Best ways to find <$400 rooms in a new location?

All the different ways of solving the shelter problem. To be static or mobile? Roots, legs, or wheels?
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TopHatFox
Posts: 2322
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 10:07 pm
Location: FL; 25

Best ways to find <$400 rooms in a new location?

Post by TopHatFox »

Craigslist is my go to. In replies to posts, I mention renting experience, high credit score, excellent record of payment, tendency for maintaining a tidy space, employment, interesting hobbies, blah blah blah.

Any others mediums to find rooms? Any advice on the finding-a-room game? (my best strategy is being super flexible with everything except location and cost--<$400/mo, <3 miles from work/groceries).

RusBR
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2016 4:00 am

Re: Best ways to find <$400 rooms in a new location?

Post by RusBR »

You didn’t mentioned where you would like to rent a room. So, I can’t suggest you any particular variants.
Craigslist is a good source to look for property. You can also try to search on Zillow. They have many listing of rooms in different cities.
Don’t forget about Facebook. The social media is becoming and bigger and bigger influence on where people get information, including where to live.
And even if you find a property that you like, however, the price would be beyond your budget, you can negotiate the rent. And with the help on this platform https://rentberry.com/custom-offers you can do it online.

7Wannabe5
Posts: 9372
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:03 am

Re: Best ways to find <$400 rooms in a new location?

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

You might want to also take into consideration any available opportunities to barter services for shelter in your new location. But, be careful with the math. For instance, if you could live for zero rent/utilities in the guest cottage of an elderly wealthy woman who needs occasional help with heavy lifting, and it turns out she requires more than 20 hours of assistance/month, you might be better off shelling out $400, depending on your other opportunities for side-gig income.

Placing your own "shelter wanted" ad might also prove helpful because it is more likely that people who are willing to rent under-the-table or non-code-compliant will reach out to you under those circumstances. IOW, approach the market in a manner similar to how you might try to score some pot in a city where doing that is marginally illegal.

Find a very inexpensive hostel to stay at until you throw down on a longer-term lease, or pick up a new polyamorous partner and crash with her until you get the lay of the land ;)

TopHatFox
Posts: 2322
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 10:07 pm
Location: FL; 25

Re: Best ways to find <$400 rooms in a new location?

Post by TopHatFox »

7Wannabe5 wrote: Placing your own "shelter wanted" ad might also prove helpful because it is more likely that people who are willing to rent under-the-table or non-code-compliant will reach out to you under those circumstances. IOW, approach the market in a manner similar to how you might try to score some pot in a city where doing that is marginally illegal.
I thought creating a "shelter wanted" ad on craigslist was probably the best way to go about finding inexpensive housing in a new area. I then wondered what to include in it. Like:

1. Do I link a picture of me to it (like my LInkedIn), or just upload a picture?
2. Do I list what I can offer as a tenant? (minimal possessions, tidy & organized, handyman, well-read, computer & PF savvy, credit score)
3. Do I list potential incompatibilities and therefore fish for compatibility? (frequent female guests, non-cigarette smoking, pet unfriendly, ~LGBTQ, corporate worker bee, etc.)
4. Do I list what I'm looking for? (tiniest space with hopefully south facing window near groceries and the town center)
5. How do I list the price? (as a range, at the higher extreme of $400, or at the lowest extreme of $0, or $200, or $300, or?)

7Wannabe5
Posts: 9372
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:03 am

Re: Best ways to find <$400 rooms in a new location?

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

1.NO!
2. Yes, but TMI
3. Yes, but TMI
4. No. Better to filter for this later.
5. Don't

Maybe something like this...

Young professional male, socially liberal and fiscally conservative, seeks very inexpensive lodging in amiable setting. Some barter of handyman and/or tech skills possible. Excellent references/credit.

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