Please suggest rental options in Peabody, Danvers, Salem (Essex: credit, house)

[Allharv]

I'm patiently looking for a house to purchase, but will need to move to the North Shore for a new job and will rent in the meantime. For a rental, I prefer to have a short commute (so Peabody, Danvers, or Salem) and am looking for 2-bedroom options. Do any of you have recommendations for places to look or warnings about any companies? I am considering both large complexes--e.g. Avalon--and owner units if you know of any.

Places I've looked at include Avalon Essex (Peabody), Eaves Peabody, 14 North (Peabody), Avalon Danvers, and several owner units. The larger companies have the most consistent vacancy and most available staff, but are undesirable in terms of their seeming propensity to find excuses to keep security deposit, having very punitive break lease terms (2 months' rent), and rent that changes on a daily basis like airline tickets to maximize profit on whatever market conditions exist. The majority of owners I've found via online sites like Craigslist have been unreliable, sometimes never replying to communication, which speaks poorly of how responsive they'd be if there were a problem with the unit. I found one great owner, but unfortunately the location wasn't a good fit for me. I'm not looking for fancy amenities, but wish to have a clean and safe place to come home to each night. I have perfect credit and more than enough income for a place, so it really comes down to a nice place at a fair price (<$2000/month).

Do any of you have recommendations or warnings about any places in Peabody, Danvers, or Salem? Thanks.