I live in the big apple. It is a fun place to live with access to so much "stuff", but I really feel like the system is really built to milk you for all you are worth. Most of the stories you read are true. Many people live in closets and pay for the privelege. I have now lived here for 5 years, and every time I move, the place gets smaller and the rent more expensive than before! It is amazing...
So anyway, to get to the point, I finally thought I lived in the place I was gonna call home for a few years. It is a studio, but comfortable in a decent location on the upper west side. Doorman, and all. i really was movin' on up. Now, when you try to rent an apartment in NYC, you don't just get the fun of paying a security deposit and all the other wonderful fees, but you have to go through a "broker" who collects a fee that equates to 15% of your YEARLY rent. So, to give a rough estimate, I was paying about $2k, and had to pay a guy $3600 for literally opening a door for me, and then handing my paperwork to the building I live in. The big selling point on this place from the broker- Oh, don't worry, the place is really nice about rent, they rarely raise it more than 5%. Now, I keep hearing about the cooling of the real estate market in the country. Today I get my renewal notice, $2300. They decided that a "fair" increase is 15% from the previous year.
Now, this is why I feel the system is built to milk you. They KNOW that you have to pay 2500 to move again, plus mover's fees, and whatever else. So, they can raise it JUST UNDER the cost of a broker and know they have you. I'll do my best to bargain, but I'm sure they will do nothing as usual. I keep telling the wife that she needs to figure out how to get a class action lawsuit going against these brokers or landlords, but she won't seem to listen. I am actually considering giving up the city for... jersey city. But, it is just one of those things you are conditioned against, uttering the NJ words when you live in NYC. But, I am just so sick and tired of all the stress it causes to take advantage of the best city in the world...
That's it. I'm on the next plane to Thailand. Sorry for the venting. Enjoy your lives in the suburbs! Life is so much easier out there
So anyway, to get to the point, I finally thought I lived in the place I was gonna call home for a few years. It is a studio, but comfortable in a decent location on the upper west side. Doorman, and all. i really was movin' on up. Now, when you try to rent an apartment in NYC, you don't just get the fun of paying a security deposit and all the other wonderful fees, but you have to go through a "broker" who collects a fee that equates to 15% of your YEARLY rent. So, to give a rough estimate, I was paying about $2k, and had to pay a guy $3600 for literally opening a door for me, and then handing my paperwork to the building I live in. The big selling point on this place from the broker- Oh, don't worry, the place is really nice about rent, they rarely raise it more than 5%. Now, I keep hearing about the cooling of the real estate market in the country. Today I get my renewal notice, $2300. They decided that a "fair" increase is 15% from the previous year.
Now, this is why I feel the system is built to milk you. They KNOW that you have to pay 2500 to move again, plus mover's fees, and whatever else. So, they can raise it JUST UNDER the cost of a broker and know they have you. I'll do my best to bargain, but I'm sure they will do nothing as usual. I keep telling the wife that she needs to figure out how to get a class action lawsuit going against these brokers or landlords, but she won't seem to listen. I am actually considering giving up the city for... jersey city. But, it is just one of those things you are conditioned against, uttering the NJ words when you live in NYC. But, I am just so sick and tired of all the stress it causes to take advantage of the best city in the world...
That's it. I'm on the next plane to Thailand. Sorry for the venting. Enjoy your lives in the suburbs! Life is so much easier out there