Good area to rent cheaply (Austin, Buda: section 8, apartments, rentals)

[Medena19]

I am looking on Craigslist and it looks like Austin market is very affordable but to many agency posts and no clear idea how much they really want. I am interested in 2 badroom apartment is safe area, and hopefully not more then 700$ per month. I see many places rent in that range, at least they listed in on apartments.com but I am not sure on availability of those places. Is there any area i should stay behind?

[tfresca]

I think the consensus on this isue is to find a broker. the market is too competitive to handle on your own.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by Medena19

I am looking on Craigslist and it looks like Austin market is very affordable

The Craigslist on my computer must be broken.

[phone man]

2Br in a "safe" area for 700$? Perhaps only if you qualify and have been on the Section 8 waiting list. You will be lucky to find that under 900$.

[Austinite101]

I think $700 is below the average rent for an efficiency. I'd suggest finding a roommate.

[Medena19]

I do not get this. Are you all talking about Austin desirable areas. MOst places show their most expensive rent to be around 800 for two bedroom, 1 bath. Or are they all bad areas? Far from the city? My cousin just rented a house 25 minutes from downtown, 4 bedroom and she pays 1200 a month. A whole house. So I have to live far from the city for those prices? Check Craigs yourself, they are no apt over 800.

[EzPeterson]

Craigslist is full of locator and scammers. None of those apartments you are seeing actually exist. Are there 2BR/1BA places for under $800? Yes, but not many. $900-$1000 is a much more common price point for those.

[BevoLJ]

I just checked Craigslist and on the first page of the 2br search there are 2 for over $3,000, 5 for over $2,000 and 0 for under $800.

For rentals regardless of number of rooms the first page has more for over $2,000 than under $1,000.

Are you sure you have the right city?

[mark311]

Originally Posted by Medena19

I do not get this. Are you all talking about Austin desirable areas. MOst places show their most expensive rent to be around 800 for two bedroom, 1 bath. Or are they all bad areas? Far from the city? My cousin just rented a house 25 minutes from downtown, 4 bedroom and she pays 1200 a month. A whole house. So I have to live far from the city for those prices? Check Craigs yourself, they are no apt over 800.

A house 25 minutes from downtown, unless you're counting rush hour traffic isn't in Austin, but in a surrounding city. There are some nice areas just North of the Arboretum in North Austin where the 2 bedroom apartments start at $800. Even apartments 30 minutes from downtown in the suburbs are around the same price or more because they have more "luxury" amenities.

Places around Rundberg/Lamar and East Riverside for example are cheaper because those are high crime areas.

Where are the cheap ones that you're seeing? If no address is listed on Craigslist for an apartment, then it is probably not a real price.

[Medena19]

OK, I checked again and here are more expensive apts. I also looked on apartments.com and there are places around 850$. I do not know are those places good. I have seen Riverside area cheap, so hight crime is the reason. My cousin rented in Buda, TX, she said 15 miles out of town and she is not liking traffic. If you set your maximum price on 800 in any search web site for apts, they will be lots of places. I guess lots of scammers are there so I have no idea what really it.
So t ask question-how much I have to pay for place in Arboretum, 2 bed, 1 bath? Is 900 the lowest? Anybody knows good agency/agent? I plan to have my cousin take a look for me before I sign.
Also I will be attending classes in the evening in University of Austin so how far is that from Arboretum?