This last month looking for a new rental has been very eye-opening to put it as nicely as I can. You have to be prepared to spend a ton of money just to APPLY to a house. The housing costs as you all know in Central Phoenix have skyrocketed to buy or to rent. I just felt the need to share my experiences this last month in the hope that my mistakes can save someone else.
There seems to be a not to talked about scam going on right under our nose. The type of lowlife that can take money purposely from a mother trying to find a place to live with her and her kids is very special type of low life! When I first started searching for a new place this last month I ran into this type. I started looking for rentals on Craigslist. APPARENTLY, big mistake I was told. Due to the pandemic, the contactless everything has become the norm it seems. As I was looking through Craigslist I found some good deals. I am not one to fall for a too good to be true deal like huge house here in Phoenix for $500. That is obvious and I know better than that. The ones that got my money were the more clever ones. They were the listing for houses just under the normal price or average price. The person would claim to be manager or realtor and ask for the application fee up front by Zelle. Once I gave them the application fee, they said we could go tour the house. The first scammer took $150 from me for the application fee and said all was good on my application. I had explained to them the issues with my landlord here at the Urban 148 Apts here and that I not only was being evicted for supposed dog poop not picked up in front of manager's apt, but I would like out of the apartment setting. I was not choosing to move I was being forced to, I told him and I am trying to find a place to avoid homelessness. After I told him this he told me no problem and described the house and it sounded PERFECT. I talked to the first fake realtor over two days when he asked for the application fee and then would meet us at the house to get the lease done up and everything. I then sent him the application fee for my son and I ($75 a piece). As we pulled up to this house it had on the window and doors signs that said, 'Rental scams, Do not give any money to anyone for anything! This home is being rented out by Progress Homes, WE DO NOT ADVERTISE ON CRAIGSLIST OR FACEBOOK!' OK, so after calling the REAL rental agency and finding out the house is really renting out for almost double of what the lowlife claimed to want for rent I kissed that $150 goodbye!
So that is a BIG THING I was told by the rental agencies. Both Craigslist and Facebook have MANY low life's trolling for gullible people. I am disgusted how a person can do that. Finding a home is an expensive process in itself! Most people do not have extra money laying around while trying to move to just give it away to people that don't want to work like the rest of us. So now that I know I hope if any of you are looking for a new place to live in Central Phoenix you can beware of this type of thing.
