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Eggplant Wizard posted:City-data.com has an absurd amount of data for any given town, including some crime statistics. I love city-data.com. It's absolutely ridiculous and everyone should check it out. They even have active forums where you can ask questions about specific locations. The forums seem way more active (especially for specific U.S. locations and smaller cities) than the tourism and travel forums on SA. I just checked it out and there's a forum for every state and just on the first page of my state there were three active threads about my town. It's a cool website. razz fucked around with this message at 20:40 on Feb 20, 2013 |
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Feb 20, 2013 20:37
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razz posted:I love city-data.com. It's absolutely ridiculous and everyone should check it out. They even have active forums where you can ask questions about specific locations. The forums seem way more active (especially for specific U.S. locations and smaller cities) than the tourism and travel forums on SA. I just checked it out and there's a forum for every state and just on the first page of my state there were three active threads about my town. It's a cool website. Yeah it's so insane. I was looking up a minor suburb in eastern MA and the page just goes on and on and on and on. "Most frequent patent filers in this town" is my favorite heading. I do wish they had a slightly better system so that you could easily compare places.
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Feb 20, 2013 23:21
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Has anyone worked with a leasing company before...? I'm not sure if that's the proper terminology, but a company that acts as an intermediary between you and the landlord (they put up the listing, show the place, collect rent through their website, etc.). If so, is it a positive or a negative thing? (Sorry if someone already brought this up... I tried to go through the thread a bit, but I didn't see anything  )
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Feb 22, 2013 17:04
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This can be a pretty common thing - especially if the owner doesn't have a lot of properties or if they do something else as a day job. For example, one of my co-workers bought a condo a while back, but his family outgrew the place and they purchased a house elsewhere. Since the housing market was terrible, they couldn't sell the condo at all without taking a huge loss. So they rent the place out through a company that takes a cut of the rent in exchange for finding tenants, doing maintenance, and things like that. E: now that I think of it, my last 3 apartments were all places like this. It really wasn't any different than when I dealt with the owner/leasing company directly. Initio fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Feb 22, 2013 |
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Feb 22, 2013 17:27
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Niemat posted:Has anyone worked with a leasing company before...? I'm not sure if that's the proper terminology, but a company that acts as an intermediary between you and the landlord (they put up the listing, show the place, collect rent through their website, etc.). If so, is it a positive or a negative thing? So I would break companies like this into two categories. The first is rental agents, and the second are property management companies. A rental agent handles things like listings, showing the place, taking applications, and once someone is picked they take their check and walk away, handing over the actual managemnt to either the landlord or someone else. A management company basically acts as a proxy for the landlord, and handles things like taking the rent, registering complaints, arranging repairs, and handling any problems during the tenancy. Now, there is no reason that a company can't do both, but I break them up because they are often different and a management company may itself sub-contract the screening process to an agent in a way that isn't obvious to a renter. My opinion of rental agents is that they are a blight upon the world, and manage to beat out car salesmen for being lovely double dealers. My experience is that they will tell you whatever lies they need to get your deposit and signature; they will mislead you about the property, about the landlord, about the rent, about the facilities, and they will bend and break any law they think they can get away with in order to get their commission and get out of there. In as much as they work for anyone besides themselves, they work for the landlord - even if you are paying them a fee (which is not uncommon in some markets). You should regard these people as conmen and fraudsters. Management companies can vary a lot. Some of them are going to be pretty reasonable and will act reasonably. Some of them are going to try and scam you out of your deposit or milk you for additional costs and fees as long as they think you'll pay them. Others will try to do this because they are amateurs and don't actually know the laws about rental rights in their area (most common with small companies and individual managers). A management company that handles more than a few units or a single location will probably be a little scummy in a sort of generic bad landlord way, but avoid the outright craziness/horribleness you can encounter directly from landlords. You asked if they're a postive or negative thing - I think of it as more of counting on a certain amount of dependable mediocrity. I have had landlords who were really amazing, and landlords who were totally batshit insane - and there was very little way for us to know which they were before we moved in. A management company probably isn't going to be amazing, but they very likely won't be horrendous, either. So you can think of it as taking a safe bet for ok service rather than gambling on getting the extremes.
