The influx of personnel to Ft. Bragg and the current difficult mortgage market have caused the rental market to explode. Locally there is virtually nothing available for less than $900 per month. What is available has issues (unsafe neighborhood, old dreary home, middle of nowhere and such). As the chart demonstrates, the minimum rental for a reasonably habitable family home is $1,100+. For this you will get a smaller three bedroom two bath home with no frills or extras. This is basic shelter. For a few dollars more ($1,300) you will see homes with attached 2 car garages and better finishes throughout. At the $1,500 price range you will find wonderfully updated, older homes with modern appliances, hardwood floors and curb appeal. One of the ironies of the market is that as you approach the $2,000 monthly rent you will see spectacular homes, many you would consider mansions. For $1,000 it is hard to find a mobile home but for $2,000 you get golf front luxury.
The best advice I can offer to renters on limited budgets is to find a roommate or another couple to share the home. Each paying $1,000 they can rent a luxury mansion in an exclusive neighborhood.
Rentals are in very short supply. When you see one you like; grab it with both hands and don't let go! Rentals move very fast. Your dream home may disappear before you can get back to the office and write a contract. This is especially prevalent on weekends.
As an active rental agent I am constantly frustrated by the demands of this market. Unlike the home sales market which is a Buyers market, the rental market is a Landlords market. Reasonable people come to me willing to pay a reasonable rent and they are prepared to spend all day looking at properties. Often I will have only 2 or three available and when I check availability it is likely that one of them is off the market. Once you decide on a home, don't expect the landlord to do much more than hand you the keys. Clean, paint, new carpet or any other request from a tenant usually falls on deaf ears. Don't assume anything; everything you want must be in the lease.
This is a very demanding market to work in. It requires a full time dedication to the rental market to be able to represent tenants, know the quickly changing market and get a lease in place. The web is awash in rental information of very questionable quality. Homes move so quickly that by the time they hit the web or even the local newspaper, the home is usually rented. Be very cautious of "too good to be true" rentals you see on line or in the paper. Some firms will advertise nonexistent rentals just to get your phone call. Never pay anyone any amount of money before you have a valid lease. The landlords pay all of my commissions and those of the agent representing the tenant. The Tenant pays no commissions.
It requires a great deal of time and attention to detail to be able to provide professional customer service to Tenants in this merciless market.
Let me know if I can be of service.
Bob Barmore
910 528 9536
910 528 9536
