From the City to the Town: Oakland, Here We Come

After months and months of looking at houses and apartments in both the East Bay and San Francisco, and even considering the possibility of purchasing real estate, Sonia and I signed a lease today. It's kind of surprising really, partially because I had never seen it before we went over to sign the paperwork and get the keys. Here's what the ad said on craigslist:

This gorgeous, spacious condo has been completely remodeled. It is elegance, classical and yet up-to-date style. Don't miss this one.
- 2+ Bedrooms / 1 Bath (possible 3rd bedroom)
- Formal Living & Dining Room
- Completely new kitchen with granite counters, designer glass-tile backsplash, custom cabinets and new stainless appliances.
- Beautiful new bathroom finished in marble and glass tile.
- Hardwood floors.
- All new electrical & plumbing systems and high efficiency heating systems.

Designer Fixtures & Spacious Rooms
- High Ceilings
- Beautiful Architectural Details
Washer/Dryer Hook-ups
4 Unit Building
Private Garage with storage space
Large, landscaped shared Yard
Cats and small dogs fine (with extra pet deposit)
Credit score of over 600 and references required.
Security Deposit 1 1/2 months rent + 1st month in advance
Bring $20 for credit check with application

The landlord is a nice guy from Australia, who changed his last name to Sandhill because his name was Hill and his wife's name was Sand. Here are some pictures of the apartment:









Of course, all those nice furnishings will be moved out in order to make enough room for all of our crap.

We're the upper right apartment when looking from the front. Less than two blocks from the BART station.


PS: Apparently, Oakland is not a suburb.