I like Santa Rosa but wonder if it is affordable (Berkeley: RV park, real estate)
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Anyone know what decent 2 bedroom rentals go for in Santa Rosa?
we pay $900 for ours in WA & yes, I do understand housing is higher in CA, but how high are we talking here? When I looked on Craigs list I found there wasn't a link for Santa Rosa, so I added the name Santa Rosa to my search criteria and only 10 ads came up. 10! Gotta be doing something wrong here.
Looking for a residential 2 bedroom. Maybe one side of a duplex. Or a mother-in-law. No huge apartment complexes.
Also, do all CA landlords charge monthly rent for cats? In WA it has become common only in apartment complexes to charge you MORE rent/mo/animal. This is in addition to the pet deposit made in addition to the regular deposit. Arrrgh! I think this is a jacked up way for them to make more money. This is part of the many reason why I don't rent from "apartment complexes".
Any Suggestions on a work around for the pet deposit & rent thing? B/c that's a LOT of money.
Here's the thing: we have excellent, excellent credit. Excellent, excellent rental references. We are a mother and daughter moving to Santa Rosa. I'm concerned that Santa Rosa is unaffordable rent wise.
Denise, I have lived in California all my life and actually grew up in the greater san francisco bay area. santa rosa is one of my favorite places to vacation during the summer. but, unfortunately, like everywhere else in california, you'll have a hard time finding a 2 bedroom for $900 a month. Expect the rent for a 2 bedroom to be more like 1200-1500 a month or higher. since the real estate had the bottom drop out, leaving countless people to lose their houses to forclosure several years ago, there's beeen an increase in renting due to these homeless people having no choice but to rent a place to live for what ever the landlord's are asking. As far as paying rent for a pet every month, I've never heard of such a thing. usually if the landlords willing to allow pets in the first place, there will be a separate deposit asked upon renting the dwelling. this deposit is for any damage and or repair that might need to be done after the tenant moves. this deposit is for the cost of repairs when the damage is without a doubt the pets blame. It is considered a cost that would not of been included under the security deposit which is for renovations of the dwelling normally necessary before it is suitable for re-renting, (i.e. painting inside, shampooing carpets after normal wear and usage. this would not include pet stains). there are plenty of websites that offer help in locating rental housing within reasonable rental rates. just google search, "affordable rental housing in or around santa rosa, california. good luck.
If you go to craigslist for sfbay then choose nby, search on Santa Rosa, there's hundreds of listings. I doubt there would be much under $900 for a 2 bedroom.
If you want to be in California for the good weather (I wouldn't like Seattle weather either) - you'll probably have to compromise. If you really want 2 bedrooms, try Lake County. It's pretty, has good weather, the air's clean and its cheap to rent. What's lacking there is culture - at least that's my impression. You'd have to travel 1.5 hrs to Santa Rosa for city stuff and another hour to SF for big city cultural things. But the drive is scenic, Santa Rosa has some of the cheapest gas in Northern California, and some people drive 2 hours every day for commuting so it's not that bad.
Another option if you want to live somewhere like Santa Cruz or Santa Rosa, (I saw your other post) is to get a trailer and live in an RV park. When I was first divorced a few years ago and had almost no money, I bought an 8 x 31 foot trailer for my son and I. He's young, but he had a bed in the back and I had the one in front and it was like a 2 bedroom. We lived in Santa Cruz for $700 / month, near a library, stores, beaches, etc. There were other families living there, and a few single people and students, it was nice overall. Trailers are underrated in my opinion - everything you need is there, just a little smaller than in a house. Less to clean, and you don't accumulate junk. As long as you live somewhere nice, you're outside all the time anyway.
If the GLBT part is more important to you I would pursue Santa Cruz over Santa Rosa. I don't know about Santa Rosa, but when I worked in Santa Cruz at a cafe more than half the employees there were lesbians. There's a lot of gay women in SC of all ages, if I was I'd definitely want to be there for the community. Or Berkeley, depending on if you prefer a little nature/outdoorsiness or a more urban environment.
