I got my renewal notice today, and I was expecting it to be a bit of a rent hike. I was not, however, expecting what I saw. See, I've been exploring my options for the last few weeks, just to see what was out there, somewhat close to what my rent is now. In Coppell there isn't a whole lot...and if there is something, it's not worth it.
There's been one that's been available for a while, so today, I got a little more curious than normal, and decided to go see it. In theory, it would be great...except for the powder blue painted walls in the bedrooms and bathrooms. It's obviously been a rental for a while, and the "yard" is just a bunch of weeds. I was feeling a tad dejected after that, but decided to drive around the neighborhood a little to see if there was anything else.
I saw a "For Rent by Owner" sign with flyers, so I stopped to grab one. The rent was $70 cheaper than the crappy one, so I called the number to set up an appointment. "Are you in a red car?" the gentleman asked. When I said I was, he told me to come on in. He was getting ready to show it to someone else, but I was more than welcome. Y'all. It was the same exact floorplan, but this one was maintained SO much better. It's small, about the size of my apartment, but it met all of my criteria:
1. Ground floor.
2. Garage.
3. Yard.
I'm not hard to please...despite popular belief. (Okay, those who know me best just choked on their laughter with that sentence). He and I got wrapped up in a conversation about single parenting and how he and his wife love to be able to help out and give back because God has blessed them in so many ways, and at that moment, I felt like God was blessing me...putting me in this man's path for a reason. He told me he was closing on another property on Friday, again, the exact same floorplan, but not as "tricked out" as he called it. I agreed to meet him and the other prospective renter at the other house, and left so she could look uninterrupted.
I found the other one, and it's almost exactly what I pictured in my head...right down to the two climbing trees in the front yard. I left to grab some water, but when I came back, they were looking around, so I knocked and went in. He told the benefits of this one: a really spacious roofed deck with a ceiling fan in the back, new windows, all the appliances (including a new washer & dryer), and a new water heater. He said, "I know this one isn't as fancy, but it's in excellent shape. I bought it from the original owner, and if you're good with what you see; I'll be painting everything and installing some new fixtures and everything, but if you like it, I'll rent it to you for a really good price."
While I was waiting, I'd called my apartment complex and found out that they were increasing my rent by $200. Yeah. Really. When he told me the price, I started doing math in my head to see which was the better deal, and without question, the house is. My dad's coming this weekend for baseball, so we're going to check it out. I'm excited about the possibilities, and the fact that he told me I could rent it for as long as I wanted/needed to. He is a good man; he and his wife have been in the community for years and years and years, and they are so great.
This morning, I got a text from a friend of mine, asking if I was awake. When I said I was, I got a text that made my heart drop...first, when she asked if I was awake, I was scared it was bad news about one of her kids. Equally bad news, I'm afraid...her father died early this morning, suddenly, and before his time. He leaves behind the love of his life, his wife of 51 years, three amazing daughters, and some pretty wonderful grandchildren. This man, although I never met him, was selfless and kind, supportive and loving, loyal and genuinely good. I did not get the chance to meet him, but I feel like I have because all of those qualities have been picked up by those who loved him the most. It is tragic and so difficult for all of them; nobody was expecting to say good-bye to their husband/father/Pop Pop.
My heart hurts for them, but at the same time, I want to rejoice for him, being in the presence of God, where he feels no pain, and will forever be able to watch over all of his loved ones. Yes, that's joyous news, but it doesn't dim the hurt my friends feel...and I wish I could do something to fix it.
Today's post was originally going to be about friendship, but I feel like it should wait for another time...perhaps tomorrow.
Instead, I'm going to go cuddle with my boy...because I'm here and able, and tomorrow isn't a guarantee.
Aubs
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