I'm about to sign a lease for a $540/mo house and have no clue how I'm going to pay for it.

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I go tomorrow with the $810 security deposit. It's a fantastic location relative to campus and I've been planning to get an apt for the past 6 months, and I have enough in checking/savings (plus summer job) to get thru september but....

I have like no idea what the fuck I'm going to do. Loans, I suppose. I'm kinda scared shitless.

― Simply Steve! (née Christiane F.) (drowned in milk), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:03 (eighteen years ago)

if i could lease a house for 540 a month i would be jumping ecstatically

― he smells something else. he don't smell honey and pears. (tehresa), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:05 (eighteen years ago)

Shit me too, I pay double that and then a bit more :(

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:06 (eighteen years ago)

I have this weird prejudice about renting somewhere I can afford.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:06 (eighteen years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000IIZ2.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― and what (ooo), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:08 (eighteen years ago)

FUCK YOU

― UART variations (ex machina), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:09 (eighteen years ago)

assuming that yr rent should be 1/3 of yr paycheck, to pay a $6500/year rent you should be pulling in 19,440--that amounts to around $400/week, so if you work full time try and get $10/hr... and remember that 1/3 of your paycheck going to rent is an ideal scenario. most people its probably closer to 1/2.

― max (maxreax), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:11 (eighteen years ago)

Maybe Wangmann will give you a loan.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:12 (eighteen years ago)

remember that 1/3 of your paycheck going to rent is an ideal scenario. most people its probably closer to 1/2.

I doubt that even in NYC. My new place is 1/6th of my paycheck

― UART variations (ex machina), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:16 (eighteen years ago)

Oh, mine's almost half.

― Laurel (Laurel), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:18 (eighteen years ago)

Are you kidding, Jon? When I was covering my flat on my own, I was paying the full $1120 a month, which was pretty much exactly half my salary.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:18 (eighteen years ago)

I'm curious too, Steve: how'd you land the lease without a steady income?

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:20 (eighteen years ago)

I mean their checks are designed to prevent this kind of disaster scenario.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:20 (eighteen years ago)

everyone ive ever talked to has said that landlords and leasing agencies generally want to make sure that the rent you're paying is somewhere between 28% and 35% of your paycheck. it seems like a fairly common rule of thumb for affordability. obv if you can live well and spend a sixth of your paycheck on rent youre in a great position, but i dont know that everyone is in that position.

― max (maxreax), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:21 (eighteen years ago)

my place is way way cheap... I'm not rich

― UART variations (ex machina), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:22 (eighteen years ago)

They can eat 28-35% of my dick

― Zwan (miccio), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:22 (eighteen years ago)

WHERE THE FUCK DOES ONE FIND A HOUSE FOR $540/MONTH??????????

― The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:23 (eighteen years ago)

paying half your paycheck is insane!!!

― UART variations (ex machina), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:23 (eighteen years ago)

Hang on maybe he means his share of a share house? That might make more sense maybe.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:23 (eighteen years ago)

if he goes to rutgers (like the email says), he's probably living in new brunswick, where this wouldn't really be uncommon--especially not if he's paying only a share of the house

― max (maxreax), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:25 (eighteen years ago)

I'm about to sleep on the back of a bus cos I want to be a comedy stockbroker and have no clue whether my wife will divorce me.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:27 (eighteen years ago)

WHERE THE FUCK DOES ONE FIND A HOUSE FOR $540/MONTH??????????

(between the coasts)

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:27 (eighteen years ago)

new brunswick, new jersey

― max (maxreax), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:27 (eighteen years ago)

Fucking hell, if I could find a house here for $540/month, I would die.

― The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:33 (eighteen years ago)

gosh, i'm paying almost exactly 35%. thought it would be more

― jimbo (electricsound), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:35 (eighteen years ago)

WHERE THE FUCK DOES ONE FIND A HOUSE FOR $540/MONTH??????????

Can I join in on this cri de coeur?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:36 (eighteen years ago)

Move to a red state, fellows.

