rental homes -Corvallis/Albany area? (Philomath, Rainier: for sale by owner, apartments, foreclosure)

[grebneller]

Hello! My girlfriend and I will soon be relocating from Abilene, TX to the Corvallis/Albany, OR area bc she just recently got a job up in Corvallis. We are looking to find a rent home-max rent $850 or so. A fenced yard would be a plus bc we have a chihuahua and a small lab/golden retriever mix. 1 or 2 bedrooms, a fireplace is also something we would like to have but isn't a necessity!

We've looked on craigslist.com and also the local newspaper classifieds and found a few possibilities. If anyone out there has any other good sites or knows of rent houses that are available within the next month--please let me know!! We are house shopping 2,000 miles away so any information would be amazingly helpful!!!

THANKS!

[Bendite]

I don't have any suggestions except to be really careful about Craigslist. There have been recent rental scams in Oregon where homes were posted for rent but the poster just collected the $$ and was not the owner of the house. Some people have lost a lot of money. It's being recommended that before renting off of Craigslist, the renter should at a minimum check the county assessor's tax records for that address to be sure the owner's and poster's names match. That's probably a good idea for any ad.

[grebneller]

I had no idea, but now that you say that-it would be an easy scam. lol Thanks very much for the heads up! I will be double checking any places that we decide to consider.

We may have to start looking at apartments soon-not too much luck so far with the rent house market.

[dachmom]

If you are thinking of Corvallis, act soon because fall term at OSU (Oregon State University) starts next month and rentals will be snatched up by students soon. Just FYI: Albany has a limit of two dogs per household within city limits which shouldn't be a problem for you since you only have two. It has been stirring up some controversy lately.

[grebneller]

That is kind of an odd rule but i suppose it has its purposes. I have a cat too. will that matter?

I know this is the worst timing for rent house hunting with the university in town! Too bad we aren't moving in may when all the students will be heading OUT of town. That would be nice. haha!

[dachmom]

Here's a copy of the ordinance(you can find it on the city of Albany's website) it doesn't say anything about cats, just dogs.

6.04.015 Number of dogs permitted.
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, no person, family, or business shall keep more than two dogs past the age of six months on any property within the City except within a kennel which has been approved in accordance with the City of Albany Development Code regulations.

(2) The City Manager may grant an exemption to the limits set forth in subsection (1) of this section pursuant to procedure, criteria, and terms set forth in this subsection:

(a) Procedure. The procedure to be used for an exemption shall be as follows:

(i) An applicant for an exemption shall file an application with the City Manager accompanied by an application fee of $50.00. The application shall specify the number of dogs sought to be kept and any proposed conditions or restrictions which the applicant is willing to observe as a condition of the exemption. The City Manager may promulgate an application form for this purpose.

(ii) Upon receipt of an application, the City Manager shall mail a copy thereof to all property owners shown, on City records, to own property within 300 feet of the proposed exemption location. Accompanying the mailing will be a notice from the City Manager inviting written comments concerning the application to be submitted within 10 days.

(b) Criteria. The City Manager may grant an exemption permitting the keeping of more than two dogs past the age of six months, upon a determination that the dogs are unlikely to become a nuisance as defined in AMC 6.04.170.

(c) Terms. Any exemption granted by the City Manager may be limited in duration, or subject to special terms or conditions as determined to be appropriate by the City Manager. The exemption may be revoked by the City Manager following written notice to the exempt property owner setting forth the grounds for the proposed exemption revocation and allowing written comment, within 10 days, by the exemption holder.

(i) The issuance of an exemption or its revocation shall not be void as a result of the failure of any person to receive any of the notices required herein.

(ii) The City Manager may delegate the authority granted by this section to other City staff members as he/she deems appropriate. (Ord. 5685 § 1, 2007; Ord. 4557 § 1, 1983).

[Rainier29]

Any suggestions for finding a small house to buy near osu. Maybe a for sale by owner, or foreclosure. I don't have a lot to spend, want to find something before august of 2009

[DavePautsch]

Rainier29 - I have to chime in here...the ability to save money by purchasing a "for sale by owner" or a foreclosure is questionable and does come with some real risks...and while some people CAN save money by going that route you will need to get educated first. Here's a good resource for you: Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services (Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services) - they have a great home buyer education program and can also get you information about down payment assistance programs.

There are lots of homes on the market in the area (234 residential listings in Corvallis today)...32 of them are below a $200K asking price. If you don't mind a commute, there may be some options on either side (Philomath, Albany, Tangent...) that are more affordable.

Good luck.

DaveP