Artists In Residence
WORK at home long enough and you’ll get a little buggy. Try writing a murder mystery while your spouse blows his bass trombone a few feet away, and you may be tempted to search for a weapon. But at the home of Jane K. Cleland and Joe Stanko, you’ll find only peaceful parallel play. Credit mutual respect for their respective arts, or maybe it’s their apartment’s thick prewar walls.
They met 11 years ago, when Mr. Stanko, a trombone strapped to his back, happened past Ms. Cleland in Central Park and stopped to introduce himself with an irresistibly lame line: He noticed she was wearing a cat-theme T-shirt and, guess what? He liked cats, too.
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Comments are off for this post Digg thisApartment Renting - Tips For Living Green in an Apartment Rental
When it comes to apartment renting, many people feel they need to abandon their environmentally friendly lifestyles. After all, unless everything is cleared with the property manager and you are willing to flip the bill, items such as geothermal heating and xeriscaping are simply not an option. Many different things can be done that will allow you to enjoy the benefits of an apartment rental as well as an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Reduce Energy And Water Consumption
Apartment renting doesn’t always allow for things such as geothermal heat or solar power, but that doesn’t mean you can’t save energy and water. Basic things such as turning lights off when you are using them and switching over to energy efficient light bulbs are just a start. Unplugging anything that isn’t in use, even if it has a ’standby’ mode can save hundreds on your energy bill every year. Depending on how the apartment rental is set up and where you live, you may also be able to phone the power company to switch over to renewable energy sources.
Water is another easy way to go green while apartment renting. Water conserving fixtures and items such as flow controls for the shower are simple to add in. If your landlord isn’t interested in installing them in your apartment rental, you can switch back the originals quickly and easily when you move. Cutting meat from your diet is also effective. In fact, for every quarter pound of beef you leave on the store shelf, you are saving the 4,500 gallons of water that it takes to get it from the cow to your plate. Turning off the water when you aren’t using it, using leftover water for plants, taking fast showers instead of baths, and only running washing machines and dishwashers with full loads also helps significantly.
Reducing Waste
Food is one of the most common products tossed out in homes across the country. Freeze, consume, or reuse leftovers to make additional meals until they are completely gone. For anything that can’t be saved, with the exception of meat and dairy, get an indoor, compact composting system. Take this one step further, and add recycling bins to your space. You can even work with other residents in the building to create group recycling, composting, and donating. Finally, stop the junk mail from filling your mail and opt for online billing.
Green Living
Since most people learn by example, take that as a challenge to show them just how easily it can be done when apartment renting. Dry clothes on your balcony, exchange chemical cleaners for homemade mixtures, and make use of public transportation. Add potted plants inside and outside the apartment rental by selecting plants that will thrive in these conditions. You can even encourage the rest of the building to do the same. Start a ride share program, and take time to show others in the building how you have made small changes to your lifestyle to become more environmentally friendly.
If you are considering delving into the world of apartment renting or already have one and think it is impossible to live an eco-friendly life, don’t despair. Living green in an apartment rental isn’t as difficult as you think. You might even get more people into the green lifestyle and help the environment more than if you were in a house.
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About the Author: Christine O’Kelly is an author for leading apartment renting company Beal Property, LLC in Chicago. Beal Properties is a property management company featuring vintage apartment rental options along the waterfront of Chicago’s Lake Michigan. |
How to Hunt for an Apartment in New York City
Below is a video on How to Hunt for an Apartment in New York City:
Provided by 101ApartmentForRent.com: Apartment Living and Apartment Rental Resources
Comments are off for this post Digg thisRent to Own
Some potential homeowners who are not able to purchase a home right away consider rent to own options instead. A rent to own option, often referred to as a lease, is essentially a rental contract for the rental of a property which includes the stipulation that the renter will be given the option of purchasing the property at the conclusion of the lease. This type of rental agreement may not be worthwhile for all renters but there are some who will find this type of agreement to suit their needs quite well. In particular renters with bad credit who might be unable to buy a home otherwise and renters who aren’t quite sure they really want to buy a home. It can also be a worthwhile agreement for homeowners who are planning to sell their home buy may not want to sell it immediately.
When Your Credit is Bad
Potential homeowners with bad credit may find a rent to own situation may be just what they are looking for to help them purchase their dream home. There are a variety of financing options currently available and it is likely even homeowners with poor credit can find a financing option but it is not likely this option will be favorable. Homeowners with poor credit are often shackled with unfavorable loan terms such as higher interest rates, requirements to pay points and adjustable rate mortgages instead of fixed rate mortgages. In these situations, it might be worthwhile for the renter to repair his credit before attempting to purchase a home.
