Tips On Apartment HuntingTiming is Crucial

The housing market is competitive, especially for affordable apartments. Be prepared to make decisions quickly and be flexible by a week or two with your plans. Start your search no earlier than four weeks before your desired move-in date since tenants are not required to give landlords more than 30 days’ notice of their move-out dates. Make apartment hunting your life for two or three weeks - that should be enough time to get familiar with the market and find what you are looking for.
Focus Your Search According to Your Budget New York City is an expensive housing market and you will likely be forced to make compromises in your choice. Monthly rents will vary depending on several factors; the most important of which is location, followed by apartment size and then amenities.
Decide if You Are Willing to Share an Apartment – You can cut costs by sharing a large one bedroom. To find a roommate, check the listings for apartment shares in the OCHA Housing Registry. Consider Where You Can Afford to Live - Manhattan apartments are in the greatest demand and consequently rents are the highest here compared to other boroughs or nearby suburbs. In most areas of Manhattan, you will have great difficulty finding a studio apartment for less than $1,300-$1,400 per month. In contrast, there are areas just outside Manhattan (within a 30-40 minute commute) where you can find a decent studio apartment to rent for $850-$1,000 per month. Determine What Size Apartment Fits Your Budget and What Amenities You Can Do Without - Squeezing into a smaller apartment than your ideal and a willingness to accept some commonly perceived flaws such as street noise or lack of view or natural light may save you some money. In addition, rents will vary with the type of building in which the apartment is located such as whether or not the building has a doorman or an elevator.
Methods of Searching - Fee v. No Fee Rentals If you can afford to pay a broker's fee, searching with a broker is highly recommended for convenience. Brokers can give you an overview of the market, guide you in your search, and facilitate the paperwork for you. Some landlords list apartment availabilities exclusively through brokers.
Brokers charge a commission for their services. In Manhattan, expect to pay between `12%-15% of the year's rent. That means if your rent is $1,000 a month, the broker's fee works out to $1,000 x 12 x 15%, or $1,800. Fees outside of Manhattan are usually less, ranging from one month's rent to 12% of the year's rent. The fee is payable only at the time of lease signing. OCHA maintains a list of real estate brokers, many of whom will give a discount on their fees to CU students and affiliates. The larger firms have Web sites where you can search their listings in advance of contacting them. You can also check their most updated listings in the classified ads in The Village Voice, The New York Times and LOOT. Don't forget to ask if a student or Columbia corporate discount is available.
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Apartment Visit Tips

