Virtual Tour of Our New Home
Howdy folks!
This is a Public Post for a few days, then will go friends only, so that my family and friends who are not LJ-ers can see our new home and read the story.
Welcome mom, grandma, grandpa, dad and S plus kids, and all other family and friends. :) This is my online journal. I have kept it for almost 4 years now. Wondering what's going on with us? You may find it here. I post personal stuff to friends only, but updates are sometimes public.
Below,under the LJ cuts (or links for you new to this) is the story and slide show aka virtual tour of our new home. The story of how we got this place is a pretty powerful one. This is NOT the readers digest version.
As most of you know Julian and I have been living in various roommate situations for over a year now, including J's time back East. Recently, I thought we had a duplex in hand but that fell through and we were a bit desperate to find a place. As a last minute emergency plan we moved in with a friend of a friend for a few weeks. That situation was(IS) a blessing in itself. A kind apartment manager had been attempting to help us get into an apartment for Nov., but for various reasons it just wasn't a good fit. It was a sure thing, even with my financial and credit restrictions, but just did not feel right. But, it was looking like our best and possibly only option.
Then...on Sunday October 21st I got up late and made some coffee. I didn't have anything on my plate so I was just reading email and such. A message came through from an apartment listing service I have a paid subscription to(www.westsiderentals.com), which is where I have found almost all my homes in LA since my 1st in 1999. It said there was a "match listing" so I looked at it. It said:
LAKE BALBOA AREA Duplex/House
Unfurnished, Front, 2 bedrooms, 2 Baths, Will consider pet with deposit, Six month minimum lease, Carpet, Hardwood, and Tile Floors, 2-car Carport parking, quiet neighborhood, refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, yard, patio, fireplace, washer and dryer hookups
The price was really cheap compared to what I had been looking at. Essentially a 2 bedroom/ 2 Bath apartments will run a person around $1400-$1600 in this area. A 2 bedroom house/duplex is typically $$1700-$1800 for a decent sized clean place or VERY small and sometimes dumpy if it's under $1600. I won't tell the rent for this place but let's just say that when I saw the price I was skeptical because with this description it should have been much more expensive.
So, I wasn't going to call for a couple of reasons. 1st: I was worried it would be a dump. So many of the places I have looked at have been in questionable areas and or in terrible condition. 2nd: I was getting a bit discouraged about being turned down for so many places. I didn't want to get my hopes up. 3rd: Staying with my friend was allowing me to save money. Much needed $.
But, a voice in my head said, "Why do you think so many of the places you have seen have been in this area?" I do like the general area, so I decided to call and see about the open house. She said I could drop by but she was going out of town in 2 hours. I pulled myself together, threw on a hat and ran out the door.
I felt like...what the heck...keeping that energy out there for the perfect place, even though I had the others as back up.
When I drove up it was all I could do not to let my jaw hang loose. :) It is a really cute house built in 1947. White picket fenced yard(a little ironic joke on Spirit's behalf). Tall flowering plants. There was a birds nest blown to the ground(Santa Ana winds-30-50MPH) and this older Latina woman was picking it up with a sad look on her face. I asked if she was M(landlord) and she said yes. Then she said she hoped the birds were OK. That warmed my heart. I thought that she seemed to have a big heart.
When we walked into the house I was dumbstruck. Hardwood floors, Large living room/dining area. BIG kitchen. Fireplace. Great old style windows. LOTS of sunshine.
It's the house I drew in my journal last year when my son first went back East and I started living with friends, etc. I told M this after she said..."Do you like it? If you do and you give me the deposit(half) it's yours. No drawn out process. No pins and needles. I was nearly moved to tears at what was happening. As I left to go get my deposit 4 hummingbirds flew above us. FYI: hummingbirds are one of the animals I connect with. They represent JOY.
She told me that she had been praying about 10 minutes before I saw the add(she said an hour ago, but I did the math) on West Side Rentals that God would send the right person to live in her house. She wanted person she could be neighborly with and share a cup of coffee with. A person she could be a blessing to. With that, she did make me cry a little. She reached out and hugged me. I was blown away and shaking as I called my mom to tell her the news.
I went back one house later and after we signed the lease we prayed together. As most of you know I am deeply connected to my Native American(Powhatan) heritage and this was my opportunity to give thanks. She prayed to Jesus and then I prayed to Creator. She said Amen and I said Mitakuye Oyasin(all my relations). It was incredibly powerful.
We are moving in slowly over the next two weeks. 1st official night at new home will be the 13th of Nov. due to some house sitting. I will email the address to those who need it.
btw: Many of you do not know that on Oct. 9th I was involved in a 4 car accident. Someone cut off a car that ended up hitting my Jeep, a parked car and a street sign. I am fine. No one was hurt. Just settled with the insurance companies and I am shopping for a vehicle. The timing was difficult. It happened 2 days before I moved out of my last roommate situation. That week, friends got me through both events with more support than I can't mention. Blessings, each and every one.
I am grateful for all of the challenges that have come recently, because they served to create change and transition in our lives. At this point I have so much to be thankful for that I can't even begin to express it here. Soon, I will give thanks to Spirit in a proper way.
Love and blessings to all of you. Thank you to each and every one of you who have supported us, prayed with and for us and just been there for me to vent with, cry with and laugh with. I am grateful for all of it.
