how much do you pay for the roof over your head?

[♣ McKraut ♣]

well, it looks like it's moving time yet again for me.  i just got my "offer" from the leasing office for the next lease, and it seems that they are banking on a very high demand for apartments downtown this summer/fall, as my rate will go up by almost 10%.  so, seeing as how i wasn't that wild about my rent in the first place, i'm about to start the search for a new place once again (i think this is the 9th time in the last 5 years or so...).  i'll probably try to stay downtown still, as long as everyone else isn't tying the valuation of their property to the number of ultra lounges nearby.  i was wondering though, what other people pay for their places (rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc.), as a percentage of their take-home pay.  i started to take a closer look at what mine is, and was a little bummed out by it.  hopefully the next place will improve that number significantly.

[♣ McKraut ♣]

hmm...maybe i should have drilled-down the lower end a bit more?

[dallas2r]

hmm...maybe i should have drilled-down the lower end a bit more?

anyone... anyone?

ok, I'll do it.

That's what she said.

[pipeliner1978]

< 20

[♣ McKraut ♣]

i guess living downtown & working for peanuts skews your sense of what is "normal"...

[fastwin]

Good luck on the search. Since you work downtown I can see why you would want to stay downtown/Deep Ellum area. My sister in laws' younger brother is an architect for a downtown firm and since he lives downtown too he can walk to work or walk home for lunch. That's pretty cool and has to be worth something dollar-wise in the rent calculation. No gas, no wear and tear, no parking fees... Finding a safe place to keep the bike could be an issue.

[Duc L'Smart]

Yo McKraut, did you vote? Are you 55% plus?!?

Maybe someone's looking for a roomate, or has a spare room or a garage apartment or something...
Oak Cliff is a little easier on the budget, yet cool & close to town.

It'll be interesting to see how downtown pans out. There's a ton of new construction in Uptown, near the arena, & just East near Baylor. A lot of those are condo, but some are apartments, & some will be buying as an investment to rent out. It seems that with greater availability, prices might drop a little. Also, some of the slightly older units might have to drop prices to compete with brand new.
High gas prices might increase the demand for downtown living, but there's not much support downtown for stuff like groceries.

Have you checked with Jacob? He's remodeling several of his apt. units just East of town.

I also like the Cedars, just South of I-30, near SouthSide, Lee Harvey's etc...

[rsoffar]

so idk what you will be looking for as far as a place goes.... but you might try looking in the area just east of downtown... there are a ton of new places up over there and even more being built. My parents own a building on the corner of bryan and peak that they plan on remodeling the lofts in and renting out eventually.
unfortunately they have not started the process yet.

good luck with the search though

[bryant8]

I like living on the east side. 

It's not far from anything really except for Ft Worth

To me it has that feeling of not living in Dallas, but it's close enough for the days you want/need to be in Dallas

[cdc]

I like living on the east side Fort Worth. 

It's not far from anything really except for Ft Worth the east side of Dallas

To me it has that feeling of not living in Dallas, but it's close enough for the days you want/need to be in Dallas

There, fixed it for ya.

***

[fastwin]

I like living on the east side. 

It's not far from anything really except for Ft Worth

To me it has that feeling of not living in Dallas, but it's close enough for the days you want/need to be in Dallas

I agree. Born and raised in this hell hole, except for the 70s when I lived in Austin (school, etc...). North Dallas punk to be exact. I LOVE living in East Dallas by the lake. B8's right, I really don't feel like I live in Dallas. Or at least I try not to. All the westies are right though, I also love Ft. Worth. There are many days I wish I lived over there. Not nearly as many assholes and it's just not pretentious about who it is. Dallas is all wrapped up around trying to be a groovy, artsy, International city... poser BS, it's like a bunch of Highland Park $40K chopper geeks run this town. All sizzle and no steak. Ft Worth is what it is. Their worst museum is better than our best one, Bass Hall is super cool... hell, even the zoo is better. OK, end of "I'm hungry, when's lunch" rant.

[Duc L'Smart]

Oooh, lunch sounds good. Anyone out-and-about?

[Duc L'Smart]

Hey, LSD'ers, I think we all need to get together- McKraut needs an intervention

[♣ McKraut ♣]

Hey, LSD'ers, I think we all need to get together- McKraut needs an intervention

no..i'm not a 55% +....i'm actually right around 40.  but still, a good deal too high for me, especially when you make what i do.  i need to get down to the lower 30's at the next apartment.

[Duc L'Smart]

Aim for cutting your overhead in half. Might be tough, but it would give you some breathing room