Apartment-hunting help?

[sigelphoenix]

Seattle-area folks:

ratzeo and I are in search of a place to live come September. I've been searching for about a month now, mostly using craiglist and Rent.com, with no luck, and I'm approaching the hair-tearing frustration stage ... If anyone has advice about where to look or who to contact, it would be much appreciated.

If it helps, here's what we're looking for: a 2-bedroom apartment or house of reasonable rent (say, $1000ish, depending on the place), generally in the area bordered by Fremont-Green Lake-Wedgwood-Laurelhurst-Wallingford. I'd like it to be a place that allows cats, because I want to get one sometime after the move.

If you can help me find a place, I'll love you forever. (Barring that, if you have any recommendations of where to get boxes or hire movers, that would be great.)

Thanks!

x-posted to LJ

Comments

[mahokiwi.insanejournal.com]

hmmm, yeah, sounds like you're running into a lot of the same issues we were, before we decided to just stay here :\ the problem I've found with craigslist is that they always seem to want people in now now now, and who looks that last-minute?

I thought you guys were going to move in with your sister?

[sigelphoenix.insanejournal.com]

I, uh, will take comfort in the fact that we are not alone in our frustrations. :P

Right! I keep seeing things that are available now or for August 1, and people I've asked are reluctant or unwilling to talk to someone who wants to move in later. Why am I being punished for planning ahead. T_T

Yeah, we were going to just have Sean move in with me and my sister, but sort of last-minute decided to get our own place because I want to get a cat sooner than later, and our current house doesn't allow pets.

[(Anonymous)]

Wow, sorry for the troubles! I guess I took our DavisWiki for granted. For awhile, I thought all cities had a Wiki with apartment listings in it, lol. :/ But! My friend from Seattle is willing to lend a hand because she's moving around herself and doing a lot of research.

She asks exactly which area you want to live in (Ravenna, Viewridge, really close to the University? Or do not mind living in those areas that you listed in your entry?) And she asks when you want to move in. And the highest price you're willing to pay. :]

- Tiff

[sigelphoenix.insanejournal.com]

Wow, that's really nice of your friend! Yeah, the areas I listed form a general circle of neighborhoods, and I would include Ravenna and View Ridge in that "circle." Places that are really close to the University tend to be both expensive and not-so-nice, so it's not at the top of my list.

We want to move September 1, and as for price ... $1000/month or more is okay, but it better be big and have amenities. ;) For instance, I found one place (that didn't work out, sadly) for $1200, but I liked it because it was in a nice neighborhood, around 1000 square feet, and included a bunch of utilities.

Please thank your friend for me. Even if she can't find us something, that's really nice of her to offer.

[(Anonymous)]

She says to try these websites if you haven't already:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=l&view=text&hl=en&q=apartment&near=Seattle,+WA&attrid=&ie=UTF8
(the reviews are important)
http://seattlebubble.com/blog/2008/02/25/how-to-use-craigslist-rss-to-find-a-great-rental/
http://housingmaps.com/
http://housing.asuw.org/
http://www.mynewplace.com/
http://www.apartments.com/
http://www.everyaptmapped.com/

Hope you find something! :]

[sigelphoenix.insanejournal.com]

Thanks for the links! I already found some of them on my own, but not all of them.