Recent Relocators - What Was Your Experience Like? (Raleigh: apartment complexes, rentals)

[N0msternat0r]

Hi everyone,

About 3 years in the making but my husband and I our listing our home in the Spring planning to move to Raleigh hopefully by June - we're planning to rent first. On our last visit, we checked out 3-4 downtown apartment complexes and concluded complex living probably isn't for us - at least not long term (seemed like a much younger demographic than where we are in our lives now).

I've started searching single family homes to get an idea of the market, but inventory seems low. Which makes me wonder - how far in advance are rental listings posted? If it's ~1.5-2 months - did you make a trip a month before to spend a weekend touring rentals? We planned to airbnb for a couple weeks to find something, but I'm wondering if that's not enough time to find a rental?

Another alternative is a furnished short term rental (found a bunch through Landing, also apt complexes) so we don't have to buy and move stuff multiple times but it's about $3-$500 more per month (we're not bringing anything with us). We're open to short term to be able to buy after having spent more time around.

TLDR; Sorry this is a bit all over. Is it hard to find SFH or Townhomes to rent? Is there typically a season where there may be more inventory? How far in advance do you have find a rental/sign the lease?

This is the part of selling/moving logistics I have the least experience in, and to do it from a distance makes me unsure that I'm considering everything. TIA for input on how other relocators managed .

[farebluenc]

When we moved down, we had hoped to find a SFH, but they are trickier to find. The best deals are listed on neighborhood FB groups and the timeline was too tight for us to make it work. We ended up in a big complex for a year and I was nice to live in a brand new space for a short time.

[hertfordshire]

OP, how are you searching for homes to rent?

[m378]

We got our rental sight-unseen, but had a family member that could go take a quick look for us.

I wouldn't make a trip just to scope rentals. With the housing market the way it is, I'd find a rental prior to coming otherwise you may be stuck in an AirBNB for much longer than you expect, or be forced to take a rental that isn't ideal. If you have someone down here you trust to take a look for you then great, if not maybe your realtor would be willing.

[SVTLightning]

A friend of mine just this week was searching for a sfh to rent. The rental market is as crazy as the sellers market is right now. The rentals were going under contract the same day they were listed according to him.

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by N0msternat0r

Hi everyone,

About 3 years in the making but my husband and I our listing our home in the Spring planning to move to Raleigh hopefully by June - we're planning to rent first. On our last visit, we checked out 3-4 downtown apartment complexes and concluded complex living probably isn't for us - at least not long term (seemed like a much younger demographic than where we are in our lives now).

Considering how difficult it is to find a SFH for rent, I think you might reconsider renting in a complex. Apartments in DT Raleigh will have a younger demographic, but the age range will be much more varied in other locations. There are many complexes that offer short term leases of 3+ months, albeit at a higher rent.

[N0msternat0r]

Originally Posted by hertfordshire

OP, how are you searching for homes to rent?

I've been looking on Craigslist - hard to parse the scam listings though, Facebook Marketplace, Zillow, Apartments.com, Zumper, Rent.com, Trulia. I've generally found the same listings across all of them so far.

[N0msternat0r]

Originally Posted by SVTLightning

A friend of mine just this week was searching for a sfh to rent. The rental market is as crazy as the sellers market is right now. The rentals were going under contract the same day they were listed according to him.

That would certainly make doing it from afar trickier!

[N0msternat0r]

Originally Posted by m378

We got our rental sight-unseen, but had a family member that could go take a quick look for us.

I wouldn't make a trip just to scope rentals. With the housing market the way it is, I'd find a rental prior to coming otherwise you may be stuck in an AirBNB for much longer than you expect, or be forced to take a rental that isn't ideal. If you have someone down here you trust to take a look for you then great, if not maybe your realtor would be willing.

That's good that you had someone to help in your search. I think the only way I'd book one sight unseen is to go through a property management company.

Originally Posted by farebluenc

When we moved down, we had hoped to find a SFH, but they are trickier to find. The best deals are listed on neighborhood FB groups and the timeline was too tight for us to make it work. We ended up in a big complex for a year and I was nice to live in a brand new space for a short time.

Interesting tip for the neighborhood FB groups, I might try to look into that.

[ippi76]

Guessing you don't want to do this, but an option. There are weekly rooms such as: https://raleigh.craigslist.org/roo/d...276286481.html

If you're truly bringing nothing, could work. I moved here with nothing, stayed at a Red Roof Inn a few nights, then found a room for rent.