After spending the last two weeks visiting 17 apartment complexes and scouring Craigslist ads, I feel the need to enlighten you:
1. If there is a freight train that passes within 20 feet of your apartment complex that blows an airhorn all night, disclosure is key. I appreciate you hiding things like mold or bed bugs from me as I may or may not be affected but a freight train that blows an air horn once an hour? Not so easily hidden, my friends.
2. If Google reviews and apartmentratings.com both say that you have a bug problem, then maybe you should at least make sure your model apartment has been sprayed. Moreover if I say "hey there's a cockroach on the wall back there", please don't respond with "are you sure that's a cockroach?"
3. No pictures of your property? Or worse yet, pictures of your property in winter? Hey friends, it did not snow in Atlanta this past winter. You do the math on the age of THAT picture.
4. First and last month's rent?! Are you serious? No one's doing that anymore. Either you're trying to make a large profit or support a drug problem.
5. Be prepared for questions about crime and demographics. You may think that "it backs up against a wooded state park" sounds great but all I hear is "and then the serial killers can attack you and retreat back into the woods of the state park."
6. If I comment to you about things I don't like about the property, don't try to give me a workaround. For instance --- "hey I can see right onto that neighbor's balcony from mine. I could basically spit on him." An appropriate response to this is not "yeah you can just put up a bamboo curtain." For what? So we can play peek-a-boo?
7. Don't play car salesman on me. I want to know the bottom line of what I have to give you in a check each month. Don't tell me that the rent is "really low" and then tack on fees for trash and sewer and water and the key fob and your latest raise. Tell me what how much I need to write a check for at the end of each month. Period.
8. I know that your little sales training probably told you that it's easier to make a close face-to-face. However if I email you asking about a specific apartment that is available on your website, it's because I want to know if it's actually available and in my price range. If you're going to tell me to "come in and sit down" then why bother having an email address at all?
9. Offering me a Diet Coke? Nice touch.
Until next time,
LMAO, how so very, very, very true! I have another to add: When I ask about the noise-level between apartments don't say "well there's steel between the walls so it's really quiet" and then when we enter the place and I can hear the distinct sound of Jeopardy from the house next door don't say, "Hmm, that's odd. Well, we never hear complaints."
ReplyDeletecongratulations, I laughed out loud at a number of items on this list. Good luck with the hunt!
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