The damage is worse, oh so much worse than previously thought. There is evidence of water coming down the walls as well so it is not just a problem with leaks from the tub. There is black mold. I think the place may have to be gutted and our stuff is now inside. We are not sure what to do, but it isn't looking good. I think we may have to put stuff in temporary storage and find temporary housing until we either find another place or they fix that one.
On top of that, Curt lost one of the books from his class in the move. The last three assignments are from the book and there is no time to order another one. He tried to buy it online as a PDF, but because of our IP address, he wasn't able to buy it. Then, we went to pay for my yoga class and I realized that I brought the wrong envelope. I had my medical records instead of the cash. I filled out the form anyway and will get the cash to Magic Pond later. After that, we headed back to the new apartment to look for the book again. As we were getting Eva out of the car, Ian jumped up and hit his head on the door. He had quite a gash and though the bleeding wasn't uncontrollable and he didn't lose consciousness, I thought he should go to the ER. So Curt continued to look for the book and Eva, Ian and I headed to the ER.
The doctor cleaned it out and said he could have a staple or she could put glue on it and tie his hair together. We opted for treatment #2 since it would be less painful and there would be a scar either way. Ian freaked and the doctor brought in three helpers to hold him down, but they couldn't restrain him. Finally, I handed Eva to the nurse and said, "Ian, do you want some milk?"
He calmed instantly and I leaned over him to nurse him. He completely relaxed and the doctor tied and glue him and we were on our way. Breastmilk: liquid valium for the preschool set.
Curt finally found his book and though he couldn't complete his assignment on time, at least he'll be able to catch up.
Since Ian is supposed to keep his head dry for 24-48 hours, I am going to try to cancel swim lessons for this session. It will be one less thing to deal with during this craziness.
My sister comes on July 2 and Curt leaves on July 5. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow with the real estate agent and the owner.
I am really trying not to freak out, but to ride the wave. Things will work out one way or another. It may be expensive, but it will work out. The sad thing is that I was really excited to live there and to take advantage of being close to base.
Showing posts with label real estate Seoul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label real estate Seoul. Show all posts
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Yes, This is Another Post About Real Estate
I thought we were in the clear on this whole real estate deal, but we got a call today that the apartment failed inspection because there was a leak behind the walls from both of the bathrooms and major renovation needed to be done or the walls might collapse. Curt went over to look at it and talk about our options. We noticed that the wall paper was peeling back on one of the walls when we looked at the place. I am not sure if they found the problem when they were trying to repair it or if they did an actual inspection, but there are major problems.
After some discussion, we decided that we would moved our stuff to the apartment on Saturday, but move into a hotel until July 12 when the repairs are scheduled to be completed. The landlord will give us money to pay for the hotel. If we stay in the apartment while they try to do the repairs, it will take much longer, be messy, noisy and annoying. We'll be able to have access to our stuff while they are doing the repairs, but they don't want us to unpack. At least we will be able to assess our furniture needs for the new space.
My sister is coming on July 2 and Curt is leaving on July 5 so we are going get a second hotel room during the overlap because 5 people in one room will be a little tight. We are just going to stay at the Dragon Hill on Post since it will be close to the apartment, close to the hospital for Kate's shadowing and close to Ian's activities.
We will be losing some money on this deal because we'll have to eat out a lot, but with the hotel covered, it won't be that bad. I'm glad we won't have to figure out storage for our stuff. Small favors.
After some discussion, we decided that we would moved our stuff to the apartment on Saturday, but move into a hotel until July 12 when the repairs are scheduled to be completed. The landlord will give us money to pay for the hotel. If we stay in the apartment while they try to do the repairs, it will take much longer, be messy, noisy and annoying. We'll be able to have access to our stuff while they are doing the repairs, but they don't want us to unpack. At least we will be able to assess our furniture needs for the new space.
My sister is coming on July 2 and Curt is leaving on July 5 so we are going get a second hotel room during the overlap because 5 people in one room will be a little tight. We are just going to stay at the Dragon Hill on Post since it will be close to the apartment, close to the hospital for Kate's shadowing and close to Ian's activities.
We will be losing some money on this deal because we'll have to eat out a lot, but with the hotel covered, it won't be that bad. I'm glad we won't have to figure out storage for our stuff. Small favors.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Real Estate Resolution!
So, did we take the house that needed the garage renovation or the apartment in the new complex that won't be ready until July 15 (at the earliest)?
