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z16bitsega posted:... we had to back out on getting the apartment. Is it legal for the complex to keep my security deposit? That's what it's for.
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Jun 9, 2011 03:17
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Eyeball posted:That's what it's for. No one pays several hundred dollars just to get on a waiting list and expect it to be nonrefundable. Plus, the security deposit is for any damage/cleaning they have to do when you move out. Not just for the wait list.
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Jun 9, 2011 03:38
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I was under the impression that the security deposit was paid when a lease was signed. Never heard of one being used as a waiting list entry fee.
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Jun 9, 2011 05:26
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Sperg Victorious posted:No one pays several hundred dollars just to get on a waiting list and expect it to be nonrefundable. Plus, the security deposit is for any damage/cleaning they have to do when you move out. Not just for the wait list. A damage deposit and a security deposit are not the same thing. I've never heard of a wait list for an apartment. I would look at whatever you signed when you gave them the money. If you didn't sign anything or have a specific agreement on what would happen if you backed out, then yeah, you're pretty much hosed.
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Jun 9, 2011 11:59
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In most states, security deposits must be used for actual damages, ie lost rent or damage to the apartment. I don't see canceling from the waiting list resulted in an actual loss to the landlord. I would check up on state law. If you had in fact agreed to take a specific apartment, and they had taken that unit off the market for you, then they could probably justify keeping the deposit.
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Jun 9, 2011 12:31
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Eyeball posted:A damage deposit and a security deposit are not the same thing. I've never heard of a wait list for an apartment. I would look at whatever you signed when you gave them the money. If you didn't sign anything or have a specific agreement on what would happen if you backed out, then yeah, you're pretty much hosed. That must be something specific for your apartment/area. Usually you put down the security deposit for the waiting list so the apartment complex knows you're serious and then they just use that as your actual security deposit once you get the apartment. Why give the apartment complex say $700 wait list deposit, have them refund that to you and then give them an additional deposit for the actual apartment? That makes no sense.
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Jun 9, 2011 16:08
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Diseased Dick Guy posted:(I know everyone is probably using that guy's network, but let me have my moment!) This is another good point. Figure out if you *really* need cable and internet, or if you can get by with just internet. (most things are available to watch online these days) Figure out if you can steal internet, or if you live nearby friends, split the internet bill and get a powerful router. (I used to do this with the neighbors. They gave me $30/month for the cable bill, I gave them the password to the router). Seriously, just internet is like $30/month, vs $100+ for cable+internet. And I have a place to stay temporarily, but I'm moving back to NJ (trenton area) anyone know where to go to find cheap places?
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Jun 9, 2011 16:37
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Just from a security point of view, I would shy away from stealing people's "free" unsecured wireless. Morality issue aside, it simply isn't safe to be doing anything on it that you don't want to risk having hijacked.
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Jun 9, 2011 16:39
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AA is for Quitters posted:This is another good point. Figure out if you *really* need cable and internet, or if you can get by with just internet. (most things are available to watch online these days) Figure out if you can steal internet, or if you live nearby friends, split the internet bill and get a powerful router. (I used to do this with the neighbors. They gave me $30/month for the cable bill, I gave them the password to the router). This is exactly what I did. Cable+internet was going to cost $80 and I never watch TV except for the occasional Food Network program. A much better investment is an $8 a month Netflix subscription. If you want to watch it on the TV, a used Xbox 360 or Wii is a one time fee. Plus, you now have a game console, DVD, and Netflix player all in one in these cases. I use my 360, and I'll either stream what I want to watch on Netflix or put it on a flash drive. I even used to have it set up to stream video directly from my computer using the local network. If you have an extra laptop you no longer use, you can hook it up to the TV and use that for videos and Netflix as well. Overall, really think about how much you watch TV and if it's worth the $50 - $70 a month.
