It’s not just location, location, location!

The house sold in just a few weeks and we are closing on June 30!  Wahoo!  If we are serious about living downtown…it’s time to find our downtown abode.

So, what do we need to consider?  Living downtown brings new things to the decision-making table.  It’s not just location.  We don’t need to worry about school districts anymore.. but,  how important is being able to park close to where we live?  Do we need a washer and dryer in our unit  or is a nearby  facility doable?  What about a loft vs. traditional bedrooms?  Do we want a high-rise view?  Is it gonna be Downtown, Midtown or Bricktown?  How long of a lease are we willing to sign?  Is a swimming pool or fitness center important? 

So, after a few cocktails and some soul searching..here goes…

Laundry?  Sit coms make sharing laundry facilities look kinda fun, but do I really want my unmentionables rollin’ around in the company of strangers?  I think not.  So, probably a washer and dryer in our unit is gonna be a plus! 

Lofts?  Although a loft sounds really cool, I’m not sure we ar Lofters.   I mean, seriously, what if you want to stomp off after a fight and slam a door?  Or, maybe you want to watch something other than sports on TV… or… maybe you need to quarantine a sickie.  Am I crazy, or can two people happily live in a “LOFT”?  Avery, my youngest, will be living with us for a few months, until he moves to Stillwater for his LAST semester.  So, a two bedroom is a must!  Also, hoping for visitors!  A loft is not conducive for a visiting mother-in-law! 

Parking?  Big question here.  If most everything you need is in walking distance, how often will we really need to get to our cars.  Well, Andy has to drive to work every day, so I’m gonna let him make the call on this one. 

Swimming Pool and Fitness Center?  If we are going to live in a sea of concrete in Oklahoma during the hottest months of the year, a swimming pool is going to get top billing from me.  The Fitness Center … not so much!  We have already joined numerous fitness centers that we don’t use, so this amenity is not likely to weigh in (no pun intended).

High Rise View?  Would be really nice, but Andy gets a little jittery on the really high views, so although it’s nice and romantic, I’m not sure it is going to be a deal-maker or breaker for us.

Location?  We really love Midtown.  We love the restaurants and bakeries and overall look and feel of Midtown.  We love that parking is not an issue.  There are not many rentals available currently in Midtown but we plan to check it out for sure.  I’d like to think I would be close enough to downtown to walk to work or to meetings, but who are we kidding?  Heels, laptop and Oklahoma summer heat makes that probably impossible most days.  Downtown makes sense on many levels.  We can walk or bike to Midtown in the evening.  Bricktown is a great place to visit, but I don’t think we want to live there!  A little too young and lively for us old farts!   

Lease length?  We decided we can do anything for 6 months.  Most of the apartments we looked at were willing to negotiate on the length of the lease.  They usually want a year, but if they have vacancies they are negotiable.  It’s illegal to charge rent twice on the same apartment, so even if you break your lease, if they have another renter move in, you won’t have to fulfill the lease.  However, there will probably be penalties and charges for breaking the lease.  Be sure to keep that in mind if you are considering a test flight, like us!