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Thread: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

  1. #1
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    Default House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    Ok, I'm seriously doing some major thinking here. Mox isn't home so I haven't had a chance to run it by him, but I think this might be the chance I was looking for.

    So... let me begin at the beginning.

    I've been at this apartment complex over a year. When I went to renew my lease, they kicked us off rental assistiance (because of Mox's income). We struggled to make payments until I got a job, and now we're doing just fine.

    I had signer's remorse after I agreed to the lease, but I didn't want to just break it and up and leave (well, I really did, but you get my point).

    Mox and I have talked about how we'd love to get out of this complex- the people are rude and so hillbilly-ish, and I would just love to have a yard and a washer/dryer connection. Keep in mind that there are duplex/houses available for rent that are about the same as what we're paying now.

    So today I get a note on my door that says the Rural Development Office will be allowing a $10 per month increase on our rent. Now I'm not upset about that, but I do see this as a way out of my lease. It says on the paper that "Any tenant who does not wish to pay the Rural Development approval rent change may give the owner a 30-day notice to vacate."

    I'm just scared we won't find another place in time...otherwise I would have never renewed the lease in the first place. Anyway, what do you all think? Should we take our chance to leave (we both really want to) and look for something else?

  2. #2
    God/dess Rhiannon's Avatar
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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    Definitely go for a duplex. We came here after being in the apartment from Hades for the first 5 months of our life here in Memphis. BEST thing we ever did. You only have to deal with one neighbor, and you don't have to deal with them often if you don't want to. In fact, we never see our neighbors. I like it that way, because I hate most people anyway, but the neighbors are from Mississippi and took my temporary kindness for granted. Dan got me the washer and dryer for a move-in present, and there is absolutely nothing like being able to do your laundry whenever you need to without having to deal with smelly freaks at the laundromat. It's perfect.

    Is the rent increase supposed to take effect immediately? Because if so, that's pretty fucked up. Most rental companies/landlords will increase the rent at lease renewal if at all. Of course, that wouldn't apply if you're on a month-to-month basis.

    I vote for the duplex, especially if it's going to be the same amount of rent that you pay now. It's worth it, to have the privacy, the yard, the whole shebang. The only thing you'll have to deal with is the increase in heating costs. We're getting raped since it's turned colder and we had to switch the gas heat on.

    Good luck!

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    God/dess onlythebest's Avatar
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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    I am lucky and live in a very nice complex where you don't have to deal with a bad landlord and tenants.
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    Featured Member Paintbaby's Avatar
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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    Seems like you have asked, and the universe has delivered. Now you have an excuse to leave! Take a chance---you will probably find something suitable--and even if you have to spend a few days in a hotel with your stuff in storage(worst-case scenario if you don't find something within the time frame)--wouldn't it be worth it to have more privacy, better neighbours and the sense that you took control of a situation you weren't happy in?

    It's a bit of a risk, but not a huge one. I say go for it! Good luck!

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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    Rhia- I knew they had requested the increase (they have to do it through the Rural Housing Authority or whatever)- they sent us a letter of intent to raise. It's supposed to take effect next month (start of the new year). It doesn't increase for those on rental assistance, but it does for the ones who aren't. We have to re-sign the lease, though- so I think this will be my chance to just tell them we were ready for a house and be done with it.

    Higher heating costs shouldn't be too big of a deal for us- we like it to stay cool, and it hasn't been that cold down here (except for the next few days...it will be then). We've never used our heat in this aparmtent (and we've been here over a year).

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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    OTB- The landlord isn't so bad, but the maintenance man is awful. For one, he's hooked up with the apartment manager...so he thinks he's got a say so in everything at the complex. Once he walked into my apartment while I was in the shower (and I WAS NOT given prior notice...but I just let it slide). Another time he had the nerve to tell Mox that I wasn't allowed to park where I was because it was for one car only (even though 2 cars easily fit there).

