Since you mentioned rent is more than half the paycheck, I don't think it's just an issue of bad budgeting on your part. There is obviously a discrepancy between your income and the living situation you want to be in. The solutions are:
* Roommates
* Living in a less desirable place
* Making more money
* Going into debt (don't do this, obviously)
That's pretty much it. There's no magic to it. Unfortunately a lot of people run up credit card debt to afford a lifestyle they can't really afford, so don't measure yourself by what you see others doing.
Edit: You make $83k? Shit, this isn't hard at all. Go live in the Calais apartments on Louisiana for like $1400/mo. That should be like 30% of your take-home pay, maybe less. I had a friend who lived there and it was excellent.
Their standards are higher than their paycheck. They need to either make more money or accept they can't live in a fancy apartment.
Really there's no shame in living in a frumpy older apartment. It's not that big of a deal.
Lol the building I called out in my edit isn't even frumpy. My friend was making like 100k over 10 years ago and she loved that place. I'm sure it's aged a bit but the pictures still look good and I'm sure there are plenty of similar options out there.
This is the top comment for a reason, because it's right. The easiest guide to remember is the "50/30/20 Budget Rule." Which is 50% of your income after taxes goes to Needs (e.g. Rent, Car Payment, Groceries, Utilities), 30% goes to Wants (shopping, eating out, hobbies), and 20% goes to Savings for a rainy day or life goal.
I realize for some people this is budget method is wishful thinking, but it's a good financial barometer to have and aim for. The closer you are, the better. If you're spending too much on Needs and you make "plenty of money" then it's time to move somewhere more affordable in Houston or get roommates. BUT if you are spending too much on Wants, then you just need to pull back on the finer things.
I hope this helps someone here. I've been strapped for cash after losing a job and it really sucked for a while.
The government has a nice socialism program you can join if you’re young. You get clothes, housing, food, medical care, physical training, education and pay!
I was a part of the program. Got questionable benefits for life, and all it cost was extreme deterioration of my mental and physical health at the ripe age of 27!
This part. It just reinforces the fact that mental health services are lacking overall for Americans, and getting decent, affordable, medical care is also difficult for many.
>all it cost was extreme deterioration of my mental and physical health at the ripe age of 27!
Public sector can provide these same results without any longterm benefits! Huzzah!
I was part of that program and got a bachelor's degree for free and the V.A. paid my living expenses while I went to school full-time. I also have free V.A. health care for life and I'm not disabled.
Same. Some like to shit on it, but service can be a giant shortcut up the socioeconomic ladder.
(It could also be a shortcut to a permanent dirt nap, but the odds are pretty low)
8yrs Army + 4yr Finance Degree = some pretty good work options.
According to [this](https://smartasset.com/taxes/texas-paycheck-calculator#pXai1pupUG) paycheck calculator, op makes $2755 monthly after taxes. $1400 is over half of that. Most places want you to make at least 3x the rent but I've been to some that even want 4x so those apartments would probably turn him down before he even applied.
Yeah that assumes 2 paychecks a month, which means $1400 is about 25-30% of OP's take home pay, like I said. That would be totally manageable.
OP claimed their rent is **more than a paycheck**, not just more than half a paycheck, which would make their rent 2800/mo or more, which is over 50% of take home pay. Either that's a huge exaggeration on the part of OP, or they're paying exorbitant rent.
Apartments base that ratio on your gross income. OP makes 5x $1400/mo and would absolutely get accepted there, no problem.
You make good money but one paycheck is less than one month’s rent? What type of places are you looking at?
Could always start by looking for roommates. It’s not ideal but long term could set you up really well.
The math isn't making sense to me. At 83k he should be pulling like 2.4k after retirement, SS, Fed Tax, Health Insurance, and Medicare. Even if you're putting like 15% pretax into retirement it shouldn't be as low as 1500.
Plus, if his rent is over 1500 where is he living? Sure I'm not downtown and gotta drive a bit but I'm in Northwest Houston (around Cypress Tomball) and I pay 1600 for a 2br2ba with amenities (pool, gym, lounge, secure parking). I mean even 1500 shouldn't be out of his range if 60% of his paycheck wasn't vanishing into thin air
EDIT: I can't reply because it looks like OP deleted his comment but he's putting 25-30% of his pay into his retirement.
> I make good money and one paycheck is less than one month of rent
Yeah I mean "good" is relative for things like burgers and music even when there are commonly agreed metrics for them.
But you objectively can't say "good money" in the same sentence as it being "less than one month of rent" unless you can't math or being intentionally obtuse.
That solely depends on what you think is affordable. I think the one I live in is fairly priced considering the location and how it’s fairly new. ($1500 off Washington)
> 1/1 are going for 2500 or so. That’s mainly the brand new mid rises though.
so, a different apartment complex? There's 3 apartment complexes at/near that intersection. 1/1s at memorial heights are going for about ~$1400-1500/mo right now per their website.
