Somehow I got REAL PREGNANT without paying much attention. Not that I would be so fortunate as to go into labor at 38 weeks (hey, we're holding out hope for "into labor, on my own, period"), but theoretically, if I did, that would be in seven weeks.
Hrk.
I just threw up on my lap. Or rather, I would have, if someone had not deposited a watermelon in it already. That's what that is, right? It's kind of...moving...
Anyway, I am using the remaining time before The Event Which Shall Not Be Named or Precisely Scheduled to knit some longies, rearrange the furniture thirty or forty times, and make Big Household Decisions. That last one is largely accomplished for me, thanks to the swirly Dairy Queen turd with a partially digested cherry on top that is the economy these days. Too bad it doesn't take care of the knitting or the furniture. Ahem. Anyway.
Sean has landed hisself a great job at a great school, to begin at some point late this summer. Initially our idea was to take a (paid-for!) trip out to Nashville this summer, and somehow find a house and buy it and then be homeowners, la la la. Never mind the difficulty inherent in finding just the right house in a town you don't know in the space of a week when accompanied by two (!) demanding little people. That was the plan.
But now...there are further wrenches in the plot. One being that we don't have a huge down payment saved up, and unless we go with some local Tennessee bank that's willing to take a contract at its word for what Sean's salary will be, we're going to march into the lender's office with a set of W2s that belong to a post-doc (laugh along with me, academics!) and some pocket change for down payment. Har har har. A year ago that would have gotten us a mortgage for sixty frillion dollars, no documentation required and here's your free pound cake, but times have changed (for the better, in truth) and today that might cause bank staff to rescind their offer of free coffee, and ask me to spit out the hard candy I took from the dish on the desk.
Blah blah blah blessing in disguise, really, because the idea of having to settle on a neighborhood, let alone a particular house, in the space of a week is...distasteful. We did that once; it did not go well, unless your idea of "well" includes living a block away from The Murder House, and being accosted by hooligans every time you go out the door, and showering in powdered lead paint.
So we'll rent for a while, build up a reasonable down payment, figure out where we want to live in the city. Plans for big gardens and chicken coops and funky painted walls will have to wait.
It would feel like more of a loss, if it weren't for the fact that most condo rentals in the area have swimming pools.
FYI if you want to buy a house, the bank will take a letter from your husband's employer with the salary on there. My husband and I ran into the same thing--we were moving to a different state and although I had a job lined up, they wouldn't include my salary in the calculation on how much they would loan us. All they needed though was a letter of proof from my future employer. Just thought I'd share! Good luck!
Posted by: Stephanie | October 27, 2008 at 02:20 PM
You might want to do some looking at police reports before you go. There has been a recent and somewhat dramatic increase in gang-related activity and other types of violence. Maybe do a quick trawl of the local papers.
Posted by: Mandy | October 27, 2008 at 03:06 PM
Wow, congratulations on the job. My family is in an amazingly similar situation & I'm so happy to link to your blog, as you've validated what I've been trying to explain to my extended family for months. Renting is just what we have to do right now, since yes even our landlord laughed at my husband's rental application w/a promise of a university salary.
Posted by: Chloe | October 27, 2008 at 03:36 PM
Mandy, that's a really good point -- I read the locals and some blogs, so that's just another reason I'm glad we'll have the chance to rent before we buy.
Here's the thing: police stats don't tell you the facts on the ground. Case in point: West Philadelphia, where we live now. Our police district is big, and encompasses some of the worst parts of the city, and then our block, which still has fairly high crime rates but feels generally safe for us. If you went by stats (which I did, initially), you'd think it was a nightmarishly crime-ridden area -- but our chunk of blocks is really, really nice!
Another place we lived, the crime stats said was okay, but we felt more threatened on a regular basis, and hated living there.
So: we'll rent somewhere that's a sure bet for low crime (probably somewhere close to school), and get a feel for what it's really like in all the different parts of the city.
Posted by: Jo | October 27, 2008 at 04:38 PM
I just wanted to say that I love that you used "y'all" in print. What would have been even better is "OMG, all y'all". And dude, babies be errywhere.
Posted by: beth | October 27, 2008 at 04:47 PM
delurking to ask: Faculty job or next postdoc. Cuz if it's faculty at Vanderbilt, there is, I believe, some support for faculty to buy in Nashville. It could be at tenure, but I think there is a move to (or at least intent to) get everyone settled and happy.
congrats!
Posted by: fuzzmama | October 27, 2008 at 08:06 PM
I have numerous cousins who live in the N'ville area, if you want some "boots on the ground" recs about where to live. Shoot me an e-mail if you want!
Posted by: Lisa | October 27, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Ah, yes. The "live somewhere OK for now while we figure out the nabe we want" play. We did that when we moved. THREE YEARS AGO. We're the only household with members under 60, and while that was also the case three years ago, now we have a daughter and we'd all desperately like people our own age to meet and greet when we're out and about. But now, what with the economy and a struggling business, we'll be lucky if we get to stay in our little retirement community.
Posted by: Eliz | October 28, 2008 at 02:36 AM
i think you are s-m-r-t. being there for a bit makes all the difference.
i have ALREADY bought your birthday present and will be sending it in the mail on Friday along with a present for Sophia. No, really, I swear this time. I'm gonna prove you wrong.
Posted by: gretchenosis | October 28, 2008 at 09:10 AM
http://www.westendsyn.org/
Posted by: maybe try this neighborhood | October 28, 2008 at 05:27 PM
Cool, can guests use the pool too? (not that we'd be staying at your place, mind you, we'll be at my cousin's or my aunt's, but still, the boys would love that ;-)
Anyway... I think it's a SUPER wise decision to wait for a bit... We only did that (choosing a house in three days with a newborn in tow while my parents looked after Kelvin, back when we moved to Philly in 04) because we KNEW that it was only for a few years (3 in the end). And the neighborhood was OK... And the postdoc salary worked only because it was for a house not too much more than 100K.
Oh, so... I'm planning a "trip" to the new PTM with the boys on Friday the 7th, in the afternoon, we should get there between 1-2. Want to have a playdate? :-)
Posted by: Lilian | October 28, 2008 at 09:10 PM
i second checking w/the university. we just found out that my husband's university offers a downpayment loan with very generous terms. -SL
Posted by: sonyala | October 29, 2008 at 12:40 AM
Your comment about funky painted walls got me thinking about when I was very little (too young to remember really, but I've seen photos) and my mother painted a mural on the outside wall of our rental house. Everyone except the landladies loved it (it got painted over). In the next rental house, I remember her drawing on the wall of the bedroom... This was the late 60s / early 70s.
Posted by: luolin | October 29, 2008 at 01:31 AM
Made me think of the Beverly Hillbillies: Swimming pools! Any movie stars?
I hope you find a good place.
Posted by: ozma | October 29, 2008 at 01:32 PM
Happy birthday! (Thanks to Mamadeus for the tip.) Oh...and...yay Phillies! :)
Posted by: Tine | October 30, 2008 at 03:57 PM