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The cheapest rents that I've seen in Phoenix metro other than renting someone's spare bedroom is renting one unit in a 4-plex or 8-plex etc. these units are typically older and in high crime areas. I've looked at many of these as possible investments and the renter's are always home during the workweek (this is where people live when they are in public assistance and are borderline homeless). these are the places where sub-$700/mo can be found, they are bare bones and many of your neighbors may be undesirable such as those straight out of prison with nowhere else to turn. I would much rather spend the extra $200/mo and live in a better place.
If your paying 400 dollars a month for a room in a house in Chandler then that is perfect. Will they allow you to add internet and cable. That is a bargain! Will they let you stay, that is a bargain for Chandler which is one of the nicest suburbs.
As far as apartment quality and decent neighborhood you will get the most of the dollar in Gilbert, Chandler and near Superstition Mall in Mesa.
I have had several sets of roommates where me and a group of other guys have split a house and it typically cost us about 500-600 dollars each.
I made some calls to random run-down apartments 1960s apartments in Mesa and the worst parts of Tempe and it was 800 dollars a month plus sewer, water and trash plus electric which typically is about 200 dollars during the summer according to co-workers.
It seems like for an older apartment during the summer with an internet, cable and phone combo it is over 1000/mo.
The only thing I can recommend is maybe renting from a owner who only owns a few apartment buildings as sometimes they can be priced a little lower then a large rental management company. There are also older homes here in the Phoenix that have a small studio style house in the backyard that typically have lower rent.
Most apartments in Metro Phoenix are investor owned or managed by huge companies. There has also been many, many apartment buildings sold to investors and they put in some new cabinets and carpets and raise the rent a couple hundred dollars a month.
I also am seeing far more out of state license plates that are not snowbirds then I did in 2014 and 2015 part of me thinks it's the California rents pushing people to other more affordable western cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Last edited by lovecrowds; 10-30-2016 at 10:49 AM..
Perhaps you should look further out. Far east Mesa, far northwest Valley (Surprise/Peoria), Goodyear, etc. They're way out there so rents are cheaper and there will still be some nice places. No point paying the Chandler premium if you just want a safe clean place...those can be found all over the Valley.
Rents are market rates. If you want rent control, move to a blue state and wait your turn and never, ever move and after a number of years you'll be that person paying far less than a unit is worth. Here in Arizona, you'll generally have to pay what the unit is worth.
Lovecrowds is correct that sometimes small owner-operator types offer much better deals than large corporations who indeed tend to know exactly what their units are worth at any time. There were very cheap rents for years and years at the large complexes due to the economic downturn; now the tide has turned and it's painful for a lot of tenants who got used to getting more for their money over the previous years.
I'm a little frustrated at this point. I just want a basic clean modern SAFE apartment with a balcony. That's it! No frills necessary. I don't need a gazillion amenities. I really love Chandler and how clean the area is and how everything is spread out BUT the rents are INSANE!!! I cannot afford them. I worked on my budget and realized that I can't make it work. If I pay from $900 to $1000 on a rental there, you need to tack on electric, water, sewage, hidden fees, etc. and cable/internet, in order to get the true price. You're lucky if you have any money left over to actually LIVE A LIFE!! As in go places, events, restaurants, etc.
I currently pay $400 with no internet or cable in my room and it comes with no dresser and very little if any closet space. I need a place with closet space and room for a dresser. I need a place where the ac works too.
I already work two jobs! Where can I find a clean SAFE apartment that is reasonable? Are they all going to run you $900 and up? IF that's the case, I'm tempted to leave the Phoenix area and go elsewhere. There is no point in staying here and SCRAPING by with very little left over once I pay rent and all the administrative fees. I scraped by in Florida and that was hell! I don't want to do the same here in Phoenix working two jobs.
I was UNDER THE IMPRESSION it would be better here financially. I really thought the COST OF LIVING was going to be the SELLING POINT here in Phoenix. It looks like the rents are skyrocketing!!! Not just here but everywhere in the US!! Do they want the middle class obliterated?? Homeless?
I don't want a roommate!! I don't want to be under someone's thumb and being told what to do. I'm past that point. I want to have my independence but if it's going to cost me an arm and a leg, what's the point? If I get a cheap place in an UNSAFE area, I'll end up with EVEN more problems.