Memorial Heights is the cheapest (the older 3 story buildings), then the Arlo Buffalo Heights, then St. Andrie (which is the fancy one in the same building as HEB)
Yeah I’m just referring to a few others around me I was looking at a few months ago. Maybe they have dropped since I last looked. Art house sawyer yards, Taylor heights, 27 lower heights, the Oliver etc. These have recently been built in like the last few years. Maybe more like $1900-2400. lol adjusted for inflation.
Exactly.
I made less than OP and had a wife and a kid, and we lived in a 3B/2BA TH in West Houston. We only had one car, which my wife used, and I rode the bus. We saved a lot because we did not have the additional car not or daycare expenses.
Was that TH the best place in the world? No. Was it relatively safe? Yes. We had a break in, but because we had renters insurance, we got our money back. Point is, people need to learn to sacrifice.
Some people don't understand budgeting.
Yeah it really sounds like OP is missing the fundamentals of budgeting. That or just trying to live above their means. Idk if they’re just looking at high rise luxury apartments or what but I know there’s plenty of places in Houston that are decently priced.
I would do questionable things to make that kind of money. I'm living on about 15k a year on Disability, and I can't live anywhere that charges for it!
I think this is the best bet for someone single as long as there isn't a huge safety issue which unfortunately mostly goes hand-n-hand with "complete dumps" otherwise a long commute or roommate(s) is the only other answer. Pick your trade-off and "rough it" for awhile knowing it won't be forever.
I make about 3200 a month and live in an older studio in the heart of Montrose that’s $860 a month. Actual apartments in the area are $1100-2400. Hoping my landlord continues his trend of only raising rent by $10 each year. It’s rough out here.
Pasadena is like 2 different towns. There is the nicer part that is basically an extension of Clear Lake but with more MAGA hats. Then there is the hood.
In PASADENA????? lol why? I'm on HAR rn and see $1450 for inside the loop luxury apartments. You couldn't pay me to live in Pasadena much less for Montrose prices
Good money 5 years ago isn't good money today. Everything went up in price a lot. Houses, apartments, groceries.
My rent went from $1800 for a small house 6 years ago to paying $2400 in the same area. It's ridiculous.
*Edit not to mention I JUST renewed our car insurance and it went up a shit ton even though nothing has changed.
I second this.
Have been renting a 4br/3.5bth house for 3 years in katy. Started at $2400. Going up every year. Last year it's at $2700. Hate to see what this year's contract will be.
Car insurance on 2 vehicles (both of them now 9 years old) has constantly gone up each 6 months. 5 years ago was under $200 a month. Now it's around $333 a month. And thats no tickets, wrecks or anything)
I'm not saying it isn't doable. But yes you'll either need room mates or find a place on the outskirts. And cut your costs down.
I second this.
Have been renting a 4br/3.5bth house for 3 years in katy. Started at $2400. Going up every year. Last year it's at $2700. Hate to see what this year's contract will be.
Car insurance on 2 vehicles (both of them now 9 years old) has constantly gone up each 6 months. 5 years ago was under $200 a month. Now it's around $333 a month. And thats no tickets, wrecks or anything)
I'm not saying it isn't doable. But yes you'll either need room mates or find a place on the outskirts. And cut your costs down.
Shocked and dismayed to read this. We left Houston during the pandemic but man, one thing I miss was the rent. We had a one bedroom for $1050 in 2018. Later moved to med center and there it was $1250. Now I pay $2000 here in AZ.
Try making less then 24,000 a year trying to make it here with a no child support dependent.
It use to not be like this a few years ago.
Landlord greed that actually live in other states are taking over and they don't give a damn about our Houston minimum wage/typical income or compassion case by case renters. They only see profit as renters are there only source of income as we pay off their property and lifestyle when is why they keep raising the rent during a recession so that their asses can save and live comfortably.
We also didn't have this must have 3 times income rent bullshit (even on dumpy rentals). Yet my monthly income which is 70% of my rent has NEVER been late or not paid in the past 30 years!!!
We also didn't have monthly pet fees, no $200 application fee on top of $50 credit check, most bills use to be included except electricity - now they want you to pay water, gas, trash, yardwork and whatever other bogus shit ON TOP OF over priced rent! Some are now telling you, you have to use their cable company assigned to their rentals and this is all over, even in the shit parts of Houston and surrounding areas.
Hopefully people of Texas will get sick of it and demand rent control and a revaluation of rentals ethics.
As of now, my advice is that you pick an area that you like that has garage apartments, duplexes or 4-plexes with a mom and pop owner. These will be cheaper and non of that other extra charging crap.
Most of the time they don't even put the rental online but just a sign in front so you need to drive around and be on the lookout.
