I have been having some problems in the house hunting front.

Firstly, the rental market is extremely competitive now. It seems to get a place, you have to fight tooth and nail for it.

So I decided to get a house instead of an apartment because I figured the extra space would reduce any apartment living inducing claustrophobia. I mean, living in an apartment with your family is one thing. Living in an apartment with friends/strangers is another. One needs a little space once in a while.

So I began my hunt of 2-3 bedroom houses in selected suburbs. These suburbs are well known as attas suburbs with mostly young families and yuppies living there. After numerous rejections, I realised that it was naive of me to limit my options and I was never going to get a place if I continued on like that so out of sheer desperation, I extended by search to dodgier suburbs on the outskirts of the city.

Realising that sharing a 3 bedroom house would allow me to get a nicer place for a lower per person rent, I decided to ask around for a housemate and "fortunately" or so it seemed, one other Singaporean guy (name not worth mentioning) expressed interest.

So I tried to include him in my house search, even picking him up and driving him around to see houses and suburbs. Meanwhile, ignoring all the warnings given to me by Max and Eugene because I wanted to see the nicer side in a fellow human being.

His responses for each place was always polite and non-committal and I really should have smelled a rat but we have all been fools at one time or other I suppose.

So yesterday, this guy tells me he thinks he will extend his lease on his current place and wouldn't be moving in with Gene and me. I Hoorayed inwardly. So I told him that's cool and i'll just go ahead and find some other roomie if I get this house in Glebe and then he tells me Oh... if you do get the house in glebe then I'll join you too! So i go, ok.. well if you want to... And then today when I call him to tell him that we would most likely be getting this place, he tells me he has already extended his lease at his current place.

Can you see my pain?

I wonder if it's a social disability he has. It seems as if he has a problem observing common decency.

So now I'm in a dilemna, do I take the current place, the only remote sign of success I've had so far, and hope i find a new housemate? or should I find a smaller place?

it's going to be a crummy homeless xmas for me