I seem to have gotten out of touch here. I've been renting since 1995 and have resided in the same residence since 1998, with no rent increases during that time. And old friend recently moved back into town and told me he's paying $650 a month plus utilities for a basement apartment (in Trenton no less - I didn't pay that much with utilities in Dartmouth). I've been paying $325/month and used to have ALL utilities included except a phone (inc. full analog cable until about 1.5 years ago). Now I've bought my own home, my mortgage payment is not much more than than my rent was, and with utilities, insurance and oil, it certianly will come out to a LOT less than $650+ a month. It seems that these people who rent out apt's or whatever, are just exploiting people with bad/no credit or people of a somewhat nomadic nature who don't want to commit to buying a home.

/rant

Wow dude you had it LUCKY then! I've been living on my own since I was 17 & never once paid below $400 for an apt. Always 5-600 usually.

i have been renting for 2 years..and i agree its a scam...if i wasnt on a managment program, i would have started buying a house last summer. but with a high probability of me relocating in a few years...buying a house would end up more of a headache..

Were paying 795/month + Power/Cable so close to 1k a month. I can't wait to own. It will be roughly the same.

When I was living with 3 people in our 3 bedroom apartment I was building equity (ie. saved money + interest from a high interest bank account) faster than if I had bought a house and put money into it, but as soon as one person left it became the opposite. You really need to have a nice down payment to get a better mortgage payment and rate from the bank (I wouldn't do it for less than 10% but 15% would be better and 20% is all gravy as you don't have to pay a high-ratio mortgage insurance) so until people have that it's probably safer for them to rent. What I don't get are people who rent for years and years and years and then go to buy with only 5% or less of a down payment. I just think "What the hell have you been doing with your money???" but to each their own I guess.

I just found out last night the approximate cost to heat my place a month and I was a little shocked at the average monthly amount but it is a brand new place so hopefully it will be more efficient than the power companies estimates...

Yeah, its the market here in Pictou County Dr B. I don't think I've ever paid less than $500 for an apartment and only once did I have utilities included. The only person that offers cheap apartments here is the Harris brothers, and no man in their right might would rent from those doodoo heads.

860/mo heat+Hw.

No complaints

3 Bdrm Apt.

moving to red deer alberta in exactly 2 weeks. Dead center between Calgary and Edmonton, 1h drive away from each. Going to be paying $550 between 3 people for a 3 bedroom townhouse in a good area. And thats including heat/tv/internet/water and so on, everything but my groceries

Make sure you bundle up

Bundle up is right .. just spoke with my daughter out there and it was -43.

Is that $550 each or $550 / 3? Because if you are paying $183.33 and getting all that it sounds like a steal.

I found out the other night that NS Power is estimating my heating and electrical costs spread out over the year to be $175 a month. Lets hope their calculations is with an average house without the new housing standards including double paned windows and heat recovery systems...

That's cheaper than what mine is .. $225 a month here however I heat basement and all other rooms as well. I have a newer house .. good windows .. heat recovery as well.

I suppose... It's just barely over 1000 sq/ft and a townhouse so I would have thought it would be a bit better but we'll see.

900 and something sq/ft here. Can't remember exactly.

Fine, you win - I'll suck it up and pay the bill.