Preparing for an
interstate move is in many ways both fast and slow. There is only so
much that you can do from web-searches.
Such as finding out
how affordable housing in Madison can be. If you insist on having a
house with a yard, you can easily afford it. Near the airport. Under
flight paths. Or, near freeways or other limited-access high-speed
roads. Or, major intersections. Picky picky picky. Or, you can be,
um, liberal in your defining what “Madison” is; call pretty
much every village within 45 minutes of the corporate limits of
Madison as “Madison,” et voila,
you have affordable housing.
If
driving 45 minutes through scenic countryside, during a snow storm,
sounds like a terrifying way
to begin your day, then there are rather affordable apartments near
the well-to-do office parks of Middleton or Madison. Seriously. If
you don’t mind living in an apartment, and prioritize a short
commute on plowed streets, then you have several options. If you’re
willing to live among college students, and don’t mind leasing on a
semester-ly basis, then you have a lot of options in houses with
patina.
The
downside is living among the well-mannered, sober, sophisticated,
emotionally-resilient, experienced-in-life, oh-so-unique and charming
18-22 year-olds. And, there is nothing that they want more in their
midst than a
30-something Texan
aerospace-professional with a
hunting license, who
insists
that the word literally
is not its own antonym, uses
math in making financial decisions, and thinks that How to
Win Friends and Influence People is
a really good book.
The
45-minute-or-more commute through dark, snowy weather seems
wonderful, by comparison. Less complaining.
Anyways,
web-searching can only go so far in helping you buy a house. There
are probably ways to buy real estate sight-unseen, without
interacting with another human. That seems like a bad idea when
it comes to selecting a place to live. The depth of work that a professional provides in house-buying necessitates more time than browsing listings on Zillow. Naturally, the people that you need to do
things have other customers to serve, who are
further along in the process or queue than you.
The good news is
that my mortgage pre-approval was completed. The real estate broker
is finding houses, and arranging for a tour.
In the meantime, the
car had its oil changed, tires rotated, engine air filter changed,
and wheel alignment checked. Notwithstanding the move, this would
have waited until mid-April. However, I would cross the mile
threshold somewhere between Houston and Little Rock, Arkansas. No
need to risk voiding the warranty, or frantically trying to get the
car serviced while starting a new job and continuing the house-buying
process.
As of tonight, I
have only four more workdays left at the current employer. Co-workers
and friends are graciously making time for final lunches and dinners.
It is heartwarming and humbling to know that you were (and are) part
of a community.
The final
occurrences (for the time being) of certain events are happening:
final visit to a particular dealership, final visit to the long-time
dentist, final Open House at the CreatorSpace. The final visit to the
Greenway Plaza-area CostCo was more than a month ago.
Meal planning is
somewhat tricky. Two things had ought to be minimized: spending
money, and buying food that will spoil before a chance to eat it
presents itself. The last time I moved, restaurant spending spiked.
Time that would go to buying groceries and cooking was spent on
moving possessions. Plus, there would always be some cooking tool or
dish missing, until everything was moved and unpacked. Plus, if you
have friends helping you, you reward their helpfulness with pizza,
beer, Chinese buffets, etc. The whole process can be so tiresome that the
thought of yet another drive to someplace else, to then stand at a
stove, or even wait for the pizza to finish baking, seems
unreasonable in light of other options.
This move will be
like that, except that recruiting Houston-area friends to follow me
to the Madison has proven difficult. Offers of beer and poutine have
not impressed them.
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