Do You Think Rent and Condo Fees Are Getting Crazy?
By KrauseHome
@KrauseHome (36445)
United States
January 18, 2009 6:16pm CST
With the foreclosure rate continuing to skyrocket, and people loosing jobs left and right what shocks me the most, at least here in the Seattle area is the cost of Rent and such continues to increase with no end in sight. And since we own a Condo our Condo Fee continues to rise even though we are paying on average around $50-100 more than the average condo fee in our area as well.
So it makes me often wonder, are there really people out there who have No heart and do not care if people end up loosing their homes and such, even when they have a decent job to boot as well? Why is there never anything to STOP this from being able to happen as well?
They say there is a housing Crisis with Foreclosures and such, and many people continue to loose jobs, but when things are continuing to go up (including Taxes), to help cover the people who are loosing everything, it makes you wonder when this will all end. Yes, if you own you can Refinance, but if you are paying over $260 a month for a one Bedroom Condo for Condo fee with no end in site, it makes you wonder when things will ever change for sure. Personally from my standpoint when you can buy a home for cheaper than a Condo, it makes me wonder how can people really want to size down?
Have you experienced some of these same things, and if it was you, what are some words of advice you can offer as well?
~~TINA~~
4 people like this
11 responses
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Jan 09
Yes rents are absolutely ridiculous everywhere, I just don't know how they expect people to live, it is incredible. I have been looking for months to find a place that is cheaper than the one I am living in and I can't find anything at all. It is ridiculous.
1 person likes this
@zeloguy (4911)
• United States
20 Jan 09
I don't know about rent fees... never paid them back when I rented but condo fees can be steep just as property taxes are for those who own their own home. I happen to live in a state that has the highest of all property taxes and yes it is crazy!
Thanks
Zelo
Zelo 
@trinidadvelasco (11401)
• Philippines
19 Jan 09
this is a very sad scenario, krausehome. how come the owners of those condos do fail to consider the present conditions that others are in.
this is really the big problem involving condos. their prices are continuously going up. then there are maintenace fees to shoulder yet. one will surely think that it is better to purchase a house and lot rather than take a condo unit.
yes, we gave up on that condo and we are now renting a regular apartment with two bedrooms. it is much better this way.
@aidenofthetower (1814)
• United States
19 Jan 09
We rent a two bedroom apartment in Midland, TX. Rent here has continued to climb since we got here almost two years ago. We were shocked to find that rent was $759 when we moved in June of 2007. It was tough to make all the ends meet. We were here for one very specific reason...we came from Michigan where there were no jobs and my husband at least had a job here! Rent went up $100 last year and my husband has lost hours at work...it is all crazy. We are looking at a new lease at the end of this month and I am scared to see what our apartment is "worth" come this next lease. It seems that companies who own apartments really don't care at all about us. They have horrible service (we have been waiting almost 9 weeks for them to fix our toilet which was taken out due to a pipe leak in the wall back in November), few amenities, and continue to raise the rent without giving us anything more for it!
1 person likes this
@sudalunts (5523)
• United States
19 Jan 09
Yes, rents etc. are going crazy, totally out of hand. I rent, and have been out of work for six months. My landlord is/was aware of it, and do you think he would give me a break, no, he raised my rent last year. I now pay $975.00 a month for a one bedroom apartment. He has owned this house for over 25 years, therefore, I do not think his mortgage is that much, that he needs $975.00 a month from me. But who cares, everyone is looking out for themselves, not others.
1 person likes this
@Polly1 (12644)
• United States
19 Jan 09
Wow, $260 a month for condo fees seem expensive to me. Do you have to pay property taxes on top of that. I own my home and have to pay property taxes, if I don't pay the city can take my house from me and charge leins against my house. You are always going to pay something even if you own. The lady across the street is losing her house, its being foreclosed on. She said she is wanting to move anyway, keeping up a house is costing too much. I am hoping my daughter and her family gets the house. Its a really nice house and its going for really cheap, people don't have he money to spend. Banks are ot giving out loans that easily. We live in some tough times. Its going to get better, we just have to hang in there.
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28954)
• Canada
19 Jan 09
The cost of everything is getting crazy!!! It's unbelieveable what things are costing these days. Sad to say, but I am paying almost 70% of my income in rent, and to me that's way too much.
1 person likes this
@StrawberryKisses (2833)
• Canada
19 Jan 09
I live in Alberta Canada and the rents here are absolutely nutz. We pay sometimes over $1000/mth for a one bedroom apartment. There is a supposed housing crisis here too but that's because everyone cannot afford the rent here so they are always looking. The government needs to put a limit on how much and how many times per year it can be raised. There is a limit for both in BC but not here and it really is getting ridiculous. So I know how you feel. Work is going down a little and our rent and basic cost of living is going up. Makes no sense to me whatsoever.
1 person likes this
@albert2412 (1782)
• United States
19 Jan 09
I know that rent is going up, but everything else is going up as well. Taxes. insurance, etc keep going up. Repairs are not cheap either. I am not saying that what you are paying in fees is reasonable. Is there some way you can complain about the high fees?
1 person likes this
@CRIVAS (1815)
• Canada
19 Jan 09
I have to tell you that it is times like these that I am happy to be a home owner. I rented a place with my husband for 6 months and we finally decided to buy a house just because we thought it was stupid to make some landlord rich. We were very lucky because we were able to buy before the market changed.
1 person likes this
