PDA

View Full Version : Roommate related question???



SUBPRIME
05-08-2006, 05:31 PM
Here's the situation, my best bud is going back to school to get his MBA on the east coast and he is going to be moving out of the house that we bought together, (I'm 95% certain I want to buy him out and keep the house as opposed to selling it and having to find somewhere else to live) but I'm going to have a extra room that I will need to rent out to help with the ole mtg.
Here's my question has anyone used roommates.com or posted on craigslist or used anything else to find a roommate?
I'm most worried about some tool moving in or someone who is going to have problems with my lifestyle, of course there would have to be some interview process...
suggestions? advice?

USCFAN
05-08-2006, 05:37 PM
Be very thorough in your interview process. My brother just went throughuroomates.com and got stuck with a dead beat. The guy seemed to be a pretty stand up guy but turned out to be pig and a deadbeat. Goodluck.

Flying Tiger
05-08-2006, 05:41 PM
Check around and see if Roommate Finders is still in Biz.
When I lived in HB they were perfect.
Used them for a few years.
They screen people,, run their credit ect,, and the fee is usually under a bone.
Verifable employment ect.
Half the people out their really suck,, but you can make it work,, their are good peeps.

SUBPRIME
05-08-2006, 05:49 PM
Check around and see if Roommate Finders is still in Biz.
When I lived in HB they were perfect.
Used them for a few years.
They screen people,, run their credit ect,, and the fee is usually under a bone.
Verifable employment ect.
Half the people out their really suck,, but you can make it work,, their are good peeps.
googled, and checked yellow pages no luck, anything else that might help me find these people? it sounds like a great service

Nord
05-08-2006, 05:57 PM
I've owned my house for 4 years and have been renting out 2-3 rooms the whole time. Roomates.com is terrible IMO. There are a lot of flakes in the world of room renting, but I've never had luck on there!
I always use the Register and have had great success there!
I make everyone fill out a Rental Application after I have decided that they are a good candidate. Then they must pay me first months plus a deposit (last months rent but you can't state it that way anymore). If they can afford first + deposit(last) then you have a responsable person on your hands.
I also have fabricated a basic lease to my specs. I strongly recommend a lease or else you have people constantly moving in and out. This becomes expensive and time consuming. I hit them up with a 1 year. If they shy away and I like them, I try throwing 6 months at them with the option of 6 more!
If you have any questions, pm me! I would consider myself a pro at this!
P.S. I would strongly suggest you don't have friends of friends move in!
~NORD~

TRUMP TIGHT
05-08-2006, 06:10 PM
I suggest having a friend or a friend of a friend rent it out. You dont want some lame moving in! It would be better if you could get some insight on the person first hand or through a source you can trust.

Nord
05-08-2006, 06:19 PM
I suggest having a friend or a friend of a friend rent it out. You dont want some lame moving in! It would be better if you could get some insight on the person first hand or through a source you can trust.
Or you can try the friend or friend of a friend thing..............I dunno.
I personally haven't had luck with it, but......who knows.....

SUBPRIME
05-08-2006, 07:11 PM
That's the problem, I don't want a tool box to move in, but on the other hand I don't want to deal with some dead beat or get screwed in some way either.

MagicMtnDan
05-08-2006, 07:34 PM
Besides Craigslist.com try running an ad in the LA Times

ChumpChange
05-09-2006, 07:43 AM
Here is the what I came across when I was in the same position. You OWN the house, your roommates will not. This being said, you will always have a higher appreciation of your living quarters. You will want to keep the house maintained, they will not as they have no equity position in it and they will understand they are just throwing money away.
It is a tough call. Although it was cool living with friends, I was the one maintaining most of the house not because they wouldn't necessarily do it but because I had a higher standard of maintenance.
Tough call. I'd look for a higher paying job and live by yourself. Prices are high right now. It's a good time to sell though, get some cash and buy a small house that you can afford by yourself.

SUBPRIME
05-09-2006, 08:10 AM
Tough call. I'd look for a higher paying job and live by yourself. Prices are high right now. It's a good time to sell though, get some cash and buy a small house that you can afford by yourself.
I make pretty good money now, and I'm in the RE business too (isn't everyone now!! :mad: ) I'm in a 3 bd condo now, third bedroom is the office, so I don't really know how much downsizing I could do, I could look for a 2 bdroom condo but the fees associated with selling where I'm at now and getting a new place?? I don't know if it would be worth it. I could probably stay here by myself but then I'd be streching my self thinner than I would like (I need more gas $ for the boat right now!!)

ChumpChange
05-09-2006, 08:21 AM
Put your sig in the PennySaver. That will draw a lot of interest to your place. If you're in Subprime lending, your biz should be picking up soon.
[QUOTE=SUBPRIME]Recently single: now accepting applications for cute girls to go to the river this summer, must be cute and fun, no biyatching allowed [QUOTE]

Windy
05-09-2006, 08:53 AM
I highly recommend roommates.com
I will never let a friend move in again...its not good for the friendship.
Good Luck

a catered life
05-09-2006, 09:22 AM
i am so freaking lost :cry: you mean to tell me that theres places on the web to find roommates to live in your own house...dam i am so done with dating :p the computer god will send me what i ask for :p

Nord
05-09-2006, 09:24 AM
i am so freaking lost :cry: you mean to tell me that theres places on the web to find roommates to live in your own house...dam i am so done with dating :p the computer god will send me what i ask for :p
???
YOur going to date online???