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Feb 22, 2013 17:50
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Ashcans posted:So I would break companies like this into two categories. The first is rental agents, and the second are property management companies. A rental agent handles things like listings, showing the place, taking applications, and once someone is picked they take their check and walk away, handing over the actual managemnt to either the landlord or someone else. A management company basically acts as a proxy for the landlord, and handles things like taking the rent, registering complaints, arranging repairs, and handling any problems during the tenancy. Now, there is no reason that a company can't do both, but I break them up because they are often different and a management company may itself sub-contract the screening process to an agent in a way that isn't obvious to a renter. What if they say they're a management company with certified realtors?  Will they be as likely and willing to lie to us about the place?edit: If so, is it worth throwing into the conversation my husband is a law student and very familiar with the state landlord/tenant laws in order to decrease the chances of getting hosed with...? (Both of which are true.) Niemat fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Feb 22, 2013 |
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Feb 22, 2013 19:44
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Niemat posted:What if they say they're a management company with certified realtors? I have had a certified realtor lie to me in every way I mentioned above. On top of that, when we finally got sick of poo poo and ended our lease, it was the same dude who came around showing the place to new tenants - telling the exact same lies all over again. We had to interrupt his tour to correct everything he was telling people with the truth. This didn't stop him lying, though, it just meant that he stopped showing the place until we had left. You can let people know that you know the rules, sure, but this only goes so far. I mean you can tell people 'Oh, hey, that isn't legal you know' but the most likely result is that they will cut you from consideration rather than fold - because the reality is that if you are viewing a place you either won't have a basis to sue them for it or it won't be worth your time to do so. It's actually better to know the rules and then not bring them into play until someone tries to enforce something lovely on you. I am going to admit that I have a very cynical view of this process because I have been burned multiple times. I think that the best thing to do is try to get personal recommendations or opinions - find someone you know who has dealt with them, even try to look up current tenants to get the real picture.
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Feb 22, 2013 19:58
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Ashcans posted:I have had a certified realtor lie to me in every way I mentioned above. On top of that, when we finally got sick of poo poo and ended our lease, it was the same dude who came around showing the place to new tenants - telling the exact same lies all over again. We had to interrupt his tour to correct everything he was telling people with the truth. This didn't stop him lying, though, it just meant that he stopped showing the place until we had left. I know a guy who's dealt with them, and he was very meh about all of it... He didn't really seem to have too many thoughts one way or the other. I tried looking up reviews online, but there's one angry one from a landlord who worked with them and felt he got screwed and some very generic (probably planted) mediocre reviews. The guy who showed us the house sort of rubbed me the wrong way (he was pretty arrogant--even going so far as to say he would be raising the rent in a month or two on the place "because [he] could."), and he seems to be the guy in charge, but I'm not sure if that reflects on the day-to-day with them....? Hell, our current landlord was pretty aggressive during our showing, but, since we've moved in, he's so eh about things, he needs to be called every day for a week straight to get anything done... including snow removal after a blizzard.
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Feb 22, 2013 20:10
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What? Don't ever rent with someone who says they're going to raise your rent during your lease. Your rent should be fixed for the term of your lease.
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Feb 22, 2013 20:13
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Blast Fantasto posted:What? Don't ever rent with someone who says they're going to raise your rent during your lease. Your rent should be fixed for the term of your lease. It would be if we signed a lease for the place--he was saying if we didn't sign a lease, and sat on it, if it was still there in a month or two, he'd raise the rent because he could because it's renting season or some nonsense... which I still thought was a really sleezy thing to say.
