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Old 06-02-2011, 08:00 PM
 
3 posts, read 3,655 times
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Hi all,
I am a 24 year old female considering relocating to the St. Pete area. I have visited a few times and am really attracted to all the things to do in the area - museums, parks, beaches, etc.

I've always wanted to live in a historic apartment and thought this could be my chance. I was stalking rentals for months from this one property management company, only to find out they have horrendous reviews online. All apartment complexes seem to have terrible reviews also.

So my question is - where should I look for rentals? I would STRONGLY prefer to be in or around the historic old NE area. My budget is very limited (and depending on the job I get) - so the cheaper the better. I am trying to find employment within this general vicinity, and driving through I really like the area. I've seen that Craigslist and drive-by-rental-scouting is suggested - but I've been scammed by a private landlord before and am hesitant to do this. Are there any reputable companies that deal with historic rentals/general rentals?

Secondly, how concerned should I be about crime? The statistics scare me. What areas should I avoid? What are your general thoughts and advice about living in this area?

Thank you so much!!!
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Old 06-02-2011, 08:12 PM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
3,237 posts, read 6,319,041 times
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Historic Apartment? Is there such a thing?
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Old 06-02-2011, 08:15 PM
 
3 posts, read 3,655 times
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Haha, sorry... I guess I should clarify.. I am looking to live in a restored vintage building..
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Old 06-02-2011, 09:06 PM
 
Location: Tampa
2,602 posts, read 8,302,847 times
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They have plenty of those scattered around the older part of St. Pete, mostly buildings built from 1910 through the 1920s Land Boom. I suspect a lot of them are owned by individuals rather than a rental company. You'll probably find most of them in the box bordered by 16th Street, 22nd Avenue North, 1st Street, and Central Avenue. This includes normal areas and sketchy areas, though no flat-out bad areas.

Last edited by ferret111; 06-02-2011 at 09:06 PM.. Reason: spelling
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Old 06-03-2011, 07:50 AM
 
451 posts, read 933,590 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandhillcrane View Post
I was stalking rentals for months from this one property management company, only to find out they have horrendous reviews online. All apartment complexes seem to have terrible reviews also.
A note about bad reviews-- it's common to see that most complexes and management companies have poor reviews. I was helping my mother-in-law get established down here and find a nice rental. Even the nicest, safest places we found (with pricey apartments) had poor reviews.

Generally, people don't leave reviews after good experiences. You'll see 10 horror stories or squeaky wheels for every 1 positive review. Most rental experiences are not uniform, and you can have bad and good experiences in the same property. A friend of mine lives in a luxury apartment complex in South Tampa and loves it. Another friend lives in a different building within that complex and had a pretty bad experience. I'm talking squirrel infestation, pipes exploding kind of bad. It can often be the luck-of-the-draw.

That said, stick to your gut on the reviews. If you look carefully, you'll be able to figure out who feels shafted and wants to stick it to their previous renter-- and who actually has a valuable review.
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Old 06-05-2011, 05:56 PM
 
3 posts, read 3,655 times
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Thank you both for your replies. I know no apartment is going to have 100% positive reviews... so I guess if I do end up getting a run of the mill apartment, I'll need to figure out how much weight to give the negatives. Thanks again
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