Good karma

Since DS2 was accepted into his program, we have been casually looking for places for him to live in his new city.  It's not a housing area we are familiar with so it took some learning to figure out where the boundaries are for 'good side/bad side' of town.

Rent is expensive there. There is no on campus housing unless you are low income or single parent with dependents.  A friend of DS1's is there and they searched forever and ended up with a teeny, old apartment for $800 a month.  That's a pile of cash.

At one point I had even considered buying a condo for him. If I am going to pay $800 to $1000 for a place I might as well build some equity. There wasn't anything available on the safe side of town that wasn't super big or super expensive so that went out the window.

We had a good lead when a family we know mentioned that they still have a 2 bedroom house in the city and that their younger son would be living there while he went to school. Cost would be $500 a month, which is a heck of a lot better than $800..or more. DS2 knows this young man from a few years ago, so it wouldn't be living with a total stranger. We called them last weekend and learned that their son is on a waiting list for school right now. Not actually accepted. That meant that they wouldn't know if he would be living there for awhile...maybe late Aug or early Sept. They weren't willing to give DS the spot until they knew. So that was out.

Here is where the good karma comes into play.

Sister 3's mother and father in law live here in town. Father in law passed away just after Christmas. He was in his 90s. Mother in law is late 70s or early 80s.   Sister's brother in law was looking for someone to shovel her drive and sidewalks since none of their family live in town anymore.  DS2 stepped up and took care of it from Jan to end of April. Sister's brother in law was very grateful.

Here's where family dynamics get hard to follow. Sister's brother in law's mother in law lives in DS2's new city. She rents out a basement suite. The brother in law recommended DS2 as a good kid who stepped up to help someone who wasn't family.  We called this lady a few days ago and she said he could have it if he wanted. We were quoted $500 from the brother in law. 

DH drove up and picked up DS from his camp and they drove in to meet this lady. She is 75. They had to wait a bit for her as she was busy at the High School  helping the Forest Fire evacuees. She loved DS on sight.

The suite is old. Not smelly old but décor old. It comes furnished. There is a new flatscreen TV. She is buying a new bed for DS after her current renter moves out, as the bed is getting old. She gave it to us for $325 a month, utilities included (just not wifi)

DS2 was excited. It's not fancy, but neither is he.  and $325 is an amazing deal.

I paid more for one room in a basement suite when I went to college and that was in 1989.

Good karma.

Has to be.

(now to find $325 a month in my budget)