|
How much stock should I put into apartment reviews? It seems like the only people who bother to write them are angry.
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 03:08
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 13:51 |
|
|
Elderbean posted:How much stock should I put into apartment reviews? It seems like the only people who bother to write them are angry. Take them with a giant grain of salt, but keep an eye out for themes across the reviews. I don't think most people will go out of their way to leave a glowing, or even mediocre, review for a place.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 04:25
|
|
|
Elderbean posted:How much stock should I put into Pretty much. Also, the only apartments that really get reviewed are larger complexes. Most reviews I've ever seen complain about lovely neighbors, which doesn't have that much to do with the apartment. One for my last place said the complex manager regularly entered their apartment to jerk off over them as they slept. Then there were too more that said "Oh yeah, he does that to me too." And a final review that said that all the negative reviews were obviously from rule breakers who aren't welcome there anyway.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 04:41
|
|
|
Elderbean posted:How much stock should I put into apartment reviews? It seems like the only people who bother to write them are angry. From my experience, there is a pretty solid amount of stock to put in them. My first apartment complex is sitting at a cool 31% positive right now, and was a loving shithole where I'd kill two or three humongous loving roaches a day. My current place has a few obviously complex-added reviews and is sitting at an 80%, but is honestly a fantastic complex. At the very least, they're a good place to learn about things like potentially mold and bug infested apartments.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 05:12
|
|
|
Like any ratings, there is some truth and some people just wanting to air grievances. I always look at other vendors in the same category (i.e. other apartments) and see how this one compares. If the best in the field only get 3*, and mine is getting 2.5*, I don't sweat it, even though I probably wouldn't eat at a restaurant that gets 2.5*. Nothing really beats showing up in person. I have met a lot of people in my life, and I gotta say that the people that I have spent five minutes with and thought, "wow, what an rear end in a top hat", I have never been wrong. Also the people for whom I've thought "genuinely nice guy". You'll never be able to spot a cockroach in an empty apartment, but when you walk around, is the place generally clean? Was the carpet cleaned? In every apartment in the history of mankind, the drywall has been patched. Is it a lovely drywall patch job, or can you not tell where the drywall has been patched. When you see other residents walking around, do you think "this guy looks like he's on welfare" or do you think "these people look like me"?
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 06:10
|
|
|
I have been saving up while living with my parents for around two years after securing a job after graduating. I have a deposit down for a move in on September 8. I have enough money that paying the full lease amount up front is feasible. I have heard mixed reviews about it. Someone I work with did it and it worked out great for him. Though there are a few that tell me its "not recommended" though I havent really heard a good why. Once you are in a lease its basically like a contract with extreme circumstances if it is broken from my understanding. regardless of what was to happen I would still be paying correct? I am just weighing my options as it seems like a really good idea on paper.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 18:24
|
|
|
I don't know why you would ever pay a lease up front, unless there's a huge discount for doing so. All you're doing is removing any sort of negotiating power you have if things go wrong. Like imagine that it turns out the landlord is a horrible cad who refuses to fix anything. What reason does he have to help you out? He already has all of your money, he's in no hurry.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 18:49
|
|
|
Well, what is the point of doing it? Is the owner offering you some sort of discount or break if you pay them the entire thing in advance? If not, why would you do it? In terms of why not to, you do not know what could happen during the duration of a lease that would potentially prevent you paying the full sum. What if the building burns down halfway through the year? Do you think that the owner - who has just not an enormous, if not primary, asset - is going to be quick about returning the remaining rent to you? What if they sell the property to someone else, and don't pass on your payment to the new owner, and the new owner starts coming after you for the rent each month? If you are paying monthly, these things aren't an issue - you have the money in your hand to pay them. If you've already passed if over, you are now