Answer: Neither.
Yesterday, real estate agent#1 showed us a place in a building by the post. We'd seen it before but didn't want to live there. Well, somewhere between desperation and panic we decided it was liveable.
In short, we ran out of time.
Neither of our best options were without risk and we weren't willing to take those risks, especially with Curt traveling for most of July. In comparison to our current place, the new place is smaller, the layout is stupid and the view is crap. However, the stove is nicer, the sauna in the building is nicer, it has a small indoor playroom and it is much closer to the post.
Two comments that helped us decide:
From my mom,"Curt travels a lot. Pick the place that is easiest to handle life with two kids by yourself."
From my sister,"Does it really matter that much?"
We can walk to Post and to the metro from the new place. It is a flat walk, so very doable. It is much easier to tell people how to get here. It will be much easier to get a teenage babysitter from Post. The building is full of Americans as is the other, newer complex next door. If Ian goes to the preschool I've been thinking about, the bus will pick him up at the Post gate near our new place.
It will be easier in a lot of ways and it is available NOW. The current residents are moving out 3 months early so it is good for us and the landlord.
Also, we've decided to make a point to use the sauna at least once a week. Curt may actually be able to use the gym now since we are closer to Post. The gyms around here seem to open at 6am and that is just a little too late when you add the commute time.
As for the layout, we will just have to deal with it. We may have to store the Bowflex on the balcony. Curt didn't use. I won't use it and it takes up a lot if room. Maybe we will sell it. I don't know. Ian will be farther away in his own room than I would like, but I think he is ready. We will probably buy a twin mattress set and put the bed rails on it and let him decide when to move.
Answer: Neither.
Yesterday, real estate agent#1 showed us a place in a building by the post. We'd seen it before but didn't want to live there. Well, somewhere between desperation and panic we decided it was liveable.
In short, we ran out of time.
Neither of our best options were without risk and we weren't willing to take those risks, especially with Curt traveling for most of July. In comparison to our current place, the new place is smaller, the layout is stupid and the view is crap. However, the stove is nicer, the sauna in the building is nicer, it has a small indoor playroom and it is much closer to the post.
Two comments that helped us decide:
From my mom,"Curt travels a lot. Pick the place that is easiest to handle life with two kids by yourself."
From my sister,"Does it really matter that much?"
We can walk to Post and to the metro from the new place. It is a flat walk, so very doable. It is much easier to tell people how to get here. It will be much easier to get a teenage babysitter from Post. The building is full of Americans as is the other, newer complex next door. If Ian goes to the preschool I've been thinking about, the bus will pick him up at the Post gate near our new place.
It will be easier in a lot of ways and it is available NOW. The current residents are moving out 3 months early so it is good for us and the landlord.
Also, we've decided to make a point to use the sauna at least once a week. Curt may actually be able to use the gym now since we are closer to Post. The gyms around here seem to open at 6am and that is just a little too late when you add the commute time.
As for the layout, we will just have to deal with it. We may have to store the Bowflex on the balcony. Curt didn't use. I won't use it and it takes up a lot if room. Maybe we will sell it. I don't know. Ian will be farther away in his own room than I would like, but I think he is ready. We will probably buy a twin mattress set and put the bed rails on it and let him decide when to move.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Impending Eviction!
We are to be out on June 27. The problem, we don't have a place to go. The place we wanted to go gave us the runaround. In order for the US Government to rent a place, the owner has to have the property document and because construction is still on-going, they won't have it until mid-July. The place hasn't been evaluated for fair market value, either so that will add more time. The real estate agent said we could move in sometime in September, but then said we couldn't afford it. The story keeps changing. Finally, we went to the housing office and they called the bank. The bank sold our unit and if they can't turn it over by the end of June, they have to pay substantial penalties so that is why they want us out so desperately.
Our choices:
1. Jump through some hoops to take the house in Hannam and hope he really does renovate the garage.
2. Take an apartment in the complex near our current one. It is large and pretty nice, but doesn't have nearly the view of our current places, lacks the amenities (which we really didn't use), and no one knows how to get here.
3. Move into temporary housing and put our stuff in storage and try to find something else.
4. Call other real estate agents like mad and try to get another place and moved by next week.
We also need the government to come take the government furniture back. hope that can be scheduled next week. Yikes! Trying not to freak. Yoga breaths. Remembering to be a light.
