Relocating to SF
 

Well, my year working in NY is almost up and it's time to go off into the corporate world. That said, I'm really looking forward to coming back to the Bay Area. After 3 years in Chicago and some time back in NY, I've decided that I hate Winter and Summer :(

So now it's time to start thinking about apartments. I've been perusing craigslist to get an idea but was wondering if anyone knows of any good reputable rental agencies I might consider?

Thread Moved
 

I think you will get a better response in community

Let's move it there.

My sister's oldest kid has been recently looking for a place in SF (the city itself) and reports back that the market has gone crazy, in the sense that it hugely favors landlords and sellers. So in the current market, it appears you shouldn't set your expectations too high, the post-dot-com-crash is well and truly over.

I haven't moved since 2001, pretty happy in Bernal, but www.metrorent.com and www.renttech.com have served as decent starting places in the past.

Real estate prices are through the roof, but I think you can still find rentals that are decent values relative to those during the crazy 1998-2000 dot-com boom.

Best bet is to alternate between craigslist & walking around the neighborhoods your interested in and looking for for-rent signs. The around SOMA/South Beach are very nice though a little lifeless - they tend to be very overpriced but then offer as much as 4 months free with a 12 month lease!! (Be sure to negotiate) Older buildings still will generally give you a free month; most small landlords won't but will negotiate on the rent; you should be able to knock off at least $100.

First thing to do though is pick which neighborhood you want to live in; San Francisco often feels like a dozen different cities where you can walk from block to block and the character dramatically changes.

-Jay

Thanks for the advice so far! As far as location, I'm a little schizo right now as I am debating between being close to work vs. living in an area I really like.

Last summer, I lived up from the Mission Dolores and absolutely loved it. Convenient since all the MUNI lines come together there at Church, a fairly short commute to work, the Safeway was right there, and I was w/in walking distance of some great areas. Definitely considering living around there again.

I think I'm going to take about a week and check out places using multiple sources.

Anyone know how far in advance leases get signed? In NY, places really start getting listed about a month before one wants to move in.

What I hate is that my work start date is September 27th. If I can negotiate either a month's free rent or middle month move in, that would be great.

try www.craigslist.com for listings... move in specials are hard to find in the city, your best luck will probably be with large appartments complexes (avalon, etc..)

I just posted in the SF forum a more specific question about rental prices. I was thinking it might get more traffic over there . . . but here is the link for those of you who might not frequent that forum: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=326628

I appreciate all the advice so far and definitely welcome any further input!

Here's another source for you - http://www.rentalguide.com/ - the online edition of the local rental magazine - most of the "big complexes" are in there.