100+ Questions to Ask Before Renting an Apartment by deGraeve.com

This is a great article by degraeve.com for those looking to rent an apartment. Although, if you are thinking about renting an apartment, sometimes when all costs are involved, buying a condo at a reasonable price may be more affordable. Contact me with any real estate questions you may have.

100+ Questions to Ask Before Renting an Apartment

I've moved a lot in the last 10 years. I've lived in tiny dumps and large "luxury" apartment complexes. Over the years I've encountered a number of problems and surprise amenities. This is my checklist when I am looking for a new place to live. Feel free to send me questions you ask. I'll add them here.

General

• How much is the rent?
• Do they need a security deposit? How much?
• Do they need first month's rent? How about last month's rent?
• How long is the lease?
• What is the penalty for terminating the lease early?
• Is there an application fee? How much?
• Are utilities included?
• Can you sublet?
• Do the people in the rental office seem intelligent / seem like they care?
• Who does apartment maintenance and how do they handle it? Are they on call 24/7?

The Apartment Building

• Are the floors wood beam supported or concrete? (bouncy/not bouncy)
• Central Air? Radiators? Electric Heat? In wall AC? AC at all?
• Elevator?
• Smoke alarms?
• Sprinklers?
• Alarms tied to Fire Station?
• Do windows open?
• Does the roof leak?
• Are the windows drafty?
• What condition are the floors in? Is the carpet soft/clean? Is the hardwood splintering?
• Is there enough closet space?
• Where will you store your vacuum cleaner?
• Where will you store your bicycle?
• Can you have a grill on your balcony?
• Does the fireplace work?
• Can you control the heat?
• Can you have a real Christmas tree?
• is there a screen door slide on the balcony?
• Does the slider lock securely?
• Is there a peep hole on the door?
• How do you let someone into the building?
• Can you monitor the front door / lobby from the apartment?
• Can you paint the walls?
• Do they allow pets? How about fish tanks? Is there a pet fee?
• Do they allow water beds?
• Is there a storage room? How big? How much does it cost?
• Is there laundry in the building/complex?
• How and where are UPS/FedEx deliveries left?
• Will your couch fit through the door?
• How about your box spring?

Kitchen

• Gas or Electric Stove?
• Kitchen sink disposal?
• Kitchen Sink sprayer?
• Microwave included in kitchen?
• How old are the appliances?
• How loud is the dishwasher?

Bathroom

• Is there a bathtub or just shower?
• Does the bathroom vent effectively?
• If the bathroom door is open, can you see the toilet from the living room?
• Are there enough towel racks in the bathroom?
• Is there enough shelf space in the bathroom?
• Are the vanity lights bright enough to shave cleanly / apply makeup effectively?

Home Office

• Are there enough outlets to plug stuff in?
• Is broadband/DSL available?
• What cable company services the city?
• Can you have 2 phone lines? (separate fax line)

Parking

• Is parking included?
• How much for a parking spot?
• Is it assigned?
• Permit from city required to park?
• What about guest parking?
• Who plows the snow?
• Is it tandem parking and will you have to coordinate parking times with the other tenants?

Neighborhood

• Do you get cell phone reception?
• Car insurance rates higher/lower?
• When is trash pickup?
• Near public transportation?
• Near a grocery store?
• Near a gas station?
• Walking distance to a bar?
• Are there sidewalks to run on?
• Is there a health club? Does it suck? When is it open? Can you bring a guest?
• Is there a pool? Does it suck? When is it open? Can you bring a guest?
• Are there tennis/basketball/volleyball courts? Do they suck? When are they open? Can you bring a guest?
• Is there a playground? Is it safe? Is it near a road? Can you hear it from your apartment?
• Is the area fully developed? Are they going to put up a new building across the street and ruin your view?
• Is it easy to get to a highway?
• What are the traffic patterns during rush hour?
• Is the apartment address easy to find?
• Are there good take-out places nearby?
• Where is the nearest cleaners?
• Where is the nearest 24 hour drug store?
• Where is the nearest House of worship?
• Where is the nearest Wal-Mart?
• Where is the nearest laundromat?
• Is there a history of theft, vandalism or other crimes?

