Naming the Baby

When I go to work tomorrow, I get to do research on the juvenile history of one Almond Jamoky ******* (last name withheld for confidentiality). I bet Pops called him Fudge for short.

Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here

So, I've been thinking about moving for about a year. First though, I needed to wait until I'd had my refinanced loan for a full year, to avoid pre-payment penalty. I still perused the multiple listing service, and often felt kicked in the gut at my inability to consider what appeared to be the perfect new home for me. Finally, the end of October came and I was free to divest myself of my condo and loan. But then it was almost winter, and the always-steaming housing market here in the Bay Area slowed a bit. I knew my dog was terminally ill, and thought it better to wait until spring, to allow her to pass away without the turmoil of moving and to better my chances with more inventory to pick from.

Well, spring is here, Easter is finally over, my dog is still kickin' it wit me, and inventory has swelled- right along with interest rates and housing prices. What it would have sold for in December or January means NOTHING now. Add about 50k. Had I bought last spring, I would have spent roughly 100k less than today. Surreal estate, they call it. If you don't live here, you just have no idea what it does to one's psyche to make more money than many large families in other parts of the country live on (and live WELL) in a year, and not be able to afford a 2bdrm dump in a bad neighborhood. (Ok, DivineMissK, I know you know!) I'm talking a condo, too, not a house.

A really fun part of Bay Area real estate is that the list price has nothing to do with reality. The list price is high, but you never offer that. Even with no contingencies (woe unto you if you have contingencies- just fuggetaboutit!), you offer at least 20k over list, and you'll probably get outbid anyway. I offered 30k over list last week on a 2bdrm condo and got outbid by at least 5k.

If I could afford a 700k mortgage, I could buy something small (say, 3bdrm/2ba house), habitable, in a good neighborhood. Not the Ritz, mind you.. but totally doable. It makes me heartsick to realize that will never happen for me here. I guess I'll stay where I am and keep hoping for something simply affordable to appear on the market...

SourdoughDay, not Saturday!

Befitting a resident of the SF Bay Area, I found a loaf of sourdough left at my door just now. Even though my door was open and I heard the rustling coming and going of someone, I assumed it was my next door neighbor and didn't get up to look. That would have solved the mystery of WHO IS LEAVING BREAD AT MY DOORSTEP EVERY FEW WEEKS!!!???!!!

So True...

"Failure's hard, but success is far more dangerous. If you're successful at the wrong thing, the mix of praise and money and opportunity can lock you in forever." -- Po Bronson, What Should I Do With My Life