Commuting to Troy? (Detroit, Flint, Sterling Heights: subletting, apartment complexes, leases)

[aallll]

I am going to be interning in Troy, near the Big Beaver Rd/75 intersection, for about three months and since I'm not really from the area I was hoping to get some insight about the commute. Since I'm only going to be there for a short time my apartment options are pretty limited. How are the commutes to Troy from some of the following places? Sterling Heights, Rochester, Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak, Clawson, Clinton Township (near Partridge Creek), Farmington Hills.. I would appreciate any input or suggestions!

[mgkeith]

Certainly not Farmington Hills. Great place to live, but the commute to Troy wouldn't be best.

[zthatzmanz28]

As always, closer is better,especially when renting.

[belleislerunner]

Get a place in Royal Oak right near 14 Mile Road/Crooks. It'll be a cheaper location - close to everything and you can just take Crooks up to Big Beaver and never get on 75. 5 minute commute to work. Plenty of apartment complexes around there.

[jaynarie]

What do you consider a reasonable commute? Everything you've listed is within 15 miles/30ish minutes. Obviously, the closer you are the shorter your commute. Since you are new to the area and I assume you have no ties to a particular area, I'd personally get as close as possible.
Have you been checking for places that will do a three month lease? Honestly, that is going to be your biggest hurdle.

[aallll]

Yes I have been trying to find 3 month leases and it has really limited my options. Clinton township is the most affordable but I'm just worried about the commute. I would like it to be 45 minutes or less at least, preferably around 30 though.

[jaynarie]

What type of budget are you working with? And what hours will you work?

I have a 65 mile commute. I commute from a suburb of Flint to downtown Detroit. If I leave at 6am, I'm there by 7:15, usually earlier. Getting to Big Beaver Road takes me about 30-35 minutes. On the way home, I leave between 4:30 and 5, and I'm still home in 90 minutes. From Big Beaver the rest of the way home takes closer to 40-50, but a lot of that slow down has to do with the construction at University, especially with it being right near the 59/75 interchange.

My point with this is that the time of day matters. There are options farther out that will work if you can stay close to an I-75 ramp. Honestly, if you have somewhere with easy I-75 access, you could even cut your commute time down. Traffic isn't horrible going southbound until you get to 12 Mile, sometimes 14 Mile. As long as you are within a few miles of I-75, you could stretch your search north to Auburn Hills, Clarkston, Holly, and even Grand Blanc. Baldwin Road (Auburn Hills) to Big Beaver Rd is going to take you 15-20 minutes. Clarkston, 20-25, Holly 25-30, Grand Blanc 30-40. Traffic can slow down a bit from Dixie Highway to Baldwin Road in the morning, so again, your hours could add to the morning commute if you start from anywhere in that section. It isn't usually stop and go- just a slow down that will add 5 minutes or so.

Lastly, when you pricing apartments, are you asking for their 3 month lease price? Two years ago I had a temporary job in Midland and had to do a three month lease. Not only was I not eligible for their specials/discounts, I had to pay an extra $75 per month for a short term lease. My rent was $715 when it would have been $575 had I signed a year lease with the special they had.

[aallll]

I was hoping to spend around $1000 or less per month, which I can only seem to find in places like Clinton Township. I've asked for the three month lease rate at the places that do offer it and most charge an extra $100 or $200 per month. So, finding a 3 month lease for under that price range has been pretty tough. However, if the commute is going to be terrible I think it could be worth it to spend a little more and be in a closer area. I unfortunately do not know my exact work hours yet but I am assuming I will be starting around 7:30-8. Thanks for the information!

[jaynarie]

Those short term fees are killer. I figured it'd be higher than the $75 extra I paid in Midland.

It sounds like you've done quite a bit of research. Your southern Oakland County suburbs are going to be around $900-1000 before any short terms fees. There are cheaper options- Madison Heights, Hazel Park, etc... Once you get north to Clarkston, you are going to find rent is around $700-800. From many places in Clarkston, you should be able to make the drive in 30 minutes. Waterford is even cheaper than Clarkston and should still be within 30 minutes. If you push farther north, rent in Grand Blanc is going to run $450-600, and there are a few options that would put you close to a 30 minute commute, definitely under 45 minutes.

Have you checked into subletting? That can be a way to get around those extra fees.

[belleislerunner]

Why don't you look for apartments on craigslist or post an ad under the housing wanted section (Rooms wanted). Another thing you can do is search for "month to month" in the search bar and then it will only pull up apartments where they will rent month to month.