May 28, 2004
The Chicken or the Egg
We are the masters of indecision.
When we arrived in Melbourne last Saturday, we thought we'd rent a little establishment in Carlton North. Considering Tokyo rents we put the bar up to $360 p.w. Then we did the math. We talked. Then balked. Decided we couldn't bear to pay someone's else's ridiculous mortgage, so started looking at places to buy to mortgage ourselves to the cranium for the next 30 years instead. So our rental bar came down by half so we could actually save while educating ourselves about the market.
One problem. No jobbie. No jobbie meant it would be hard to convince anyone to rent us even a shitty dry-rotten bungalow in Thomastown. Here we were, perfect tenants, with the perfect opportunity to check out places, but we are the scourge of the rental and loan industry with no regular income and no recent Australian credit history.
But while living out of a suitcase (thank god for John and Bronwyn who have generously shared with us their house in Ivanhoe with the menagerie of 4 dogs, 3 cats, 2 budgies and a lively teenager) it's hard to get that jobbie to achieve the all-important regular income.
Jobbie. Rental. Mortgage. Jobbie. Rental. Mortgage. Vodka. Pass me the vodka.
Actually, make that two problems (and while you're at it, another vodka) - Melbourne has gone loco with rent and sale prices. Dammit, we want that dream lifestyle! We've earned that dream lifestyle! We lived in a shoebox for two and a half damn years, and we were looking at rentals the same size for roughly the same price as in Tokyo! We were deflated. I cursed this city whilst fondly caressing it's liveability and a fabulous cappuccino.
Luckily, one of my old real estate agents came to the rescue, and gave us this "quaint" apartment in Northcote practically on the spot for $190 p.w. Fingers crossed the landlady likes our earnest faces.
Just proof it's not what you know...
welcome back to Sydney/Melb real estate prices. Hey well if you want to buy a unit in inner-city sydney, let me know. seriously. Not mine, but I know someone who wants to sell.
Ah Sydney. I would say I'd rather stuff my pantry full of gerbils before living in Sydney, but then I remember The Mister banned gerbils many years ago.
Beautiful place to visit, but I wouldn't live there. I have the greatest respect for people who live in inner-city Sydney. It does my head in. But then, I am soft.
Welcome back to Melbourne, where the Median house price is now apparently $330k which means on one income (if you are ever considering breeding) that you better like bread and water. Renting is easy pickings though, don't pay the marked price (there is still a real glut of properties for rent - we got ours for $20 a week less, friends got theirs for $40). In Northcote.
Welcome back to Melbourne, where the Median house price is now apparently $330k which means on one income (if you are ever considering breeding) that you better like bread and water. Renting is easy pickings though, don't pay the marked price. There is still a real glut of properties for rent - we got ours for $20 a week less, friends got theirs for $40. In Northcote. not us, them.
oopsie. sigh. sorry bout that.
Ah yes, the marked price. Problem is, we were desparate and it wasn't very expensive anyway. Believe it or not, although there is a glut of houses, there are also a shitload of people who are still wanting to rent and the competition is still quite high. But Matt is still not over his China bargaining frenzy, so he's still kicking himself for not asking for less. My care factor is low. We were being pipped everywhere else.
We might see you down at Alphabet City one day!
$190 per week! wow, $800 per month is a steal by new york standards. we pay $2200 per month for a two bedroom in a nice area of brooklyn!! by the way, what are "budgies"? :) my aussie lingo is not up to par.
Budgies = budgerigars (speelink?) aka annoyingly genki and somewhat brightly coloured birds native to Australia (are they even?)