I have to agree about the idea of rents going up as not necessarily being the case. I just took the plunge and signed up for a rental for another year, since it doesn’t look like I’ll be buying yet, as much as I’m trying.
The place I’m at now in UTC is a 2/2 for 1700, nothing special about it. I saw one closer to PB w/a distant view of the ocean for 1900, 2/2. Much nicer place. They agreed to 1800.