A lot of people have had to write ads with a headline like this, though most of them are usually a bit younger than I am. But here I am, at forty, seriously having to think about renting an apartment. Sorry for using this blog for something so personal.
The thing is, despite having a sufficient and entirely legal income, the whole issue of a mortgage is completely closed off to me. I’ve been convicted three times, had two suspended sentences, and I don’t even know how many criminal cases are currently open against me. No bank will give me a mortgage.
And honestly, I don’t really understand who takes them out. My income is higher than the Moscow average, but taking out a mortgage at 13% annual interest just to buy an apartment in Moscow that’s a little bigger than mine and a little closer to the center than Maryino (a residential district in southeast Moscow) — that’s financially unreal. You’d have to either deal drugs or be a United Russia official. Navalny Legal Services, sole proprietor, is losing badly in this market.
Buying housing in Moscow remains practically out of reach for middle-class people.
We’ve lived for 18 years in a 78-square-meter apartment, and I’m not complaining at all — that’s significantly better than what most Russian citizens have. But time passes, children grow up, and Dasha and Zakhar can no longer share a room. They’ve become strong enough to do serious damage both to each other and to the parents trying to pull them apart.
By the way, I recently read that in the Netherlands and some other European countries, it’s against the law for opposite-sex children of any age to share a room. A sensible rule, but for our country it sounds like science fiction.
So, our family needs an apartment with three bedrooms. The only way to get one is to rent it. Yes, it’s very expensive (damn... VERY expensive. They say prices have dropped a lot lately. I can’t imagine what they used to be). Yes, I don’t want to live in a rental. Yes, when you calculate how much will be gone in a couple of years, the calculator slips from your hands. Yes, there’s a big risk of frequent and sudden moves. But there’s nothing to be done in my situation, with mortgages unavailable to someone with a criminal record.
I understand that the comments will now be full of jokes like, "The FSB will quickly find you a cheap, comfortable, and well-equipped little apartment" — I take that philosophically — but I decided to make a public post as well, instead of just searching through friends and acquaintances.
I need an apartment for the long term. Four rooms, three bedrooms. Within the Third Ring Road, in its southern half. South of Kutuzovsky Prospekt in the west and south of Shosse Entuziastov in the east. I work near Avtozavodskaya and want to spend no more than 20 minutes commuting. One parking space is essential.
We live a quiet, peaceful life. Our only pet is Zoya the hamster. We don’t play musical instruments. We don’t smoke and drink very little. We greet the neighbors politely. We don’t attract unnecessary attention. We want a fully official contract and cashless payment. In short, dream tenants.
If you know me, then you already know how to get in touch. If you don’t, please write in the comments. Thank you.
PS I genuinely want to sit down, run all the numbers, and draft a bill with proposals on how to make mortgage loans radically more affordable. It’s madness: all over the world, people borrow for 20 to 30 years at rates from 1.5% to 4%. In Denmark, negative rates have appeared — meaning banks actually pay extra to borrowers. And here it’s 11.5% to 15% for 10 years. How is anyone supposed to pay that?
A situation in which a family with two working adults cannot get an affordable housing loan is insane and criminal. What is the point of a state like that?
All these VTBs, Rosnefts, VEBs, and RUSNANOs are simply pumped full of interest-free budget money that they’ll never even pay back, while working people — taxpayers — are supposed to pay 13%. It’s idiotic.
I’ll live in a rented apartment for now, and when we win, drive out the thieves, and the Beautiful Russia of the Future arrives, I’ll take out a 20-year loan there at 1.4% annual interest and buy a new home.