Community Chat

[LilacTree]

When we were being reviewed for this apartment, I was worried we would not qualify so I brought a printout of my FICO score.  They weren't even interested in it . . . all they were interested in was if I paid my bills in full and on time.  Part of my credit report showed that at 100%.  And it has remained that way.  I also have a lot of unused credit available to me on several CCs I never use.

I pay my next month's rent around the middle of the current month because that's when my income comes in.  I see it "pending" in my online bank account for at least two weeks every month.  They do not debit it until the first of the month.  When I owned a home, I used the exact same method to pay my mortgage. 

The point here is that it's not so much what one's annual income is . . . it's how they handle what they earn.

[Mz iMac]

Location, Location, Location

[kaydee50]

In unit washer/dryer.

[AndiCat]

Location, washer& dryer and next time I move it will not be on the 3rd floor. 

[LilacTree]

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@Mz iMac wrote:

Location, Location, Location

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@Mz iMac

True.  We live in a great location, off the road and blocked by many trees, but within ten miles of anything we need, and a hospital next to us, another one six miles down the highway.  Shopping practically on site, but we see nothing because of all the trees and we are high up.

Yes . . . a lot of traffic.

[SahmIam]

@LilacTree  Long answer to your question, lol:

When my son first became ill, it wasn't until almost a year into his situation that it became obvious that 

1) one of us would have to leave their career to be with him full time (that would be me)

2) by losing one income, we would no longer be able to afford our lifestyle including owning our home.

So, we began making decisions based on what going forward would possibly be and renting made the most sense as we were't sure we would be staying in the area due to his medical care. Looking for a rental was different than the other times I (and then we) looked because our needs had changed from a single woman to a married couple to a family with a disabled child. Apartments were out because we needed a 4 bedroom and a closet was considered a bedroom everywhere we looked. DH didn't want a 2 hour job each way and so moving further out into the county was out. Schools weren't an issue because our county has the top in our state and in the top 3 in the nation; no matter where we rented, the kids would receive an excellent education.

So what mattered most was, in order of importance:

1) Monthly cost

2) Safety/crime rate

3) Location to DH's office

4) 4 bedrooms

5) Condition of rental

6) Backed to trees

Once I had this list, it was easy. I contacted a Realtor because a townhouse or single family home was the best fit and most landlords in my area use a Realtor in order to run a credit check, show the property, etc.  Took 3 days and I found the house we would live in for 6 years. 3 years ago we purchased a townhome in the community (2 streets over, lol) and will use it as a rental when we move. 

Though I think the first 3 will always matter the most to me, I do think the rest of the list will stay the same should we rent again. We will always need at least 2-3 bedrooms due to our son but backing to trees is important to him (it brings him peace) and we love having nature around.

[LilacTree]

@SahmIam

I can see how the way I worded the title of my post can be taken two ways . . . as a question, the way you and others took it . . . or as the qualifications for a prospective tenant, which is the way I meant it.

I agree that you certainly had certain specifications you needed in order to care for your son. 

My daughter and I just needed to qualify, with a dog, in order to be considered for tenancy.  We did have our own specifications, and looked at a lot of pretty nasty places before we found this one.  We had an agent but she was useless . . . we found this one on our own.

One of our necessary requirements was it had to be one floor, flat entry level because I can't do stairs, and as others have said, it had to have laundry facilities within the apartment.  This apartment had both, in a very pretty area, close to everything.  It is not perfect, but we like it . . . it also has a wood burning fireplace, which was not mandatory for us, but a nice extra.

It's odd how one can walk into an apartment, or a house, and immediately know whether they can live there or not, but it has always been that way for me . . . and I am a champion of that, having moved over 40 times in my life, including my childhood (of course, it wasn't my decision then).

I hope things will continue to work out well for you and your little family.  My best to you.

[sunshine45]

LOCATION is top priority.

needs to be close to major grocery stores.

needs to be close to good schools.

needs to be close to doctors and hospitals.

needs to be close to where i bank.

needs to be fairly close to major highways, but far enough away so that i dont hear them or see them.

[SahmIam]

@LilacTree  Thank you!

Lol. I see what you mean now that your question could be answered 2 ways!

Every time I've rented, I was asked if I had a checking account, a job and would I agree to a credit check (if needed). If I walked in on a Monday, I had an apartment on Monday when I left the rental office. Not difficult at all to rent a place.

Maybe it should be, I don't know.

[sunshine45]

sooooooo i will add this since i guess i interpreted the thread in the wrong way.

i used to be an apartment complex manager a while ago.

it was for a company that had numerous apartment complexes in our county.

we always had prospective tenants fill out an application and that cost $25 (which included a credit check via a separate company.) results of that check along with previous rental history and satisfactory income were part the top three items that were examined.

you could usually fill out an application on monday and potentially be in an apartment by monday or tuesday if you were approved and needed one that quickly.

for those NOT approved we usually required a qualified co-signer (who also had to fill out an application AND sign the lease) OR a double security deposit in some cases.