― milo z (mlp), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:37 (eighteen years ago)

Estimated Monthly Payment: $341

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:39 (eighteen years ago)

$402

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:40 (eighteen years ago)

ya srsly outside of the 10-15 big cities and their metro areas that kind of housing isnt unheard of at all

― max (maxreax), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:40 (eighteen years ago)

Move to a red state, fellows.

Regrettably, I am addicted to living near an ocean without humidity.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:40 (eighteen years ago)

fuckit, i should move to ithaca ny or some shit and work at cornell

― UART variations (ex machina), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:40 (eighteen years ago)

ohio: rent a house for $250-$800 per month

― friday on the porch (lfam), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:42 (eighteen years ago)

percentage of gross or net income?

― he smells something else. he don't smell honey and pears. (tehresa), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:42 (eighteen years ago)

3 Bed, 1.5 Bath, $404/month

YOU GET THE IDEA.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:42 (eighteen years ago)

I'm paying the price I am for a 2 bedroom flat! :(

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:43 (eighteen years ago)

Me moving to Little Rock is slightly more far-fetched than me giving birth to Nina Hagen.

― The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:44 (eighteen years ago)

Black to the Future IV: The Quickening

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:44 (eighteen years ago)

Me moving to Little Rock is slightly more far-fetched than me giving birth to Nina Hagen.

I would watch this sitcom.

― max (maxreax), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:45 (eighteen years ago)

Goin' to the country and leavin' right away
No time to talk I got to make a getaway
Gonna leave the city it's a crime and a shame
People in the city are goin' insane

― friday on the porch (lfam), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:46 (eighteen years ago)

"He's a computer programmer; she's a performance artist. Can they get along in ARKANSAS?"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:46 (eighteen years ago)

That's crazy you say that, Dan, because YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GUESS WHAT I'M DOING NEXT WEEK!

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:47 (eighteen years ago)

If you're going to be picky about the flyover states, don't complain about rent.

― milo z (mlp), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:47 (eighteen years ago)

WTF dumbass, I am from Minnesota and, if my wife didn't categorically refuse to move someplace that has subzero temperatures, I'd be living there (or Chicago) now. Don't say stupid shit.

― The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:48 (eighteen years ago)

Don't get snippy with me, Mr. Looks Down His Nose At Arkansans.

― milo z (mlp), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:50 (eighteen years ago)

New screen name!

― Zwan (miccio), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:51 (eighteen years ago)

wow, this is already the sitcom.

― max (maxreax), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:51 (eighteen years ago)

Nothing could be finer
Than sand in my vagina
In South Carolina

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:51 (eighteen years ago)

HI GUYZ. UH.

Don't bring me into your dumb squabbling. Simply Steve, get a job and stop bitching about 600 rent. Dan Perry, move to Texas. And What, stop listening to the Offspring.

http://www.dw-world.de/image/0,,1366151_1,00.jpg

That is all

― NINA HAGENZ (Mr.Que), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:54 (eighteen years ago)

if i was less high right now this wouldn't be funny

― max (maxreax), Friday, 2 February 2007 03:54 (eighteen years ago)

Skipping 54 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Agreed. WTF you thinking?

― marianna lcl (marianna lcl), Friday, 2 February 2007 17:09 (eighteen years ago)

Parents can be helpful in these cases.

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 2 February 2007 17:17 (eighteen years ago)

LAME (sorry, I'm strong beleiver in people of age not leaning on parents for basic survival.)

― Ms Misery (MissMiseryTX), Friday, 2 February 2007 17:18 (eighteen years ago)

think about suicide

― UART variations (ex machina), Friday, 2 February 2007 17:20 (eighteen years ago)

Which New Brunswick liquor store are you referring to?

Damnit, I miss that run-down old mill town. Great times were had. And I was lucky...I never got robbed.

― B.L.A.M. (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Friday, 2 February 2007 17:37 (eighteen years ago)

Approx 60% of income goes to mtg.

Magic: The Gathering?

― milo z (mlp), Friday, 2 February 2007 17:41 (eighteen years ago)

the black lotus is pretty expensive, dude.