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Jun 9, 2011 17:10
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AA is for Quitters posted:This is another good point. Figure out if you *really* need cable and internet, or if you can get by with just internet. (most things are available to watch online these days) Figure out if you can steal internet, or if you live nearby friends, split the internet bill and get a powerful router. (I used to do this with the neighbors. They gave me $30/month for the cable bill, I gave them the password to the router). Craigslist is pretty active. Trenton stuff shows up on the central NJ one but there's also a Southern NJ one you might want to look at. That area is relatively cheap compared to much of the rest of NJ, too... I haven't found anything better, although nj.com also has a classifieds section. Rent.com is good if you're interested in complexes. eta: also that vvvvvvvvv 
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Jun 9, 2011 17:14
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AA is for Quitters posted:And I have a place to stay temporarily, but I'm moving back to NJ (trenton area) anyone know where to go to find cheap places? Cheap places in Jersey oh you adorable scamp!
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Jun 9, 2011 17:25
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I live in the greater Phoenix area, and as such, my condo value is in the toilet. That's the bad news. The good news is that I bought a toilet-priced house, figuring I could rent out my condo until the market returns, and sell it for what I paid for it in 7 to 10 years. I'm using a website to download and customize a lease agreement. I'm going to make them sign off where they got a copy of the condos CC&R's. I'm also going to run a background check. I'm being fairly lenient about credit rating, looking for at least a C- rating, and no criminal history. Is this a mistake? How in depth of a background check do I need? I figure that knowing their rental history, criminal record and credit rating will be enough. Is that correct? Can you just tell by the way a tenant acts if they are a good potential tenant? Are there any warning signs, or tricks you have learned? So tell me slumlords, and non-slumlords. How do I go about this and not get screwed.
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Jun 22, 2011 00:41
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I've been trying to look for rooms in Seattle but a ton of these places want credit checks, and I'm one of those people who appallingly doesn't have a credit history, due to never being in the country during your usual credit-formative years with no domestic income nor a stable method of keeping a balance while I was overseas. I guess it's a dumb question but this is going to limit me to places that won't do that check, isn't it?
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Jun 22, 2011 01:31
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Is it possible to get someone to co-sign the lease with you?
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Jun 22, 2011 02:30
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I'm sure I can have a parent cosign with me, but do landlords usually agree to those kind of terms? (another dumb question probably. I am definitely all new to this though...)
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Jun 22, 2011 03:29
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In my experience, it's definitely acceptable for a parent to put their name on the contract with you. That's what I've done before when my credit wasn't great.
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Jun 22, 2011 04:11
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Thank you! Makes my room hunting a lot easier. 
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Jun 22, 2011 04:21
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Don't assume a long-haul move is out of your budget range. I costed out a long-haul (~600 miles) move and a Uhaul + loading/unloading (thanks to my bad back!) + gas + misc, and it was only $300 more or so to hire a local company to move everything. That $300-$400 was worth it not to make the same trip back, and then drive my car back to my new house (being a single guy and all).
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Jun 22, 2011 07:32
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So I just broke up and can't afford the place we had lined up by myself and therefore have 8 days to find like a bedroom in someone's house or something. I've been looking on craigslist (north of Chicago) but I haven't had much luck. Any ideas?
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Jun 22, 2011 23:02
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Reverend Cheddar posted:I'm sure I can have a parent cosign with me, but do landlords usually agree to those kind of terms? (another dumb question probably. I am definitely all new to this though...) This is the best and easiest way, but another thing you can do is bring some of your paystubs to show how much you make, and/or try subletting. Also you should probably sign up for a credit card. You don't have to use it or anything, or you can just spend like $5 on it a month & pay it off immediately, but having that history is really valuable as you go on. Ask in the BFC newbie thread about good choices. Cortel posted:So I just broke up and can't afford the place we had lined up by myself and therefore have 8 days to find like a bedroom in someone's house or something. I've been looking on craigslist (north of Chicago) but I haven't had much luck. Any ideas? There are several colleges/universities in Chicago, yes? See if you can find websites catering to them specifically. You could also try padmapper & hotpads and see if anything comes up. Have you posted your own craigslist ad, too?
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Jun 23, 2011 15:02
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bl4d3 posted:Don't assume a long-haul move is out of your budget range. I costed out a long-haul (~600 miles) move and a Uhaul + loading/unloading (thanks to my bad back!) + gas + misc, and it was only $300 more or so to hire a local company to move everything. That $300-$400 was worth it not to make the same trip back, and then drive my car back to my new house (being a single guy and all). Hiring movers is definitely the way to go. I just moved 4,500km and paid $3,900 to have our stuff moved. A 14' U-Haul would've cost me about $2900 plus god knows how much in gas and I would've had to do all the loading and I would have had to drive a drat truck through the rocky mountains, and that wouldn't have been fun. In the end it was a little more expensive than doing it all myself but it's worth it for the peace of mind.
