Rental Crisis in Monterey - Need input please

[hunterseat]

UPDATE: Dana's daughter just moved into her new place. I don't know the details but I saw a post about it (and the celebratory trip to the sweets shop afterwards). Best wishes for a successful, stress-free-living semester.

[hunterseat]

Update: Dana's daughter just graduated Magna C Laude and will be going to vet school in Scotland in the fall. Woo hoo!

[Hawk J]

Congratulations, Dana's daughter. It makes me smile knowing everything is working out Wonderful for you.....


I lived in the Monterey area for many years.

[greenbook]

I have lived in the city of Marina for 20 years. I didn't see a rent increase on my apartment for the first 7 years. Then I got handed a $30 increase. A few years later, I got handed a $60 increase. But the past 3 years I have been handed $100, $150, and $100 increases, and it is just killing me as I am on my own supporting myself at a job where we just don't get raises, no matter how good of a job we do. I am very tempted to write the property owner and ask why this has been happening all of a sudden, or even contact the city of Marina to see how much our raises compare to other properties in the city. I have a feeling this owner is screwing us over. He does own other properties in other areas.


It's particularly difficult because, frankly, I hate living here. I'd be happier living in Seaside or Monterey, but the rent is even crazier in them parts. But in Marina it is just constantly cold. I really need to lose weight, and I cannot even take an early evening walk without wearing a ski mask. No wonder the city has an "International Festival Of The Winds." The wind is just bitterly cold coming off the ocean. It's funny - I work at a place where we get a lot of visitors from out of state, and they are totally shocked at how cold Marina gets. Their preconceived vision of the entire state of California is that it's like San Diego. Nope. I used to live near the Oregon order, and it once rained 88 straight days.


As a middle aged single man, there is almost nothing to do here because the area seems to be filled with retirees, aging baby boomers and teens. It effects everything from dating to volunteer work opportunities to community social opportunities (the place isn't exactly overflowing with meet up groups for middle aged people). I would do anything to live in the Bay Area from Campbell up until Union City (no SF for me), but that's even more pricey and would absolutely require me to get roommates. The last roommate I had 20 years ago tried to kill two people, so having roomies kind of freaks me out (in addition to just being used to living 20 years alone). I guess what I am saying here is that I am paying a ton of money for rent, but for what?? I've grown up around the ocean my whole life, so the novelty has worn off. I mean, it's better than living in a ghetto of course......


So I understand anyone's pain regarding the rental crisis in this county. I have a loan on a car to deal with as well. The public transportation in this area sucks, so you must have a vehicle (and of course we are getting messed over by gas prices). Not getting pay raises or even colas means that insurance keeps getting more expensive, a gallon of milk keeps getting more expensive, etc. It's brutal like me if you're single. No second income to cut down on the cost of food, PG&E and things like that.

[Hawk J]

greenbook, i'm sorry your landlord keeps raising your rent. The rentals & buying a home in CA has really gone crazy high priced nowadays.


My Mom lived in Marina about 50 years. She liked the cooler weather. My folks bought their first home in Marina, in 1960. It was a pretty nice 3 bedroom with a pretty big yard for $13,000, on Carmel Avenue.


In 1961 they found a 3 bedroom house they liked better off the back end of Reindollar, by the Fort Ord fence. They paid $15,000. Where she lived, in the summer, they would get quite a few sunny pleasant days, or partial sunny days. Sometimes i did some work for her on the house, like painted the outside, built a patio cover & concrete in the back yard, built a shed, etc.



I hope you can find an apt with a more reasonable rent...

[forzalugano]

Prime example of why people should always buy vs rent.

When you buy your payments are fixed for ever, until there are no more payment to make, and over 20-30 years+ the equity is insane.

Originally Posted by Hawk J

greenbook, i'm sorry your landlord keeps raising your rent. The rentals & buying a home in CA has really gone crazy high priced nowadays.


My Mom lived in Marina about 50 years. She liked the cooler weather. My folks bought their first home in Marina, in 1960. It was a pretty nice 3 bedroom with a pretty big yard for $13,000, on Carmel Avenue.


