Cars and Condos

By Scott:

When we first decided to move down here we expected to stay in the college apartment for six months for a variety of reasons. It would save money, it would mean we wouldn't need a car and it would give us time to find an affordable place, near work without the pressure of having to pick something immediately. But, through our first eight weeks on the island it has become increasingly clear that we needed to get away from the college when we weren't working and by living here that was all but impossible. That combined with the ever present leak has led us to push up our plans to move out.

Yesterday we went to look at a Condo behind Grand Harbor which is about 5 miles from the campus (a block and a half from Hurley's in Red Bay on the main road back toward George Town). The place is very similar to my old townhouse. It has two floors with three bedrooms, two baths, a huge living room and kitchen and a nice outside patio. The foundation is raised and the neighborhood doesn't have the low water areas that always flood when it rains. It is fully furnished (which is the norm here on Cayman). We both liked the place when we saw it and today we are signing a lease (12 months with an option on an additional 12). We got a great rate because the market is really down. We really weren't looking for a place that big but got it for the price of a two bedroom and actually for that size in George Town we would be paying double, we move in August 15th (or maybe the 11th depending on how things go today).

Getting the condo also meant we now need a car, so after looking at the condo we drove the van over to Budget and looked at cars. We saw one we liked and the price is right so we are going to get a small used compact car the first full week of August. Here on Cayman when you buy a car you pay for it up front, so between the move in, utilities turned on and the car, August will be an expensive month in the Cummings household. Less eating out and more pasta from the grocery store for a while.

We have fixed our ticket issue with Cayman Airways. They are still flying us to Miami but have gotten us a nonstop from Miami to DFW so no layover in Houston on the return trip in December.

We have both finished Harry Potter and are now in the process of going back and re-reading parts to pick up anything we might have missed the first time. On Sunday I spoke with my sister Johanna on the web cam and with my brother Kevin for just a moment when he called Jo and she put the phone up to the camera. Katie's parents arrive in less than 48 hours and now we can show them our future home. Will post pictures of it shortly.