Apartment hunting rant

[Jackalope]

No, I was in the anti-tank missile school (TOW and Dragon).

One of my high school buddy's dad was the army program manager for tow in the late 70's. Last name Cobb. Don't know if he had moved on by the time you were there or not.

Don't think I ever met him.

[Jackalope]

So stupid question time -

Why do some property managers provide things I don't want or need, like swimming pools, a gym, and tanning beds included in the rent, but want to bill me separately for things none of the tenants can live without, like water/sewer/garbage service?

[Losty]

More money for them?

[bennyboy]

$900 for right in the center of downtown where I live.

House
2000-3000 square ft.
3-4 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
Connected 2 car garage
Fenced in back yard (nice tall wooden fence)
Washer/dryer
Security system
Yard maintenance


Hehe they don't even have apartments here for $900 the really nice gated ones with security officers and marble counter tops and dog parks and pools and gyms are like $750

I thought about moving to the west coast once. When I saw the housing cost I changed my mind.

Not a bad point, actually. Sometimes, if you can't make all the pieces fit, moving is a good choice.

[Jackalope]

More money for them?

Yep. Last time I rented, it was pretty much universal as far as I could see that water, sewer, and garbage were included in the rent. Still is at a lot of places I've looked at.

Some of them... Oh, it's $35 extra for water/garbage/sewer. Oh, you want a parking space? That's another hundred. Yet, the pool, gym, and tanning beds are included in the rent. Oh, you have two cars and need two parking spaces? Bend over, here it comes!

I'm pretty much resigned to having to pay in the neighborhood of $1000 for a 2BR any place I'm going to be willing to live. What's sick about that is that the mortgage on the country place I own (4BR/2BA, 2900 sqft with a 1500sqft shop on 2.5 acres) is only $1400.

Maybe I should just buy a fucking condo. I doubt I'd get approved for a loan on top of the mortgage I already have, though.

[Jackalope]

Gonna view a place this weekend - 8 minutes by bus to work, 5 blocks from my favorite pub, in the neighborhood that's number one on my list. Just listed, and it's a private owner, not some soulless property management company.

Perfect. I hope I love it.

[ignoramus]

I always assume that every ad I read is total bullshit.

Min, I do hope you're not including the "bible" in the above!
God forbid!

[Jackalope]

I always assume that every ad I read is total bullshit.

Min, I do hope you're not including the "bible" in the above!
God forbid!

Especially that.

Personally, I found a use for scripture:

---

---

[Jackalope]

Sadly, the manager of the sweet place I found never called me back with a time to view and he rented it to someone else. #$!@.

Rethinking my plans and strategy. This damn neighborhood is so trendy, places get snapped up within hours or less - and what they want for a lousy 1BR, I can get a palatial 2BR in the burbs. Perhaps commuting is not so bad.

[Clueless Morgan]

So stupid question time -

Why do some property managers provide things I don't want or need, like swimming pools, a gym, and tanning beds included in the rent, but want to bill me separately for things none of the tenants can live without, like water/sewer/garbage service?

Because in the case of things like gyms, tanning beds and other common spaces (maybe not so much with pools) is that beyond the initial cost for the equipment there's little financial upkeep. With water/sewer/garbage it's a recurrent bill.

That's my take on it anyway. They're cheap assholes.

Perhaps commuting is not so bad.

It's a trade off - what you gain in space or save in money, you pay for in commute time; what you save on time you pay for in lost space, quality, or money.