Environment upgrade part 2: The hunt

Part of the series Environment upgrade.

For several months which followed, my days and weekends were filled with actions. If I was not out driving around with my agent, then I was catching up with some friend somewhere. Add that, to organizing a camping trip, a paint ball outing and you get the typical messy room with discarded clothings everywhere. I can’t believe I lived and am still living in this dump, but it makes sense now that I look back. I am only in my room to either sleep, or use my computer.

“In my mind, nothing matters anymore, there’s nothing bigger or more important.”

After the first round of visits, I came back starry eyed and wanting to buy everything. To think that I can own one of these beautifully decorated condo is something that I never imagined doing. Most importantly, I realized that my views and idea changed as I visited and inspected more and more places. These condos, are a peek into the owner’s mind, a very intimate place where they are completely vulnerable. Vulnerable because you can understand a person from observing the place they own.

The original plan was to buy something really cheap, below $150 000 so I can take advantage of the government’s free $7000 cash aid while paying only about $400 per month on mortgage. It’s like renting a place with the intention to own. The reality of the market taught me a good lesson. You get what you pay for. The places that I saw with the criteria that I set, all had major flaws that will one way or another make living annoying. This is when my dad pitched in, after he got word I am hunting for a house.

The deal is this. He will handle the 20% down payment, in exchange, he owns 20% of the house. When the house sells, 20% of the proceeds belongs to him. He wins by having his money in a very stable real estate market with someone he can trust and I win because it reduced my mortgage payment while increasing my buying power. Of course, I get to pay all the notary fee, tax, maintenance etc. So he gets more out of the deal.

This is when the second round of visit began and I met the current owner of my would be condo.

I believe in the concept where a business deal is the relationship with the person with whom you are signing the contract, not the legal papers that accompanies the transaction. Both Guy Kawasaki and Warren Buffet are backers of this important concept so am I. This is probably why, I believed that this particular condo is the place I should settle in. Because the owner is just awesome. I am the type of person who’s on the suspicious and careful side. So trusting strangers is out of the question and when things are going perfectly, I will always wonder secretly, what’s the hidden catch.

Yet I don’t have any of those feeling towards this woman, who’s so well spoken and confident in her demeanor. I was suspicious of the fact that 3 condos in the same building are on sale, she moved in last year and is selling the condo a year later and the fact that her presentation of the place is flawless. I cannot find anything wrong.

I think I am in love with that place, but I did not start my bid with this place…