Fun With Real Estate

[jmfunnyface]

Since Craig's in North Carolina, I've been really looking at real estate down there. These are some of my favorite. I'm in awe of how many new developments are being built. I'm torn on new homes. I really like the idea that you can move right in & not have to spend years fixing things or dealing with the damage that other people have done to the

Comments

[bixxy]

OMG those low-end houses are GREAT. You cannot get ANYTHING like that for that kind of money ANYWHERE in Connecticut.

N.

E.

Where.

Ain't happnin.

[jmfunnyface]

Trust me, I know. I do these searches like every other week for the areas around the schools I've applied to. Cost of living is a huge factor for me in looking at grad programs. My stipend is going to buy me a lightbulb and a box of ramen. Even with the supposedly "great" stipends of ivy leagues, we're only talking about $20K a year max. It would be much easier to live on that in NC than it would be in New Haven.

Even with Craig's salary (his starting salary should pretty much remain standard no matter what part of the country we're in so long as we're in an urban-ish area), we'd have a higher standard of living in NC than we would in Boston or New Haven.

I love CT though. I've always wanted to live there because that's where all of my favorite ice skaters lived. I pictured us being ice skating Connecticut dwellers.

[bixxy]

Doooan't move to CT. The economy here is totally shot. And there's actually no good shopping here. You would definitely dry up from lack of shopping.

Of course, you'd be close to NYC and Boston, and could shop there. So maybe it wouldn't be so bad in that regard.

Speaking of ice skating and CT, my new house is pretty close to the rink Oksana Baiul practice(s/d) at. I think she helped have it built or something?

[jmfunnyface]

Are you near Simsbury? I love that town. Skating in CT is really screwy now. All the Russians used to skate at ISCC in Simsbury, but there was a fall out between the president of the rink and Viktor Petrenko so half of them went to another rink in CT (I believe near Danbury?) and half left the state. It was a bad blow up. Oksana is now training in NJ actually.

[bixxy]

Yeah, we're very close to Simsbury, which is a fabulous, beautiful little town. Charles lived there for a few years, went to high school there.

So Oksana is no longer at the Oksana Rink? At least I know I can drive around town without having to worry about...you know.

[jmfunnyface]

I love Simsbury, it's so cute. LOL, no Oksana will not mow you down on a vodka binge, but Viktor Petrenko is still up there-he might!

If you have a day where you don't have to do too much, you should hang out at the ISCC rink & watch the senior level skaters. I believe they're still open sessions where anyone can watch. We did that one time, and saw a whole bunch of famous people practicing.

[bixxy]

Ooh, wow, that's a great idea! I keep reminding myself to not forget about the skating rink, because maybe Leila can take lessons or have birthday parties there when she's older. But something like an open practice session would be a fabulous thing to do on an otherwise boring afternoon!

[jmfunnyface]

Hahaha, see that's immediately where my mind goes. Craig is terrified that if I get into Yale, I'm going to spend all of my free time driving up to Simsbury just to watch the skaters. I contend that it would be a great way to practice my Russian, but I don't feel he's buying that.

ISCC used to have fabulous skating shows. They don't have a lot of seats, so no matter where your seat was, you were right on the ice. We went up there a few times because the shows were so great, but that stopped after the feud. We always stayed at the Simsbury Inn, it was so cute.