Finding rental in small town?

[Fermion]

We have been discussing taking another long RV trip this winter back toward Florida from Washington state because we were lazy and did not build much of anything on our mountain property (we built a little 10x10 enclosed shed that is very nice red with green metal roof but that is all). We are now toying with the idea of staying here locally during the winter just to experience what it is like (and ride snowmobiles and try out the snowshoes we bought 3 years ago and still have not opened). I want to find us a little rental house but it has been 20 years since I have rented anything.

Where do you look in a small town? I see nothing on apartments.com or Zillow. A couple houses on craigslist and a couple in the local rag.

Any other good sites I should try? Where do you landlords in smaller towns have your listings?

 

[MRG]

In the couple of small towns I've lived in there's generally a Facebook page for locals to post for sale, rent.... Many times folks post and find deals! Good luck.

 

[RetireAge50]

Maybe just ride around town on the motorcycle and look for signs in the window or yard.

 

[Fermion]

Maybe just ride around town on the motorcycle and look for signs in the window or yard.

Gosh I had almost forgotten we had the motorcycles. Every day has been 90 to 100 degrees and dusty. I have not even cranked them in three months...I better do that today. The one time my wife road without all of the protective dirt gear she skidded in the sand in Florida on a turn and tore the skin off her arm (at like 2mph too!). I now say no gear, no riding but you die in the gear in 95 degree weather.

But we have a Ford F150 4x4 now too, so house hunting is easier than it was in the RV.

 

[Fermion]

In the couple of small towns I've lived in there's generally a Facebook page for locals to post for sale, rent.... Many times folks post and find deals! Good luck.

Thanks I will check for that. I have never facebooked.

 

[RunningBum]

Local realtor? Maybe a bulletin board in a library? How small of a town are we talking?

 

[Fermion]

Local realtor? Maybe a bulletin board in a library? How small of a town are we talking?

I think it is under 10,000 people. I did look at one site that was mostly apartments which had an astounding number of section 8 ads. I would rather not stay in a neighborhood with a lot of section 8 tenants as I fear they might not take care of the place as well as someone paying full boat. This fear may be irrational?

Some of the neighborhoods in the town look really charming though...white picket fences, well maintained lawns. A place a few miles outside of the town would be OK too.

I do want a place to park the RV next to the house. We could keep it on our property up in the mountains but I kind of want to run the dehumidifier and heater in it during the winter and keep a closer eye on it. I would also want to clear the snow off of it if this area gets snow in feet instead of inches.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

We have been discussing taking another long RV trip this winter back toward Florida from Washington state because we were lazy and did not build much of anything on our mountain property (we built a little 10x10 enclosed shed that is very nice red with green metal roof but that is all). We are now toying with the idea of staying here locally during the winter just to experience what it is like (and ride snowmobiles and try out the snowshoes we bought 3 years ago and still have not opened). I want to find us a little rental house but it has been 20 years since I have rented anything.

Where do you look in a small town? I see nothing on apartments.com or Zillow. A couple houses on craigslist and a couple in the local rag.

Any other good sites I should try? Where do you landlords in smaller towns have your listings?

For a new idea, read an old book, how about the local real estate.?

 

[Walt34]

I would rather not stay in a neighborhood with a lot of section 8 tenants as I fear they might not take care of the place as well as someone paying full boat. This fear may be irrational?

Based on my experience 30+ years ago, no, your concerns are far from irrational. I lived in an apartment development that later rented to Section 8 and the results hastened our move out of there.

Okay, only one experience from long ago, but living in Section 8 housing is to me only one step removed from a box under a bridge.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Local realtor? Maybe a bulletin board in a library? How small of a town are we talking?

Ugh, good grief, you beat me to it.

 

[MRG]

Thanks I will check for that. I have never facebooked.

Normally the group's name is a combination of the town's name and "buy/sell" concatenated with it.

FB is very easy and has a select few redeeming qualities.

 

[Fermion]

I found the facebook page, or I guess one of them. Not a lot on there right now but I am waiting to get approved so I can join the group and post.

