Apartment recommendations

[momtopuddin]

My son and his fiance just got hired by Disney and will be moving to Florida in a few weeks. They have an air bnb reserved for a month or so while they are looking for an apartment. Any suggestions for an affordable, safe place to stay? They are trying to get something around $1200. They are ok with a commute as long as it is not too far.

 

[MillauFr]

$1,200 is going to be tough. My daughter rents a 1 bedroom in a dated apartment complex just south of Seaworld and pays $1,600. You might have to go pretty far away to find something for $1,200. Remember the traffic is terrible in certain areas. She looked further south by Championsgate but stopped after figuring out she would be stuck for upto 30 minutes there per day merging onto the freeway.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

unless they get very very lucky, they are going to have to be at least 45 minutes away from Disney if they can’t raise their budget.
Rent prices have skyrocketed in central Florida.

 

[Lilsia]

$1,200 is going to be tough. My daughter rents a 1 bedroom in a dated apartment complex just south of Seaworld and pays $1,600. You might have to go pretty far away to find something for $1,200. Remember the traffic is terrible in certain areas. She looked further south by Championsgate but stopped after figuring out she would be stuck for upto 30 minutes there per day merging onto the freeway.

For those prices a person would be better off buying a house.

 

[HopperFan]

Yeah $1200 is going to be pretty far from Disney to also be safe.

Friend who worked at Disney moved to other side of Downtown to save money, apartment was icky, I didn't feel like she was safe there (helped her move from apt by Disney) and worst her commute was at times an hour with tolls, longer if she was trying to save the tolls. Gas added up and she figured pretty quick she could spend more for apartment by saving gas money. She then bought a condo but had to sell when Disney closed. She's now in apartment north closer to Winter Garden.

Another friend left Disney for a hotel vacation club job. She works mostly from home so she is in Lakeland. Still goes to Disney often but had to move pretty far. We looked at lots of apts when DD was going down there and things to consider (1) TRAFFIC (2) Will they have same schedule or will it be double the gas commute with two cars (3) SAFETY, in Orlando you can turn a corner and your safety go from 10 to 0 real quick.

Them having that time in AirBnB will allow them to really drive to see areas and to check commute times. I def would stay Disney side of the turnpike.

If they could stretch it to around $1400 they could be in a whole different position. Right now a 1 Bedroom at Plantation Park - practically walkable to Disney Springs - condo unit (we almost bought one for DD) is $1399. Gas savings HUGE.

Good luck to them!

 

[Traveling on cc points]

For those prices a person would be better off buying a house.

I haven’t been paying super close attention to house prices since we bought last year but at least last year, you couldn’t find anything decent for under 450,000 in central Florida, never mind near Disney.
There is no way a mortgage would be under $1600 a month with taxes and insurance.

 

[HopperFan]

I haven’t been paying super close attention to house prices since we bought last year but at least last year, you couldn’t find anything decent for under 450,000 in central Florida, never mind near Disney.
There is no way a mortgage would be under $1600 a month with taxes and insurance.

AGREE

I've been watching condos/townhomes/house around Disney for about 6 years, and the specific ones I've been watching have just about doubled in price. If condo style you have to add the COA fees. Two young people working at Disney, I'm assuming not top tier employees, are not going to get approved to buy anything in the Orlando area.

 

[MillauFr]

For those prices a person would be better off buying a house.

Wouldn't the house payment in central Florida be around $3,000 per month? $2,000 for the mortgage and $1,000 for the insurance.? Buying a home in Florida is risky as you never know when they are going to cut off your insurance. You have a chance of getting insurance in Orlando but if you are in a coastal area no company is going to write you a policy.

 

[barkley]

Yeah $1200 is going to be pretty far from Disney to also be safe.

Friend who worked at Disney moved to other side of Downtown to save money, apartment was icky, I didn't feel like she was safe there (helped her move from apt by Disney) and worst her commute was at times an hour with tolls, longer if she was trying to save the tolls. Gas added up and she figured pretty quick she could spend more for apartment by saving gas money. She then bought a condo but had to sell when Disney closed. She's now in apartment north closer to Winter Garden.

