but it's been on the market for 4 months, empty for 3, and there are 8 houses on that block for sale. He will crumble soon if he knows what's good for him! Plus, it's a cute place and I could rock the shit out of the craft alcove (and look good doing it- pics later which will explain what I mean) Were I not so averse to the idea, it's a place we might even consider buying ourselves.

Aside(to be folded into ongoing conversation shortly): I am a *horrible* bargain-er. I just don't have it in me. When I went to Mexico, I was so bad at it that even though everyone said "take 25% off the price anyone quotes you" I never would. I spent some time one day talking with one merchant, who wanted to haggle and finally got so annoyed that I wouldn't/didn't haggle that he did it for me and ended up selling me things for less than I had been willing to pay for them. When we went to Guatemala, HN would allow me to walk by tables then go report to him on what I liked. I was in no way to indicate my interest because I blew some pretty good deals by squealing "I LOVE IT!!!"

Haggling is a thing HN excels at. He got this from both of his parents, but his mother is like the ultimo pro of it. She once tried to bargain with the cashier at JoAnn's and was unsuccessful by only the narrowest of margins. It was awesome to watch. So I've been discussing bargaining with various people lately (I don't know why, it just keeps coming up. Apparently the universe is trying to tell me it's time to get my skillset expanding) and I confessed I always feel bad when bargaining. I just think you either accept someone's conditions or you don't right? Shopping, personal relationships, whatever; my philosophy is the same. Everyone puts out there where they're at and what they're capable of and everyone else either oks or passes has always been my take. So I confessed the feeling bad part to a friend and he gave me a rather stellar, succinct bargaining tip that I think I can totally live with. He told me, "push until the person you are dealing with has to fake being ok with what you're getting" His reasoning was that if they are too happy and all fat cat, you're getting less (or paying more) than you should. If they're genuinely unhappy, you've gone too far and are disrespecting. But if they are still willing and able to fake a smile, but you can tell it's work for them you are about at a decent balance of what they think something is worth and what you're about to pay for it.

I can totally live with that.

So, fast forward to me yesterday looking at an apt that I didn't really like, with an annoying woman who I also didn't like who asked me point blank how I felt about the money she was asking for the place. My immediate reaction is almost always "oh, it's fine" (and internally I think "but I wouldn't pay it") but I decided to get with the prophet's program and thought for a minute. I didn't want the place anyway, I totally had the power to say goodbye, and I thought I should listen to the universe and get myself together so I told her I thought for the condition of the place it was a little steep. This is not shocking, most adults do this shit all day long but it's not my bag so it felt like a big deal to me. Anyhow, what ensued was a silly empowering bargaining talk where I could have gotten the rent to a pretty sweet price point just by virtue of being clean, respectable looking me who was pretty much out the door from the minute I got in.

The point to this whole ramble: Bargaining has now been added to the Misc Skills section of my resume. I have 4 houses to see today and I plan to hone my new skills, quick while the iron is hot.

Hopefully I will report on a place to live later, as it's tick tick ticking until the 30 days notice we need to give FFFO and I'd really like to be locked into something before then.