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There's a possibility I will be offered a job in Albuquerque-- if offered, I'm likely to accept it. But, I don't intend to sell my home in AZ if I do, as I may be able to transfer back here down the road, and the market here is not a seller's one by any means. So, I'll be looking for an apartment, either furnished or I'll need to get some furniture. (I'm probably not going to move furniture out of my house). Work location is more or less central, looks like. I haven't rented in a long time, but up to 1000/1200 a month would certainly be doable; a one bedroom would be big enough. Job location is pretty much downtown, from what I can determine.
Convenience to public transportation would be a plus, so I don't have to drive all the time. Recommendations for apts, furniture that's not cardboard but not too high end, would be welcome.
There are some nice rental units all along Academy.
There is an express bus that picks up all along that street
that gets you downtown in a fast and convenient manner.
There are also some decent commuter runs coming from
the West side that offer good service as well as an all-day
express called the Blue Line that might work for you.
The commuter runs generally offer you two choices of times
to come to work and another two choices for getting home.
After picking up in the outlying areas, they run express till
they get downtown. It's a good system.
I'll hold my tongue on the "wisdom" of renting in order to "prevent"
a real-estate loss whilst waiting for the market to come back.
As someone who has done the keep-the-house/rent-in-the-new-town thing, a couple bits of advice:
*Rent close to work, like really close (or in your case, can also rent near the airport). A long commute in a new city is twice as crazy if you don't plan on living there forever. Albuq's very well stocked with extended stay places and I strongly encourage you to try finding one with a weekly or monthly rate you can live with.
*If you can't/won't do extended stay, ideally, find a place where the previous tenant left their furniture and wasn't a slob. Taking a specific "housing wanted" ad out in the local craigslist where you can find a renter-furnished apartment where you can take over the lease might prove fruitful, particularly if you have a week or two to plan. Furniture was one of the biggest pains associated with temporary relocation.. having to buy all new versions of what you already had back at home (makes you feel like you're just starting out again, and not in a good way), and then when it's time to move back, having to sell the furniture for pennies, leaving it behind, or cramming it in your existing home.
*homeexchange.com might yield you something, as many of the listings there are for seniors' second homes, and they'll appreciate someone who'd keep up the place (and wouldn't mind staying away for a week a month or whatever).
*Tempe's 7 hours each way, and you'd be crazy to drive rather than fly on a regular basis, unless your time is worthless and your gas mileage is excellent. On that basis, you may want to leave one car behind and bring one car with, or buy a beater for those times when your car is in one town and you're in the other.
As someone who has done the keep-the-house/rent-in-the-new-town thing, a couple bits of advice:
*Rent close to work, like really close (or in your case, can also rent near the airport). A long commute in a new city is twice as crazy if you don't plan on living there forever. Albuq's very well stocked with extended stay places and I strongly encourage you to try finding one with a weekly or monthly rate you can live with.
*If you can't/won't do extended stay, ideally, find a place where the previous tenant left their furniture and wasn't a slob. Taking a specific "housing wanted" ad out in the local craigslist where you can find a renter-furnished apartment where you can take over the lease might prove fruitful, particularly if you have a week or two to plan. Furniture was one of the biggest pains associated with temporary relocation.. having to buy all new versions of what you already had back at home (makes you feel like you're just starting out again, and not in a good way), and then when it's time to move back, having to sell the furniture for pennies, leaving it behind, or cramming it in your existing home.
*homeexchange.com might yield you something, as many of the listings there are for seniors' second homes, and they'll appreciate someone who'd keep up the place (and wouldn't mind staying away for a week a month or whatever).
*Tempe's 7 hours each way, and you'd be crazy to drive rather than fly on a regular basis, unless your time is worthless and your gas mileage is excellent. On that basis, you may want to leave one car behind and bring one car with, or buy a beater for those times when your car is in one town and you're in the other.
Rotsa ruck!
Great post, with lots of good advice about lease takeovers, extended stays, etc. I have no idea what will actually happen, but I figured I needed to have thought about all this a bit in case something does. If it does, when I go home, I'll fly, not drive, so I'll need to have a car in each place. I can deal with that.
I'm holding on to the house mainly because I don't plan on being in ABQ more than maybe two years, three at the absolute outside. I've lived in this house a long time, like it, have lots of equity in it even at today's value. I'm not ready to uproot myself forever from the area I've lived in more than 50 years.
furniture on consignment --- it may have recently moved, but it used to be on candelaria. give them a call. generally good quality at decent prices.
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