These areas would be:
Montrose
Museum District
Heights, All "Heights"
First Ward
Sixth Ward
Near North Side
5th and 3rd Ward
East End
Basically areas more towards downtown.
"As of now, my advice is that you pick an area that you like that has garage apartments, duplexes or 4-plexes with a mom and pop owner. These will be cheaper and non of that other extra charging crap.
Most of the time they don't even put the rental online but just a sign in front so you need to drive around and be on the lookout. These areas would be:
Montrose Museum District Heights, All 'Heights,' First Ward Sixth Ward Near North Side 5th and 3rd Ward East End
Basically areas more towards downtown."
This is my advice also. Take a day, drive around the area you wish to live, and look for posted signs. Best to avoid buildings that are run by large commercial management companies. I avoid them now. They exist mainly to think up new and egregious fees to charge tenants.
I love that reading the comments feels exactly like talking to my family. Shits expensive y’all. Yes we can all lower our standards and live in a 600 sq ft box and eat nothing but rice and beans and never go anywhere or do anything other than work and stare at the wall and over the course of 30 years we might have enough to pay for the hand gun AND ammunition to shoot ourselves in the face.
We can also discuss without hyperbole. I still see affordable apartments in Galleria for example that I know for a fact are not shitholes even if they're not luxurious.
https://www.har.com/zipcode_77057/apartments?minRent=750&maxRent=1500&page=2
>a place that isn’t a complete fucking dump
this would seem to be a hint towards your selection process
also expand your search to look at houses; large enough inventory that there could be some suprisining steals
I literally live in river oaks for 1035 a month. 1 br. Either you need to make more money or you need to lower your standards. Find a roommate. Do you have any friends? Y'all need to actually get on the ground and look instead of clicking through Zillow once and calling it a day.
Yeah, I'm a single teacher out in Cypress and don't have an issue with paying rent. Rent has only gone up about $150 in the 5 years I've been in this place, which isn't too bad.
Unfortunately I’m afraid you don’t make “good money” if 2 weeks pay doesn’t cover rent. Have had to come to grips with this a couple times myself. Can find perfectly good apartments for reasonable money if you are willing to look and put up with some inconveniences, but like a lot of people have already suggested having a roommate/significant other to share costs with helps immensely.
I’m going to give a real answer since I haven’t seen it yet. There are apt complexes around town that offer discounts to low income workers and you can get an additional discount if you can find a referral (you don’t need to know someone, just ask a resident when you visit the site). Just Google affordable housing programs in Houston but also if ppl are too lazy to use Google, here’s an example: https://www.highpointuptown.com/affordableapts.aspx
Houston is one of the most affordable large cities in the country. If you can’t find an apartment here that fits your needs, your only options are going to be small cities/towns.
So the problem is you are delusional. You think you make good money and gross wise, you do. After taxes and 401k savings, you don't. 3k a month is 36k a year.. thats like 40-45k salary (if you didnt have a 401k).
So either up your money, or put less into your 401k.
But it's clearly a money issue.
Gonna need more definitions/clarification from you on budget, and what you consider a decent apartment.
Roommates, sugar mommas and sugar daddies help.
Best apartments I’ve had are not the nicest or luxurious.
People live within their means and budget their asses off. Most of my friends who are still renting in their 40s also rent homes not apartments for the added privacy and safety of a neighborhood. Rents in my hood run 1600-1800. That's very doable on your salary.
People are pretty realistic that their apartment/home is just a place to lay their head and keep their stuff. They make compromises to have most of what they want at what they can afford. If there is somewhere specific you want to live, cut all the extras and let that be your big expense per month.
It depends on the area. I have a 2 bed 2 bath off of 610 and 45s I rent for $1500. A 2/2 apartment near there goes for $1700. You just have to look around.
AND you can negotiate a lower rent for a longer lease. It’s a win for the landlord because they don’t have and empty house waiting for the next tenant each year.
I had my car paid off, bought everything I wanted/needed, credit built up before I moved out from my parents. And I only live 13 mins (driving) from my job and I work 100 hours every two weeks.
Let's just say that this decent apartment you are looking for costs $2k per month. Which, even in this economy, is still a bit high for a decent one bedroom in Houston. You're saying you make less than $2k a month and call that good money? Lmao
Edit: y'all this person is obviously lying or just trying to get karma. Guy says he makes 83k a year, only nets 3k per month. Makes no sense.
I live in a 1 bed 1 bath in Westchase and my rent + all my utilities included is $1,200 a month. The apartments are decent, nothing luxurious though. There’s plenty of affordable places to live in this city if you actually take the time to look and you are willing to live within or below your means.
After reading the comments and analyzing the financials. I have determined that this person is full of shit and deserves nothing less than a 1 bedroom motel off of Hempstead nw houston. All should carry on and not entertain this rich poor person.
