The Chase: A couple are looking for a house to rent in NoDa or Wesley Heights for $ 1,600 / month

Photo: Brianna Crane / Axios

Finding a home in this market is a whirlwind, and these tenants took us around. It is The hunt, a new series featuring real Charlotteens and their home search stories. Read previous editions here.

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Shannon Chaney and her partner Tim moved to Charlotte from San Diego in October 2020. Here’s what it was like to find a rental home in Charlotte.

Who: Shannon, 27, is a writer and content strategist for the CEOs of emf incarnate. Tim, 28, is a waiter at The Bottle Tree in Belmont.

The House: The couple were looking for a rental in NoDa or Wesley Heights for around $ 1,600 per month. A gas stove, tub, washer, dryer, and hardwood floors were top of their wishlist.

• Garden space, a fireplace, tons of natural light, and open layout were all on the must-see list.

Chronology: They moved to Charlotte in October 2020 and stayed in a three month short term rental in Wesley Heights. The couple moved into a shared month-to-month rental in NoDa until they found their dream long-term rental home in May.

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Monthly rent: $ 1,394 (Zestimation rent)

District: NoDa

Specifications: 2 beds, 2 baths, 1006 square feet

Why he made the cut: Shannon and Tim loved the walkable location and price of this condo. It was comfortably within their budget and in their preferred location.

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Monthly rent: $ 1,600 +

District: Little wood

Specifications: 2 beds, 1 bath, 1,306 square feet

Why he made the cut: Although slightly over budget and quite well outside of NoDa, this home had just about everything on their wish list, including a fenced yard and fireplace. Plus, they loved the look and the neighborhood.

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Monthly rent: $ 2,200

District: Ashley Park

Specifications: 3 beds, 2 baths, 1,471 square feet

Why he made the cut: It ticked a lot of boxes, including a tub, washer and dryer in the unit, hardwood floors, a large backyard, a quiet neighborhood, and lots of light.

• While this place was a bit off budget and again quite far from NoDa, there is a separate studio that they could use as Airbnb to offset the rent.

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Which house would you choose?

• Option 1: Condo within walking distance

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  Which house did Shannon and Tim choose?

  • Option 1: Condo within walking distance

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    If you chose option 3, you are correct.

    How did that happen : The rental market, like the sales market, is changing rapidly; homes are foreclosed within hours of listing on Zillow, Shannon said. They were ready to find their dream home and didn’t want to choose a place out of desperation.

    • They finally found their perfect home when Shannon climbed onto Zillow, removed her filters (including budget), and searched for Wesley Heights.

    Although the house was off budget, Shannon was lured in to give it a chance. Once they took a closer look, they realized they could offset the rent by running an Airbnb from the private attachment – a long-term dream the couple shared.

    • “A week later, we visited the place, made our decision overnight and signed,” Shannon said.
      
    • they rent Airbnb for around $ 78 / night now.

    N ° 1 tip: Be patient, says Shannon. “The market was fierce and stressful, but we remained patient and confident that an aligned house would come our way – and it did.”

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    If you are looking for a house (or an apartment) at the moment, we want to follow your journey. Write to me at [email protected] with what’s on your wish list and your budget.

    • This series was inspired by The New York Times. If you’re curious about what buying a home in New York is like, take a look at their series, The hunt.
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