faced with having to litigate to get back what is yours. On top of that, withholding rent is one of the ways that a tenant can leverage their landlord. Just say you move in and find there is a huge bedbug issue (which in many states is the landlords responsibility to fix) Or a big storm reveals catastrophic leaks that threaten the habitability of the unit. Normally, you would be within your rights to withhold rent until the landlord has taken appropriate action- but now you have prepaid, you don't have that choice. The landlord can tell you to gently caress off, because he has your money, and if you want to do anything about it you have to take him to court. A landlord has a lot of power to use against a tenant, and one of the few counterbalancing factors is that the most disputes require the landlord to start legal proceedings, which is a pain in the rear end. By giving up your rent, you are moving that burden onto yourself in any dispute. It is definitely not worth it if you aren't being offered any incentive, and I would seriously weigh it even if you are. Also, in some states prepayment of rent like this is tightly controlled (or even illegal) and if you are in one of those areas and the landlord is doing this, it is a sign that they don't know the laws or don't give a poo poo about them - which is not really a good thing.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 18:52
|
|
|
Didnt realize or think about rent as leverage. They are brand new apartmentments in an upscale suburb so I dont anticipate problems but like you said. Acts of God may put me at a loss. With that in mind I think I'll just pay the monthly.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2014 22:25
|
|
|
I did laps in the apartment pool this morning and pretty much immediately afterwards got really sick (stomach cramps & diarrhea), my money's on there being some diarrhea bacteria in the pool. Would it be a good idea to let the apartment management office know when they reopen tomorrow? I don't know if they'll do anything about it like close the pool until the chlorine kills the bacteria but then again I don't want anyone else to go through the horrible day I had today.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2014 04:57
|
|
|
Quick question, is it illegal (in Illinois) to deny someone an apartment if they dont meet a specified monthly income? Because Ive found several good ones but theyve required all applicants to show proof of income being 2-3 times teh rent, which I cant really do as a college student.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2014 06:37
|
|
|
terre packet posted:I did laps in the apartment pool this morning and pretty much immediately afterwards got really sick (stomach cramps & diarrhea), my money's on there being some diarrhea bacteria in the pool. Would it be a good idea to let the apartment management office know when they reopen tomorrow? I don't know if they'll do anything about it like close the pool until the chlorine kills the bacteria but then again I don't want anyone else to go through the horrible day I had today. Food poisoning / "diarrhea bacteria" would take hours to show symptoms. Unless I'm misreading this and you're concerned that you might have pooped in the pool?
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2014 07:34
|
|
|
terre packet posted:I did laps in the apartment pool this morning and pretty much immediately afterwards got really sick (stomach cramps & diarrhea), my money's on there being some diarrhea bacteria in the pool. Would it be a good idea to let the apartment management office know when they reopen tomorrow? I don't know if they'll do anything about it like close the pool until the chlorine kills the bacteria but then again I don't want anyone else to go through the horrible day I had today. Communist Zombie posted:Quick question, is it illegal (in Illinois) to deny someone an apartment if they dont meet a specified monthly income? Because Ive found several good ones but theyve required all applicants to show proof of income being 2-3 times teh rent, which I cant really do as a college student.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2014 07:39
|
|
|
It must have been the carnitas from yesterday then!
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2014 07:51
|
|
|
jiffypop45 posted:I have been saving up while living with my parents for around two years after securing a job after graduating. I have a deposit down for a move in on September 8. I have enough money that paying the full lease amount up front is feasible. I have heard mixed reviews about it. Someone I work with did it and it worked out great for him. Though there are a few that tell me its "not recommended" though I havent really heard a good why. Once you are in a lease its basically like a contract with extreme circumstances if it is broken from my understanding. regardless of what was to happen I would still be paying correct? I am just weighing my options as it seems like a really good idea on paper. With that sort of money why not consider putting a deposit down on a house?
