rental agents? other options? (San Diego: for sale, real estate, foreclosures)

[gladysb2]

Hello ALL,
Not looking for neighborhood info at this point, rather we're in search of a rental agency or service or similar with which to work on a long distance rental situation. We are a family of five relocating to San Diego this summer. My wife will be attending a doctoral program at UCSD so we would naturally prefer to live as near the campus as possible, ideally in the University City area I guess, though we would definitely consider any of the surrounding neighborhoods. We have three kids who need to be in school, so that's obviously a factor. The family also includes two dogs and a cat which I understand could be liability and make it harder to find suitable living arrangements, however we are longtime homeowners with a long history of being responsible in regards to property maintenance, combined with stellar credit ratings and always on-time mortgage payments. In short, we would make excellent tenants for the right property owner. I know it might be a tall order, but with this much advance warning I am hopeful we can find just the right spot.

So basically, we need an agent who knows what we want and where to look to meet our needs and how much we can afford. Searching craigslist/hotpads/etc seems to hit or miss, not to mention that we are not moving for at least a few months. Campus housing is barely an option, as the grad housing offers little in the way of space etc, for a family of our size. (Plus, no pets so that's probably out anyway.)

Does this type of service even exist in SD? Any recommendations the group can make on services or perhaps another alternative (realtors?) is appreciated. thanks!

[lucyluc]

rental agents will only show you what they have available at the time for rent...you need to look for yourself.Just take a couple days off and look on your own. Agents usually only care about one thing:collecting a commission!

[gladysb2]

Except this is what I am looking for, someone who will work for us to find what we need. What do I care if they collect a commission? If I could come look myself, I would. Thanks.

[f_m]

Maybe try these guys Carmel Valley Real Estate MLS, Sorrento Valley Homes For Sale, Foreclosures and Carmel Valley