Apartments inside the loop? (Houston, Center: for rent, motel, big house)

[oklahomie]

Hey guys. I will be graduating college fairly soon, and I will be moving to Houston for a job I got. The job location is inside the loop. Does anyone have any recommendations as to where might be a good place to get an apartment? I really want to live inside the loop if at all possible for traffic reasons. As a recent college graduate, I definitely won't be looking for anything that isn't reasonable. If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[coconutbutter]

Where inside the loop? Are you working Downtown? Even if you live inside the loop, traffic can still be a nightmare to deal with if you're commuting from the north to the south or east to the west. There are many times where it has taken me an hour to go from one part of the loop to the other...

[oklahomie]

Yes, I'll be working Downtown. Sorry about that.

[coconutbutter]

What's your price range? Rents inside the loop have increased quite a bit this past year.

[oklahomie]

I'd say anything around $1,000 or so. I'm not sure if that would get me much in that area, but like I said I'll just be starting out

[coconutbutter]

1,000 is kind of low for managed properties, but if you check out Houston Press or Craigslist, you can find some private owners who have a garage apartment or a four/six unit apartment in desirable areas like the Heights and Montrose. Believe me, it can be found!! I lived in a six unit complex in the heart of Montrose to the tune of $585, and I had the best landlord ever. Timing is key on these properties.

I have a coworker/friend who lives on Bayou on the Bend on Memorial, and he is happy with the amenities and location (according to him, it takes him 5 minutes to get into work). His rent for a 1br is $1,100.

Oooh, I just asked him about your situation and he said you could get into Memorial Club for $900, which is on Westcott and Washington but "it looks like a motel from the 60s." Not sure if that's a good or bad thing lol, but the location is great!

This guy I knew who lives in the Museum District rents from a private owner who owns this big house and broke up the units into individual apartments. He pays $1,250, all bills paid. I feel like those are the best deals, esp. if you have a great landlord.

I would check with your employer to see if they offer rent discounts (usually like 1-1.5% off rent and/or waived application fees). I see this advertised in my company's benefits website/newsletter.

It seems like starting rent is $1,300 for a managed 1br property - just for rent.

[crono_clone]

That can be tough, make sure to check on Craigslist as duplexes and older apartments tend to forgo the traditional websites.

I'd say look in the area around the Medical Center, in some parts of Montrose, or in the less developed parts of Midtown and the Heights.

If you want to be super-close to downtown, try the East End (just past East Downtown) or the Northside, two areas that haven't gentrified yet but are in the cross-hairs of the developers as the next possible hotspots.

[oklahomie]

Originally Posted by coconutbutter

1,000 is kind of low for managed properties, but if you check out Houston Press or Craigslist, you can find some private owners who have a garage apartment or a four/six unit apartment in desirable areas like the Heights and Montrose. Believe me, it can be found!! I lived in a six unit complex in the heart of Montrose to the tune of $585, and I had the best landlord ever. Timing is key on these properties.

I have a coworker/friend who lives on Bayou on the Bend on Memorial, and he is happy with the amenities and location (according to him, it takes him 5 minutes to get into work). His rent for a 1br is $1,100.

Oooh, I just asked him about your situation and he said you could get into Memorial Club for $900, which is on Westcott and Washington but "it looks like a motel from the 60s." Not sure if that's a good or bad thing lol, but the location is great!

This guy I knew who lives in the Museum District rents from a private owner who owns this big house and broke up the units into individual apartments. He pays $1,250, all bills paid. I feel like those are the best deals, esp. if you have a great landlord.

I would check with your employer to see if they offer rent discounts (usually like 1-1.5% off rent and/or waived application fees). I see this advertised in my company's benefits website/newsletter.

It seems like starting rent is $1,300 for a managed 1br property - just for rent.

So checking out sites like Craigslist would be a good option if I don't need the "commercialized" type managed units it sounds like? I don't necessarily need to be super close to work, but I'd like to avoid an unnecessarily long commute. Thanks very much for the info by the way

[coconutbutter]

crono_clone's post reminds me of a developer named Cody who posts on Swamplot. I don't have his contact info (nor do I see it after a quick skim), but he was remodeling a bunch of questionable/sketchy apartments in Midtown for $550 in rent. Since then, the price has gone up.

Here's the original post. He even won a Swampie for this salvation.

[coconutbutter]

Originally Posted by oklahomie

So checking out sites like Craigslist would be a good option if I don't need the "commercialized" type managed units it sounds like? I don't necessarily need to be super close to work, but I'd like to avoid an unnecessarily long commute. Thanks very much for the info by the way

Yep!!
I found a bunch of apartments in great areas on Houston Press' classified section, but it's currently under construction. (Just checked, sorry!!)

Even if you aren't moving soon right now, some of those agents who are advertising apartments can help you find one that you're looking for and make appointments for you to view them. No costs out of pocket for you!

By the way, it looks like Craigslist has a lot of scammers than usual with some too good to be true deals.

I'm sending you a quick list of stuff that I liked and found after a quick browse on CL.