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Feb 22, 2013 20:17
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Niemat posted:It would be if we signed a lease for the place--he was saying if we didn't sign a lease, and sat on it, if it was still there in a month or two, he'd raise the rent because he could because it's renting season or some nonsense... which I still thought was a really sleezy thing to say. sounds like he's saying "buy now before this crazy deal goes away!!". which is probably a lie.
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Feb 22, 2013 20:26
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In my area, this is a slow time of year. When spring comes, I will raise rents and drop specials. Don't know what the market is like there, but he could be telling the truth.
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Feb 22, 2013 21:01
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Drunk Tomato posted:sounds like he's saying "buy now before this crazy deal goes away!!". which is probably a lie. yeah if he could raise it and people would buy it, he would have done it before showing you. I got my most recent place (that I am now leaving) through a rental agency. They're mostly into houses, but on occasion they do rentals. Didn't have a single complaint, but I did know them. That experience varies from what I gather from others who have used agencies. Quick question: I have two open showings tomorrow. I've never gone to an open showing. One is for a meh place. The other is a steal if it is as good as it looks on the photos and on the drive by I did. I guess my question is, assuming I like this place and want it, how do I make myself stand out form the other people there and close that thing right away? I told my buddy be prepared to at least fork over your half of the deposit that day if it is any good. Is there anything else I can really do in this situation? I guess any rental references would be by phone, right? The only other things I was thinking was just dress nice enough since that will give a good impression, even though it's probably discriminatory and illegal... the other issue was that they wanted this filled for March 1. My current lease is up April 1. I'm not forking over $500 to not live there, nor does my friend wanna pay $1000 to live by himself with little to no furniture (he's coming from home and I had enough to keep us afloat til he buys some new stuff). What can I do to sweeeten up the deal a bit for them beyond having a deposit ready that day so that they're willing to eat not having rent for a month? It's a complex with a property management group; no fee, if it matters. The only thing I could think of would be agreeing to a 13 or 18 month lease or something to make up? I don't know. It sucks because the place, by all indications on price, neighborhood and photos, looks perfect, and it's really hard to find 2BRs that aren't in the ghetto for $1000 in North Jersey. by the way, thanks for the answers to my previous questions guys.
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Feb 22, 2013 21:01
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I nabbed my last apartment by having a check for first month's + security up front. Cash in hand is really hard for people to pass up. Might not work with an agency, but at least it shows you're serious. A definite "yes" from an average person is better than "maybe" from the perfect tenant.
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Feb 22, 2013 22:36
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Yea, best advice is to have a completed application and a check in your hand. If you can't get an application ahead of time (in some regions basically everyone uses a standardized form) then bring all the info you might need to fill it out on the spot - references, credit check stuff, etc. If you can tell an agent/landlord 'Hey I love this place, here is my application and deposit right in your hand' then you are in the best shape you can hope. As for the start date thing, you can always ask them about it - it shouldn't be an issue if you don't frame it as a deal breaker. Just say 'Well, my current lease isn't up until April, would you consider a later start date in my application is in order?' I mean, they might easily say no, and then you get to decide how much you value that space. If you are hoping/planning to be there for a while, paying an additional $500 to nab a place you will love for 3-4 years isn't a bad deal. You can also offer a longer lease period, but some landlords don't actually want that because it will take the unit off the seasonal rotation - ie, move it from being a August rental (student turnover) to being a February one (low point) which is actually bad for them!
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Feb 22, 2013 22:54
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I've also had good success with offering hold money. Like "Here's a $100 check to show in serious about renting, once the lease is signed and the application complete, deduct that money from the first month's rent."
