finding home sweet home . . . as a renter
and sometimes there are charming posts on Craigslist such as this. It may not be available much past today, so read it quick for a good laugh at some very wordy and unconvincing “you should move into the apartment I’m moving out of” description of a San Francisco Bay area apartment.
Oh, Craigslist, sometimes you provide great entertainment.
[ BTW this is not a place that I would recommend renting ]
Did anyone notice that Craigslist updated the website recently?
Maybe it’s just me that noticed since I’ve been searching for a place to live for months and am on the Dayton apartment listing page all.the.time.
Craigslist update = a preview image in search results without having to click to view the listing and (on some posts) a pop-up menu for emailing in reply to a post.
Too bad the preview images are so tiny you have to view the post just to see what is in the picture. But, I applaud the change. It’s progress. Now, if they really want to improve the website, at least for people who rely on the apartment/housing for rent page when looking for new digs, Craigslist needs to:
Both of those things would vastly improve the Apt/housing for rent page and make it a much more reliable source. Incidentally, the other development in the year since my last apartment hunt is the overload of bogus posts on Craigslist. It certainly seems like Craigslist could do something at the point where information is entered with the listing details that would eliminate most of the fraud/scam posts. Seriously, all they need to do is set up a fill-in-the-blank form with the required information. And, I’m thinking it would help if the display of the information was updated to a standard format in the search results. Of course, I’m no website developer so it all seems like it would be super easy to me.
As for the required information that should be standard in any FOR RENT listing, I can help you out with what to include in a form to be filled out online (or at least a standard list of information to ask for when replying to a housing post). And by required, I mean, a rental listing cannot exist on Craigslist without this information being provided:
And the optional information that should be on the fill-in-the-blank form as well:
After all, people are searching for their new home. Why not make it easier to find the right place?
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Any landlords or property managers out there, take note. Please. You can start the change by providing the above information without the help of an online form. If not, expect a lot of questions. At least from good tenants who really care about finding the right place to call home. Like me.
PS: dear Craigslist, you’re welcome. Any donations you want to send my way for providing this genius concept will be cheerfully accepted.
So, a friend of mine just started looking for a condo in Minneapolis. To buy. Not rent. I know, renting and apartment hunting are my thing. But, still, she asked about neighborhoods and I can recommend the areas I’d consider living in Minneapolis. Plus, I’m not oblivious to the buildings I’ve seen around town that are NOT rentals. Some of those buildings are places I only wish were rentals so I could experience living in them.
Anywho, I told her I’d send her a list of areas and the names of the buildings I remember that are lofts/condos. I threw together another google customized map. See below:
I’m still pretty enthralled with this custom map thing. And, below is a little more of my insight on the marked places on the map, though I have to disclose that I didn’t have the time to write about a few marked spots on the map (I remembered them while editing the map).
:: BUILDINGS ::
C/W Lofts :: Minneapolis 55413
The Chicago Lofts :: at Midtown Global Market :: Minneapolis 55407
Flour Sack Flats :: Minneapolis 55414
Carleton Place Lofts* :: Saint Paul 55114
* new construction buildings went up in 2010 that might be for sale—connected with CPL, but a different name which I did not find when searching
:: AREAS ::
Prospect Park | Looooove this little neighborhood. It’s got great architecture and winding streets—makes me think of quaint European villages. There are some apartment buildings just East and North of the neighborhood. Probably rentals, but some might be for sale.
St Anthony Falls | There are quite a few condo/townhouse type buildings in this area, some are West of Hennepin Avenue (lots of named neighborhoods in this area, too).
Mill District | Well, that’s what I’m calling the area by the Guthrie. Probably super spendy, but, wow, it’d be so awesome to live in one of those buildings (new construction or old).
Warehouse District | More on the North side of downtown…I think there are quite a few condo/townhouse complexes in the area, and I’m a big fan of the converted warehouse residences. With the exposed duct work, cement floors, and even exposed brick or wood beams on occasion.
Lake Street | Look all along Lake Street from the Mississippi River to Uptown/Calhoun area, it seems there are a ton of new construction buildings (or conversions of old) from the last few years. Probably venture a few block North & South as well.
