Housing help! North Seattle.

[KnottedYet]

My apt complex wants to raise my rent by $213/month! That's more than 25%! OUCH!

Anybody know of an apartment (2 bed, dogs ok) for rent around $800/month in the North Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds, Kenmore, Ballinger, Lake Forest Park area?

I could even do 1 bedroom if there was room in the rest of the apt for me to have a fold-out couch/bed. (SKnot gets the bedroom, I can take the couch.)

[AllezGirl]

OMFG!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

That's crazy! :mad:

I freak when my landloard rise my rent $20. And he only does that every 3 years or so.

Good luck Knott. I hope you can find something better.

[Xrayted]

I PM'd you. Hope it helps. I currently have all day to pretty much hang on the net so if you need some more help, just speak up. Of course, you could always move down here to byke friendly Portland or Eugene... :rolleyes: :D

[roguedog]

I don't have anything to offer except that I'm sorry to hear that KT. Best of luck.


Course.. maybe it's a sign for you to move down here.. (cough.. cough...) :D

[KnottedYet]

Considering the state of my workplace and state of my apt, I'd be down there in a second, except that SKnot isn't finished with high school yet.

I need a new job and a new place to live. What a bummer.

X- thank you for the links. Both are for sublets, and I'm afraid the rent will be jacked up at the end of the sublet and I'd be in the same spot all over again. I'm looking into them, though, to see if the companies have "new renter" specials. Keep yer fingers crossed!

[maillotpois]

Like Rogue, I haven't got anything productive to offer except good luck and good thoughts. :(

[East Hill]

First question--is it legal for them to increase your rent so much in your area? If you are in Seattle City, aren't you protected against such a large increase?

East Hill

[KnottedYet]

That's what I'm trying to find out now. do you have a link to the laws about rent increases? 25% seems out of line. I've lived in this apt for 3 years, and ususally they raise my rent by $40/mo each year. $213/month is just nuts!

[Trek420]

According to this site, no rent control in Wa

www.tenantsunion.org/rights/23/rent-increases

[Veronica]

What year is Sknot? Maybe it is time to move. It can't hurt to talk it over with him.

V.

[KnottedYet]

Thank you, Trek.

so I'm pretty much hosed. They gave me written notice with the 30 days, and the new rent reflects only a slightly higher rate than what they now have advertised on their website. (which is a whole lot higher than it used to be. market is moving up. good news for all you property owners!)

I'm hosed.

If I stand out on the street corner with a cardboard sign : "Single mom with kid and dog, seeks affordable apartment" like the beggers, will someone come along and hand me a key?

I'm hosed. I just can't pay half my monthly income for rent!

[KnottedYet]

What year is Sknot? Maybe it is time to move. It can't hurt to talk it over with him.

V.

His dad lives 1 mile away, with shared custody. Even if I have to move, he'll still be able to go to school. I just can't move so far away that I can't drive him to school during the times SKnot lives with me.

Like to California...:D

[mimitabby]

Rents lower in my neighborhood Knot.. I know that would be a big hassle for you...

[KnottedYet]

I'd have to commute all the way thru Seattle both ways, or I'd consider it.

I might have to widen my search to Everett. Why have rents gone up so much? What a huge pain in the butt.

[mimitabby]

rents have gone up so much because the price of property has gone up so much.
WHen stupid ugly little houses sell for 1/2 a million dollars, it's easy to just raise the rents because less people can afford to buy and there are less rentals available.

[Trek420]

Why have rents gone up so much? What a huge pain in the butt.

I dunno. You're a long term, stable, good tenant and may be able to negotiate that it at least stays less than not more than new tenant offers at least.

I'm not an economist so can someone explain to me like a 2 year old why when the housing market is collapsed (the phrase we in CA hear anytime the avg house price does not go up triple digits % a year) and we've got a million plus families in foreclosure because they got hosed by the ARMs so it's a buyers market out there.

Which means your land lord has to compete for tenants on the fence between "do I rent? or look for a distressed sale price condo/home?"

So his price should be going down .... not up or at least staying near even. :mad:

[lauraelmore1033]

Prices are crazy in Everett too. Someone just paid $240.000 for a shack two houses down from us and they knocked it down to build a house-o-saurus. There's half a duplex across the street from that that is going for 450,000. Even in Everett! I wish you the best of luck with your search!

[Trek420]

Prices are crazy in Everett too. Someone just paid $240.000 for a shack two houses down from us and they knocked it down to build a house-o-saurus. There's half a duplex across the street from that that is going for 450,000. Even in Everett! I wish you the best of luck with your search!

I'd rather renovate a shack than have a MacMansion. The shack would have character, would be unique and would have space to garden. Do these owners not want a garden? Nothing personal to anyone here who owns one though.

I'm sure there's lots of room for bikes in those things, just not what I want.

I bought my condo for $250 about 3 years back, it was far under market value then. Then I proceeded to pass my Nidan, do back to back AIDS rides .... workeatsleeptrainwalkthedog now it's time to nest and turn this joint.

On a humorous note when you sell the offers and counter offers fly back and forth, for sale as is...no, I want the refrigerator, your fridge is dreck but I'll buy if I get the washer dryer....but I think I would never want the owner included :) :rolleyes: :cool: :D

Now Knott, I'm off to search Craigs.

[teigyr]

KnottedYet,

That is horrible! We will definitely keep our eyes out for somewhere though I know you don't have much time. We walk absolutely everywhere and often see rental signs, etc. In fact...I have an idea. If it works, I'll PM you! DH works in Everett, I'll ask him if he's heard anything about rentals being available.

Let me know if you need any help. Dunno what I can do but I'm there if you need it!

[sgtiger]

I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but have you looked into renting a house? If you don't mind the little extra work of maintaining a lawn and some exterior stuff, you might be able to find something in the price range you're looking for.

My apartment complex has raised their rates steeply too, so many of my former neighbors have found houses for rent that are cheaper than here. It has to do with the fact that when the housing market was booming and your average income family (who can't afford to buy houses in this area) were buying up all the condos and townhouses, many of the apartment management companies converted many of their apartments to condos. Well this practice has caused an apartment shortage, so it's a landlords' market. However, the prices of houses are falling (albeit slowly as compared to other markets in the country) so it's taking longer for homes to sell or owners have had to drop their prices. Many sellers are opting to hold out and rent out their properties instead of dropping prices. If you do go with this option, I would ask for a lease, so that you know you'll be there a while without them selling/asking you to leave at a moments notice. I think they only have to give you 20 days, but I'm not sure. And you could have it written into the lease that they have to give a longer period, like say 90 days, with a cancellation penalty. Of course the penalty works both ways.

Just my $0.02 anyways