Enter Tony and Ashlin

It’s November 10^th. The winter is here. And Property X’s upstairs apartment, once belonging to the imbecile Mallory, is finally rented out after 10 days of vacancy.

A young couple, Tony and Ashlin, came in to see the apartment on Thursday. A family member drove them up in a fancy Cadillac, so I immediately thought they weren't gonna take it due to the neighborhood. I was even laughing to myself, saying "I'm gonna time how fast these people get the hell out of here". But from the moment Tony came in, I knew I recognized him. He was one of the package handlers that used to work at my shipping depot job. He now works at UPS which has a union, so at least I know he’ll always have work. He makes a little over $1000 a month. Ashlin is on maternity leave from her job, where she makes around $1600 a month. She’s almost about to give birth, and it was important for her to have the baby in a new apartment. They really wanted the lace too. They currently stay in a cramped house in a very good area in the suburbs of Smalltown. Their landlord verification went well, as the landlord gave a very good recommendation for them. And, most importantly, they didn’t set off any bad vibes. The crazy thing was that they are both Hispanic, and I’ve been honest about my racist feelings towards Hispanic people due to my business history with them. But I couldn’t ignore the fact that they passed my requirements and didn’t set off any of my alarms. The only issue I have with them is that they’re both 20 years old. I don’t like the idea of renting to couples that young, as anything can happen at that age… especially when they’re about to have a baby. Tony could get scared and leave, just like what happened a few years ago with my old tenant Annie in that same apartment.

Overall, however, I think I made the right decision. I have a much better feeling about them than I did when I rented property to Mallory and Tisha in May, which I wrote about in a post on my old blog called 64 Hours. I was working 64 hours straight at both jobs, so I was distracted and didn’t have the Rent-Out Guide to guide me. But I do now, and I feel good about these guys. I remember how well Tony behaved when he worked at the shipping depot. While everyone would bitch and complain about whatever, Tony would be quiet and just do as he was told with respect. I never forgot that, as it’s rare to see in Smalltown. On Saturday I went over to their home (great neighborhood), they signed both the lease and an agreement that makes them responsible for snow shoveling in exchange for $25 off the rent from December to March. They gave me my money and I was all set. Sweet! I gave them the option of waiting until the end of the month to move in so that they don’t have to pay the pro-rated November rent, but they really wanted to move before the baby pops out.

So there it is. Tony and Ashlin. Having Tony in Property X gives me a little peace of mind. No more punk ass kid climbing up on the roof. No more damsel in distress like Mallory. And I’m sure he’s better able to handle those autistic mongrels downstairs until their lease ends in May. By that time, Tony and Ashlin’s lease will be up and I’ll have the option of throwing them out if they don’t work out. This was a good rent out, and now the countdown begins until I can finally throw Tisha out. 6 months. Let’s do it!

P.S.: With the applications fees, I was able to buy some cool stuff. With the $80 I made, I bought pizza, a lithium ion hair trimmer, and some groceries. I’m actually looking forward to another tenant moving out because… well… I like free money.

P.P.S.: Tony just texted me that Ashlin had the baby today. I wonder if that baby will affect December's rent?