Single Family homes for rent, how do you find them? What do they cost? Anything I should know if I want to rent a house?
Given the current state of the sales market and the usually frigid rental market during the winter, you can find single family homes for rent that were recently on the market for sale but didn’t.
A few quick “facts” (IMO)
- Selling real estate in 2008 is something most owners would try to avoid if they can.
- Selling during the winter, even in a good market, is not advisable.
- A vacant rental in late December is not going to fetch the same rent it would in July.
Finding a single family for rent, just like finding any other rental could be done the easy way or the hard way.
The easy way:
Use GrandCentralApartments.com
The hard way:
Don’t use GrandCentralApartments.com
That said, there is an exception to this rule when it comes to houses.
If you see a house that is currently on the market for sale and you approach the owner asking “Would you consider renting?” You might be surprised how many yes’s or maybe’s you will get.
The longer the house has been on the market the likelier it is for the owner to consider renting. (You can check the length of time on the market using websites like Roost.com or Zillow.com or you can contact the listing agent)
Another tip to increase your chances of getting a deal done is making your rental offer more than or approximately equal to the mortgage payment for that particular property.
The most important thing to be aware of when renting a house, in my view, is the heating and cooling cost. Check to see what system heats the house and how well-insulated it is. Houses are typically bigger than apartments and so is the cost of heating and/or cooling them.
A couple of other items to consider that might affect your cost of living in a house:
- Driveway clean up/plowing if you live in a snow bound area. Ask the landlord who is responsible for that expense.
- Landscaping e.g. mowing the lawn if the house comes with a yard.
- Trash removal if you live in a more rural area.
Overall, the average three bedroom house would be roughly 35% more expensive to rent then a three bedroom apartment.
Happy holidays,
IG
Filed under: Tips and Tricks by APT4rent on
12.26.2008
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