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Old 08-05-2010, 09:27 PM
 
924 posts, read 2,223,076 times
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I'm down to the wire for my apartment hunt and have been contacting ads morning and evening, visiting places as much as possible lately as I have until the end of the month to acquire, pack, move. Luckily I'll have some time off work beginning next week, but one challenge is that after seeing a bunch of apartments, the best one I've seen that's currently available is managed by a landlord who's about to take a 2 week vacation out of the country and will be back with only 1 week to spare before I have to move out.
That's cutting it close..

I visited the place last night and overall it was decent, fridge, stove, washer, dryer all included, parking available behind the building (it's a triplex), close to the subway, shopping within walking distance, close to parks and mother nature...nice location.

But a few potential problems:
1) It's on a main street with a city bus that passed by in front
2) The current tenant told me the floor is uninsulated and the apartment is expensive to heat in the winter (it's electric heating)
3) There's a home business 2 houses over with a heat pump-A/C unit that's kind of loud , it's in the back and that's where my bedroom would be.
4) It's kind of expensive...really stretches my budget, but might be worth it for the convenience factor
5) The landlord is going on vacation in 3 days and wants an answer ASAP. He claims he has someone else interested, but might be bluffing.

What would you do? I'll continue contacting and trying to visit other places, but I dunno if I should let this one go, visit again to hear the noise...ask for more time, negotiate a discount...if so how? in person, phone, email? He emailed me tonight and I feel inclined to answer, but need more time to think.
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Old 08-06-2010, 07:40 AM
 
Location: San Antonio, Texas
3,503 posts, read 19,815,346 times
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Don't be pressured. If the cons outweigh the pros, then keep looking. If you really like it and want it, then go for it. You decide, do not let anyone pressure you. If the LL is going away ask him if he has someone who will be avaiable to deal with in his absence. I leave town and always have someone who can deal with issues while I am not avaiable. Renting a unit, I do myself. If not rented when I leave town, it sits empty. That's my LL philosophy. No pressure.
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Old 08-06-2010, 11:10 AM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
2,637 posts, read 12,590,227 times
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I am not privy to the details of your finances, but given the general economic climate, I don't think that it would be wise for you to stretch your budget for housing and utilities even if you were totally in love with the place, and it sounds like you have some reservations about it. Now is not time to gamble that over-extending yourself will work out.

If you really like the place and are willing to deal with its flaws but feel that it is over-priced (or maybe it's not over-priced but you simply can't afford it), just say so. If the landlord is willing to deal maybe you can come to an agreement. If not, you can both move on.
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Old 08-06-2010, 08:12 PM
 
73 posts, read 583,325 times
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It's a big decision to be rushed into, so don't let the LL pressure you. If the LL wasn't leaving town, would you choose this apartment or keep looking? If you really like it and can afford it, then go for it. If you're unsure about it, don't just choose it out of fear of losing it. It's still early in the month, we're only one week in so there's time to look elsewhere. If you're finding numerous vacancies in the area, then it's likely that there's something available that you like and won't stretch your budget at much.
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Old 08-09-2010, 07:43 AM
 
924 posts, read 2,223,076 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tilli View Post
If you really like the place and are willing to deal with its flaws but feel that it is over-priced (or maybe it's not over-priced but you simply can't afford it), just say so. If the landlord is willing to deal maybe you can come to an agreement. If not, you can both move on.
I do feel it's somewhat overpriced. It's a 1 small bedroom for the same price as many bigger 2 bedrooms in the area. However 2 important advantages it has over other places is the 4 recent appliances and secured parking out back. It also has security bars over the back windows against break ins.

However what makes me hesitate the most is the bus that passes in front and a heat pump / A/C unit out back, a couple of units over, which is actually near the bedroom. I mention it because I have hyperacusis (over sensitive hearing) and think I'd have to rely on earplugs to sleep soundly. When I first visited, the tenant had their sound system on and I didn't ask them to turn it off so I could listen to external noises. I continue to look for other places but have found that many of the "better" or "quieter" 2 bedroom apartments in the area, that are on side streets rather than a main one, have some unruly neighbors who yell across the street, sit on their balconies drinking beer at all times in the day and just make you cringe at the thought of having to tolerate it.

Then again, these apartments are centrally located near nature, the subway, shops....so there are always pros and cons. What I really need to do is get my hearing condition treated so I can become more tolerant to noises that might not bother a person with "normal" hearing as much. That and find somewhere where I'm truly happy, not annoyed. You can't have it all in the city I guess, especially when your budget is somewhat constrained. I only work part time, about 33 hrs/week and it might be reduced come September as my boss indicated my current 5 day/week schedule is temporary. Normally I do 3 days, 20 hrs/week. I may ultimately need to switch jobs if I'm seeking full time employment, but I've been at the same place for 4 years and it's tough to move on (I can't reliably do morning starts yet either, another reason I'm hanging on to this job).

