June apartment needed

[mentalalignment.livejournal.com]

Does anyone have recommendations for realtors and/or local landlords in the Davis Square or surrounding areas? My roommate and I are a few blocks from Davis now (on the Cambridge side), and would love to stick around. Our landlord is renovating our place to sell as condos, and we're so not down with paying $470K for this place! If you have a place available, we're looking for a 2-bed, 1 parking spot, laundry, storage, and cat friendly. Preferrably $1400 or less. Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

craigslist all the way, baby.

[push-stars.livejournal.com]

I agree, the second best option may be these guys: http://www.apartmentrentalexperts.com/

Landlords that are local will most definetly have an ad of their own on craigslist, even if they are listed through an agency too. They defintely wont mind cutting the middle man out and working with you directly. But some landlords live out of town or they just don't want the hassle. So you may find some apartments through this agency that you won't see at craigslist. And you and the landlord may pay or split a fee.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Buh. I think I paid enough fees in Boston. I'm delighted to cut bait on a few apartments and go for no-fee places.

[xjustquietx.livejournal.com]

I second Apartment Rental Experts. Very enthusiastically. The owner, Dave Scott, was my landlord. He was the best landlord ever. He fed my cat when my roommate and I went on vacations. He was also the perfect balance of getting things fixed, but not bothering us every other month to go snooping in the place. When my old roommate moved to San Francisco, he found me my sweeeeeet apartment that I am enjoying now. The only downside, he's not the landlord anymore.

[mentalalignment.livejournal.com]

Awesome, thanks all for these suggestions. Got lucky for a few years and kept moving in with friends who had rooms available, weird that this will be the first time I'm finding an "empty" apartment. Oh, what choices there will be! And oh, how I'll decorate to my heart's content!

[mentalalignment.livejournal.com]

Definitely, just thought if someone had a landlord they loved, would really like to know! I know, wouldn't we all...

[cold-cold-water.livejournal.com]

i rent with actionvest management, which owns a bunch of buildings around davis (18 day, one on dover, and 123 orchard). but a 2 bedroom right now in any of them (heat & hot water included) goes for ~$1500. i found this place with them through apartment rental experts (no fee) and the rent has only gone up $50 in the past 2 years. i would recommend them. they also are renovating my kitchen just because i asked nicely. can't get much better than that. :)

[mentalalignment.livejournal.com]

I'll definitely check them out, that's exactly the area I'm looking. Thanks for the suggestion!

[wellstar.livejournal.com]

My old landlords live in Florida and the Cape, but they both worked with Red Line Real Estate just outside the Square. John Lowenstein was excellent.

rentals

[reed-davis.livejournal.com]

On my walk to work (Ball Square to N. Cambridge)
I have noticed 2 "for rent" signs. Both are decent looking houses and in good locations. I can try to get the phone # tomorrow. In my opinion, there is no reason to go through a realtor. Craigslist has worked very well for me.

[left-unsaid.livejournal.com]

a lot of local landlords put listings on the Tufts off-campus housing website....we found a great apartment through this list (we're late twenties and not college students)

http://ase.tufts.edu/och/Listing_form.htm

good luck..

[mentalalignment.livejournal.com]

Excellent link, thank you! I would have never thought to check them out.

[protogeek.livejournal.com]

On the other end, I do NOT recommend Dave Lewis, who owns Maven Realty and thus a number buildings around. I lived in one of his places for a year and a half. While I have to admit they did get things fixed in a timely manner, the guy was an asshole who thought nothing of walking on in with prospects whenever he felt like it during the 3 months before my lease was up.

[mentalalignment.livejournal.com]

Good to know - I keep seeing their name around. Bad realtors are about the last thing I want to deal with. Thanks!