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2014 09:51
|
|
|
Communist Zombie posted:Quick question, is it illegal (in Illinois) to deny someone an apartment if they dont meet a specified monthly income? Because Ive found several good ones but theyve required all applicants to show proof of income being 2-3 times teh rent, which I cant really do as a college student. I ran into this issue when trying to get my first apartment with two friends. We each made enough to cover rent, but they wanted us all to get guarantors anyway because we had no rent history(3 years living on college campus didn't count). We ended up just applying to a different place that didn't need them. Had no issues and the place we ended up with was nicer.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2014 09:57
|
|
|
Babygravy posted:With that sort of money why not consider putting a deposit down on a house? I commuted to my 4 year living from home and always lived with them. I feel like it would be too much tol fast to jump right into home ownership. So I chose a nice apartment instead.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2014 18:25
|
|
|
jiffypop45 posted:I commuted to my 4 year living from home and always lived with them. I feel like it would be too much tol fast to jump right into home ownership. So I chose a nice apartment instead. This is a wise decision. Do people typically leave butter out on the counter? Like, is that a thing? Because my family always kept it in the refrigerator.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2014 23:56
|
|
|
Thanatosian posted:This is a wise decision. Yes. Keeps it soft, and it takes a long time to go bad.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 00:01
|
|
|
at the date posted:Yes. Keeps it soft, and it takes a long time to go bad.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 01:30
|
|
|
Thanatosian posted:This is a wise decision. Get a Butter Bell, your butter stays soft and fresh.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 02:02
|
|
|
Salted butter will keep a lot longer than unsalted butter out of the fridge. The enemies of butter (and all fats, generally speaking) are light, oxygen, and heat. So at least keep it in an opaque dish, but the aforementioned butter bells, which keep it submerged in water and thus keep oxygen away, work even better.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 14:29
|
|
|
I can't even get my roommates to use a shoe rack or a coat rack, so a butter bell is gonna be way too much work. I will, however, order an opaque butter dish.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 15:49
|
|
|
The true goon solution here is to simply consume butter quickly enough that you never have to worry about it going bad if left open and unattended on the counter.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 16:39
|
|
|
I want to put my recycle bin under my kitchen sink on one of those pull-out caddies. Does anyone have any recommendations, or should I just pick up something from the hardware store?
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 18:23
|
|
|
678 calories in a stick of butter - you can have about 3 sticks a day on the standard american diet (2000 cals/day)
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 18:36
|
|
|
Mad Wack posted:678 calories in a stick of butter - you can have about 3 sticks a day on the standard american diet (2000 cals/day) What about if I wrap a warm tasty waffle around each one, Homer Simpson style?
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2014 20:07
|
|
|
Heyy guess what the douchey landlord from hell is trying to push more douchey landlord stuff on me! Apparently the 1 year lease renewal my room mate and I signed back in May (taking effect 8/1) will no longer be honored as my room mate moved out in July, and since my room mate and I were "special" the 1 year lease renewal will not be offered to any future room mates! This means that in all likelihood my rent is going to be increasing from the currently barely affordable 1850/mo to over 2500/mo! A 35% increase he feels is justified because its what the market can bear right now! Also he keeps pointing out that they don't do month to month leases, except when he offered it to me, but then later said again in an email that he doesn't do month to month leases. This dude's a piece of work.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2014 01:35
|
|
|
Yeah.. That's not worth dealing with, find a new house ASAP sorry mate. Or get in touch with the relevant renting association in your state, they usually can help you with free legal advice etc
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2014 02:32
|
|
|
It's probably not the world's best idea, but my boyfriend and I (who have both never lived on our own for a significant length of time before) are trying to move to the Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC area about six months or so from now. Super simple move for me, I'm only an hour+ away, but not so much for him - he lives in central Louisiana, is a high school graduate/musician and does not own a vehicle. I'm also an undergrad who is staunchly against unreasonable loans and could only "afford" to go to UNC-Chapel Hill. This is the main reason why we chose relatively expensive (but not more expensive than Durham) Chapelboro over reasonably-priced Raleigh. I would consider moving back to Louisiana, but I would have to both deal with out-of-state tuition and would also end up acquiring a degree from an institution with little to no clout. I wouldn't care about this if I weren't trying to break into academia like a moron. What would be the wisest thing to do in this unwise decision we're about to make? Should we both be applying for work now or should he be nest-egging it and start the job search when he gets here? Is it entirely unreasonable for a couple of mid-20s brokeasses like us to even make an attempt to move to one of the most expensive cities in the state? Is it really a better idea to live alone for a while before moving in with your s/o? Why is it impossible to find a decent apartment complex that doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a fitness center/pool/etc that drive up the rent? So many things.  Elderbean posted:How much stock should I put into apartment reviews? It seems like the only people who bother to write them are angry. The way I've generally been treating it is, if you see something that has a suspicious amount of high reviews for the price of the rent charged (anything above 90% that charges less than $1000/mo is the example for my area,) only look at the negative reviews, especially with websites like apartmentratings. Whether they're simply angry about stupid stuff or not, those are the only reviews you can 100% trust are honest.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2014 23:58
