Looking for rental agent for relocation (Charlotte, Waxhaw: apartment, rentals, movers)
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My family is moving to Charlotte from San Francisco in August. We are looking to rent a home for a while, to get acclimated to the area before we buy.
For work/financial/logistical reasons we can't visit Charlotte before the move. We're not familiar with the city, but have a general idea of where we want to live based on recommendations of friends who live there.
We've written to several rental agents about helping us find a rental before we move out there - we have a 1-year-old, so we don't want to be driving all over hell's half acre and living in a hotel for days after we get there; also, we'd like to be able to give an address to the movers and to get our mail forwarded.
No one seems willing to help us. We've either been told that they can give us the MLS listings and we can find something on our own, or "look at our website a few days before you move and pick some houses we can show you when you get here."
We want to sign a lease BEFORE we move, or at least be able to sign it and move in immediately upon arrival. What we want is someone to find a home for us, someone we can trust and who will listen to our needs and find a good place. I know there are a million rentals to be had in our price range, but I want someone who knows the area to tell us if the area is safe for kids, if the house is in good shape, etc.
I totally feel your pain. We relocated here a year ago and I rented a home 'blind'. I would keep searching the MLS as well as Craigslist. I've found that the good ones go fast, so be prepared.
Currently, I live in Waxhaw (south of town), and know a good bit about Union County.
Please send me a private message if you would like to chat over the phone. Perhaps I can answer any questions you may have.
Share with us what you are looking for, perhaps we can all help...
My family is moving to Charlotte from San Francisco in August. We are looking to rent a home for a while, to get acclimated to the area before we buy.
For work/financial/logistical reasons we can't visit Charlotte before the move. We're not familiar with the city, but have a general idea of where we want to live based on recommendations of friends who live there.
We've written to several rental agents about helping us find a rental before we move out there - we have a 1-year-old, so we don't want to be driving all over hell's half acre and living in a hotel for days after we get there; also, we'd like to be able to give an address to the movers and to get our mail forwarded.
No one seems willing to help us. We've either been told that they can give us the MLS listings and we can find something on our own, or "look at our website a few days before you move and pick some houses we can show you when you get here."
We want to sign a lease BEFORE we move, or at least be able to sign it and move in immediately upon arrival. What we want is someone to find a home for us, someone we can trust and who will listen to our needs and find a good place. I know there are a million rentals to be had in our price range, but I want someone who knows the area to tell us if the area is safe for kids, if the house is in good shape, etc.
Are we being unreasonable? Any suggestions?
Tell us more what you are looking for and we'll do our best to help you
Thanks! We're looking for a 3-4br, 2+ba single-family home with a nice backyard (maybe with mature trees?), preferably in South Charlotte, in a safe, family-friendly neighborhood, preferably with a nearby park. Whew!
We'd love to be near some stores and restaurants (right now we're a block away from two organic markets, several nice restaurants, two clothing boutiques, a funky furniture store and a cute local bar), but we realize that we're probably not going to find our current neighborhood in Charlotte for what we want to pay in rent. I'll settle for not having to get on the highway to go to the grocery store
And, um, preferably below $1100 a month. In the Bay Area, we pay $1750 ($1850 starting in July) for a small 2br/1.5ba apartment, and we're EXTREMELY lucky to be paying that little. So saying "under $1100" for anything more than a studio apartment seems beyond laughable to me, but I'm throwing it out there because Charlotte seems to be a bit different from the Bay Area. Feel free to tell me this is definitely not happening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by USCRugbyNo1
Are you willing to pay an agent to help you? The reason agents don't work rentals is there almost no compensation for them.
Maybe, if the price is right, but no one is even offering to do it for pay! Should I offer? How much?
Thanks! We're looking for a 3-4br, 2+ba single-family home with a nice backyard (maybe with mature trees?), preferably in South Charlotte, in a safe, family-friendly neighborhood, preferably with a nearby park. Whew!
We'd love to be near some stores and restaurants (right now we're a block away from two organic markets, several nice restaurants, two clothing boutiques, a funky furniture store and a cute local bar), but we realize that we're probably not going to find our current neighborhood in Charlotte for what we want to pay in rent. I'll settle for not having to get on the highway to go to the grocery store
And, um, preferably below $1100 a month. In the Bay Area, we pay $1750 ($1850 starting in July) for a small 2br/1.5ba apartment, and we're EXTREMELY lucky to be paying that little. So saying "under $1100" for anything more than a studio apartment seems beyond laughable to me, but I'm throwing it out there because Charlotte seems to be a bit different from the Bay Area. Feel free to tell me this is definitely not happening.
Maybe, if the price is right, but no one is even offering to do it for pay! Should I offer? How much?
To be in the kind of neighborhood you describe in south Charlotte I'd say to up your price range to at least $1300 The rental market in Charlotte is hot, as many would be buyers continue to sit on the fence. Good news is, you'll actually be in a house with a yard, not an apt once you get to Charlotte!
Have you done any preliminary looking at properties online? If you do that and find things you are interested in, post the address here, or send it to me in a dm, and I can tell what I know about that neighborhood or area and if it fits your criteria.
Not too bad, but a little more than we were hoping to spend. Honestly, we don't need to be in the same kind of neighborhood we live in now. I mainly need a nice neighborhood here because our apartment is so small and crappy, and since we don't have a backyard (or front yard) parks are a must to keep our son occupied! If we had a nicer place, we wouldn't need a fancy neighborhood (although we do want a place that is safe and has other families).
And yes, we've done a LOT of looking at places online. Pretty much every day we find a place we love, but obviously it's too early to apply, unless we want to double up on rent, which we don't want to do unless we have to. But still, we don't know what the homes or the areas are truly like.
Not too bad, but a little more than we were hoping to spend. Honestly, we don't need to be in the same kind of neighborhood we live in now. I mainly need a nice neighborhood here because our apartment is so small and crappy, and since we don't have a backyard (or front yard) parks are a must to keep our son occupied! If we had a nicer place, we wouldn't need a fancy neighborhood (although we do want a place that is safe and has other families).
And yes, we've done a LOT of looking at places online. Pretty much every day we find a place we love, but obviously it's too early to apply, unless we want to double up on rent, which we don't want to do unless we have to. But still, we don't know what the homes or the areas are truly like.
Thank you for the offer! I may do that
I will dm you a few I've found in the last few minutes that would be acceptable and meet your criteria
My family is in a similar situation,looking for rentals before we arrive in Charlotte in July.I have looked on Craigslist and find the neighborhoods hard to decifer.Are there any other recources that locals use, like a good local classified that I can access online?
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