Recently Moved Here From Arizona, Have Questions About Roanoke area Rentals/Application Fees etc (Midland: apartment)

[kawgpz550]

I haven't been on this site in a long time, however, I know everyone has always been extremely helpful!

Like I said, we just moved here a month ago from Arizona. We have owned a home in Arizona for a lot of years, now that we've gotten to Texas I am in complete SHOCK at the prices of rentals around here, not to mention it seems there is a lot of money to be made just from people wanting to "try" to rent a place. For every house you look at you have to pay $40+ for each person over 18 living in the home. If by chance for some reason you don't get that particular property, CHA-CHING, gotta shell out yet ANOTHER application fee for the next house/apartment or whatever. I really don't understand why there isn't just ONE service where you can have the application/background check done ONE TIME and that surfice for any place you are interested in renting. We've already been duped out of $65 to a "slumlord" who's properties all have foundation issues and/or have been vandalized, windows broken out, water damage in roof/ceiling etc. Then duped out of another $90 ($45 each for husband and myself) on a place we were going to do a lease option on until we could sell our home in Arizona. After paying the $90 fee we still had to wait and "hope" the sellers would accept us. Once they finally agreed and the realtor wrote up the paper work, everything changed. Suddenly we were taking over the place "as-is", which I could maybe work around even though we were only LEASING it for at least the first 6 months, but then after careful reading we found that we were going to forfeit $1600.00 in deposit money in the case we ended up not buying it for any reason...REALLY???

So...back to square one. Not even trying to do lease option anymore, just trying to find something to rent for the time being. My husband works in Midland and will only be home like one or two weekends a month (which also adds to my anxiety right now since I'm trying to do everything ALONE), so it's just my 13 year old son, myself and my German Shepherd. Everyone wants to either charge an arm and a leg extra for having the dog, refuse to rent to anyone with a dog over 20kbs OR have a breed restriction, some of which include German Shepherds as being an "aggressive breed". Seriously? Even chihuahuas and and Pomeranians can be quite aggressive!

Ok, more to the point in hand right now. I've been looking for homes in Roanoke and Ft Worth (Alliance area off 170) in order to stay inside Northwest ISD. My son goes to Steele Accelerated High School. In order for him to be bussed I have to stay in Northwest ISD. I can move slightly outside the district and still drive him back and forth to school which is what I think I'm going to do. I've found a couple of duplexes for rent for less than $1000, the houses are all over $1350. Between application fees, security deposits, pet deposits, utility deposits etc, I've gotta go the cheaper road. I'm in a major crunch to get out of my inlaws house because they now have 5 more people plus 3 more dogs that are coming to stay here next week

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY TIPS regarding these stupid application fees and/or know of any rentals in/near Roanoke that are closer to the $1000 range? If not I'm going to just go ahead and jump on one of the two duplexes and HOPE I'm accepted on the first one so I don't have to pay yet another app fee. Any advice on this whole mess would really help

****AND NO, I'M NOT GIVING UP MY PUREBRED GERMAN SHEPHERD! SHE IS MORE WELL BEHAVED THAN MOST HUMANS I KNOW AND IF MY SON HAPPENS TO BE HOME ALONE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, WHILE I'M AT WORK, I KNOW HE'S WELL PROTECTED!!!! BESIDES, SHE'S AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR FAMILY****

[WorldKlas]

Can you use Padmapper.com and just do their app and credit check that gets submitted to all listers? I think Trulia has a similar service.

As a Landlord, I always have my applicants create a Smart Move account and then have the credit report sent to me. That way they can use the same credit report for all their applications. I don't ever charge an app fee because I get the information I need from the service.

I am sorry this is so difficult.

[kawgpz550]

Hmmmm I'll have to check into that!According the the agent that was representing me on the house that fell through, each individual seller wants their own application. That just seems crazy because I can't see where it changes from one to the next. I appreciate the info and will check into it for sure!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by WorldKlas

Can you use Padmapper.com and just do their app and credit check that gets submitted to all listers? I think Trulia has a similar service.

As a Landlord, I always have my applicants create a Smart Move account and then have the credit report sent to me. That way they can use the same credit report for all their applications. I don't ever charge an app fee because I get the information I need from the service.

I am sorry this is so difficult.

[sossie]

can't remember the weight limit for dogs-but I remember seeing bigger dogs but cooper ridge pats and boulder ridge might be able to help-we had two there-they still require a deposit for pets but if you don't wreck anything you get it back-NWISD -actually probably walk to Steele from there…drive around old town Roanoke as well sometimes people just put a sign up in their front yard "for rent"-check trophy club rentals as well …again driving around might be your best bet-deal directly with the owner..