It seems the answer is no. Turns out the condo's current owner opted not to do any inspections. I don't want to embark on the cost of inspections when I'm so dubious about the location. The place still seems acceptable to me in and of itself, but I'm put off by a couple of details. Number one, the apartment complex on the other side of the back fence has placed an enormous garbage skip directly behind our yard. Summer could be pretty rank, and the sound of the garbage lid clanging all the time might not be so hot. Two, the streets on all sides are busy day and night. It's mostly apartments and condos in that area. Lots of people with no commitment to their property coming and going. I'm not very excited about that.
So I called our new real estate agent and gave him a deadline. I told him I want to move into my new house or condo in Redwood City or points north by the end of the month. That's unrealistic, actually, since escrow and closing takes upwards of six weeks, but I wanted to let him know we were ready to buy the minute we found the appropriate place. He promised to get us the likely listings and start showing us places right away. I'm going to begin wrapping up and boxing my china and porcelain this weekend in preparation. Call it sympathetic magic or planning ahead; either way, I'm going to pack the fiddly bits. Meanwhile, John is calling around to see about storage places in case our new place doesn't have an entire garage for him to fill. We're gearing up for a move.
I'll have to buy several more large containers, though, and more soil. I planted at least fifty bulbs in the ground because I ran out of both soil and containers at the same time, and I couldn't face another trip to the nursery. But I'm not leaving my iris behind, or my extra tulips and daffodils and scilla. And there's the shade garden in the front. My beloved hostas, heuchera, and astilbe are coming with me, too. But I'm not moving them until the last possible minute. I just want to be prepared.
Moving is such a hassle. That's why I have to find a place that totally suits me. We don't plan to buy up, really. We want to stay put for at least ten years. Under those circumstances, I don't want to commit to a place in an area with no advantages for us. Yes, the condo itself is great. But I find, after all, I can't reconcile myself to Mountain View.
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