I only planned on renting for the first year I was here, but like so many others I lost my job in early 2020 and things have been rough ever since. I’m pretty sure I have finally found a great replacement and have been shoving money in the bank but it wasn’t in the cards to get a house this year either. Now I just got my renewal paperwork and they have raised my rent from roughly $1400 to just over $2100. That’s after a $200 increase last year.

I’m seriously considering becoming homeless. I travel a lot and could live in hotels while home. I could take my guns to my dads house and leave them with him, maybe just hang onto one and keep it in my storage locker or locked in a safe in my car. I’ve already got a storage unit and pay for a mailbox at a local place so I have a good base to start from. I’ve got some thinking to do.

Would a small travel trailer make sense in your situation?

Obviously you wouldn't keep your firearms and valuables in the trailer as they aren't the most secure of abodes, but at least you would have your own space.

Shoot, if you're having to pay that kind of rent (and utilities, too?), a trailer might be a cost-effective means to live depending on your time frame of choosing where to live and purchasing a house.

I came across this and thought it was pretty neat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spiEmTkYP4U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-vdsOU51jI

Didn't know Airstream did RVs but they do. Of course it's pricey but might be some food for thought.

Something like that actually might work for me after my kids graduate high school and go off on their own. I’ve considered the whole “van life” concept for that time. I could pretty easily transition to a job that lets me just drive around a few states and do service work. It wouldn’t pay as much as I’m making now but I won’t need as much either. I’ve got alimony and child support that right now that hurts.

My problem now is that I need space for my kids, especially since I have a teenage daughter. I was thinking I’d get two hotel rooms when I have them. My son and I can share one and she can have the other. There is also a residence inn close that has two bedroom rooms which would be ideal.

Ah, I forgot there were children involved. Yeah, the two hotel rooms would be a much better choice for your situation at this point in time.

Once they're grown and have their own places they might find it cool that Dad comes to visit while he's living the van life.

Man, I am sorry to hear that.

It's like an article I read a few months ago. A work from home couple, home during the day. Wife walks into husband's office crying. Renewal notice just arrived. Rent was just like yours, $1,400. Increase would bring it to $2,100.

They decided they were going to have to leave the Orlando area and move further away in order to be able to afford a place to live.

Best wishes in your thinking and coming to a suitable decision.

Yeah the movement of people from up north has just slammed the housing market, rents are up big time, that happened to one of my wifes co-workers.

Not sure where you are but consider moving further out into the country, there are smaller towns with better rent price options

I too am sorry to hear. But would think long and hard about what you are thinking about doing. Especially in your current situation. Does not sound good.

Maybe look at things in 6 month increments. Even though not ideal financially. Having a home is important. Especially for you in the short run.

Best of luck

quote:

Originally posted by holdem:
Man, I am sorry to hear that.

It's like an article I read a few months ago. A work from home couple, home during the day. Wife walks into husband's office crying. Renewal notice just arrived. Rent was just like yours, $1,400. Increase would bring it to $2,100.

They decided they were going to have to leave the Orlando area and move further away in order to be able to afford a place to live.

Best wishes in your thinking and coming to a suitable decision.

This is showing how vulnerable you are when you rent I suppose. At least with a house your increases in times like these are because your property became mor valuable.

Yeah, I hate renting. But it made sense the first year and then the world went nuts for a couple years. If the whole coronavirus thing had been 3 months later I’d be in a house now. Unfortunately a lot of things are out of my control.

I’m fortunate in that I can afford it. It just sucks because it’s a lot of extra money that should be going towards rebuilding my savings after the last two years.

Any possibility of moving out a little ways, or a bit more, and thus obtaining less expensive housing to rent, and thus to buy?
.

I can't believe that rent is that much. Is this for a house or a city apartment? That is nearly what my mortgage payment costs, and we pay extra each month.

Unbelievable. $2100 is literally double the monthly house payment (all in... mortgage+taxes+insurance) on my 2 year old, 1800 square foot, 3 bedroom/2 bath house.

Please tell me that's at least for a house rental, and not an apartment...

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Unbelievable. $2100 is literally double the monthly house payment (all in... mortgage+taxes+insurance) on my 2 year old, 1800 square foot, 3 bedroom/2 bath house.

Please tell me that's at least for a house rental, and not an apartment...

Well there's Flordia, then there's Arkansas / WV.

Oh it’s an apartment.

To be fair it’s a very nice apartment and it’s a nice size with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, big closets including a walk-in in my room and a nice screened in porch. It also has all new appliances including a washer and dryer. The community is nice and we have multiple swimming pools and a gym. We are also only a few minutes from the beach. Still it’s not worth $2100.

3 bedrooms are hard to find and a quick check shows none available in the nearby area except for my complex.

WSJ ran an article about this issue. They focussed on the Miami Beach area. The doubling of rent in some cases. Some of the NYC transplants did not balk, but everyone else did. Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Unbelievable. $2100 is literally double the monthly house payment (all in... mortgage+taxes+insurance) on my 2 year old, 1800 square foot, 3 bedroom/2 bath house.

Please tell me that's at least for a house rental, and not an apartment...

$2100 is about what I make a month (take-home), and is nearly five times my rent. My place is a 450 sq. ft. apartment, so there's that.

One bedroom apartments in Tucson are going for $900 and up a month, thanks to migration fleeing the North and the open border south of us.