|
|
|
MNSNTZR posted:one of the most expensive cities in the state MNSNTZR posted:Why is it impossible to find a decent apartment complex that doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a fitness center/pool/etc that drive up the rent? So many things. Also, may I suggest you look for someone with a room to rent, and suck it up and live there for a while. Save a ton of cash.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2014 03:16
|
|
|
What are some good apartment decorating blogs to check out? I'm an engineer who knows jack about making things look nice and would really like to decorate my apartment beyond just throwing up posters.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2014 05:06
|
|
|
I have a weird moving question. My husband is about to get out of the Army and we'll be traveling for awhile. South Florida (Fort Lauderdale/Miami) is going to be our "home base" for awhile. This is because at least for now, Norwegian Air Shuttle has cheap flights out of Fort Lauderdale, and my dad also lives in that area. He owns two furnished condos--one that he lives in and the other which he rents out seasonally. He has told us that he can crash in one of the condos as long as it's not at a time the renters are there. Yay, because a) privacy and b) rents in Miami are insane if you want to avoid bad neighborhoods. So, here is the big drawback of his condo that we can use: it is in a 55 and up building for retirees. Since it is all retirees, all they do all day is gossip amongst themselves and watch who is coming and going. One time a few years ago, my friend and I stayed there for one night before getting on a cruise ship, while my dad wasn't present. They actually called my dad to ask who the "young people" were and make a big stink about it. My dad told me that there is a 10% rule in the building--meaning--at any time 10% of the units can have non-retirees in them. This is so that they comply with the Equal Housing laws. He also used to sit on the HOA board of directors there, so he knows this for sure, plus he wanted me to be aware of it in general in case he dies, since I am supposed to inherit all his property and he didn't want me to feel like I can't live there if the option was between living there or being homeless, for example. Do you guys know if there is somewhere I could print off the Florida equal housing code to hand to anyone there who questions us/gives us a hard time? Is there anything my dad can tell these people to keep them out of our hair? Like even if the two of us sit out on the porch they'll make up the fact that we are too loud or something just because we are "young people." I am hoping that we won't be there more than a month or two here or there and as soon as traveling ends we'll definitely be high tailing it to find a non-retirement apartment, but in the meantime...
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2014 13:29
|
|
|
Here is information about Florida's fair housing laws: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/states/florida/homeownership/fairhsg I just want to say: old people rule and living in a retirement community for a few months sounds weirdly fun. Make some old friends to beat the gossip.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2014 14:09
|
|
|
Also let them bake for you.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2014 01:26
|
|
|
Deeters posted:What are some good apartment decorating blogs to check out? I'm an engineer who knows jack about making things look nice and would really like to decorate my apartment beyond just throwing up posters. Those sort of blogs really just show case that certain persons decorating tastes.. Shouldn't you decorate your place with you're own interests, personality etc? You could just go to Pinterest and type in apartment decoration heh
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2014 01:29
|
|
|
I like Apartment Therapy, though they tend to stick mostly to whatever's trendy at the moment (currently modern, clean lines, everything painted black or white- not my style at all, but if you like that, you're in luck!). There are still other styles sprinkled in there, though. Check out a bunch of things and pick what you like.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2014 01:48
|
|
|
I have some 38W halogen bulbs for the track lighting in my apartment. What are some cheap LED bulbs I can buy to replace the halogens? For reference these are the bulbs I have now: http://www.doitbest.com/Halogen+bulbs-G+E+Lighting-model-69163+38PAR20H+FL25-doitbest-sku-533688.dib
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2014 17:55
|
|
|
"PAR20" is the size of that bulb, and if you google "LED PAR20" you will find same-size replacements. LED is not a mature technology yet, and these will be half the price next year as they are today. In short, it's not worth it in an apartment for most people. CFL doesn't use significantly more energy, and will be 1/10th the cost of LED.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2014 18:06
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 13:51 |
|
|
I used these bulbs and have had no problems: http://www.amazon.com/Philips-426114-8-Watt-50-Watt-Dimmable/dp/B00B4CPLAC You probably won't find much below $25/bulb that would be worth it. There's a lot of knock-off LED bulbs that can be found that aren't of good quality so sticking to known brands would help. While expensive I would say these may be worth buying if you plan on staying a while. PAR20 is common enough that you can bring over your bulbs to your new place easily enough--if you saved your incandescent bulbs. The drop in my electric bill from running 8, 60W halogen lamps to 8W LED lamps was noticeable. John Kelly fucked around with this message at 18:24 on Aug 3, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2014 18:13
|
|
