Tag: Apartment Houston

Finding a Quiet Houston Apartment

Get up to $1107 in cash when you lease a Houston apartment

Houston apartments can offer quiet idyllic conditions. However, many Houston apartments are not quiet. This article provides insights into finding a quiet Houston apartment at an affordable price.

Quiet Houston apartments are most difficult to find when you are on a tight budget. If you can afford several thousand dollars per month for an apartment, it is easy to find a nice quiet apartment complex. While some of the tips in here will apply to upscale apartments, most will be focused on moderate priced apartments.

Look for well-maintained Houston apartments which are not on a major thoroughfare and which are not near a huge number of other apartments. Quiet Houston apartments also often have limited access gates and probably will not be the least expensive apartment in the area. Limited access gates will not keep someone out of the property. If a criminal is determined to get into the property, they will find a way around the limited access gates. In most cases, they can simply follow another car into the property. However, the limited access gates limit traffic of people who are not residents or guests of apartment residents.

There are groups of apartments clustered very close to each other. In some cases, there are 50 to 100 apartment complexes all within 1 mile of each other. While there are quiet apartments in such areas, you’re less likely to find in a quiet apartment in such an area. The ideal candidate for a quiet apartment is a property at least 1 mile from the closest apartment complex. Ideally, it is not located on a major thoroughfare. It is somewhat difficult to find these properties since you do not observe them when driving around Houston. Try looking for apartments on streets whose name you do not recognize when using the online service. If you are familiar with Houston, you should recognize most of the apartment streets in the area where you are seeking an apartment. Apartments located on streets whose name is not familiar are more likely to be in a quiet neighborhood. They are also more likely to not be close to other apartments.

Start searching for a quiet Houston apartment by selecting a quality online apartment search service. It should have access to all available Houston apartment projects. It should also allow you to search by rent, location, unit type, unit size, unit amenities, and property amenities. Many Houston apartment search services only have information on 10 to 15% of the available Houston apartments. You are less likely to find an affordable quiet Houston apartment when starting with such a small sample of properties. Ideally, it will also give you a $100 move-in rebate.

First, identify the area for your Houston apartment. Then identify perhaps 10 to 20 Houston apartments which fit your price range and have the unit type and the amenities you want.

Think about what features are important to you for your Houston apartment. Develop a list of questions to you use when you call the on-site staff. When you ask questions regarding if the property is quiet, listen both to what is said and how it is said. Is the person comfortable and enthusiastic about the property being quiet?

The next step is to drive and see the properties. At this point you just want to do an exterior drive by to see if the property seems likely to be quiet and is acceptably maintained. Try driving around the perimeter of each property and then driving through the property. You get a lot of information by driving around the perimeter and driving through the Houston apartment properties you are considering. Are they well-maintained? Are they clean? Do they appear quiet? Are groups of people hanging out during the middle of the day?

At this point you have probably limited your list of Houston apartments to perhaps two or three properties. The best test of whether a property is quiet can be conducted on Friday or Saturday night at nine or 10 o’clock in the evening. Drive around and drive through the properties at nine or 10 o’clock on a Friday or Saturday night. If they are quiet then, you can be fairly comfortable they will be quiet during the balance of the week.

My now, you should have found a quiet Houston apartment property. If not, start with a new group of properties and repeat the process. Assuming you have found an attractive apartment, negotiate the application fee, deposit, first months rent and monthly rental rate. Be sure to read the lease. It is a legal document. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand a section. Also, make sure you understand what is required to have your deposit returned.

When you accept the apartment and move in, do a careful walk-through with the apartment representative. If possible, do the walk-through several days before you plan to move and so any problems can be fixed before you move.

Apartment tips — find a Great Apartment in Houston in One week

Apartment tips — find a Great Apartment in Houston in One week

Search all Houston apartments and get a $107 – $1107 cash rebate.

Apartment shopping in Houston is easy when you organize the process. This article will help you find a great Houston apartment at a great price. It will also make the Houston apartment shopping experience less stressful.

Day One

Houston apartment shopping requires many decisions and some information on you. You’ll quickly need to decide what unit type, unit size, unit amenities, property amenities and which area of town are right for you. You’ll need information regarding your rental history and income when you complete the apartment application. Organize this information at the beginning. It will make completing the apartment application less stressful and will impress the staff at the apartment.

Day Two

Apartment shopping is a process of narrowing the options. In day one, you selected the type of apartment and the area of town. Use a high-quality online apartment search service to further narrow the apartment options. Be sure to use an apartment search service which has all apartments available in Houston. Some of the Houston online apartment search services only have information for 5 to 20% of the Houston apartments available for lease. It simply is not realistic to find the apartment which best fits your requirements when only considering 5 to 20% of the available apartments.