Another friend left Disney for a hotel vacation club job. She works mostly from home so she is in Lakeland. Still goes to Disney often but had to move pretty far. We looked at lots of apts when DD was going down there and things to consider (1) TRAFFIC (2) Will they have same schedule or will it be double the gas commute with two cars (3) SAFETY, in Orlando you can turn a corner and your safety go from 10 to 0 real quick.

Them having that time in AirBnB will allow them to really drive to see areas and to check commute times. I def would stay Disney side of the turnpike.

If they could stretch it to around $1400 they could be in a whole different position. Right now a 1 Bedroom at Plantation Park - practically walkable to Disney Springs - condo unit (we almost bought one for DD) is $1399. Gas savings HUGE.

Good luck to them!

all excellent considerations. another that we've encountered in areas that vary safety wise is to research the difference in the cost of both auto and renter's insurance. we've lived in areas where the higher cost of rent in a safer area was less than how much more our auto insurance and renter's would have increased in the less safe areas.

curious-do apartments in that area charge for parking spaces (or only provide 1 per apartment and charge for additional spaces)? it's something that's becoming more common around here along with mandatory renter's insurance with minimum coverage limits.

 

[Lilsia]

I haven’t been paying super close attention to house prices since we bought last year but at least last year, you couldn’t find anything decent for under 450,000 in central Florida, never mind near Disney.
There is no way a mortgage would be under $1600 a month with taxes and insurance.

That is sad. Housing prices are way overinflated everywhere. These people are going to be upside down when things take a turn.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

That is sad. Housing prices are way overinflated everywhere. These people are going to be upside down when things take a turn.

I don’t disagree. The only thing that saved us when we bought back in September was that we sold our old house for way more than we ever thought we would.
It’s the first time home buyers that are going to be really hit by the crazy pricing.

 

[Stratman50th]

My daughter and her BF looked for a reasonably priced apartment for months. They wanted a two bedroom and they were pressed to find anything under $1,900. They did find a place in the Union Park/Alafaya area for $1,400, and they moved in the second week of Dec, 2022. That's a pretty good distance from Disney and the traffic is terrible. The apartment complex is a little older but recently remodeled and the area is safe. Another thing that's happening is having to pay for every application, and it isn't refundable. Seemed like a money grabbing scam, but it is a fact of life. Rentals are just really hard to come by and there isn't anything approaching a "reasonable" price. There is a program that involves a rent with the option to buy. You check out the properties and submit them to the real estate company and if you qualify, they will buy the property on your behalf and you basically rent with the option to buy. My daughter really didn't find anything. If it was in a nice area, it was out of their price range. Anything they could afford wasn't in the greatest neighborhood. Anyway, best of luck, they are in for a long search.

 

[SC Minnie]

Yeah $1200 is going to be pretty far from Disney to also be safe.

Friend who worked at Disney moved to other side of Downtown to save money, apartment was icky, I didn't feel like she was safe there (helped her move from apt by Disney) and worst her commute was at times an hour with tolls, longer if she was trying to save the tolls. Gas added up and she figured pretty quick she could spend more for apartment by saving gas money. She then bought a condo but had to sell when Disney closed. She's now in apartment north closer to Winter Garden.

Another friend left Disney for a hotel vacation club job. She works mostly from home so she is in Lakeland. Still goes to Disney often but had to move pretty far. We looked at lots of apts when DD was going down there and things to consider (1) TRAFFIC (2) Will they have same schedule or will it be double the gas commute with two cars (3) SAFETY, in Orlando you can turn a corner and your safety go from 10 to 0 real quick.

Them having that time in AirBnB will allow them to really drive to see areas and to check commute times. I def would stay Disney side of the turnpike.

If they could stretch it to around $1400 they could be in a whole different position. Right now a 1 Bedroom at Plantation Park - practically walkable to Disney Springs - condo unit (we almost bought one for DD) is $1399. Gas savings HUGE.

Good luck to them!

