There are many ways of finding an apartment, and opting to go with an apartment broker can be the right choice for many people. Whether it’s the right choice for you depends on several important factors.
via The Pros and Cons of an Apartment Broker | Oh My Apartment.
What you pay for your apartment and how fancy it is depends on your negotiation and deal-finding skills. However, before you negotiate anything, you’ve got to decide what you’re looking for in your rented space. Read on for six steps to help you find an apartment for the lowest possible rental rate.
via 6 Tips For Renting An Apartment|San Francisco Chronicle
This is a great article! It puts social media in its proper perspective — as a great communication tool, rather than a leading business generator. Businesses, pay attention!
It certainly clarified my love/hate feelings (not to mention guilt) regarding the plethora of social media outlets, and my use (or lack thereof) of most of them.
Well written, well thought out – a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Social media presence tends to be touted these days as a proficiency that must be conquered in order to compete for and generate business. If that were true, it would be called “commercial” media. Rather, social media is simply our way of communicating, redefined. It is another way to interact, and the rules for social interaction are no different online than off; the venue is just different.
Finding an apartment, in New York City or St. Louis or anywhere, is a major undertaking. The author of the article below missed a huge resource – using brokers (apartment Locators) to narrow down your search. There are free locator services in virtually every major city in the U.S.
Start with www.apartmentsacrossamerica.com. If your city isn’t listed, contact a locator in your state. They will direct you to local services in or near your township of choice. The key here is to work smart. Locators are a great information source to begin, and often quickly resolve, the tedious task of finding that perfect apartment.
Thanks to the real-estate slump it’s a renters’ market out there. Vacancy rates are still pretty high and landlords in many areas are willing to bargain, in some cases offering a free month’s rent or waiving fees. Home prices have also fallen back to earth since the boom years.
via Apartment Hunting in a Renters’ Market – The Juggle – WSJ.
Interesting discussion — thought it might be interesting to all you Generation X’ers out there. The weight of the world’s future is on your shoulders. Fortunately, the Gen X’ers I know are perfectly capable of rising to the challenge.
William Strauss and Neil Howe, coauthors of Generations, posit that each generation makes a unique bequest to those that follow and generally seeks to correct the excesses of the previous generation. They argue that the Boomer excess is ideology and that the Generation X reaction to that excess involves an emphasis on pragmatism and effectiveness.
via Discussion: The President/CEO Elite | LinkedIn.
This handy guide for ‘accidental’ landlords serves as a get-back-to-basics reminder for any landlord who wants to make a profit. They’re called “accidental landlords” or “reluctant landlords” — and during this housing downturn, more of them seem to pop up every day.They’re the homeowners who have tried — and failed — to sell their houses, so they’ve decided to find tenants who to move in and pay rent.
by Mary Umberger
via 5 Must-Knows Before Hanging a For Rent Sign | American Apartment Owners Association.
April 6 Bloomberg — U.S. apartment rents dropped in the first quarter and the vacancy rate remained at a record as unemployment near a 26-year high limited tenant demand.
via U.S. Apartment Rents Decline as Vacancies at Record, Reis Says – Bloomberg.com.
If you’re a renter, you’re in good company. More than 95 million Americans rent their homes, according to the American Tenants Association. Maybe you live in a part of the country where the costs of home ownership are out of reach. Perhaps you don’t have the time or desire to tend to a home. Or maybe you’re not in a position to commit to a location for more than a few years.
via 7 Things Every Apartment Renter Should Know – Manage Your Life on Shine.
Who was the first joker to put a frog in the teacher’s desk? What clown originated the idea of rearranging his friend’s apartment and putting all the furniture on the roof?
via The Origin Of April Fools’ Day – News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News.
Hey, all business and no fun makes for a dull…something. So have a little fun, enjoy April Fool’s Day! Or at least enjoy the article — no joke, it’s pretty interesting.
Brought to you by MTV News via Apartment Search St. Louis.
If you build it, they will come, right? But the question should be: If you build it, will they stay? Are your amenities designed only for the initial lease, or are they designed to give value on an ongoing basis to your residents year after year? With this in mind, I think we need to reevaluate our amenities with resident retention in mind, and see what is really making an impact on the renewal decision.
via Is The Apartment Gym Useless In Resident Retention? | Multifamily Insiders – Apartment Marketing | Property Management | Resident Retention | Apartment Investment | Jobs.
