Trying to help out a friend–do they exist, and if so, what are they?
EDIT: They just added this info–preferred rent: $1,500-$2,000/month or less for a studio (would prefer <$1,800 a month), must be on a T rail line
Thanks!
Natick. On T, but a longish ride/distance.
Maybe Quincy - north somerville - for $2,000 for a studio you might not have to go that far out of the city
I’m paying much less than that for a studio in Cambridge. They exist! I’d look in Cambridge, Jamaica Plain, Somerville, Medford, South Boston, Quincy, maybe even Brookline to stay on the T (commuter rail opens that up). One thing that would help is getting a little further from T stops. I’m a 15 minute walk from any T stop, and that definitely makes it cheaper than being right in a square. But seriously, if you go to craigslist and put that in as a max, you will find options.
It also depends a lot on where the person is trying to commute to. I work downtown and where I work is convenient to almost all train lines. If I were working in Brighton, I might move. Most places are commutable between buses and trains, but multiple buses and trains is not a fun commute.
For a studio, I think if they can do $2000 a month, they can find something closer to Boston proper.
Warn her not to mistske the commuter rail for the T. It was no fun for my D, and more expensive.
Also consider winter. She got badly stuck in Quincy the year before. Now lives in Somerville, which many young people seem to like.
For some “hot” area, if the time to secure a studio is tight, is it better to go through real estate agents (more than one agents)? You need to pay them when you get the studio successfully.
However, I do not see this “phenomenon” (pay a real estate agent before you can more easily rent a studio, etc.) in the city where I live on the west coast. Not sure about how “hot” the housing market is in Boston suburb.
I do hear though, in order to BUY a property, there could be many cash buyers in Boston’s market, just like in some “hot” cities in California.
Agree with eireann. Work location should be taken in account. Not all T lines will be close to all of Boston, having to change lines can be a pain when trying to get to work.
Thanks for the info-I’ll pass it along. Friend will potentially be commuting to BU but will work remotely 2 days a week, hence the openness to the commute. She’s trying to figure out if this is doable on 40k a year. I have no familiarity with the east coast but decided that CC might. 
To get to BU from any northern or southern commuter rail line, you’d get off from the south at Back Bay station, and from the north at North Station, then take the Green Line. From the west, you’d get off the commuter rail at the Fenway station and walk.
Is she willing to share a place? We know more than several young folks who shares terrific houses or apartments in Cambridge, Somerville, Brighton, Brookline, etc…and did so for a year or so until they found a place.
Your friend should also look off of Commonwealth Ave in Alston. There are tons of apartments there…and easy green line commute to BU.
But look NOW. These are also desirable areas for the many college students!! Many leases become available September 1 in the towns surrounding BU. If that ends up being the case…she should be able to,easily find a summer sublet on Craigslist.
For 40k annual income, she likely needs parents’ guarantee or even their consign in a hor market like this (I do not know the differences exactly), I think. They (at least the parents) may be able to “sign” it online electronically.
My son shares a two bedroom in Brighton for $2000 a month. He is very close to two T lines.
Ditto what thumper said about availability. S needed a summer sublet (in Allston) when he started his job because year leases all start in Sept.
He actually reverse commutes to Framingham and drives.
@mcat2 I’m not sure you are accurate. Many 20 somethings live and work in Greater Boston and so not have guarantors on their leases. College students…yes. Employed grads…not so much.
$40,000 a year is likely enough to have a lease without a guarantor.
Actually, my D was the only one of her 4 roommates who didn’t need a co-signer. I think you have to make 40 x your share of the rent but I’m not positive. No worries though, finding a share for $1000 isn’t that hard. Finding a whole apartment for that is more difficult, but might be possible.
First of all, and this is a huge deal, is your friend working at the Boston University Commonwealth Ave Campus or BU Medical center. They are not in the same area at all.
For Boston University Commonwealth, good options are Cambridgeport, Allston, Brighton, or Brookline.
For Boston University Medical Center, the options aren’t great, but probably the Fenway, SouthEnd, South Boston, or maybe some good parts of Dorchester.
We had to co-sign S’s lease and he makes in the $50’s. We also had to come up about $8000 for first and last months rent on sublet and first/last months, plus security deposit on permanent apt. His company paid for his share of finders fee though we paid for the roommates share and he paid us back when he got his security dep back from his previous apt. Then we had to pay another $1500 for a new catalytic converter for his car so it could pass MA inspection. Most of these were before he even had his first paycheck.
^^^
how much was his rent?
@ClassicRockerDad, His 2 bedroom is $2000 a month which he splits evenly with the roommate. His sublet was around $1400, iirc. He had a share in a 3 bedroom for the summer.
We just had to co-sign for a car loan too. His credit history isn’t long enough.
Wow that’s surprising. I have never had to cosign my kids leases even in college. The Boston market is pretty tight though.
Come to think of it, my D did was an authorized user of our credit card in college, and it showed up on her credit report, so she did graduate with some decent credit rating.
It’s not nearly as bad as NYC if your kid gets a job there.