Rent Houses in BC & Northern BC (Shreveport, Bossier City: apartments, rentals) - Louisiana (LA) - City-Data Forum

SouthernBelle07 · 09-24-2007, 07:43 PM

I have recently gotten engaged. My fiance and I have decided to move in together. We both live in apartments in Bossier City and are overall unhappy with our experiences. I come from a small rural town in Arkansas (about ten miles from the Louisiana State Line) so I'm not at all use to the city life or the prices of rental property here. Apartments are great for college students and people in temporary living arrangements but in MY opinion are not great for starting a family. The main things we are searching for in a rental home are: privacy ( I understand that there are limits but anything better than an apartment is great!), safety, and affordability. We want a place in northern Bossier, Benton, or even Haughton would be fine. We are fine with renting either a house or even a mobile home. We are looking for something in the $700/mo. price range but are afraid that's not going to get us very far. The soonest that we could move in would be late December. I tried going through Rent-Max but that agency was very unhelpful and even though they had plenty of rentals, the location and quality of the homes were not ideal. Any suggestions of where to look? Or if/how I should change my search options? Or know anyone who owns rental properties that I could possibly consult?

I appreciate any suggestions!

SBCmetroguy · 09-24-2007, 09:00 PM

I will be completely honest with you... $700/month rental will get you something in the Swan Lake area. If you're not familiar with that area it's a neighborhood just west of the new BPCC campus which is bordered by Shed Road to the north and Highway 80 to the south. I grew up there and it's a very bad area to live in. But rental in that area is about $700/month.

Last Saturday I went for a nostalgic drive down the street I grew up on and lived on until about 5 years ago, and I couldn't even drive into the block I lived in most of my life! The police had it closed off and the SWAT team had one house surrounded. Just a couple months ago, right around the corner from that spot, a teenage girl was shot in the head. Also just about 1 month ago there was a carjacking at the Circle-K a couple blocks away that I once walked to on a daily basis. THAT is what $700/month will get you... it's very unfortunate but it's true.

I rented an apartment in southeast Shreveport (Spring Lake) for $700/month and as far as apartments go it was pretty nice. That's a far cry from what an equivalently-priced house rental will get you in the city.

Definitely check the Sunday paper because they often list rental properties, and don't hesitate to ask here about certain neighborhoods... I'll gladly help you if I can. I know it can be hard when you're first starting out. My wife and I never thought we'd afford a house note over $1,000/month but somehow we do it. We're childless, though, and that's a different scenario from yours. When we were first starting out we tried Rent-Max as well. Stay as far away from them as you can. We were as displeased as you were by the locations of their homes. We wanted to feel safe and they weren't able to get us that for what we could pay at the time.

Sorry I couldn't be of much more help... but best of luck to you.

SouthernBelle07 · 09-25-2007, 08:31 AM

Thank you for your help! Yeah, we were afraid of that! When we went through Rent-Max most of their rentals were in the area you were talking about and we didn't even feel safe checking out the properties, we just drove on by so I know what you mean! When I lived in Arkansas I rented a 3 bedroom 2 bath 2 car garage double wide that set on 1 acre with a barn and pasture for only $360 a month! It was perfect but just way out of the way! I've thought about maybe checking out the Haymeadow Mobile Home Park in Benton. What are your thoughts on that?

SBCmetroguy · 09-25-2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthernBelle07

Thank you for your help! Yeah, we were afraid of that! When we went through Rent-Max most of their rentals were in the area you were talking about and we didn't even feel safe checking out the properties, we just drove on by so I know what you mean! When I lived in Arkansas I rented a 3 bedroom 2 bath 2 car garage double wide that set on 1 acre with a barn and pasture for only $360 a month! It was perfect but just way out of the way! I've thought about maybe checking out the Haymeadow Mobile Home Park in Benton. What are your thoughts on that?

Haymeadow seems nice, but I will caution you. I don't know why but that area seems to be more of a tornado magnet than any other area. However tornadoes are often something you have some amount of warning for, whereas violent crime is something that tends to hit when you absolutely don't expect it.

I love it here, but I do admit that it's considerably more expensive to live here than even Texarkana. My apartment rental in Texarkana was $385/month for a larger but similar apartment to the one that cost me $700/month in Shreveport.

I understand your worries as I've been there, but all I can do is assure you that in due time you will find something. You're on the right track here by utilizing the internet as a tool, and no doubt this can be one of the best ways to find what you're looking for. You might want to call Realty Executives SB, because I know for a fact that many of those agents have their own rental properties.

SouthernBelle07 · 09-25-2007, 01:56 PM

Yeah, I'll have to check into that. Thanks again for all your help! Please check back for I will probably be asking you more questions!

hindsight2020 · 09-26-2007, 08:10 PM

Second what SBCmetro said, I am in the same boat. Renting a house is not worth it economically in my opinion. If you can afford to rent the nice house you want, you can probably purchase it (sans the downpayment). But dollar for dollar you can find an apartment ten times nicer than what that same dollar amount gets you in a house purchase or rental for that matter. Not just amenities-wise, but straight up the difference between living in a safe area and living in the ghetto.

I rent in Bossier for about 680/mo (2bd 1 bath), the apartments are in shed road and airline, and already my property has been the victim of petty crime twice. That said, it's not unsafe as far as threat to life or limb is concerned. I am planning on moving at the end of my lease, with my fiancé to a much nicer gated apt complex and only pay an extra 100-150/mo. So for 800-850/mo (split two ways it works for us real well) you can get QOL equal to a house that would carry a price tag of 160-170K in Bossier, and live in a much newer building at that, albeit giving up the backyard and the extra square footage. Given we can't afford a 180K house anyways, it's an awesome deal to rent that apt. So don't give up, you can find a nice apt, but will have to get over the idea of having a house to start married life (I know, life sucks when mommy and daddy dont cough up the downpayment and the wedding reception like some of my ex-college peers, oh well) at 700/mo it's just not gonna happen in bossier. Good luck.

ksimmons318 · 05-19-2008, 11:46 AM

Hi, This Is Kristen. Do Anyone Know Anything About Rent-max And How They Work. I Heard They Were A Rip Off But Not So Sure

SBCmetroguy · 05-20-2008, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksimmons318

Hi, This Is Kristen. Do Anyone Know Anything About Rent-max And How They Work. I Heard They Were A Rip Off But Not So Sure

No idea. My dealings with them went as far as them showing me what neighborhoods they deal with, and I walked right back out the door!

laurendeaun · 02-26-2009, 07:55 AM

DO NOT DO RENT MAX- unless your ghetto and want to live in the ghetto- they have cheap homes, yes! But usually somewhere between Hollywood, Linwood, North Market, Jewella, and Swan lake. So... dont do it if you want something decent! If you want anything under the 800$ mark... Apartments or the ghetto are your options! Sorry! =(

SBCmetroguy · 02-26-2009, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurendeaun

DO NOT DO RENT MAX- unless your ghetto and want to live in the ghetto- they have cheap homes, yes! But usually somewhere between Hollywood, Linwood, North Market, Jewella, and Swan lake. So... dont do it if you want something decent! If you want anything under the 800$ mark... Apartments or the ghetto are your options! Sorry! =(

I agree. I grew up in Swan Lake and do not ever want to live there again, so back when I was renting I was trying to avoid that. But even houses in that neighborhood were running $700-$800/month and I was really shocked by that.

RentMax is crap.