Big House on the Eden Prairie

When I arrived in Eden Prairie last week, I was happily surprised at how beautiful the home was of the airbnb that I was staying at. A young couple, Jeannie and Javen, and Jeannie's brother, Seth, were also living in the finished basement of the house, but the upstairs rooms were vacant. The house turned out to be wonderful - about a 10-minute commute to my new job at Optum, and an absolutely gorgeous neighborhood. Knowing a good thing when I saw it, I immediately asked if I might rent for the whole 6 months, but the owner, who was working on a long-term contract himself and wasn't quite sure when he'd be home, didn't feel comfortable with having long-term renters.

No problem! I had plenty of great options! My first choice was to find a room in a house rather than live alone in an apartment. I have two housemates at my house in Colorado and I love that arrangement. It's cheaper and so much less lonely when there are other people around. I figured I'd just be the tenant rather than the landlord.

I found a few possibilities that I was excited about, with the best one being perfect -- it was 5 minutes from Optum and was the whole finished basement with a private entrance, complete with a furnished kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom.  However, just when I was ready to sign on the dotted line, the owner's current tenant decided to renew for a year.  The owner of my second choice option decided he really wanted to hold out for a year lease as well.

I spent all day Saturday touring apartments, sublet situations, and possibilities from Craigslist, but I came to realize that no one wants to rent to someone who's going to leave right when the weather gets cold.  Almost everyone wanted a year lease and those who would take a 6 month lease, weren't available until June at the earliest. Just when I was at my most discouraged, I got a call from Jeannie, who said that knowing I was having trouble finding a short-term rental, the owner had decided to let me rent a room in the house month-to-month after all. The only caveat was that if his contract were to end early, I would need to move out with very little notice.  Apparently, the chances of that are quite unlikely since the contract is scheduled to go until March, 2017.

I think Jeannie, Javen, and Seth had to convince the owner to let me stay, and I'm so grateful to them all. They've been so hospitable and friendly and their generosity is one of the reasons I'm glad to be staying in a home instead of an impersonal hotel room for 6 months.

I read a book once about "earth angels"--- people who you don't know well, but who do something kind and generous for you out of the goodness of their hearts. Last week, it was Kim who drove all the way to Minnesota with me. This week, it's Jeannie, Javen, and Seth, who helped convince the owner of this house to let me live here!