Quote Originally Posted by cuda View Post

One other plus that I forgot to mention was there is no lease. I just pay month to month and leave when I want.
I agree with what everyone else is saying. It's a temporary sort of place as you work toward someday buying something you really love....and in the meantime, you can use your imagination and a little elbow-grease to fix it up as nice as you'd like it to be...including the outside if it's worth it to you to trade your own efforts for nicer curb-appeal.

The statement I highlighted here though, I wanted to point out that I don't think it's a "plus". A lease is there to protect not just the landlord but you as well. If you can "leave anytime you want" then he can also MAKE you leave anytime he wants. You also leave yourself without any contractual obligations from your landlord other than the barest minimum that the state sets forth its in landlord/tenant laws. Even if you both agree that a "month to month" is the best sort of tenancy for all involved, you should still have a signed contract that protects both parties.

Also...regardless of what has been signed or not....or what has been verbally agreed to (almost impossible to prove in court when/if a dispute arises someday in the future)...I don't know of a single state that will allow you to just leave without a minimum of 30 days notice. And maybe you're already counting that in the "whenever I want" statement....but I thought I"d throw that out there for any young first-time renters that think they can walk out of a month-to-month without any notice. (I almost learned that lesson the hard way myself....WAAAAYYYY back in the days of my youth and first solo apt.)

Anyhow.....it really sounds like a good deal with lots going for it. Just be careful and don't be shy about asking for some things in writing. At the very least make sure you get receipts for all monies you pay out both initially and with each month's rent.