Man. I am just about packed. After this last move, I put most of the misc junk in large rubber maid containers. So my office was already mostly packed.

I did the books, DVDs and Cds yesterday. Today, the stuff in my bedroom I will not need. The misc stuff in the living room. And some extra items in the office.

Saturday my friend Irene will help me pack the kitchen.

The week I move, I'll pack the pictures. Pack the cloths I won't need for those last few days. The last few items in the kitchen. And the worst will be tearing down my office. All those cables and the desk.

So far it does not seem as bad as last year when I packed up to here.

We will see.

Well I did it. I am becoming a Home Owner.

The financing is set. On October 12th I become a home owner. OK not really. The bank owns it. I'll just be borrowing it for a few years. Oh yeah, it's a condo. As my Real estate agent put it, "You realize you are essentially buying AIR." I added plus a few microns of paint and some carpeting. So I am paying more for my condo than someone who buys a mobile home. They actually own a whole structure. Go figure.

I'll end up moving in on the 23rd or 24th. So I have 4 weeks to pack. I want to finish most of the packing before then. I want to spend the 2 weekends before I move in doing the minor fix ups I need.

So I am going to learn:
- How to correctly reseal grout and caulk
- How to replace a kitchen sink
- How to properly design and install a closet organizer
- How to hang drapes or shades

Home Despot seminars, here I come.

Well the rental market is getting tight in the valley again. so my landlord just raised my rent $95.

I hit ZipReality.com and looked to see what was there. I found 5 apartments to look at. Central air, 2Br, 1+ba about 1000sf and a crime index of under 70.

I looked at two units in the same complex first. One $420,000 and the other $439,000. Yep it is crazy in the SillyCon Valley. The numbers scare the crap out of me. Mortgage, taxes, insurance, HOA total about $3200 per month. After the taking the tax advantage into account, I just increased my expenses by $500 per month by considering this. I did say Silly Con Valley, right? This is after the prices have dropped a bit in the last month.

The one for $439k had a no name laminate floor the Realestate agent at the open house swore was better than Pergo. And a one garage for small midsize car. My Highlander would "squeeze" in. The living room had an odd angle. I would have had wasted space to put in the sofa and the stereo so that I could watch TV and not deal with glare on the TV from the sun. Small L shaped living room dining rooam areas just don't work in a 2 BR place that is under 1000sf. It worked when I had an 1150sf apartment. That missing 200sq in this place made it too small for an "L".

I did see one unit for $407,000. For that price I was right next to the train tracks. Just in case the 3AM the freight did not wake me, the first CalTrans bullet train at 4:30AM will. Plus the carpet needed replacing and the bedrooms were small. And a unexplainible hot spot on the kitchen floor. But only $407k.

The other unit I was looking at for $430,000. "Move-in condition". The electricity was turned off. So the refrigerator was it's own smelly special of mold. And the carpet was a forrest green. And it was stained. And the whole apartment was painted with a GLOSS white wash; can we all say glare?. And I backed on to HWY 101. And all the balconies showed some really serious dry rot issues. And the current owner was in forclosure and pulled $80k in equity out before walking away from the place 3 monnths ago. But it was in Move-in condition.

Out of the 5, I am looking at the first one again tomorrow night. I have asked my friend Dawn to take a look. See what she thinks. The second bedroom is really a den. Or are there people who put their child in a bedroom at the opposite side of the apartment. With a sliding glass door opening to the balcony. I saw child be cause only a single sized bed will fit.

I need to be picky. One, there are these ridiculous prices. Two, I'll probalby be there for at least 10 years. Unless I get a really big payoff from the stock at my current job. Even if that happens, I do not want to pack a box for anything other than a gift or goodwill for a few years.