We found an apartment we can afford, bank teller here

We signed a lease yesterday after a long hunt. I am in Madison, in case local advice matters. The kids have their own room again. If you are searching, keep going.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 3 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Thanks for sharing the deposit help tip. I will look into it.