Help needed if you live in Chicago

[Stophovr6]

HI EVERYBODY!

My wife and I are relocating to Chicago from Seattle for family reasons. We are finding it exceptionally difficult to get an apartment. We are looking at a lot of places, through CL, that are in the Ukranian Village/Humboldt Park/West Town/Bucktown area. The places that seem to fit our needs are being posted at around 1000-1200 a month. According to our friends in Chicago who are checking on places for us and helping us with our applications, there are a lot of people wanting these apartments. Just this morning we received an email from a prospective landlord informing us that he wanted to give us the apartment, but another interested party offered an extra 50$ a month and offered the first 3 months rent up front.

Is it really this cut throat or are we having bad luck? I understand some of it has to do with us not being there, but our references and credit are fine. Is there another neighborhood we would have better luck in that isn't so competitive? Which begs the question, if these places are in such high demand, why are they being posted for so low? Should we aim lower and start bidding with the owner? I've never done that with an apartment before, pardon my naivete on the mater, but I don't remember renting an apartment, even in Manhattan, being this difficult.

I've posed this question elsewhere, just thought maybe some of my Redskins brethren in Chicago might be able to help.

[Brad_Edwards_Fan]

HI EVERYBODY!

My wife and I are relocating to Chicago from Seattle for family reasons. We are finding it exceptionally difficult to get an apartment. We are looking at a lot of places, through CL, that are in the Ukranian Village/Humboldt Park/West Town/Bucktown area. The places that seem to fit our needs are being posted at around 1000-1200 a month. According to our friends in Chicago who are checking on places for us and helping us with our applications, there are a lot of people wanting these apartments. Just this morning we received an email from a prospective landlord informing us that he wanted to give us the apartment, but another interested party offered an extra 50$ a month and offered the first 3 months rent up front.

Is it really this cut throat or are we having bad luck? I understand some of it has to do with us not being there, but our references and credit are fine. Is there another neighborhood we would have better luck in that isn't so competitive? Which begs the question, if these places are in such high demand, why are they being posted for so low? Should we aim lower and start bidding with the owner? I've never done that with an apartment before, pardon my naivete on the mater, but I don't remember renting an apartment, even in Manhattan, being this difficult.

I've posed this question elsewhere, just thought maybe some of my Redskins brethren in Chicago might be able to help.

I've been out here for a while and it seems that every apartment either stays available forever, or is gone pretty quick. Are you looking at private rentals too? Given how the condo market here got pretty crushed, there are a ton of people renting out their own condos, they tend to be priced fair and nicer then many of the ones in large rental buildings. I see you are looking at CL, if you havnt, take a look at the chicago reader as well.

Edit: Also, as to neighborhoods, where have you lived before and what are you comfortable with? Will you be communting to the burbs or the loop for work? What is more important, being close to the highways, or to public transportation?

[Stophovr6]

I've been out here for a while and it seems that every apartment either stays available forever, or is gone pretty quick. Are you looking at private rentals too? Given how the condo market here got pretty crushed, there are a ton of people renting out their own condos, they tend to be priced fair and nicer then many of the ones in large rental buildings. I see you are looking at CL, if you havnt, take a look at the chicago reader as well.

Edit: Also, as to neighborhoods, where have you lived before and what are you comfortable with? Will you be communting to the burbs or the loop for work? What is more important, being close to the highways, or to public transportation?

I've not lived in Chicago before. Commute will be for downtown area and public transportation is the most important. Thanks for the tips.