Moving to Portland - Savings but no Job - Need Apartment (apartments, rental)

[Anastasia84]

All,

Just wondering if anyone has any tips getting an apartment in the Portland area without a job. We are a family of 4 with $28,000 is savings. We currently live in So-Cal and and are moving to Portland in Oct. We don't have a job lined up as yet, though we have been applying (1 interview, that did not work out). I feel confident it will be easier to get a job once we're in the area we're able to go to interviews. Plus we're willing to temp in the meantime.

The thing I'm worried about is trying to secure an apartment without income. I was thinking of apply before we quit our jobs and sending our last pay stub and copy of our savings account balance. Do you think the managers would question our pay stubs? for all they know we could have jobs lined up or we could be transferring to OR. Plus we have excellent rental history and our former landlords loved us.

Any thoughts?

[pdxMIKEpdx]

It may end up being an expensive 28 thousand dollar vacation for your family.
Best for one of you to come up first and find a job and let the family follow.
My 2 cents.

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by Anastasia84

All,

Just wondering if anyone has any tips getting an apartment in the Portland area without a job. We are a family of 4 with $28,000 is savings. We currently live in So-Cal and and are moving to Portland in Oct. We don't have a job lined up as yet, though we have been applying (1 interview, that did not work out). I feel confident it will be easier to get a job once we're in the area we're able to go to interviews. Plus we're willing to temp in the meantime.

The thing I'm worried about is trying to secure an apartment without income. I was thinking of apply before we quit our jobs and sending our last pay stub and copy of our savings account balance. Do you think the managers would question our pay stubs? for all they know we could have jobs lined up or we could be transferring to OR. Plus we have excellent rental history and our former landlords loved us.

Any thoughts?

My thoughts are that you stay put in Southern California and find a job before moving here. If it was just you and your wife I'd say, move up here and take the chance. But since you have 2 kids, I would say you would be making an extremely risky decision that one shouldn't make with kids.

[Yankeemama]

I have known friends who temped for about a year before a good, long time positions followed. I am not sure what the norm is but I guess if you are ready and willing to do anything than a two bedroom apt can be found in the metro for $1500. I have a friend who is a single mom and she moved without a job. Within six months time she found a permanent job and small house in Portland proper. If you are hardworking and resourceful with savings... you could be making a very good move for your family. You can use your savings very wisely while you start working. Public schools here usually have some kind of before and after school care so you can work regular 9-5 hours. There are affordable areas in the Portland metro especially if you are used to paying SoCal prices.

[wanderbygrace]

Originally Posted by Anastasia84

All,

Just wondering if anyone has any tips getting an apartment in the Portland area without a job. We are a family of 4 with $28,000 is savings. We currently live in So-Cal and and are moving to Portland in Oct. We don't have a job lined up as yet, though we have been applying (1 interview, that did not work out). I feel confident it will be easier to get a job once we're in the area we're able to go to interviews. Plus we're willing to temp in the meantime.

The thing I'm worried about is trying to secure an apartment without income. I was thinking of apply before we quit our jobs and sending our last pay stub and copy of our savings account balance. Do you think the managers would question our pay stubs? for all they know we could have jobs lined up or we could be transferring to OR. Plus we have excellent rental history and our former landlords loved us.

Any thoughts?

To put things in prospective, we moved here in 2011 from Ohio, myself having a good paying job already secured. In the end, we burned through about $20k between the move (four of the five took flights, leaving me with the pleasure of driving the dog & a U-Haul across country w/one of our vehicles in tow), finding a rental property, and settling in. It would've been more, had we hired professional movers.

Moral of the story - don't be surprised if at least half of your savings is eliminated very quickly in the move.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

My best advice us that you will not be able to get in an apartment or house unless you fully fund a one year lease up front.

[EasyBeezy]

I've been moving back and forth from Virginia to Oregon ever since I started my freshman year in college at Eastern. All I can say is, everyone is right when they warn you not to come to Portland without a job lined up. In 2006 I came to Portland with 8000 that I had saved, sure that it would be enough to get started. The only work I found was at the airport Coffee People, where I basically spent my entire paltry wage on gas to get to work. Three months later I was flat broke and had to go back to Virginia, where I knew I could at least find good paying work easily. At that time, I was able to rent a one bedroom in Burlingame for $525 a month. You will NEVER find anything that cheap now. It was all good because I was a single guy at the time, but now that I have kids I would never, ever, consider a move like that. Their welfare is just too important. I would either wait and keep applying for jobs in Portland until something sticks, or I would move to a city where the money will go further, your kids school will be good, and you can get a job easily. Or I would stay put in SoCal and invest that money you saved instead of blowing it moving to Portland.

I'm not trying to discourage you or be negative, I'd just hate to see someone else go through what I did in 2006 because it was terrible.

On the spectrum of bad ideas, this one ranks pretty highly. Dragging a family of four to Portland with no job and not that much savings (that amount would be okay if you were single, not if you need to support a family of four).

All the apartments I've lived at have wanted a pay stub to prove income.

Do you think the managers would question our pay stubs? for all they know we could have jobs lined up or we could be transferring to OR. Plus we have excellent rental history and our former landlords loved us.

Yes, they'll question it. When I first moved here, I had to provide the offer letter from the company I was going to work for that stated my start date and salary.

[58rhodes]

I work in Property management --you have to prove that you earn 3 times the rent or have at least $50000 in the bank

[58rhodes]

Portland is NOT a city that you really want to rent an apt in if you have children--no bueno