I know some of you are anxious to know what’s happening (Jayedee, I hear your fingertips tapping)! Thank you for sticking with us as we seek home. I’ve been feeling somewhat overwhelmed here, searching for a place to live, and networking to find work in Seattle... so many uncertain things are enough to make my brain whirl and twirl until I just collapse into a deep sleep at night.
It has been really good to catch up with old friends, and to catch up with this city. I haven’t lived here for quite a long time. In 1998 I lived here briefly for about five months, and before that I hadn’t lived here since 1995. A lot has happened in the world, and in the city, since then!
Well, let’s continue with this series on finding a sustainable place to live. Say you’ve found a general location (and by the way, there have been an amazing number of Google hits for our post and comments - definitely we are not alone!). But now what? In what area of the town/city do you look for a home?
The Impact of a Recession.
Part of why Matt and my search for a home is so difficult, is that we are in a recession. The housing bubble has burst (though less so in Seattle), the oil prices have skyrocketed, food is becoming quite expensive, and people are losing their homes and jobs. It’s not an easy time, and it will get worse before it gets better.
Things to ask ourselves: Where can we live that cuts down on our costs? What infrastructure can we utilize? And where will be relatively stable as the economy worsens?
Renting vs. Owning.
This is a tricky one. I know most of you all are buying your home, and I’m jealous of that. At the same time, it is not right for Matt and I right now. In fact I don’t think it’s right for anyone who doesn’t already own their home right now. We’re in the middle of a major correction in the housing market. What does that mean? Well, take a look at the graph below, from the New York Times:
It’s not very clear at this size, but you can double-click on the graph to make it bigger. See how each time the graph goes up, it tends to go back down? Well essentially, a correction means just that: what goes up, eventually comes back down to normal levels. So that straight line going up from 1998 or so (yes, that line on the right that goes up and up and up)... it is going to go back down (ie, correct itself), to near the normal levels.
That’s a BIG drop.
(Note: In a recession, inflation will rise somewhat so that it may seem like these numbers are not dropping as much. Make sure you look at inflation-adjusted numbers to make an accurate assessment of the current situation.)
If you’re considering whether to buy or rent, try out this calculator from the New York Times. And read this companion article. Here’s further reading at Smart Money. Another calculator. A good blog entry. And lots of questions answered here, at The Wall Street Journal.
In addition to those reasons, Matt and I would like to pay off our current debt before we consider accumulating more. As you delve more into the above articles, I think it will become clear that there are many positive reasons to rent.
And after more thought and research, you may change your mind about moving entirely and decide that you should sit tight where you live right now. That’s ok, as long as you don’t sit idly: you must work to make your home and your general location as sustainable as you can. (See Arduous’ and Green Bean’s comments here, and I’ll address that more at a later time.)
All that said, finding a place to call home is a very personal decision you must make on your own. I just encourage you to explore all of the pros and cons before deciding how to proceed.
Defining and Redefining Normal.
Over the past year, our life in the country gave us the space and solitude to learn how to live a life that uses very little money and few resources, and expends very little CO2.... Until you take into account our driving, which I’ll get to in a moment. We now use 86% less electric energy than the average American, produce 97% less waste, consume 90% less water, buy 95% fewer consumer goods, and we eat 90% local ingredients. (You can calculate your usage here.)
I’m very proud to have reduced to such a degree. It was difficult, sure. But not as difficult as you might think. Now it is natural to us. Just a year ago - when we moved from L.A. - I was buying loads of brand new boxes, bubble wrap, tape, and plastic furniture wrap. This year, I found boxes at local businesses and on Freecycle, we’re renting furniture pads to cover the furniture, and we’ll be wrapping our dishes in clothing and towels. It’s amazing how much one’s perspective can change in a year! You will find all of the things we do to cut down on our carbon footprint here.
And certainly we are not alone in this transformation.
Now that we have redefined our normal, we will take that lifestyle with us to Seattle without much trouble. It’s now very important to us to make sure that wherever we move, we provide ourselves with the resources to be able to continue along this path. Not only is it good for the planet, it’s great for our budget when times are lean.
How To Begin Redefining Your Normal.
If you are considering a drastic reduction such as ours (and of course I think you should!), then you will need to surround yourselves with the resources necessary to reduce.
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To Eat Locally, you must be near farmer’s markets, grocery stores that stock a good amount of local food (a few items won’t cut it), and/or be able to grow your own food. -
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To Reduce Your Electric and Natural Gas Usage, you’ll need to find a place that has a good amount of insulation. Somewhere that has enough breeze that you don’t need to turn on the A/C in the summer. Somewhere that will stay warm when you heat in the winter. Generally that means a smaller home than what you once might have considered normal or desirable.
