Housing
Resources
This page is being updated with great resources
and links for finding all sorts of housing alternatives.
-
New Homes
-
Apartments
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Lofts
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Condos
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Homes for rent
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Duplexes
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Town Homes
In the interim please visit
www.newhomeguide.com
or
www.apartmentguide.com
for more information on finding a new house or
apartment.
The Quest For A Perfect Apartment
By Paul W Wilson
The search for the perfect apartment need not be an
ordeal. If you go about the process systematically, then you will
find the most convenient as well as perfect apartment. The first
step is to jot down answers to practical aspects like how big should
the apartment be. What size of rooms do I need for my furniture?
Do I need one bedroom or more? Do I need parking? Should there be
a park/school nearby?
Study a map of the city you are going to live in and locate where
your place of work is. Then study the residential possibilities
in and around that area. Or decide, I don’t want to be near
work but in a beautiful, healthy, and safe environment. Next, work
out your finances. Decide how much rent you can afford and whether
you can give a substantial deposit.
Keep a watch out for “apartments available” classifieds
in the newspapers and magazines and, spread the word around that
you are looking for a place. Tell the people at work, the grocer,
newspaper boy, as well as local agents (however you will need to
pay their charges). Be innovative and take a drive around areas
you have short listed as “possibilities” and look for
signs that indicate there are places for rent.
View the apartments in the day time. Ask others who live in the
building or area what their experience has been. Read through the
agreement carefully and check whether the electricity, heaters,
and air conditioners are working and whether the plumbing is functional.
Check things like is there a separate entrance, enough closets,
does the building have washer/dryer facilities, what about cable
TV and internet, and are pets and children welcome, what are the
rules to be followed by tenants? Check how you feel about the apartment.
Think do you see yourself living here? Do the windows have a view
or do they look into other homes.
Be vigilant and check the condition of the building, what are the
hallways and surroundings like, is there any garbage dump close
by? Are windows safe and secure, does the building have adequate
security, what are the nearby amenities, are you to pay for utilities
or is it included in the rent?
In order to establish your credentials as a suitable tenant you
will need to show the landlord a credit evaluation, your pay stub,
or tax return, one or two references, as well as give a small introduction
of yourself explaining where you are from, where you work, how many
people will live at the apartment and so on.
The key to success is not to overspend and keep to your budget.
Rent should ideally not exceed one quarter of the monthly income.
Ensure that the neighborhood is safe and has everything you need
close by. Always do comparison shopping. Have a clear idea of what
rents are in the neighborhood. Be careful and check the apartment
and neighborhood out at least three times at different times in
the day.
Be sure the lease protects your rights as well as that of the landlord.
Find out what rules would apply if for some reason you need to break
the lease before it runs out. A place must give you a feeling of
warmth and welcome and ideally the neighbors must be friendly.
Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888MovingCompanies.com,
the premier website to find help on Moving including topics on moving
companies search, compare movers, moving insurance, auto transport,
moving tips and more. He also freelances for the premier Travel
site http://www.1866Travel.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_W_Wilson
Your Ideal Home - How To find Your Extra Special
Home
By Susy Copus
If you're looking for something extra special for
your ideal home, you need to know the best ways to find that home.
Most property search engines are quite basic. You put in the location,
price, bedroom, etc. and sift through the result pages. Often what
you find is the normal typical house which though adequate might
not hold that extra special character and sparkle. Moving house
is expensive, and potentially stressful. You want to get it right.
There is one website that will help you do this. At the UK's Property
Search Engine, www.wheresmyproperty.com users can add into the search
the words that describe that extra special character unique for
your next home. For example, you might be looking for a beautiful
thatched cottage and so you could include the word "thatched".
Perhaps you want to be by the sea, so could include "sea"
in the search. Perhaps you want only a period house, and so you
can add "period" to the search. On the other side of the
spectrum you may definitely not want certain features in your new
home and you can choose to exclude properties which contain those
features.
By adding the search words of what you want you will save time
and only see properties that excite you.
As way of example, on searching for a thatched cottage in the south
www.wheresmyproperty.com found only beautiful thatched cottages
from a cosy 2 bed cottage dating back to 1850 to a large 6 bed family
thatched home with beautiful gardens. On a search for properties
by the sea the results were impressive - a 1 bed flat on the sea
front up to a 4 bed detached house with sea views. Or perhaps fishing
rights are of prime importance - simply add "fishing"
to the search, or perhaps landscaped gardens are your joy. WheresMyProperty
will help you find it.
Your house is your home. Make it special. Live your dream.
Susy Copus is a property commentator with a particular
interest in unique properties and properties available for renovation
and updating. To find out more go to http://www.wheresmyproperty.com
and http://www.renovatealerts.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susy_Copus
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