(no subject)

[ex-whaler.livejournal.com]

I've replied to a couple of craigslist ads for apartments (OK I'M DUMB SORRY) and so far only one has been legit. I used the service for my last apartment search and it seemed fine then. The rest have been scammers! A couple were the same person using different names and trying to get you to use this website for a "credit check". Two others just STRAIGHT up tell you they're a guy in Nigeria and will send you the keys in the mail.

So short of parsing through the scams on craigslist, is there another website that is good for looking for apartments?

(Sorry if this isn't the right place to ask)

Comments

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

I usually use CL to advertise for a prospective roomates and it has been the only service that has worked for me. I have paid for others and just like some of the "dating" sites I'm guessing that the bulk of the people on them are fake so as to make it look like a good service to pay for. I can post an ad on CL and get one or two responses a day (most are not the best but they are still replies) On the paid sites I posted and got nothing back, yet there were tons of people in the system looking for the price range in the area. Even messaging them directly got nothing.

CL has a lot of scammers but so far it is still doing well by me but YMMV

[ex-whaler.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm really good at spotting a scam (too good to be true price, them being shady, them not just CALLING YOU like real realtors do) and I have no problem using it, I was just wondering if there is a better option.

That is interesting to know though about the pay sites.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

this one.

[ex-whaler.livejournal.com]

ok:

HELLO

Does anyone want to rent a studio/1 bedroom apartment to me? I am hoping to pay below 900 (I CAN DREAM) and will be happy with almost anything as long as it is walking distance to any of the redline T stops in somerville or cambridge. I'd like at least a year lease and I don't have any pets or children (NOT THAT YOU COULD DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ME IF I DID!)

:gets off box:

[thespian.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I posted yesterday looking for people for 2 rooms in my apartment, which aside from the not being a 1br/studio, is exactly what you want (and only $650 per room!).

But does require living with people, ayup.

[ex-whaler.livejournal.com]

Oh I saw it! I'm allergic to cats and they hate me :( Good luck and I hope you find someone!

[thespian.livejournal.com]

my youngest cat doesn't hate you. She doesn't know you, but she thinks people are SWELL. They have hands and stuff, and hands were created to PET HER.

She's really not a very smart cat, but she's sweet as pie.

(last sunday an 11-year-old pushed her around my living room on a wheeled footrest and the cat just sat there, patiently awaiting the pettings.)

allergies are a pain in the ass, especially around this kitty.

[countlibras.livejournal.com]

Looking in Arlington. I know someone who pays $850 for a studio there. She rents in an apartment building from a realty group. Parts of Arlington are easy to walk to Cambridge/Somerville.

[ex-whaler.livejournal.com]

this is a good tip. I have a car so I could probably drive to the alewife T.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

Depending upon where in Arlington, you woudln't even need to both er with the drive. just walk the well-lit and well-travelled bike path about the same amount that you would in parts of Somerville.

[countlibras.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't walk on the bike path at night. it's fairly safe, but muggings have been known to happen from time to time.

[ex-whaler.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I am someone who can never be too safe.

'look' not 'looking' - silly me

[countlibras.livejournal.com]

during the day, you can park on nearly all streets. (arlington does not allow overnight parking on the street w/o a permit or a phone call to police station to give them a heads up) so even if you lived closer to Lexington, you could easily park in East Arlington and walk to the T or pick up a bus.

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

I live in East Arlington (off Broadway). I can walk to Davis Square in 25 minutes. And the buses to that area are generally pretty reliable too.

[rainbow-spork.livejournal.com]

Try Medford, too. My GF pays about that for a studio in Medford, and has a 15 minute bus ride to the Wellington T (which has the advantage of being a shorter train ride into the city than Alewife).

Or if you're in West Medford near the commuter rail stop there, the fare from that stop is the same as the T.

[elements.livejournal.com]

Ditto. The best prices are often a little father out - ie, beyond Arlington Center - but good deals can be had. If I were going to try to live alone, I'd try there.

