7 Ways to Evaluate Apartments Over the Phone
Posted on September 11, 2008
Filed Under Apartment Living | 18 Comments
You’ve looked up the information on thousands of apartments in catalogs and online. You’ve located the pictures, floor plans, maps, amenities, and details of the places you’re interested in. You’ve compiled the data for 10 communities to finally narrow the field and now comes…The phone call.
The dreaded phone call to find out about specific rental rates and to address all of those “call for specials” that you’ve gathered.
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The key to success is in the phone call. The amateur apartment shopper begins the call cold, unprepared, fidgety, and nervous. “Do you have a one bedroom?” or “How much is your two-bedroom?” Apartment Home Living is here to help you be successful at finding the right apartment home by knowing what to ask.
Question 1: What size and when?
Begin the questioning any way you like, but your most important question is do they have the apartment you’re interested in available at your target move-in date.
It’s a common misconception that apartments are simply sitting empty, waiting on you to show up to lease them. This is frequently untrue. To work out for you, the community must have the apartment you want in the timeframe you need to move. If it isn’t available, unless you have some move-in date flexibility, you should go on to your next call.
Question 2: Do they take Fluffy?
If you have a pet, this question is as serious as a parent asking if this community will take their child. (By the way, all apartment communities will ALWAYS take actual children. Those little balls of energy are protected under the Fair Housing Act).
Unfortunately though, Fluffy isn’t protected under any laws and it’s completely up to the community if they’ll accept your dog, cat, sugar glider, or monkey. They set the rules regarding pets.
They also set the price to pay for the opportunity to keep your child-pet. Don’t choke if it’s over $300 per pet plus monthly pet rent. That can be a starting point for some properties. So be sure to check and see if you’ll be bringing Spot, then see if someone’s going to have to “spot” you some cash to pay the fees.
Question 3: What’s the #1 reason people love to live here?
This is the best and most straight forward way to find out what makes a community special. Is it the walking trail behind the property? The social atmosphere? The famous pork roast every July?
This question can be a key in setting one apartment community apart from another. The answer may be something that really peaks your interest or may unlock hidden potential in a place you wouldn’t be able to see from a picture or driving-by.
Question 4: How much?
Initially, it’s human nature to stop listening if we hear the price is remotely out of our budget. And yet, seeing an awesome apartment in person may actually sway us that it’s worth the extra cost.
Think about this: Have you bought a car that was more than you set out to spend? Have you paid more for that purse you just had to have (but didn’t know you had to have it until you saw it)? Gone on a vacation where you blew your budget?
Was it worth it? Nine times out of 10…Absolutely. So give cost an open mind before you say no to a place for breaking the bank. You might find it’s perfect in the end and well worth it.
Question 5: Do I qualify?
Asking the price question and overshooting your budget goals won’t matter if you don’t qualify for the apartment anyway.
What is the general qualifying criteria? Making about 3x the rent, having a clean criminal record (no felonies or crimes against persons), and no prior evictions.
What do you do if you don’t meet their criteria? You could keep looking for a place with less strict qualification restrictions or take the gamble of losing your application fee and/or deposit just to see if you qualify anyway.
Question 6: Do you have any specials?
Specials can change from day-to-day, so make sure to ask this question close to last. Remember to keep in mind that some of the best communities don’t have the best specials because they don’t need them. They’re special just for being so awesome.
Question 7: Can I set an appointment to come in?
Don’t you still need to visit to make the final judgement call? Yes you do.
At the end of all the other questions, if you’re still interested, ask to set an appointment to come in and take a tour. Seeing your possible new digs in person more than likely will be the best way to make a decision.
Now you have a little guide of the right questions to ask a leasing professional over the phone, so what are you waiting for? Hop on Apartment Home Living , find a some places in your area, and get on that phone!
Watch the video related to dogs for apartment living
Six drummers participate in a well planned musical attack in the suburbs. As an elderly couple leave their apartment the drummers take over. On everyday objects they give a concert in four movements: kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living room. The drummers perform on everything from dog dishes and slippers to toilet brush and microwave oven. The hidden music in the household objects is just waiting to be brought to life.
Help answer the question about dogs for apartment living
Best dogs for apartment living?What are the best dogs under 45 pounds that live well in an apartment?
About Author
As a Managing Partner of Apartment Home Living, Jeff wants to help you find the right apartment by getting to know you. At AHL Apartmentites have a platform to share their own stories, get great info & tips on apartment living, read Jeff’s entertaining blogs/stories, and have a ton of fun sharing their love of apartment living with others. Don’t forget to go and set up your own MyPlace page to really get the full Apartmentite experience!
