Category: Let's talk
I'm on the hunt for a place of my own, and a relative recently recommended I check out using people who locate apartments for you. so, I found a reputable company...but I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience in using this service?
if so, how long was it before you heard back from someone? is there anything else that I should know?
thanks in advance; your help is much appreciated.
I was just talking to a guy friend about this as a possibility last night. This guy has had horrible luck with roommates/apartments he found on Craig's List, and is having to move yet again as he just found out the property where he rents now is being foreclosed. He told me these services cost a pretty penny, but I wouldn't let this discourage you from using one. I had such a bad time subletting & getting referrals from people we knew I finally got a realtor to find us a place & had to pay her commission when we finally signed a lease, but it's worth every penny to avoid doing business with "friends", to wind up losing the business and the friend, or finding out the roommate whose ad you answered on Craig's list is moving out or failed to tell you the property was being foreclosed. I'm willing to bet such a service could help you find some places that meet your requirements. Good luck!
I've never even heard of something like this. I've always either searched online or with a friend who utilized the newspaper. This would actually be very helpful to me because we're very particular about the type of place that we get and even though I have a friend willing to help, she works during the day and a lot of management offices/owners aren't available after a certain time. Plus, she's just one person and it can be pretty taxing on a person to lug us around looking at places. I will definitely look in to this as a possibility.
I use google to search for what I'm looking for.
glad this topic could be of help to others.
to the last poster, Google is where I found this service.
awesome!!!!
I've decided to take matters into my own hands, since I've yet to hear back from an apartment locator. I'm a patient person in regards to most things in life, but I'm eager to get a place of my own asap.
I found a complex that meets my price range (it's actually a little cheaper than the start amount I gave). it also goes above and beyond the things I specified, which made me happy.
the only downside is the fact I need someone to co-sign with me, since I don't have any rent history or credit to speak of. this has me a little worried. does anyone have any thoughts? words of encouragement?
A co signer pays when you default on the rent. A guy friend of mine who has since passed away had a step daughter he cosigned to lease an apartment with her then toddler daughter. SD's boyfriend moved in, then out, and I forget the excuse, if the bf was paying rent then left or what, but anyway Lou didn't get notified until this girl was months behind in her rent, & once he found out he was pissed. It turned out bf's name was never on the lease, so he should have been notified pronto to assume the payment. Are you renting from a corporate leasing agent? Someone whose fairly well known? If you can find out, maybe call a realty company & ask if they're familiar with the company if it's a corporate lease if they're reputable to work with or not.
I would start out, if the option is available, with a 7 month lease, or 6 month lease. You should know right away if you feel comfortable or not and can start hunting with a Rent Guide or something if not. If so, maybe once the lease is up sign the one year. It's best to stick to a budget since you have a cosigner. Find out too if the maintenance office is separate from the leasing office, or if the leasing office dispatches maintenance. I knew a couple who had a nightmare in an apartment when the maintenance people separated from the leasing office; they couldn't get any repairs they needed. My first apartment there was 8 days before I moved in they had to get the place in working order, and the toilet flooded the first day. Maintenance needed a new part, so every time I needed to use the toilet I needed to turn the water off & keep what I intended as a salad bowl to catch leakage. Needless to say I was hunting around for another place right away. Good luck.