LINDALE, Texas — A lot of people say finding an affordable place to live right now is like finding a needle in a haystack.
After Cynthia Castañeda’s home burned to the ground this week, her family has no choice but to search.
This wall is the last recognizable part of her home. Everything they could save fits into a cardboard box. The rest burned to the ground.
Castañeda is grateful her family wasn't home. They were helping her mother-in-law move into another part of town.
“I felt my phone kept vibrating in my pocket. And I finally answered it. And I saw a text from a landlord to call him," Castañeda said.
Her landlord told her their whole trailer was gone- along with her two dogs and cat.
No one knows what started the fire, but Castañeda knew she had to find somewhere else to live and it wouldn't be cheap.
“Everyone has these houses, but they want to charge Dallas prices and stuff like that. And people around here can afford that," said Castañeda.
Lacy Turner, Platinum Realty Group’s CEO, said the market for renting is even tighter than buying.
“I have seen a lot of clients that were just considering selling and knew how much they could get for their home. So now they're selling and then renting themselves," Turner said.
In an emergency like Castañeda’s- her first tip is leveraging good insurance to get you somewhere to stay and find an agent who can help navigate a housing market that has a vice grip on renters and buyers.
“We had to go to school for it. And we have a license to do it. And you need representation, especially in the market that we're in right now," Turner said.
She said budget for unforeseen costs during the process and have patience- which Castañeda is finding more of herself.
“It’s really just about keeping your head up no matter what you believe in. It will get better. You hit hard times but you’re only going to stay down as long as you let yourself," Castañeda said.