I pay for 1400 for a 2 bedroom in river oaks. After utilities (water, trash, electricity, internet etc) usually comes out to 1550. It’s a clean apartment complex with plenty of families so generally good vibes. Wasn’t even very hard to find tbh.
Man some of the prices people are posting now are wild. I was renting a luxury apartment on the 23rd floor in the Museum District a few years ago and rent was like $1,840 a month, but that was like 5 years ago. Shit must have gotten absolutely insane in the intervening years, wonder what it costs now
Roommates or people willingly spend 50%+ of their monthly income on apartments thus raising up the prices
Also a lot of people in Houston just make very good money.
It helps to have a roommate.
I can afford my own place now but miss having a responsible roommate because it afforded me a better place to live while having extra funds for other bills or savings.
Also I didn't have to own all my own furniture like I do now. I hate furniture.
1. I moved into college rent by room housing when I move out of my home city - ($650 a month) (people you can hang out with in an area you don’t know much about) (great amenities) (fully furnished)
2. When I traveled after that I rented airbnb rooms per month - ($800ish but month to month, and got to visit all major cities in Texas to see what I liked the best)
3. Get Landing, has a cool program where you pay $1,500 a month and you apartment hop. Kind of cool, they have penthouses and other nice spots on there app.
Quit telling people to live in a shitty apartment in a shitty part of town if they don't make enough money. Rent has gone up, groceries have gone up, the price of homes and cars are no longer affordable. The middle class is deteriorating every day. Wages have not gone up and that is the problem.
Inflation lifestyle in houston you uphold drugs groceries exc Houston is building everyday and i know some apartments are 1800-3500 depending on area you want to live in!!
Since you mentioned rent is more than half the paycheck, I don't think it's just an issue of bad budgeting on your part. There is obviously a discrepancy between your income and the living situation you want to be in. The solutions are: * Roommates * Living in a less desirable place * Making more money * Going into debt (don't do this, obviously) That's pretty much it. There's no magic to it. Unfortunately a lot of people run up credit card debt to afford a lifestyle they can't really afford, so don't measure yourself by what you see others doing. Edit: You make $83k? Shit, this isn't hard at all. Go live in the Calais apartments on Louisiana for like $1400/mo. That should be like 30% of your take-home pay, maybe less. I had a friend who lived there and it was excellent.
Their standards are higher than their paycheck. They need to either make more money or accept they can't live in a fancy apartment. Really there's no shame in living in a frumpy older apartment. It's not that big of a deal.
Lol the building I called out in my edit isn't even frumpy. My friend was making like 100k over 10 years ago and she loved that place. I'm sure it's aged a bit but the pictures still look good and I'm sure there are plenty of similar options out there.
People spend the most money they possibly can and then wonder why they don't have more money
This is the top comment for a reason, because it's right. The easiest guide to remember is the "50/30/20 Budget Rule." Which is 50% of your income after taxes goes to Needs (e.g. Rent, Car Payment, Groceries, Utilities), 30% goes to Wants (shopping, eating out, hobbies), and 20% goes to Savings for a rainy day or life goal. I realize for some people this is budget method is wishful thinking, but it's a good financial barometer to have and aim for. The closer you are, the better. If you're spending too much on Needs and you make "plenty of money" then it's time to move somewhere more affordable in Houston or get roommates. BUT if you are spending too much on Wants, then you just need to pull back on the finer things. I hope this helps someone here. I've been strapped for cash after losing a job and it really sucked for a while.
20, 50, 30. I need to put the 20 away first.
The government has a nice socialism program you can join if you’re young. You get clothes, housing, food, medical care, physical training, education and pay!
Disclipline, learn about taking risks and you get to see the world.
And if you're really lucky, a heaping load of PTSD that they won't pay for treating
Is this joke about jail?
Military
I was a part of the program. Got questionable benefits for life, and all it cost was extreme deterioration of my mental and physical health at the ripe age of 27!
Yeah they always leave that part out, don't they?
I knew it was a part of the job. They just didn't tell me they were going to make it difficult to get help during and after. :(
This part. It just reinforces the fact that mental health services are lacking overall for Americans, and getting decent, affordable, medical care is also difficult for many.
>all it cost was extreme deterioration of my mental and physical health at the ripe age of 27! Public sector can provide these same results without any longterm benefits! Huzzah!
The military
Military
psyche ward. I tried checking in but they told me there is a wait list.
They'll move you to the front of the line if you get creative
Green is not a creative color
socialism is when the government does things
I was part of that program and got a bachelor's degree for free and the V.A. paid my living expenses while I went to school full-time. I also have free V.A. health care for life and I'm not disabled.
Same. Some like to shit on it, but service can be a giant shortcut up the socioeconomic ladder. (It could also be a shortcut to a permanent dirt nap, but the odds are pretty low) 8yrs Army + 4yr Finance Degree = some pretty good work options.
