Loosing My Passive Income Stream (for now)

[SiouzQ.]

My house mate will be moving out next week, as he won a lottery for one of the few highly sought-after affordable housing studio apartment units in a new high-rise they just finished in downtown Ann Arbor. I don't blame him for going after it; he is 27 and has never lived on his own yet. But that means I am out yet another house mate (He was my third in the last 15 months). He worked out pretty well because he was hardly ever home, what with working full-time and going to school.

I think I am going to allow myself some alone time her at Chez SiouxzQ, at least until I really start feeling the pinch of not having that extra money coming in. I have so many more bills these days - a car payment, higher car insurance, and these crazy medical bills I incurred this past year. Yikes! $325 extra per month went a long way in helping me be solvent and allow for a few extras.

I just dread having to find another person who is somewhat compatible with me and can deal with my early am work schedule. And I don't want someone who is a homebody like me and around all the time; I am somewhat of a loner and really relish having my house to myself!

[razz]

Sounds as though you are a good landlord to get housemates that readily so when you are ready, another will come. Sometimes one needs downtime between though.

[new2oregon]

Sounds like you are a good housemate. I got a place by myself and its just me and my 5lb dog. I know if I got a roomate my cost of living would be half. Nobody wants a bad roomate . Trying it on my own right now. I had seen a 4 bedroom house with a garden, apple trees, a dog pen and it was 750.00 a month. If I had known the right people it would have been cheap for everybody. I think I could live in a comune with people who all work toward a goal of a simple life. Hope everything works out for you. Souuzq when I was younger I used to be a loner and know I enjoy having people around.

[lhamo]

How close are you to UMich? If the commute is convenient and you decide to look for another roommate, you might want to try posting your ad at different graduate schools that would typically have very busy, rarely home types enrolled. I'm thinking the med school or the business school -- there may be people at the business school in particular who are working on an MBA while also working full time = rarely home. Or commuting in a few times a week to take classes.

Grad school types are also typically quiet and responsible, so another +.

Hope you enjoy your time alone in the meantime.

[Spartana]

Taking a break from roommates can be nice but a bit hard once you get use to the money they provide. If you can, maybe you'll decide to forego the roommate situation and try to come up with that extra money another way via cutbacks or with extra earnings. If you included utilities in the rental price rather than split them, then you may actually be getting less income from the roommate then you thought once you take those utility increases into consideration so you may not have to cutback as much as you think.

[SiouzQ.]

I don't live at all close to campus, though I am on a good bus line to downtown. I would like to get a more mature, grad student type of person for the next room mate. I had the hardest time with my first room mate from fall 2012 (the secret alcoholic one). We worked together at Whole Foods but once she got her proverbial sh** together I really enjoyed being around her. She has since moved to Colorado Springs. My second room mate (February 2013 to April 2013) was also someone I worked with. He was easy to live with but after two months he decided he couldn't afford it and moved back home to his mother's. I gave myself a break from room mates until last August - my current one is a friend of of friend and that has worked out, as I said, quite nicely, since he is never around. But alas, he is moving on too.

I charge $325 (utilities included) for a bedroom and use of the kitchen, laundry, storage in basement. That is VERY cheap for this area, but my rent is only $491 to begin with. The electric (the only utility I pay other than internet) is usually about $35 per month. So that effectively reduces my portion of the rent to $166 per month!

I'll probably start putting feelers out in a month or two; until then, I will relish my solitude. We are in the midst of a HUGE snowstorm and it is just me and that cat here right now. It is very cozy :)

[Rachel]

$325 a month for rent including utilities?! Wow! This New York City gal is seeing stars. Someone will be lucky to be your roommate whenever you are ready to resume that. I agree, having a bad roommate is excruciating. Enjoy your quiet time and good luck with landing another good one!

[SiouzQ.]

"M" moved out all his stuff today while I was at work and is coming back tomorrow to clean. I am a little surprised to realize as much as I look forward (the introvert that I am)to having my house to myself, I think I am going to miss him a little bit! It looks a little empty around here without his share of stuff lying around. I have plans to deep clean, one room at a time, when the urge hits me. It really needs it around here ;)

[larknm]

SiouzQ, I would think your experience with three roomates under your belt will help you with the next one.