Finding a Home

 On Thursday we went around District 2 with a realtor named David.  He's from Paris but has been living in Saigon for 10 years with a brief stint in Cambodia as well.  He was great.  We saw 14 different residences with everything from two bedroom apartments to six bedroom villas.

The biggest factors for us are:
1.  Safety.  We do have 2 young children after all.
2.   Location.  We would like a quick trip in to work each day.
3.  A place for the kids to play.

Optimally we wanted 4 bedrooms, a place to swim, and places to eat within walking distance.

I thought we'd get a house considering that that's what we are used to, but upon talking to people who have lived in Saigon before, apartment living started to sound more like what we needed to do... at least to start.  Apartment living is considerably more safe than a free standing house because there is 24 hour security.  We could hire a night time guard, but that would be an added expense.

We asked David to show us a few house and apartment units so we could really compare.  We ended up liking an apartment complex called The Vista best.  Our unit would be on the 18th floor and has an incredible view of the Saigon River and the skyline.  It's brand new, so we would get to help pick the furnishings to help it feel like our home.  It has 4 bedrooms and costs $2200 per month, but we may be able to negotiate that down a bit.  There are floor to ceiling windows, and I can't wait to watch the lightning from up there.

View of the pool

We do have to walk along the highway for a little bit, which is a bit sketchy with kids.  Derek and I tried the walk on Friday while the nanny was with the boys.  It wasn't too bad, but it will definitely be easier on bikes.

They are in the process of building several shoppes, cafes, and small eateries on the ground floors of the towers.  Already, there is a small grocery store and Shalom Cafe.  There is an incredible pool, children's play area, coi pond, gym, putting green, and constant security.  Plus, our nanny has a friend who works for a family there that has a little boy the same age as Owen.  She will be able to easily arrange play dates with so many other expat kids in close quarters.

We are going to check it out again tomorrow to be sure to be sure we like it.

The View

Putting Green

Checking out the view

Awesome bathrooms