I have been searching for months now along with packing up my apartment to be ready for when I moved. Just when I thought I was moving about 70 miles away from where I lived it did not happen. I went to go view the townhome and it was nothing like the pictures or video I was shown. I do not like when people use the wide angle shot of a picture because it can be deceptive to the person viewing it. All that took place on my 62nd birthday in August. I remember driving home and thinking where am I going to live. I received special permission from the regional manager of the apartment complex to stay and pay pro-rated rent until 9/5. I began my search again and inquired if possible could I sign another 6 month lease. That was not going to work since I was told my apartment was already rented. What's a gal to do now? I would go and view a variety of apartments or townhomes. When I think I found one in Spring Hill only to find out the apartment I wanted would not be available until mid September. That would not work since my current apartment was already rented to another person that gave their deposit to the rental office.
I continued in my search, another picture promising townhome only to find out it was old and again, pictures not portraying what it actually looked like when you saw the property. I smelled an old smell when I entered the property. The person showing me the property said it was the smell of laying down fresh carpeting and flooring. No it was not I know that smell and the scent I smelled was an old musty type of scent. I had to be moved on 9/5 the movers were already scheduled for the move. The day that this happened to me was Friday, August 28th. It was raining really hard off and on that day. I remembered a really good leasing rep that used to work at the property where I was moving from was at another property location. I called to see if they had any 2 bedroom 2 bath units available. They had a 2 bedroom 1 bath and it was more square footage then I had currently and I scheduled to go and see the model unit. I am shown the model unit and I was quite pleased with it. I knew the unit I would rent would only have 1 bath and not 2 and I was ok with that along with living on the 2nd floor.
We get back to the rental office, in which you are not allowed to enter because of covid-19. I had to stand outside when the leasing rep checked to confirm the unit was available for 9/5. She comes back and tells me that maintenance changed the date to 9/12 but her reference sheet did not reflect that date. That rep really had no business at all showing me the model unit when there was no unit available for me to move in when I needed to move. My friend that I knew was not the rep that showed me the model suite. I was in a bind now, thought I had a place only to find out there was no possibility there. My friend then searched on line for a few apartment complexes that I may be able to search out. I got in my car and looked at the list. I was familiar with some of the complexes I had already seen so I crossed them off the list. I wanted to get some Italian food for dinner that night and when I called to place a pick up order they told me they had a very limited menu and what I wanted was not a choice at all so I ordered nothing. I was driving around in the rain and I found myself pulling into a Kroger's parking lot. I have no idea why because I was not going to go in and purchase anything that night. As I was heading there I drove past an apartment complex and saw there was another complex behind it. I never saw that complex before or even knew there was one located there. I called my sister to let her know the update and I pulled out of the parking lot. You have to realize this, my family knows I have faith in God and they have seen throughout the years Him always coming through for me in my life. My sister and mother continued praying for me throughout this whole process.
I pull into the first apartment complex and drive through and then I am trying to figure out how to get to the other apartment complex. You could not go through the surrounding neighborhood to get there. I did a bit of thinking on how to get there. Pull out of the complex, go to the light and turn, then there is a side street I turned down and sure enough there was the apartment complex. I wrote down the name and hours of operation and drove around this hidden gem. I made a point to view it online and I was there slightly after they opened on Saturday, 8/29, exactly 1 week away from when I was scheduled to move. This is where the glory of God starts to shine big time. There were a few units available that were 2 bedroom 2 bath. I viewed the ground floor unit and also a 2nd floor unit with the same set up. There were like 18 steps to go up each day so I really did not want that unit. They also had a few other models that were ground floor also in the complex. Here are the perks to moving here: brand new complex and no one lived in the unit I would select; my employer is considered a preferred employer so there is a % discount on my rent each month; sign up for 15 month lease and get a month free and the list goes on and on and on.
It is a beautiful property and they have fine amenities in the club house area. I had all my paperwork with me in the event I found a unit. The paperwork required to apply like pay stubs, proof of renters insurance etc. The leasing representative told me she would hold the ground floor unit for me to start the application process online that afternoon. I had to make one more stop before doing that. There was a courtesy appointment I had to keep to view another property in Brentwood. The leasing rep was so nice and professional I told him I would bring him a breakfast pastry from a local bakery and I had to keep my word. I went to Brentwood with already knowing that was not the property for me. I was courteous and viewed a unit but they were 30 years old and they also had the musty/old smell to them. This property was probably more for the younger generation. I did think to myself that they were probably really nice when they were first built back then.