Since nobody has explicitly mentioned the 77 bus, let me mention it. It's awesome. It isn't always as spot on as its claimed "every 10 minutes" during peak times, but still, it's one of the few buses you can most of the time just go wait for and get a bus without checking the schedule or standing around for ages. Also, you can via the 77 bus easily get to Davis - just get off the bus at Pemberton Farms and walk up Dover or Day streets for 5 minutes. Ditto for Porter Square - it's right on the route. I lived in Arlington Center for a couple weeks when my old apartment had water issues, and found the commute very easy.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

(NOT THAT YOU COULD DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ME IF I DID!)

LOL!

+1

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

No. You take the good with the bad. Just flag the entry and move on.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

oh hai.. you totally found the weird Nigerian Church guy who wants to rent a 1 bedroom for 700.. I've found that once you figure out what the market actually has, these posts on CL tend to not be scams. the lower ones invariably are..

[ex-whaler.livejournal.com]

It's actually a little sad because the only pet friendly apartments I've found were scams.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

yeah. I agree. I'm also looking for a 1br/studio that will let me have a cat that is 700 or under, and I'm ok with living out of the city, and it's wicked hard to find ads that aren't scams.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

ugh YES. i'm not a noob, and the same thing has happened to me. none of the apts were 'too good to be true' (believe me!) and actually, most of the emails were either the keys in the mail BS, or 'people' telling me their apt was in foreclosure and i should sign up for this website at x number of dollars per month to schedule a viewing, they were sure i'd be perfect.

right.

basically probably going to have to leave mass come september, woo!

You're living MA in Sep?

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Sniff!...

[myselftheliar.livejournal.com]

Yeah sadly all you can do is flag the posting and keep browsing.

Also? UNICORN DOG! FUCK YEAH!

[ex-whaler.livejournal.com]

It was from a pretty awesome episode too. Kirk split into two Kirks: Wimpy and EVIL.

I'm Captain Kirk!!!

[myselftheliar.livejournal.com]

He was hella wimpy. As far as evil Kirks go, my heart belongs to Mirror Kirk.

In all seriousness, Craigslist has indeed turned into a bit of a cesspool but if you keep with it, you can find some pretty rad deals and people.

[ringrose.livejournal.com]

Ask around your friends. It's far better to rent from, with, or to people you know.

If you've any relation to MIT, Tufts, or Harvard check their off campus housing offices.

[ominousspectre.livejournal.com]

I've recently discovered that a large number of the apartments with Apartment Rental Experts end up having much smaller security deposits than renting straight from the landlord. In the end, you might pay a little bit more since the security deposit you'll get back is smaller but the cost up front will be about the same and in my case, it was actually less than a lot of comparable apartments.

[teratomarty.livejournal.com]

I dunno about finding apartments, but OMG SPACE SPANIEL. I love your icon. That space spaniel showed up in just about every scene of that episode, including ones where it wasn't at all necessary. I can only imagine that the costume designer spent all night making it, and threatened to effing quit unless they put the space spaniel in every. Damned. Scene.

[ex-whaler.livejournal.com]

Maybe I can find one on craigslist :D

[coeceo.livejournal.com]

Try 'apartments by owner' and move quick because they usually go fast. If you are from out of the area, you could contact a rental agency, but they too can end up wasting your time but aren't as much of a blatant scam as the ads you described.

[mistresshellena.livejournal.com]

We had luck posting our own "housing wanted" ad on CL here in Portland, Oregon. Of course there were weirdos.

I'd also recommend checking out Sabbatical Homes. Targeted towards academics, but you don't have to be one to sign up with them. I list my place there (very out of your price range, sorry) and have found fantastic tenants through it.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

Why is this locked? Seems to me it'd be useful consumer info for people who just wander by. Also, this is a public community that anyone can join, so there's little point in locking posts.

[ex-whaler.livejournal.com]

Oh sorry I have a friend's only LJ it does that automatically.

Realtor?

[glen-highland.livejournal.com]

We've always had luck going through a realtor. I know not as futuristic as CL but a great way to avoid scams. Often you can find no-fee or half-fee. Good luck!

[dahdahdahdancer.livejournal.com]

Recently I used CL to post an ad about the apt I was renting out (under the postings for homeowners only, for an apt in a 2-family home where I live). The process worked beautifully - got a couple dozen responses, showed the apt to the first batch of people who responded, and found a good tenant. Just so you know - CL isn't a total waste of time.