Son David and his wife and three children have been living in a rented apartment in Brooklyn for just over a year. It costs about $5,500 a month. For most of this time they have been looking for somewhere to buy. At first they wanted to stay in Brooklyn, but a three bedroom apartment with no outside space costs over $1 million, and not surprisingly the Bank of Mum and Dad, which is involved in this project, has some serious issues with this.
So they find a house in Westchester, very upmarket, very leafy suburbia, for a similar amount of money, which seems more sensible as it had four bedrooms and a big garden.
They put in an offer, it’s accepted, they have the survey done, they’re gazumped, their landlord gives them notice to quit.
Back to the drawing board, with sixty days and counting before they will be homeless. David pictures them all sitting on the pavement with their bags piled up around them, his babies crying, his wife ...
They move their househunt to New Jersey, still leafy suburbia but not so upmarket and, surprise surprise, not so expensive.
They find a house. They put in an offer and have a day to wait to find out whether it’s been accepted.
David phones to give us this news on his way to the airport. It’s a quarter to five in the morning and he’s flying to Chicago for three morning meetings and a business lunch. Some time later we receive this email:
“Since speaking to you pre 5 am I have suffered two cancellations, a flight to Charlotte, N Carolina, another cancellation, a delay, a bumpy two hour ride to Chicago sitting next to four very badly behaved toddlers with idiotic parents, a 25 minute delay at the gate whilst waiting for a gate agent to open the door and am now in the back of the hottest cab ever.
“Unlikely to make my lunch at 1 pm having already missed three meetings and needing a drink!”
So that’s how tough life is in New York City.
It’s not all bad, however. He did make his lunch and the offer on the house has been accepted.
script by Sandra - David's mum
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