Oh, The Difference a Prayer Can Make

I wish I could say I was as thrilled as Kory about all this, but it seems God has provided us with a place to live. Yes, it’s a miracle, but it’s also sinking. If you read the blog from a few days ago you know what I’m talking about.

I’ll spare the details for now, but this is how it came about: Kory’s cousin Odd (who we are staying with) is a doctor. One of his patients is the attorney handling the settlement for the owners of the duplexes where the ground is sinking not far from where Odd lives. (The houses are sturdy, but the ground is not.) Kory’s other cousin, Axel, knew about these places because he lives just down the street and he is a surveyor for the Aalesund Kommune (who is one of the parties involved in this disaster), so he told us about them.

All of the owners of these buildings (there are actually three duplexes all next to each other), just moved. There has been about three million dollars paid out so far in buying the home owners out, putting them up in temporary housing until they found suitable replacement housing, and various reports done for insurance purposes. There is still a chance there is some value to these properties but it’s uncertain at this point, as the ground keeps sinking around them.

Odd called the attorney last week to inquire about the property because Kory thought it would be a good investment to buy them. They aren’t ready to be sold yet and they can’t rent them out, but the attorney called back today to talk with Odd. Odd told him the situation with us and explained Kory and his construction background and the attorney said he would LOVE to have us live there – for FREE no less, if Kory could just keep an eye on the place. They are worried rocks may go through windows and trash may get dumped there. Also, the attorney has to pay big bucks for an inspector to come out every week or month or so to check how much the ground has sank, so if Kory were there, he could just measure it himself and send a report to the attorney.

I can’t even describe how deliriously happy Kory is about all this. It’s like getting a job that takes an hour a month, at most, and getting paid $1,500 for it (which is what they would rent for… maybe more.) Plus, I think it also includes utilities and electricity (which is another $700 a month), and, we don’t have to buy appliances, heaters, window coverings, closets, lights or a vacuum (there is one built in). I don’t think either of us would need to get a job now, and if we did, we’d have more than enough money to live here, so that’s the up-side. The down side is it’s so far to walk to the school or store; we’ll need to keep adding steps to get in and out of the doors, and I’m sure we’ll be the laughing stock of the neighborhood. No respectable Norwegian would live there (although they are cute places inside and extremely high quality). The yard needs a lot of work. It is on the bus line. It’s in the neighborhood where Odd and Axel live (so there are relatives nearby) but it isn’t Solevaag. I’m a bit distressed today thinking about not living at Solevaag, when my heart was so set on it. Plus, the other five units there will be empty – so no neighbors, which could be good or bad. Kory will be the “manager” of the place so we’ll have all the keys and Kaleb can certainly play in the empty units, which might be handy in the long dark winter ahead of us… and the car can’t make it into the garage (unless it spouts wings). I’m just rambling here. (The unit we’d live in is the middle building and in the photo, the unit on the right.) You can see the skirting that was added to the foundation of the buildings – the ground used to be there instead, so it has sank a good three feet in the last two years. Uff da. And if they do manage to sell them in the next year, we’d have to move right away (another down-side.)

The attorney Kory talked to owns other properties and he was excited to hear that Kory is a “fix-it” kind of guy so he said he might have some jobs for him over the next year, so that’s a bonus, too. I’m sure once I’m living there, I’ll stop complaining. It really is a blessing beyond words that we can live in Norway for “FREE” as the cost of housing is right up there with the cost of food as far as big monthly expenses go. And Kaleb would attend the Blindheim Skole – the very same school he attended with his cousin, Hege, for a week, two years ago, when we were visiting in May. At least it’s someplace familiar. Kaleb did give two thumbs up to this place (he’s way more flexible than I thought he’d be), so I’m obviously outnumbered. I think we move in on Friday.