Time to move out...
By Lena Kovadlo
@lovebuglena (43065)
Staten Island, New York
June 30, 2020 12:45pm CST
I am currently living in my parents' other house that they never sold. My mom originally gave us the house for two years. We moved into the house in February 2015, so it's been a bit over five years now.
My mom recently told me that she wants to sell the house. This means we have to look for a place to move. It will not be easy finding a place, especially after living in a spacious house for many years.
Since I don't drive and hubby has a crazy work schedule, I need the place to be close to transportation and to have stores nearby. The neighborhood has to be safe and the place can't be a dark hole in the wall either. And of course rent has to be affordable.
Right now we are paying $800/month. We don't have to pay for utilities. Finding something in that price range will be next to impossible. It's gonna be hard finding something that fits into our budget and that's also roomy and in a nice neighborhood that's close to transportation and shopping.
I did a search for apartments on apartments.com and in our price range hardly anything came up. 
13 people like this
14 responses
@LindaOHio (155961)
• United States
30 Jun 20
Keep checking and be patient. If you were in our area, you'd have no problem with that price range....but in the NY area things are expensive as you know. Good luck!
2 people like this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
Even though I hate that this house has 4 levels (three stories plus basement) and is far from transportation I love this neighborhood. I have library and a shopping plaza near me.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
@LindaOHio Yes. Good thing that we don't have a set date to move out. That would be a problem.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (155961)
• United States
30 Jun 20
@lovebuglena Take your time and look at all your options. Transportation is important as are shopping plazas. A library is nice to have.
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
I would not want to buy the house. Plus, can't afford it anyway.
@DianneN (246532)
• United States
2 Jul 20
@lovebuglena Of course I know that it is a NYC borough. My son, his wife, their children, my nephew, two sisters-in-law, my son's in-laws, and their son and other daughter all live in Manhattan in good neighborhoods and in beautiful buildings. All extremely expensive, but they all earn top dollar and can afford them.
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Jul 20
@DianneN Sorry. Wasn't sure if you knew SI was part of NYC. As for your kids... Wow! That's awesome. I'd love to live in the city but aside from it being very expensive it is always very loud. I'd rather hang out in the city but live in a quieter area.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Jul 20
Staten Island is NYC. Houses are definitely not cheap here, especially big ones and in good neighborhoods.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
That's what it seems like.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
@NJChicaa That's pretty high. My uncle pays way more than that and for a small 1-bedroom that he's been renting in Brooklyn since the late 90s I think.
@NJChicaa (115959)
• United States
30 Jun 20
@lovebuglena I pay $1247 for a 2 bedroom apartment and I don't live anywhere near the city
@kobesbuddy (74483)
• East Tawas, Michigan
30 Jun 20
Maybe your mother will help you look for a place. Be patient and you'll find the perfect home!
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
Thankfully, she didn't say I have to be out by so and so date. She didn't put the house on the market yet. Thing is, if she does put it on the market and it sells quick what are we gonna do?
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (74483)
• East Tawas, Michigan
30 Jun 20
@lovebuglena I'd just start looking, immediately for another house. If it sells fine, if it doesn't it won't matter, because you'll be living elsewhere.
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
@kobesbuddy We'd have to look for an apartment. Renting a house will be too expensive.
1 person likes this
@JimBo452020 (42629)
• United Kingdom
30 Jun 20
This must be a worrying time for you.
Could you and hubby not buy the house?
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
We can't afford it and I doubt my parents would sell it to us. Plus, if I were to buy a house I'd want one that is two stories, three tops.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Jul 20
@JimBo452020 I overheard hubby tell his brother how much he can spend on rent but that he doesn't want to spend that much. He didn't relay that info to me.
1 person likes this
@JimBo452020 (42629)
• United Kingdom
1 Jul 20
@lovebuglena
Ah well
Hope you find something suitable and too your liking soon
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
I cannot afford to buy a house right now.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Jun 20
As others have said, it'd be great if you could buy the house from your mom. Even if you move, it'd still have to be somewhat local, right - with your husband's work? 800 is an incredible rent price - it's over double that for a studio apartment out here.
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
7 Jul 20
@lovebuglena I hope you guys can find something that you like and can afford. First I hope your mom isn't in too much of a hurry to sell the house - that way you have time to do some thorough searching.
We were in the apartments for a long time - we never thought we could own a house. But a few years back the prices dipped and interest rates got super low . . . we were shocked that Hubby's coworker was able to get a townhouse with what he was being paid. We looked into it and we were able to get this house. Not the best area, not really our dreamhouse, but we needed to "own" as the rents were starting to get ridiculous at the time. Now the rents around here are stupidly insane.
Your current place sounds a lot bigger than our house/property!
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
7 Jul 20
@much2say She wants to sell it but is not in a rush. And she doesn't want me to move into some tiny apartment or in some bad neighborhood. So I can take time to find something without rushing. Also, maybe we will look int buying something as she may help with that financially.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
When I met hubby he lived in a tiny dark basement apartment and he paid $800 for rent a month. And he did not pay for gas or electric and he even had free cable. That's a dream right there in terms of money spent a month on rent and utilities. I lived there a little bit but I'd not wanna live there for years and years.
When my mom offered us this house hubby wanted to pay the same amount for rent and surprisingly she agreed. Probably because I am her daughter. To pay $800/month and no utilities and live in a spacious house with a backyard and a driveway is almost unbelievable. Won't find anything like this anywhere.
We can't buy the house as we can't afford to buy a house of any kind right now. And I wouldn't wanna live here because too many floors to clean and far from transportation. It's about 25-30 min just to get to a bus or train.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Jul 20
We are not in a position now where we are able to buy a house. Plus, I'd wanna live in a house that has two stories, three at most. Three and a basement is too much. And I want to be closer to transportation.
@JudyEv (325594)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jul 20
That sounds like quite a challenge. I hope you're able to find something.
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Jun 20
Most likely it will be an apartment and not a very big one.
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (76476)
• Germany
1 Jul 20
@lovebuglena That is what I think too. An apartment is also good.
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Jul 20
@thelme55 Would be nice if we can stay in Staten Island where we live now but we may have to move to Brooklyn.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
7 Jul 20
Thankfully, I do not have a deadline to move out. I don't have to rush and settle for something I don't want.
1 person likes this
@Nevena83 (65282)
• Serbia
8 Jul 20
@lovebuglena Then slowly with the choice, you will surely find what suits you.
1 person likes this
@Nakitakona (56302)
• Philippines
2 Jul 20
This is terrible. You're used to the house for 5 years and then you are going to leave it. That's uneasy. Hope you could find a better place to live.
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Jul 20
To go from a spacious house with a driveway to an apartment where hubby will have to look for parking all the time and losing the laundry machines is gonna suck.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43065)
• Staten Island, New York
2 Jul 20
Having to pay twice as much for rent is crazy!