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18 Responses to “7 Ways to Evaluate Apartments Over the Phone”
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c) in addition, Eddie the cadaver dog was taken to the house that the McCanns rented, in a different part of Praia da Luz, after they left Apartment 5A. Eddie found cadaverine on what was said to be Madeleines favourite pink soft toy, Cuddle Cat, which Dr Kate McCann always had with her when being interviewed by the media – but which Eddie detected lying in an otherwise empty cupboard.
Keela, a 16-month-old springer spaniel, has become such an asset to South Yorkshire Police that she now earns more than the Chief Constable. Her sense of smell, so keen that she can sniff traces of blood on weapons that have been scrubbed after attacks, has her so much in demand by forces up and down the country that she is hired out at £530 a day, plus expenses. Thought to be the only one of her kind, the crime scenes dog earns nearly £200,000 a year.
I'm going through the same thing. I want to find me a small dog that will be good for a small 1 bedroom apartment. I have one particular dog in mind though, which is a maltese. They're hypoallergenic, non-shedding, and cuddly!! But i dont know about for a guy. You might want a terrier or something like that. Look up toy breeds on yahoo search or google and look up the different types. I'm sure you'll find something you'll be interested in.
By the way, if you plan on searching for a puppy/dog through the internet, beware of scammers. Most come from Africa, Cameroon and other places outside of the country as well as in the U.S. They'll ask for the money first and then something will go wrong and you'll end up paying again then waiting and waiting for a dog that doesnt' exist. Also, best way to buy through the internet is buying in your state and asking them to send you a picture with a certain sayin on a sign in front of them or something like that. Also, ask for a phone number so you can speak with them personally.
I just moved from a home to a condo with a patio 26'X6'. I have an 80lb 6 month old pup…so I do 2, one mile walks aday..my husband takes him on a 2 mile walk every other day and the days in between and the weekends we are at the dog park… hes great and we are all healthier : )
I couldn’t agree with you more!
I am disgusted.the Spanish media and the Portuguese are so different compared to the Brittish one in how they deal with the investigation. I do not believe for a minute that ,being loaded ,they wouldn’t hire a nanny for a couple of hours to care for the children. I just don’t buy it. Poor girl!
I unfortunately agree with you about what u said that “Mccanns have brought enormous shame on the good name of Britain”. You are so right, and it’s so unfair.
I think it depends on whether you are home all day with the dog, or need to leave it alone when you go to work.
If you are at home to take the dog out 3 times a day to poop and pee, any dog that is quiet and low energy is fine (size doesnt matter). In this respect, the greyhound can be a very good choice!
If you are not at home during the day, and the dog will need to poop/pee inside then the smaller the better, as you cannot have a mid or large size dog crapping in the house. A long haired chihuahua is good, as they are not as yappy or highly strung as the short hair chi (or similar breeds like poms).
But first check with the body corporate rules for your apartment block. Some apartment buildings ban all pets, others ban animals of a certain size. All will require a pet that becomes a nuisance (in terms of smell, noise, destructive behaviour, etc) to be removed.
In addition, Mr Harrison and Mr Grime, who trained Eddie and Keela, patiently explained that the dogs had traced the smell of death – human cadaverine – on around 200 previous occasions. They had never once been wrong
Get a healthy dog with a temperament that best suits your active lifestyle. Since you have an apartment, you should avoid the hounds, terriers, herding and toy dogs that tend to bark a lot. English Springer Spaniels, Vizslas, Golden Retrievers, German Shorthaired Pointers and English Setters are great if you've got the time and energy to exercise them regularly. The bigger the dog, the longer they can go between walks and the easier they are to housebreak. And they can carry their own backpack on your hikes!
Irish Wolfhounds, Greyhounds and Whippets are terrific apartment dogs, as long as you can take them out for a long daily run. They ARE couch potatoes (like our Borzoi – Russian wolfhound) and you won't even know they're around most of the time. They are quiet and easily housebroken and much better than most small dogs. Be careful if you're adopting a racing greyhound off the track. They are often fine, but many have behavior problems (like destructive chewing) from being locked in a cage with little socialization. Also, remember that sighthounds are hunting dogs and some will kill small animals (cats, rabbits, toy dogs) if they haven't grown up with them.
