October 19, 2010-House Hunting

    

     Today, I had the keys to over 9 housing units on island to look over and choose one I would like to move into in the next month.  On a military base all the houses are basically the same, except that there are 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms homes, and there are manager level and “regular” level housing according to your “rank.” I rate a regular 2 bedroom home. All of the homes available to me at this time (as there are 2-3 different floor plans of homes which have been built at different times since the 1960’s) are 2 story concrete block homes with one bathroom upstairs and a “half tub” shower as I call it.  The homes are all painted off-white with a brown trim, and they all have the exact same floor plan and square footage. 

      So, there are about 4 factors I looked at when going in and out of all these identical homes.  These factors were: does it have a fairly private location close to the schools and thus my work as well (even though nothing is actually really far from work and school on a three mile long island), does it have a covered patio out back, does it have relatively new appliances, and does it look well maintained or are there lots of cracks in the walls, windows, moldy smell, etc...Remember, all the houses I was looking at are the earliest built, around 1960, so there is natural wear and tear on all of them, but some are worse than others depending on how well the previous owners have cared for them.  

     With the older 2 bedroom homes here, a back patio cover is coveted! There are very few left standing these days that are not torn down when the previous resident leaves. The first house I looked at is the only one with a full patio cover, a painted concrete pad underneath the cover, new fridge and freezer and fairly new stove, washer and dryer, and the only one recently vacated that was clearly very well maintained over the years.  So, that’s 3 out of four of my factors met.  The only drawback is that the house is located right on the main road across from a three story BQ at the edges of island “suburbia.”  Well, beggars can’t be too choosy. I am one of the blessed few at this period of time on the atoll to have an actual “home” of my own, not simply a “dorm room,” and it’s a home with no mortgage, free home care in terms of major repairs (I simply call it in to the help desk, and they come fix it), and that coveted large back patio.  So, tomorrow I will make my final decision, and in approximately 3 weeks, I move and begin yet another new phase in my life on an atoll. Wish me luck!