After talking it through calmly with my husband, we are going to try to make option #1 work. Tomorrow, we are going to the house to tell him which furniture we want him to leave and what we want him to take out. I think the fact that it is furnished is a good sign, because we don't have livingroom furniture. Also, he has a child's bed and night table that we will keep as Ian moves into his first room. The rest, he can take out.
The reasons I like the house:
1. It has enough space in the right places for our stuff.
2. It has livingroom furniture. It isn't what I would pick out, but it is nicer than the mauve government couch we have now and have to return.
3. It has a layout that will enable us to provide a gentle transition for Ian into his own room.
4. We can grill out. Curt really likes to grill and I know we will take advantage of this benefit of having a house.
5. If we have to bring the dogs (if we bring Roxxy back, we will probably take my sister's dog, Teddy as well) back from the States, we will have a little yard for them.
6. It is walking to distance to restaurants and cafes, Soonchunhyung Hospital (perhaps for baby #3 or backup hospital for homebirth of baby#3--not pregnant, just planning), Hannam Village and public transportation. I think the metro stop is a bit of a hike, but the bus goes right by there so it is accessible for visitors. It will be easy to tell people where we live.
7. It is very close to a complex where a group of my friends live so we can get together more often with them.
8. It is fairly close to the base. It took us 12 minutes drive to get from the house to the base during rush hour.
9. It is pretty from the outside. I'll post pictures once the deal is done.
The things I don't like:
1. Parking is tricky. If he fixes the garage, this will help, but I am still going to have to improve my driving skills and I will probably scrape some more paint of the 'ole Hyundai in the process of learning, but that is o.k. I know in advance.
2. The kitchen and bathroom aren't super spectacular, but they are nice. The kitchen is large at least.
3. The stone steps are treacherous, but you can enter the house from inside the garage.
4. The prospect of dealing with an individual landlord instead of a management company is a little scary, but could potentially be much better.
5. We are going to have to handle the trash by ourselves. Korea requires extensive separation and recycling. We just take our unsorted recycling down to the trash area of the parking garage and the building guys sort it. But, this is small. We can handle it.
6. I'm afraid about the cost of utilities. They are built into the the rental agreement so I hope things work out so it covers it all. They increased the amount for the utilities so we should be covered.
I really hope the house works out. After listing my likes and dislikes, my likes are much stronger. So, my plan for the next week:
1. Meet with new landlord to tell him which furniture we want to keep.
2. Arrange pick-up of government furniture and appliances.
3. File loose papers and try to get rid of some unnecessary items.
4. Buy grill.
5. Move.
My sister is coming for a month-long visit on July 2. So we'd really better get this done quickly and not end up on the street!
Our choices:
1. Jump through some hoops to take the house in Hannam and hope he really does renovate the garage.
2. Take an apartment in the complex near our current one. It is large and pretty nice, but doesn't have nearly the view of our current places, lacks the amenities (which we really didn't use), and no one knows how to get here.
3. Move into temporary housing and put our stuff in storage and try to find something else.
4. Call other real estate agents like mad and try to get another place and moved by next week.
We also need the government to come take the government furniture back. hope that can be scheduled next week. Yikes! Trying not to freak. Yoga breaths. Remembering to be a light.
After talking it through calmly with my husband, we are going to try to make option #1 work. Tomorrow, we are going to the house to tell him which furniture we want him to leave and what we want him to take out. I think the fact that it is furnished is a good sign, because we don't have livingroom furniture. Also, he has a child's bed and night table that we will keep as Ian moves into his first room. The rest, he can take out.
The reasons I like the house:
1. It has enough space in the right places for our stuff.
2. It has livingroom furniture. It isn't what I would pick out, but it is nicer than the mauve government couch we have now and have to return.
3. It has a layout that will enable us to provide a gentle transition for Ian into his own room.
4. We can grill out. Curt really likes to grill and I know we will take advantage of this benefit of having a house.
5. If we have to bring the dogs (if we bring Roxxy back, we will probably take my sister's dog, Teddy as well) back from the States, we will have a little yard for them.
6. It is walking to distance to restaurants and cafes, Soonchunhyung Hospital (perhaps for baby #3 or backup hospital for homebirth of baby#3--not pregnant, just planning), Hannam Village and public transportation. I think the metro stop is a bit of a hike, but the bus goes right by there so it is accessible for visitors. It will be easy to tell people where we live.
