living with college students... they're the only ones who are cheap enough!

[drachma]

Odd situation presented itself.

I am 26, not too far from a college student. I lived alone for a year after graduating and then with one roommate when rent got to be too much... now I want it even lower. In trying to reduce my housing costs I am seeking roommates. Nobody my age wants to cram 4 people in a sardine tin, so in cruising the classifieds section I found a house occupied by 3 other tenants. They are all college students from 20-22.

The house is fine, typical college students. Seem clean enough. One's dad owns it and they rent it out while the daughter lives there and goes to school. Lease agreement and everything. 2 full bathrooms, a private bedroom, washer and dryer, big ass modern kitchen, man, the works. and a big empty basement where I can work out, which cuts out my gym costs too! and its down town, and the rent is about $150-200/month less than anywhere else I can find a room (with fixed utility cost!). Most rooms work out to about $650 +/- 50 depending on the heating method, this one is $475. Right now I pay 850 for a big spacious place with 1 roommate, which needs to stop. and i hate the headaches of juggling roommates and keeping spots filled - i'd rather just be the tenant, its cheaper and lower risk (but less control).

its down town too so i can bike commute!

they sound like they have some college ragers from time to time, are all art students, and mary jane is present in the house. none of which i particularly care about other than police involvement, which theyve avoided so far (its a bit "in the neighborhood", so i doubt this house is the juiciest target on the block. and nobody deals.) im a libertarian type, drugs dont bother me, especially weed, i wouldnt live anywhere with hard drugs. i just prefer not to spend money on it myself...

any other ERE'ers done something crazy like this?

everything lines up it's just an unorthodox situation for someone like me. but when you're price shopping this hard i feel like maybe you gotta do something a little... extreme... to retire early...


oh and they're all 21 year old women and im a 26 year old male engineer. but, hey, im a New World Man, people is people and they didnt set off my internal "GTFO" alarm. i think im gonna sign.


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TLDR; trading a small amount of legal security, possible drama, and really not impressing potential dates for dirt cheap, high quality housing

[Gin1984]

I am a grad student and we have a roommate that was an undergrad, and now is working.  I say go for it!

[johnny847]

I'm a grad student, so I'm rooming with another grad student.

Since you're okay with the ragers and weed, I'd go for it! Oh and the whole not impressing dates thing. Although if a potential date is Mustachian, they might be impressed.... ;)

[Eric]

any other ERE'ers done something crazy like this?

It doesn't sound that crazy to me.  It sounds like a pretty sweet set up.  I wouldn't worry about the dating thing too much.  Living with 3 girls will probably allow many opportunities to meet lots of other females.

[Beric01]

I'm looking at doing this right now. Currently I rent a 250-square-foot studio. But my workplace is fairly close to several local universities (within biking distance), so living with students is a definite option. Rent around here is just so expensive...

[drachma]

Although if a potential date is Mustachian, they might be impressed.... ;)

that is always the dream. heyy bb check out my lentils

[mozar]

I lived in big group houses until I was 29. As long as you don't have to share a bathroom, it can work out well.

[Davids]

Sounds like an awesome opportunity.

[MBot]

We rent out 2 beds in our house to students, which covers the mortgage. We're both around 30. It works fine

Common space and your habits are key in making it work though. Especially shared chores and cleanliness, and if the gym/TV/couches/table are always occupied by people or covered in stuff. YMMV

[Lmoot]

I’ll be 35 soon and just moved in with a couple of 20 somethings.  They both work in nursing and one is still in school. They own the house which I guess kind of makes me a boarder. . I like it it’s nice so far. There’s not too much of a difference between professional 20 somethings and professional 30 somethings. But I don’t know if I would really want to live with a group of people who have never worked full-time or are still in that college frame of mind if you will.

[lexde]

If I didn't have a large dog, I would be all over this. I'm 29, for what it's worth.

[mountain mustache]

I've done this and...it did not go great. But, I think it may have just been these girls, but I know I will not live with college students again. I was about 25 when I moved in with 3 college girls, aged 20-21. The house was so clean when I went to look at it, but it's normal state was disaster. College girls are SO messy ( I know, because I was one, and I was such a mess in college) They would come home from parties/work/whatever with groceries at 1am, leave the groceries in the middle of the kitchen floor (including milk/eggs/cheese) for DAYS. There were piles of dishes in the sink constantly, appliances were left on, doors weren't locked. One of them had 2 kittens, and they would pee all over the carpet, so the house smelled. They left laundry in the washing machine, wet, for days. Surprisingly the parties weren't that big of a deal, they didn't have many, and they weren't extremely loud. They would spend entire Saturdays/Sundays not moving from the couch, smoking weed and drinking vodka. It just did not align with my lifestyle in any way, it was impossible to cook food, find a spot for it in the fridge, go to bed at a decent time, and get to work feeling like I had time at home to unwind. I think I stayed for about...2 months before realizing that I couldn't deal with it, no matter how cheap it was. But, just my personal experience. I like my home to be at least a little bit of a sanctuary, and my formerly disastrously messy self prefers a clean-ish, organized home now (especially kitchen). I have adult roommates now (over 40) and it is THE BEST. So respectful, we communicate well, the house is clean, no one eats my food. Anyway, just my personal opinion!