Living with Roommates As A Fortysomething? (Arlington, Alexandria: apartment, rentals, condos)

[WeebleLeeble]

I am a 40 something woman, who is moving to Northern VA to begin a new job with the Feds.

Although the position affords me my own place, it would be easier to get started by sharing a house with roommates.

As I cruise cragslist and other resources, I see that most people my age are not advertising this route, which is fine with me, but I am curious about how I might be received applying as a roommate. I will have to do the communication from Seattle, so no one would really get an opportunity to meet me first, and I am afraid that I will be perceived as too old to the 20 or 30 something crowd.

I lost my immediate family in late 2006 and I am in need of financial recovery and a new start altogether. The cost of the move from Seattle to the DC area is no joke either.
I may be a 40 something, but am not a frumpy 40 something, and I can chill with the best of them.

Does anyone think that this is a ridiculos route to take or plan of action?
Does anyone think I should bite the bullet, and just get my own place?

[beeboah]

Originally Posted by WeebleLeeble

I am a 40 something woman, who is moving to Northern VA to begin a new job with the Feds.

Although the position affords me my own place, it would be easier to get started by sharing a house with roommates.

As I cruise cragslist and other resources, I see that most people my age are not advertising this route, which is fine with me, but I am curious about how I might be received applying as a roommate. I will have to do the communication from Seattle, so no one would really get an opportunity to meet me first, and I am afraid that I will be perceived as too old to the 20 or 30 something crowd.

I lost my immediate family in late 2006 and I am in need of financial recovery and a new start altogether. The cost of the move from Seattle to the DC area is no joke either.
I may be a 40 something, but am not a frumpy 40 something, and I can chill with the best of them.

Does anyone think that this is a ridiculos route to take or plan of action?
Does anyone think I should bite the bullet, and just get my own place?

I guess its a personal choice. For me, there is no way in heck I'd ever roomie with anyone again if I could afford it.

When I came up here, it looked like the going rate to roomie on craigslist was around $600.

I wouldn't pay that much to live with someone when at that time I could get a one bedroom in Woodbridge for $780 with paid gas.

That's just me, and that same apartment no longer costs $780 I think its more like $850 by now.

Just my opinion. Hope it helps. I can't be annoyed with people problems so I try to go it alone when possible.

As far as the distance goes, most people were very hungry to get me to roomie with them because it was lucrative. It didn't seem to be a question of personality or not.

[jb124]

I don't think you'll have a problem with people not wanting to room with you because of your age, except maybe the 20-somethings who live in the hip urban areas and want to party all the time. If anything I think people will consider you a more stable and reliable tenant/co-tenant. You could also send a photo or make a MySpace and link to it when you contact people about potential rentals. That way they'd be able to know more about you than simply your age.

While getting your own place isn't necessarily a bad idea, sharing would be a better idea in my opinion, at least for the first few months. It will help you get acclimated faster since you will have people both at home and work to socialize with or get information/advice from.

See if the government will give you some type of relocation assistance if you haven't already.

[claremarie]

I know some people in their 40s who share houses or condos, but they probably find roommates through personal contacts rather than craigslist or the like. You're right that most people taking that route will be much younger than you, and you should consider carefully whether you are up for the post-collegiate lifestyle that your potential roommates might be living, particularly the later hours and more casual approach to housekeeping. You could actually be a very desirable roommate to some folks who are tired of living with partying slobs, but then you might find that they are really looking for a house "mom" -- is that what you really want from your housemates?

Personally, I'd rather live in my own studio apartment than live in a house and share a kitchen and (worse) bathroom with 20-somethings, but that's just me. You could always try a short-term corporate rental and try to find compatible roommates once you get here, through your workplace, church, alumni association, etc.

[WeebleLeeble]

Thanks for the responses.

Yes there are upsides and downsides to the situation.



While I would definately perfer to live alone, it seems the more responsible thing to do is clear up the debt and then move on.

But it's good to know that roomies can be a possible option. And I would probably look for 30 and over candidates.

If craigslist is no the best way to look, what would be the best?

thanks

[dullnboring]

I think the Classified ads in the Washington Post tend to attract an older crowd than Craig's List.

[seldomseen]

Nothing wrong with getting a roomate...but I'd personally opt for getting my own place especially as professional 40 y/o. Especially if you're accustomed to being independent, and enjoy having your own privacy when you want it. With that said, there are many nice, clean, and safe apartment communities that you can rent on your own. You could also look into an apt in Crystal City, Arlington, Rosslyn, Alexandria, etc since they are all very close to the District and all offer reliable Metro service. But if your intentions on getting a roomate is to save money...they definately go that route!

Good Luck

[Dorothy1960]

Assuming you are talking about working at their downtown location... Perhaps rent a room from someone in a single family home - Lake Ridge area, (Woodbridge) would be nice or maybe Springfield. At least that way you would have a yard and maybe a little more space. Put your big furniture in a storage place till you're ready to strike out on your own. I would check out the Washington Post. If you are the one renting the room, much easier for you to pick up & go when you're ready.

Actually they probably have intranet there with a classified listing, and I would bet people looking for roomates from the same office where you will be working. Have you called HR at your new work place - they might have a few suggestions (or not).

I'm 40 something, not frumpy or wearing "mom jeans" and NO WAY would I live with 20-30 year olds. Yikes. I would look in the Washington Post for places. You also might consider a temporary furnished apartment for a month -- you could do that for a month and look for a more perm. place to rent.

Good luck with starting over. Moving cross country alone takes a lot of courage and I think you're going to be just fine here.

[Yankeesfan]

Probably people our age are more cautious about broadly advertising to the world at large. You may be able to network and locate a good situation through some interests you have. For example, the Arlington Catholic Herald sometimes runs ads from people seeking roommates or renters. There is also a group called Primetime Single Catholics (for people over 30, I think). I know an older professional woman who joined a social group for Jewish singles (and ended up meeting her husband there). Both mine and my husband's colleges have alumni groups in the area, even though my school was in the Northeast and his was in the Midwest. A friend's adult daughter found a roommate through an email bulletin board at her office. And so on. Any of those kinds of groups might have some kind of internal advertising system. So perhaps if you think of what groups you might be interested in, you could contact them to see if they have could help you find a roommate with similar interests; and if not, it would still be a good way to meet people and help you settle in. Good luck to you. I'm sorry for the difficulties you have been through.

[vaflower]

oh my gosh i am going through the same thing right now i have never roommated before and im scared to to be honest i am 30 and i am scared ppl will think i am too old. I want to be responsible and pay off some of my studen loans and a little bit of other debt from me being wild in my 20's but i am scared ppl will think i am too old to roommate but if i get my own place i will never be able to pay off some of my debt quicker i dont know what to do i am moving up there really soon