BEFORE you get any dog you should read some great books on training. (Try not to pick books randomly – there are a lot of bad books out there also!) These are some of my favorites and you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know – Volhard http://www.volhard.com/
Good Owners, Great Dogs – Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog – Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method – Volhard
Dog Problems – Benjamin
Cesar's Way – Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.
http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/
Find a good breeder by going to http://www.akc.org or talking to people at dog shows. You can also find info about the breed clubs on the akc site – they probably have a rescue group where you can get an older dog for less money. The best breeders will be members of their breed club, promoting healthy dogs with great temperaments. They should ask you a bunch of questions to make sure their puppy will be getting a good home. If all a "breeder" seems to care about is whether your check will clear, you can be sure he won't care a week later when the pup is dying from distemper or parvo and you want your money back.
Whatever you do, DON'T go to a pet shop, a flea market or buy one sight-unseen off the Internet!!!! You'll pay top dollar for what is usually a poor quality puppy mill dog. And you'll be supporting one of the cruelest industries in the country. The breeding animals are often kept in deplorable conditions – spending their entire lives in small wire-bottomed cages. They probably haven't been vaccinated against contagious diseases or tested for any health or temperament problems or genetic diseases – that costs money and cuts into their profits. A female is often bred every time she comes into heat. When her poor little body can't take it any more, she is often clubbed in the head and tossed into a dumpster or an open ditch. Most puppy mills ship their pups to pet stores at wholesale prices and many pups die before they even get there.
These so-called "breeders" have now figured out that they can use the internet to ship a dog directly to the customer and thus make more money by cutting out the middleman. If you buy a dog from out of state, good luck getting your money back if there's something wrong with the pup. These people count on you becoming instantly attached to the poor little guy and being willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars at the vet to treat whatever is wrong with him.
like what you see? dont be nervous! MESSAGE ME (msn)! B
beautifull dogs !!!-bettter than some persons…
the bastard seem to be holding on,perhaps the publication of The Truth of the Lie in the USA will help,in the UK I bet we cant get it although I have downloaded it from the net I want to buy it to support Armal.He and I may be wrong but the treatment of the Mccanns here as if they are saints is disgusting.
When this first broke I sent the help e mail to everyone on my e mail then as the FACTS came out I couldnt belive what I was reading.The stunning thing is how far they will go to lie!
Definately not a Doberman Pinscher! Your best bet would be a Bullmastiff. They are very large dogs, yet relatively quite indoors. They do need daily exercise, however.
The documentary the McCanns don’t want you to see
Watch the documentary on Youtube:
Senhor Goncalo Amaral – The Truth of the Lie – with English subtitles (PART 1 of 6)
Their veneer WILL crack !! – the truth WILL out !! …
I would say Yorkies, Chihuahuas, Pekingese, or Toy Poodle.
Since you don't want the small yippy ones, you can try the following breeds:
Mastiff = A few 20 minute walks a day are adequate exercise for the Mastiff and lots of mental stimulation and socialization are a must for this breed. Grooming requirements consist of brushing to prevent excess shedding.
Greyhounds = they are more accurately described as couch potatoes! Most Greyhounds like nothing better than to lay on a comfy bed for much of the day. They do need regular daily walks, but they do not need excessive amounts of exercise. All exercise must be done on leash as they will chase anything fast moving and you will NOT be able to call them back. Their grooming needs are minimal.
Italian Greyhounds = They are quiet and require a few short daily walks to keep them happy and healthy. They need to be handled carefully to prevent injury to their fragile limbs.
Great Danes = Great Danes are smart, friendly, loyal and make excellent companions. While they are very good watchdogs, they are not huge barkers and thus will not get you evicted! The Great Dane is usually fairly inactive in the house but will need a decent amount of exercise per day. If you have an active lifestyle, this may be the dog for you! Danes have very short fur and can be brushed easily to remove dead hair.
Poodles = the Standard Poodle needs to be taken on a daily walk. Although they adore water and love to go for walks, Poodles are not demanding as far as exercise goes, so long as they get their walk in. They however, will keep in better spirits and be fitter if given regular opportunities to run and play off the leash in a safe area. The Standard retains its sporting instincts, has great stamina, and needs more activity than the smaller varieties.
What about every day? How much exercise he gets everyday will determine what kind of dog you have. I live in an apartment and have aussies, so where you live is not the issue.
Any dog can be a good apartment dog with proper exercise and training.
What a load of crap saying "large dogs need fresh air and can't be in apartments." They are more calm than smaller dogs and dogs don't need lots of room to run, they need exercise and companionship. Been there, done that. I currently live in a basement apartment with a yard and my aussie would prefer going on a run with me than playing in the yard.