7. It is very close to a complex where a group of my friends live so we can get together more often with them.
8. It is fairly close to the base. It took us 12 minutes drive to get from the house to the base during rush hour.
9. It is pretty from the outside. I'll post pictures once the deal is done.
The things I don't like:
1. Parking is tricky. If he fixes the garage, this will help, but I am still going to have to improve my driving skills and I will probably scrape some more paint of the 'ole Hyundai in the process of learning, but that is o.k. I know in advance.
2. The kitchen and bathroom aren't super spectacular, but they are nice. The kitchen is large at least.
3. The stone steps are treacherous, but you can enter the house from inside the garage.
4. The prospect of dealing with an individual landlord instead of a management company is a little scary, but could potentially be much better.
5. We are going to have to handle the trash by ourselves. Korea requires extensive separation and recycling. We just take our unsorted recycling down to the trash area of the parking garage and the building guys sort it. But, this is small. We can handle it.
6. I'm afraid about the cost of utilities. They are built into the the rental agreement so I hope things work out so it covers it all. They increased the amount for the utilities so we should be covered.
I really hope the house works out. After listing my likes and dislikes, my likes are much stronger. So, my plan for the next week:
1. Meet with new landlord to tell him which furniture we want to keep.
2. Arrange pick-up of government furniture and appliances.
3. File loose papers and try to get rid of some unnecessary items.
4. Buy grill.
5. Move.
My sister is coming for a month-long visit on July 2. So we'd really better get this done quickly and not end up on the street!
Monday, June 15, 2009
More Tales of Pyeong Envy from the Soon-to-Be Homeless
Oh, how I love and appreciate you, large, well-laid out apartment. I didn't appreciate what a rare treasure you were until I started looking elsewhere. Why, oh why, do we have to leave you? I wish we could stay. It would take 6 months before they could throw us out on the street, but that would only be prolonging the inevitable and probably cause our real estate agent to REALLY hate us.
So, our last search took us to two houses, both really far away from the base. One was a new house designed by an architecht with a mountain view. It was beautiful and despite the mini-oven (yes, even smaller than our current oven), bathrooms where the showers just spray all over the floor, and steep hill to reach it, it was hard to pass up. The house had a two car garage that would have been fairly easy to get into, little gardens, clean air. The downstairs consisted of a master suite (too small for us, but would have been a good guest bedroom or workout room), another full bath (with shower, no tub), another small bedroom, kitchen, laundry room, and livingroom. The second floor had another living area, full bath (with shower, no tub) and several other small bedrooms. The 2nd floor living area opened out onto a small deck with little garden. We would have put our bed in the living area and put Ian into one of the bedrooms right next to us. Did I say that it would have been awesome? I am almost convincing myself to take it. There was also a third floor attic space that was unfinished, but it was new and so not gross. It could have been used for storage or perhaps we could have negotiated that they finish the attic area. Though, the layout/design wasn't perfect from a foreigner perspective (could have used more countertop space in the kitchen and I would have done the bathrooms differently), you could tell it was designed by an architect because there was flow.
So what was the fatal flaw: distance from the Post. It is really far and there is nothing much in the way of restaurants or neighborhood around within walking distance. I think public transportation would be very difficult. We have a hard enough time explaining where our current place is, let alone being so far out. I am planning to take a Yoga teacher training course in Yeouido starting in August and I do not want to be that far, especially if Curt is out of town and I need a babysitter.
The other place we saw was in Sungbokdong, but not close to the action. It was up a very steep hill. It was very large, but had older kitchen and bathrooms and though we liked it, we didn't love it enough to deal with the distance from Post. Curt works long days as it is, so the distance is important to consider.
The third place we saw was a large apartment in a new complex right by the metro with lots of shopping and things around. The layout was workable. Flaws include: smallish dining area off the kitchen with the light fixture in the wrong place for a western dining table (wasn't designed for Western so it is only a flaw for us), inefficient closet design, but there was a good amount of closet space, one of the master suites was designed in a way that you couldn't get a large bed in there because of the balcony, door to the bathroom, closets and door to the outside, blue wall paper (it was light blue, but neutral is better for a rental), long vanities in the bathroom with only a single sink instead of two sinks and higher than I really prefer to be. Despite all that, there was room for our furniture and through Ian's crib couldn't fit in the other master suite where our bed would go, there was a room right across the hall so it would be a good transition for him. There was room for our American refrigerator, washer and dryer. I don't know if we can have our AFN satellite, but at this point, that is a sacrifice I am willing to make. The things I liked best about this place were: size, decent layout, location (close to Post and public transportation).
