I received a portentous email from my real estate agent yesterday

  • We have a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 car bay, ground floor property coming available at 64 Spencer Ave around 23/24 December at $400.00 per week.

Why is this portentous you ask?
The unit is owned by the gentleman who owns the one I am renting. (He built and owns 124 similar units)
The one for rent is in a block of units about 100 metres down the road.
The unit is exactly the same as mine.
I am currently paying $350 a week. The rent will go up in May, and this offering shows that my rent might rise to $400 a week.
There is the possibility the empty unit might have been refurbished, hence the higher price.
I have been in this unit for 11 years and only the hot water unit has replaced.