Historic Rent Prices

[Michael Duncan]

Is there a way to find out the price CURRENT tenants are paying in rent for a particular neighborhood? I am trying to figure out how much I will charge for rent once I purchase this home, but none of the surrounding homes are currently for rent. Any help would be appreciated!

[John Casmon]

Try rent-o-meter. May also want to ask an agent.

[John Stovall]

I hate to say it, but i usually hang around the neighborhood on any place I'm buying and ask all types of questions. (Sort of boorish behavior, right?) I make sure the first words out of my mouth is that I want to make the area better, but I just need advice.  (And I do want to make the neighborhood better.) I also give tours to neighbors showing what I'm going to do to my house. I often rent it in the process to their friends.

[Alexander Felice]

ask around, if you ask 20 people who know the area you should be able to get within $100 easily.

also, craigslist should be useful.

rent-o-meter is ok, sometimes it's off. Zillow is always off for my units (by $250 a month in the red for the last one!)