STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Andrea Julia · Coach

Researching apartment prices

bumblebee · Coach

which area are you specifically searching for? craigslist is a good indicator, but only in some areas (i.e. in San Francisco, it seems to be pretty representative of what's available, but in LA it's not as widely used and therefore most of what is listed on Craigslist is actually higher than what you can find if you drive around and look yourself).

lsubatgirl · Gucci

I would find an apartment locator wherever you move to and have them help you out. You don't have to pay them anything and you just tell them what you want and what you don't want and they do all the work. I did the basic research before I met with mine in Houston and she did all the rest and it worked really well.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

lsubatgirl wrote:

I would find an apartment locator wherever you move to and have them help you out. You don't have to pay them anything and you just tell them what you want and what you don't want and they do all the work. I did the basic research before I met with mine in Houston and she did all the rest and it worked really well.

just be careful with apt. locators. you have to be REALLY specific with what you want. they will show you a lot of crap before you find a good one. i used craigslist.org i used chireader.com (chicago website). i would try to find out whatever is the "local" website for the area and search through them. also, maybe go to a local forum as ask questions about the area. my bf and i might be relocating to austin in a bit and blubirde provided me with sooo much info. a ton of info that i wouldn't have known from any website.

cc · Marc Jacobs

Newspapers and craiglist are definitely overrun with ads from listing agencies and brokers who just lie about prices but if you comb through it's usually pretty easy to figure out which ones are probably "fake" and which are ads for actual apartments. When I was looking on craigslist for apartments I realized that often people who are breaking their lease and trying to find someone to take the apartment so they don't' lose their deposit post ads and are usually pretty honest and include the rent. So I started searching for broke or breaking or lease - things like that and I wound up getting an apartment that way so it could help you get an idea of actual rents.

I think classifieds and talking to someone who actually lives in the area are the best sources.

honey · Gucci

if you're looking outside of this area i would suggest getting one of those apartment search guidebooks (you know those books that list a bunch of complexes, their amenities, and contact info). i feel like the northeast is strange b/c a lot of apartments are part of multi-family homes, so it's hard to get a true sense of the value. but outside of this area apts are part of huge complexes with set rates. so if you can find the contact info. for different complexes you'll probably get an accurate idea.

carmenb513 · Coach

I found that when I was moving to Connecticut from Cincinnati ALL of the Apartments were roach motels that were online. So when I finally got here (CT) the girls at work would get the newspaper and put big fat x's over the crappy areas and places I would need to be strapped with raid and a bullet proof vest.

Had no luck though looking on my own.

After getting sick of living in a hotel (lthough the job was paying for it) a co-worker saw my patience wearing thin and linked me up w/ her long time realtor friend.

The only apts. he took me to were ones that he would live in himself.........that being said bye bye to the roach motels........then I only had to apply for the ones I actually wanted.

So after 6 weeks of living in the Amerisuites and the maid checking out my wears...within one week of dealing w/ this guy I had an apt.........no fees (the landlords of these places paid him to find decents tenants) just 1st, last and security deposit (this is common in this area of CT)

I do know coming from a major Midwestern city (Cincy ) for $600 you could get something damn near lavish! I wish rents were like that here.I don't find that people try to take you for a ride and/or try to stick you w/ fees.

Can't speak for my other Midwest counterparts........I'm sure it is waaaaaaaaaay more expensive in a place like CHICAGO than in Cincy.

Did you have an idea of were you want to move to?

Andrea Julia · Coach

carmenb513 wrote:

I found that when I was moving to Connecticut from Cincinnati ALL of the Apartments were roach motels that were online. So when I finally got here (CT) the girls at work would get the newspaper and put big fat x's over the crappy areas and places I would need to be strapped with raid and a bullet proof vest. Had no luck though looking on my own. After getting sick of living in a hotel (lthough the job was paying for it) a co-worker saw my patience wearing thin and linked me up w/ her long time realtor friend. The only apts. he took me to were ones that he would live in himself.........that being said bye bye to the roach motels........then I only had to apply for the ones I actually wanted. So after 6 weeks of living in the Amerisuites and the maid checking out my wears...within one week of dealing w/ this guy I had an apt.........no fees (the landlords of these places paid him to find decents tenants) just 1st, last and security deposit (this is common in this area of CT) I do know coming from a major Midwestern city (Cincy ) for $600 you could get something damn near lavish! I wish rents were like that here.I don't find that people try to take you for a ride and/or try to stick you w/ fees. Can't speak for my other Midwest counterparts........I'm sure it is waaaaaaaaaay more expensive in a place like CHICAGO than in Cincy. Did you have an idea of were you want to move to?

I have been getting e-mails from managers in the past few days for places I'm not interested in going. I decided to make a list of places I really would be interested in going to and will just focus on those. People are always leaving and being promoted so something will open up in one of these states within months, I'm sure. Here's what I came up with:

VA
DE
FL
GA
NC
SC
MD
NJ
NM
AZ
TX

There is a position open in Orlando that I am exploring right now.

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

When I made my last move for a job, to Kentucky, I talked to the administrative asst. who was helping me hire movers, and she told me all about neighborhoods and general price ranges and what were considered the good areas and whatever.

The other thing I did was visit for a weekend to look at places, and asked sales clerks at the health food store in town. I figured they were probably cool, and also probably poor, so they would know the fun, arty but still kind of cheap areas. To be honest, that was my best idea. (This only works if you're comfortable starting a conversation with strangers). I ended up in a neighborhood that was a little run down, but kept getting hotter and hotter. i've moved now, which is good, because I basically can't afford to live there anymore. I still miss it, though. I loved that part of town...

Oh, and you mentioned the midwest,so if you're going to cincinnatti, north adams is really hip, but way overpriced. Generally, where I last lived, in Louisville, $650 should get you something pretty nice. If you're goign to a college town, though, watch out. I'm in one now and the average nice place is $800 to $1,000, which is completely stupid for anything in a fly-by state.

--

Oh, and I work with tenants who are being evicted, so I've learned it's important to read any lease CAREFULLY! Watch out for places that charge ridiculous, like $250, "application fees." Don't sign anything unless the exact monetary amounts have been worked out and PUT ON PAPER - the paper you're signing, obviously. If possible, try to tour the EXACT apartment you'll be renting, not one "that has the same floorplan." Look for waiver clauses that say that the landlord can't be sued - they won't hold up in court that well, but it's generally not worht the fight. And they are a HUGE indicator of a shady management company. Oh, and watch out for exorbitant maintenance fees, like $8 to change a lightbulb. Some places won't even provide maintenance, at all, and there will be a clause saying that these standard maintenance problems will be handled by the tenant at the tenant's own expense - for example, a stopped up toilet. I rent because I don't want to be teh one to deal with a stopped up toilet, for crying out loud! Anyway, you know to read everything before you sign it, I'm sure. So good luck!

-- Edited by Dizzy at 13:45, 2005-09-30

Andrea Julia · Coach

Thanks for all the great advice everyone! Since the positions are all over the country and they pay the same amount of money no matter where you go, it is so important to know what I can afford in that area before even agreeing to interview. The same salary can afford a luxurious lifestyle in one place and be near poverty in others. I would hate to take the job and then end up in the situation where I need to find a place and I can't afford anything. For that reason, I turned down interviewing for a position in NYC. I know for a fact it would be really rough and to me, it's not worth it.

theotherjess · Chanel

I know nothing about apartments but if you need to know other stuff about Orlando, you can PM me.