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Jun 23, 2011 18:29
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The HotPad link in the OP redirects to a kitten for sale website now
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Jun 23, 2011 18:46
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Thumposaurus posted:The HotPad link in the OP redirects to a kitten for sale website now Hahaha fixed that now.
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Jun 23, 2011 19:39
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Eggplant Wizard posted:There are several colleges/universities in Chicago, yes? See if you can find websites catering to them specifically. You could also try padmapper & hotpads and see if anything comes up. Have you posted your own craigslist ad, too? In Chicago, I'm north of it by 45 minutes. I was recently told of something called university housing, which is a bunch of people renting out a place with separate leases, but I can't find anything like that within 20 miles of where I am. Thanks for the tip on posting an ad.
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Jun 23, 2011 21:06
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I got sort of a trip report post to make here. After reading this thread and looking at some other sources, I went out with my father and my friend (Who will be my roommate) to go apartment hunting in Winter Park, Florida. After looking at ten or so apartments, I've come to the conclusion that most apartments in the same area will be more-or-less the same price. The only differences between the "good" apartments I found were what was/wasn't included in the rents pay and what amenities you had. I ended up going with an apartment which has an interesting and roomy floor plan (2 Bedroom / 2 Bath), which came with full washer and dryer. What was great about this place was that it was built in 1989 - early 90's and was renovated completely in the 00's. This means that compared to a lot of the older apartments, the carpets seemed brand new and there wasn't any visible damage visible on first glance. Found out that while it didn't have a gate, it had a wall around the entire community. There was also video cameras pointing down streets, parking lots, and the entrance. There was even a sign with stating those who report suspicious activity can be awarded $1000 for thwarting any possible crime. There was trash pick-up, which was included with the rent along with water and other things, which made this great combination with an included washer/dryer combo. There is both a lounge area with free wifi that extends out to the pool. There's also a game room. Also, the area around the apartment was nice. I was about a mile from campus. There is a Publix in walking distance and several restaurants and other stores within a mile or two. I'm really happy with me and my friends and my fathers decision on this apartment. All the apartments that looked in any way decent were going to be in the $1000-1200 range after rent and other variable costs. Thanks for the help on the questions that I asked at every apartment I went to that day.
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Jun 24, 2011 11:54
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All that for less than $1200? I live in a dumb place.
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Jun 24, 2011 14:40
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That's amazing, Ularg. I know people who live in Florida and they love it because they can live in places similar to yours. I'm contemplating moving down there, but I'm afraid I'll miss having so many cool stores and sights nearby (I'm only 30 minutes away from Manhattan). But $1200 a month for all of that space is very tempting.
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Jun 24, 2011 16:01
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Eggplant Wizard posted:All that for less than $1200? It's basically because of Full Sail University and College of Central Florida that makes demand high and prices reasonable. Also: Unlimited. Free. loving. Coffee... in the lounge area, but still! edit: I do have a question now. Since I'm moving, I'm getting rid of a ton of stuff I owned as a kid, and up to now, has been in boxes hidden under my bed or in my closet or such. I'm wondering if anyone has tips on getting rid of their junk. This for me includes trading cards, old toys, video games, comics, magazines, and a metric ton of LEGOs. Ularg fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Jun 24, 2011 |
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Jun 24, 2011 22:02
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Ularg posted:It's basically because of Full Sail University and College of Central Florida that makes demand high and prices reasonable. Craigslist is great for this. If you get to the point where you just can't make money off of it, throw it in the free section. People will flock.
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Jun 24, 2011 23:01
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couldcareless posted:Craigslist is great for this. If you get to the point where you just can't make money off of it, throw it in the free section. People will flock. Thanks, I'm guessing/hoping there's a thread about Craigslist somewhere on SA? I've never used it nor Paypal before, so a lot of this is new to me. I'd like to take as many precautions as possible. Right now I'm just advertising my stuff on facebook to my friends for cheaper before I do anything with them.