I did run across a property management company that has a 5300! sq-ft house near the golf course for $1350 a month. The rentals in the town are more like 900 sq-ft and are around $700 to $900 a month. What would we do in 5300 sq-ft with no furniture after living in a 200 sq-ft RV? I wonder if we could share it with someone? It has a huge fireplace more fitting for a castle which would be nice since I cut down about 20 cords of wood on our mountain property and just stacked it to eventually rot (it is still in excavator bite size, 20 foot long logs though)

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

I found the facebook page, or I guess one of them. Not a lot on there right now but I am waiting to get approved so I can join the group and post.

I did run across a property management company that has a 5300! sq-ft house near the golf course for $1350 a month. The rentals in the town are more like 900 sq-ft and are around $700 to $900 a month. What would we do in 5300 sq-ft with no furniture after living in a 200 sq-ft RV? I wonder if we could share it with someone? It has a huge fireplace more fitting for a castle which would be nice since I cut down about 20 cords of wood on our mountain property and just stacked it to eventually rot (it is still in excavator bite size, 20 foot long logs though)

Please visit the 5300 house and post pics haha, Thats huge(and cheap)

 

[Fermion]

But it would be insane living in a 5300 sq-ft house for 2 of us with just two chairs as furniture (and a plastic table we carry in the RV for campgrounds).

We would be using 2.5% of the house space lol.

Anyway here are the pics. You sure do get a lot of house for $1350 a month. This is why I won't be a landlord.

 

[haha]

This fear may be irrational?

Sure it is!

Ha

 

[folivier]

Check out the local Chamber of Commerce. In our last home town there were hundreds of rental houses and apartments and none of them advertised but the C of C had a list of phone numbers for most of the rentals in town.
But other than high utility bills why not the big place? You deserve it!

 

[Sunset]

...
But other than high utility bills why not the big place? You deserve it!

Yeah, should only run you about $400 / month to heat in the winter

 

[Fermion]

Yeah, should only run you about $400 / month to heat in the winter

I am think that is why they are renting it so cheap. They essentially are getting someone to pay them to keep the pipes from freezing and provide security.

Even with our immense supply of firewood (I could probably cut down another 200 of these lodgepole since they need to go anyway) it would be a bear to heat in -10 degree temps.

 

[Walt34]

What would we do in 5300 sq-ft with no furniture after living in a 200 sq-ft RV?

You'd be bouncing around in there like a couple of BBs in a box car. One could get lost and it would take the other a week to find them.

Make sure it has an intercom. We bought a 1,700 sf house and didn't get the intercom option. If I was in the basement and DW was yelling for me she'd get mad 'cause she thought I was ignoring her, when in fact I just didn't hear her. We got that straightened out but it took a couple of months.

 

[RunningBum]

You'd be bouncing around in there like a couple of BBs in a box car. One could get lost and it would take the other a week to find them.

Make sure it has an intercom. We bought a 1,700 sf house and didn't get the intercom option. If I was in the basement and DW was yelling for me she'd get mad 'cause she thought I was ignoring her, when in fact I just didn't hear her. We got that straightened out but it took a couple of months.

My ex-in laws were considering moving to our area a long time ago, so we went to a few open houses just so they could see what was out there. One place had an intercom, and ex-FIL muttered to me, "Yeah, that's all I need, I'd never get any peace with her screeching over that thing!"

 

[bw5972]

Did you try airbnb?

 

[MRG]

My ex-in laws were considering moving to our area a long time ago, so we went to a few open houses just so they could see what was out there. One place had an intercom, and ex-FIL muttered to me, "Yeah, that's all I need, I'd never get any peace with her screeching over that thing!"

Most of those are connected via wires! Sometimes wires become disconnected.

 

[Fermion]

Did you try airbnb?

Can you stay in airbnb for six months? Is it cost effective? Do you get a kitchen? (because we like to cook as my wife is on a ultra low sodium diet and everything store bought starts with 2000mg sodium)

 

[bw5972]

Can you stay in airbnb for six months? Is it cost effective? Do you get a kitchen? (because we like to cook as my wife is on a ultra low sodium diet and everything store bought starts with 2000mg sodium)

AirBnB is a facilitator for people looking to rent out their property. There are rentals limited to one day and others for a year. There are single rooms to entire villas.

 

[calico1597]

Place an ad on Craigs List that you're looking for a winter rental.