I lease a 2 bedroom duplex off of Hillsborough Street (1 block), right by the main campus of NC State and within walking distance of all the coffee shops, bars, bookstores and the like (I do this all the time myself to save on gas and parking headaches). Downtown Raleigh is a short drive of less than 5 minutes...

There is a small but full bath, kitchenette, hardwood floors, a backyard space, attic storage space and one parking spot that can be alternated (You do need a parking permit for the street, but it's only 10 dollars a year).

You would have a room to yourself to do with as you please, the rest is a shared space that has pretty much been furnished (I am doing some reorganizing/unpacking and gradually moving in some nicer furniture).

I do have two cats, I am willing to keep them caged during the day or in my room. So yes, I prefer an animal lover. Your room is your space though, I don't want them to bother you. Smoking I would prefer outside, but allowances can be made for bad weather.

The $400 would cover your rent and bills, this has been figured out over the course of the past year with a previous roomie who stayed here, if the bills were to change drastically I can show you where and how, but this figure seems to cover Electric, Water, Trash and rent. I will not be trying to change things once you move in. I have cable modem but will need to switch that to my name as that was the one bill I did not handle. We have ran cat5 to the back room so you can have cable modem in your room.

I ask for previous housing references (2), my leasing management company will also want a criminal background check ran. You would need to sign on as an occupant with my landlord, but my name is the responsible party in case of damages and the like.

Respond by email first, we can set up a time to talk, then meet and have you look the place over and see where it goes from there. I'm looking forward to meeting you...