Persistence pays on the hunt

When searching for the perfect apartment, keep your head down

 Can you think of any self-inflicted chore worse than planning a move?

I knew I was in for trouble when I decided to say sayonara to my apartment of almost five years. The main reason for leaving, as the Grinch himself once opined, all the NOISE, NOISE, NOISE: coed screaming matches; a klatch of homeboys underneath my window until 3 a.m.; cars pulling a fast and furious down Commonwealth. Add to that the garbage-strewn streets, pointless vandalism, the loathsome Green Line and it was clear that my time in Allston was over.

The first action I took was to initiate a campaign of whining and complaining that I had to move. Next, I grilled every person I knew about their hood and monthly rent. Then there’s the dreaded Craigslist, where trolling the housing section became mandatory every morning.

I spoke to legions of realtors about a plethora of places and rarely did I get to see the actual apartment I inquired about. Another dirty trick was being shown the perfect apartment, loving it, and then learning it was hundreds more than my budget … thanks for nothing, jerk.

I wasn’t fussy; unless wanting reasonable rent and not wanting an industrial-carpeted basement in a bad neighborhood isolated from any public transport is too demanding. I’m not sure why some realtors thought suggesting I was cheap (I wasn’t) and threatening that I’d never find an apartment would inspire confidence in their abilities.

But persistence paid off: I found a good realtor and a place that’s a palace compared to what the others showed me. Glossy hardwood floors, a marble mantel, a sun-filled, beautiful building in a great neighborhood — for the same price as the musty basements I saw! The fantastic realtor I ended up working with was proactive and kind. I came, I saw, I wrote a check and it’s all mine!