So what is the problem with that place you ask?
Well, the landlord has decided to completely renovate it (put in marble and rip up the newly installed wood floors) so it will not be ready until September. Also, he wants more money than the government will allow so he kept going back and forth on whether to rent to us or not. Our agent is going to call other owners. There are also some slightly smaller units that could work depending on the layout.
Curt also saw a very fancy apartment that had lots of pyeong, but the way it was laid out made it so that there was a lot of wasted space. There was a circular center hall and all the rooms were wedges off it.
As of today, we do have a back-up plan if we can't get into the new complex. There is a unit in the complex next to our current one that is available. A friend is translating with the agent and landlord for us. It is large, well plaid-out, has double sinks in the kitchen, room for our fridge, washer and dryer and room for our furniture. We still have a river view, though it isn't as good as our current view. There is only one unit per floor so we wouldn't bother anyone. Not sure if the building has any amenities like sauna or pool, but we hardly ever use those anyway. The main problem with this place is that our current location is up a very steep hill from the metro. It is not bad for driving, but bad for walking. There is a bus, but it is just barrier and adds time for people to get to us or for us to go anywhere on public transportation. We don't want to keep moving so we want to make a good choice this time.
So, as it stands, our first choice is trying to get into the new complex and our back-up is the place next door. I wish that guy had been able to work out a parking place for us for the Hannam house we saw earlier, but so far he hasn't been able to. Though, I suppose if he did, he could rent it for more money to someone else.
The beautiful house in the mountains got us thinking that we might want to do a more targeted house search, but I think it is just as well. Real estate is all about priorities and not panicking. Hope we have a resolution update soon!
So, our last search took us to two houses, both really far away from the base. One was a new house designed by an architecht with a mountain view. It was beautiful and despite the mini-oven (yes, even smaller than our current oven), bathrooms where the showers just spray all over the floor, and steep hill to reach it, it was hard to pass up. The house had a two car garage that would have been fairly easy to get into, little gardens, clean air. The downstairs consisted of a master suite (too small for us, but would have been a good guest bedroom or workout room), another full bath (with shower, no tub), another small bedroom, kitchen, laundry room, and livingroom. The second floor had another living area, full bath (with shower, no tub) and several other small bedrooms. The 2nd floor living area opened out onto a small deck with little garden. We would have put our bed in the living area and put Ian into one of the bedrooms right next to us. Did I say that it would have been awesome? I am almost convincing myself to take it. There was also a third floor attic space that was unfinished, but it was new and so not gross. It could have been used for storage or perhaps we could have negotiated that they finish the attic area. Though, the layout/design wasn't perfect from a foreigner perspective (could have used more countertop space in the kitchen and I would have done the bathrooms differently), you could tell it was designed by an architect because there was flow.
So what was the fatal flaw: distance from the Post. It is really far and there is nothing much in the way of restaurants or neighborhood around within walking distance. I think public transportation would be very difficult. We have a hard enough time explaining where our current place is, let alone being so far out. I am planning to take a Yoga teacher training course in Yeouido starting in August and I do not want to be that far, especially if Curt is out of town and I need a babysitter.
The other place we saw was in Sungbokdong, but not close to the action. It was up a very steep hill. It was very large, but had older kitchen and bathrooms and though we liked it, we didn't love it enough to deal with the distance from Post. Curt works long days as it is, so the distance is important to consider.
The third place we saw was a large apartment in a new complex right by the metro with lots of shopping and things around. The layout was workable. Flaws include: smallish dining area off the kitchen with the light fixture in the wrong place for a western dining table (wasn't designed for Western so it is only a flaw for us), inefficient closet design, but there was a good amount of closet space, one of the master suites was designed in a way that you couldn't get a large bed in there because of the balcony, door to the bathroom, closets and door to the outside, blue wall paper (it was light blue, but neutral is better for a rental), long vanities in the bathroom with only a single sink instead of two sinks and higher than I really prefer to be. Despite all that, there was room for our furniture and through Ian's crib couldn't fit in the other master suite where our bed would go, there was a room right across the hall so it would be a good transition for him. There was room for our American refrigerator, washer and dryer. I don't know if we can have our AFN satellite, but at this point, that is a sacrifice I am willing to make. The things I liked best about this place were: size, decent layout, location (close to Post and public transportation).
