Wanna guess why I clicked on this ad even though it only has one picture, which isnt even the room for rent?

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

I am currently shopping for a new place to live at because Ive been at the current spot just over a year now and country living and the too many/too shitty roommates have just gotten to me over time. I had a really sweet place lined up for the same as what I am paying now but a little bit further. But someone else nabbed it before I could. So I have been back on the market. Yesterday I viewed a unique spot where it was 3BR and a private bath all to myself upstairs while downstairs was just one guy. Seemed like a cool dude since he had the garage filled with a project 944 and a cobra kit he takes to the track or to cruise in. But I'd be stuck street parking in a strict HOA area that enforces 24 hour car moving policies (7 days in a select few spots though) and the area was described by the guy living there as "lots of riff raff on the street" and one night thieves cut the cat off of his truck in the parking lot. And all of that is going for $1500 plus utils to be a total of ~1670. Still a good deal for the amount of square footage. But then I saw this listing on CL.

Theres absolutely minimal information and no pics of the place but I saw a garage! So I texted the guy and he confirmed that I could park in the garage with a car and plenty of street parking or the driveway for the other. For this price it is absolutely worth investigating with that amentity included. Some of you may see 900 for a room for rent as "expensive" but considering a private 1BR apartment is a minimum of $1800, this is a good deal for what I would get in this area. I thought it was funny and had to share though about how simply seeing a garage is the only reason I didnt skip the ad due to lack of information.

[Highlander]

@wrong-wheel-drive Some of those older ranch homes are pretty nice too. Even with one room it's probably a decently sized room. I have a friend who rents a studio in redwood city for like $2500/month, so it could be worse.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@highlander Man that is a lot of money for housing without owning the damn place! Its why I cannot see myself here long term. I'd like to own a house before retirement but that just aint gonna happen in Socal. Im less concerned about space and more about the quality of both the roommates and the shared spaces. The main thing im trying to escape are crazy/inconsiderate roommates/landlords and shitty/dirty spaces. Every place I look at is an upgrade from my current place (other than the view) so it tells me that I cant really go wrong.

[jminer]

@wrong-wheel-drive That's a solid potential find! I'm all the way out in Pleasanton CA to find a relatively cheap house with a decent garage.

California is expensive, but it is also so nice.

Good luck with the place, hope it's what you're after!

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@jminer said in Wanna guess why I clicked on this ad even though it only has one picture, which isnt even the room for rent?:

Pleasanton CA

Things are relatively affordable here compared to the Bay area! Its gotta be particularly jarring for you where you are coming from too. For me its not that different from NJ, especially looking at the property taxes. At least it comes with something of value here other than a metric ton of salt caked on my undercarriage! I do really love being in California and I am indifferent about the political aspects of it all. But just thinking long term of more than a few years? Its hard to think of having a future here when I can easily get a job elsewhere.

[jminer]

@wrong-wheel-drive I was prepared, but yeah my rent is over 3x what my mortgage was and my new place is less than half the size my house was! I got a deal too, a house that needs a bit of work and a bit out of town.

I'm still loving being out here so far - it's a sunny 60 today here and in Missouri the high is 32.

Same as you though, we likely won't live here forever but it's nice for the next couple years.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@jminer Haha yup that lack of winter thing is pretty nice isnt it? If anything I only ever worry about being too damn hot. Having AC is a rarity around here for the most part. And yeah highs in the summer are generally around 90 and seemingly more often crest 100. Its not very humid but global warming is a bitch. Today it was 75 when I was in town which always makes me chuckle to see in January.

[jminer]

@wrong-wheel-drive We did get a place with central A/C which should help a good deal in summer, that $0.30 per KWH though will be even worse then!

Summer here though is still cooler than back home in Missouri, less humid too. Wildfire season I'm sure will be more than unpleasant though.

[RacinBob]

@wrong-wheel-drive Buy for the garage, stay for the roomates..... Bonus if they already have air compressor and tools in garage...... Double bonus if roomates are pilots and are out of town 5 days a week.....

[Chariotoflove]

@wrong-wheel-drive Three guys and a private backyard jacuzzi? Oh yeaaaah! I feel the plot for a poorly written bro movie coming on.

That does look like a nice place though. You could probably only wrench on that driveway if you put mats down. Sew fauncy.

[onlytwowheels]

Twenty plus years ago, I was renting a room in California. Rent for the room with a 1/2 bath, plus one car garage was $1250 then. My roommates mostly sucked but tolerable most days.

[ranwhenparked]

@wrong-wheel-drive That is a lot, in general terms - its $30 a month less than the mortgage for my whole house, and $200 more than I spent to rent an entire house on 1/2 an acre from 2015-2018, but its all based on location.

Finding a decent place you can tolerate living in for under a grand in your neck of the woods is kind of a feat. That's actually why I turned down an analyst job with American Honda a few years ago - it required a transfer to Torrance, CA after 12 months, and a quick check of the local housing market confirmed that was not going to happen on their salary. Even tried to rationalize maybe commuting in from Barstow, since it was only 2 hours or so out.

[flatisflat]

@wrong-wheel-drive I had a s*** room in a kinda s*** house in boring-ass San Ramon for $750/mo. and it was a STEAL. I didn't even live there for the first 6 months I rented from them as I was living with a gf at the time, but I wasn't letting it go because it was too good of a price.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@ranwhenparked HAHA that is "only two hours" without traffic. Barstow is a solid 4 hours away under normal traffic conditions, probably more since that 4 hours could be from the Valley if its bad enough... But yeah I wont ever do that no matter how much I like it here. Having to commute more than 30 minutes is not something I am willing to do ever again in my life unless that is an on foot/pedal powered then I would be willing to do a little bit longer.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@onlytwowheels The roommate part is always the mixed bag. I am very open minded to different relationships with people. At this house ive had roommates that have ranged from amazing to terrible and everything in between. One guy who lived here I still hang out with even though he moved. The women who have lived here were such nice people and I'd stay in touch there too. But yeah just some crazies and the landlord being the rat king circus leader who is most likely moving back in is just icing on the cake.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@flatisflat Haha yeah I have seen a few listings that are just SO cheap that if they arent an actual scam, have gotta be worth it. When the average rent for a small room in a house with a bunch of people is greater than $1k, seeing places at ~$600 seems off. But im sure its just a person trying to rent a room out quick and already making money even if they dont rent it at all. I can afford a nice apartment to myself even at the going rate of 2k/month. I just dont want to though so finding a place that is a great deal closer to 1k would allow me to have a nice place and save for retirement now when it matters.

[ranwhenparked]

@wrong-wheel-drive it was going to be that, or Long Beach, or park a motorhome in the employee parking lot and join a local Planet Fitness, one of the three

[onlytwowheels]

@wrong-wheel-drive

I had one room mate that was borderline psycho, one that was an old hippie that was in complete paranoia, one that was a filthy disgusting slob and another that was a former raver and manufacturer of party drugs.....

The last one was the most tolerable, then the hippie. The other 2 were kicked out by the landlord because no one could live with them.