The Houston online apartment search service should also allow you to narrow your apartment search by geographic area, rental rates, unit type, unit size, unit amenities and property amenities. Attempt to narrow your search to five or 10 apartment projects by the end of day two.

Summarize these in a one-page table. Put the name of the apartment property across the top of the page and the features important to you along the left column. This will provide a simple but meaningful reference of the apartments are considering.

Day Three

Call the apartments which best fit requirements. Gather information from the on-site staff by phone. Focus on getting the information you need, rather then answering the questions they want to ask. Be polite but the firm. Have a list of questions for the features which are important to you. You’ll want to include items such as application fee, deposit, first month’s rent, monthly rent, any move in specials, unit amenities, property amenities and any other apartment features which are important to you.

In addition to listening to what is said by the apartment staff, listen to how they say it. Are they knowledgeable, polite and attentive? Does the apartment staff give the impression of a professionally run apartment complex?

Narrow your list to two or three Houston apartment complexes on day three.

Day Four

Meet the on-site apartment staff and tour the apartments on day four. Before going to the apartment office, drive around the perimeter of the property. If possible, drive through the property. Is the property clean and well maintained? Does it meet your minimum standards? If not, drive to the next apartment complex.

Visit the apartment office. Is the apartment office clean and well organized? Is the apartment leasing staff friendly and appropriately dressed? In addition to the model apartment, ask to see your apartment unit. (It might not be as nice as the model J) Also ask the leasing staff to give you an extensive walking tour of the apartment courtyards. Is the property well-maintained? Is it clean? Ask about their maintenance policy. Are there any work orders which have been outstanding more than one week? Does the property have a regular courtesy patrol? If there are limited access gates, are they typically working?

Finally, ask about the financial details for the apartment complex. These include the application fee, deposit, first months rent, and the monthly rent. Make sure you understand the offer or special they are proposing. Ask if there is a look and the lease special if you sign a lease tomorrow.

Day Five

Decide which apartment is best for you. Finish negotiating the lease terms. If two or three apartments are acceptable, call each and ask for their best offer if you lease today. Select an apartment property and negotiate the lease. The lease is a legal agreement. You should read it. Don’t be bashful about asking questions for portions you do not understand. The lease was written by an attorney for the benefit of the apartment complex. If items in the lease do not seem reasonable, ask if they can be changed. In many cases, portions of the lease are negotiable.

Congratulations, you have used an organized process to select an apartment which fits which best fits your criteria. You have also been a careful shopper and have probably gotten a great deal.

Houston Apartment Search Tips

Received a $100 cash move-in rebate and bonus gift when you lease a Houston apartment – link

Houston apartment leasing agents lease apartments everyday. You don’t. Who has the upper hand? The objective of this article is to provide tips on finding a great Houston apartment with a minimal amount of stress. We also hope to even the odds, so you can get an apartment which is right for you at the right price.

1. Start looking for your Houston apartment sooner rather than later. If you are trying to find and lease an apartment in one day, you are negotiating from a position of weakness.

2. Compile information the Houston apartment staff will request when you complete an application. This includes information on recent residences and income.

3 .Consider obtaining a credit report if you are concerned about your credit.

 

4. Plan how much you can spend for your Houston apartment. Be realistic. Your total housing expenses should not exceed 30 to 35% of your household income.

5. Select an online Houston apartment search service. Verify that it has information for all Houston apartments. Some search services only have information on 10 to 15% of the Houston apartments.

6. Think about the location for your Houston apartment. You have to identify the location before you can start a serious search. Factors to consider are the location of your job, family, friends and leisure.

7. Review other factors which are important to you in selecting a Houston apartment. This includes unit type, unit size, unit amenities and property amenities.

8. Use the online Houston apartment search service to select a group of apartments. The initial search should focus on location. Then refine your search based on other criteria which are important to you.

9. Call leasing staff at the Houston apartments you have identified. Have a list of questions. The question should include any factors which are important to you. The objective is to complete a three to five minute interview with the leasing staff at each apartment. After completing the interviews, narrow your list to two or three Houston apartment complexes.

10. Prepare a summary of the most attractive Houston apartments. Write the names of Houston apartments across the top of the page. Write the features most important to you along the left side of the page. Try to put them in descending order. In other words, put the most important issues at the top and the least important issues at the bottom. After completing the summary, you should be able to easily select two or three Houston apartments which best fit your criteria.