Enjoy the pictures. :)
This is a Public Post for a few days, then will go friends only, so that my family and friends who are not LJ-ers can see our new home and read the story.
Welcome mom, grandma, grandpa, dad and S plus kids, and all other family and friends. :) This is my online journal. I have kept it for almost 4 years now. Wondering what's going on with us? You may find it here. I post personal stuff to friends only, but updates are sometimes public.
Below,under the LJ cuts (or links for you new to this) is the story and slide show aka virtual tour of our new home. The story of how we got this place is a pretty powerful one. This is NOT the readers digest version.
As most of you know Julian and I have been living in various roommate situations for over a year now, including J's time back East. Recently, I thought we had a duplex in hand but that fell through and we were a bit desperate to find a place. As a last minute emergency plan we moved in with a friend of a friend for a few weeks. That situation was(IS) a blessing in itself. A kind apartment manager had been attempting to help us get into an apartment for Nov., but for various reasons it just wasn't a good fit. It was a sure thing, even with my financial and credit restrictions, but just did not feel right. But, it was looking like our best and possibly only option.
Then...on Sunday October 21st I got up late and made some coffee. I didn't have anything on my plate so I was just reading email and such. A message came through from an apartment listing service I have a paid subscription to(www.westsiderentals.com), which is where I have found almost all my homes in LA since my 1st in 1999. It said there was a "match listing" so I looked at it. It said:
LAKE BALBOA AREA Duplex/House
Unfurnished, Front, 2 bedrooms, 2 Baths, Will consider pet with deposit, Six month minimum lease, Carpet, Hardwood, and Tile Floors, 2-car Carport parking, quiet neighborhood, refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, yard, patio, fireplace, washer and dryer hookups
The price was really cheap compared to what I had been looking at. Essentially a 2 bedroom/ 2 Bath apartments will run a person around $1400-$1600 in this area. A 2 bedroom house/duplex is typically $$1700-$1800 for a decent sized clean place or VERY small and sometimes dumpy if it's under $1600. I won't tell the rent for this place but let's just say that when I saw the price I was skeptical because with this description it should have been much more expensive.
So, I wasn't going to call for a couple of reasons. 1st: I was worried it would be a dump. So many of the places I have looked at have been in questionable areas and or in terrible condition. 2nd: I was getting a bit discouraged about being turned down for so many places. I didn't want to get my hopes up. 3rd: Staying with my friend was allowing me to save money. Much needed $.
But, a voice in my head said, "Why do you think so many of the places you have seen have been in this area?" I do like the general area, so I decided to call and see about the open house. She said I could drop by but she was going out of town in 2 hours. I pulled myself together, threw on a hat and ran out the door.
I felt like...what the heck...keeping that energy out there for the perfect place, even though I had the others as back up.
When I drove up it was all I could do not to let my jaw hang loose. :) It is a really cute house built in 1947. White picket fenced yard(a little ironic joke on Spirit's behalf). Tall flowering plants. There was a birds nest blown to the ground(Santa Ana winds-30-50MPH) and this older Latina woman was picking it up with a sad look on her face. I asked if she was M(landlord) and she said yes. Then she said she hoped the birds were OK. That warmed my heart. I thought that she seemed to have a big heart.
When we walked into the house I was dumbstruck. Hardwood floors, Large living room/dining area. BIG kitchen. Fireplace. Great old style windows. LOTS of sunshine.
It's the house I drew in my journal last year when my son first went back East and I started living with friends, etc. I told M this after she said..."Do you like it? If you do and you give me the deposit(half) it's yours. No drawn out process. No pins and needles. I was nearly moved to tears at what was happening. As I left to go get my deposit 4 hummingbirds flew above us. FYI: hummingbirds are one of the animals I connect with. They represent JOY.
She told me that she had been praying about 10 minutes before I saw the add(she said an hour ago, but I did the math) on West Side Rentals that God would send the right person to live in her house. She wanted person she could be neighborly with and share a cup of coffee with. A person she could be a blessing to. With that, she did make me cry a little. She reached out and hugged me. I was blown away and shaking as I called my mom to tell her the news.
I went back one house later and after we signed the lease we prayed together. As most of you know I am deeply connected to my Native American(Powhatan) heritage and this was my opportunity to give thanks. She prayed to Jesus and then I prayed to Creator. She said Amen and I said Mitakuye Oyasin(all my relations). It was incredibly powerful.
We are moving in slowly over the next two weeks. 1st official night at new home will be the 13th of Nov. due to some house sitting. I will email the address to those who need it.
btw: Many of you do not know that on Oct. 9th I was involved in a 4 car accident. Someone cut off a car that ended up hitting my Jeep, a parked car and a street sign. I am fine. No one was hurt. Just settled with the insurance companies and I am shopping for a vehicle. The timing was difficult. It happened 2 days before I moved out of my last roommate situation. That week, friends got me through both events with more support than I can't mention. Blessings, each and every one.
I am grateful for all of the challenges that have come recently, because they served to create change and transition in our lives. At this point I have so much to be thankful for that I can't even begin to express it here. Soon, I will give thanks to Spirit in a proper way.
Love and blessings to all of you. Thank you to each and every one of you who have supported us, prayed with and for us and just been there for me to vent with, cry with and laugh with. I am grateful for all of it.
Enjoy the pictures. :)