Irving Park, Albany Park, Rogers Park? (Chicago, Addison: home, safe neighborhood, high school)

[surlycue]

I found it on craigslist, but many of the rentals in Old Irving are from old timers so I definitely agree with the other poster that driving block by block is the best way. Look for hand written hardware store type for rent signs that are in the window or on the fence. Apartment finders and agencies of their ilk will often charge charge additional rent because the landlord has to pay them for their services so you'll get the best deal going directly to the source.

I would not be surprised though if landlords in general charge higher rent in May than in January because there is higher demand in the warmer months. As a renter though, you always have negotiating power. If you find a live in landlord or one that owns a couple of investment properties, try offering to pay an additional half-month up front in order to receive a $25 or $50 per month discount overall. More often then not small time landlords have been burned in the past by renters so if you can show up front that you are a responsible tenant who will pay on time and not cause too many headaches they will likely make some concessions on their end to have a hassel-free tenant.

[surlycue]

CM- I saved all of the apartments I looked at on CL on my photobucket and dug up the listing. The landlords name and phone number are listed on it. Try giving him a call to see if he has anything or knows of anything available in the area and give him your price range. Not sure if he'll remember me but we did speak a few times so it's worth a shot. Tell him Ashley, who looked at the place in January asked you to give him a call. Good luck.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n-unit1285.jpg

[cm143]

WOW! Thank you so much!!!

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

sounds high, but not outrageously so. have you tried searching the area by bicycle? it's a good way to see for rent signs in owner-occupied buildings, which I've found to usually be kept up well.

Originally Posted by cm143

Thanks, I'll try that too.

Here's a hint though, a lot of buildings have "for rent" signs but don't actually have units available in that building. It's a way the management company to get you to call them and then they try to steer you toward a unit in a building sometimes in a completely different neighborhood. If the sign looks likes it's permanently affixed to the building, don't bother. If it's a hand-made sign or one of those black and orange signs you get at a hardware stores, those are usually legit and mean there's a unit available in that very building.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by cm143

Ok, so I looked at an apartment in Old Irving Park on Keeler near Addison....

We REALLY like the apartment and the street that it's on (very pretty street!), but I'm wondering if $1350 is a bit too much for the area. There isn't A LOT around. I guess, I was hoping to get a better deal moving to a less hip, trendy, in-the-center-of-it-all 'hood. I think we would jump on it if it was $1250.

What do you think? Is $1350 for a 2 br + a small den, NO utilities included, central air & heat in Old Irving Park too much? Does anyone ever negotiate rent with a landlord?

If you'd like I can send you the actual listing with photos via DM or email.

Thanks again!

If you knew what I was paying for a 1200sqft 2-bedroom with den and an off-street parking space near there, you'd turn Linda-Blair-green with envy.

No laundry in our building though; we do drop-off.

[cm143]

Ugh...I bet I would ! So, do you think I could talk the landlord down to $1300 or even $1250??? Or, is that just crazy? Or, should I keep looking?

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Drover

No laundry in our building though; we do drop-off.

oh man, housing market meltdown or not, I would never, ever, ever go back to having to drag my clothes to a laundromat!

worst/best time ever in one was when a guy who looked like a time-traveling pimp from about 1975 walked in with a few of his ladies (think leopard-print clothes), walks right up to a dryer and empties a small brown bag in it. They left, and pretty much everyone there tried to take a peek without looking too obvious (it was pretty obvious we were all wondering what it was!), but you couldn't really tell.

[cm143]

HaHa...yeah, we don't have laundry now...and, I HATE it. My next place HAS to have at least laundry in the building.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

oh man, housing market meltdown or not, I would never, ever, ever go back to having to drag my clothes to a laundromat!

I don't mind drop-off, but I won't do the "sit and do your own laundry at the 'mat" thing any more. Even laundromats in the nicest parts of town are basically ghetto.

[cm143]

I do drop-off too, but I still don't like it. After living in NYC and New Orleans, I think it's weird how difficult it is to find a laundromat here in Chicago.