Apartment rental is big business, and showing the property to potential new residents is part of the bottom line. Rental agents are trained to promote the best aspects of the place you might soon be living, but you don't want to take their word for everything.
"Different strokes for different folks" definitely applies to apartment living. The features that actually determine whether you enjoy living someplace will be particular to you, so there's no way they can be included on a generic tour. To make sure you get the information you really need for an informed decision, you have to stay focused.
Your Rental Representative and YouRental representatives are trained to be friendly and informative. They have a list of features to promote and a list of answers prepared for common questions. There is no reason to assume a rental agent will be dishonest about anything, but their job is to sell you on the place, which means they will spend most of the time talking.
It's important to concentrate on what you see, not on what they say. A good rental agent will give you some quiet time to look around. If they don't, simply ask them to stop talking for a few minutes. It's a reasonable request.
Security concerns may require the person to stay with you during your visit, but there's no reason you have to talk to them the entire time -- it's an apartment visit, not a first date! Make sure you look at every feature of the apartment and the surrounding property, not just the parts they are pointing out.
Divide and Conquer If possible, take a friend with you. An extra set of eyes can be helpful for spotting important details. If necessary, your friend can engage the rental agent with some elaborate questions that will give you time to look around without distraction.
Taking NotesA list of priorities is the best way to stay organized. Get a notebook and write down your questions in advance -- the ones you want to ask as well as the ones you want to answer for yourself by looking around. Write down the results for each place you visit, since different properties may run together after a couple of visits, especially if you are visiting more than one property owned by the same company.
Along with your notebook and writing instruments, consider packing a camera, a tape measure, something to drink, and maybe even a small flashlight. If you take a friend along, make sure they have read your list, or give them a copy to make their own notes on.
The Main EventThe most important part of the visit is the apartment itself. Make sure you get plenty of time to look around. Even if it means sitting in the middle of the living room floor for ten or fifteen minutes, you want to get a feel for the place.
Try lying down on the bedroom floor in the spot where your bed might go. Imagine getting up in the morning and going through your daily routine. Check the water pressure, and look at the quality of the appliances. Take note of any pros and cons you notice about the layout or the size of the rooms.
Take your time -- if you are going to commit to at least a year of living there, the rental agent can give you half an hour or so to check the place out.
Touring the AmenitiesMost properties put a great deal of emphasis on the tour of amenities. Whether you plan to use all these facilities or not, the chance to see them is extremely valuable because it gives you an opportunity to observe people already living there.
Chances are, you'll spend at least part of the visit riding around the property in a golf cart. Don't be lulled into distraction by the rental agent's chatter - this is your best chance to get a feel for the "neighborhood."
What kinds of cars are in the parking lot, and how well are they maintained? Do the people walking around look happy? Do residents smile or wave when they see the golf cart go by? You can't please all the people all the time, but hopefully most of the residents on the property will look happy to be there.
Online ResearchIf you see people making faces when you pass by in the golf cart or otherwise get the impression there are disgruntled tenants, it might be an important warning sign. You might want to follow up your visit with some online research.
Many consumer websites allow residents to review the conditions of rental properties. Look for specific complaints about poor maintenance, security issues, or slow response to repair requests, as any of these could affect your quality of life if you moved in.
Just Have FunIt's important to have the right attitude when visiting potential apartments. If you view it as a horrible chore, it will be tough to get a good impression anywhere. Don't plan more than a few visits in a day -- more than that would lead to rapid burn-out, and it may take a few days to find the right fit.
Try to schedule visits at times that won't force you to sit in traffic getting stressed out. See the visit as a chance to play detective, and remember that a few days of hard work now could lead to several years of living happily in your new apartment.

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Leases

Leases are important for clarification of the responsibilities of the landlord and tenant. If you don't have a lease, the landlord could ask you to leave or raise your rent on short notice. In addition, factors, such as when your rent is due, if pets are allowed and who is responsible for maintenance need to be clear. The type of lease you will be asked to sign can vary with the type of apartment and building in which it is located. OCHA has samples of different leases. Any changes to the standard lease are usually included in a separate lease rider. Leases are for one or two years and generally begin on the 1st or the 15th of the month.
Typically, the apartment will be unfurnished and will be located in a rental building that is owned by the landlord. Some apartments may be protected by rent regulations. A rent-regulated apartment is subject to limits on the amount that owners can raise the rent for vacant apartments and renewals of existing leases. Tenants in rent-regulated apartments have the right to renew the lease provided they’re in compliance with all lease terms and conditions. Rent-regulated tenants have the right to sublease the apartment with the landlord's permission.

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Turn Your Balcony Into a Retreat

