Apartment Hunting - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

meanSpleen · 02-14-2007, 10:10 AM

Hey party people,

Does anyone have some good tips on how to hunt for apartments? General knowledge that can help me out, or websites that point out complexes with vacancies? I'm willing to go monthly or 6-months, so that isn't so much a problem. As far as a roommate, I'd rather live alone and pay for it now. Roommate later if needed. Studio preferred, 1-bedroom even better but not necessary. If it's just going to be me, I just don't care if everything is in one 400-450 sq ft room

What I do know:
- Scout the areas I'm interested in
- Get a walk through of the possible living spaces and point out things that would need to be fixed, or written into the contract that I'd be okay living with
- Have a employment, credit, references, previous housing and salary history as backup

What I've checked:
move.com
google.com (they have an apartment finder thing embedded, search for 'housing')
apartmentguide.com
apartments.com
apartmentfinder.com

I'm looking for a studio apartment in the Orange County area of Southern California so I can live closer to my new job in Huntington Beach. Preferred areas include: Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Corona Del Mar, Garden Grove, Southern Santa Ana, Tustin, and some of the surrounding areas of Huntington Beach (parts of Anaheim, Westminister, etc). With a preferred price range of 700-950 a month, it should be doable.

maleficent · 02-14-2007, 10:13 AM

what about craigslist.com -- they usually have a lot of rentals.

for various complexes - check out www.apartmentratings.com- this is where people who have lived in the complex will review it - you have to take many of them with a graiin of salt because thre are a lot of bitter people there - but it gives you a pretty good idea of what you get.

I'd also enquire about parking, laundry, and grocery shopping - stuff you want closeby.

hambone · 02-14-2007, 10:14 AM

check out craigslist.org

dang....she beat me to it...

maleficent · 02-14-2007, 10:17 AM

one other thing that matters to me -because one place i lived it really made a difference in the neighborhood - amount of section 8 housing in the complex - some places have none - which I prefer -other places have a too damn high percentage - and while it m akes me sound like a snob - it does make a difference in the neighborhood...

the local paper might have some options as well - Chicago has the Chicago Reader which has tons of rentals.... i'm sure the local area would also have a rental section in the paper

meanSpleen · 02-14-2007, 10:19 AM

Okay, I just came back from Craigslist and saw your two posts. I completely forgot Craigslist existed. Whoops, but yes, thanks for the tips! First thoughts - WOW. Next thought - Who else is looking in the same area. I'll need an edge.

Tank: So what do you need? Besides a miracle.
Neo: Guns. Lots of guns.

*edit: Thanks for the note on the US Govt sponsered housing program. I wasn't aware that that was around either. I have a standard of living I must uphold!

maleficent · 02-14-2007, 11:09 AM

you're a boy so you're pretty tough - when you are looking at places - if you see them during the daytime - you might also want to see it at night - just to see the noise - parking situation - general neighborhoodness... (I had a place decades ago in South Boston that was bright and sunny during the day and lovely ad at night - i walked from my car to the apartment with a baseball bat in hand.. the neighborhood wasn't the greatest)

02-14-2007, 10:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
meanSpleen Squid hat! Location: A Few Miles Away From Halx	Apartment Hunting Hey party people, Does anyone have some good tips on how to hunt for apartments? General knowledge that can help me out, or websites that point out complexes with vacancies? I'm willing to go monthly or 6-months, so that isn't so much a problem. As far as a roommate, I'd rather live alone and pay for it now. Roommate later if needed. Studio preferred, 1-bedroom even better but not necessary. If it's just going to be me, I just don't care if everything is in one 400-450 sq ft room What I do know: - Scout the areas I'm interested in - Get a walk through of the possible living spaces and point out things that would need to be fixed, or written into the contract that I'd be okay living with - Have a employment, credit, references, previous housing and salary history as backup What I've checked: move.com google.com (they have an apartment finder thing embedded, search for 'housing') apartmentguide.com apartments.com apartmentfinder.com I'm looking for a studio apartment in the Orange County area of Southern California so I can live closer to my new job in Huntington Beach. Preferred areas include: Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Corona Del Mar, Garden Grove, Southern Santa Ana, Tustin, and some of the surrounding areas of Huntington Beach (parts of Anaheim, Westminister, etc). With a preferred price range of 700-950 a month, it should be doable. __________________ Like TFP? Donate To Keep It Alive!! Last edited by meanSpleen; 02-14-2007 at 10:12 AM..

02-14-2007, 10:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	what about craigslist.com -- they usually have a lot of rentals. for various complexes - check out www.apartmentratings.com- this is where people who have lived in the complex will review it - you have to take many of them with a graiin of salt because thre are a lot of bitter people there - but it gives you a pretty good idea of what you get. I'd also enquire about parking, laundry, and grocery shopping - stuff you want closeby. __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less. Last edited by maleficent; 02-14-2007 at 10:16 AM..

02-14-2007, 10:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
hambone Zeroed In Location: CA	check out craigslist.org dang....she beat me to it... __________________ "Like liquid white from fallen glass, Nothing to cry over"

02-14-2007, 10:17 AM	#4 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	one other thing that matters to me -because one place i lived it really made a difference in the neighborhood - amount of section 8 housing in the complex - some places have none - which I prefer -other places have a too damn high percentage - and while it m akes me sound like a snob - it does make a difference in the neighborhood... the local paper might have some options as well - Chicago has the Chicago Reader which has tons of rentals.... i'm sure the local area would also have a rental section in the paper __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less. Last edited by maleficent; 02-14-2007 at 10:18 AM.. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

02-14-2007, 10:19 AM	#5 (permalink)
meanSpleen Squid hat! Location: A Few Miles Away From Halx	Okay, I just came back from Craigslist and saw your two posts. I completely forgot Craigslist existed. Whoops, but yes, thanks for the tips! First thoughts - WOW. Next thought - Who else is looking in the same area. I'll need an edge. Tank: So what do you need? Besides a miracle. Neo: Guns. Lots of guns. edit: Thanks for the note on the US Govt sponsered housing program. I wasn't aware that that was around either. I have a standard of living I must uphold! __________________ Like TFP? Donate To Keep It Alive!! Last edited by meanSpleen; 02-14-2007 at 10:21 AM..*

02-14-2007, 11:09 AM	#6 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	you're a boy so you're pretty tough - when you are looking at places - if you see them during the daytime - you might also want to see it at night - just to see the noise - parking situation - general neighborhoodness... (I had a place decades ago in South Boston that was bright and sunny during the day and lovely ad at night - i walked from my car to the apartment with a baseball bat in hand.. the neighborhood wasn't the greatest) __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.