7 am commutes (lease, house, neighborhood)

[roxfan]

Just arrived this afternoon; I have a few days to check out some leads for places to stay, and now I can go in semi-educated. Thanks again for the great advice!

[jamesdenver]

Agree on the basement windows. My house has the same problem. Every spring I dig out some dirt so it's a foot or two below the sill level, and also mix up the dirt so it absorbs water better.

But that doesn't always help with the most rapid of torrents (once/twice a year), so one of my windows I have a sump pump placed in it (can't see it in the well because of above.) it kicks on when the water fills up. Best $100 every spent for the home. Has saved flooding during some torrents a couple times.

[Jcelmer]

I live in the area between constitution and marksheffel. It would take me 10 (fairly easy) minutes to get there. This area is quiet and new and I like it a lot. You didn't mention budget but there is one set of townhomes (or the houses that are attached to each other, idk what they're called) that rent for $950 - $1100. That's about the cheapest rent you would get.

[lurtsman]

Townhomes is the correct term.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by lurtsman

Townhomes is the correct term.

Townhomes, these days.

When I was a kid in west Baltimore, they were "row homes" and we had umpteen thousands of them. The nation's longest single string of row homes is on south side of Wilkins Ave, btw Brunswick and Millington Sts, comprised of 53 row homes in a single continuous line.

[Sonic_Spork]

I have a friend, and I visited her for the first time recently...she lives in an apartment off Powers and Stetson Hills intersection. Now, by strictly geographical standards, this should be a decent place. But she's had to break up loud fights in the parking lots and her downstairs neighbor is creepy, crazy, scary, and annoying. Comes right on up to visit at any hour and won't take no for an answer. Has perpetually breeding cats down in her place and kids that run riot all over, and acts like a drug addict (don't know if she is one, or not.) I wouldn't live in that complex no matter how low the rent was. And sometimes it's hard to really tell how a place is, not sure I would have known if I'd just driven around and seen an available apartment there.

I think sometimes, you come to a new place and you need to get in and rent for a little to see if you like your spot or no...but be prepared to move when the lease is up, if it doesn't work out at first. Even a bad place is usually tolerable for a year if you have to stay out a lease. My first rental home the management company drove me nuts and I was counting the days 'till I could move out. Fortunately we were able to buy a lovely home when that time came.

But either my former rental house or the one I'm in now, both in the Security-Widefield area, were preferable to the apartment complex my friend lives in which is technically in a "good" area. Sometimes I think it's just nice to get a little space between you and your neighbors!

[lurtsman]

Sonic,

I think I know which apartments you are talking about, or at least I have it down to 2 possibilities. Do you recall the color of the outside of the apartments? My wife and I went to that intersection and found two apartment places near there. One we found was over priced for what they offered and I got the feeling the culture was not going to be as nice as the units. The other we drove through wondering why we had crossed it off our list, then noticed we had seen 12 kids and 3 adults. We checked our "Don't go there because of section 8 housing" list and found it. Yes - Before visiting apartments we called and asked if they took section 8. If they accepted it, we put them on our "do not visit" list.

[Jcelmer]

^good example of checking all prospective housing, during the day, and night. You can't just rely on a zipcode to determine how nice an area is. Too many individual factors.

I am TERRIFIED to see how the new apartment homes built WITHIN THE STRIPMALL on powers turn out. I think that would be a horrible place to live.

[Sonic_Spork]

Originally Posted by lurtsman

Sonic,

I think I know which apartments you are talking about, or at least I have it down to 2 possibilities. Do you recall the color of the outside of the apartments? My wife and I went to that intersection and found two apartment places near there. One we found was over priced for what they offered and I got the feeling the culture was not going to be as nice as the units. The other we drove through wondering why we had crossed it off our list, then noticed we had seen 12 kids and 3 adults. We checked our "Don't go there because of section 8 housing" list and found it. Yes - Before visiting apartments we called and asked if they took section 8. If they accepted it, we put them on our "do not visit" list.

They were a light color, can't recall if it was white, beige or light grey...rather generic looking, and had as perhaps the most noticeable features a big community office with a big map of the complex right at the entrance, many speed bumps, and a playground in the center of some of the buildings. I think most, if not all, of the units have balconies or patios.

Honestly every experience I've had personally living in apartments or townhomes has been more negative than good. I'm sure there are some very nice apartments in this world. But I have not had the priviledge of dwelling in one. And I've found neighbor drama to be one of the more persistent and annoying aspects I have issues coping with.

[Jcelmer]

I really miss hearing about my neighbour's marital troubles, and the chores their children did not do.