SAHM seeking family-friendly rental advice for $1000-1200/mo (Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti: apartment, rentals)

[Callalee]

My husband, 9 mo old child and I are considering moving to Ann Arbor this summer and hope to live off one income (est $40-50K) for awhile so I can be a stay at home mom for the next year or two. We love all that we've read about Ann Arbor and will be visiting in April. However, I'm concerned that the rising cost of living in A2 will force us to live in a community that's more than a 30 min commute away or in an community we wouldn't enjoy. Below are the details of what we'd be looking for. I'd love to know what areas you'd recommend we look at during our visit and how difficult it'd be to live off such a small income.

SEEKING: We'd be looking for a two bedroom, one bath, min 1000 sq ft. for $1000-1200/mo. Ideally we'd love a single family home (but are open to family-friendly condos or townhomes) with a yard. In order to have time together as a family, we'd really like to be living within a 30 min commute (ideally by public transit so we can remain a one car family). My husband would be working in the NE part of Ann Arbor in the Huron Highlands area. Meanwhile, I'd like to be able to access the parks, library, cafes, and other kid activities by foot or public transit, esp if we lived in an area where my husband would need the car for work. We're very much hoping to avoid urban sprawl, big box store areas and gated/golf course communities. We do love the charm of older homes and enjoy commuting/exploring by bike when the weather is good. The quality of the school district doesn't matter to us. We don't have any pets though we have a pipe dream of getting a dog someday.

YPSI: I've read Ypsi is most affordable but google maps says the commute by public transit to Huron Highlands is an hour. Is that right? How long is the drive during rush hour? Scanning these forums told me Depot Town, Normal Park, and what looks like a more newly developed area south of Textile, east of Hitchingham, West of Tuttle Hill and North of Bennis are all safe. However, Craigslist doesn't show any rentals in any of those areas. Are there other safe areas you'd recommend that are more likely to have rentals?

ANN ARBOR: like so many others, we'd most love to be in Ann Arbor. I've seen some condos on Craisglist just inside the beltway. What neighborhoods would you recommend (or avoid) so we're not mixed in with the partying of college life? I found one apt complex that looked perfect right next to the Leslie Science Ctr and park but ApartmentRental.com said McKinely bought out the complex (Traver Knoll) and now the mgmt is awful. Anyone know anything about that? Is poor mgmt or junky places what I'm likely to find in A2 in our price range?

OTHER: What other areas would you suggest? Do you think Chelsea, Saline or Dexter would be a good fit for us? Affordable? Pretty? Good commute? Families? What areas are easiest to access A2 via public transit? Do you think we'll have to become a two car family to find a decent place in our price range?

Lastly, Ive seen a lot of Craigslist ads for apts avail July 1 for a reduced rate if you book now. Is this aimed at student housing or true of the A2 rental market in general? Would it be worth seriously apartment hunting in April for a place in July or would we have better options and pricing if we waited until July/August?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

[hhwtm]

Chelsea and Dexter are small towns with limited rentals but cost less than Ann Arbor. I live in Ypsilanti and the bus from my neighborhood (College Heights near EMU) takes about 30-45 min to get to UM. Ypsi is much more affordable but there are some complaints about the schools. You might want to look up AATA (Ann Arbor transit, the bus system) to see where the bus lines run. Buses are clean and very reliable; it's a good system.

If you look in Ypsi the areas of College Heights (nicest neighborhood) and Normal Park (2nd best, but has more renters, young families, etc) are pretty decent. I think Traver Knoll used to be OK. Lots of university people and families there.