When I arrived back home later that afternoon I went online to start the application process. Oh my gosh, I searched several times to not find the actual unit I wanted. What's a girl to do? I wrote down the other ground floor options and I drove to the property to see where they were located. I would find the building then go see where the unit was located. I had to pick a unit to start the application process for time was of the essence. I just figured someone else applied and got the dream suite I wanted, my hearts desire. I remember when I was sitting in the Kroger's parking lot the night before I was talking with the Lord and said I know He fulfills the desires of a persons heart and I was thankful for friends that He did just that and that He would not forget the desires of my heart also. So I applied for another unit and had to now wait until Monday to see if I could at least view the unit I applied for. Guess what? My hearts desire unit was not rented yet it just said it was not ready to view status. I went over to the complex and I viewed both units to see what one I wanted. I knew already what unit, the unit facing the pool but not directly facing the pool. What captured my attention was the view I had while sitting on the patio. Lovely landscaping with a wrought iron fence beyond that. I submitted all the required documents needed for the leasing office and they also wanted me to bring with me a rental ledger from my current location. Now I sit and wait to see if I am approved. I love the fact that they do thorough backgrounds before they approve someone to live at this complex. No 1 hour later and a leasing company calls you to say you are approved to rent somewhere.
I have really good credit when they pull the credit report. So good that it allowed me an option as to what I wanted as a security deposit. Praise God. I can now let the current leasing office know a move out date and confirm my move to address with the moving company. I rented a U-Haul van the day before I moved and I brought over 4 loads in the van. I had help loading the first trip. Do you know how I would transport taking things into my new location from the van? I have 2 shopping carts, the kind you use to put groceries in if you live in an apartment. I would fill the inside of the cart with items and then use the top portion to balance packing containers. I would bring them in and do in advance things like set up the freezer and refrigerator as I removed the items from my freezer/refrigerator. I then cleaned the old apartment freezer/refrigerator while the movers where loading up the truck. I did the majority of apartment cleaning before my move. Including sweeping out storage closets on the patio. I moved into the apartment and it was presented to me in a certain way and I was going to return it back to them all clean again. I even moved the stove and refrigerator and cleaned behind them. The leasing office told me I did not have to do that but I still did because I like things neat and in order. I did a thorough cleaning even though I was moving out. That is just who I am and how I do things. Please know that I also kept up the apartment while I resided there. One of the maintenance guys told me they were looking forward to doing their work on my unit when I moved out because they knew it would be returned to them in good condition. I would say that is a compliment and testimony of how I take care of things what do you think? Guess what? Since I moved in items ahead of time they were then taken off the list of items the movers had to transport and I reduced my final bill a good portion by doing so. I had 2 very responsible movers that were efficient too. I bought a breakfast pastry for them to enjoy that day and I had them meet me at the bank because I felt led to bless them with a cash tip and I did just that when the move was completed.
Those breakfast pastries a local baker makes are quite popular. I also blessed the former apartment leasing office with one and I brought one to my current apartment complex even before I was actually approved to move in. Another hearts desire was for the hummingbirds to find me at my new location. I could not bring my bird feeder but hummingbird feeders are ok. It was not even 1 day that I had out the hummingbird feeder and the hummingbirds found me. When I sit on my patio they are pretty close in distanced to where I sit. They truly do fascinate me while I watch them. They feed, go to the tree and keep coming back and forth. Not 1 but 2 hummingbirds visit the feeder Praise God.
There is probably more to this testimony but I am tired for now so I will close this blog entry giving praise to God for He did this for me. Not in my comfortable time frame of when I wanted it to happen but in His perfect time frame of when it was to happen. Why? To bring great glory to God for I truly did not even know this complex existed until I saw it about 1 week before I had to be moved out. There are times I sit in my living room and just admire all the attention to detail they put into creating these units. Crown molding, 9ft. ceilings; stainless steel appliances; brand new washer/dryer; archway as you enter the unit. Modern lighting fixtures; sunken wide tub that is at least 15 inches in depth; modern kitchen faucet with built in sprayer and you can move it around and control spray or regular stream by a touch of a button; window treatments that are like 2-2 1/2 inch wide and to raise or lower them you just pull them up or down. Best part of all, such a big picture window in the living room that brings in much light during the day. Can you tell I am more than thrilled at what God brought to me. Far greater than what I could imagine, truly blessed and not ashamed to say I love Jesus and He always looks out for me. I do sit on the patio in the morning and have breakfast and sometimes dinner there also. Such lovely surroundings. Praise God from whom all blessing flow.