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To Produce Less Waste, you’ll need to find a place that is near farmer’s markets or a place where you can grow your own food, so that you can reduce packaging. You’ll need to find a place where you can have a compost bin (this could go just about anywhere, really - even in your kitchen). And you’ll have to have a decent kitchen in which you feel comfortable cooking, baking, drying, and canning.
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To Consume Less Water, it would help to have a place where you can collect rain water. You also might consider how to collect your grey water for flushing, watering, and other things: can you rig the kitchen sink to collect water, for instance?
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To Buy Fewer Consumer Goods, you should live near a library, a video store, a used clothing store, and a used household goods store. And, you could live next to friends or potential friends, with whom you can trade books, children’s (and adult) clothing, and household goods. You can even get together and make things you need!
And, oh boy, here’s a new step for Matt and I (we actually drove more than the average American last year!)....
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To Reduce Your Driving, you should live where you can EASILY walk, bicycle and/or take public transportation to everything you need. This includes farmer’s markets, work, school, friends, family, and other places you tend to frequent.
It’s a tough list, isn’t it? But it is do-able, and it is important. Go deep into your own idea of normal, and start re-defining it.
The Most Difficult Realization For Us:
The Big Whammy.
Matt (in Geyserville) and I (in Seattle) have been asking ourselves some difficult questions this week. I suppose it’s why it has taken me so long to write....
We have friends and family all over this city. Originally we thought West Seattle would be ideal, because one of my very best friends lives there, and there are nice houses with good-sized yards. It was actually all your comments (here and here) that made us rethink that idea. The places we could afford in West Seattle were quite far away from work, my grandfather, school (potentially), and a few other things we tend to frequent.
So we thought a great deal about the different neighborhoods in Seattle, and we settled on the First Hill/Capital Hill area. Most of you know little about Seattle and it doesn’t matter - basically these areas are close to downtown (10-15 blocks from the famous Pike Place Market!), many local business (including 2 farmer’s markets and a local food co-op), a short bicycle ride to the University, and about half-way between my parents and my grandfather.
And here’s the whammy....
That area is composed of mostly apartments. Gasp. Hyperventilate. Take a big breath. Breathe. Breathe some more. Ohm... Ohm... Yeah. Apartments.
It took me a while to get over it. But I did. Redefining Normal.
Gardening, Apartment Style.
Yesterday I had lunch with my grandfather and his wife at their retirement community. My grandfather approved of Matt and my decisions. He and I had a lengthy conversation about the state of the economy, the housing crisis and the faults of our lending institutions. The man mentored the current CEO of a major lending organization. He shook his head and said, “he knew better.” But I digress....
After I met my grandfather and his wife for lunch, I stopped to take a look at his old apartment, where he had lived for 35 years.
At the end of the road, my grandfather took over an empty city lot and created a big vegetable garden. He was known as the “the crazy gardener on the corner” in the neighborhood. He used to hand veggies to his neighbors as they walked by, and he would bring all sorts of fresh produce to everyone in the family.
I had to check out the garden space, and see what it looked like after his 15 year absence. I assumed it was overgrown with ivy and brambles. Here’s what I found:
Cultivated. An urban oasis of herbs, native flowers, fruit trees, and vegetables. It brought tears to my eyes.
After I left my grandfather’s garden, I drove to the area of town where we’re planning to live. My eyes were opened, and I began to see the tomatoes and herbs flowing from 10-story balconies. Little bits of earth in side yards, dug and amended, ready for spring vegetables. I saw pots on top of garage roofs, and higher still I saw rooftop gardens.
The picture up top is of a small, organic community garden I found while apartment hunting. It’s down a skinny alley, behind several apartment buildings - it was sheer luck that I came across it. Soon I found out there are lots of p-patches in the city.
When I researched further, I found a movement of guerilla gardening: people searching for unused city plots, and cultivating them just like my grandfather did 45 years ago. A story here, another here, a third here, more here and here, video here, a website here, NPR story here, and books here and here.
And lastly, one that is most dear to my own heart. If you’ll remember, last Christmas we tried to give gifts that were good for the planet. We gave my mom some seeds for a food garden. Well, I was telling her my woes about potentially not having a garden this year. She said, “well, garden in my yard - there’s lots of space!” Already my mom is redefining normal. Amazing. Well, call it the Family Allotment!
So, I’m going to try to have my cake (made with local, organic ingredients) and eat it, too. We’ll reduce our impact by driving very little and continuing to live a frugal and sustainable lifestyle. And I’ve signed up for a community p-patch allotment in the neighborhood. Until that comes around (there’s a waiting list), I’ll have the Family Allotment and maybe a balcony if I can find such a place. And you may just see me joining a few guerilla gardeners occasionally.
What Do You Think?
I’ve given you a lot of reading here. Thank you for taking the time to listen. And now tell me: what do you think of all this? It’s ok to disagree, or share more ideas and thoughts, or even just give me a few words of support (goodness knows I could use those right about now!).
I would love to know your thoughts.
