It’s 11 pm on a Sunday night…a dark night, but not a stormy one. This is not a scary story. Well, perhaps it is, but not in the traditional way of scary stories. It’s the story of one girls quest to better herself, by way of purchasing her first home.

As you probably know (or should know anyways), I’ve been searching the market for an affordable home to call my own. It’s not that I don’t like living with other people, it’s just that I would really like to have a space that’s all mine, a space where I can cook, clean, lounge, dance and sing in the nude. Or maybe just a place where I can do all of those things any time of the day or night that I wish. I don’t HAVE to be naked. It’s just a bonus that I COULD be naked if I chose to do so.

I was looking through the newspaper classified ads a few weeks ago, and I came across an interesting little ad. It said something along the lines of “Condo for Sale. $89,000. Call to view.” I thought to myself, “I wonder if I could get a mortgage for $89,000. I wonder if this place is a complete dive.” So, I did what any person would do. I went down to the mortgage centre and applied. I honestly didn’t think I’d be approved, but when she told me I could be, my little heart was elated. Right away I called the number of the condo and set up a time to view it. I went to the viewing, and I was ecstatic! It was sooooooooooooo cute! A tiny little Janelle-sized loft!! I wanted to move in right away…but apparently people would prefer that your financing to go through first. Our society is so sad…built on money.

Then the first problem reared its ugly head; the mortgage company would not give me financing unless I had a letter from my employer stating that I am a PERMANENT full-time employee. Since I work in the medical industry, this is a huge problem. They enjoy employing people as temporary full-time…this allows them to get away with not paying for benefits. It also encourages a huge turnover rate which causes all sorts of problems (long emergency room wait times, inadequate care, miserable staff, gastro-intestinal disease, etc.) So, I called up my parents and asked if they would mind co-signing for me. I thought it was an exceptionally great idea, because if they were on the mortgage and I felt like not working for awhile, I could just quit my job and they could pay it for me. (Hahaha just kidding…maybe). Being the wonderful people that they are, they were more than happy to help me out with this, and so the co-signing was done. I figured this would be the end of my problems. I was wrong. I had counted my chickens before they had hatched.

I was waiting and waiting and waiting (not at all patiently) to hear back from the mortgage lady (We’ll call her Deb, because that’s her name) so that she could tell me that it’s all wonderful and I can have the house and extra cash to do the flooring so I could live in a beautiful home decorated to my liking. Well, I waited a week and a half only to have my world crash down last Friday. The mortgage people wouldn’t approve it unless I had 5% to put down. Now, while $4350 may not seem like much, it just wasn’t possible for me to have that money pulled out of my ass immediately. I called my dad crying (ok, I was in hysterics), told him that I couldn’t have the house, and prepared to grieve for the next year or so. But, being the superb people my parents are, they decided to help out their little girl, again. They talked to Deb and put 5% down (which I’m paying back in monthly installments, thankyouverymuch) and enabled me to once again get my hopes back up where they belong.

I called Deb and she seemed happy for me. She’s a very nice lady, but I’m pretty sure she’s sick and tired of me…I’ve been on her case about this from the first minute that I applied. She also had to listen to me cry on Friday afternoon…I’m sure that wasn’t exactly the thing she wanted to be hearing right before her weekend. In all fairness to me though, I hadn’t slept for a week due to my nervous state. She told me she’d call me as soon as she heard anything. That was Friday…this is Sunday. I told the lady who’s selling the place that I have to have it…I will sell my soul for all 510 square feet of that condo!!! I went today with my auntie Sharon to look at it again and get the inspection report. My happiness is riding on whatever happens tomorrow. Tomorrow is the deadline. If the financing doesn’t get approved by tomorrow, the people can sell the place to someone else…someone with CASH. Someone who’s not a single gal trying to buy a place in the worst housing market in Canada (almost anyways.) I NEED this place. I need it so much that I can taste it. Well, I can’t really taste it…I don’t eat condo. But you know what I mean.

So yeah, if you’ve noticed that I’ve been a bit of a stress case lately, now you know why. I did manage to get some sleep this weekend, which was really swell. I enjoy sleeping. A lot. Keep your fingers crossed for me…and please, if you see my parents give them a giant hug. Tell them that their little girl is going to make them proud, and will *eventually* be self-sufficient and independent and hopefully make grandparents out of them one day. I couldn’t possible make them grandparents unless I lived in a loft condo first. It’s just not the way it goes.

Have a fantabulous day!
Janelle