Heh. And I got here too late to help with the math. Darn. That's the kind of word problem I like on standardized tests. Becauase I'm a freak. Clearly.

Ugh, that reminds me I still owe some money for my last group vacation.

aww sorry! We had a crazy good deal staying in my friend's parents' timeshare condo situation. The car was our biggest and most complicated, expense.

I was just reading an article on rents going down. It gave the figure that rents are down .4%. And then went on to say that renters were in a position to negotiate.

I guess, if the default thinking is constant rent increases, but a .4% decrease is not much of a negotiating term. Is it really a strong position to be asking for a $1 decrease a month?

aww sorry! We had a crazy good deal staying in my friend's parents' timeshare condo situation. The car was our biggest and most complicated, expense.

Luckily, someone else figured out how much I owe -- I just have to pay it! We ended up with a ridiculously complicated situation because different people paid for different expenses (car, groceries, house), so I'm glad I wasn't doing that math!

I guess, if the default thinking is constant rent increases, but a .4% decrease is not much of a negotiating term. Is it really a strong position to be asking for a $1 decrease a month?

Well, some rents are still going up and some are staying the same, so some must be going down a lot more than .4% for .4% to be the average. But anyway, I'd think it'd depend on how full your current building is. If there's a lot of vacancies, they might lower your rent just to keep you happy.

eta: Instead of mentioning the .4%, maybe you could just say, "Rents are going down - what can you do for me?"

Ok.... I'm a total nerd, but I might Obamaize a picture of each person in my family: [link]

some must be going down a lot more than .4% for .4% to be the average.

Especially since in places like NYC and SF, rents are holding steady. In San Francisco, average rent is projected to go up 3.3% this year, with only a minor bump in vacancy. But, in Oakland and Silicon Valley, rents are expected to flatline or go down.

No matter what, I think renters are in a position to negotiate, though. Especially if you have a steady history.

My landlord cut me a good deal when I moved in (minimal deposit, no cat deposit, reduced rent by $10 to accommodate the $10/month cat rent) and have raised my rent not too much each year since then. I found out from a co-worker who just moved into another building in the complex that the going rate for a 1BR unit is up to $850, and I'm only paying $775, so I'm in pretty good shape.

I don't know if the complex as a whole is filling up, but I believe my building is pretty full. AFAIK, we're the cheapest not-a-slum complex in the area, so we're a popular destination for those who are moving out of their foreclosures.

rents in my hood are definately flat, but I think sale prices are now starting down after holding steady.

Just out of my area, I think sale prices are dropping faster, but single family houses are nowhere near affordable until you get into sketchy areas.

I listened to NPR on the way to work this morning just because they kept saying, "President Obama." I didn't particularly care what they were reporting about, I just got a buzz out of hearing, "President Obama" every 3 minutes or so.