About pets, all rentals I've looked at ask for an extra deposit if they take pets at all, but no extra rent, so no it's not all ca landlords.
If you go to craigslist for sfbay then choose nby, search on Santa Rosa, there's hundreds of listings. I doubt there would be much under $900 for a 2 bedroom.
You'd have to travel 1.5 hrs to Santa Rosa for city stuff and another hour to SF for big city cultural things. But the drive is scenic, Santa Rosa has some of the cheapest gas in Northern California, and some people drive 2 hours every day for commuting so it's not that bad.
Another option if you want to live somewhere like Santa Cruz or Santa Rosa, (I saw your other post) is to get a trailer and live in an RV park. When I was first divorced a few years ago and had almost no money, I bought an 8 x 31 foot trailer for my son and I. He's young, but he had a bed in the back and I had the one in front and it was like a 2 bedroom. We lived in Santa Cruz for $700 / month, near a library, stores, beaches, etc. There were other families living there, and a few single people and students, it was nice overall. Trailers are underrated in my opinion - everything you need is there, just a little smaller than in a house. Less to clean, and you don't accumulate junk. As long as you live somewhere nice, you're outside all the time anyway.
If the GLBT part is more important to you I would pursue Santa Cruz over Santa Rosa. I don't know about Santa Rosa, but when I worked in Santa Cruz at a cafe more than half the employees there were lesbians. There's a lot of gay women in SC of all ages, if I was I'd definitely want to be there for the community. Or Berkeley, depending on if you prefer a little nature/outdoorsiness or a more urban environment.
About pets, all rentals I've looked at ask for an extra deposit if they take pets at all, but no extra rent, so no it's not all ca landlords.
Thanks so much! How would you describe the area of Santa Rosa?
How far a drive is it to SF?
I really thought long and hard about Santa Cruz b/c it seems to have more diversity. But I read somewhere, i think, that the air quality is poor.
Ideally we'd like to be somewhere that's 1/2 hr drive to SF. Your thoughts?
I know i'm bombarding you with questions! Sorry!
Denise
If you go to craigslist for sfbay then choose nby, search on Santa Rosa, there's hundreds of listings. I doubt there would be much under $900 for a 2 bedroom.
If you want to be in California for the good weather (I wouldn't like Seattle weather either) - you'll probably have to compromise. If you really want 2 bedrooms, try Lake County. It's pretty, has good weather, the air's clean and its cheap to rent. What's lacking there is culture - at least that's my impression. You'd have to travel 1.5 hrs to Santa Rosa for city stuff and another hour to SF for big city cultural things. But the drive is scenic, Santa Rosa has some of the cheapest gas in Northern California, and some people drive 2 hours every day for commuting so it's not that bad.
Another option if you want to live somewhere like Santa Cruz or Santa Rosa, (I saw your other post) is to get a trailer and live in an RV park. When I was first divorced a few years ago and had almost no money, I bought an 8 x 31 foot trailer for my son and I. He's young, but he had a bed in the back and I had the one in front and it was like a 2 bedroom. We lived in Santa Cruz for $700 / month, near a library, stores, beaches, etc. There were other families living there, and a few single people and students, it was nice overall. Trailers are underrated in my opinion - everything you need is there, just a little smaller than in a house. Less to clean, and you don't accumulate junk. As long as you live somewhere nice, you're outside all the time anyway.
If the GLBT part is more important to you I would pursue Santa Cruz over Santa Rosa. I don't know about Santa Rosa, but when I worked in Santa Cruz at a cafe more than half the employees there were lesbians. There's a lot of gay women in SC of all ages, if I was I'd definitely want to be there for the community. Or Berkeley, depending on if you prefer a little nature/outdoorsiness or a more urban environment.
About pets, all rentals I've looked at ask for an extra deposit if they take pets at all, but no extra rent, so no it's not all ca landlords.
Thanks! Trailer is out b/c it wouldn't be enough room for my mom and I.
