austin real estate sucks big green donkey dicks

Music: the whirr of Rachel's home computer. Well, I'm on my third day in Austin, hunting a home to purchase. I regret it's not going as well as I hoped. The first night here I stayed at The Austin Motel, a South Congress landmark. This place was way funky in that cool way, and in that oh-so-gross way. I have to admit I had flashbacks of Huey's New State Capitol Building while staying there (if you take a look at their famous street-sign, you'll get it . . . huh huh huh, huh huh huh). Second night, a lovely evening at Chez Barry. Rod Hart is a real trip at dinner parties (note to self: feed Rod scotch). Had a great chat with Dana on rhetoric and dialectic while my mouth was on fire from Barry's hot pepper texas cornbread. Last night, tonight, and tomorrow night I'll be chillin' with my girl Rachel, a junior faculty person whom I'm just starting to get to know. I swear, she is the most friendly person I've met on the faculty; you look up the word "friendly" in the dictionary, and it will say "see Rachel Smith." Read up about her here.

My realtor is a real hoot: Jeanne White. She's a good conversationalist and plays mother's role well (this is her role for me, see! Den Mother's always make good realtors for young single white guys with no money).

After two days of searching and driving around endlessly (and after two days of one depressing, filthy shack after the next), I decided on three townhomes: my top pick was the one I posted about in the blog recently. We saw it this morning, and let me say, the photos show its best side. The place outside is, well, a dump. It needs many repairs. But it is in an excellent part of town, and values are continuing to climb. Alas, the place was already in a bidding war that was far above the fair offer I made (120,000).

Choice two was a huge condo in a sort of retirement/older folks area. Immaculately clean and well maintained. Not the best drive to campus, but doable. Alas, I was outbid by a buyer who paid cash.

Offer three went out to my third and least favorite choice: a townhome in the northwest area. Yuppie-ville, basically. It's tolerable, but hard to get excited about (even so, better than the rentals I saw yesterday and today in my price range; god people will live in some gross shit for $1000 a month!). It's smaller than I would have hoped for, and clearly decked out in a feminine style. Not that I'm not down with feminine style, but rather, violet colored walls and frilly wallpaper.

I'm losing my optimism quickly, I'm afraid.

I hoped to be headed home tomorrow from Austin knowing where I'm living; day five of my trip and I'm insecure and clueless. Hopefully, I'll be home by Sunday packing boxes, worrying, but with the destination known. I think this sort of thing is much easier with a spouse/partner . . . you can use them for a sense of stability. Right now, it's "Live, Without a Net!"

Photos of the gross stuff I saw, perhaps, upon my return. I have seen some real doosies.