In 1961 they found a 3 bedroom house they liked better off the back end of Reindollar, by the Fort Ord fence. They paid $15,000. Where she lived, in the summer, they would get quite a few sunny pleasant days, or partial sunny days. Sometimes i did some work for her on the house, like painted the outside, built a patio cover & concrete in the back yard, built a shed, etc.



I hope you can find an apt with a more reasonable rent...

[Nevada2012]

Originally Posted by greenbook

I have lived in the city of Marina for 20 years. I didn't see a rent increase on my apartment for the first 7 years. Then I got handed a $30 increase. A few years later, I got handed a $60 increase. But the past 3 years I have been handed $100, $150, and $100 increases, and it is just killing me as I am on my own supporting myself at a job where we just don't get raises, no matter how good of a job we do. I am very tempted to write the property owner and ask why this has been happening all of a sudden, or even contact the city of Marina to see how much our raises compare to other properties in the city. I have a feeling this owner is screwing us over. He does own other properties in other areas.


It's particularly difficult because, frankly, I hate living here. I'd be happier living in Seaside or Monterey, but the rent is even crazier in them parts. But in Marina it is just constantly cold. I really need to lose weight, and I cannot even take an early evening walk without wearing a ski mask. No wonder the city has an "International Festival Of The Winds." The wind is just bitterly cold coming off the ocean. It's funny - I work at a place where we get a lot of visitors from out of state, and they are totally shocked at how cold Marina gets. Their preconceived vision of the entire state of California is that it's like San Diego. Nope. I used to live near the Oregon order, and it once rained 88 straight days.


As a middle aged single man, there is almost nothing to do here because the area seems to be filled with retirees, aging baby boomers and teens. It effects everything from dating to volunteer work opportunities to community social opportunities (the place isn't exactly overflowing with meet up groups for middle aged people). I would do anything to live in the Bay Area from Campbell up until Union City (no SF for me), but that's even more pricey and would absolutely require me to get roommates. The last roommate I had 20 years ago tried to kill two people, so having roomies kind of freaks me out (in addition to just being used to living 20 years alone). I guess what I am saying here is that I am paying a ton of money for rent, but for what?? I've grown up around the ocean my whole life, so the novelty has worn off. I mean, it's better than living in a ghetto of course......


So I understand anyone's pain regarding the rental crisis in this county. I have a loan on a car to deal with as well. The public transportation in this area sucks, so you must have a vehicle (and of course we are getting messed over by gas prices). Not getting pay raises or even colas means that insurance keeps getting more expensive, a gallon of milk keeps getting more expensive, etc. It's brutal like me if you're single. No second income to cut down on the cost of food, PG&E and things like that.

Could you move to a place with a lower COL ?

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by greenbook

I have lived in the city of Marina for 20 years...


As a middle aged single man, there is almost nothing to do here because the area seems to be filled with retirees, aging baby boomers and teens. It effects everything from dating to volunteer work opportunities to community social opportunities (the place isn't exactly overflowing with meet up groups for middle aged people). I would do anything to live in the Bay Area from Campbell up until Union City (no SF for me), but that's even more pricey and would absolutely require me to get roommates. The last roommate I had 20 years ago tried to kill two people, so having roomies kind of freaks me out (in addition to just being used to living 20 years alone). I guess what I am saying here is that I am paying a ton of money for rent, but for what?? I've grown up around the ocean my whole life, so the novelty has worn off. I mean, it's better than living in a ghetto of course......

We're actually looking to move somewhere more affordable to purchase a home - the PNW in our case. However, our current leased home is the best place we've ever lived in - only a few blocks from the beach (sunbelt) and the owner has 'never' raised the rent in 9 years. So that alone has made it hard to ever consider moving. But its time for us to find a place we can purchase.

It sounds like you need to move since the novelty has worn off and you are still paying a premium. However, no place is perfect. There are pros/cons everywhere. If you get cold easy, maybe AZ or FL would be better? Or how about inland CA like the Sacramento Valley region?

Derek

[greenbook]

Originally Posted by Nevada2012

Could you move to a place with a lower COL ?

Nope. This is as cheap as it gets. There are probably areas in Salinas that are cheaper (and I like Salinas' weather better), but then you are dealing with a longer commute as I work in Monterey.

Marina is simply a bedroom community. It's a place for all the people who can't afford to live in Monterey or Carmel. It's way cheaper for me to reside in Marina than Monterey.