Sign The Right Lease

signing the right lease

Found The Right Place?  Sign The Right Lease.

Signing a new lease is very similar to buying a new car in that the terms of the agreement make up at least half of the criteria that makes it a good deal or not.

Now that you have found the right place at the right rate, you want to keep that rate as long as possible.  On the other end of the spectrum, the property owner knows that once you get settled into your life at their property they have leverage due to the universal truth….moving is a hassle.

The first thing renters need to do before they go into lease negotiations is determine how long they feel they will be at this property. When it comes time to sign the lease ask for that duration.  For residential properties and dealing with individual property investors, you may actually be able to negotiate a longer lease.  Apartments in particular seldom allow leases for more than one year.  They want to make sure that they have the flexibility to raise rent, after this current lease.  And who can blame them?  After all the advertising, special promotions, move in specials and commissions they have invested to get the property leased, they would like to recoup those expenses, and this is one way that is accomplished. ( a sidebar note here is the Pathfinder Move knows where all the special promotions and move-in specials are.  So in addition to quickly finding you a great place to live, and offering you our $50 signing bonus, we will secure any move-in special for you.  Hiring a seasoned apartment locator is a no-brainer).

Ask for it anyway.  Who knows, with the right property, you may get what your ask for.  It’s not easy to walk away from someone making that kind of a financial commitment.  And even if you don’t get a 2 or 3 year lease, you may get 18 months and secure your current rate for another 6 months.  That is a win! 

Security Deposit

When you are about to sign a lease, you will likely need to make a security deposit along with your first month’s rent.  It ranges from $100-$500 and can be more depending on your credit history.  If the property owners allow pets and you have one, you will also need to make a pet deposit which can vary.  These are all important question to ask in your initial search.  At the end of your lease, you should receive the balance of your deposit minus any cost of repairs, carpet cleaning, painting, etc.  If you know someone who has lived there before, you may ask them if they felt they were treated fairly when it came time to settle the deposit balance.

It is a good practice to walk the property with the owner to point out any damages that can be listed as pre-existing on the lease you are about to sign so that upon departure, you will not be charged for the damage and/or you can make a note on the lease that these damages will be repaired.

Do not sign a lease site unseen.

When Life Happens

Your intention no doubt is to fulfill your lease, but what if you are called away for reasons like, you have to care for a family member or you get a higher paying job in another city?  There are a multitude of reasons you may not be able to fulfill the lease.  If you think that there may be any reason that you may not be able to complete the lease, find out what the penalties may be for unfulfillment. 

Do not enter into a lease without having an exit strategy even if you plan on living there for the duration.  Make sure you know the terms to exit a property including the 30, or 60 day written notice you must give the owner before exiting. 

In the case where you had to have a co-signer due to non-established credit, you do not want to hang them out to dry.  Try to make the lease without a co-signer, but if you are just getting started in life, this may be unavoidable.  Know that anything you are unable to fulfill, they are agreeing to and the property will go after them to collect. 

In the case where you need a couple more months, you may have the option to pay a premium on a month-to-month deal.  Always remember that your notice to vacate the property still stands and if you fail to comply with the part of the lease, it will likely cost you another month’s rent or more.

Read The Contract

A lease is a legally binding contact.  Make sure you read it and ask questions about any part of it you do not understand.  Make sure it includes all verbal agreements made during the negotiation period.  Ultimately, you won’t win on all these points.  Make sure you can live with what you are about to sign.  Know what you are getting into, so that you can live peaceably in your new perfect place.

Pathfinder Apartment Locators has been serving the Houston and surrounding areas for over 15 years.  They bring their expertise to you as a free service.  Properties in the area rely on Pathfinder to help fill their vacancies, therefore, the best prices and specials are available to YOU through Pathfinder!!  With your requirements for the perfect residence In mind, the friendly and professional real estate agents will contact area properties best suited for you needs.  You will be provided information on vacancies, prices, deposits, current specials and MUCH more.

Choosing The Right Roommate

Finding A Roomate

This week we are going to cover an important topic that cannot be emphasized enough.  Choosing the right roommate.  A good way to defray the cost of a really nice apartment or rental home with all the amenities is to share the cost.  If you can cut the rent and bills in half while remaining within the 30% budget recommendation we spoke about, what a tremendous blessing that can be.  You can afford to get ahead of bills, buy nice things and perhaps save for the future.  Always remember, your home is your sanctuary.  Whether it be your job or other places you have to be, you can’t always control what goes on in that environment.  If you want to live a good life, you have to control the peace in your own home.  Choosing a roommate that you are compatible with is important.

Your BFF isn’t always your best choice

Some might say, “you want to continue to be friends…right?”  Consider the person who is about to graduate high school and can’t wait to leave the nest.  They want to gain that freedom and forget about the responsibility part.  Your best friend, the one you swore would be your roommate one day may be a mistake waiting to happen.  Great person for a friend or to hang out with on the weekends, terrible person to room with and you only found that out after the 10th time you picked up a mountain of dirty clothes or washed a sink full of dirty dishes that sat for a week.  Frustrating to even think about isn’t it. 

