Comments on: Apartment Hunting… Not So Fun http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/ Helping gutsy girls conquer their Quarterlife Crisis through workshops, online courses, coaching and motivational speaking. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:20:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Amy http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-4613 Amy Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:13:10 +0000 http://www.stratejoy.com/?p=4335#comment-4613 Hi, Heather. I, too, am looking for an apartment in another state. I find it to be pretty tough when it's site unseen. But, there are a couple of sites I'm using that may be helpful for you. <a href="http://www.padmapper.com" target="_blank">www.padmapper.com</a> (Can help you pinpoint the area you'd like to live in on a map--you can narrow it down by cost and location.) <a href="http://www.walkscore.com" target="_blank">www.walkscore.com</a> (Type in the street address of a particular apartment and you can see what stores, restaurants, etc. are nearby. I've found it to be very helpful.) Hope that's been helpful. In the meantime, if you find a genius and foolproof way of finding that perfect apartment, please let us know. :) Hi, Heather. I, too, am looking for an apartment in another state. I find it to be pretty tough when it's site unseen. But, there are a couple of sites I'm using that may be helpful for you.
http://www.padmapper.com (Can help you pinpoint the area you'd like to live in on a map–you can narrow it down by cost and location.)
http://www.walkscore.com (Type in the street address of a particular apartment and you can see what stores, restaurants, etc. are nearby. I've found it to be very helpful.)

Hope that's been helpful. In the meantime, if you find a genius and foolproof way of finding that perfect apartment, please let us know. :)

]]> By: Melissa http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-4320 Melissa Sat, 29 May 2010 15:46:53 +0000 http://www.stratejoy.com/?p=4335#comment-4320 Heather, I just moved to Seattle myself less than two months ago from the east coast. I know from a previous blog, you are more of a suburb person than a city person. (Me too!) I highly recommend living in Bellevue. My place is within walking distance of everything downtown, including the Bellevue library and the Barnes & Noble. As an avid reader, I couldn't be more happy. Plus, my apartment building is brand new and is an eco-friendly building, so it really fit the bill for me. Seattle is not inexpensive compared to where I moved here from, but I got a great deal on my place and I couldn't be happier. (Feel free to email me privately and I'd be happy to share the name of my apartment community - they've been great!) Good luck in your search. Heather, I just moved to Seattle myself less than two months ago from the east coast. I know from a previous blog, you are more of a suburb person than a city person. (Me too!) I highly recommend living in Bellevue. My place is within walking distance of everything downtown, including the Bellevue library and the Barnes & Noble. As an avid reader, I couldn't be more happy. Plus, my apartment building is brand new and is an eco-friendly building, so it really fit the bill for me. Seattle is not inexpensive compared to where I moved here from, but I got a great deal on my place and I couldn't be happier. (Feel free to email me privately and I'd be happy to share the name of my apartment community – they've been great!) Good luck in your search.

]]> By: Mike http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-4315 Mike Fri, 28 May 2010 00:43:38 +0000 http://www.stratejoy.com/?p=4335#comment-4315 Heather, Found your site through Elysa Rice as well and let me say goodluck! As an apartment locator I can appreciate perhaps better than most the stress involved in your search. Unfortunately my business is only located in Texas for the time being, but your dilemma is one we're focusing on. Namely we're looking to build a site that combats the fact that everyone who has historically felt compelled to leave a review inevitably (at least 4/5 times) has a negative opinion of the property. Good luck in your quest to find the perfect apartment! Heather,
Found your site through Elysa Rice as well and let me say goodluck! As an apartment locator I can appreciate perhaps better than most the stress involved in your search.

Unfortunately my business is only located in Texas for the time being, but your dilemma is one we're focusing on. Namely we're looking to build a site that combats the fact that everyone who has historically felt compelled to leave a review inevitably (at least 4/5 times) has a negative opinion of the property.

Good luck in your quest to find the perfect apartment!

]]> By: Heather Rae http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-4314 Heather Rae Thu, 27 May 2010 22:32:47 +0000 http://www.stratejoy.com/?p=4335#comment-4314 This is just what I needed to hear today! Honestly, I was getting a little stressed that we hadn't already picked 'a damn apartment already'. But I don't want to compromise, as I think what I'm looking for is pretty reasonable. I think moving to a place that I know little to nothing about is just stressful. Here's to holding out and finding just what we're looking for! ;) This is just what I needed to hear today! Honestly, I was getting a little stressed that we hadn't already picked 'a damn apartment already'. But I don't want to compromise, as I think what I'm looking for is pretty reasonable. I think moving to a place that I know little to nothing about is just stressful. Here's to holding out and finding just what we're looking for! ;)