― max (maxreax), Friday, 2 February 2007 17:42 (eighteen years ago)

Your options:

- new job
- extra night job
- extra student loans, if you haven't maxed out your federal or private limits
- telling your parents you can't do basic greater-than / less-then operations and begging for help

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 2 February 2007 19:00 (eighteen years ago)

Okay that makes more sense to me.

Also yeah, get another job, WTF.

― The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Friday, 2 February 2007 19:02 (eighteen years ago)

Take out extra loans..? I mean, working too many extra jobs might mean your schoolwork suffers which kinda defeats the purpose of being there.
It's got to be cheaper than on-campus housing costs anyway, isn't it? How did you afford that?

― dar1a g (daria g), Friday, 2 February 2007 19:06 (eighteen years ago)

P.S. here's a cool trick for picking living spaces in the future. Punch your income into a calculator. Press the "minus" button (-). Now punch the rent in and press "equals" (=). A number will display on the screen. If there is a little minus sign in front of that number (-), then don't live there.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 2 February 2007 19:07 (eighteen years ago)

my rent is 24% of my income (my rent is $400/month, shared 2-bedroom apartment).

― GULLIBLE (Mandee), Friday, 2 February 2007 20:02 (eighteen years ago)

When I first moved to NYC, my rent was about 200% of net income; the next year, maybe 70%. Now I'm down to around 30%.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 2 February 2007 20:11 (eighteen years ago)

I've gone from 1/2 to 1/4

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 2 February 2007 20:14 (eighteen years ago)

I KNOW this is a horrible deal with only 5 ppl (there's fukken 5 ROOMS and we have NO ONE doubling). But the one stupid girl already signed the lease AND put down her $810 deposit which she would apparently lose if the rest of us bailed out. And this girl would make it hell if we did that and it'd be no rock'n'roll fun. So if it was up to me I'd be all "OMGz no stupid" but it's tooooo late.

And the liquor store I was referring was to The Hub. It probably still is.

As it is right now I have class+work from roughly noon-10pm on monday thru thursday and noon-6 on friday, so I don't know if I could swing a second job, PLUS find time to do all the fuckloads of reading I have to do for my classes. And since I don't have a laptop at school (long story) I have to write all my papers at the computer labs which is a bitch.

But yeah it's basically going to cost the same as my term bill does this year (the dorm and the house will be roughly equal). I know some of my family has $$ put away for me and so far financial aid has covered everything both years (we found loopholes and milked the system) so maybe that'll help a tiny bit, but I'm not really one to have mommy & daddy pay for everything.

― Simply Steve! (née Christiane F.) (drowned in milk), Friday, 2 February 2007 20:37 (eighteen years ago)

No offense, but that's one of the dumbest paragraphs I've read in this place.

Sucks for stupid girl to sign the lease and make her deposit, but I don't see why you have to get sucked in, too. I mean, you know what else isn't rock'n'roll fun? Falling into debt and having to rely on $$ savings because someone else fucked up.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 2 February 2007 20:48 (eighteen years ago)

are you not saving any money by living off-campus? dorm housing (and associated meal plans) was a total expensive rip-off when i was in school.

― lauren (laurenp), Friday, 2 February 2007 20:51 (eighteen years ago)

it's not toooo late if you haven't put down money and plus it sounds like she dropped the deposit so you guys would have to sign? i'm guessing this girl can afford it alright and she doesn't give a shit about who else cannot as long as they help her get the digs.

― roger goodell (gear), Friday, 2 February 2007 20:52 (eighteen years ago)

~~savings~~parents

― UART variations (ex machina), Friday, 2 February 2007 20:55 (eighteen years ago)

xpost

- Dude, if she didn't get a committment from you that you wanted to live in this place, her deposit is her problem. Having someone get all mad at you for a while is way preferable to dipping into financial hell and sitting around trying to stretch a can of sardines into two days' worth of meals.

- If you've squeezed all you can out of federal financial aid, you can still think about private loans. Talk to your loan officer: if your credit is even minimally acceptable, you'll have access to private loans to cover you up to whatever your school designates as the cost of tuition PLUS housing, food, books, etc. Obviously if you have savings available somewhere, you're better off using them than borrowing with interesting ... but if you get stuck and really want to avoid asking family for help, a small private student loan -- paid back over a long-ass term at below-prime interest -- will certainly help.

