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Last night [livejournal.com profile] caseopaya and I visited an estate agent and made an offer on a three-story townhouse in Willsmere, the former Kew Asylum. A few hours later we received a message from said agent that our offer had been accepted. So over the next few months we'll be making the move to our new abode, which is still being advertised on realestate.com.au.

Last week was [livejournal.com profile] txxxpxx's biennial Christmas party. As with previous affairs this was a huge night; about ninety people in attendence of the usual suspects. Spent most of the night chatting to our recently published fashion historian, [livejournal.com profile] frou_frou, and local council environmental manager [livejournal.com profile] recumbenteer and our favourite artist [livejournal.com profile] severina_242. Last Saturday had [livejournal.com profile] horngirl and [livejournal.com profile] alchemon over for dinner; afterwards we made it down to "The King of Tonga", a delightful bar on Tennyson St.

On Sunday attended the end of year concert at the local Unitarian Church. As is often the case at such events Therese Virtue's world music choir provided an exceptional contribution. Close to $1000 was raised for the Humane Society of International. As usual, I was given the task of doing a brief speech describing the organisation and the work, along with a few motivational lines; I compared mechanist approaches that considered animals as automata (Descartes, Malebranche) to utilitarian approaches (Bentham, Singer) which emphasis capacity to suffer.

Date: 2009-12-21 10:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] melbournian.livejournal.com
I saw you yesterday while I was at work, though I didn't get the chance to say hello.

While going along Victoria St I saw four geeky looking guys walk out of a building and along Victoria St towards Lygon St (maybe going to lunch?) and realised one of them was you.

Date: 2009-12-21 11:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
Indeed that was us, and we were going to lunch!

(We do look like a pretty geeky lot, don't we?)

Date: 2009-12-21 10:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mr-figgy.livejournal.com
Good to see things are going well in Melnibourne.

Date: 2009-12-21 11:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] severina-242.livejournal.com
I miss the King of Tonga - what a excellent bar, with the added bonus of never getting so crowded that you can't carry on your conversation.

Date: 2009-12-21 11:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] severina-242.livejournal.com
Oh and congrats on the purchase - you'll love having your own space, it's so different from renting.

Date: 2009-12-21 11:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
Yeah, that was certainly a strongly supporting factor in the decision.

Date: 2009-12-21 11:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] severina-242.livejournal.com
Just had a look - you've got a dishwasher you lucky bastards! How's PT out there?

Date: 2009-12-21 11:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
About a 2km walk to the nearest tram stop. It's a bit of a PT black hole. Once upon a time there was a cute little line called the Outer Circle, but alas that's long gone. *sniff*.

Interestingly on google maps you can follow where the line used to be quite clearly...

Date: 2009-12-21 11:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] discordia13.livejournal.com
Congrats on the new place =)

Date: 2009-12-22 02:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
Thank you. Space still available for your goodself when you visit btw!

Date: 2009-12-21 11:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] omnot.livejournal.com
Congratulations on your house! The security of owning a home is something I'm feeling unexpectedly keenly, and I hope you enjoy the subtle and less subtle impacts of living in a place owned by nobody but you (and the bank).

Date: 2009-12-21 11:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
We are fortunate insofar that we'll be able to pay roughly 50% straight away. After that we just have to deal with an effective rent increase for the next 25 years ;)

Date: 2009-12-22 01:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mr-e-cat.livejournal.com
welcome to the mortgage set.
mort = death gage = a measurement device ergo mortgage = a way of measuring how close you are to death. :D

Date: 2009-12-22 01:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
So... keeping a mortgage in credit forever is a path to immortality?

Date: 2009-12-22 01:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shadow-5tails.livejournal.com
Well, there you go - Asagwe and I were considering looking at both of the places you linked to (169 and 225) and thinking we should check them out if we got the chance. We're not looking to buy for some months yet if not longer, but I'm entertained that you've ended up with one of the things that made our rather picky shortlist!

Congratulations, and I hope you find it a good place to be. We'd be very interested to know your thoughts on the complex and what it's like living up there, once you've settled in...

(The lack of public transport in that corner of the suburb is one of the things that concerns me a bit, but there're a couple of buses not too far away, and the trams as you've noted down at the Junction. And while I hope it's changing, for the moment I'm only occasionally well enough for public transport anyway, so it may turn out to be less of a consideration for me/us than I'd expect...)

Date: 2009-12-22 02:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
Heh, just shows that we have similar tastes. :)

I suspect we're going to like the complex. The grounds are gorgeous and of course there's a lot of entertaining facilities as well. Not to mention the surrounds of the Yarra Bend parklands.

Plus it's an ideal place to play Call of Cthulhu.

Date: 2009-12-22 02:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] frou-frou.livejournal.com
Congrats to you both Lev - that's exciting about the new home! Great location, pity about the crap PT, disappointing considering it's Kew, it should be very well connected. And a three bedroom house too! I envy your space - Tim and I are still living the 1940s dream in the Flemington war baby. One day we'll get it renovated, really.