To add: I have been looking at others and told the LL's girlfriend that we'd likely set up a second viewing later this week. She's okay with that and now that the LL is out of town, he's not burning up my phone either. He's Spanish and the first impression I have is that when he's under pressure (the last tenant was late to move out - by Aug. 4 she still wasn't out, while it was supposed to be Aug. 1 ), and he actually yelled at her on the phone and in person, right in front of me. I stepped back , but observed it all. Strangely he doesn't have a cell phone either, strange because what if there's an emergency in the apartment like broken pipes / flooding? Then again, maybe I'm focusing too much attention on this one LL and one apartment and do need to visit several others to compare.

Last edited by ValueAddedWorker; 08-09-2010 at 08:08 AM..
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Old 08-09-2010, 08:02 AM
 
Location: southwest TN
8,568 posts, read 18,028,513 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ValueAddedWorker View Post
especially when your budget is somewhat constrained. I only work part time, about 33 hrs/week and it might be reduced come September as my boss indicated my current 5 day/week schedule is temporary. Normally I do 3 days, 20 hrs/week. I may ultimately need to switch jobs if I'm seeking full time employment, but I've been at the same place for 4 years and it's tough to move on (I can't reliably do morning starts yet either, another reason I'm hanging on to this job).

So this apt is stretching your budget, you are looking at a reduction in hours, making it more likely your budget will be even further stretched by this budget-stretching over-priced, noisy apt with a landlord who is pressuring you to decide RIGHT NOW and you are still considering it why?
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Old 08-09-2010, 11:11 AM
 
924 posts, read 2,223,076 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NY Annie View Post
So this apt is stretching your budget, you are looking at a reduction in hours, making it more likely your budget will be even further stretched by this budget-stretching over-priced, noisy apt with a landlord who is pressuring you to decide RIGHT NOW and you are still considering it why?
Yeah I see your point, there are a bunch of cons.
-noise from front and back, but possibly tolerable (have to double check)
-pushy landlord desperate to get me to take it while he's away and who yelled at a former tenant, right in front of me (claimed he was stressed)
-the rent and especially the utilities cost will stretch my budget, with a cold floor in winter and electricity will definitely put pressure on me if my hours are cut to 20/week , with no other job
-size: only 1 bedroom (just enough space)

However some important pros:
-location: walking distance to subway, affordable stores, coffee shops, nature parks, banks, churches. This will reduce transport costs and potentially improve health if I do more exercise
-secured parking for my motorcycle which is rare in that area. However it's not a garage and I'd still need that for the winter. Otherwise as the LL suggested, a mini tent might work. A smaller version of the ones that homeowners use to keep snow off of their driveways.
-4 almost new appliances included:fridge, stove, washing machine, dryer

I did call another place that was definitely within my budget, in fact it's a big studio with a separate kitchen. It's low priced but also on a rock 'n roll street with lower income people on their balconies and modest apartment buildings. One of the buildings does have a garage space, which is an important feature. But if the place has sketchy people who drink all day and night and act like hooligans, is a magnet for poverty, drugs and hookers (not that I saw any there) then I dunno...the savings may not be worth the risk. In terms of savings, it would be about 30-40% less expensive than the "norm" I'm considering, i.e. 1 and 2 bedroom units in higher quality buildings, mostly triplexes.
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Old 08-09-2010, 11:52 AM
 
2,053 posts, read 4,798,727 times
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Based on the OP, just my opinion:

1. no noisy place for me, I have lived in a lot of noisy places and after a while it really bothers me;
2. electric heating can be quite expensive if winters are harsh;
3. same thing about noise;
4. I would not rent a place if that would stretch my budget too much, there might always be some unexpected expense and the last thing I want is to stress over whether I can pay rent or not, it is just an unnecessary stress for both myself and the LL;
5. he can be bluffing or not, as a LL I have had prospective tenants saying "we will be in touch" and after two days when they called back I had signed a lease with another person.

It really depends on what you are willing to accept, it is a personal decision.
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Old 08-09-2010, 12:55 PM
 
10,102 posts, read 19,300,689 times
Reputation: 17432
I don't know where you live, but if I were you, I'd keep looking, this place sounds like a #ell hole.

One piece of advice---when does school start in your area? I realize you're single w/o kids, but rentals tend to become much more desirable right before school starts, as families want to get settled. That last week is a big push. Once school starts, those units left over go for a bargain, just to have some sort of cash flow, otherwise they could just sit there until the next school break, which is around Christmas.

You might gain a lot if you can just wait until school starts, then go back to ones you found desirable. If not rented, they probably will be willing to reduce the price just to get something.

Good luck
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Old 08-09-2010, 08:54 PM
 
Location: Honolulu
369 posts, read 772,061 times
Reputation: 150
I'd probably wait. I know you are in a tight place, but its never a good thing to sign a lease in a rush or under strained conditions. While the convenience of location seems nice, it looks like it's going to come at a cost (heating, and overall cost). The noisy factor is somewhat a toss-up, i live in a noisy area and don't mind much. It depends on the person. When dealing with a landlord directly, you have much more flexibility in negotiating. You may offer to sign a longer lease for a monthly discount on rent for example (not necessarily recommended).
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