I want to use this platform to provide resources for those of you who are looking to lease or rent a home in Orange County, California. Below you will find useful links to help you find a home to rent or lease and what to expect. Searching for your next home:
BrentDeWitt.com - MLS access to homes for lease in Orange County for free. The listings on this site are pulled directly from the Multiple Listing Service for L.A. and Orange County California.
Craigslist.org - This site is used by many principles to list their rentals or leases themselves. You can search by keywords, city, price, beds and pets. This is a good site for those of you with credit issues or something out of the ordinary going on with your situation, because you are generally dealing with the owner personally.
What to watch out for when renting or leasing a home.
Having the home foreclosed on while you are renting it - The best way to protect yourself from getting involved in this situation is to check the "tax rolls" for the county and look for 2 things. First, in the home in foreclosure or pre-foreclosure already? Second, How much is owed on the home currently? If $500k is owed on a home that mortgage payment will be in the $3,500 range and if you are renting it for $2,000 then is the owner in a position to cover the difference? Almost any agent will be able to help with this.
Submitting and packaging your request to rent or lease a home.
Speaking from experience, how you present yourself is many times more important than what you are presenting. The following is what your presentation should include.
4. Recent bank statement. (no Acct #'s)
5. Drop it off IN PERSON to either the principle or the agent. I can't stress this enough. When all else is equal they will pick the one who showed the most interest by default.
Moving-in logistics:
-How Much? Your move-in cost will be 2xrent plus $500 for pet and $100 for keys.
-When is the $$$ due? You generally give half when you sign the lease and the other half when you receive the keys.
-Take lots of pic's before you move your stuff in to document the condition should a issue arise later. The same for when you move-out.
Reference:
Rental Assistance in Orange County California - Government funded rental assistance
