Aches and pains

So the hubby and I found a house to rent. In our price range. In a good area. With a big yard. I almost wept for joy when we were peeping in the windows. I mean, it's not glamorous. It's a brick house with dark green shutters a carport 3 bedrooms and one bathroom. But it was just what we've been searching for. 


I immediately filled out the application for it, even though it is technically not on the market yet since they are still working on it, and handed over the $60 application fee. Can I just say... I'm paying these people $60 to either accept or deny me. $60.  When I gave the woman the application and check and gave her my sob story (I'm pregnant, due in November, and I've been looking for months for a house like this please please please) she looked at me, smiled and said "You know it's a $300 pet deposit?" I nodded. "That's $300 per pet." She pointed to where I had 3 listed (technically I have 4, but I'm a filthy liar). "That's $900 for the pet deposit." Oh ok. Well we can make it happen, let's proceed! I was a little weary, but still giddy with the possibility of the house. That was last Thursday. 

On Friday I get a call from our local utility company telling me I owed them $114 from my previous apartment. I honestly had no idea. I thought I was paid up before I had it disconnected. So I made a payment arrangement with them to have it drafted from my acct on the 20th. 


I called today to see if we were approved or denied. The convo went something like this:


Lady: "Mrs. Jenkins there were just 2 little things that came up on your credit that is an issue for us. On yours is a bill for the utility com-"


Me: "Ipaidthat! I have arrangements for that! I did it Friday!"


Lady: "Ok we just need to see a receipt for that and it'll be just fine! The other is on your husbands credit for $800 to a previous rental management company. That'll have to be paid as well."


Me: "Oh. $800 huh... well ok. If we get that all paid we're good?"


Lady: "Yes ma'am. Get that paid and you're approved."


So I hung up and I instantly got a raging headache. The $800 to a previous rental is for new carpet. Which is ridiculous. The pets did do terrible things to it, but it was the worst carpet I've ever seen- even before we had any animals living with us. It would rip and stain at the drop of a hat and could be pulled out in tufts. They said it was supposed to last 5 years. We lived there 3. And we had to pay to have it all replaced. I swear it's just because the women in the office hated my husband and since we were separated at the time I had already moved out and I'm pretty sure they thought it was because of some nefarious act of my husbands (it definitely was not). 


Let's tally this up. 


$60 rental application
$114 utility
$800 previous rental
$900 pet deposit
$550 deposit
$550 first month rent


$2974 to get into this house (assuming we're finally approved). 


Thank dear sweet baby Jesus that my in-laws are amazing and willing to help us get into the house. I have (as  of like an hour ago) taken out an $800 loan from my place of employment that has a super low interest and I could choose how long I wanted to take to pay it off. Yay for working for Huge Financial Corporation That Did Not Require A Bailout. Extra perks. So I can pay the previous rental people off. 


So that leaves $900 pet deposit, $550 deposit, and $550 for the first months rent (or whatever the prorated equivalent is) that my in-laws will be helping considerably with. 


I'm fully aware there's no guarantee they'll still rent to us even if this is all paid off. The good thing about all this is that the hubby and I go get some pretty big things off our credit which will be really good in the long run. So even if this place doesn't work out then maybe there's another one waiting just down the road.