My daughter lives in Plantation Park.

She used to live in another gated complex off I Drive not far from Springs too and a 1 BR 4 years ago was $1300/month and I'm sure it's much higher now.

 

[mjkacmom]

My daughter and her BF looked for a reasonably priced apartment for months. They wanted a two bedroom and they were pressed to find anything under $1,900. They did find a place in the Union Park/Alafaya area for $1,400, and they moved in the second week of Dec, 2022. That's a pretty good distance from Disney and the traffic is terrible. The apartment complex is a little older but recently remodeled and the area is safe. Another thing that's happening is having to pay for every application, and it isn't refundable. Seemed like a money grabbing scam, but it is a fact of life. Rentals are just really hard to come by and there isn't anything approaching a "reasonable" price. There is a program that involves a rent with the option to buy. You check out the properties and submit them to the real estate company and if you qualify, they will buy the property on your behalf and you basically rent with the option to buy. My daughter really didn't find anything. If it was in a nice area, it was out of their price range. Anything they could afford wasn't in the greatest neighborhood. Anyway, best of luck, they are in for a long search.

My daughter is trying to find a small one bedroom in central NJ for $2000 max, the problem is she has to pay to apply and then not get the apartment. My friend went through the sane thing, so many application fees and she never saw anything.

 

[Praying Colonel]

DS is a CM and shares a place with other CMs in Davenport, about 25 minutes from where they work. The landlord raised the rent and they're looking for someplace else that's closer, but it's tough going.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Wouldn't the house payment in central Florida be around $3,000 per month? $2,000 for the mortgage and $1,000 for the insurance.? Buying a home in Florida is risky as you never know when they are going to cut off your insurance. You have a chance of getting insurance in Orlando but if you are in a coastal area no company is going to write you a policy.

Not to take the thread too OT, but we live on the coast & have insurance. Yes, it's very expensive & you don't multiple options to choose from, but it's available.

 

[MillauFr]

Not to take the thread too OT, but we live on the coast & have insurance. Yes, it's very expensive & you don't multiple options to choose from, but it's available.

I just don't understand why any for profit insurance company would issue a policy for people living in vulnerable barrier island like the outer banks of North Carolina.

 

[HopperFan]

My daughter lives in Plantation Park.

She used to live in another gated complex off I Drive not far from Springs too and a 1 BR 4 years ago was $1300/month and I'm sure it's much higher now.

Right now 1 bedrooms $1399, $1475, $1545 and $1600. A 2 bedroom $1700. I think for the location to Disney that is pretty reasonable although if you can go to $1800 lots of much nicer apartments not far.

I just don't understand why any for profit insurance company would issue a policy for people living in vulnerable barrier island like the outer banks of North Carolina.

I don't know but my guess is if a company wants to sell in a state there might be some requirements they can not refuse some areas. Doesn't mean the rate is reasonable. If they start cherry picking they could say no urban homes, no low income homes, no rural homes far from fire dept etc. It could be considered discriminatory.

We have a home 1/10th a mile off the beach, walk it in 3 minutes. Our complex has insurance on the exteriors, we have insurance on the interior (it has not increased in 6 years) and we have FEMA (even though not required). Is the insurance higher than what we pay for our MUCH larger primary home per square foot, yes, but its the cost of living at the beach. And that higher premium goes to cover their payouts.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Would they consider sharing a house with another couple or with some roommates? They might be able to spend less that way. Just trying to think outside the box for them to get in something both safe and affordable. While we were dating, DH shared a 4BR house with 3 other people. Not only did they have more room, but they had a yard and were on a safe, quiet street.

 

[White Cat]

Wouldn't the house payment in central Florida be around $3,000 per month? $2,000 for the mortgage and $1,000 for the insurance.? Buying a home in Florida is risky as you never know when they are going to cut off your insurance. You have a chance of getting insurance in Orlando but if you are in a coastal area no company is going to write you a policy.

Haven’t found that to be the case at all. Our home insurance is no where close to that a month. It’s not a ghost town. Lots of people are living just fine.