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Feb 22, 2013 23:05
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Thanks everyone for answering my property management question! I was also wondering if anyone would have a guess at whether or not a house would be worth renting in terms of how much utilities might run... What I'm nervous about is the house has its living room over the garage, an unfinished basement, and a den added on to the master bedroom that's not hooked up to the vents of the house (meaning no AC and no heat in Nebraska in that den). It seems like it might cost me more in utilities, but I'm not really sure because I haven't had much (read: no) experience with renting a full house. I would call the power company to check, but it's been vacant for a while (they have troubles renting in the winter, I guess). Do they build houses with FROGs (as my dad calls them) and unfinished basements more insulated against those areas? Would an added on room be insulated from the rest of the house since it used to be the outside of the house? Currently our apartment is the top level of a super old house with allllll original windows (which the landlord says he prefers to today's shoddy craftsmanship... which is strange because his house looks to have pretty new windows, and these windows literally let in a breeze), which means I can feel and hear EVERYTHING that's happening outside due to very poor insulation. In the winter I can't get the temp above 68 (depending on the weather outside), and in the summer I can't get it below 80, if that helps for a comparison. Also, because I'm new to the wild world of renting entire houses, is there a way for me to judge if the price is fair? Sorry for the avalanche of questions... I just want to live somewhere that's not falling apart with proper temperatures for a fair price. edit: Also let me know if these are the wrong sorts of questions to be asking here! :S Niemat fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Feb 23, 2013 |
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Feb 23, 2013 00:33
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Even if the house has been vacant for a while, you can still call the utility company (gas, electric and water is who I'd call) and they can give you information for average utility payments for the house. But you'll have to know which utility company to call, luckily where I live you have one option for gas/electric/water so you don't have a choice, but some places have a bunch of different companies that the house could have been getting utilities from. An added on room could have more insulation, it could have less, it could be about the same. It depends on how cheapo the people who added on the room decided to be. So there's no way to know really. Your main factor in how much utilities are going to be is square footage. Big house, big utility bill. As an example, I live in an 800 square foot house. My gas bill can get up to $90 or so in the cold months (I'm in northern KS so we may experience similar weather). My friends that rent a 2x bigger house said their last gas bill was $150. And my parents monster 100-year-old house routinely gets $250 (!!!) a month gas bills in the winter. My roommate and I split gas, electric, and internet. Landlord pays water and trash. Total bills each month I'd say are between $80-$200 depending on the weather.
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Feb 23, 2013 17:07
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 Our slightly strange landlord decided to repaint the fence this week -
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Feb 23, 2013 22:51
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Find an enterprising young person who'd be willing to graffiti it away.
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Feb 23, 2013 23:29
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Great, now how will I ever find where to get my CQ+K ART?
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Feb 23, 2013 23:30
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I'm not sure what that is but I imagine there are tattooists who would ink you down there, yes, if you're up to it.
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Feb 23, 2013 23:50
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Find an enterprising young person who'd be willing to graffiti it away. I'm actually surprised there's been almost no tagging of her previous fence "art". It used to say something like "Venus will transit the sun again in 105 years. WHERE WILL YOU BE?" and someone added "Sucking cocks!" but that was it.
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Feb 24, 2013 00:20
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Drunk Tomato posted:sounds like he's saying "buy now before this crazy deal goes away!!". which is probably a lie. THE MACHO MAN posted:yeah if he could raise it and people would buy it, he would have done it before showing you. I just want to say that what the landlord said can be true. During an off period rent will often drop some since empty units lose money, and they would rather get them filled asap. A unit that is 1250 in June which is a hot time might be available for 1100 in March which is a much slower time since having constant occupancy at that amount makes them more in the long run despite the discount.
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Feb 24, 2013 10:02
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Getting out of a lease Long story short, work isn't going so well. I think there is a possibility I could get fired soon despite my best efforts to be a productive employee. If this occurs, I'm not optimistic about my chances to get a similarly-paying job in a reasonable amount of time, and that will mean that I'm stuck paying for an apartment I can no longer afford. I've already called my property manager and he says the landlord doesn't allow subletting. Any ideas of how I could get out if I need to? What would typically happen in a situation where I simply left? Would they come after me with a lawsuit somehow? I live in Houston, TX if that helps at all.