- You can always look for the kind of grueling job that'll net you a bunch of money in a short time frame on weekends -- like one-shift weekend-night jobs, or tough weekend day work. Might impinge on your social life a bit, but then again, so does getting evicted. I don't mean to make light of your workload -- maybe it's really intensive -- but you have two whole weekend days free to pitch a few more dollars into your accounts. Having stuff to do from noon till 10, then reading and doing coursework until 3, then sleeping until 10 ... it can get a little grueling, but I can assure you it's not all that bad. (Hell, I'm giving you 7 hours of sleep and maybe 5 hours a day for coursework in that example, which is rosier than it could be!)

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 2 February 2007 20:59 (eighteen years ago)

but she DID get a commitment. I'm just nervous. Like before you get married or something.

― Simply Steve! (née Christiane F.) (drowned in milk), Friday, 2 February 2007 21:08 (eighteen years ago)

Wait, then why did you phrase the first paragraph in the fashion you did, if that is the case? Did she get a commitment from you BEFORE she went ahead and started throwing around her deposit or not?

― Allyzay doesnt get into the monkeys or vindications (allyzay), Friday, 2 February 2007 21:09 (eighteen years ago)

And, if she did, why did you agree to live in a house you can't afford?

― The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Friday, 2 February 2007 21:22 (eighteen years ago)

wtf school are you going to where you are in class from noon til 10pm 4 days a week

― deej.. (deej..), Friday, 2 February 2007 21:23 (eighteen years ago)

Deej that was for class PLUS work.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 2 February 2007 21:24 (eighteen years ago)

Like hours-on-job paid work, not course work.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 2 February 2007 21:25 (eighteen years ago)

20% of net income on rent, this will go up to around 40% with mortgage (though i reckon you should overpay on those, so prob more like 65-70 to get it down quicker)

― Friendly Tree (688), Friday, 2 February 2007 21:38 (eighteen years ago)

oh ok i misread

― deej.. (deej..), Friday, 2 February 2007 21:40 (eighteen years ago)

i just figured out that my % of income on rent is embarrasingly low, esp considering how little money i've saved in the past year

― deej.. (deej..), Friday, 2 February 2007 21:40 (eighteen years ago)

When I was in my late 20s, I was shelling out around 17% of net income on rent. 10 years later my mortgage is costing me around 55% of net income. However, other expenses are a little higher than they were in 1996. I'm not talking about CDs.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 2 February 2007 21:46 (eighteen years ago)

i spend about 22% of monthly take-home on rent -- which comes out to 13.5% of my gross.

my apartment is less expensive than most where i live. it's also a bit of a dump (esp. considering what i could "afford" if i weren't such a cheapskate these days). then again, when i was still in school the above ratios were prob. obscenely high relative to my then-net/gross incomes.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 2 February 2007 22:32 (eighteen years ago)

The summer after college, I shared a house with three other guys that was in the $500/month range, which meant that we paid like $125 each. This was in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Now I live by myself, and I'm currently paying about 40% of my income on rent.

-- jaymc (jmcunnin...), February 2nd, 2007 10:47 AM. (jaymc) (later) (link

my sister who lives in kalamazoo now shares a house with 3 other people and pays like 280 or 300! times be changin!

i don't understand why this girl signed the lease by herself? isn't that something you do all at one time? i mean, i don't see any landlord being all excited that he's only gotten 1/5 of the deposit and signatures when there might be other people ready to give him all of it.

― he smells something else. he don't smell honey and pears. (tehresa), Friday, 2 February 2007 23:37 (eighteen years ago)

I think it was whole deposit?

― UART variations (ex machina), Saturday, 3 February 2007 00:04 (eighteen years ago)

$810 deposit on a $2700/mo house?

