Community Chat

[LilacTree]

My daughter who is sick with Lyme Disease has a rental lease that expires at the end of March. She has not been able to work since February of 2014, almost a year. She cannot afford the house she has been living in due to her significant decrease in income. She does get alimony and we have been helping her get her bills paid this past year.

She has been looking for an affordable place to live for many months, and cannot find one for her, her two kids, and her tiny elderly poodle mix companion ("No Pets!"). No one will accept someone who is not working and most do not count her alimony as permanent income (even though it is). As I said, my other girls and I have been helping her financially, but we are not rich. Together we have a good income, I have good credit, and we both have excellent rental referrals.

The solution we have come to is that she and I get a rental together and share expenses. That will alleviate the negative financial aspect of her already difficult life and make it easier for all of us. However, we are limited to the kind of housing available because we both can't do stairs (me not at all, without help and for her very taxing on her physically).

We need a ranch-type house (or an apartment on a first floor with three bedrooms, which does not exist). In our area significant building up in what was formerly the farming part of the state did not exist until the 1960s, when mostly large homes and apartment/condo complexes started to spring up. We lived in many of them when we first moved down here in 1977. Since then it has exploded thrice-fold and, like everywhere, there's hardly any land left that is not government protected, which I am not against by any means. But there are few single family, one-story homes that are for rent right now and that are not in bad shape and located in flat flood areas, presumably loaded with mold, not good for anyone, and certainly not people like us who are already immune-compromised.

Realtor keeps sending us the same listings (all with bedrooms up) and we have now expanded our search area to two counties. Time is running out. And I won't even go into the overwhelming task of packing up and moving both of us out of our present homes and moving us into a new place. And the fact that neither of us can do this by ourselves physically. My other daughters will help as much as they can, but they do work full time. Movers charge thousands extra for packing, so that is not an option.

I was thinking perhaps a landlord would allow us to install a stair chairlift if we pay for it and promise to take it down when we leave. They install right on the stairs and the walls would not be damaged. If you were a landlord, would you allow that . . . all else being equal . . . meaning they would accept us (as an odd couple) and her doggie?

[Topaz Gem]

I think Cardinal Girl is a landlord. Hopefully she'll see this.

[LilacTree]

On 1/24/2015 Topaz Gem said: I think Cardinal Girl is a landlord. Hopefully she'll see this.

The realtor was "this way-that way" about whether that would be an option or not, although she did say she has seen chairlifts in homes. That would give us dozens more options. So fingers crossed.

Thanks for your response Topaz.

[game-on]

Ford.... turn on the charm.... anything is negotiable!

[LilacTree]

On 1/24/2015 game-on said:

Ford.... turn on the charm.... anything is negotiable!

Ya think? Hope so!! We will be looking at some places next Wed or Thurs.

[tansy]

Have you checked the costs of stairway lifts yet? I like the idea of you sharing a place with your daughter. Good luck on your house hunt

[LilacTree]

On 1/24/2015 tansy said: Have you checked the costs of stairway lifts yet? I like the idea of you sharing a place with your daughter. Good luck on your house hunt

Yes. Depending upon the layout of the stairwell, they run from $1,500 up and vary by weight capacity, believe it or not. We are both in the 120-130 lb category.

Thanks Tansy. It's always something.

[adelle38]

Ford,

Am I remembering correctly that you live in New Jersey? In view of your medical challenges have you checked this resource?

http://nj.gov/njhrc/affordable_housing.html

[LilacTree]

On 1/24/2015 adelle38 said:

Ford,

Am I remembering correctly that you live in New Jersey? In view of your medical challenges have you checked this resource?

http://nj.gov/njhrc/affordable_housing.html

OMG, no. I thought we had checked everywhere, but I just looked at this site and don't recall it. I don't know if we will qualify because of our income, and her disease is not recognized, though mine is.

I will most definitely check this out right now! Thanks so much, Adelle!

[LilacTree]

I can't seem to navigate that site, adelle. Everything I click on leads me back to the same first page and not the second page where one can search. There is a phone number I can call. I'll keep trying. Thanks again.