So does my UNICORN rental exist in the Phoenix area? A safe 1 bedroom for around $700 or am I dreaming???
Please share your insight on this subject. Thank you.
look on craigslist daily and jump on any new apt condo or townhome ads ads they go fast
Rents have been increasing here steadily since the foreclosure crisis. Why? Because they could. People were losing their homes and had little choice except to rent. I honestly don't know why the Phoenix area gets the reputation of a lower cost of living - I see very little difference between here and the northeast (property taxes are about the only thing that are absolutely without a doubt lower).
Mesa would probably be a good option. East Mesa is a nicer area than West Mesa. Other than that, you'll probably be looking at Phoenix itself. There are some nice complexes in Mesa, so I wouldn't dismiss them without checking them out. The ones I've visited that are nice have been at Val Vista and Southern (I forget which, there are a few over there) and then there was one on Power and Superstition Springs (maybe Lakewood? Lakeview? something with a Lake).
There's options, they just may not be in Chandler.
Rents are increasing because they built nothing from 2007 to 2014 but the population of adults did not stop growing during that time period so it will take years for inventory to make up for those lost years.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MissMouse111
I'm a little frustrated at this point. I just want a basic clean modern SAFE apartment with a balcony. That's it! No frills necessary. I don't need a gazillion amenities. I really love Chandler and how clean the area is and how everything is spread out BUT the rents are INSANE!!! I cannot afford them. I worked on my budget and realized that I can't make it work. If I pay from $900 to $1000 on a rental there, you need to tack on electric, water, sewage, hidden fees, etc. and cable/internet, in order to get the true price. You're lucky if you have any money left over to actually LIVE A LIFE!! As in go places, events, restaurants, etc. You really need to adjust your standards, because right now you want more than you can afford. That, or you need to look for a single job that pays better. Bluntly put: you need to come to terms with reality, because you're trying to have your cake and eat it too.
I currently pay $400 with no internet or cable in my room and it comes with no dresser and very little if any closet space. I need a place with closet space and room for a dresser. I need a place where the ac works too. Again, standards. I want more space, but a larger apartment is out of my budget. I also want to rent month-to-month under my circumstances, but they'll charge a lot more for that.
I already work two jobs! Where can I find a clean SAFE apartment that is reasonable? Are they all going to run you $900 and up? IF that's the case, I'm tempted to leave the Phoenix area and go elsewhere. There is no point in staying here and SCRAPING by with very little left over once I pay rent and all the administrative fees. I scraped by in Florida and that was hell! I don't want to do the same here in Phoenix working two jobs. Another blunt point: perhaps you should leave if you are unwilling to make sacrifices and live within your means. I read recently that the Phoenix area is one of the worst in the country in terms of rising rents, so you ought to bet on this getting worse. One of my biggest complaints here is the crap economy, because it's not very diverse and most jobs don't pay well. I wouldn't bank on this improving soon either. Meanwhile, cost of living increases will outpace wage increases.
I was UNDER THE IMPRESSION it would be better here financially. I really thought the COST OF LIVING was going to be the SELLING POINT here in Phoenix. It looks like the rents are skyrocketing!!! Not just here but everywhere in the US!! Do they want the middle class obliterated?? Homeless?
I don't want a roommate!! I don't want to be under someone's thumb and being told what to do. I'm past that point. I want to have my independence but if it's going to cost me an arm and a leg, what's the point? If I get a cheap place in an UNSAFE area, I'll end up with EVEN more problems. To both of these points, I repeat: you need a grip on reality and find how to live within your means because it seems like you don't want to do that. Arizona "leaders" do a godawful job of progressing this state, especially if you compare it to Denver, Dallas and Atlanta, all of which grew relatively recently and have superior economies to the one here. They had visionaries who worked to improve their cities. Phoenix is just stuck with an inadequate economy and increasing cost of living.
So does my UNICORN rental exist in the Phoenix area? A safe 1 bedroom for around $700 or am I dreaming??? It probably doesn't exist because it seems like you want something you can't afford. I pay much less than that and live in a decent neighborhood, but I had to really look for it. Unfortunately, the buzz is that rents at this place are skyrocketing when leases expire (over 30% increases) and people are looking elsewhere. For me, if it comes to it I'm going to look for something cheaper, though admittedly I've finally reached a point that I can relocate and I'm working on that now.