― he smells something else. he don't smell honey and pears. (tehresa), Saturday, 3 February 2007 00:06 (eighteen years ago)

810 EACH for deposit. So 810x5 (4050)

And the way housing in New Brunswick goes, a house goes on the market and in less than 24 hours is off the market. This is in late Jan/early Feb, too; it's totally insane. OK now since it's just not possible for 5 full time college students' schedules to magically align so that we can all look at and sign the lease for a house all at once, she paid/signed her part to hold it for us, and about an hour ago we all went to an ice cream/comic book store and signed it.

So yeah I like have a house now. In celebration I'm eating a Fat Bitch (so fukken good).

― Simply Steve! (née Christiane F.) (drowned in milk), Saturday, 3 February 2007 02:23 (eighteen years ago)

if you keep eating those youre going to have a massive medical bill on top of your rent.

― max (maxreax), Saturday, 3 February 2007 02:26 (eighteen years ago)

Oh please, I'm 5'6" and weigh like 140 (it was 125 at the end of the summer) with average cholesterol. It's no different than, like, getting a cheesesteak with a side of fries and a side of mozzarella sticks and lots of ketchup.

OK yea so you have a point.

― Simply Steve! (née Christiane F.) (drowned in milk), Saturday, 3 February 2007 02:29 (eighteen years ago)

don't worry, with that rent you'll be 100 lbs by the end of march! i kid of course, congratulations.

― roger goodell (gear), Saturday, 3 February 2007 02:30 (eighteen years ago)

actually eating only from the grease trucks is probably a good way to keep your food bills down.

remember that in terms of price and nutrition, the best food you can get is rice & beans.

― max (maxreax), Saturday, 3 February 2007 02:32 (eighteen years ago)

otm

― roger goodell (gear), Saturday, 3 February 2007 02:58 (eighteen years ago)

Thx for the tip; I'll keep that in mind. Helluva lot better than fukken ramen (in nutrition AND taste).

― Simply Steve! (née Christiane F.) (drowned in milk), Saturday, 3 February 2007 03:17 (eighteen years ago)

OMFGWTFLOL i just realized that you live about 2 blocks from where i lived for a year whilst @ rutgers (1994-1995, to be exact). yeah, that WAS a great neighborhood to be a college student. although the melody is long gone from what i've heard (;__;)

also, you can apparently buy lots of bum wines the hub liquor store -- only IF you are short of cash, of course.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 3 February 2007 04:17 (eighteen years ago)

Oh god, Cisco burns my throat. Mad Dog Peaches & Cream and I have already acquianted and are now lifelong friends. Where did you live? The crazy breakcore shows are on plum st now.

― Simply Steve! (née Christiane F.) (drowned in milk), Saturday, 3 February 2007 04:40 (eighteen years ago)

the corner of harvey and somerset street.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 3 February 2007 05:18 (eighteen years ago)

Oh fuck dude that's far!

― Simply Steve! (née Christiane F.) (drowned in milk), Saturday, 3 February 2007 17:25 (eighteen years ago)

basement shows!!!!!

― max (maxreax), Saturday, 3 February 2007 17:34 (eighteen years ago)

I don't know why the fuck I'm reading such a stupid thread (or rather, question) at about 3 am in my bed... in Tokyo.I should be looking for Melt Banana bootlegs or shows. Or maybe for a fey peroxide-haired idoru. Something. What a stupid ass move,dude. Why give the bloke advice? You signed for something you could NOT afford. This does not compute.

Fucking hell, if I could find a house here for $540/month, I would die.

Best not to look too hard then!

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Saturday, 3 February 2007 17:51 (eighteen years ago)

[i]I've been planning to get an [b]apt[/b] for the past 6 months, and I have enough in checking/savings[/i]

It's not a house, it's an apartment. The 'house' in the thread title was subconcious planning for future living beyond one's means.

― nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Saturday, 3 February 2007 18:46 (eighteen years ago)

two words

ho stroll

― ronny longjohns (ronny longjohns), Sunday, 4 February 2007 08:13 (eighteen years ago)

fuck, i think my rent was like 50% of my earnings last year. i need to see about making some more money soon

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 4 February 2007 08:33 (eighteen years ago)

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