So what is the problem with that place you ask?
Well, the landlord has decided to completely renovate it (put in marble and rip up the newly installed wood floors) so it will not be ready until September. Also, he wants more money than the government will allow so he kept going back and forth on whether to rent to us or not. Our agent is going to call other owners. There are also some slightly smaller units that could work depending on the layout.
Curt also saw a very fancy apartment that had lots of pyeong, but the way it was laid out made it so that there was a lot of wasted space. There was a circular center hall and all the rooms were wedges off it.
As of today, we do have a back-up plan if we can't get into the new complex. There is a unit in the complex next to our current one that is available. A friend is translating with the agent and landlord for us. It is large, well plaid-out, has double sinks in the kitchen, room for our fridge, washer and dryer and room for our furniture. We still have a river view, though it isn't as good as our current view. There is only one unit per floor so we wouldn't bother anyone. Not sure if the building has any amenities like sauna or pool, but we hardly ever use those anyway. The main problem with this place is that our current location is up a very steep hill from the metro. It is not bad for driving, but bad for walking. There is a bus, but it is just barrier and adds time for people to get to us or for us to go anywhere on public transportation. We don't want to keep moving so we want to make a good choice this time.
So, as it stands, our first choice is trying to get into the new complex and our back-up is the place next door. I wish that guy had been able to work out a parking place for us for the Hannam house we saw earlier, but so far he hasn't been able to. Though, I suppose if he did, he could rent it for more money to someone else.
The beautiful house in the mountains got us thinking that we might want to do a more targeted house search, but I think it is just as well. Real estate is all about priorities and not panicking. Hope we have a resolution update soon!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Our Real Estate Agent Hates Us
That's how I felt after apartment/house hunting today. We saw one house that was perfect. It is in Hannam and the kitchen and bathrooms have been redone. They aren't as nice as the highrise apartment buildings, but they are nice enough. The floor plan is open enough for our things and the way we live. It is partially furnished which solves our lack of livingroom furniture issue and it is walking distance to several schools for Ian. The problem, the reason we can afford it, is that the garage is short. In fact, it is too short for our Hyundai Tucson. The guy owns the house above ours and we could park up there, but then it is a steep walk down through the top property to get to our property. Our 1991 Kia Pride (Curt's car) will fit in the garage, but I like my Hyundai. I don't want to drive the hooptie. I think we are going to have to wait. My friend Sarah, suggested a complex and when I asked the real estate agent she said,"Ah, yes. Very, very big. You cannot afford." We may end up looking in Sungbokdong or the dong next to it that begins with a P. It would be more of a trip for Curt, but we can get more space for less. There is also a new complex opening on the other side of the river that we will look at soon, so maybe that will be the answer.
We'll be in the next place for two years so we really need to make a good choice. All I want is lots of pyeong, open floor plan, place for my American large appliances, easy driving access, easy parking within the LQA. Is that too much to ask?
We'll be in the next place for two years so we really need to make a good choice. All I want is lots of pyeong, open floor plan, place for my American large appliances, easy driving access, easy parking within the LQA. Is that too much to ask?
Monday, March 17, 2008
Tough Guy and Real Estate Progress
Ian had a TB test done today (required by the base to be involved in activities and childcare). He didn't even flinch, he was too busy flirting with the nurse.
We signed the lease on our Seoul apartment. We have to get a local bank account to have the entire year's rent deposited into our account so we can pay the landlord all at once.
In Georgia news, we are putting in an offer today. Hope they accept so we can get Kate set up before the summer and have our stuff delivered there.
We signed the lease on our Seoul apartment. We have to get a local bank account to have the entire year's rent deposited into our account so we can pay the landlord all at once.
In Georgia news, we are putting in an offer today. Hope they accept so we can get Kate set up before the summer and have our stuff delivered there.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Gadgets in the New Place
Everything is built-in and there is lots of storage.
Electronic Door:
Built-in Fridge/Freezer
Security Camera/Kitchen TV:
Plastic Wrap, Foil, Paper Towel Holder:
Electronic Door:
Built-in Fridge/Freezer
Security Camera/Kitchen TV:
Plastic Wrap, Foil, Paper Towel Holder:
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Highrise, Here We Come!
