--sigh--

OK, so... we covered my first 3 days in Michigan so far. Let's catch you up on days 4-7. Wow, I just realized it's been seven fucking days already. OK, so... onto Saturday...

Day 4 - Saturday - Time To Apartment Up

I had a list of places to look at, and after taking Friday easy, I planned on spending the weekend hitting up a bunch of leasing offices. I was pushing out further than I had previously. In addition to driving around in general, I also made it a point on Friday to hit up some of the towns around Dearborn.

Actually, let's take a second to talk about this. I don't know if "towns" or "cities" or what is the right word, but that's what it is out here... it's a single continues urban area, but it's made up of a bunch of (I think) independent cities. Dearborn, Dearborn-Heights, Livonia, Westland, Taylor, and on and on and on.

So yeah, on Friday I pushed out to Westland and Livonia; towns that are 20-30 minutes west of Dearborn. By the time you get out there, it starts to be a little more upscale, if you will. I used "upscale" in my other post too, and I'm not sure if it's exactly the word I want to use, but I'm not sure what to use instead. Upper middle class? Either way... let's get back to it...

So, Saturday morning after my shower (woo!) and free hotel breakfast (waffles!) I headed out to find home. I started with what felt like the nicest place:

Reserve At Westland (take 1)

I show up, walk into the leasing office. It's empty save one leasing agent. I tell her I'm interested in looking at their 1 bedrooms.

"Do you have an appointment?", she asks.

"Umm... no?", I reply, surprised at the need for an appointment. Moments later I'm heading back to my car. 😐

The Cove At Westland

"Do you have an appointment?"

Fuck. So is this just a fucking thing out here? Is this a Michigan thing, or some weird post-COVID holdover? An appointment? I want to look at a fucking apartment, I'm not asking for dental care.

But guess what? This time around she's cool. I showed up at the same time as another family, who also did not have an appointment. After a checking her calendar, and the slightest of eyerolls, she decides to take as both to go see their model together.

The Cove was #2 on my list.... based purely on driving by and apartments.com... so it's not a strong #2, but initially it was my second choice.

So, when we walked into the model, and it was gross as hell I started to worry. The apartment must be over 100 years old... and you can see about 98 layers of paint on the walls. It was comically bad. But beyond that, things were dirty. Again, this is the model. Then I opened the coat closet... and down the center... ugh... some gross brown drip along the shelving. I just closed the door, and waited for the other family to finish.

The Cove was ass. But... while we were on the walk over, I grabbed my phone, and made an appointment at that first place. 🙂

Reserve At Westland (take 2)

I left the Cove and went back to the Reserve (which is like 200 feet away).

The girl sees me, smiles, then recognized me as the dude who was just there 30 minutes ago and smiles a little more strained. I tell her that this time I do have an appointment, and give a disarmingly charming smile in return.

Anyway... we toured the place, and it was nice. I like it a lot actually. But their next available 1-bedom is late-September/early-October.

"But your website shows you have available units?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry but sometimes the website doesn't get updated right away", she explains.

Fuck me.

Heather Ridge Apartments

Closed on weekends

Hampton Court Westland

Closed on weekends

You know, when you move to a new place you have to be ready for things to be different even without knowing what those things may be. Apartment-hunting in Michigan is quickly turning into one of those things.

I'm not going to list every place that was closed, but there were a few more along the way. Leasing offices closed Sundays. Leasing offices closed the entire weekend. I was not ready for this at all. How do working people find apartments out here? Every place I've ever lived in an apartment, the weekend was the time to look around. Not here...

Fairlane Meadow Apartments and Townhomes

So far The Cove (that gross one) is sincerely the best thing I've seen so far. Fairlane Meadow is the last place to look at on Saturday. I'm not super hopeful at this point.

I get there. It's nice. Really nice. And it's a 2-story apartment (living on bottom, sleeping on top) so it's kind of like a rowhouse... which means no neighbors above or below you.

They have garage spaces (for extra $)... an ammenity I really want which is shockingly hard to find.

The campus is beautiful. The price (with garage) is right on budget.

But wait, there's more! Remember in the other post I mentioned that Dearbon is a bit "rough" and things get nicer and nicer as you go West? Well, I had been looking out in those towns, as I already told you, that pushed me out 20-30 minutes (with no traffic). Fairlane Meadows? Boom, right in fucking Dearborn! I found this tiny pocket of apartments close to the school but kind of secluded in their own little world, and Fairlane Meadow was one of them.

The commute to campus is less than 5 minutes.

It's been a pain in the ass, but who cares. I found a great place and the perfect location, and well in my price range. 🙂 🙂 🙂 Life is good.

I tell Camille, the leasing agent, that I love it, and I'm all in. Let's do it.

As we're talking about lease requirements, she brings up the income requirements. I explain to her that I'm here for grad school, that I'm not working, and that I don't plan to work any time soon. I've done this in the past (several times now) and in all cases I showed my bank statements to verify that I have the funds to pay my way.

"We need a verified income source.", Camille explains.

"What if I have more money in the bank right now than you require me to earn all year?"

"We need a verified income source. The verification company we use doesn't have any other options."

"What if I just pay for the entire year's rent up-front?"

"We can't take a full year's rent. And we would still have to have you verified through the service, which requires an active, recurring income source."

3... 2... 1... explosion in the pit of my stomach.

Are you fucking me? I have more cash in the bank right now than the income they require, and they still won't rent me an apartment. Camille mentions something about "Michigan fair housing" rules. Wait... is this a Michigan thing? Am I going to face this in the entire fucking state?

This shit now... it's fucking hilarious. For the first time in my entire life I'm able to say, "whatever it costs, I can afford it", and they respond with, "I'm sorry but your money is no good here."

It's 5 pm. That's it for Saturday.

Am I legit going to be fucking homeless?

What. The. Fuck. Suddenly, CUNY is looking like the better option by far.