Please share your insight on this subject. Thank you.
I'm a little frustrated at this point. I just want a basic clean modern SAFE apartment with a balcony. That's it! No frills necessary. I don't need a gazillion amenities. I really love Chandler and how clean the area is and how everything is spread out BUT the rents are INSANE!!! I cannot afford them. I worked on my budget and realized that I can't make it work. If I pay from $900 to $1000 on a rental there, you need to tack on electric, water, sewage, hidden fees, etc. and cable/internet, in order to get the true price. You're lucky if you have any money left over to actually LIVE A LIFE!! As in go places, events, restaurants, etc.
I currently pay $400 with no internet or cable in my room and it comes with no dresser and very little if any closet space. I need a place with closet space and room for a dresser. I need a place where the ac works too.
I already work two jobs! Where can I find a clean SAFE apartment that is reasonable? Are they all going to run you $900 and up? IF that's the case, I'm tempted to leave the Phoenix area and go elsewhere. There is no point in staying here and SCRAPING by with very little left over once I pay rent and all the administrative fees. I scraped by in Florida and that was hell! I don't want to do the same here in Phoenix working two jobs.
I was UNDER THE IMPRESSION it would be better here financially. I really thought the COST OF LIVING was going to be the SELLING POINT here in Phoenix. It looks like the rents are skyrocketing!!! Not just here but everywhere in the US!! Do they want the middle class obliterated?? Homeless?
I don't want a roommate!! I don't want to be under someone's thumb and being told what to do. I'm past that point. I want to have my independence but if it's going to cost me an arm and a leg, what's the point? If I get a cheap place in an UNSAFE area, I'll end up with EVEN more problems.
So does my UNICORN rental exist in the Phoenix area? A safe 1 bedroom for around $700 or am I dreaming???
Please share your insight on this subject. Thank you.
You're not looking hard enough or smart enough. (there are plenty of those).
Where are you looking?
Sounds like you need to go talk to an apt locator service. I used one once; it cost me $10 (for a general criminal & credit check, that's it). They get paid when you put there name on the referral when you sign your lease. I saw it on Clist and called in the morning, then went in at noon. I told him what I wanted (no carpets, first floor, washer/dryer in unit), what I could spend, where I wanted to be (near a place to run, and the general area in town), then he called me that afternoon with a list of what met my needs. If it wasn't for waiting on my old place I could have moved in that day. Find one near where you want to go, and let them do all the work. I had been; driving around, checking ads and websites for months taking tours and then finding a reason why it wouldn't have worked; looking back, WHAT A HASSLE. I probably spent $50 or more just in gas not to mention the time and the aggravation of calling, scheduling then doing tours.. NEVER AGAIN.
The one I used was off 35th ave near Northern, and if that's anywhere near where you are going DM me and Ill send you his info. I am not affiliated just used once and very happy with the process and results.
A friend of mine rents a 1 bed apartment, near downtown Tempe, close to bars and restaursnts, and walking distance to his entry-level office job, that pays him more than enough to afford the cost of living here. His rent is about $500 / month in his complex.
Sounds to me like your expectations are too high, and you're only looking at luxury / full amenity apartments in high-end areas of town.
Rents have been increasing here steadily since the foreclosure crisis. Why? Because they could. People were losing their homes and had little choice except to rent. I honestly don't know why the Phoenix area gets the reputation of a lower cost of living - I see very little difference between here and the northeast (property taxes are about the only thing that are absolutely without a doubt lower).
Mesa would probably be a good option. East Mesa is a nicer area than West Mesa. Other than that, you'll probably be looking at Phoenix itself. There are some nice complexes in Mesa, so I wouldn't dismiss them without checking them out. The ones I've visited that are nice have been at Val Vista and Southern (I forget which, there are a few over there) and then there was one on Power and Superstition Springs (maybe Lakewood? Lakeview? something with a Lake).
There's options, they just may not be in Chandler.
The rents have been increasing steadily since 2009 solely due to the computer programs, since they were introduced at the same time as the foreclosures, programs like yieldstar, yardi, and rainmaker.
There's an independent property manager in McCormick ranch in Scottsdale who does not use them. They are called Ranch Realty. They may or may not have any inventory due to snowbirds
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