Find Rental Home in Nashville, TN.
That phrase should be a simple Google search that helps house hunters like me.
It's not, though.
As a fairly tech-savvy Nashville native, I still began our search for a rental home with Google.
Those search word keystrokes led me on an adventure- or emotional roller coaster.
You decide...
I'm a Nashville native who has been on a mission to find a rental home since August, 2013.
I've learned quite a lot since then.
My story is similar to that of other couples in their mid-twenties, who are trying to avoid the dreaded confinements that returning to an apartment entails.
#Rentals in #Nashville - a simple phrase with a complicated and unknown undertakings for renters.
I'll start with my renter story.
If you're here for the straight-forward facts about renting a house in Nashville...scroll on, rudie-Mc-rude-ness... advice is at the bottom of this post. Hope it helps you.
The rest of you readers who've stayed along for the roller coaster beginnings...
It's going to be a wild ride.
Hang in there.
The ups and downs of renting a home will all be worth it in the end...
They were for me. (spoileralert!)
And so, our story begins....
We had to move.
...as most people assume when one starts frantically searching for a new place...
Anyway,
We checked Craigslist.
In summary, there are scammers.
Do not give them your personal information.
They are not on a mission in Nigeria.
They will not mail you the keys to their home.
Because it's not their home.
And you are wasting your time.
Don't send them money.
Some of them begin convos in a legitimate fashion that makes you want to believe them.
That's because you really just want to believe you've found an affordable housing option that those bastards are lying about.
It's okay.
Don't blame yourself too much.
Unless you got all the way to the post office to mail a money order to Nigeria.
Then, I still pity you.
Point is- so many scams are on Craigslist.
It can be hard when you're searching forever online to find the perfect place to move.
You're tired.
They know that.
They prey on the tired and hopeful little wanna-be renters like you.
Be careful.
No phone number that's local?
Move on to the next listing, my friend.
Your real house is waiting...
A Google search next led us to a website that listed a local agent's phone number.
We called the number we saw on that site.
I got excited to hear a Southern accent answer my call!
She's local.
FINALLY.
We met this particular agent at a beautiful two-story home that was priced affordably on the site that prompted our call to the agent.
She showed up wearing sweatpants.
She left her kid in the car to show us the house.
We chatted about how cheap the house was.
A RENT FEE PER MONTH WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED.
So, assumptions make asses of all of us.
She thought because we thought the house was cheap-
We knew the price.
We thought that because her number was listed on a site that did have a cheap rate, we must all be on the same page.
This part seems stupid, but...
ASK HOW MUCH THE HOUSE IS PER MONTH.
Doesn't matter where you saw the ad.
Any trace of evidence for the rate you found that had partners affiliated with the agent and/or property management company...will be damn near impossible to find.
You may get all the way to signing a lease.
You may stand in line at Regions to learn that they don't do money orders anymore.
Then, you might go to Walmart and get the money orders for your rental downpayment and security deposit...
because the agent said it would be a good idea.
Then, you might get a call at night.
It may be Agent Sweatpants.
She may tell you that you were selected by the owner among other applications to be the new renters of her fabulous home!
You'll feel like you've won THE PRICE IS RIGHT...
Until after you hang up, you decide to confirm the rent rate because you see that online- it appears to have increased since your last search...
Then, you might get a text message that states untrue information.
You might be lied to verbally since any written text of what really happened will not be foolishly provided.
You may have to back out of the whole thing, altogether.
I hear that stuff happens, you know.
:/ #totallyhypothetical #sarcasticbuttrue #youdecide
You'll get mad.
You'll get back on Craigslist, after mourning the loss of your perfect almost-was rental home.
At that point, you'll feel like giving up.
You'll hear offers and deals about apartments.
You'll cave in and schedule a viewing of those boxes in which you can't be caged.
And then...
Something you had nearly lost all hope of coming true but you desperately searched...
SCOURED the internet...until
You found the REAL house.
You talked to nice people.
They didn't mislead, scam, or lie to you.
They helped you.
You didn't trust them at first.
But, they helped you.
Hang in there.
It's out there.
You may make some mild trade-offs in the process- You'll have to do that or go to an apartment, friend. FACE IT NOW.
Still, driving a few more minutes isn't too bad. Especially when you've got a big backyard where your dogs can play. You have a quaint little home you can afford. You are safe in that neighborhood.
You are happy the other house didn't work out.
You wonder where Agent Sweatpants is, for a brief moment that passes when you decide you could give a shit less about her.
You have a new house.
Because you didn't give up.
You'll want to give up. Your work space will look like you've morphed into an investigative detective. Mine did. Stay calm, friends. Call MMC in Murfreesboro. Google MMC Properties in Murfreesboro, TN. Our house isn't really in Murfreesboro, but it's off Nashville Pike- just past the Smryna line.
No, it's not in Nashville.
We pay a lot less.
We have a bigger yard.
Pets are allowed.
And...we're safe there.
We move 10 days from now.
SO- HERE'S THE ADVICE THAT YOU IMPATIENT SURFERS FOUND EARLIER ABOUT RENTING A HOME IN NASHVILLE AND SURROUNDING AREAS:
- Trulia and Zillow don't show the right prices for homes, nearly every single time- the contact is also out-of-state.
- Local property management agents like selling houses, rather than dealing with renters.
- Find rental agents at local rental property management companies by looking for this specialization of services.
- Take screen shots for any price you see that you believe is accurate or false and completely misleading. It'll be your only proof if the poster deletes after raising the cost.
- Call numbers that begin with your area code.
- Visit the office of the local agent.
- Go to the property. (pictures lie often)
- Check the crime rates in the home's surrounding neighborhood. Or, drive around in bad parts of town to find a beautiful, low-cost home in a horribly dangerous neighborhood.
- If you live in Tennessee- go to MMC Properties in Murfreesboro. They were nice to me. Kind of a Pretty-Woman shopping scenerio, really- especially after dealing with unprofessional agencies who shall remain unnamed but know exactly from the details of this story who they are. I do have some boundaries to ranting, after all.
Hope this post is helpful or at least encouraging to the other house-hunters in Nashville.
There's still hope. There are honest people. There is a perfect house for you. Finding it isn't easy, but it's worth it in the end.
