| | If you’re searching for a rental right now, you know the process can be a headache. It takes lots of time. Sometimes you have to deal with difficult people. And there are so many decisions. If you’re already renting, you remember that finding a rental wasn’t all fun. Maybe you’ve learned a trick or two that will make it easier if you have to move again. In this activity you have the chance to compare rentals from different parts of the country. You can also look at a specific community to see what the area is like. Keep in mind as you look that rental costs are only one part of your monthly budget.
Here is a useful Web site for this activity. If you’re comfortable working on the Internet, you might find other sites that give you similar information. If you do find a good Web site, be sure to share it with others doing the same work.
Explore, Dig Deeper, Debate
- Think of two cities in the United States that are very different. Name them and make a list of all the differences. (For example, Cheyenne, Wyoming, and San Francisco, California. One is much bigger than the other; one is a port city, the other is in the middle of ranch country; one has a harsh winter climate; one has a much more ethnically diverse population; and so on.)
- Now make a brief list of the things you would require in a rental. That might include a specific number of bedrooms, a particular policy on pets, location, proximity to schools and bus routes, and so on.
- Use the Web site www.homefair.com or one you have chosen. Find at least two rentals that you think would work for your needs. Describe them to someone else, and ask that person what he or she found. Compare your lists with that person’s list.
- Now use www.homefair.com (or the site of your choice) to learn about the community where this rental is located. Look at things like the population: Are you used to living in a town that big, or that small? What is the average income? (That may tell you something about how much things like food will cost.) What do you like best about the area? What are some things you would have to get used to?
- Let’s say that you were really planning to move to one of those apartments. How much of your monthly paycheck would go for rent? What other compromises could you make to be able to rent this place?
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