Potential Nuisances

• How much noise comes through the walls? Are they party walls?
• Do headlights come in the windows from passing traffic?
• Do street lights shine in the bedroom windows?
• Can you hear people in the hallway?
• Can you hear the elevator?
• What are the other tenants like? (look at the cars in the lot)
• How noisy are they?
• Do they have children?
• Do kids live upstairs who will run around early in the morning on weekends and wake you up?
• Are there students living in the building?
• Are there businesses across the street that open early (before you want to wake up) and make a lot of noise?
• Is there an intersection nearby that causes traffic to back up with the result of people honking their horns in front of your windows?
• Can you hear traffic from nearby roads/highways?
• Do airplanes constantly fly over your roof?
• Can you hear the guy who lives below you snore all night?
• Are there bugs?
• Is the building old and require constant maintenance?
• Do the people with the balcony below/above/next to the apartment smoke? Does that smoke come into the apartment?
• Do the people with the balcony below/above/next to the apartment sit on their balcony on their phone constantly?
• Is there a bar across the street that has live music at night? Do they leave the door open so the whole neighborhood can hear the music?
• Are there dogs nearby that bark constantly?
• Are you near a park that will cause people to take your parking spot and turn around in your driveway?
• Is the apartment on a street that is a commuters' shortcut?
• Have there been mold or mildew problems in the apartment or adjacent apartments?

Tips

• Avoid the cheapest place available. There will be riff-raff, dents in your car doors, broken beer bottles, and screaming kids.

Can I get a mortgage with no or little money down?

This is a great site for those who have questions about getting their first mortgage with no to money down.

http://www.thetruthaboutmortgage.com/mortgages-with-no-money-down/

Short Sale

As a buyer, you should not be afraid of looking and entering into a contract with houses that are part of a short sale.  With so many houses now on the market, there is wiggle room with banks to negotiate the price of the home, allowing someone to get a nice home at a reduced rate.  And remember, sometimes banks are more willing to negotiate the selling price of homes, than sellers are!

For Sale By Owner--Why it is not the BEST idea

Many people put their homes for sale by owner thinking they are going to save themselves money.  Unfortunately, a lot of times the owner is only delaying selling his or her home.

The best and most beneficial way to sell a home is through a real estate agent for a number of reasons..

-A real estate agent is trained to know the real estate market, meaning the agent has a general idea of what a house will sell for based on facts, not emotion.

 -A real estate agent knows the little things that an owner can do to add value to his or home that can make a monetary difference in the end.


-A real estate agent can get people to the house, through open houses, multiple listing service, and by his or her knowing buyers looking to buy!

It is important for sellers to consider the above when deciding to put their home for sale.  Much as you hire a lawyer for legal matters, and an accountant for taxes, a real estate agent should be hired to sell your home. 

If you have questions with selling your home, or real estate questions in general, please do not hesitate to give me a call!

Mike McDonald, Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Elite
732-429-8707

Great Article: The 12 Home Improvements That are NOT Worth Investing In

The 12 Home Improvements That are NOT Worth Investing In
by www.SixWise.com

Homeowners are typically driven to make home improvements for two major reasons. One, they want to change something to make their own quality of life better (such as adding another bathroom or expanding the kitchen), or, two, they are thinking of selling the home and want to fix things up to stay competitive and get their asking price.

The worst home improvement project in 2006? Remodeling your home office, which returns just 63.4 percent of your investment.

In the former case, just about any home improvement is worth investing in, assuming it will make YOU happy and you have the money for it. Just keep this tip in mind: If it will cost more than 10 percent of your home's value to fix it up to your heart's content, you're better of moving.

This is because it costs about 10 percent of your home's value to move, according to the American Homeowner Foundation, so if you have extensive home improvements in mind (and you can bear the thought of parting with your home), it makes more sense financially just to find a new one with the features you want.

However, remodeling with the second scenario in mind -- for the purpose of reselling your home or at least one day having the hope of capturing a good return on your investment -- the rules are quite different.

"A common misconception among homeowners when it comes to home remodeling and renovation," according to the Appraisal Institute, "is that cost equals value. However, not every renovation or remodeling effort will pay off at closing."

So before you start tearing down walls or cabinetry, read through the following home improvements, which are among the WORST investments you could make in your home.

The best home improvement project in 2006? Improving your home's curb appeal by replacing vinyl siding, a renovation that returned 87.2 percent of the investment.

(Note: Improvements are ranked according to Remodeling Magazine's 2006 Cost vs. Value Report. National averages for mid-range improvements are cited. For comparison, the average home improvement returned 75 percent to 80 percent of its cost in 2006.)