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Feb 25, 2013 05:06
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Ramrod Hotshot posted:Getting out of a lease Generally you are responsible for the remainder of the rent owing under the lease, but only if the landlord cannot find anyone willing to rent the apartment. This TX tenant site says you cannot be penalized for breaking a lease early, but you might be charged a "reletting fee" to cover the landlord's expenses (e.g. painting, advertising, etc). Basically, talk to the landlord directly if you end up needing to move. Find out whether they would let you out of the lease with an extra month's rent. How many months are left on your lease? Also, if you do end up losing your job, some welfare/benefits programs allow for emergency funds for rent or moving, but I don't know if Texas does.
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Feb 25, 2013 05:40
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Carbon Thief posted:Generally you are responsible for the remainder of the rent owing under the lease, but only if the landlord cannot find anyone willing to rent the apartment. This TX tenant site says you cannot be penalized for breaking a lease early, but you might be charged a "reletting fee" to cover the landlord's expenses (e.g. painting, advertising, etc). Basically, talk to the landlord directly if you end up needing to move. Find out whether they would let you out of the lease with an extra month's rent. Six months left on the lease, but I've already paid for March so it's five left I'm liable for. Thanks for the info and the link.
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Feb 25, 2013 06:12
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Carbon Thief posted:
Jesus hahaha call your local zoning office or something, they'll pressure them into doing something not as hideous perhaps
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Feb 25, 2013 16:08
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Ramrod Hotshot posted:Getting out of a lease Carbon Thief has the basics of this - generally, the landlord is responsible for trying to re-let the apartment in a reasonable manner (meaning they need to advertise, show it, etc.) and you can be held liable for whatever costs they incur due to that process and the gap in tenancy. So if they need to fix stuff, they can take that out of your deposit as usual, and if it takes them two months to get a new tenant, you would be responsible for those two months of rent. Now, speaking practically, the landlord has to worry about getting that money out of you. If you gave them a deposit, they can withhold that to cover any unpaid rent. But beyond that, they have to actually extract the money from you. This means taking you to court, serving you, getting a judgement for whatever amount, and then enforcing that judgement against you (i.e., seizing or putting a lien on your property, attaching it to your bank account, etc.) This isn't easy to do, especially if they are required to show good service. Many landlords are just going to curse your name and move on with life. Some of them may be angry enough to sue you anyway. So in a pinch if you lose your job and just don't have the money, well, you can always bail out and see. The best avenue is to talk to the landlord directly though. I'm sure he realizes that you don't want to lose your job, and he doesn't want to try and wring blood from a stone. If you can make him a reasonable offer, like giving him an additional month when you leave or helping him find a new tenant (not a sublet, a new lease), he might go for that. If nothing else, being able to show that you tried to reach some sort of accomodation can be helpful down the line. If he does agree to something like this, get it in writing so that he can't backtrack later!
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Feb 25, 2013 16:43
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gwarm01 posted:My wife and I are going to be moving to a different state for the first time ever. Same here! (well the boyfriend and I). Moving from Arizona to Washington state, and I'm terrified, know absolutely no one there! So many questions, but my biggest one is, will it be difficult to secure a place to move into from out of state? How does that usually work, without the landlords meeting us first and for the exchange of money? What makes it even more difficult is that we have pets, two cats and a dog. We want to get a short term lease to start with, but we are having a really difficult time finding one that allows pets. Any suggestions? Would also like any tips on driving 1500 miles with two cats. Thanks!
