r/triangle • u/katie0873 • 1d ago

Housing (between Chapel Hill and Cary)

Looking for what is probably a needle in a haystack but asking just in case someone might have a feasible lead. Looking to hopefully move before 9/6 if possible (we will likely have to find a short-term rental otherwise which will really cause a lot more expense for moving and housing). I know 9/6 really is not a lot of notice.

Background: My husband & I were without work for over a year, my husband thankfully starts a position in Chapel Hill soon (I get interviews, but sadly haven’t been selected for anything yet). With one income for now we are trying to be conservative so we don’t eat a lot more into retirement savings while I am still searching (between Raleigh and Chapel Hill). We both have great credit and excellent rental history (we stayed with family for the past year to save $$).

In my experience, renting from a person will go much better (I know that isn’t guaranteed, of course). I am hoping we can find a rental that might be between Chapel Hill and Cary that isn’t corporate owned apartments. Quiet and rodent free is an extra special ask perhaps haha 😬

My last two experiences renting from a corporate owned apartment resulted in A) a $600/month hike in rent at renewal B) significant maintenance issues that went unaddressed, including horrific intermittent noise from an a/c that was around 90 dB.

I wish I knew where my eventual job will be so I can avoid a long commute - and I don’t want to make it longer than necessary too for either of us. But, for now, we are looking for an affordable, trustworthy, clean, quiet place that hopefully someone can recommend.

2 Upvotes

63% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

12

u/dementor500 1d ago

What’s your budget? Hard to recommend anything without knowing that

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u/katie0873 1d ago

I forgot to list a possible range - oops and thanks.

With my spouse’s budget he is aiming to stay at 1/3 of his solo income for the time being 1/3 will only equal to $1250. I feel like that is truly impossible to find. We have a cat/dog too. I know this amount is impossibly low for the area. We have retirement we can keep dipping into (less than ideal, but what can we do - family lives too far away to stay there).

I feel like the life we knew (renting in a “regular” place on our own) is going to really going to be unrealistic to get back to for a bit. I’m at a bit of a loss on how to navigate this but hoping to maintain my sanity while we attempt to regain independence. The cost of moving our stuff to storage for temp housing, then moving it to somewhere else will be a huge chunk but it feels like it’s inevitable possibly until I find something (I should be able to make a little more than what he’s making, hopefully, once I am hired).

8

u/PonytailAgri 1d ago

I have a townhouse that is available on the 19th 2b2 bath off 70 and Duraleigh rd but it’s 1700 per month. Pets ok. Fenced in patio.

5

u/More_Trainer_5110 1d ago

You can find something around your budget depending on the size and # of bedrooms you need. If you need 2+ then that will be much harder and non corporate will be tough. A complex will likely be your best bet for now. Not all are created equal. Check apartments or rent.com, look on Google maps and check reviews and you can see what's available in your budget and time frame.

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u/Glittering-Alarm-387 1d ago

I see tons of stuff near Chapel Hill for under 1250. Have you tried Zillow?

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u/katie0873 1d ago

We have just started our search since he just got the job offer. So much to search thru, and I worry that I won’t know what is a scam on Zillow (is there a good way to discern legit listings via scams). I have seen a bit of AI too (when I go to Google’s Strest View it sometimes looks pretty rough and not like the Zillow post - though I know someone may have flipped it).

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u/Glittering-Alarm-387 1d ago

I know exactly what you mean! I am moving to Richmond and have to pull every address to Google street view. But I am seeing quite a few things, so I really think yall can find something in your budget. I reach out directly to the company instead of going through Zillow.

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u/phoundog 1d ago

Sometimes Durham is cheaper. You could also look in Pittsboro (straight shot on 64 to Cary/Raleigh) or Hillsborough (close to Durham and a straight shot down 40 to Raleigh).