Ayyy, yeah, if you want to have a half decent living, go make some brown people dead for us! 🙄
According to [this](https://smartasset.com/taxes/texas-paycheck-calculator#pXai1pupUG) paycheck calculator, op makes $2755 monthly after taxes. $1400 is over half of that. Most places want you to make at least 3x the rent but I've been to some that even want 4x so those apartments would probably turn him down before he even applied.
Yeah that assumes 2 paychecks a month, which means $1400 is about 25-30% of OP's take home pay, like I said. That would be totally manageable. OP claimed their rent is **more than a paycheck**, not just more than half a paycheck, which would make their rent 2800/mo or more, which is over 50% of take home pay. Either that's a huge exaggeration on the part of OP, or they're paying exorbitant rent. Apartments base that ratio on your gross income. OP makes 5x $1400/mo and would absolutely get accepted there, no problem.
You make good money but one paycheck is less than one month’s rent? What type of places are you looking at? Could always start by looking for roommates. It’s not ideal but long term could set you up really well.
The more important question is what OP considers "making good money." We all know everyone on /r/houston makes six figures..
You don’t make good money
The math isn't making sense to me. At 83k he should be pulling like 2.4k after retirement, SS, Fed Tax, Health Insurance, and Medicare. Even if you're putting like 15% pretax into retirement it shouldn't be as low as 1500. Plus, if his rent is over 1500 where is he living? Sure I'm not downtown and gotta drive a bit but I'm in Northwest Houston (around Cypress Tomball) and I pay 1600 for a 2br2ba with amenities (pool, gym, lounge, secure parking). I mean even 1500 shouldn't be out of his range if 60% of his paycheck wasn't vanishing into thin air EDIT: I can't reply because it looks like OP deleted his comment but he's putting 25-30% of his pay into his retirement.
> I make good money and one paycheck is less than one month of rent Yeah I mean "good" is relative for things like burgers and music even when there are commonly agreed metrics for them. But you objectively can't say "good money" in the same sentence as it being "less than one month of rent" unless you can't math or being intentionally obtuse.
"Math's aren't mathing" as they say.
And they need a better friend group
Checks calendar. Oh it’s the 3rd. Last day rent isn’t late, they just have just paid rent and needed to vent.
Yep. The 4th is when the magic starts happening in exchange for cash in the strip clubs.
Oh? The guy I took to jail last night driving the wrong way on 249 was coming from a strip club. He must have paid rent early!
The strippers will blow you for cash because they're late on rent.
You cant live off of 83k a year? That sounds like a you problem
Must be maxing the 401k, might need to take your foot off the gas lol.
That solely depends on what you think is affordable. I think the one I live in is fairly priced considering the location and how it’s fairly new. ($1500 off Washington)
I lived at the Memorial Heights apts at Washington and Waugh for a few years. $1250/mo for a 2/2. No idea what they cost now.
lol pretty high. 1/1 are going for 2500 or so. That’s mainly the brand new mid rises though.
Went to go look at the website. The same floor plan is $1750. But it's been 8yrs since we were there.
Woof. I rented a pretty nice 3-story, 3/2 townhouse in Midtown for $2000 about 10 years ago.
> 1/1 are going for 2500 or so. That’s mainly the brand new mid rises though. so, a different apartment complex? There's 3 apartment complexes at/near that intersection. 1/1s at memorial heights are going for about ~$1400-1500/mo right now per their website. Memorial Heights is the cheapest (the older 3 story buildings), then the Arlo Buffalo Heights, then St. Andrie (which is the fancy one in the same building as HEB)
Yeah I’m just referring to a few others around me I was looking at a few months ago. Maybe they have dropped since I last looked. Art house sawyer yards, Taylor heights, 27 lower heights, the Oliver etc. These have recently been built in like the last few years. Maybe more like $1900-2400. lol adjusted for inflation.
Exactly. I made less than OP and had a wife and a kid, and we lived in a 3B/2BA TH in West Houston. We only had one car, which my wife used, and I rode the bus. We saved a lot because we did not have the additional car not or daycare expenses. Was that TH the best place in the world? No. Was it relatively safe? Yes. We had a break in, but because we had renters insurance, we got our money back. Point is, people need to learn to sacrifice. Some people don't understand budgeting.
Yeah it really sounds like OP is missing the fundamentals of budgeting. That or just trying to live above their means. Idk if they’re just looking at high rise luxury apartments or what but I know there’s plenty of places in Houston that are decently priced.
You make $83k/year and you’re struggling to afford an apartment? In Houston? Oh brother.
I would do questionable things to make that kind of money. I'm living on about 15k a year on Disability, and I can't live anywhere that charges for it!
I lived in “complete dumps” for 10 years. It worth it to not go broke. It’s also what allowed me to save up for a home.
