1. marc wrote on August 7th, 2006 at 8:29 am

I recommend searching out ads in a local paper for “roommate wanted” that feature the absolutely lowest possible rents in neighborhoods that are not obviously lethal. Then go interview these people and see why it would be so cheap.

Perhaps it is cheap because these people are too violent to get anyone else. Perhaps your “room” has a boiler in it. Perhaps you are expected to provide lewd non-monetary compensation. Perhaps it smells like puke and cheap beer.

However, this worked out really well for me; in 1996, I wound up being the third person in a totally underpriced but very nice 3BR in Logan Square. $515/month split three ways. My roommates weren’t nuts, just people with no social networks (one was a grad student who’d recently relocated, and the other was excessively Lutheran).

However, one of them collected couches, among many other things. No room needs four couches.

2. jennybento wrote on August 7th, 2006 at 9:49 am

yeah i think i am pretty easygoing as roommates are concerned. i think religious people are good because like you said, they don’t have a lot of people to move in, and generally they are not crazy and lewd. However, often they do not like the “overnight guests” which is not cool.