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Mar 1, 2013 20:27
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glu posted:Same here! (well the boyfriend and I). Moving from Arizona to Washington state, and I'm terrified, know absolutely no one there! So many questions, but my biggest one is, will it be difficult to secure a place to move into from out of state? How does that usually work, without the landlords meeting us first and for the exchange of money? What makes it even more difficult is that we have pets, two cats and a dog. We want to get a short term lease to start with, but we are having a really difficult time finding one that allows pets. Any suggestions? Take a few days to go up there on a house hunting trip and secure everything before you actually move. You never want to put money down on an apartment without seeing it first, internet pictures can be very deceptive and you'll really want to see the area it's in as well. For example there's a pretty ghetto-tastic run down apartment complex near me, but the craigslist ads they have make it sound like the most amazing place ever and the pictures make it look much nicer than it actually is. Do a lot of internet research on craigslist and stuff looking at what's available and narrow it down to a handful of places then call them to make sure they'll be available in the timeframe you're moving, then set up appointments to look at them once you get there. If you absolutely can't go up there before you move, you might want to look at booking an extended stay hotel room for a month while you house hunt. If you're relocating for a job, you can claim back the cost for your house hunting trip on your taxes. As for owning multiple pets, I've had better luck with private owners than large leasing companies. Private owners will usually be more willing to be flexible and work with you, whereas someone working for a big leasing company usually has their hands tied by the management's policies regarding pets. Some places will advertise more strict pet requirements than they actually care about, so even if the ad says NO DOGS OVER 30 POUNDS and you have a 50 pound dog you should still ask. Worst they can say is no. Sometimes they don't even ask to see your pet first.
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Mar 1, 2013 23:26
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Thank you for the advice! I went there in January and checked out all the neighborhoods, unfortunately I can't go back before I move so I will have to cross my fingers and hope I don't get screwed!
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Mar 3, 2013 03:32
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Are any of the Ikea bed frames sturdy? They all look rickety as hell.
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Mar 8, 2013 14:38
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COUNTIN THE BILLIES posted:Are any of the Ikea bed frames sturdy? They all look rickety as hell. If you're looking at a particle board one, do not ever buy one if you're planning on moving it ever. They're heavy as poo poo and fall apart when disassembled. If you're talking about the metal ones they hold up ok. I know several people who have them for guest room bedframes.
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Mar 8, 2013 17:30
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So I'm looking at a bunch of places and came across a really nice 2br. But all utilities are on my dime. I'm trying to ball park what that would cost vs other places I've looked at. The landlord didn't have the numbers available right away. It's 2 bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, livingroom. There's also an attached glass porch (no heat vents in there), and an attic (no heat there either). It's not too old of a building, and the windows didn't feel drafty at all. I left a message asking what kind of heat it is, but there are vents for heat, not radiators, and the thermostat's in my unit. I would guess $100 or so total is probably a decent estimate on that? Electricity/gas probably ranges from 50-100 depending on what time of year as long as we dont go nuts on AC.
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Mar 8, 2013 19:30
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What floor is it on? I was a skeptic, but after living in a first floor for the past 6 months I can tell you it makes a huge difference for heat.
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Mar 8, 2013 19:37
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Assuming that it has been occupied recently, you can actually call the local providor and ask them for an estimate - they should be able to give you an average figure for an address based on its past use. Obviously this is a ballpark - if the dude who lived there before was a total miser then it might be low, but it will give you something to go on. We have a similar place (2BD, five rooms, glass porch) and on average we pay slightly more than $100 in utilities - our balanced billing gas bill is $60 a month, and electric varies from $40-$60, I think. But we have gas heat and no AC, so that is going to make a comparison pretty hard. Edit: Yea, the above is true as well. We are on the second floor in a three-story building, and it makes a difference.
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Mar 8, 2013 19:41
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:If you're looking at a particle board one, do not ever buy one if you're planning on moving it ever. They're heavy as poo poo and fall apart when disassembled.
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Mar 8, 2013 21:26
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Second. Never gave that any thought! And yeah I'll call the local supplier good idea. Thanks
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Mar 8, 2013 22:44
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COUNTIN THE BILLIES posted:Are any of the Ikea bed frames sturdy? They all look rickety as hell. I have a simple wooden one that's pretty good. I've moved it three times without a change in sturdiness.
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Mar 9, 2013 16:15
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