I think this is the best bet for someone single as long as there isn't a huge safety issue which unfortunately mostly goes hand-n-hand with "complete dumps" otherwise a long commute or roommate(s) is the only other answer. Pick your trade-off and "rough it" for awhile knowing it won't be forever.
I make about 3200 a month and live in an older studio in the heart of Montrose that’s $860 a month. Actual apartments in the area are $1100-2400. Hoping my landlord continues his trend of only raising rent by $10 each year. It’s rough out here.
I literally have a 750 sq ft apartment right in the heart of Montrose behind agora. My rent was 1245, now it’s 1545. Absolutely absurd
Good lord. That’s insane.
How is Montrose nowadays? Been looking at that area tbh
What's your square footage?
I’m 24 with 2 roommates I pay $925 living in a house in the heights I rather not have roommates but works financially for now 🥲🥲🥲
Want to live without roommates? Move out of the heights.
Meh just got out of grad school in December working my first job now I’m chilling 🤷🏽♀️
Being married helps. You get to split the rent and utilities of a one bedroom.
Assuming the partner works
Key is to have two wives that both work that way you don't have to.
I believe that’s called The Utah Method
Two chicks at the same time, man
Choose wisely.
Just understand the money you save now will come out of the savings during the divorce.
Getting a partner to save usually ends up more expensive in the long run.
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One-bedroom apartments in general are pretty cost-inefficient. But in most major US cities right now, they're more expensive than they are here.
Pretty sure everyone starts out with roomates
prices are outrageous rn. My 1br is $1500 and I live in Pasadena
I'm in a two bed/two bath in Montrose for $1360 currently, so uh...
How is that possible I pay 1300 for a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom in humble
Because that’s Humble
Yes but her apartment is in Pasadena
Pasadena is like 2 different towns. There is the nicer part that is basically an extension of Clear Lake but with more MAGA hats. Then there is the hood.
LOL I've never heard it explained like that, but you are right. I am on the side closer to clear lake.
In PASADENA????? lol why? I'm on HAR rn and see $1450 for inside the loop luxury apartments. You couldn't pay me to live in Pasadena much less for Montrose prices
You’re getting fleeced
Good money 5 years ago isn't good money today. Everything went up in price a lot. Houses, apartments, groceries. My rent went from $1800 for a small house 6 years ago to paying $2400 in the same area. It's ridiculous. *Edit not to mention I JUST renewed our car insurance and it went up a shit ton even though nothing has changed.
I second this. Have been renting a 4br/3.5bth house for 3 years in katy. Started at $2400. Going up every year. Last year it's at $2700. Hate to see what this year's contract will be. Car insurance on 2 vehicles (both of them now 9 years old) has constantly gone up each 6 months. 5 years ago was under $200 a month. Now it's around $333 a month. And thats no tickets, wrecks or anything) I'm not saying it isn't doable. But yes you'll either need room mates or find a place on the outskirts. And cut your costs down.
I second this. Have been renting a 4br/3.5bth house for 3 years in katy. Started at $2400. Going up every year. Last year it's at $2700. Hate to see what this year's contract will be. Car insurance on 2 vehicles (both of them now 9 years old) has constantly gone up each 6 months. 5 years ago was under $200 a month. Now it's around $333 a month. And thats no tickets, wrecks or anything) I'm not saying it isn't doable. But yes you'll either need room mates or find a place on the outskirts. And cut your costs down.
Shocked and dismayed to read this. We left Houston during the pandemic but man, one thing I miss was the rent. We had a one bedroom for $1050 in 2018. Later moved to med center and there it was $1250. Now I pay $2000 here in AZ.
It's still around $1.2k for a decent single apartment in the med center lol OP has super high standards or is full of shit lol
Try making less then 24,000 a year trying to make it here with a no child support dependent. It use to not be like this a few years ago. Landlord greed that actually live in other states are taking over and they don't give a damn about our Houston minimum wage/typical income or compassion case by case renters. They only see profit as renters are there only source of income as we pay off their property and lifestyle when is why they keep raising the rent during a recession so that their asses can save and live comfortably. We also didn't have this must have 3 times income rent bullshit (even on dumpy rentals). Yet my monthly income which is 70% of my rent has NEVER been late or not paid in the past 30 years!!! We also didn't have monthly pet fees, no $200 application fee on top of $50 credit check, most bills use to be included except electricity - now they want you to pay water, gas, trash, yardwork and whatever other bogus shit ON TOP OF over priced rent! Some are now telling you, you have to use their cable company assigned to their rentals and this is all over, even in the shit parts of Houston and surrounding areas. Hopefully people of Texas will get sick of it and demand rent control and a revaluation of rentals ethics. As of now, my advice is that you pick an area that you like that has garage apartments, duplexes or 4-plexes with a mom and pop owner. These will be cheaper and non of that other extra charging crap. Most of the time they don't even put the rental online but just a sign in front so you need to drive around and be on the lookout. These areas would be: Montrose Museum District Heights, All "Heights" First Ward Sixth Ward Near North Side 5th and 3rd Ward East End Basically areas more towards downtown.
