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Old 04-26-2012, 05:45 PM
 
Location: San Francisco
3 posts, read 5,542 times
Reputation: 11

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Wish I could but husband won't consider since he works at UCSF Parnassus and doesn't want a 30+ min commute. I am determined to find something... unfortunately we've been looking and in the first several trips out saw some decent places but didn't jump at the opportunities.. regretting not being more aggressive but hopefully something will pop up again soon!
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Old 04-26-2012, 05:48 PM
 
10,920 posts, read 6,905,438 times
Reputation: 4942
Quote:
Originally Posted by JenBR View Post
Wish I could but husband won't consider since he works at UCSF Parnassus and doesn't want a 30+ min commute. I am determined to find something... unfortunately we've been looking and in the first several trips out saw some decent places but didn't jump at the opportunities.. regretting not being more aggressive but hopefully something will pop up again soon!
I think there might be places within 30 minutes that are more affordable than city (and would probably allow pets).

Would he be commuting primarily by public transit? Bike? Car? This might help determine if other areas outside of SF could be opened up.
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Old 04-26-2012, 06:09 PM
 
13,711 posts, read 9,226,366 times
Reputation: 9845
Quote:
Originally Posted by JenBR View Post
On a different note, are "broker's fees" common in SF? I just called about a pet-friendly place in the Mission in my price range, and they told me it would cost 1 month rent in broker fees (plus 2 months security deposit) plus first months rent. Clearly I am not going to put down +$8,000K before even moving in .

This is the first I've heard of broker fees in a rental. Is there really a broker involved? Why would a landlord even need a broker in this market? Sounds suspicious to me. Broker fees is not common, I can tell you that from years of rental experience in the city.

I wish there is some sure fire strategy for getting a rental but there is none. You may know this already but some of the methods employed by renters in this competitive market is to always be prepared and bring copies of credit report, pay stubs, and IDs with you to open houses and present to manager/landlords. Be prepared to offer over the advertised rent price and/or several months rent in advance. Also good first impression doesn't hurt - I've seen people dressed in suit and tie to open houses. Always be nice and chit chat with the manager/landlord - it helps if they remember you from the other 30+ people who look.

By the time late May rolls around the rental market will really be super crazy and it won't slow down until mid Sept. So, get in now! Don't wait. If you see something that allows dog but isn't in your ideal neighborhood, I suggest you seriously consider it anyway.
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Old 04-26-2012, 06:19 PM
 
Location: Bay Area
3,980 posts, read 8,985,189 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JenBR View Post
Wish I could but husband won't consider since he works at UCSF Parnassus and doesn't want a 30+ min commute. I am determined to find something... unfortunately we've been looking and in the first several trips out saw some decent places but didn't jump at the opportunities.. regretting not being more aggressive but hopefully something will pop up again soon!
It might be just as easy for your husband to commute in/out of UCSF if you opened up your options to somewhere off of 280... like Daly City or San Bruno..or even the Parkside district (less desirable due to foggy weather). 280 is a fairly quick route to this side of San Francisco via 19th Ave.

This very topic was just discussed a couple of days ago in the local paper...I remember all too well the same thing happening back in the mid/late 90's when the dot.com phenomenon happened upon the Bay Area! It was absolutely ROUGH and disheartening (think major a** kissing, season tix to Niners games, expensive bottles of wine and folks putting in new carpets just to get these rentals!!).

S.F. rental market on a tear | On The Block | an SFGate.com blog



I might add, after seeing the word "broker" that I've NEVER heard of this..Sounds very suspect and I just wouldn't trust anyone charging you a fee for anything!! Don't do it!

Last edited by clongirl; 04-26-2012 at 06:21 PM.. Reason: addition
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Old 04-26-2012, 07:04 PM
 
Location: South Korea
5,242 posts, read 13,073,932 times
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I've never heard of broker's fees or "key money" in the SF rental market, that is a Manhattan thing--people paying an agent a $30,000 "fee" just to rent a dumpy studio. But I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing fees considering how hot the rental market is in SF right now...if you're renting a $3000 2br and you have 500 people applying for it, how else are you going to differentiate between them? Ask them for a $30,000 fee and that noisy room of 500 people will shrink just as fast as your wallet is about to fatten. I bet just when landlords start considering a fee like this, the dot-com job market will take a massive dump again and put the rental market into a spiral. Have fun while it lasts.
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Old 04-26-2012, 07:57 PM
 
123 posts, read 289,238 times
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And is the rental market just as bad in Oakland? Are broker's fees or key money being asked for there too? Thanks.
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Old 04-27-2012, 12:40 AM
 
Location: Lafayette, CA
2,518 posts, read 4,008,838 times
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Oakland is a LOT less competitive than S.F for rentals, and much cheaper. You'll get way more for your money too. Of course, Oakland has a lot of negatives associated with it, it has the highest violent crime rate in the state (think about that one), and the city has some serious budget issues meaning less cops, and public services overall. So you have to really pay attention to where you choose to live in Oakland.
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Old 04-27-2012, 08:55 AM
 
Location: anywhere but Seattle
1,082 posts, read 2,560,200 times
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Why would anyone want to live in the city anyway? grose
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Old 04-27-2012, 09:41 AM
 
Location: Dimond, Oakland, CA
109 posts, read 299,963 times
Reputation: 117
when i was looking for my place that accepted pets a year ago in oakland, it was quite competitive. places had an open house, had multiple parties there, and would be gone that day. these are homes (not apartments) that arent what i would call cheap either ($3k for 2BR in rockridge, $2500 for 2BR in Montclair, $2300 for 2BR in Dimond)... but no brokers fees. it is even more expensive now, i would guess. pet units are few and far between... i am lucky i have a great, low key landlord that loves my 2 dogs. i am moving out in a month, but the house is in the hills and it isnt the easiest for commuting to the city.
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Old 04-27-2012, 11:08 AM
 
Location: Eureka CA
9,519 posts, read 14,734,844 times
Reputation: 15068
When my friend lived in the Richmond a couple of years ago, I was amazed at the number of people I saw walking dogs. The Peninsula is also a lot more dog-friendly than the City proper. Why don't you go down to the beach and strike up conversations with other dog owners? They may be able to refer you to their dog-friendly landlords. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Good luck.
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