Recently read an interesting article by Steve Thompson, a freelance writer  on StumbleUpon.com.  It has some good suggestions, so thought I would share it with our readers.   Hope you find it worthwhile/helpful!

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If you’re like most people, you spent about three hours online when you last had to search for a new apartment, browsing the long lists of photographs and descriptions posted by complex owners. This is a convenience that didn’t used to exist, and should be used whenever possible, but there are a few pitfalls to online apartment searching.

As an experiment, I called ten apartment complexes listed on Rent.com to ask about their rates and amenities. Of these ten apartments, nine were more expensive than their listings and one was significantly cheaper. One of the major pitfalls of online apartment searching is relying on the data that displays on the screen. If you’re going to use the Internet, call to verify before you get excited.

All Complexes Aren’t Listed

If you limit your apartment search to online listings, you could be cheating yourself out of a great apartment.  In areas where traffic is high, complex owners don’t see the benefit of listing online, and you won’t even know they exist until you look them up in the yellow pages.  If you’re going to insist on online apartment searching, remember to extend your search when you’re done.

Owners Embellish

Don’t be surprised if you visit an apartment complex only to discover that it looks nothing like the Internet ad described. A major pitfall of online apartment searching is the potential for owner embellishment. Beware of especially descriptive phrasing, such as “lagoon-style pool”, “brand-new appliances” and “soaring ceilings”. You could discover that they are anything but.

Pictures Lie

The pictures on the Internet of a particular apartment complex don’t necessarily have to coincide with the apartment you’ll be renting. Many apartment complexes have model apartments in which no one has ever lived, while others will show pictures of larger apartments to draw potential renters in. You can’t rely on pictures with online apartment searching; wait until you see the place with your very own eyes.

Don’t Waste Your Time

It would really be disappointing if your three-hour online apartment search yielded no viable results. You can have a list of fifteen complexes that sound appealing, then find out that none of them meets your expectations. In this case, you would have been better off driving around rather than scouring the Internet.

Experts are Valuable

An online apartment search is no substitute for a qualified Realtor or broker. You can gain valuable insight by working through a professional who knows the apartment complexes in the area and can match your needs to the available properties. Don’t experience this pitfall of online apartment searching unless you are ready to deal with the consequences.

The pitfalls of online apartment searching are many, but this isn’t to say that the practice won’t turn up any results. The best strategy is to use the Internet as a starting point from which to find the perfect apartment. Once you understand the neighborhood better, you can use more reliable sources.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 3:20 pm and is filed under Apartment Communities, Apartments for Rent, Condos for Rent, Current Specials, Duplexes for Rent, Homes for Rent, Townhouses for Rent. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.