Job Interview in Fort Lauderdale September 29th- Apartment help please! (Plantation: live, plantation)

[Chanel24]

The Eclipse is a low income building - I believe you cant make above 33,000 to live there

[Nolefan34]

Mike>

1. Fort Lauderdale is a small city in a big county. The city is only a couple of square miles with about 150,000 people. The greater Broward County area has about 1.5 million people and is very spread out amongst about 20 suburbs.

2. The City of Fort Lauderdale is mostly a dump with a few nice areas that are very expensive. Las Olas is out of your budget. I would look in some of the close suburbs.

3. Your job is off Cypress Creek. There is a good apartment community very close called Port Royale located off US1 near Cypress Creek Rd. It is more in the $900-1000 range for a 1BR, and a studio might be about $800. You will have to pay extra for utilities, cable, and internet, which will add up to somewhere around $150-200 extra per month. Very few rental communities include utilities, cable, or internet in the base rent.

4. AVOID Craigslist. It is nothing but scams and realtor traps. The ads are designed to hook you up with that realtor. Chances are, the unit advertised does not exist or isn't available at that price. You would be better off going with one realtor and letting them do the legwork.

5. You should look for apartments on Rent.com. It shows all of the rental communities in the area. You can customize it by zip code, price, amenities, and several other factors.

[Mike10693]

Port Royale looks awesome and just what I'd like. I am hoping they have some units available assuming I get the job. Thank you all very much for everything. I truly appreciate it

[Mike10693]

Interesting that you say the city of Fort Lauderdale is mostly a dump...I have read and heard it is a nice area with nice beaches around, including obviously Fort Lauderdale Beach.

[Mike10693]

Is it that bad?

[Nolefan34]

Mike>

Fort Lauderdale Beach is very nice. Anything on or near the water is very nice. Las Olas is also nice. Generally, anything east of US1 is nice. But those are just some areas of Fort Lauderdale. Most of the areas west of US1 and north of Broward Blvd. are very run down and crime ridden.

I would recommend Port Royale as long as you can afford it. Its probably the most affordable/best deal in Fort Lauderdale because it has full amenities and the rents are affordable compared to Las Olas. Just keep in mind that Port Royale is 15 minutes north of Las Olas on US1. Its in a good location, but its not downtown.

[Mike10693]

What is US1? I've also been looking into Set Point apartments...ever heard of those?. So Port Royale is 15 minutes away from downtown? As long as it is near some beaches and nightlife then it's all good.

[Mike10693]

Like I said I'll be making about $40,000 a year and I just wish I could find a place for around $900 a month (including some utilities) that isn't in an awful area. Port Royale is looking possible but it's like $950 not including utilities.

[Mike10693]

Thanks again everyone!

[Nolefan34]

Mike>

Very few places include any utilities in the rent. Some places include water/sewer or trash, but not sure about Port Royale. You will likely have to get your own utility plan through FPL. Electric is the main expense and will run you about $70/mo on average for a 1BR apt. Water/sewer/trash I believe run around $20-30/mo. The most expensive months will be the summer due to having to run the A/C on a low setting constantly. You can expect to pay around $100/mo. on utilities overall on average. Also, don't forget cable and internet. Those will cost you somewhere around $70-90/mo. Plan on paying about $200/mo. for the extras. Also, some places require renter's insurance. Forget how much that costs.

With an income of $40,000 you should be able to afford a $950 rent but not much more.

What is US1? US1= U.S. Highway 1, Route 1, Federal Highway, Useless 1, or just 1. It runs from Key West to Maine up the east coast of the U.S. But it is a main north/south commercial artery in east Fort Lauderdale. It runs through downtown Fort Lauderdale as well. Port Royale is also located along US1.