Community Chat

[AngelPuppy1]

That doesn't seem like a cheap rent but I do understand that rent is probably much higher in cities.  I was watching a show the other day and this young woman who lived in NY City decided she didn't like her current apartment that much - she felt she needed a bit more space.  I think she said she was currently paying between $8,000 and $8,500 per month!  The apartment she wanted was over $9,000 per month!!!  Yikes!!! 

[proudlyfromNJ]

My nephew has an apartment in Boston. I think he has a roommate which makes it a bit cheaper for him. He has a good job so that and the roommate is why he can afford it.

[Barbinboston]

I live in Worcester County, near Lancaster and Bolton MA.  We have owned for over 30 years.  I remember when the  rent of our small 2 bdrm apt in Watertown was being raised to a whopping $600/month (the mid 1980's) so we decided to look for a house. We are not handy so didn't want to buy a fixer upper. So we had to move waaay west to be able to afford a new condo...at 12% interest!! 

I can't believe how expensive housing in MA is. Love the South Shore and hope you can find a home you love.  Good luck with your closing and move

[bikerbabe]

Rents are high most everywhere and they aren’t always proportional to incomes but keep in mind as an RN I can easily make double the income in CA that I can earn in MO, for example.

[Melzie]

---

@781Florist wrote:

Sorry guys!  I was definitely being sarcastic.  I remember thinking that an average rent of $1,600 per month was outrageous about six years ago, and now $2,040.00 is considered low income housing.

BTW....I know that Boston, NY and S.F. are always insanely high for rents, but the price I mentioned is in a suburb 10 miles outside of Boston.  The surrounding towns are even higher.    In the city of Boston the average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment as of April 2024 is $3,343.00 per month.

I just don't know how people do it.  If the accepted ratio of rent to income is 33% (and I am old enough to remember when it was 25%!)  that means one needs about $100,000 a year to rent a 1 BR apartment.

I don't know that many people who make that kind of money.

---

I live in Metrowest and looked up the rents in my town, just for kicks, and almost fell off the chair.  $2390 to $5370+!  Yikes!  I always knew this was an expensive area but that's crazy!   Very thankful for what I have.  🙏

[ECBG]

@on the bay 

I'll change the light bulb or wait until DS visits if DH can't.

Owning a home gives me Shadow, quiet (most of the time), and privacy.

[AuntG]

$1200 would get you a decent one bedroom apartment where I live. I'm sure people will jump at the opportunity to get reduced rent, even if for a year.

[on the bay]

@ECBG,

Yes, if I was able to have a dog, especially Shadow size I would want a house with a large fenced back yard for him to run and play when not walking him.

I have owned a house in the past

and liked it too but I did a lot of work in it-my garden which I made, the pond -it was lovely.

I guess it depends on what each persons circumstances are, at different stages.

I'm glad you have your Shadow and a home that you love.

[CatsyCline]

cannot BELIEVE RE prices in Hudson MA.  Hudson is a blahh town, nothing there but a 99 restaurant and Wallyworld.   rented there in the late '90s to save for a home.  easy access to highway and close to my work at the time. ugh. and Lowell!!  u got be be Karaazee...

[on the bay]

---

@spumoni99 wrote:

---

@on the bay wrote:

After owning a house, I like apartments better.

Need a lightbulb changed? Call the rental office Have a problem? No need to find available reliable repair men and contractors.

I guess it's what you get used to and what you need in life.

I don't think NYC can compare to many others. Maybe San Francisco. Or New England.

$2,000 is not a bargain in many big cities across the U.S., just an average to maybe slightly high rent.

I actually wondered if the op was a sarcastic post at first.

---

If our tenants called us whenever they needed a lightbulb changed we would not renew the lease!!!

@spumoni99,

I would agree with that but my apts are an apartment complex. Not privately owned. 

Many of the light fixtures are on the ceiling and are the type where they have their own bulbs particularly for these lights.

The maintenance team here is exceptional.

So no worries. I won't need to call a private landlord.

My son and I have lived in privately rented apts and we would not do it again. It was not a good experience.The health dept got involved in one.

I hope you are a good landlord to your tenants.

---