1. Remodeling your home office. The average cost recouped by remodeling your home office is just 63.4 percent, according to Remodeling Magazine's 2006 Cost vs. Value Report.
2. Sunroom addition. Average cost recouped 66.3 percent.
3. Family room addition: Average cost recouped 71.5 percent.
4. Master suite addition: Average cost recouped 72.6 percent.
5. Roofing replacement: Average cost recouped 73.9 percent.
6. Bathroom addition: Average cost recouped 74.9 percent.
7. Deck addition: Average cost recouped 76.8 percent.
8. Basement remodel: Average cost recouped 78.8 percent.
9. Attic bedroom remodel: Average cost recouped 79.9 percent.
10. Major kitchen remodel: Average cost recouped 80.4 percent.
11. Two-Story addition: Average cost recouped 83.2 percent.
12. Window replacement (vinyl): Average cost recouped 83.7 percent.

Surprised by the Results?

Some of the results may be a bit surprising, namely the bathroom addition and kitchen remodel, which are normally thought of as good home investments.

"Kitchens and baths tend to pay back almost what you pay for them," says Robert Wieboldt, executive vice president of the Long Island Builders Institute. "It also makes the house very much more sellable."

However, beware of going overboard. A minor kitchen remodel was a better bet than a major one, returning over 85 percent of the investment in 2006. Meanwhile, a bathroom remodel was also worthwhile with 84.9 percent of costs recouped. While adding a bathroom is often beneficial, you'll lose out if you add more bathrooms than bedrooms (such as three bathrooms in a two-bedroom house).

Other notoriously bad renovations not mentioned in the report include:

• Pools and hot tubs (cost recouped around 30 percent)
• Gazebos
• Installing unique-shaped windows
• Installing new carpet (unless it's very worn)

What Can You do to Add Marketability to Your Home?

If you're thinking of selling your home, there are a number of ways (ranging from simple to more complex) to increase its marketability, according to the Appraisal Institute, including:

• Sticking to what's standard in the neighborhood (and in the home's style)
• Considering projects that add square footage to the home (but not beyond what's normal in the community)
• Basic upgrades, such as new paint in neutral colors and new fixtures
• Cleaning your house, including baseboards, light fixtures, ceiling fans and carpeting
• Improving curb appeal by cleaning gutters, removing dead plants and touching up paint chips
• Removing clutter
  
  
  See: http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/02/21/the-12-home-improvements-that-are-not-worth-investing-in.htm
  
  

Yesterday's Open House seems to have been a Success and why having a Buyer's Agent is Important and Beneficial

Yesterday, I met several people in the market for buying a home. Hopefully I was able to drive home the importance of how having a buyer's agent can be beneficial. There is a misconception that Real Estate Agents only help with the listing of a property, or in other words, are there really only to help sellers. This is not true. Having a good agent when you are buying a home does not affect the buyer monetarily and actually has a huge chance of reducing the purchase price. The buyer pays the same real estate commission on the total sale even if they do not have their own agent working on their side. Either way the 5% or 6& commission is to be paid, so why not have someone on YOUR side to protect YOUR interests? Something to keep in mind if you are looking to buy a home! Mike McDonald, Real Estate Agent Keller Williams Elite 732-429-8707 Cell #

Hire a GOOD real estate agent

I am learning that there are many real eatate agents that are not that good /lazy.  Do not fall into the trap of hiring a not-so-good real estate agent!

Whether you are buying or selling a home, having a knowledgeable, persistent, and efficient real estate agent on your side is crucial.  As a real estate agent working for Keller Williams Elite Realtors in Metuchen, I encompass all three of these important and necessary traits needed to be a great agent.   

For the reasons stated above, if you are looking to list your home, call me FIRST.  After meeting with you and seeing your house, I can give you a quick opinion on what price to list your house that reflects the current market.  I believe in giving each of my prospective clients my undivided attention from the time I first meet them, until a deal is complete.  I am easily accessible and believe in prompt responses and providing thorough, straight-forward answers to all questions.

          

If you are also thinking of buying a new home, I can help with the pre-qualification process, and locating homes that meet the exact criteria you are looking for.  I believe everyone has their own individual wants and needs in selecting a home, and he or she should not be forced or persuaded into purchasing anything they are not comfortable with.  

         

Whatever your real estate need, even if it is a simple question, I am always available to help.  Please do not hesitate to call or email me and you can expect a quick reply.