Suddenly, you aren’t at peace, and you may even get to the place where you don’t want to be at home.  What a terrible feeling and a good way to lose a friend.  Ask yourself this. ”What do I really know about my BFF anyway?  Are they a clean person?  Are they responsible with money enough to be on time with rent and bills?”  It’s something you should discuss before signing on the dotted line. They say be choosy when picking a husband or wife. After all, you will be living with that person for the rest of your life.  You should use the same criteria in your roommate search.

Roommate checklist

We at Pathfinder Move want you to live a fulfilling and enjoyable life.  So we have compiled a checklist of things to consider:

1. Lifestyle of roommate 

2. Budge-make sure you both can afford the rent and bills (divide the electric, rent, water, and any other fees the apartments tack on)  

3. Past credit and rental history

4. Criminal history (felonies, or misdemeanors)

5. What does your work schedule look like?

6. Any illnesses or health issues you need to be aware of?

7. How long do they plan to stay?
8. Do you do drugs, drink, or  listen to loud music that would disturb my sleeping schedule? 

9. Do you like to throw parties? 

10. Cleanliness

11. Diet-healthy or junk food eater? 

12. What degrees do you normally like to keep the a/c on at night or during the day? 

13. Do you plan to hire movers on move-in date? 

14. Do you have or plan to get any pets-( if so, what kind)

15. In your opinion what is the best way to handle disagreements that may come up?

For a more in-depth explanation of these questions, visit:

Studyplaces.com

Pathfinder Apartment Locators has been serving the Houston and surrounding areas for over 15 years.  They bring their expertise to you as a free service.  Properties in the area rely on Pathfinder to help fill their vacancies, therefore, the best prices and specials are available to YOU through Pathfinder!!  With your requirements for the perfect residence In mind, the friendly and professional real estate agents will contact area properties best suited for you needs.  You will be provided information on vacancies, prices, deposits, current specials and MUCH more.

Apartment Amenities

Pathfinder, as a seasoned apartment location service has put together a list of amenities that should be considered in your search. We hope this checklist introduces items that you may not have otherwise considered:

  • All bills paid (this is extremely rare these days). When budgeting for your housing expense, you should always factor in the cost for water, sewage, electricity, gas, cable and internet access.  The amount of the rent does not usually include utilities and just like the rent, they will come due, every month.
  • Location – What does your daily work commute look like?  Are you in close proximity to family and friends or places you like to visit?
  • Ist, 2nd or 3rd floor availability. 
  • Does the apartment have washer and dryer hookups? Ask yourself this again when doing two weeks of laundry at the local laundry mat.
  • Does the apartment allow pets?  What are the costs associated with keeping a pet in your apartment?  If you own a pet or intend to, don’t ever sign a lease without a thorough investigation of the apartment’s pet policies.
  • Assigned and/or covered parking including parking garages.
  • Microwave
  • Ceiling fans
  • Playgrounds, swimming pools and other outdoor amenities
  • Number of bathrooms
  • Total square footage
  • Apartment view.  Does the apartment have a balcony or patio?
  • Is it a gated community?  Do they monitor the gates?
  • Check the ratings.  What has been the experience of others

These are all important considerations in discovering your perfect place.  Making the right decision will make your life so much more enjoyable.  Happy Hunting!

Pathfinder Apartment Locators has been serving the Houston and surrounding areas for over 15 years.  They bring their expertise to you as a free service.  Properties in the area rely on Pathfinder to help fill their vacancies, therefore, the best prices and specials are available to YOU through Pathfinder!!  With your requirements for the perfect residence In mind, the friendly and professional real estate agents will contact area properties best suited for you needs.  You will be provided information on vacancies, prices, deposits, current specials and MUCH more.

Apartment Poor?

Apartment Hunting?

Have you ever heard the term house poor?  That’s where someone buys so much house that they can’t afford to furnish it, to maintain it, or even to enjoy life.  Generally, apartments with more amenities come with higher rents which bring me to the most important question?  Can I afford to live here?  Nothing will steal your joy faster than the first of the month when rent is due and you can’t cover it.  You can’t live n peace when you constantly have to make special arrangements or work a lot of overtime just to make ends meet.  We at Pathfinder Apartment Locators encourage you to do the math, you will thank us later.  

Roughly one third of your income should be budgeted for your rent and housing expense.  This takes discipline and knowledge of the area where you intend to live and a list of amenities in order of importance.  A good article on the subject can be found here at thebalance.com.  Always keep in mind, as you are searching for the perfect to live, that you have the ability to make any place your own. 

If you are just starting out, a great way to defray these costs and to live in a really nice place is to take on a roommate.  Not to get too far off topic but choosing a roommate is more than just getting an apartment with your best friend.  You may like hanging out with your friend, but the objective is to keep the friend and your peace.  Stay tuned for a future blog on choosing the right roommate.

Your Perfect Place

Perfect Place

There are many advantages to apartment living like no maintenance, no long-term commitments, and the flexibility to move without too much pain if life calls you to.  More than anything, you need a place that is your own personal sanctuary.  A place of convenience and relaxation; a place where you can enjoy family, friends, and your life.

Over the next several months we will embark on a series of valuable tips and advice on how to make all of this possible and how to make your apartment living experience a good one, filled with and abundance of fond memories and experiences.