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Jun 25, 2011 01:51
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I don't think there is a craigslist thread. You can post one if you want. Mostly though, accept cash only and meet in a public place.
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Jun 25, 2011 01:55
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Another good idea is to go around yard sales and see if you find anything you like. Most stuff is going to be hideous, but you can find some fun knick knacks or paintings. Discount stores like Marshall's or TJ Maxx have home sections, too. Thrift stores can also be good places to find furniture and artwork.It might take some hunting to find a decent thrift store; some of 'em have almost nothing but clothes and some charge really ridiculous prices for stuff. I found the most awesome junk shop once, only to find that they had everything priced like it was brand new; they even had a beat-up dining room table/chair set that was identical to one the cheap new furniture place next door was selling, but the junk store was asking $50 more for theirs.  If you find a good one, though, you can find some pretty cool stuff cheap. I've gotten things like oil paintings, interesting lamps, and other decorative stuff for a few bucks. Used furniture stores are also good places to find bargains, and even discount new furniture places can have good deals. Go down to your local discount furniture warehouse and ask 'em if they have any leftover pieces from broken-up furniture sets; a lot of times they'll let those go cheap, since most of their customers are looking for matching stuff. Got a nice brand-new easy chair for fifty bucks that way. Look out for places that are closing down or moving as well and you can sometimes score some good deals. I once got a bunch of nice silk plants for almost nothing (a buck each for some little ones and a few bucks each for some big trees and such) from a shop that was going out of business. Finally, don't be afraid to ask family and friends if they have any furniture or appliances they want to get rid of. They might be happy to sell their old stuff to you cheap or even give it to you for free rather than trying to sell it to some stranger or leaving it to collect dust in the garage or attic. Hell, half my furniture is still hand-me-down stuff from family and friends. Rockzilla posted:Hiring movers is definitely the way to go. I just moved 4,500km and paid $3,900 to have our stuff moved. A 14' U-Haul would've cost me about $2900 plus god knows how much in gas and I would've had to do all the loading and I would have had to drive a drat truck through the rocky mountains, and that wouldn't have been fun. In the end it was a little more expensive than doing it all myself but it's worth it for the peace of mind. You did something terribly wrong if you were quoted $3K for a 14' U-Haul one-way. (Well, you also did something wrong by considering renting a U-Haul in the first place; U-Haul is poo poo. Go with Penske or Budget; they don't cost much more, if at all, and have far better equipment and are easier to deal with.) A coast-to-coast one-way rental should run about a grand, plus or minus a couple hundred depending on insurance. Not having to drive the truck yourself is something to take into consideration, though, especially if you also need to move your own car and don't have anyone else along to drive one or the other. The best approach to moving depends on how much crap you have, how far you're moving, and how much time you have. If you can rent your own truck and load/unload it yourself, that's the cheapest option, of course. Another alternative is to handle the truck yourself, but pay someone to load/unload; it'd probably cost a few hundred bucks to hire a few guys on each end to do it for you. That's assuming you've packed up all of your poo poo yourself, of course, and you just want someone to pick it up and put it on the truck. If you want someone to do the actual packing for you as well, you're going to pay out the rear end for that. Try to pack your own stuff if you can; not only is it cheaper, but you'll know it's done right. DO NOT BUY MOVING BOXES. They are ridiculously expensive. Free boxes are pretty easy to come by; save the boxes from anything shipped to you or any big stuff you buy, and ask friends and family to give you theirs instead of throwing them out. You can also go to big stores like Wal-Mart during stocking hours and ask the stockers for empty boxes; they'll usually be happy to give 'em to ya. If you need to buy something to supplement your free boxes, those Rubbermaid-type plastic bins are pretty handy; unlike boxes, they last forever, they're strong enough to stack as high as you need without collapsing, and there's no danger of them coming apart and dropping your
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Jun 25, 2011 15:32
