Discharged Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Minnesota, how to go about finding a Houston apartment out of state this summer? (real estate)

[Radical_Car]

Long story short, have lived with my sister since moving out of my mom & dads in 2014. We had an apartment together til 2018 and then she bought a house and I pay her rent each month in the house, shes been encouraging me for a while about possibly moving out on my own eventually some day. Shes got a girlfriend now and they're looking to buy a house to settle down next summer and it's perfect time for me to get up and get out on my own.


I got a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharged and officially debt free and got a reliable car that'll last for quite a few more years. I would be transferring my job (I work in a medical distribution center for a large medical company, we got locations all over the country and in many countries outside of the US) They got at least 2 different locations in Houston. On top of that aprtments seem to be quite a bit cheaper then they are here in Minneapolis.

How do these apartment locators work? Do they just spam your email with lists of apartment communities & phone numbers? Or do they actually reach out to apartments for you with your information and can find a place and explain my situation for me? For instance I found this one which claims they help with bad/poor credit.

Bad Credit, Broken Leases or Evictions - A.S.A.P Houston - Apartment Locating Service

Never been late on rent at the apartment or for my sister at the house, no eviction, no felonies, no criminal record, no nothing. Only bad mark is my discharged chapter 7 bankruptcy. When I start looking it'll have been over 6 months since discharge and I also got a Capital One credit card im using for tiny purchases to work on rebuilding my credit. (my credit is currently high 500s/low 600s)

I would definitely fly down for a week or at least a couple days to look at apartments and/or meet with an apartment locator agent (and visit my employer at the location I would transfer too) Aiming for next summer to transfer and to move which is when my sis & her girlfriend will be at looking at selling their house.

Update:Just want to add all the debt from my bankruptcy was medical & credit card debt. Never been late once on rent or anything and no landlord or anyone has ever been burned.

[mojo101]

Houston landlords can tap into a data base looking for deadbeats,but I DOnt think the data base is nationwide.
I dont thinkyou file 7 matter much to them

[Radical_Car]

Bankruptcy is most definitely publicly available info. nationwide, and even if they don't check a chapter 7 bankruptcy is on your credit report for 10 years so they'll see it when they pull your credit, which is why it's important to be upfront with the landlord before applying and before they pull your credit.

I'm not not going to delve into whether or not those that file bankruptcy are deadbeats or not.

[perro_peluo]

Bankruptcies happen, so I wouldn't dwell on the past. As mentioned, it does show on public record and does show on your credit report for anyone that runs it.



It takes about two years for higher risk lenders to consider you as viable, not really sure how landlords treat this. I would assume that it depends on how tight the market is, comparing someone with bankruptcy versus someone without it.


Anyone stating that they are offering to help those with poor credit, bankruptcy, etc., consider that this is not done for free. They are usually targeting that group in order to charge higher fees, interest rates, etc.

[Werekief]

Chp 7 may appear negative to some landlords, but not to most. Chp 7 is a one time gig...so any future debt will get paid one way or another, which is actually appealing to some creditors. I wouldn't worry about it much, but feel free to check out zillow or trulia for apartments....many of them have actual real estate agents that will snag you a place.