Immigration Status on the American Dream

It seems that the American Dream has a tough time making it through customs in "Boone". When we first came we were pretty thrilled with the on-campus housing, but then we realized we're paying double the rent as the locals, AND things started breaking... no water some days, internet is moody and the un-bleachable grime eats away at my soul.
So after 5 months of searching and 3 months of begging/ demanding/ threatening the school to let us move off- campus, we found a newer apartment and thought we had it made! We payed rent at this new place for a whole year, very happy with our 3 bedroom, huge bathroom, cozy kitchen, already-has-hot-water apartment. It's close to a tennis/ badminton court that also has an EXERCISE ROOM, and it's caddy corner to several stores and restaurants.
We bought new tile for the bathroom, paint for the living room and dining room, ordered hand-crafted furniture from the deaf community in the Big City and we're waiting on our western-style sofas to arrive. All we need now is a baby and a few pets and we've successfully managed to have the best of the American and Asian worlds. (That's not what Hannah Montana means when she sings "the Best of Both Worlds")
Except... our landlady brought some men to retile and re-plastered where air bubbles have caused huge chunks of the wall to come down, and it's going to cost a ridiculous amount. Our friend who was with us told us they are over charging us because they think we're rich foriegners, so we told them that we're students and don't have a job and that they should be ashamed of trying to rip us off. Then Scott politely opened the door and asked them to leave!
We sat and pondered for a long time in our empty living room yesterday and decided that we'll have to do these things on our own man power.... Yep, we're going to have to smuggle in the American Dream, all the while answering all the people's questions about how we do things.
On the other hand, we're excited that we get to show our VERY interested and confused friends all the American ways to do things... I've promised a big Western meal when we finally move in, and I don't know if they are more curious or scared!