    On to the tenants...good grief, what a bunch of freaks! I can't stand my downstairs neighbor- she's just so trashy, and her kids are so loud and whiny. The lady in the apartment next to me is just...I dunno...she brings home a different guy with her every weekend. The people below me are always fighting- and I can hear them through the vent-a-hood.

    In short, I'm just ready for a change. It'll be after Christmas, so the move will be much easier.

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    God/dess Rhiannon's Avatar
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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    Yeah.. I keep forgetting you're in Texas and heat is not something you all use in your houses. I can't wait to get back to the West Coast. Ugh.

  8. #8
    madmaxine
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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    Oh yeah, get out of the complex. I lived at my boyfriend's aparment for a few years & we had to listen to the neighbors making racket all day (& they had to listen to us fighting all night LOL)....We stayed cooped up all day to avoid people, which was not healthy.
    There are plenty of private landlords eager to have cash-paying renters. (There's a long thread about this subject in Dollar Den, started by Lizette.)

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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    I say MOVE ASAP!!! You wanted an out, and now you have it.

    This is your chance to get away from the crazies.

    Good Luck and don't worry about it. You wanted to move and now you can w/o worring about a lease break.
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    God/dess Bunny's Avatar
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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    I'd say leave. I hate apartment complexes.

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    Veteran Member TarynJolie's Avatar
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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    I agree, move.

    Also why not start looking into buying a place of your own ? House payments are sometimes lower than rent .

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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    ^ I will start looking into buying, but not in this area. I want to finish up with my degree (which is a year and a half or so away), and then we're moving somewhere bigger to buy a house. There is no way I'd purchase anything in this podunk town unless I was having kids in the near future (good schools)- which I'm not- or planned to retire here.

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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    I just wanted to add that based upon my own experience, even if you can't vacate exactly when the 30 days are up, the landlord will typically extend you a grace period which they will prorate.

    Say your rent is $1,000 a month and you need an extra four days in order to fully vacate: 1,000/30 x 4 = $133.33

    It's just so much easier on everybody and less costly than to start some sort of legal eviction. As long as you are trying in good faith to move out on time there shouldn't be a problem.

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    Featured Member evan_essence's Avatar
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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    I agree with moving into a quieter place. Even though you know your neighbors are driving you batty, you don't realize how much of an emotional toll it's taking until you get into a more peaceful environment and realize you've just had a giant emotional weight lifted from your shoulders.

    -Ev

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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    ^ Yes, I can't imagine what it will be like to walk outside and not have kids screaming and running all over the place! Oh, and a washer and dryer! OH, and a place to park my car where other people won't hit it with their doors! I swear the people here have no common courtesy! :/

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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    When your apartment complex has gone ghetto, its time to get going. Don't wait for your screen door to fall off and your roof to cave in (which in my case literally happened) to move.

    Strangely enough, I moved to an even bigger complex, but its oddly enough quieter, and the landlord here at least gets stuff done when something breaks. I also have only one exterior wall here, and its an all electric building, so my utility bill is pretty manageable.
    Former SCJ now in rehab.

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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    ^^ Hey, that reminds me that there's the safety factor as well, which is even more important than psychological stress and physical maintenance. Things turned worse at our last apartment because the hands-on landlord retired and sold the place to a management company with half-assed help. Sometime after the place gradually started going downhill, my partner was followed by a stranger right up to our apartment door. Fortunately, she was just ahead of him enough to get in and lock it. And she once turned on the kitchen light in the middle of the night and scared off someone who was outside the patio door casing the place. Another time, I came home from work at 2 a.m. to discover a loud party in an upstairs neighbor's apartment with people jumping off their balcony. I couldn't believe no one else had called the cops on it already. Turned out the party's host was on probation at the time and the cops were eager to react. I could not see it, but heard a cop yell to the party host who was trying to slam the door shut on him: "Open the g*dd*mn door, that's my foot!" Hahahaha. With stuff like that happening, it's time to GTFO.

    -Ev

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    Default Re: House/Duplex vs. Aparment

    ^Yup, we're going to look at some places in just a few minutes. I'll keep everyone posted!

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