One of the best ways to repair credit is to maintain good credit in the present and into the future. Most blemishes on credit reports are erased after a certain period of time. Renters who have poor credit can work on repaying their current debts in a timely fashion and with time their credit score will improve. During this time participating in a rent to own program allows the renter additional time to repair his credit and may also allow the renter to accumulate financial resources which will enable him to purchase the home when the lease period is over.
When You Just Aren’t Ready to Buy a Home
Some renters opt for a rent to own program when they aren’t quite sure they really want to own a home. In these types of agreements, renters are given the option of purchasing the home at the end of the agreement period but they are not obligated to purchase this home. This allows the renter to see what it is like to own a home without having to commit to homeownership.
Renters who are renting a home may learn a great deal about homeownership during the rental period. This may include information about maintaining the landscaping of the property and dealing with conflicts with neighbors. It may also entail caring for and maintaining a significantly larger domicile than most apartment renters have to maintain. Some renters are not quite sure they are ready to handle all of these issues and may use a rent to own agreement as a trial period to determine whether or not homeownership suits them.
When the Homeowner Just Isn’t Ready to Sell
Some homeowners offer a rent to own option when they plan to sell their home but do not want to do so immediately. Some homeowners may be hoping for property values to rise before they sell their home so they can either regain the amount they have invested in the house or profit from the purchase price of the home. These homeowners might choose to rent out their home during this time and offer the renter the option of purchasing the house after a set time period. This enables the seller to earn an income from rent while they are no longer living in the home. The rent they charge to the renter is often enough to cover the mortgage and yield a profit making it a financially wise decision for the seller.
From: Apartment Living and Apartment Rental Guide
Comments are off for this post Digg thisSecurity Guide for Apartments and Condos
There are certain benefits and disadvantages, from a security standpoint, to living in an apartment or condominium.
In a complex of any size, management often takes on the responsibility of providing security, at least in general. They will sometimes hire private guards. But even when they don’t, in the majority of cases they take some efforts to see that the grounds are secure. That helps them, of course, since a secure environment makes the complex a more desirable place to live.
But most will not concern themselves with individual security as, realistically, they can not. There are typically simply too many units to protect one-by-one. They may have fences, even alarm systems, but only for the perimeter and selected buildings. They can’t afford to look after each apartment or condo.
That means the responsibility for security rests on the shoulders of those who are most directly concerned: the tenant. Fortunately, there are a great many things that can be done inexpensively to do that.
The obvious involves such things as keeping windows and doors locked. Most complexes won’t allow installing an individual alarm system, but fortifying entrances with proper locks, window bars and so forth can certainly be done. Sometimes the expense will be a joint effort. Other times it is up to the tenant alone. But the expense and effort are well worth it, since it’s the tenant’s possessions and safety at issue.
Behavior plays a large part in personal security, and that can be carried out in a complex at least as easily as in a neighborhood. A neighborhood watch program can be developed within an apartment or condo setting. In many cases, this is easier to carry out in that situation than in a housing tract. There are more people around during all hours, typically, and the view is often more open.
Personal behavior plays a part, too. Don’t admit strangers through the gate, ‘as a favor’, even if they give you the name of a neighbor. Walking to and from the garage or parking area at night or when there is no one else around is a concern. Walking with keys or pepper spray cannister in hand is a reasonable precaution for most women. Being aware of the surroundings is wise for everyone.
Just as with a house, don’t admit strangers unless they’re from reputable companies you do business with regularly. They may decide to come back later when you’re not there. Or, worse, when you are. Take a peek through the peephole and require identification. Thieves may go to the trouble to disguise a vehicle, but they rarely carry proper ID cards, since they don’t expect to be asked.
Lastly, whenever possible, consider security when selecting an apartment to rent or condo to buy. After moving in it is usually too late to get the owners to change locks, improve lighting or repair a gate lock. But beforehand, you may have some leverage. It may require going with another choice. Weighing the options of where to live can be difficult, but security considerations should be high on the list.
Comments are off for this post Digg thisMoving Guide: One month to go
At one month out, you should consider booking your van. This is important because the longer you leave your bookings, the harder it may be to get an affordable moving company. This also goes for moving, if you’re allowing a firm to pack and move you.
Packing firms may also need plenty of warning to be booked, so ensure you investigate this fully before committing to booking them with a month of time. You may need to book them sooner., or may have a little leeway. Booking at one month in advance (or more) also means its easier to collect and decide, impartially on the quotes you collected in the previous weeks. These quotes may have seemed a long way off, but at 30 or so days until you move, it may seem like a long way off, but depending on the size of your house it may be no time at all.