Turn Your Balcony Into a RetreatA crispy fern flanked by a flapping towel and a bike with two flat tires—sound like a balcony near you? As close as your own French doors, perhaps?If what you really want is a cozy place to barbecue, or an enchanted and enchanting retreat—no problem. With just the tiniest bit of attention and effort, you can transform even a swath of bleak and cheerless concrete into almost anything.First, figure out what kind of weather your balcony has to withstand, said Elizabeth Blome of Open Window Designs in Houston. A northern exposure will limit plant choices to shade-tolerant varieties, while a west-facing patio will be hard on decorative objects like wreaths and topiaries, which can crack and fade in the hot summer sun.As for that bike—you get to keep it."Our feeling is that if you want something, we can make it work," Blome said. "So if the bike is a part of your life, it stays—behind a screen or a lattice or a nice big plant."Decide how you want to use the space, said Helene Schultz, an interior decorator who recently tackled a patio in New York and a balcony in the Virgin Islands. And have fun. Whether you're making a private retreat, an outdoor dining room or dividing a large area into several rooms, an outdoor space should spring from your imagination.Jimenez built an Asian garden for moments of reflection."In some ways, the space in a balcony or patio is a bonus, it's unexpected," Schultz said. "You can go with something as simple as plants and a few chairs, or you can unleash your fantasies and be bolder or more playful than you might inside the home."Bold and playful were Edward Jimenez' bywords when designing the spacious balcony of his Los Angeles condo over the course of six years. At 11-feet wide and 25-feet long, Jimenez had a space large enough to be daunting. He solved the problem by dividing it into rooms—one for dining, one for a garden, another as a sitting room."I wanted it to look like it had always been there, that it was a place that had been cared for by a family over a period of years," said Jimenez, a hair stylist and makeup artist with a large celebrity clientele. He started with a tree and several plants, then added a seating area. When something didn't work, he gave it away and tried again."I went through so much furniture," Jimenez said, and laughed. "My family loves it—I keep giving them stuff that doesn't fit or doesn't work."For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you with Apartments in Middlesex County NJ. Raritan Crossing has apartments near metropark, apartments near Rutgers and apartments near Robert Wood Johnson.

Reducing Energy Costs

You don't have to buy a lot of expensive gadgets or live without luxury to conserve energy. Environmentally friendly activity is just a matter of habit. By using only what you need, when you need it, you can help the environment and save on your power bill at the same time.
Being conscientiousEver fall asleep with the TV on? Ever wake up and realize you left the computer on all night after checking your email the night before? Thinking consciously about the resources you use can be an important first step in saving power -- and money.
Most home electronics and appliances have energy-saving features. Televisions have timers that can be set to shut off after a few hours. If you like to fall asleep with the TV on, use the timer and don't waste electricity all night. All modern computers come with power saving functions, but these have to be set by the individual user to be effective. Make sure you understand how these features work and set them up to go along with your own habits.
Home theater sound systems allow networking of stereo, TV, DVD and even computer accessories, often through the same remote control. The downside of this convenience is that even the unused items are often switched on at all times. Be sure to turn off the CD player when you're watching a movie, and power down the whole system when you're going out.
Light up your life the smart wayMake sure your lights have energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs installed, which will have a positive impact on the environment and your power bill. These bulbs are more expensive initially but last much longer than older, less efficient bulbs, saving you the cost and time of frequent replacements.
Reconsidering how much light is needed, and where and when you need it, can also make a big difference in power use. Turn the lights off when you leave the room or home and only use a minimum of low watt lights overnight. Better yet, look for motion activated night lights or low output LED lights for nighttime navigation.
Batteries are piling up in landfills from coast to coast. For your emergency lighting needs, consider a shake-up flashlight, which provides LED light through a magnetic induction process powered by shaking the light for a few seconds before each use -- no batteries required! Good old-fashioned candles can be a nice way to set the mood on a stormy night when the power goes out, but be careful -- make sure they won't set off your smoke alarms, which run on batteries and work even during a blackout!
Keeping cool and keeping warm In the summer and winter, keep heat and air at reasonable temperatures. Close doors to unused rooms and leave the vents shut to increase air flow to busier parts of the home. Ceiling fans can be used year round to help air circulation.
Take a few minutes to set up a programmable thermostat that will shut off the air conditioning when you're gone during the day.
As the seasons change, keep an eye on the temperature. Take advantage of mild days to turn off the air conditioning and open up the windows, even if you can only do it for the morning. A little effort goes a long way!
While there are expensive energy conserving gizmos on the market, cutting electricity cost isn't about making a special shopping trip or ordering products from TV. A little extra attention to everyday habits is all you need!
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