Moving/rental assistance - input welcome

[Fierce Critter]

The house my husband and I have been renting since March of 2010 is pretty much being sold out from under us. The landlords are divorcing and no amount of pleading and offers to pay more rent and other things to be allowed to live here another year or two and then possibly buy the place are for naught. The husband says he "needs it sold this summer."

We're freaking out because it's not easy for us to find a rental. We don't have a ton of income, our credit is icky (the reason we want to rent another couple years is because I'm working with a debt counselor and will have our credit squeaky clean and score improved to mortgageable levels within 18 months if all goes well), and we have pets we absolutely will not give up.

We are SOL because we didn't push for a new lease in March when our first lease was up. So there's nothing we can do as far as we can see.

So we're scrambling to try to find a new rental.

I'm a little frustrated because I can't find any way to look for a rental from home besides refreshing Craigslist and two local papers' online classifieds over and over throughout the day. Rental websites like Hotpads aren't bringing anything up except for a few condo or apartment rentals (we're dead set on a single-family home).

Yesterday, My husband and I did a lot of driving around looking for signs, but kinda crapped out. We went to a few local businesses and yard sales and at every one, I opened my mouth and asked if they knew of any rentals around the area or if they know anyone who rents houses. I might have made a few connections, so that was pretty satisfying.

But I'm looking for more suggestions. An online acquaintance said that Lions Clubs can help sometimes in situations like this. We don't need financial assistance, just help finding a rental. I had thought about having my Knights of Columbus dad contact the local KofC groups, so the Lions Club thing sounds like a good idea.

Any suggestions on clubs, groups, agencies, that sort of thing I can follow up on?

Input is welcome and appreciated.

[Columbia, MD]

I don't have any idea where you live, but have you tried contacting a real estate agency? Sometimes they have rentals. There are also property management companies who specialize in rentals.

Hope this is of some help. Good luck!!

[Fierce Critter]

I'm in the northwestern corner of Michigan's lower peninsula.

I have contacted a friend of an acquaintance who is a local realtor. Haven't heard back from her yet, though.

Generally I don't really know how much realtors can help. They generally deal with higher priced properties, and require pretty good credit. As I mentioned, our credit is in the dumps. We had just formed a plan to clean it all up when this happened. But for now, it's a hindrance.

Also, most realtors I've talked to outright tell their clients to not allow pets. It really stinks that so many pet owners are irresponsible and ruin it for those of us who take proper care of rental properties.

[Fierce Critter]

I did just get off the phone with a small realtor right here in the Village.

She was actually extremely nice and gave me some reassurances I hadn't thought of.

I was a little afraid that after the realtor came on Wednesday that she would recommend to the landlords that they kick us out due to the pets. Honestly, when you walk in the door, there's no smell, there's no shredded carpet or furniture (save a large cat tree that KEEPS them from scratching what they shouldn't), the dog is well-behaved. We're inviting potential landlords to come visit us so they can see how well we take care of our rentals.

But I just don't know if a realtor would be cool with bringing people into a house with cats and a dog.

But the realtor I just talked to said that they'd be fools to kick us out when we're still paying rent. They'd lose that money and they really have no clue how long it will take to sell (the house is a pretty shabby 70's double-wide with a LOT of issues, but the property is gorgeous - water view without being on the waterfront and without costing the price of waterfront property). She told me that the market is still really slow and that there are a LOT of properties for sale right now here in this town.

Nevertheless, we're not going to sit back and wait and hope we can stay here. We'll keep looking, and be hopeful.

[hepcat]

If it's a divorcing couple, it's probably in their papers that it has to be sold by a certain date. Rent doesn't come into it, they care about it selling so that the asset can be divided. A house with tenants isn't going to sell as fast as an empty house with cosmetic improvements and some staging. Having to have the lawyers go back and re-draw the divorce papers would be super expensive.

In fact, you really need to change your thinking on that because there's no way they would wait two or three years to finalize their divorce on the off-chance you might buy it, or that they could get a genuine buyer which is easily divided than continuing to be tied to a property with tenants.

Around here the grocery stores have these free magazines with rental listings, right next to the real estate magazines.

[Gutmutter]

Check the laws - in our state you have to be given a certain amount of notice and they can't just kick you out before then.
You said you would only consider a single family house... you may not be in a position to set those kinds of restrictions.
Keep going to yard sales. I went to two last weekend that were emptying the house to sell.
Have you looked at bank-owned houses/short sales/for sale by owner homes? My mortgage on a house a bank wanted to unload is a fraction of any place I could have rented.

[Fierce Critter]

Check the laws - in our state you have to be given a certain amount of notice and they can't just kick you out before then.
You said you would only consider a single family house... you may not be in a position to set those kinds of restrictions.
Keep going to yard sales. I went to two last weekend that were emptying the house to sell.
Have you looked at bank-owned houses/short sales/for sale by owner homes? My mortgage on a house a bank wanted to unload is a fraction of any place I could have rented.

We believe we have to have 30 days written notice.

Our credit is too messed up right now to get a mortgage. We've looked into it. A land contract would work, but we'd rather rent right now until we can clean up our credit and be in a position to buy something we really want in a couple years rather than buy something we'd have trouble unloading. The market here in Michigan is still very, very dismal.

[Columbia, MD]

Sounds like you are getting your act together, and that you are very sensible. I hope you will continue to let us know your progress, and I'll be "pulling" for you.

I'm aware of the dismal mess in MI. My son and DIL lived in Northville for 12 years, and when they went to sell their house it took forever and they took a "bath" on it, but they had to relocate so they did what they had to do.

Keeping you in my thoughts................

[Fierce Critter]

If it's a divorcing couple, it's probably in their papers that it has to be sold by a certain date. Rent doesn't come into it, they care about it selling so that the asset can be divided. A house with tenants isn't going to sell as fast as an empty house with cosmetic improvements and some staging. Having to have the lawyers go back and re-draw the divorce papers would be super expensive.

In fact, you really need to change your thinking on that because there's no way they would wait two or three years to finalize their divorce on the off-chance you might buy it, or that they could get a genuine buyer which is easily divided than continuing to be tied to a property with tenants.

Around here the grocery stores have these free magazines with rental listings, right next to the real estate magazines.

Oh, we have no intention of "holding out" and hoping they'll sell to us now. No way. We're hoping to find something and be out by June 1st.

But their divorce is supposed to be final this week. Are you saying in your first paragraph that you think the sale needs to be finalized prior to the divorce being final? Because that's clearly not going to happen. They're finalizing sometime this week and the husband said he "needs it sold this summer."

[hepcat]

No, but in their finalized papers there will be a date that the asset has to be sold by. There's no way any lawyer would just pass over a big asset like property.