]]> By: Heather Rae http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-4312 Heather Rae Thu, 27 May 2010 22:29:08 +0000 http://www.stratejoy.com/?p=4335#comment-4312 Natalie, thanks so much for this advice! That is definitely true - the people who have a bad experience will be much more likely to write a review than those who have a good experience. I'm trying to take it all with a grain of salt, pay attention to the things that matter most to me and be as thorough as possible without going crazy. I am determined that we will find a good place. :) Natalie, thanks so much for this advice! That is definitely true – the people who have a bad experience will be much more likely to write a review than those who have a good experience. I'm trying to take it all with a grain of salt, pay attention to the things that matter most to me and be as thorough as possible without going crazy. I am determined that we will find a good place. :)

]]> By: amysjoy http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-4309 amysjoy Thu, 27 May 2010 17:43:28 +0000 http://www.stratejoy.com/?p=4335#comment-4309 Good luck! Apartment hunting is so hard, especially when you're not familiar with the area. When I lived in Tucson for six years, finding a place to live wasn't that bad. I just picked an area I wanted to live in and drove around looking at all the availabilities. When I moved to the Bay Area, I had NO IDEA where to even start, and my bosses were SHOCKED that I didn't just pick a damn apartment already, but I refused to compromise my standards because I've lived in some shitty places too. I knew the perfect home for me was out, and I was going to look until I found it, even though it was four days before my move in date before I found Home, but I'm so glad I held out. Good luck! Apartment hunting is so hard, especially when you're not familiar with the area.

When I lived in Tucson for six years, finding a place to live wasn't that bad. I just picked an area I wanted to live in and drove around looking at all the availabilities. When I moved to the Bay Area, I had NO IDEA where to even start, and my bosses were SHOCKED that I didn't just pick a damn apartment already, but I refused to compromise my standards because I've lived in some shitty places too. I knew the perfect home for me was out, and I was going to look until I found it, even though it was four days before my move in date before I found Home, but I'm so glad I held out.

]]> By: Natalie http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-4307 Natalie Thu, 27 May 2010 14:58:06 +0000 http://www.stratejoy.com/?p=4335#comment-4307 My only piece of advice is to try not to get too caught up in the reviews. My husband and I got so frustrated searching for our first apartment, because it seems like *every* place has horrible reviews! Be sure to look at the date of the reviews, and consider that the apartment might be under new management since then. No bad reviews over the past year or two might be a good sign! Also, keep in mind that it's usually the people who happened to have a bad experience who take the time to write a review, so they might be disproportionate to the good reviews. We ended up choosing an apartment that did have a large number of one and two star reviews, lots of complaints about management, ac/heat going out, overcharged utility bills, and maintenance that never fixed anything. We've lived there for 6 months now, and we've found the management to be sweet and helpful, the ac/heat has never failed, our bills are always correct, and we've had several maintenance requests fulfilled within the day we requested them, and always with a smile. And if you do see a common complaint in the reviews, write it down and ask the management about it by phone or if you visit again. Good luck with your search, and I hope you like Seattle! =) My only piece of advice is to try not to get too caught up in the reviews. My husband and I got so frustrated searching for our first apartment, because it seems like *every* place has horrible reviews! Be sure to look at the date of the reviews, and consider that the apartment might be under new management since then. No bad reviews over the past year or two might be a good sign! Also, keep in mind that it's usually the people who happened to have a bad experience who take the time to write a review, so they might be disproportionate to the good reviews.

We ended up choosing an apartment that did have a large number of one and two star reviews, lots of complaints about management, ac/heat going out, overcharged utility bills, and maintenance that never fixed anything. We've lived there for 6 months now, and we've found the management to be sweet and helpful, the ac/heat has never failed, our bills are always correct, and we've had several maintenance requests fulfilled within the day we requested them, and always with a smile. And if you do see a common complaint in the reviews, write it down and ask the management about it by phone or if you visit again.

Good luck with your search, and I hope you like Seattle! =)

]]> By: Heather Rae http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-4306 Heather Rae Thu, 27 May 2010 13:58:14 +0000 http://www.stratejoy.com/?p=4335#comment-4306 Now *that* would surely be awesome. :) Now *that* would surely be awesome. :)

]]> By: Heather Rae http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-4305 Heather Rae Thu, 27 May 2010 13:51:15 +0000 http://www.stratejoy.com/?p=4335#comment-4305 Thanks for all the support! You all are awesome!! :) Thanks for all the support! You all are awesome!! :)

]]> By: Heather Rae http://www.stratejoy.com/2010/05/apartment-hunting-not-so-fun/comment-page-1/#comment-4304 Heather Rae Thu, 27 May 2010 13:50:32 +0000 http://www.stratejoy.com/?p=4335#comment-4304 Ooh...thanks so much! I will definitely be reaching out. :) Ooh…thanks so much! I will definitely be reaching out. :)

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