"As of now, my advice is that you pick an area that you like that has garage apartments, duplexes or 4-plexes with a mom and pop owner. These will be cheaper and non of that other extra charging crap. Most of the time they don't even put the rental online but just a sign in front so you need to drive around and be on the lookout. These areas would be: Montrose Museum District Heights, All 'Heights,' First Ward Sixth Ward Near North Side 5th and 3rd Ward East End Basically areas more towards downtown." This is my advice also. Take a day, drive around the area you wish to live, and look for posted signs. Best to avoid buildings that are run by large commercial management companies. I avoid them now. They exist mainly to think up new and egregious fees to charge tenants.
I love that reading the comments feels exactly like talking to my family. Shits expensive y’all. Yes we can all lower our standards and live in a 600 sq ft box and eat nothing but rice and beans and never go anywhere or do anything other than work and stare at the wall and over the course of 30 years we might have enough to pay for the hand gun AND ammunition to shoot ourselves in the face.
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We can also discuss without hyperbole. I still see affordable apartments in Galleria for example that I know for a fact are not shitholes even if they're not luxurious. https://www.har.com/zipcode_77057/apartments?minRent=750&maxRent=1500&page=2
OP makes $83k How about you?
Sorry. Well said though. Very relatable
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I once had a teenage neighbor at an apartment complex I lived at in my early 20’s that told me “Hey, you should start selling coke.” Kid was a genius.
>a place that isn’t a complete fucking dump this would seem to be a hint towards your selection process also expand your search to look at houses; large enough inventory that there could be some suprisining steals
Is it good money if you can’t afford an apartment?
OP saves/invests like 30% of his income, that's why his paycheck is so low. Whole lotta people live in similar apts but earn far less.
Anything below 120k a year now a days isn’t considered “good money”
I literally live in river oaks for 1035 a month. 1 br. Either you need to make more money or you need to lower your standards. Find a roommate. Do you have any friends? Y'all need to actually get on the ground and look instead of clicking through Zillow once and calling it a day.
Ooooh what complex
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Yeah, I'm a single teacher out in Cypress and don't have an issue with paying rent. Rent has only gone up about $150 in the 5 years I've been in this place, which isn't too bad.
Unfortunately I’m afraid you don’t make “good money” if 2 weeks pay doesn’t cover rent. Have had to come to grips with this a couple times myself. Can find perfectly good apartments for reasonable money if you are willing to look and put up with some inconveniences, but like a lot of people have already suggested having a roommate/significant other to share costs with helps immensely.
#Houston landlords collude in rental price fixing scheme If your landlord uses _RealPage_ software, you’re paying too much. https://www.marketplace.org/2024/04/16/realpage-lawsuit-algorithms-rent/ https://youtu.be/cwlwrZst7d0?si=JgZz4R0zmQ1m3mTn https://www.realpage.com/explore/main
Are you sure you didn’t mean to post this in the New York subreddit?
I’m going to give a real answer since I haven’t seen it yet. There are apt complexes around town that offer discounts to low income workers and you can get an additional discount if you can find a referral (you don’t need to know someone, just ask a resident when you visit the site). Just Google affordable housing programs in Houston but also if ppl are too lazy to use Google, here’s an example: https://www.highpointuptown.com/affordableapts.aspx
Houston is one of the most affordable large cities in the country. If you can’t find an apartment here that fits your needs, your only options are going to be small cities/towns.
So the problem is you are delusional. You think you make good money and gross wise, you do. After taxes and 401k savings, you don't. 3k a month is 36k a year.. thats like 40-45k salary (if you didnt have a 401k). So either up your money, or put less into your 401k. But it's clearly a money issue.
Gonna need more definitions/clarification from you on budget, and what you consider a decent apartment. Roommates, sugar mommas and sugar daddies help. Best apartments I’ve had are not the nicest or luxurious.
Get an apartment agent to help you find one. It costs you nothing, they are paid by the apartment complex when you sign a lease.
2 jobs and sharing the rent with my brother, I seriously don’t know how people who can’t split the rent do it. Shit is fucking tough!
People live within their means and budget their asses off. Most of my friends who are still renting in their 40s also rent homes not apartments for the added privacy and safety of a neighborhood. Rents in my hood run 1600-1800. That's very doable on your salary. People are pretty realistic that their apartment/home is just a place to lay their head and keep their stuff. They make compromises to have most of what they want at what they can afford. If there is somewhere specific you want to live, cut all the extras and let that be your big expense per month.
All the big apartment companies are colluding and inflating rents.
Where are all those class action lawyers to fight this?
As a single person, it's common to spend 50% on rent in large cities. It's expensive to live alone.
