It's so very lonely 2,000 light years from home. - The Rolling Stones, 2,000 Light Years From Home

Final house #1

Built in 2003. SO nice, new and bright. This kitchen actually has 2 counters. The one to the right and one to the left along that wall. I picture Cameron and I cooking in here together and we actually both have space to work.

This is the Tatami room in this house. It's generally used as a dining room and then made a guest room when someone visits. There are sliding doors that close up and make it private. Normally, you see tatami mats on the ground, but they stain and damage easily, so some put carpet on there to protect them. I kinda wish you could see the mats, but I worry about damaging them....

This bathroom is SO nice compared to others I saw. Japanese shower and bathe outside of the tub, just out in the open and then they use the tub to soak in hot water. Many "Japanese" tubs have a heater that keeps the water warm, so you can't use bath products in there.

Final house #2. This one was HUGE! 3 floors. it had a garage to the right. It's not attached, but it still would be nice to protect the car.

This kitchen was okay. Nothing special and nothing bad. Not much counter space. I would have to buy a table or something to add counter space.

The living room was kinda cool. It was long, open and had the cool bench seats by the windows.

I liked this tatami room. It had this small carpet area past the tatami mat, then the balcony after that.

Final house #3. This was a tough one.....It is the only house I saw that had a real "yard". There are fruit trees, pomegranate, kiwi, and oranges for example. A little older, but closest to the train and a yard!

Stairs

Kitchen was okay again. Not much counter space. This is how most Japanese kitchens look that I have seen.

Bedroom downstairs. Could be an office.

This Tub was a bit smaller, but deep.

The back yard, garden

Here are the maps with those three

MAN, this has to be one of the hardest decisions. How am I ever going to buy a house if I can't even decide on one to rent for 3 years?? So, we wanted to live close to a train station so we could walk a majority of the time here. After looking, there just were not many houses around 10 min walk to a station. Most were 20 min or so. You could catch a bus to the train though in many cases. It's also hilly, so you have to think of that. You're walking up and down steep hills.

I saw 11 houses so far. I'm pretty sure we've decided on #1, the newer home, but I still hesitate and think maybe I should go see more agents and keep looking? What if I'm missing a cool house near a train?? Or, what if I keep looking and the house I like gets rented?? Geez.

In the end, I decided that the nice, newer home was worth the extra 8 min walk to the train. I'm thinking maybe I'll get a bike or figure out the bus system so I can catch the bus? Once we get a car, I just may end up driving to work and just taking the train on days we go explore. To get to work from many of these homes by train, it would be 30-45 min, while driving is more like 10-20 min. It's hard to take the train if I know I can make it home in half the time.

I liked the fruit tree house because it has a yard and Cameron and I could use the fruit and also plant our own vegetable garden in the back (it looks like they have already started one) and use it in cooking, but I guess we could get planters and try that at any home.

It's hard to choose without Cameron here to see them all. A lot of dirt and age of the house does not show up on photos. I've been emailing pictures and maps and then we talk on skype. I still wish he could have seen them. I can't wait for him to arrive, because they want me "actively" looking for a house, so I just don't milk living in the BOQ. I'm 95% sure I know I want the first house. It's the only one I REALLY pictured us in. I pictured our furniture and working in our various rooms and in the kitchen. :)

It also has 2 parking spots, in case someone comes to visit or we for any reason need a second parking spot.

Now, I'm just waiting for the agent to check with the owner on a negotiation piece I'm asking about. The house is on hold for 24 hrs and she will let me know tomorrow if the owner will do what I'm asking, which is install an oven under the fish grill and stove. Everyone negotiates on housing here. The owners rent them out for so much money. This one is really going for 280,000 yen/$3,456 a month, but they know my max OHA is 233,333 yen/$2,900, so they should be able to give it to me on that price. They up the price to rent out to military members, apparently.

It has been so hard to choose. There was this COOL house I saw yesterday. It was the oldest house I saw. The kitchen and bathroom were gross, but man, it had some beautiful bedrooms!!

I LOVE the windows here and the wood work! Too bad the rest of the house wasn't as nice....

Why can't there be a unique looking Japanese house, newer, and close to the train? Maybe there is. Do I keep looking? haha. Naw, I think I know the answer. We'll see what the agent says tomorrow. Maybe I'll be working on the next step: asking for the military to help me out with the nearly $12,000 up front costs to move in. It's crazy. They'll cover some stuff and then they will loan me some things and I will pay them back over the next year. I'm relieved they help with that. That's a stressful thing to think about.

It'll take a while, but maybe I'll be in a home soon and I can start working to set it all up! SO exciting! Then, when I pick Cameron up, I'll be able to walk him into our "home" already set up! :D

This will be the first house I will have lived in since I left for college in 2002! Ten years of apartments....I'm done and ready for a house. Not to own yet. I'm not ready to be responsible for all the fixing and repairs that are needed, but renting a house will be nice.

I forgot to mention the most AWESOME thing about the house I like! It has heated floors on the first floor!!!! It gets so cold here and they don't have central heat/air anywhere. You have units in each room if you're lucky. The heated floors are going to be awesome, esp because you don't wear shoes in a Japanese home. You take them off when you come in the door and wear maybe slippers. :)