Q: What is the best way to find an apartment when moving a great distance? I'll be moving to Arizona this summer and plan to visit there in mid-May and perhaps one other time before I move. I do not know any one in that area. How can I find a place to live when I cannot do much of the regular apartment-hunting chores, such as visiting a variety of times to check noise levels and checking what tenants think of the place?
A: It's not an ideal situation, but there are steps you can take to research a prospective apartment without physically spending time there.
First, even if you don't know anyone, try to find someone who can provide a little bit of insight. Spread the word that you're moving to everyone you know. They may know somebody or have an indirect connection to the area. Advice from a friend of a friend of a friend is better than blindly picking a spot to live. You should also seek guidance from people who are part of whatever entity is causing your move, whether that's a new workplace or school.
Anyone who has the guts to pick up and move to a new state without a job or specific plans, and without knowing anybody in the area, should also have the nerve to ask around to find people who may live in the new location.
If you cannot seem to find anyone to ask about neighborhood, apartment buildings, rent prices, etc., then your next best resource is the Internet. On Web sites devoted to apartment hunting, there is often information on neighborhoods and apartment buildings. Sometimes there are message boards on which renters discuss different communities.
For example, people have posted reviews, both complaints and praise, of apartment buildings across the country on www.apartmentratings.com, and city profiles as well as moving information are part of www.rentnet.com.
Neighborhood groups often have Internet message boards devoted to their community. On such sites, renters can ask specific questions about parking, public transportation, conveniences, tree-to-person ratio, nightlife, statistics on residents, taxes or anything else that is a top priority.
After identifying potential neighborhoods and buildings, do more extensive research. The Web obviously does not list all types of living situations, but it's probably the easiest place to start. The advantage to Web sites that catalogue the bigger complexes is that they generally include information about the community's amenities, the rent price and units available. They also often post pictures.
The disadvantage is that smaller buildings and condominiums or townhouses rented by individuals rather than property management companies are harder to access from afar. You might be able to find such places listed in the classified advertisements of a local newspaper's Web site, although you will have to work harder to find out basic information about the place.
To draw yourself a picture of a place without seeing it, you should ask about certain elements, such as the age of the building and appliances, views from the windows of potential units, ceiling heights, wall color, flooring type, square footage, security systems, patios, balconies, elevators and emergency evacuation plans.
Once you narrow your list, begin calling property managers and asking them about basic rent price, utilities, square footage and lease term. Obviously, you'll want to know about more than just prices and structural features, so find out about guest and pet policies, the penalty for breaking a lease, security deposit, garbage and laundry situation, parking, maintenance procedures, whether management has done a criminal background check on employees, planned construction or building upgrades, and how management handles complaints about neighbors.
Even by phone, you will be able to get a sense of a manager's style. Explain that you're trying to gather information from far away. Managers who are dismissive or do not return phone calls may not help you deal with problems should you move into the buildings they oversee.
Good managers will likely be warm and helpful on the phone. Inquire if they will find tenants who are willing to answer questions by phone or e-mail about their experience. Just remember that they will likely pick the happiest tenants.
You may also check the local Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) to see if there have been any complaints against the management company. And while you're at it, call the local police to check on crime statistics.
