It's Hard To Be A Renter These Days.

One of my clients is relocating here from outside of the area. He wants to buy a house eventually, but he wants to rent a home in Woodstock first so he can get settled. This is pretty common, although it’s getting harder and harder to find a good rental nearby. Why is this?

My Experience With Rentals

Many who know me know that I used to do a lot of work with rentals. During the recession, I managed over a hundred properties around Atlanta. I represented a lot of landlords and placed a lot of tenants in great homes.

In fact, representing landlords all over the Atlanta metro is one of the things that helped me realize I wanted to specialize in one geographical area closer to home. First of all, I found it hard to really get to know the areas I was placing tenants. Secondly, Woodstock was growing and I could see a real need for a local expert here. Finally, no one wants to spend all day driving around in Atlanta traffic! I was much happier staying close to home.

A Change In The Market

Last week I was out with my rental client recently touring a house he was interested in. The house was in a decent location, but needed a lot of work. There was mold in the AC unit and the windows were pretty old. In addition, the place was advertised as having a fenced-in back yard perfect for a dog…but the fence was falling down and had big gaps! Not great for Fido.

I was shocked at the condition of the property, especially since the price was so high. But I can understand why. There’s a scarcity of land, and rental homes are in high demand so landlords can command a higher price while doing less work. The rental market is way different now than it was when I was actively placing tenants. I would feel bad placing tenants in 80% of the places I see on the market right now!

Take Control of Your Living Situation

Many people don’t realize that for the same monthly expense as renting a home in Woodstock, you can buy a home. The only way to truly take control of the quality of your residence is to buy one.

I really believe you deserve a nice place, a clean place, and a safe place. Sure, it’s possible to find this in a rental. There are landlords who take pride in their property and really do a great job of maintaining it. If you’re that type of landlord I commend you and appreciate you. If you’ve found that type of landlord, consider yourself lucky! The way the market is right now, that’s getting harder and harder to find.

I explained it this way to my client: there’s more to it than just the price of a rental. You need to consider the age of the home, condition of the AC, condition of windows, etc. Does saving a bit on the rent really matter if you’re paying more in utilities, or have to fix maintenance issues on your own?

Where To Go From Here

Many people rent a home in Woodstock by choice, which is understandable. If you’re ready to upgrade quality without paying more—or maybe even saving—then give me a call. You might be surprised what you can buy with your rental budget!

If you’re not sure where to start, I can definitely help. I can put you in touch with my lender partner so you can start evaluating your situation. I’m always happy to have an honest conversation and give you information about how to better equip yourself to buy.

Call me today! (404) 309-2930

This post is brought to you by Dana Possick, aka, Mr. Woodstock. He is the team leader of Mr. Woodstock & Associates and the Broker at Quantum Realty, Inc.