We checked out the place during the day and we are going for it! It has a little bit of green space and is near the River Walk. Here are some exterior shots:
The view:
The view:
Real Estate Seoul: Decision Time
We've narrowed it down to three places:
1. An older house with a garden and basement/parking. It is very spacious, but has older kitchen and bathrooms.
2. A first-floor villa that is only two years old. It has a courtyard and small garden area, though neither are private. It has underground parking and it is not too crazy to get in and out of it. The kitchen and bathrooms are new and there is a fancy house manager system, tv in the kitchen and bathroom. It is walking distance to Hannam Village which has a commissary and playground and also Korean shops.
3. Highrise apartment overlooking the river. Beautiful interior with high-end finishes. Pool, sauna, gym and driving range. It has two master suites. One is nicer than the other, but still. 3 full bath rooms. We are going to look at it tomorrow to see if the areas around are suitable for walking Roxxy. We didn't want to deal with the elevator to walk Roxxy, but the swimming pool and sauna may have cinched the deal.
If this was the States and we were going to be here for awhile, I would choose to buy the house and renovate it. If we were spending our own money on rent, I would choose the villa. I like the villa over highrises without pools, but the pool is great and offers swimming lessons for kids.
So, if things check out tomorrow, we are going to go for the highrise. Pictures will be coming soon.
1. An older house with a garden and basement/parking. It is very spacious, but has older kitchen and bathrooms.
2. A first-floor villa that is only two years old. It has a courtyard and small garden area, though neither are private. It has underground parking and it is not too crazy to get in and out of it. The kitchen and bathrooms are new and there is a fancy house manager system, tv in the kitchen and bathroom. It is walking distance to Hannam Village which has a commissary and playground and also Korean shops.
3. Highrise apartment overlooking the river. Beautiful interior with high-end finishes. Pool, sauna, gym and driving range. It has two master suites. One is nicer than the other, but still. 3 full bath rooms. We are going to look at it tomorrow to see if the areas around are suitable for walking Roxxy. We didn't want to deal with the elevator to walk Roxxy, but the swimming pool and sauna may have cinched the deal.
If this was the States and we were going to be here for awhile, I would choose to buy the house and renovate it. If we were spending our own money on rent, I would choose the villa. I like the villa over highrises without pools, but the pool is great and offers swimming lessons for kids.
So, if things check out tomorrow, we are going to go for the highrise. Pictures will be coming soon.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
More Real Estate
We have seen quite a few places and I have two appointments today. We were looking at villas or single houses because of the dog, but last night we saw some mid-rise and high-rise apartments that had gyms, saunas, and driving ranges, not to mention high-end finishes on everything. Neither of us golf and I don't know how much I would use the gym, but the sauna was great! The last place we saw had a pool which Ian an I would definitely use. It has a smaller sauna, but they have one and it isn't quite as high. It is near the river and has a great river view. It is probably the swankest place we will ever live in so it is very tempting.
Here is a picture of Ian in the villa courtyard:
It was also very nice on the inside, but does not have a gym, pool, or sauna. It is on the first floor, making it easier to get the dog in and out.
The houses we've seen have been very old. Houses are rare and expensive. I don't think we can afford a house with new appliances and bathrooms. Also, you have to deal with the landlord instead of a maintenance person for maintenance. I have a feeling we will end up in that mid-rise with the pool. Curt really wants a gym. We have a Bow-Flex and treadmill coming from Egypt, but somehow he thinks a gym will be better.
Here is a picture of Ian in the villa courtyard:
It was also very nice on the inside, but does not have a gym, pool, or sauna. It is on the first floor, making it easier to get the dog in and out.
The houses we've seen have been very old. Houses are rare and expensive. I don't think we can afford a house with new appliances and bathrooms. Also, you have to deal with the landlord instead of a maintenance person for maintenance. I have a feeling we will end up in that mid-rise with the pool. Curt really wants a gym. We have a Bow-Flex and treadmill coming from Egypt, but somehow he thinks a gym will be better.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Real Estate Around the World
We are currently looking for both a house in Georgia (to give us a US residence, GA because my sister will live in it and take care of it while she is in med school) and a place to rent here in Seoul.
Definitions:
US
house=single family dwelling
apartment= dwelling in a multi-unit building
flat=small multi-unit building (term is not used much)
villa= large, expensive house
Cairo
flat= dwelling in a multi-unit unit building
villa= single family house with a garden
Seoul
apartment= dwelling in a building taller than 5 stories
villa= dwelling in a building 5 stories or less
house= single family dwelling
So, a villa in Seoul is a flat in Cairo and an apartment in the US. Also, in Cairo and Seoul, a yard is a garden.