I would love to be in an area that has a lot of diversity ethnically and lifestyle wise. I'm a straight woman but I want to get more involved with LGBT causes. I think i'd really enjoy living in an artsy area with artsy and funky people. One response I received from another posting was that Santa Cruz would be the only area I could receive that type of population of people and that no one looks sideways at anyone. I think that'd be great. But then i heard the air was bad in santa cruz and even though i don't really know what that means/entails I thought it must be something serious.
Ideally i'd like being 1/2 hour out from a major city like SF. Am I out of my mind??? Ugggh now i'm questioning everything and am going to fly down there to check things out this week and feel overwhelmed. I hope you answer this reply!
I've lived in the Bay Area my whole life and never considered Santa Cruz to have poor air quality. It's foggy sometimes, but that's about it. Don't take anyone's word for it...do your own research. Here's one site right here: Santa Cruz, CA Air Quality Index - WeatherBug.com
It seems that you're thinking that you'll move to California and have a completely different and amazing life here. Santa Rosa really doesn't have a lot going on. I don't think you'll find the "artist" scene you're looking for there. Sebastopol has some artists, but rent will be over $1000/month. I would look more in the Santa Cruz area. But you'll have to pay a lot more for rent there.
Both Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa are not close to SF -- Santa Cruz is 70 or 80 miles from SF, and about 35 minutes from Silicon Valley, which is another 45-60 minutes from SF. Santa Rosa is 50 or 60 miles from from SF, which is a little quicker when there is no traffic, but there's often traffic. Expect 45-60 minutes there too.
Both are nice towns. Santa Cruz is beachy, Santa Rosa is wine country.
I don't know a lot about Santa Rosa- I used to think of it as that place you get stuck in traffic traveling between Santa Cruz and Humboldt… I like what I've seen of it, but it doesn't have the reputation for having a lot of artists or the LGBT friendliness of Santa Cruz. Both cities are pretty, Santa Cruz is more ocean oriented and college town, and Santa Rosa has rolling hills around and is a ways from the ocean, around 30-45 minutes. SC is more expensive to rent.
Santa Rosa is an hour to SF without heavy traffic, and Santa Cruz to SF is 1.5 hrs.
If you want to live 1/2 hr from SF, check out Alameda - it's very cool, more urban, still no $900 apts. but cheaper than SF, way more diverse than Santa Cruz or Santa Rosa. More sun than SF too.
Air quality is very good in Santa Cruz btw. Ozone and particles generally get blown east. AIRNow - Homepage has lots of details.
Ideally i'd like being 1/2 hour out from a major city like SF. Am I out of my mind???
For $900 for a 2 bedroom 30 minutes from SF? Yes. You're probably looking at more like $1200 to $1500 for a nice 2br in a nice city. Walnut Creek might work, it has a BART station, it's a 35 minute ride to downtown SF. If you come visit you'll get more of a feel for what life is like here. It's not Washington state, that's for sure.
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Denise, I have lived in California all my life and actually grew up in the greater san francisco bay area. santa rosa is one of my favorite places to vacation during the summer. but, unfortunately, like everywhere else in california, you'll have a hard time finding a 2 bedroom for $900 a month. Expect the rent for a 2 bedroom to be more like 1200-1500 a month or higher. since the real estate had the bottom drop out, leaving countless people to lose their houses to forclosure several years ago, there's beeen an increase in renting due to these homeless people having no choice but to rent a place to live for what ever the landlord's are asking. As far as paying rent for a pet every month, I've never heard of such a thing. usually if the landlords willing to allow pets in the first place, there will be a separate deposit asked upon renting the dwelling. this deposit is for any damage and or repair that might need to be done after the tenant moves. this deposit is for the cost of repairs when the damage is without a doubt the pets blame. It is considered a cost that would not of been included under the security deposit which is for renovations of the dwelling normally necessary before it is suitable for re-renting, (i.e. painting inside, shampooing carpets after normal wear and usage. this would not include pet stains). there are plenty of websites that offer help in locating rental housing within reasonable rental rates. just google search, "affordable rental housing in or around santa rosa, california. good luck.
