Need Help Finding Good Houston Apartments (Dallas, San Antonio: apartment complexes, rentals, high crime)

[Demethostes]

Howdy Houstonians - I'm afraid I need to call upon your local knowledge again

I'm looking at moving to Houston, ideally in the next 3-6 months. I'm looking at getting a 2, maybe 3 (leaning toward 2) bedroom apartment with 2 friends. Ideally I'd like my rent to be no more than $900/month.

The problem, is while doing research on the internet, is finding an honest appraisal of the complex and surrounding area. I realize with my budget I won't be living in a palace, but I am a member of an unpopular minority, and while crime is a reality wherever you go, it reaches a point where replacing stolen/damaged property defeats the purpose of low rent.

To this end, I've spent hours on sites such as ApartmentRatings.com, and it seems that apartments that would otherwise be appealing have almost universally negative reviews. Spotty/nonexistent maintenance, poor security/high crime, insect infestations, etc... I realize alot of this is human nature. People are 10x likelier to gripe than to compliment, but... it is still discouraging. The places THAT do have a majority positive reviews have a fake feel to them; its almost a given that the positive reviews are put up by shady management.

Since I do not live in the area it almost seems impossible to check up on these wildly conflicting claims... so Im here to ask, does anyone know of any good areas in that price range that aren't too high crime or other undesirables?

Or, more importantly, can anyone recommend a good moving/ apartment-finding service that can give me some impartial reviews of houston apartments? I can pay for said service so long as its worth my time and money.

Thanks!

[jhg140]

Can you give specifics about what area you're interested in? Also, is the $900/mo total for the apartment, or just your split of the rent?

Most of the "big box" complexes, regardless of how new or old they are, will be similar: the apartment itself is fine, management is a pain in the butt, etc etc.

If you would like to look into smaller complexes or duplexes, I would highly recommend In the Loop Properties. They manage a ton of rentals all over the Inner Loop, and are fantastic about helping you find an apartment.

I lived in both a big box complex and a 20-apt 1960s complex that had been renovated, both in Montrose. I liked the smaller complex better, but both were fine apartments.

[Demethostes]

900 a month total. I can deal with frustrating management, my 2 biggest concerns are crime and bug infestation.

Location is tricky: I'm requesting a transfer to Houston; but it is sort of open-ended.... I can find a place and then request a transfer to the closest store and hope they have an opening soon, or I can request a transfer to any store that has an opening, and then find an apartment close to that opening. Make sense? Sort of a chicken - or - the - egg king of deal. I could commute longer distances to a further store, but between gridlock and rising fuel costs, this job doesnt pay well enough to justify much more than a 30 minute commute.

[DJboutit]

You can find some great deals here better than HAR houston apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist

[likeeveryoneelse]

internet reviews are kinda lame that way. How many people think to go on and write a review when they like the place?
but if someone has a complaint, the first thing they wanna do is tell everyone how horrible it is!
So you will end up with a large number of complaints, and a couple people who work there, or are friends of the owner or something, saying how good it is.

Most all of the apartments are going to be similar. Cookie cutter places. Keep in mind, the cheaper rent attracts the cheaper person, which usually leads to more unsavory stuff going on. (over-generalization i know).
It doesnt matter what area you go to in town, there will be nice areas next to ghetto areas. Large apartment complexes usually attract crime, etc.
For 900 bucks you should be able to rent a small house, or a duplex or something even if you want to stay away from it all completely.
or for 900 bucks, you can find an older small apt. building. You can get a more close-knit neighborhood, and skip the huge giant mile long apt. complexes.

[_adayinthelife]

I would not recommend In the Loop properties because most 2 Bed/2 Bath listings on their site are well over a thousand bucks per month. Even the one bedrooms are pricey. While I do think a vast majority of apartment reviewers exaggerate, I wouldn't completely disregard what they have to say. I would use a site like spot crime (Houston, TX Crime Map - Showing Crimes in Houston - Crime Statistics, Alerts and Reports - Crime Stops Here) to see if an apartment is in an unsafe, high crime area. Most ads for apartments on craigslist tend to be made by apartment locators. Your best bet would be to find and use one. I personally like Free Rent Hunters - A FREE Apartment Locating Service Houston*Dallas/Ft. Worth*Austin*San Antonio. Good luck finding a place!