What are my chances of getting a apartment?

Pamela: What are my chances of getting a apartment?
I am 20 years old, been living with my parents all these years! I want to get a apartment! I been going to school but now I took off for awhile so I can work. I start a full-time job next week paying $ 9.50/HR. I have OK credit. My boyfriend will be moving in with me, so he will also pay half of the rent. The place is $ 985/MO. Am I going to be able to get a apartment? I also make some money off of eBay. This will be my first time getting a apartment. I am looking to move very soon! Any helpful tips will be good. Let me know!

Answers and Views:

Answer by da_hal
imho, you don’t make enough to cover your half. probably, you can only afford 300-400/month.

Answer by batwanda
Your chances of getting the apartment are excellent. However, your chances of making the relationship with the boyfriend last are not so good. Not because you are living with him, but because you are 20. The important part is for you to think about what will happen when you break up, how will the finances go and the apartment. I know you are ..bothereed but every woman over 30 here is thinking the same thing. Smarter move? Move in with a room mate or don’t move at all, save the money so you can be the youngest of all your friends to buy a house when the time comes. Pay mom and dad. Sorry, just one womans opinion, been there done that. And if your interest is in getting married, living together almost makes sure…you won’t get married.
Good LUck

Answer by pavano_carl
on the assumption you will have a take home pay of about $ 250 a week // $ 1000 a month, that means about 50% of your income will be going to just your half of the housing costs = assuming that all utilities are included in the $ 985- that’s still pretty steep.

You mention credit- which is a bit scary- because you could get yourself into debt fairly quick by using credit cards to pay for everyday purposes and other bills (cell phone, groceries, etc)

I’d say go it for just one-year (until you start school), have some fun. and then re-assess your options.

Answer by crazylarry88
you will need first months rent right away plus security deposit which is usually the same amount as the rent, and also need money to turn on all utilities, over 2000 dollars so far,

Answer by Mike H
Ever heard the saying why buy the cow when the milk’s free? Your asking for trouble because you may be able to afford half the rent, but if your boyfreind and you break up your screwed! And at your age chances are you will break up if you live together.

Answer by crazymom
Ok, lets break this down….

9.50 hr X 40 hrs/wk = $ 380 – 20% for taxes= $ 304.00 X 4 weeks per month = $ 1216.00 per month in income
The rest is showing your half of bills

Rent… $ 492.50
Electric…$ 25
Cable… $ 35
Phone/internet… $ 50
Car insurance… $ 50
Gas/transportation… $ 100
Food… $ 150

These are just the basic necessities and every month you will spend $ 902.50.

This doesn’t include running to Starbucks, new clothes, toilet paper, shampoo, hair cuts, manicures, entertainment, the occasional parking ticket, movie rentals, savings, laundromat every week, dry cleaning and credit card bills. Also, if the apartment has it’s own washer and dryer your electric bill will be considerably higher not only for using the washer and dryer but for the hot water heater that you will also use for showering.

Stay home, finish your education and save some money. After 3 months of living without what you precieve as basics, you will be miserable and the fights will start.

Answer by sunshine_today
When you rent an apartment, you have to look at the entire expense–rent, utilities, parking space fees, etc. and see if you can cover it all by yourself because at 20 years old living with a boyfriend, one of you will -probably bail out before the end of the lease and try and stick the other one with the bill.

I used to be a property manager and for what you are making, you would never qualify for the rental you have your eye on. I would probably make you get a co-signer like your parents.

I think you should find an existing roommate situation and move in to an existing roommate situation and learn to live that way, learn how expensive it really is, and not try and do it right off the bat and then also try and do it with someone you are dating. You’ll just end up moving back in with your parents when the relationship tanks and you both go your separate ways.