Two good ones!

I've seen two places today that I am excited about!

First, a freestanding cottage on a family estate, near Riddell's Bay. It is a small place, but with a recently refitted kitchen and bath; the living room has a fireplace, it comes unfurnished but they have some things they will loan for however long, and the present occupant is willing to sell whatever I might want. (I understand from the Good Riddance Girl, an American woman I had an after-work drink with last night, that the furnishing of a pretty standard, nothing special, bedroom, living room and kitchen - not including appliances and such - would run around $5000. That naturally enhanced my appreciation of furnished places rather significantly!)

The owner and his wife seem sweethearts; they live on one side of the (green) cottage (all but the purple picture are of this cottage), which was the original cottage on the site - he remembers it as the home for his parents and he and his sister for a couple years while the main house was being built. One of their daughters lives on the other side. They have an apartment in the lower part of the house as well, where their other daughter lived until recently. That has been rented to a fellow who does IT work in the city. I have a few photos of it on this post. It isn't available until April 1, which is fine because the Govt hasn't managed to unleash the work permit yet, so I am not 'real' here and still can't do the bank account, utility sign-up thing as yet. The owners leave in the morning for John Hopkins and heart repair work for the wife, and they'd like to have it settled before they go if possible, as they will be away 3 weeks.

I was all for the one I mention above - on Middle Road in Warwick just beyond Southhampton Parish line, liked the place, loved the family, liked the setting, the bus stop is at the Heron Bay Marketplace, then a longish but level walk back into the family compound, the owner has a frame shop in the Marketplace building and offered to provide transport for what shopping I do there, etal - really lovely people. While the distance off the road was a bit, one really strong positive was that the bus service on Middle Road runs from Hamilton until after 9, and starts before 7 in the morning. A negative (beyond the walk) was that everything coming from the west side of the island has to process through ONE roundabout intersection, and backups can mean a commute of an hour and a half for what in other times might be 20- 30 minutes.

But - the second one I am trying to reach the owner about to say if she will accept me I would like to rent the place. I hope I get to her before she gives it to someone else!

And I haven't seen the inside yet.

The outside is purple - in this context, not a bad thing.

But the bus stops just off the driveway to the house, the couple-hundred-feet-away Harrington Hundred grocery store is the Whole Foods of the island without the superhigh prices (i.e., prices all over are high, these are in line with the general prices, but the store has fresh fish, a bakery, organics and is the biggest retailer of local Bermuda veg and fish on the island). The 1 bedroom unit is fully furnished, even to some kitchenwares, has a gas stove, air conditioning/reverse a/c, is a second story unit with wonderful views from the veranda; it was her own place before she moved to a larger, detached home, so she has a soft spot for it, her tenants tend to stay 4 to 9 years (which speaks well for her as well as them), the appliances are new or nearly so. She and I had spoken earlier but she wasn't showing it while they were doing the cosmetic work; today was out because she is a Seventh Day Adventist, so the earliest I can see the interior is Monday.

We have spoken twice today - once before i went over to see it from the outside (and stroll through the across-the-road Spittal Pond park and bird sanctuary, and visit the grocery), and once just after I had seen the place but before the other stops. Since then I havent been able to reach her - probably church - and will keep trying every few minutes. Fingers crossed!!