An Interlude, and An Interview
So now we're engaged, which should make us more attractive to the co-op Board by showing that we're more likely to stay together than if just dating. Jay reiterates that we'll wait until we actually have the same address before we marry, so we can't make the Board feel REALLY sure about our commitment ;-).
With the mortgage broker working her magic on the numbers, and the apartment broker doing nervous handstands as she's got a stake in the Board approving us, we anxiously await our interview. We go over various scenarios and possible questions, and ready our own non-threatening questions in case we get asked "is there anything you'd like to ask US?"
We don't know if we'll meet the whole Board, just a committee, or a consortium of people-hating snobs that want to feel superior by tossing us on our ear. We choose our clothing - fully suited for that "successful professional" look. We arrange to get me into the City at least two hours early in case of transportation issues. Which happen - a 20-minute delay at Hicksville. Randy clears a block of time at work so he won't get hit with a last-minute emergency request.
We get there right on time, thanks to a Starbucks nearby as we were really quite early. We wait a few minutes, then the doorman sends us upstairs. To two remarkably normal-seeming people that seem to be making sure that we have one head each, are not visibly dangerous, and have regular jobs so we won't foreclose right after purchasing the apartment.
They did give us an obligatory light grilling, mostly about our current owned homes and when we'll have them sold along with some job-security feelers. Plus some extra eyebrows for me as I have a zillion dog-related references but no dog...will I be slipping an unauthorized pooch into our apartment without appropriate interviews and maintenance additions???
Once we get through the tough questions, they give us the lowdown on laundry (no washers or dryers in apartments, but laundry facilities with a smart card that we refill with funds), volumes on noise volume (a park nearby can get noisy, but otherwise pretty good on "our" side of the building), and a caption on common-space (see earlier "nearby park" above).
They do not tell us whether we passed. Were they just being nice and will let our broker know they think we're demon-spawn? Are we a shoe-in? Other???
A few days later we received the call. Yes, we're in and living in the building should be interesting....
With the mortgage broker working her magic on the numbers, and the apartment broker doing nervous handstands as she's got a stake in the Board approving us, we anxiously await our interview. We go over various scenarios and possible questions, and ready our own non-threatening questions in case we get asked "is there anything you'd like to ask US?"
We don't know if we'll meet the whole Board, just a committee, or a consortium of people-hating snobs that want to feel superior by tossing us on our ear. We choose our clothing - fully suited for that "successful professional" look. We arrange to get me into the City at least two hours early in case of transportation issues. Which happen - a 20-minute delay at Hicksville. Randy clears a block of time at work so he won't get hit with a last-minute emergency request.
We get there right on time, thanks to a Starbucks nearby as we were really quite early. We wait a few minutes, then the doorman sends us upstairs. To two remarkably normal-seeming people that seem to be making sure that we have one head each, are not visibly dangerous, and have regular jobs so we won't foreclose right after purchasing the apartment.
They did give us an obligatory light grilling, mostly about our current owned homes and when we'll have them sold along with some job-security feelers. Plus some extra eyebrows for me as I have a zillion dog-related references but no dog...will I be slipping an unauthorized pooch into our apartment without appropriate interviews and maintenance additions???
Once we get through the tough questions, they give us the lowdown on laundry (no washers or dryers in apartments, but laundry facilities with a smart card that we refill with funds), volumes on noise volume (a park nearby can get noisy, but otherwise pretty good on "our" side of the building), and a caption on common-space (see earlier "nearby park" above).
They do not tell us whether we passed. Were they just being nice and will let our broker know they think we're demon-spawn? Are we a shoe-in? Other???
A few days later we received the call. Yes, we're in and living in the building should be interesting....
posted by Val Smith at
11:48 AM
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