If you’re moving house and booking a firm to help you, you may also want to consider booking a cleaning company to come in and clean behind you. They can clean your house, after your belongings are packed and have professional methods for removing stains, marks and other tricky marks on walls, doors and carpets. Even if you’re moving yourself, you may need to hire a professional cleaning firm to fulfill your contract with your landlord.
At one month to go you should also start investigating utilities and other things that will transfer with you - moving is a good time to take advantage of any offers that you might get with your phone, electricity, Internet or gas. Taking advantage of this now may not make sense, but in the long run it means you can investigate your options and make an educated decision on your utilities and other billables.
Source: http://www.101apartmentforrent.com
Comments are off for this post Digg thisStrong Rental Markets in a Weak Economy
Michael Rodriguez planted a “For Rent” sign one Sunday morning in the yard of a three-bedroom, two-bath house he owns in Salinas, Calif., a farming community 10 miles inland from the Monterey Bay beaches and about an hour from Silicon Valley.
That day, Rodriguez received 34 calls from prospective tenants. “The next day, I was talking to somebody, and I looked over and the sign was gone,” said Rodriguez, the broker/owner of Platinum Capital Mortgage & Estate in Salinas. “Somebody was trying to eliminate the competition.”
Salinas, like much of California, is facing a housing slump and a surge in foreclosures. But the rental market is humming along thanks to its relatively affordable housing costs and proximity to Silicon Valley, where high-paying tech jobs are plentiful. Salinas metro area apartment rents increased 5.6% in the third quarter, compared with the same period last year, and the vacancy rate has fallen to 2.4%, one of the nation’s lowest.
Source: http://www.101apartmentforrent.com/
Comments are off for this post Digg thisBoring Apartment Decoration Video
Check out this video titled “Boring Apartment Decoration Video”
Source: http://www.101apartmentforrent.com
Comments are off for this post Digg thisRenters To Avoid When Leasing Apartments
For instance, have they consistently moved from one apartment building to another? This isn’t necessarily a bad sign as sometimes people move when their lease is up because they can’t afford the ensuing rent increase, but you might double-check how long they stayed at any one apartment building. Addresses that are just a few months at a time might signal that they skip out on rent or terminate their lease early, which is not good for any prospective landlord.
Apartment renters also know that frequent moves is a red flag to apartment owners and managers so they have come up with a new trick to hide there poor rental history. Renters that skip out on rent or have been evicted will often state that they have been living with friends or family for the last couple of years. Unless the prospective renter is very young and it is obvious that this is there first apartment I will put extra time in checking out there rental history.
You can also ask for a referral from previous landlords when looking for prospective tenants for your apartment building. While there’s a limit to what they can say, they can certainly tell you if the person paid their rent on time and how often they were late. They can also share if there were complaints from others in the same apartment building when it comes to noise and so on.
And of course any tenant needs to respect the apartment building they live in and other tenants. Most landlords have clauses in the lease that address noise, trash removal, common areas, and things such as this. Anyone in your apartment building that violates these terms of the lease can be evicted just as well as anyone that is late on the rent. You can also charge a security deposit in case there is damage to your apartment building when the person leaves.
With new laws being passed every day to protect deadbeat renters many landlords are very hesitant to give any information out about pasted renters other than the renter did live at the address stated on the rental application. For this reason you will need to develop a good relationship with all of the other apartment managers in your area. You do not want to break any laws when giving or getting information but you do want to get all of the information you are entitled to.
There are more and more websites being devoted to landlords sharing information about prospective tenants to their apartment building; those with problems with past tenants may post information and even pictures of damages. Of course there may be some legal concerns with what you post and say on these sites, but if you own an apartment building there’s nothing to stop you from checking them for information!
David Cowley has created numerous articles on real estate investing. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to real estate investing. Visit http://www.rgvre-team.com
Article Source: 101 Apartment Living Resources
Apartment rents in West increase slightly
From Mercury News:
Apartment rents in the western United States are barely climbing¡ªgood news for renters but actually a sign of a weakening economy, according to a new report released Thursday.
The good news for renters is that while homeowners have watched the value of their houses drop, and subprime loan holders have seen their mortgages double, even triple, many apartment renters are paying just a few dollars more than they did a year ago, according to the report by RealFacts Inc.
Of the 19 major Western metropolitan markets covered in the analysis, 14 experienced quarterly rent growth, but none more than 1.7 percent,and four actually declined.
That’s consistent with national trends, which found average rents across the nation increase by only 0.6 percent since March 2008 and only 2.5 percent in the last year, the report said. Relative to other items in the household budget, apartment rent is lagging behind inflation, which was 5.2 percent in June 2008.
This article is provided by 101apartmentforrent.com.
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