Need help with housing , FRUSTRATED !!!

[son of the revolution]

OK , just about everyone knows by now that we are working on escaping the PSRNJ and getting over to the Lititz Area. We did find a house that we were happy with and was within our budget comfort zone , but its far from a sure thing . The owner and his wife keep telling us how " happy they are " with us , but their hung up on our Golden Retriever SAR Dog .
I've already sent them three letters of reference from other previous landlords that were " Anti Pet " and made an exception in our case and were quite pleased .Today I noticed the property has been relisted on CraigsList again . At this point Im torn on trying to push for a decision one way or the other . I dont want to piss them off by pestering , but at that same time , if their "so happy " about having us possibly rent from them , then its basically a " shit or get off the pot " situation in my mind .

I already told them they cant expect to keep me twisting in the wind , or to call on May 25th and expect me to be moved in by June 1st .


So anyway , I decided to start looking again just incase . Checked CraigsList and Lancaster Online and the pickings seemed pretty slim , lots of townhomes ( ) not many single family homes , and definetly not many under 1k a month .


Apparently Lititz is an area where people settle down and never leave , so theres a limited number of single family , detached rental homes available .


I've already made arrangements to transfer my job with Verizon as a Fios Rep to Harrisburg , and my wife is now on Maternity leave per Dr's orders.
I think Im feeling the pressure because our four year old is due to start school this Sept and we really are trying to avoid pulling her out half way thru the school year to move when our current lease is up in Feb 2010 .
So we're trying like hell to get moved and settled in before Sept .

Anyway , if anyone has friends/family that owns real estate or is involved in real estate , We're actively looking for a single family detached home to rent .
Minimum 3 bedroom 1and 1/2 bath , must accept pets ( professional working dog ) , would like something relatively "rural " . I know beggers cant be choosers , but we'd like to have some decent room between neighbors if at all possible . In other words , rowhomes are OUT and townhomes are last on the list of preference .

Trying to stay in the Lititz area and under 1k a month rent . The 3 br 1 &1/2 we already looked at was 850.00


Anyone ???????????

[brian]

may i ask why the lititz area if you're driving to harrisburgh?

that's a good 45minutes to hour drive one way.
there are plenty of nice communities in the area.

[son of the revolution]

Sure , A few reasons actually .

The 45 minute commute isnt really that big a deal to me , as its about what I have already .

We've been to Lititz twice ( scouting missions ) and really liked what we saw , plus the rave reviews the area got from others ( including people here) .

School District quality .

Lititz is less then 10 minutes from Lancaster Airport , and my Dad owns a Cessna Cardinal RG , so he can fly over to see the kids , or just drop in if he's already up flying around , pretty much at will , as opposed to making the hour plus drive over from NJ

Lititz is 10 to 15 min from Lancaster County Womens and Babies Hospital , which is the only Hospital in the area set up for high risk Neo Natal deliveries which is what we are facing with this current pregnancy .

Lititz is the farthest West I could convince my wife to move from the NJ Border , and even that was a fight . If it was up to her we'd be in Delco or somewhere as close to NJ as possible without actually living in Philly . I had to explain to her that the closer we were to the City , the more expensive it would be and one reason ( of several ) that we were fleeing the PSRNJ was the cost of living that we can no longer afford .

[str8shooter]

Rather than an ultimatum in a threatening tone, I'd suggest letting them know you have to make a decision on another property by X date, and that you'd prefer their home, but you need to give the other owner an answer.

This will give them the push YOU need, but not be confrontational or put you in a position where you're screwed if they don't answer by X date. Hopefully they know what the real estate term "Bird in Hand" means, not just think it's another goofy Amish country town.

[LilEMT]

Good luck with the housing search. I know you are looking to rent, but if you consider purchasing for cheap try the foreclosure lists. You might be able to pick up a decent house for under 1k a month. Good luck with the search and the new baby. Sorry to hear its a high risk pregnancy but neo natal care right now is amazing and there have been so many advancements. I truly hope everything goes well for you and your family.

As a side note, that's totally awesome your dad had an RG. They are cool little planes

[FNG19]

Lititz is less then 10 minutes from Lancaster Airport , and my Dad owns a Cessna Cardinal RG , so he can fly over to see the kids , or just drop in if he's already up flying around , pretty much at will , as opposed to making the hour plus drive over from NJ

For a short time, I flew out of Lancaster Airport. It's a great little field. If they're still open, Airways is probably the greatest pilot shop on the East Coast. If nothing else, their selection of headsets was phenomenal last time I was there, as was their selection of pilot paper goods (sectionals, AF/Ds, etc). And, the restaurant on the field, at least as of a few years ago, was pretty good. It would be a worthy Hundred Dollar Hamburger, IMHO, if it hasn't changed.

And as far as your Dad's plane? Very cool. I did my Complex in a 172RG, and thought it was a neat plane, despite having cut my teeth in a Piper. If the Cardinal is like the 172, it's a docile plane that loves to fly. I can understand why people love training in them, but a Piper Cherokee will always hold a special place in my heart (and my logbook!).

I had to explain to her that the closer we were to the City , the more expensive it would be and one reason ( of several ) that we were fleeing the PSRNJ was the cost of living that we can no longer afford .

Definitely. As soon as you cross over into Philly, you pay wage taxes you don't pay if you don't live in the city (technically, it's "live or work"). Insurance rates (renters and auto) go up as well, as does the cost of goods due to sales taxes. Medical insurance is more expensive as well, in my experience. Living in Philly may get you conveniences, you pay disproportionately for that. IMHO, you're better off living elsewhere from a cost perspective.

[ddefazio]

Why not purchase instead of throwing money into rent and not getting the rewards of ownership. There are so many good opportunities out there right now.

[son of the revolution]

Why not purchase instead of throwing money into rent and not getting the rewards of ownership. There are so many good opportunities out there right now.

Believe me if it was a realistic option , I would love to , however its not going to be , so .................................................. .....

[ddefazio]

have you spoken to a quality loan officer to inquire about getting a mortgage?

[son of the revolution]

have you spoken to a quality loan officer to inquire about getting a mortgage?

Nope , dont have down payment cash , so cant afford the ding on the credit score that an inquiry would give . Its my understanding the days of no money down mortgages are long gone .