No cute photos to go along with this one, just an update about our apartment hunt. We've been pretty much *all* over McMinnville by now and have a really good idea of what our options are. I had made a list from Quincy of the apartments I could find (it's apparently not really a thing to advertise online around here) but boy was my information way off!
First of all, the top 3 apartments on my list for really cheap rent and a nice appearance turned out to be elderly or disabled units only. So I started calling around and taking walks in the area. Second revelation was that streets which seemed online like they had not a single apartment to be had were secretly chock full of apartments every other block or so! We went to PineCrest first, which is about a 5 block walk from Melissa's house. First strike? The winery next door. Nice to watch, but that smell makes me think liquor store and liquor store makes me think Not For Kids! The units were $695 monthly for a 2-bedroom, and were set up hotel-style around the parking lot in the center, coin laundry on site. Eh. :/
Next we checked out the Rhoda Anne apartments, which were right next to a lumber yard. Caiden was sold instantly by the busy forklifts right next door. I was turned off by the dingy brown carpets, cracked linoleum in the kitchen, and faded kid stickers on the cabinets....oh yeah, and another hotel-surrounding-parking-lot appearance. $690 monthly for a 2-bedroom, washer/dryer hookup, provide your own machine. Yech.
Right up the road is Wintercrest, where Melissa used to live so we checked them out too. $720 monthly for a 2-bedroom with washer/dryer in the unit, new carpets, 24-hour maintenance, and grassy areas to play in. Loved it.....but the really nice management lady wasn't sure I would qualify. So we filled out the application and had a week to wait to hear back.
In the intervening week we called about 15 other apartments, did a LOT of walking around, checking out the outsides of buildings, distances to the main shopping section of town, all that jazz. Nothing really inspired, but there were at least 6 on the list to go see. Then Alex heard from a coworker that she was moving out of her building and there would be a vacancy. This is a 1-bedroom unit in a converted house (not a management property) about 6 blocks from Melissa's house so we went to see it. Let me tell you, this place is kind of cute, lots of charm and unique appeal, like the outdoor siding in the back of the closet where the house used to end, slanted wall leading up and out from the tub...that kind of thing. And also only $520 a month! But tiny.
I was very tempted and I started wondering if it might be better to take this apartment for a year, pay a little more toward bills, and THEN move to Wintercrest. (OR Redwood Commons, which was *really* nice, but also $795 monthly. :P) Anyway, Rebecca had to use the bathroom while we were there and so I put all my stuff down on the floor to help her and haven't seen my phone since. I called the landlady to tell her I thought I left my phone behind and could we please come back and get it? Well.....4 messages from me, 1 message from Alex and 3 days later she finally called me back. And no, she doesn't have my phone. >(
I decided I will gladly pay the $200 extra monthly to have the 24-hour maintenance company (never mind the washer/dryer in the unit!). Also, this means just one more move in a few weeks for the kids, not another move coming just a year from now. SO, I called Wintercrest back and found out that after checking my application over I likely AM qualified (if only barely!).
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