The Great Game

When I say the Great Game, I do not mean it to be the world of Aes Sedai and sundry figments of Robert Jordan's imagination. I mean shady realtors, an escalating property market, home owners on the make, and the greatest turtle of them all , on whose back said game gets played out, the desperate home-hunter. Or rather, the desperate rented-home-hunter.

Which in this case, would be me. And 17 other hapless women who are left, figuratively, out in the cold. (Axe - will thank you to stop grinning). Caught in a game where the only rule that matters is You-Rent-You-Lose, You-Own-You-Win.

Fact of the matter being that the property game is such a lucrative one. And owning a huge house, in the heart of a prime residential area, is just one teeny step away from selling said huge house for huger sums of money.Which is exactly what my current landlady has done. And that brings things back to me, and the afore mentioned 17 - left with no choice but to pack our bags and push-orf, in a hunt for a new home. All to be done in about 3 weeks.

And this is where the Great Game steps in - looking for a place to rent? No problem! Take your pick - independent house, apartment, garage, paying-guest rooming....the list is endless. But before you start looking at places, and setting your heart on them beauties, stop a minute and check your wallet. Because, even the pookiest hole comes with a price tag fit to bankrupt you. And if the rent isn't an issue, the advance and the realtor percentages probably are. And if that works out as well, your marital status, or the fact that you want / do not want a company lease could well be. And if that also works out well, the shape of your face, or the color of your dog, or the fact that you enjoy the occasional chicken shawarma is bound to be. And if even those pass muster, the owner probably wants to be paid in hard cash - all the way, and you only get to move in when he says so.

And if NONE of these are an issue, why, congratulations! You've got yourself a deal! But...hang on a mo...what's that smudge on the horizon? Why, that's the city you poor sap! About 1 hour and a lifetime away, in terms of the commute. And not to mention that the City Public Transport Service only works within the City, if at all. So you can go the last couple of miles by bullock cart, or auto-driven-by-totally-corrupt-driver-demanding-a-million-bucks-a-trot.

But hey, you've got yourself a great place. Welcome to the Great Game.