Housing Hints?

[mursinary]

Hello, I just signed paperwork to start my assignment in SoCal (Hemet, CA).

I'm taking the housing stipend so I need to find my own place. I've looked on AirBnB and VRBO, but nothing good is showing up close by. I've looked through Craigslist, but once again, not having the best of luck. Google searches for "furnished apartment" and "corporate housing" haven't been very fruitful either.

Any other hints? I start in 2 weeks, so I should probably get this housing thing locked down soon!

Thanks.

[NedRN]

Post your own ad on Craigslist under housing wanted. Search Google for property managers in Hemet (which are sometimes real estate offices). Search local newspaper classifieds including the free ones. Local college? Get there early and look on bulletin boards. Don't forget hospital bulletin boards and try calling the medical staffing office. Ask your agency if they have provided housing there previously and for the landlord's number. Many agencies use the specialty medical housing companies Travelers Haven and Med Temp Housing to provide housing.

[mursinary]

Thanks. I wouldn't have thought to look for property managers. I'll give that a shot before craigslist.

[NedRN]

I've only used property managers twice in 17 years. I much prefer private owners, but in some places, property managers have a lot more stock than private owners. Mind you, property managers handle mostly private owners, and it is still possible to negotiate - typically the length of the lease is what is important to us.

I rented a really nice apartment in Monterey CA and the property management lease that I accepted for a year only had a $50 termination fee in addition to any lost rental time. I stayed only two assignments and proactively found a renter to take over. So other than the state mandated carpet cleaning, I was out no money.

The other property manager I used ended just this January. I wasn't so pleased to have some sort of repair charge taken out of my deposit. Bogus, but not much I could do about it. I know for many renters, it is the norm not to get back their deposit at all. The owners just go ahead and take their lumps for the one out of ten or so who takes them to court. More of a private owner thing rather than the property management company, but the companies really scrutinize before and after to the nth detail. Take lots of pictures.

Proactively posting on Craigslist works surprisingly well. Lots of places never get advertised at all. Look for roommate situations, lots of times this end up saving half or more, no furniture or utility hassles, and a completely absent "roommate". That has happened at least three times to me.

Oh, and you don't need to be an agency to use Travelers Haven.

[mursinary]

Wrote to Travelers Haven and several property managers as well as an RV park that had standalone furnished housing. We'll see what I turn up.

I just feel leery about Craigslist for some reason... I probably shouldn't, but I'm going to explore these options first.

Thanks again!

[NedRN]

Craigslist anonymous email means you can read emails to you from a housing wanted ad and don't have to respond unless it is a great lead. Your choice of course. Will work well in the last few days as well before you start. In many markets, property managers market primarily via Craigslist (they don't bother with the housing wanted ads though).