Signing the Lease

Yesterday afternoon Jim and I initialed or signed an endless number of papers with all the rules for our lease for 508 Barkley Boulevard in Princeton, New Jersey.  We initialed that we would not have any pets, including goldfish.  (I missed that in reading the lease, but Jim, a more careful reader, caught it!)  We will pay our rent on time, we will not knock out walls in the apartment, we will not let our garbage accumulate, we will not smoke on the premises, etc.  The good part is that all our neighbors sign the same lease.

Jeff offered to meet us at the lease signing and that really made us feel good; it was one more way that he and Susan have welcomed us to Princeton.  We met with Eboni who gave us a tour of the Devon, another second floor apartment,  and a tour of the clubhouse.  We couldn't see the Hampshire II because it is still occupied.

The rooms we saw were spacious.  There were bonuses like drawers in the walk-in closet and a pantry in the kitchen.  The heated attached garage had ample storage space for bikes and boxes of stuff ranging from Christmas paraphernalia to the letters and journals and photo albums I have saved.

The clubhouse was luxurious with amenities we may never use--the media room, the sauna, and the billiard table.  The highlight for me was the Yamaha baby grand piano located in the piano room.  I could shut the doors and play in privacy--although I have a feeling the sound would carry.  The piano was in tune but had some bass notes that lingered so it will need some work.  Eboni assured me they would have it taken care of before we moved in.  I saw her record it on her phone!  Now Laura can have my piano or we will sell it in South Bend.

The complex was far bigger than it appeared from the road but we are on the very edge of it.  I think, although it is hard to tell for sure, that we will look out on a row of trees from our living room and bedroom.  One of them was flowering--Princeton definitely gets an earlier spring than South Bend.

Susan asked me at dinner if I saw any drawbacks now that we have visited the apartments.  I have a bit of concern about the rather ramshackle building on the other side of the trees--who lives there and will that be a problem?  But otherwise I think we are both reassured about the decision we have made and we are excited about it. It will definitely be more luxurious than anything we have ever had before.

Turning over the deposit and first partial month's rent was a bit daunting.  Jeff reminded us that a year's rent is more than we paid for our first house in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1976.  Granted that was a small ranch with only one bathroom, no garage and no basement.   He remembered that I told him later that I felt I was selling my life away.  I know I lay awake that night thinking our student days were over--we had a mortgage!  Well, last night I slept just fine maybe knowing we don't have a mortgage!  We are not making a permanent commitment.  After a year we may decide that we need to buy again, but if we do, it will be a maintenance free situation.  Princeton taxes may help us decide to continue renting however.

What an adventure we are undertaking in our "old" age.  It has gone well so far.  The last inspection report came in yesterday for our house and there are no termites.  Everything should proceed well now.  We'll get the radon situation fixed and the house clear of furniture and find a place to live in June and then we're off in July to Princeton, our new home.

-----------------Just booked an airbnb condo very near Notre Dame for the month of June.