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dennyk posted:You did something terribly wrong if you were quoted $3K for a 14' U-Haul one-way. This may be true if you are moving from one large city to another but is definitely not true if you are moving to smaller towns. I checked several rental truck options (as well as some of the you-pack-it options) for a 2000 mile (midwest to west coast) move this summer and the lowest I could get (WITHOUT insurance) was ~1.5k. I ultimately wound up selling all my stuff and shipping anything important to myself. I made ~2k selling my stuff and am saving ~1-1.5k on the move itself. That gives me ~3k to buy new stuff when I get there. It's actually not a bad option for your average fresh out of college student contemplating a big move, and it's one a lot of people tend to forget about. I'm shipping myself about 14 boxes and it's still only going to be about 1/3 the cost of getting rental truck. Not to mention what I will save on gas and insurance. quote:DO NOT BUY MOVING BOXES. Although this is usually true, there are some instances where buying boxes is worthwhile. I purchased boxes for my computer tower and framed photos. These boxes were of more difficult to come by sizes and were going to contain important items that I don't want to get damaged in transit. If you have items like this, I do recommend your U-haul store for buying odd-sized boxes. Almost every town will have one, they have a great selection, and the boxes are priced much lower than at most other stores. Just don't rent a truck from them. The last one I rented had a non-adjustable seat and could only be safely operated by someone at least 6 feet tall. I am 5'6". They could not get me another truck, despite my reservation. Which brings up another useful moving tip: Always plan for them to not have the truck you reserved ready at the time you reserved it for. Regardless of the truck vendor you use. It's like some kind of law. I have yet to ever receive the truck I reserved at the time I reserved it for.
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Jun 26, 2011 19:47
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Ceridwen posted:Which brings up another useful moving tip: Always plan for them to not have the truck you reserved ready at the time you reserved it for. Regardless of the truck vendor you use. It's like some kind of law. I have yet to ever receive the truck I reserved at the time I reserved it for. Reserving cars and trucks always reminds me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWTMa76BzH0 "See, you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold the reservation and that's really the most important part of the reservation -- the holding. Anybody can just take them."
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Jun 26, 2011 22:24
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Ceridwen's admonishment against the purchase of moving boxes was wise. I didn't really see him outline any alternatives, though. I usually get boxes from grocery stores and whatnot. Apple boxes are the best. Banana boxes are the worst. If it's right around the turn of the month, you're not going to get poo poo because that's "moving time" and somebody else will probably have beaten you to it.
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Jun 27, 2011 03:17
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Know any friends who work at bookstores? Hit them up for boxes first. The stuff laying around the back of a Barnes and Noble can take almost anything.
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Jun 27, 2011 03:49
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Crackpipe posted:Know any friends who work at bookstores? Hit them up for boxes first. The stuff laying around the back of a Barnes and Noble can take almost anything. This, seriously. There's usually a cardboard dumpster out behind a Border's or Barnes & Noble. Even someplace like Target or any other big store ought to have a bunch of boxes. Book ones are the best because they're barely used and of a uniform size, and a reasonable size to carry even if full of heavy things.
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Jun 27, 2011 03:54
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A little known place people never check for cardboard boxes is hospitals. If you go to one, ask how to get to "Stores", and they usually have a mountain of cardboard boxes there from their daily deliveries of medical supplies and equipment.
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Jun 27, 2011 04:34
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Fast food places are also really great. My moving boxes? Furnished entirely by my old job. Pretty much all of my coworkers who moved used the same plan. Also, gently caress flooding, as now I've got to go a different way than the one I know because 29 is all flooded out through IA. You never realize just how much poo poo needs to get done before you move. I'm just really lucky that mom's staying behind for another 3-4 months to get rid of the furniture and stuff so if I forget anything she can pack it when she comes out. Now I get to look for a place for me, and a retirement community for her. Fun times. Dr Jankenstein fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Jun 27, 2011 |
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Jun 27, 2011 06:04
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Bloody Hedgehog posted:A little known place people never check for cardboard boxes is hospitals. If you go to one, ask how to get to "Stores", and they usually have a mountain of cardboard boxes there from their daily deliveries of medical supplies and equipment. That's where I've gotten all mine for my last couple moves (it helps that I work in a hospital.) If you get boxes from any kind of restaurant, just make sure it held something like french fries, pasta, tubs of butter, or whatnot. No raw meat boxes, and produce boxes can be ok, but I don't care for them because they generally are full of holes and whatnot.
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Jun 27, 2011 18:12
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