11. Visit the properties. Before going to the leasing office, drive around the perimeter of the property. If possible, drive along the interior driveways in the property. If the property passes the “drive test”, visit the leasing office. Is the office organized? Is the staff dressed appropriately? Ask to see both a model unit and the unit you would be occupying. Ask detailed questions regarding the issues most important to you. In addition to application fee, deposit and monthly rental rate, ask if they have a move-in special? Ask if they have a look and lease special. (You get a special offer if you lease shortly after initially visiting the property.) Also consider asking about their maintenance policy, maintenance orders pending for more than one week, if they have a courtesy patrol and if they have operational limited access gates.

12. Take notes as you visit each property. If you don’t, the details will tend to blur as you see two or three properties in quick succession.

Decide which property is best for you. Call the leasing agent and confirm your understanding of the details. You may want to ask if they have a special offer if you lease today or tomorrow. (Leasing agents often have some discretion to offer a better deal to close the lease.)

Return to the property and negotiate a lease. The lease is a legal document. You should read it. You’re committing to pay rent for a fixed period of time. If you have questions, don’t be embarrassed to ask about the details. The lease was written by a lawyer for the benefit of the apartment owner.

Before moving into your apartment, walk through the unit with the on-site staff. Make notes of any defects. Try to do the walk-through several days before you plan to move. This will allow time for the apartment staff to correct any problems.

Ask about what you must do to have your deposit refunded. Apartment residents become very upset when they are denied the return of deposit which they expected to receive. Don’t let this happen to you! The management staff at most Houston apartments are fair and honorable. They do not mind returning the deposit if you meet the terms of the lease. Just have a clear discussion regarding how you get the deposit returned.

Yes, there are a number of steps to properly select a Houston apartment. Yes, it can be done with a less effort. However, you are less likely to get an apartment which best fits your needs at a favorable price if you shortcut the relevant steps.

One Since Houston apartment leasing agents negotiate leases daily, it is not realistic for you to know as much about the process as the leasing agent. However, by reviewing an outline of the steps to take, you’ll be better prepared to find an apartment which is right for you at the right price.

Two If you have to identify an apartment and sign a lease in one day, you’ll be in a hurry. You’ll be under pressure to quickly close the deal. You’ll be forced to make decisions quickly. You simply cannot find the best apartment at the best price under this type of time pressure.

Three This includes information regarding where you have lived for the last five years, and the name and contact information for your landlords. It also includes information regarding your recent employers, for perhaps three to five years. You will need the name of the employer, when you worked there, how much you earned and a phone number.

Four Some of the issues which cause credit problems are past due payments, a large amount of debt, bankruptcies and a foreclosure. If any of these issues are relevant, discuss them with the leasing agent when you first call the property.

Five When you prepare your budget, try to set aside 10% of your household income for savings. This will allow you to set aside money for a house, your children’s education and retirement. It’s great to have the very nicest apartment you can afford today. It’s even nicer to not have money pressures in the future.

Six These online Houston apartment search services only provide information regarding apartments which pay them to advertise or which pay them a locator fee. It is understandable that they only provide information for which they are paid. However, you have a much better chance of finding the right apartment at the right price if you consider all Houston apartments instead of just the ones that are paying the search service.

Seven Location needs to be your first decision when selecting a Houston apartment. If you change your mind regarding location, you have to start over with the search process. Consider a plainer apartment in a better area instead of a nicer apartment in a less attractive area.

Eight Houston apartments offer an amazing selection of amenities. Use the online Houston apartment search service to identify amenities which are available and which are most important to you. The search service should also help you to select apartments which have the unit type you want.

Nine After selecting an initial group of Houston apartments in the right location, continue to narrow the list. Rank your search criteria in descending order. Use the second-most important search criteria next. Then use the third most important search criteria. When you have selected a group of five to 20 apartments, it is time to start calling the apartments.

Ten Houston apartment leasing staff are trained to ask you to visit the property during the first call. Their objective is primarily to get you to agree to visit the property. However, you are best served by calling all the apartment you identified before you visit any of them.

Eleven Preparing a summary may not seem worthwhile. You certainly do not have to do it. However, it will only take 15 to 30 minutes. And you will effectively organize your thoughts as you complete the summary. When you have completed the summary, you will likely have decided which two or three apartments you should visit.

Twelve When the leasing agents answer your questions, pay attention to what they say and how they say it. In many cases, how they say it is more important than what they say. For example, if they become defensive when you asked about criminal activity at the property, it is probably an issue which should concern you.

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