Realtors help with rentals? (Mountain View, Palo Alto: apartment, foreclosed, renter)

[orangetravelerJP]

We'll be in the area for two days next month. We thought it would be helpful to have someone show us around so we have an idea what a $1500-1800 month apartment looks like (in case my husband gets a job offer). Do realtors help with sort of thing in the Bay area? In Austin, it's more common to just use a realtor for a home purchase but we have no plans to buy a home if we move to California. If this is a common way to find a rental, do you have any recommendations for a good realtor? Some of you have suggested we might like Mountain View so we would start looking at places there.

[sonarrat]

I tried using Prudential to see rentals in Burlingame.. they had me put down a deposit, gave me the keys and let me go check them out on my own.

[PhotomakerPat]

there is bayrentals.com, you pay a fee but you get up-to-date info on houses for rent, you make the calls to the owners and set appointments yourself. I tried to go to rwaltors but even in this economy they were not available to even answer my phone calls.
Try craigslist also, lately a lot of houses for rent, with prices going slightly down.

[AndrewSoss]

Originally Posted by veggiegirl26

We'll be in the area for two days next month. We thought it would be helpful to have someone show us around so we have an idea what a $1500-1800 month apartment looks like (in case my husband gets a job offer). Do realtors help with sort of thing in the Bay area? In Austin, it's more common to just use a realtor for a home purchase but we have no plans to buy a home if we move to California. If this is a common way to find a rental, do you have any recommendations for a good realtor? Some of you have suggested we might like Mountain View so we would start looking at places there.

Is your husband's prospective company relocating you? If so, you may be assigned a relocation agent who would arrange this sort of thing.

My company handles the corporate relocation for the R&D office of a large company in Palo Alto and they contract us to do what they call 'look and see' trips. The person may be buying or renting, but they pay us to take them around for few days to show them all the available options as well as educate them on the various neighborhoods and also help negotiate better rates/terms on the lease for them (private or property management).

I would check w/ your husband's prospective company first, and if they don't offer this service, feel free to contact me. Info in my profile.

[san carlos]

Craigslist is a great place to start -- I think 95% of all rentals are likely on there.

[jaynetarzana]

I agree with san carlos. I think that most people use craigslist for listing their rentals. I have noticed that the ones that are on realtor.com or listed with property management companies are WAY overpriced. I think it is because the property management company takes a cut so the rent is higher to make up the difference.

[san carlos]

Jay is right. It used to be that you needed a Realtor to handle the paperwork, even on a rental. But a homeowner can print a boilerplate rental agreement right off the internet, and place a free ad on craigslist -- so the owner of the rental can get the unit rented for essentially nothing. Realtors don't bring any value to this transaction, with the exception of possibly giving you advice on the neighborhood or the community. I think most homeowners are comfortable working directly with potential renters.

[phloxy]

I ended up using a Realtor to help me find a place. I had to work fast, and they were the most responsive with pictures of places and other information. I was uneasy about reports of underwater homeowners putting their places up for rent and then being foreclosed, so rather than get scammed, I decided to take the safer route and go with someone who had at least a marginal stake in making me a satisfied renter (and perhaps a potential homeowner in the future).

[AndrewSoss]

Glad to hear that it worked out for you =)