It’s Getting Real

I haven’t published a blog post for a couple of weeks, because I’ve been paralyzed. Not literally paralyzed, but consumed by the irrational but still-crippling fear that after all of the planning, dreaming, hoping, praying, and finger-crossing, we would not be able to find a house to rent in San Miguel. Thinking rationally, I knew we would find something. Maybe it wouldn’t be in the perfect location, or the perfect size, or within the budget we had arbitrarily set, but we would find a house. Still, there was a little person on my other shoulder telling me to start preparing for homelessness (and that little person sounded a lot like Ben).

I found a house a few weeks ago, but the owner was then diagnosed with a health problem and decided not to rent it. It’s a beautiful house in a great location, so we were disappointed. But if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s online research and networking, so I got to work. I checked Yahoo groups and Craigslist for long-term rentals, and posted ads seeking housing. I looked at VRBO and AirBNB for short-term possibilities that we could rent for our first couple of months in SMA, while we looked for something long-term. I checked realtor websites and asked around.

A few days ago, I had 4 homes on my short list, and a spreadsheet to analyze the pros and cons. I swear it was exactly like an episode of House Hunters International. All of the houses have enough bedrooms and bathrooms, and they are all within budget. House 1 has a yard, which would be great for Annie (the dog), but is the farthest from school (1 ¼ miles). House 2 is absolutely gorgeous, but is not available for the full year, has the highest rent, and is a mile from school. House 3 has a casita that would be great for guests and is closer to school, but the owners are planning to sell it.

And then there’s House 4. Our house. Or should I say, “nuestra casa.” Once I emailed with the owner, talked on the phone with the current tenant, and pored over the online photo album, I knew it was THE ONE. It’s beautiful. There are 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a really nice living space, a big terrace, and a roof deck. The owner and property manager seem great, and the current tenant loves the house but has little kids and worries that they’ll fall down the stairs during the night.

Best of all is the location. It is 400 meters to school, and about the same to el Jardin – the main square that is the heart of the town. Its 250 meters to the library and to our friends John & Carolyn’s house. I can reach my favorite ice cream man in less than 5 minutes. The dry goods store, butcher shop, and vegetable market are all nearby. We won’t need a car, which is fortuitous since we won’t be taking our cars with us. When we need to go to the soccer field, supermarket, or el tianguis (weekly market), we’ll have to take the bus or a taxi. It will be the first time in more than 30 years that I haven’t been completely reliant on my car. I can’t imagine what that will be like.

The one twist with this house is that the lease starts on July 1^st – we were planning to go to SMA on August 1^st. Our new landlord has said it’s ok for our friends to use the house before we arrive, so if you are interested in spending some time in SMA (without us), let me know! Otherwise, we may just pack faster and hit the road. It’s amazing how motivational a deadline can be.