Date: 2009-12-22 03:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
Ahh, the Flemington war baby... There is a place with oodles of charm. I am sure that your renovations will be in character. And how's that great backyard? You could keep a goat there!

For three bedrooms read (a) one real bedroom, (b) one study and (c) one library/guests bedroom. :)

Date: 2009-12-22 06:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pollyanna-n.livejournal.com
interestingly enough, when I was little, there were neighbours of ours in Flemington who did have two goats in their backyard...

Date: 2009-12-22 10:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
When I first moved to Melbourne and lived in St. Kilda I would occasionally hear the baa-ing of sheep. I thought I was going quite mad (indeed, I probably was). To this day I am uncertain whether (a) I was going mad (b) there was someone with a sheep in their backyard or (c) I was hearing the fairly distant Children's Playground which indeed did have a sheep.

Date: 2009-12-22 02:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kimeros.livejournal.com
Yay for house excitement!

Date: 2009-12-22 03:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sebastianne.livejournal.com
Congratulations on the house! It looks wonderful :) I was looking at that complex when I was buying but the lack of PT put me off as I really dont want a car- though apart from that it really does seem a perfect place to live :)

Date: 2009-12-22 03:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
Of course, not wanting a car makes the two-vehicle carport a bit redundant, doesn't it?

I guess walking a couple of clicks every morning and evening can't hurt. Although it may be less than fun on days of extreme weather.

Date: 2009-12-22 03:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sebastianne.livejournal.com
Could always enclose the carport and get an outdoor spa installed! :)

I often walk the 8km between work and home but on days of extreme weather I am grateful for having a train station a few mins away :)

Date: 2009-12-22 03:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
Oh, I like the way you think. Mind you with an ensuite, bathroom and swimming pool it might be getting a little excessive.

I'll have to ponder further on alternative uses for the space....

Date: 2009-12-22 04:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] zey.livejournal.com
Three levels! That'll get you fit! :)

Congrats :)

Date: 2009-12-22 04:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
Heheh.. Hadn't really thought of that.. Only how much the kitten will enjoy bounding up and down the stairs..

Date: 2009-12-22 05:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] zey.livejournal.com
I'm sure any kitty worth their salt will love it :)

Date: 2009-12-22 06:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pollyanna-n.livejournal.com
congratultions lev, it looks beautiful

Date: 2009-12-22 08:22 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cluebyfour.livejournal.com
What, no one made the obvious comment about how fitting it is that you're moving into a former asylum? ;-)

Just kidding; looks like a nice place. Has the economy had any affect on housing prices there? As you probably know, real estate values have cratered in a lot of markets in the States.

Date: 2009-12-22 10:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
I was hoping for obvious comment!

WRT to real estate prices, yes, the economic effects were significant. 2008 saw a modest decline, but 2009 saw rises again.

cf.,
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6416.0

The Australian economy has remained quite strong through the GFC.

Date: 2009-12-22 11:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
More here on how Australia dodged the bullet

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/23/2779047.htm

Date: 2009-12-22 08:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beingfrank.livejournal.com
Congratulations on the new place! It looks like it will be great.

Date: 2009-12-22 10:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
As mentioned in another post, I think it'll be ideal for the occasional Call/Trail of Cthulhu game... Or even Paranoia when I think about it..

These are evidently important considerations when I move into a place :)

Date: 2009-12-22 12:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] delicious-irony.livejournal.com
A former asylum, huh? I guess it'd be soundly constructed then. Congrats on the new digs! When do you move in? It looks great!

As mentioned further up the page, a spa might be a good thing, for when you would like to soak without neighbourly company. :P

The fuzzies will be so happy!

Date: 2009-12-22 10:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
Well, we're in one of the newer (1994) townhouses rather than the renovated old building. Nevertheless they have been designed very well and fit into the surroundings quite well. Of course, it isn't up to the standard as the grand entrance or anything like that, but still..

The fuzzies will be very happy indeed!

Date: 2009-12-22 07:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] loreleilove.livejournal.com
Congrats on the new home! That's really exciting!

Date: 2009-12-22 08:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] evil-genius.livejournal.com
DUDE, Congrats!

Date: 2009-12-22 11:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] belegdel.livejournal.com
Congrats on the house!

We came so close to jumping on the mortgage bandwagon earlier this year, but the maths didn't thrill us (not enough for decent deposit, thereby occasioning some hefty additional fees).

Let me know if owning really is noticeably better than renting. All my calaculations seem to come down to how much that is worth :)

"Capacity to Suffer" sounds like a great band name.

Date: 2009-12-23 12:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com
Yeah, having an exceptionally good deposit is a lifesaver, otherwise you'll spending an enormous sum in interest. Not to mention strata fees, rates etc adding to teh bill. We're lucky insofar that the combination of a previous property sale and my meagre savings means that we'll be able to pay c50% up-front. Nice.

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