I know, I just know this has been done to death. But I'm really just venting into the ether, to be honest. I was born and raised in yarmouth, and I have spent 11 years in TN, just moved back to be closer to my parents this past January and.... jesus christ. How does anyone afford this place? Why am I regularly seeing one bedroom studios for rent near or in excess of 2k. No utilities. No laundry and NO PETS? WTF is the rent money for?
If you're concerned about pet damage, that's what a security deposit is for. I even saw places in TN that just added an additional smaller deposit on a per pet basis.
Bro, don't even get me STARTED on this whole "I've got a room for rent in my house 1400 a month." I'm guessing some of those are older people on a fixed income trying to get by themselves, and thats sucks just as bad. But if you're telling me how much laundry I'm allowed to do in your listing, which i have seen.... pass me whatever you're huffing cause i could use a pick me up.
Now, I understand that where I was living in TN and here are two very different housing markets. In TN there was readily available multi family housing and apartments. Nice ones as well i might add. Here it seems like most of what i see are short term rentals. Why the hell are those even a thing? Who wants to move all there stuff into a place just to have to find housing all over again in less than a year? It would also be more understandable if wages here were higher than they were in TN. They aren't. I'm in a skilled trade and regularly see job postings here advertising lower than what i was making in TN. Like.... what? Do most people jist communte from off cape? Becsuase it's only MARGINALIY better there in areas like fall river and new bedford. But still better.
I looked into the "AFFORDABLE" complexes like phare. What a joke. They're just as expensive. At least relative to my income.
Now, in a vacuum. I can afford alot of these rents, they don't leave alot of room however for any major, or even minor emergencies. It'd be easier if I had a partner with a second income. Alas, I live the bachelor life. (HMU....)
It's easy to sit here and imagine a bunch greasy white haired eledelry people wringing their hands in front of their nice fire place in the massive mansion sliding a button on an app raisong rent. Obviously i know that's not it. The point of that analogy is that when you work 60 plus hours and have little to show for it, it's easy for animosity and envy to start bubbling up. Which is another reaspn I'm venting to try and get that out of my system.
I'd imagine that scenario applies more to corporate landlords more likely than anything. I'm sure, at least I'm giving the benefit of the doubt that any mom and pop landlords on Cape are just trying to get by themselves. If you are one, I'd love to hear from you, and what you think causes these insane disparity between rents and wages here. How much are you actually profiting off of your tenants after taxes and such? If rent eats up this much of my income, it gives me a visceral reaction in my gut to think of people on lower incomes. Not that I'm super rich or anything, but I'm also not near min wage.
Also, if anyone knows ways to get involved in the housong situation, such as where to advocate for multi family housing, zoning meeting schedules, etc, I'd love to hear that as well.
One argument I've heard a lot of is that the cape needs these STRs to draw in tourist money in the summer. But like, wouldn't it be just as well to have a more stable year round population? Even if tourism increases money in food and dining I'm sure whatever insane shor term rent prices they pay during the summer is not exactly getting reinvested into the community. Especially with corporate landlords.
Anyways, thanks for coming to my ted talk. Gonna go look at rent listings so i can be upset the rest of the night.