We are looking at Seoul villas and houses. Though I like the idea of a house with a garden, we found an awesome flat last night. The advantages of a villa over a house are: security, maintenance, community. The building is only two years old, it is walking distance to the metro, shopping and an American housing area that has a commissary, pool, etc. It has a garden area so I will be able to walk the dog, but she won't be able to run free. Still, I think she would rather be walked than have a yard. Even if you have a yard for your dog, you should walk your dog, but we all get lazy, especially with babies.
I wish we knew more of what we could get. I don't want to lose this villa, but I want to get the best we can. One nice thing is that the government (read: American tax payers) are paying for it, so there is less stress. The housing market is a bit of a racket (isn't it, everywhere?). The realtors know how much you are allotted based on your job position and family size and that is how much whatever you choose will cost. There is a housing office which has to approve it, so there is some oversight, but still, it is very expensive!
The house we saw has a great yard, beautiful front door and lots of space, but the kitchen and bathrooms are older and not very nice. They are fine, but not great. The kitchen and bathrooms in the villa are beautiful and new. We are going to look at the villa again today so we can see it in the daylight.
Curt and Ian are napping after a hard morning spent brunching here at the Dragon Hill lodge.
On the Georgia house hunt, we need to get Powers of Attorney for my sister and decide which property to make an offer on next. We are looking at 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom houses with yards and either a garage or shed because we have stuff that is in storage from before we went overseas that we are going to have delivered to this new house so we can use it before it gets completely trashed. Some things, though just need to be stored and you can't pick and choose, you have to take all of the stored goods or none.
We found a great house, but the deal didn't go through. There were a few structural issues that were identified on a previous inspection that we wanted them to fix, but they would not agree because they said it was "too hard" and "inaccessible" which I translate to mean "too expensive" to fix. Structural issues are not something we want to be dealing with when we are so far away and my sister will need to concentrate on school, she won't have time (and doesn't have the experience either).
Definitions:
US
house=single family dwelling
apartment= dwelling in a multi-unit building
flat=small multi-unit building (term is not used much)
villa= large, expensive house
Cairo
flat= dwelling in a multi-unit unit building
villa= single family house with a garden
Seoul
apartment= dwelling in a building taller than 5 stories
villa= dwelling in a building 5 stories or less
house= single family dwelling
So, a villa in Seoul is a flat in Cairo and an apartment in the US. Also, in Cairo and Seoul, a yard is a garden.
We are looking at Seoul villas and houses. Though I like the idea of a house with a garden, we found an awesome flat last night. The advantages of a villa over a house are: security, maintenance, community. The building is only two years old, it is walking distance to the metro, shopping and an American housing area that has a commissary, pool, etc. It has a garden area so I will be able to walk the dog, but she won't be able to run free. Still, I think she would rather be walked than have a yard. Even if you have a yard for your dog, you should walk your dog, but we all get lazy, especially with babies.
I wish we knew more of what we could get. I don't want to lose this villa, but I want to get the best we can. One nice thing is that the government (read: American tax payers) are paying for it, so there is less stress. The housing market is a bit of a racket (isn't it, everywhere?). The realtors know how much you are allotted based on your job position and family size and that is how much whatever you choose will cost. There is a housing office which has to approve it, so there is some oversight, but still, it is very expensive!
The house we saw has a great yard, beautiful front door and lots of space, but the kitchen and bathrooms are older and not very nice. They are fine, but not great. The kitchen and bathrooms in the villa are beautiful and new. We are going to look at the villa again today so we can see it in the daylight.
Curt and Ian are napping after a hard morning spent brunching here at the Dragon Hill lodge.
On the Georgia house hunt, we need to get Powers of Attorney for my sister and decide which property to make an offer on next. We are looking at 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom houses with yards and either a garage or shed because we have stuff that is in storage from before we went overseas that we are going to have delivered to this new house so we can use it before it gets completely trashed. Some things, though just need to be stored and you can't pick and choose, you have to take all of the stored goods or none.
We found a great house, but the deal didn't go through. There were a few structural issues that were identified on a previous inspection that we wanted them to fix, but they would not agree because they said it was "too hard" and "inaccessible" which I translate to mean "too expensive" to fix. Structural issues are not something we want to be dealing with when we are so far away and my sister will need to concentrate on school, she won't have time (and doesn't have the experience either).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)