Lowry Hill | There are some amazing buildings near the Walker and between Loring Park and I-94 (also Lake of the Isles & Kenwood & Calhoun). Checking into the possibility of condos for sale in some of the large houses/mansions in the area is an option. At least, I think it sounds pretty awesome.
50th and France | Nothing too specific here, just an area I like and I’m guessing there’s at least some condos in the area (or on Lyndale or Nicollet around W 50th St—Tangletown & Lynnhurst areas).
Minnehaha & Nokomis | There are some condo buildings along Hiawatha/55 between Lake St and 62
Mississippi River & Lake Street | On the St. Paul side of the river there are a couple buildings with condos/townhouses. One building faces the river with potential views of downtown Mpls; the other building is pretty much in the backyard of the first, so not so likely on the views but is new construction finished in 2010 (or 2009).
Linden Hills | The area just south of Trader Joe’s…and also right where T.J.s is.
Sheridan | I’m not so sure if this is the name for the area where I’ve seen some great buildings, but look on Broadway St NE.
West of Downtown | At the intersection of I-94 and 55 there’s a whole complex of townhouses/homes, maybe condos too, that are newer construction. I always thought they looked really cool and the International Market Square building…that would be simply AMAZING!
The Quarry | There are a few buildings that look like they might be condos or townhouses near the shopping area.
I don’t think so. Maybe some people out there can make snap decisions, but I’m certainly not one of them. I can decide pretty quickly on things that are definite NOs.
In the realm of apartment decisions I’ve noticed that it takes me at least three days to come to the point where I think I can make a decision. Especially when I’m looking at a variety of apartments. I like to compare—make sure I’ve checked out all my options and have some certainty that this is likely to be my best option. And make lists—pros and cons comparing price, amenities, bonus features, location, etc.
I saw a nice place last Monday. Liked it, but wasn’t completely in love. It wasn’t quite what I expected (or want) in a historic neighborhood—gutted & totally new interior (ie: no original character & charm). Don’t get me wrong, it was very nice (see pics below), but it threw me off. It had a great room for the living space, big bathroom, small 2nd room (maybe my office?), and a decent bedroom with the only closet.
and, yes, houses really are built that close together
Cute, right? Just not brimming with historic charm.
After seeing a lot more apartments and comparing the places I like, I started to warm up to the idea of “brand new” in the historic district. By Wednesday I’d pulled out my IKEA catalog to get ideas (& prices) for the place. I was starting to picture myself living in brand new interior of an old historic cottage.
But, I still wasn’t ready to make a decision. So I called Mr Landlord to set up another viewing—in order to get room measurements and such. And…he informed me that he rented the place out the night before. Just a tad bit annoying since he’d called me on Tuesday leaving a voicemail asking if I was still searching or had made a decision (I did return his call saying I’m still interested).
I guess some people are faster decision makers than me.
Note to self: tell landlords/property managers I need a minimum of 3 days to decide if I want to rent from them. Maybe a whole week, so I have time to think about and compare with other apartments, figure out how/if my furniture will fit in the layout, and also schedule a second viewing…before deciding if I want to live there.
I have checked out a lot more Dayton areas and I have to say that I cannot believe how many gorgeous old homes and buildings there are. I guess it must have something to do with being closer to the East Coast. More history—at least, a longer history that’s further removed from dugouts, shanties, and sod houses. My opinion.
I’m having a hard time deciding if I like one of the historic districts more than any of the others.
I know there are more historic districts in the Dayton area, but these are the neighborhoods that I have made it to with my intense apartment hunting. Apparently me coming to town and looking for a place to live is helping my relatives (who are also semi-new to the area…a few years shy of just having moved) get to know the city. At least my search is getting them to go to areas they’ve never been before and probably wouldn’t venture to explore without my apartment hunting excursions.
I’m having a hard time finding what I’m looking for and keep hoping that with the 1st of each month that passes there will be more apartments available and I’ll stumble upon a gem of a place that I will love to call my home for the next season of my life. Here’s to continuing the search. And maybe exploring more new areas.
The Apartment Hunter 