Moving from Pacific Northwest (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: cheap apartment, rentals, insurance)

[DiedrichCo]

Greetings-- My wife and I are taking the plunge and getting out of the cold, we presently live in a suburb or Portland Oregon namely; Lake Oswego. We seeking a 2/2 rental for 6 months to a year and hopefully finding an area we really enjoy. My wife and I have spent time in the Miami area but, never really traveled north thereof also, We have two dogs, one of which is a pit bull which is not the only reason we don't really want to reside in Miami-Dade.

We selected Fort Lauderdale so I can commute to my office in Mizner Park and giving my wife a degree of (albeit not totally convenient) accessibility to North Miami Beach for work (she's an accountant and presently works as a CFO). So for the interim, I'd obviously like to be close to the beach and enjoy some walk-ability to restaurants and shopping, we want to spend about $1500 a month (obviously less is better but, $1800 isn't totally out of question either) for rent. For a young couple who enjoy city living but, are also looking for an area that my young wife can walk around at night safely, and preferably a "pet friendly" area what are some good options?

We are presently considering; Wilton Manors, Coral Ridge, and the A1A side should some nearby conveniences (bars / stores) exist, additionally we are willing to go inland to Plantation or Tamarac, if by chance a neighborhood exists we can get a house in that price point with some yard for the pups.

I know this post seems all over the place but, would just like some local insight, have gotten lots of advice from my Boca counterparts but, as somebody who's lived in; what many in Beverly Hills think are sketchy parts of Los Angeles-- I know that good neighborhoods exist outside of certain peoples bubbles.

[DiedrichCo]

Additionally, I'm having movers ship our stuff but, we'll be driving as we don't want to wait for the cars to ship. Any good suggestions on cross country routes-- Wife is eager to see some sights.

[ruski]

You would probably like the Las Olas area in Fort Lauderdale. But the rental prices are higher there. I only see one 2BR apartment for rent off Las Olas right now, and it is $2K per month. Plus there is one more just North of Las Olas, still in a nice area - 2BR,$1,800 per month..

[DiedrichCo]

Thanks Ruski! Spending more money is not favorable but, that gives me a good idea of where to look.

[JohnD_fla]

If you want walkability I'd scratch Plantation and Tamarac from the list. My house is far out west in Plantation but I've lived here for a long time and around here there aren't many places that are very convenient to get to on foot. I don't know Tamarac all that well, but it's not a place that I would recommend to a young couple that likes dining out, strolling, and shopping. Further, both Plantation and Tamarac are kinda far west for a daily commute to Mizner.

I doubt that you will find a house with a yard in a safe and decent part of Broward County for that price range you mentioned, but there are plenty of pet-friendly apartment complexes around that fit into your budget. If you are a straight couple I would scratch Wilton Manors from the list also. Parts of Coral Ridge are very nice. Of course, the closer you get to A1A and the beach, the nicer and more expensive the rents will be. But there are some exceptions. The Las Olas area is nice but expensive, and much of what surrounds it on the west, northwest, and southwest sides is sketchy even though the rents aren't necessarily cheap. Mind you, south Florida 'sketchy' is not as bad as LA 'sketchy', but the sketchiness is still something to avoid.

[Tulippsy]

Can we trade houses? My husband and I are in the planning stages of a move to Oregon next year. Specifically, the greater Portland area.

You won't find walkable many places in south Florida. Las Olas is one of the few walkable areas and your rent budget won't touch that area. Actually you are a little on the low side for rent in ANY nice area here. Since the housing collapse here, so many people lost their homes and moved in to rentals the prices have skyrocketed.

Also, when are you arriving? It gets very busy here in just about a week, and stays that way until Easter, with all the snowbirds starting to arrive around Thanksgiving. And driving across country in the dead of winter could be problematic. You can ship your car for $500. It will certainly cost you more to drive.

I wish I had more good news for you! One the plus side, you will see more sunshine here in a month than you (allegedly) see in a year in Lake O.

[wizrap]

You do not want to live in Tamarac with a pit bull. The city has a regulation that you must register your pit bull with the city (this is in addition to the Broward County fee). Although the cost is only $50, you must provide a photograph of your dog, proof of shots, and proof of liability insurance of at least a million dollars.

Also, be aware that the current mayor of Broward County tried to get a law passed earlier this year banning pit bulls. She did get a lot of flack about it, but she then turned directions a bit and got a new breeder registration law passed in an attempt to stop pit bull breeding (although it is directed at all breeders). So again, this is just a heads up about Broward.

Good luck in your search. I agree with the other posters that say you're rental budget won't get you a 2/2 near the ocean in a nice part of town. You're going to have to go to about $2k a month, or even higher.

[NowSoFlorida]

I've seen some rent prices stabilize of come down at least for one bedrooms. I think landlords started raising prices that were not what people could afford and now they have vacant apartments for the winter which they thought would rent effortlessly. It's still a bad economy and good paying jobs are harder to find than a cheap apartment, you just have to come down and look for it.

[blueherons]

Your budget is fine for a 2/2 condo in the Olas areas of Colee Hammock or Victoria Park. Both are very walkable to Las Olas. Scratch Coral Ridge and Wilton Manors off your list.

[ruski]

Now to find a rental for 6 moths + 1 days (as opposed to 1 year) is another challenge.