Sometimes it’s cheaper to rent a house than an apartment, try looking on Facebook marketplace
I mean most decent homes go for about 1800-2k minimum
It depends on the area. I have a 2 bed 2 bath off of 610 and 45s I rent for $1500. A 2/2 apartment near there goes for $1700. You just have to look around.
AND you can negotiate a lower rent for a longer lease. It’s a win for the landlord because they don’t have and empty house waiting for the next tenant each year.
Easy answer is to put less of your budget to retirement. Who knows how long we’ll live anyways!
They move to the hood where it’s cheap AF?
16.30 an hour and rent 1.4k a month in Pearland…. All by myself at 24. It’s tough but I manage
Damn, do you skip meals or walk to work instead of driving?
I had my car paid off, bought everything I wanted/needed, credit built up before I moved out from my parents. And I only live 13 mins (driving) from my job and I work 100 hours every two weeks.
Skip meals too unfortunately but as dumb as it sounds it worth the peacefulness I get living on my own
Well, then you don't make good money. And people afford apartments with jobs And roommates.
Sounds like unfortunately you don’t make good money.
only if "good" means "not enough"
Let's just say that this decent apartment you are looking for costs $2k per month. Which, even in this economy, is still a bit high for a decent one bedroom in Houston. You're saying you make less than $2k a month and call that good money? Lmao Edit: y'all this person is obviously lying or just trying to get karma. Guy says he makes 83k a year, only nets 3k per month. Makes no sense.
https://www.har.com/zipcode_77057/apartments?minRent=750&maxRent=1500&page=2
Garage apartment in a nice neighborhood may be an option, you’d have to do some driving around but may be worth it
I live in a 1 bed 1 bath in Westchase and my rent + all my utilities included is $1,200 a month. The apartments are decent, nothing luxurious though. There’s plenty of affordable places to live in this city if you actually take the time to look and you are willing to live within or below your means.
Work with an apartment locator who knows your market and area, I know a good few
After reading the comments and analyzing the financials. I have determined that this person is full of shit and deserves nothing less than a 1 bedroom motel off of Hempstead nw houston. All should carry on and not entertain this rich poor person.
I bought a condo because I knew rent was getting stupid. If you have any money at the end of your paycheck you might consider it.
They apparently don’t even make the rent on a one bedroom per paycheck. I don’t think they’d be able to save up much.
OP is putting $20k per year into retirement. They could easily pause that for 2 years and have a down payment
Gonna have to start an onlyfans bruh
The hipsters from this subreddit circa 2010 all became landlords and have no sympathy for you.
I pay for 1400 for a 2 bedroom in river oaks. After utilities (water, trash, electricity, internet etc) usually comes out to 1550. It’s a clean apartment complex with plenty of families so generally good vibes. Wasn’t even very hard to find tbh.
Get the hell out of Houston, this city fucking blows. Trust there’s much better places to live
610 loop premium, not cheap
OP what do you do for work? Any room to advance in your career?
Man some of the prices people are posting now are wild. I was renting a luxury apartment on the 23rd floor in the Museum District a few years ago and rent was like $1,840 a month, but that was like 5 years ago. Shit must have gotten absolutely insane in the intervening years, wonder what it costs now
It has gone up. My bro is looking for a place and he does not make enough a month to live one his own. So I’m stuck with him in my house.
Roommates or people willingly spend 50%+ of their monthly income on apartments thus raising up the prices Also a lot of people in Houston just make very good money.
It helps to have a roommate. I can afford my own place now but miss having a responsible roommate because it afforded me a better place to live while having extra funds for other bills or savings. Also I didn't have to own all my own furniture like I do now. I hate furniture.
Same here, if my gf and I didn’t share the bills, I’d still be living in my aunt’s shed for $500 a month.
There’s a lot of cutty montrose apartments for like $1k it’s not a huge complex but still an apartment inside the loop
By having money.
I always had roommates then I got married so kinda still had a roommate.
Roommates. I make good money and have never lived alone.
You have to look at what neighborhood and side of Houston you are able to afford.
1. I moved into college rent by room housing when I move out of my home city - ($650 a month) (people you can hang out with in an area you don’t know much about) (great amenities) (fully furnished) 2. When I traveled after that I rented airbnb rooms per month - ($800ish but month to month, and got to visit all major cities in Texas to see what I liked the best) 3. Get Landing, has a cool program where you pay $1,500 a month and you apartment hop. Kind of cool, they have penthouses and other nice spots on there app.
Quit telling people to live in a shitty apartment in a shitty part of town if they don't make enough money. Rent has gone up, groceries have gone up, the price of homes and cars are no longer affordable. The middle class is deteriorating every day. Wages have not gone up and that is the problem.
Skill issue
Inflation lifestyle in houston you uphold drugs groceries exc Houston is building everyday and i know some apartments are 1800-3500 depending on area you want to live in!!