Pros and Cons

We found a brand new apartment that is simple, small, but yet PERFECT for us. It has 3 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms (1,200 square feet - we had less than 700 in Costa Rica), a maid's quarters that we will use as an office, a kitchen with a door that actually closes it off from the rest of the house if we want (how cool is that?), awesome closets and storage spaces and beautifully tiled bathrooms. It is on the 6 floor of a brand-new building and there are only 3 apartments on our floor. Please note that when you find a place you like, you have to snatch it up ASAP. We already lost one yesterday on this same steet that we liked. So there is no time to shop and compare if we want this one in this area.

Here are some pros:
BRAND NEW
The walls are already painted a light beige and NOT white. We can paint the walls if we like.
Each bathroom is very beautifully tiled.
It is totally quiet on the 6th floor.
The apartment is equipped with lighting in the house and we don't have to buy any (sometimes you do).
It is also equipped with nice, modern, but simple curtains. Some times you have to buy them.
The floors are wood.
The apartment is 6 blocks from the beach, 4 blocks from a Gold's gym, and 6ish blocks from a downtown area. It's so much like downtown Orlando in the really nice areas near Lake Eola, but more crowded, obviously.
The kids can ride their bikes all day long alone the beach.
I can run all day long along the beach for miles and miles. What a HUGE blessing! This Florida girls LOVES the beach (even though I can't swim in it).
The beach area is filled with really cool parks along the running/riding track for the kids to play in.
I am 6 blocks from a STARBUCKS! God really loves me!
There is a fruit stand on the corner of our street and also a little stand that sells basic stuff.
A private parking garage that will fit our mini-van.
A 24 hour security guard that mans the building.
John will have a very tiny, but very private office from the rest of the house while we are homeschooling.
The steets are lined with beautiful trees.
Did I mention 3.5 bathrooms.
The kitchen will hold a full size refrigerator and we did not have this in C.R.
Our street is not crazy busy with congestion. It is small and only one way.
WE LOVE THE AREA! We recognize it is busy and NOT for everyone, but this is the kind of area John and I have always loved. When we came here a few years ago, we had hoped we could live in Miraflores. However, we didn't realize it was so close to the ocean and so artsy and trendy. Anyway, God has blessed us abundantly and beyond my dreams. Isn't he so good at that?

Cons:
1,200 square feet (but we decided we would sacrifice quantity over quality).
The view is okay, but not AWESOME!
Small master bedroom!
It's not a neighborhood with a yard, but we weren't looking for that and that is almost impossible to come by anyway.
No Bathtub!
John will have a 45 minute drive to his area of ministry. But we had planned on that before we even got here. We wanted the kids and I to have a place that was easily accesible and fun that we could reach by foot since John will be gone with the van a lot of the time.

We are hoping to sign a contract tomorrow. The mission's attorney is going to call the realtor in the morning. The apartment is available ASAP! Please pray. Here are some pictures: