Apartment Blog

Forbes has complied a list of cities that have the most expensive commutes in the nation; some siphon 20% of income!!

Transit costs such as gas, tolls and public transit fare, as well as money spent on car payments and maintenance make commutes expensive. Topping the list is Houston, Texas with 20.9 percent of expenses that are spent on transportation!!  Cities that follow are Cleveland, Detroit, Tampa and Kansas City with 20.2 % - 20.5 % of income dedicated to transportation.

According to the study conducted, there are several factors that attribute to these large transportation costs in these cities. One is the fact that they do not have a train system. The study found that there is a very high correlation between cities that had extensive train systems and those in which households spent the least on transportation costs. It also appears that the cities with the higher commutes tend to have lower housing costs. So on the reverse side, it is understood that the least costly commutes tend to be accompanied by high housing costs.

Here are the stats:

Souce: Forbes.com

So you’ve recently graduated. Congratulations! You are now ready to embark on your career, but where should you go? Well, New York isn’t the only location you should consider!

Topping the list for Best Cities for Young Professionals was of course, New York. The home too many of America’s best companies, such as financial giant Goldman Sachs and media conglomerate News Corp as well as a night life to boot, it’s no wonder that this doesn’t come as a surprise to many! Other cities that made the list were San Francisco as #2, Atlanta as #3, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Boston and Seattle for spots four through seven and Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Denver close out the top 10.

This list was based off the graduates from top universities around the country and their location after 10 years. The list also takes into account where the best business opportunities exist, the amount of young and unmarried people and, of course, which cities paid young professional the best.

The numbers were adjusted to allow for the sizes of some cities in respect to others. Then thrown in the mix was the locations of Forbes list of America’s 400 best big businesses and 200 best small business that would offer opportunities for the young professionals. And finally, the salary-to-cost-of-living ratio was figured into the equations as to whether young professional would want to stay and occupy that area for a certain period of time.

The top 5 cities were:

1. New York
   View Apartments for Rent in New York, NY.
2. San Francisco
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3. Atlanta
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4. Los Angeles
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5. Washington, D.C.
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   Now that you’ve seen the list, are you ready to make the change? To view apartments for rent in any of the cities mentioned, visit ForRent.com. You can search hundreds of apartment for rent in those areas making your move that much simpler!

    

    

    

   Source: Forbes.com

When trying to create a look for your new apartment, I’m sure many colors pop into your mind. Either you want your favorite color or perhaps a color scheme you had in your old place. Regardless, before you start decorating; check out some helpful tips for color combinations that work well together.

You could use a monochromatic color scheme, which is a color scheme that uses variations of lightness and saturation of a color. Using a monochromatic color scheme will help you accomplish a clean and elegant look as well as create a soothing effect. A good suggestion, should you want to use this color scheme, is to use greens and blues since their shades complement each other. As an accent color to the monochromatic color you’ve chosen, stick with neutrals such as black, white and gray.

Or for a richer look to the monochromatic color scheme, chose an analogous color scheme. This is where the colors used lie next to each other on the color wheel. One color is used as the main color while the other is used to enhance the scheme. An example would be yellow and yellow-orange.

Another idea would be complementary colors. I’m sure you all can recite a color and its complementary color (the color on the opposite end of the color wheel), but did you ever think about decorating your home in such a scheme? This scheme is extremely high contrasting and draws maximum attention to your room in your apartment.

Other color schemes that you could use include: Tertiary colors, which is any three colors that form an isosceles triangle on the color wheel, or using Primaries which would be using a primary color (red, yellow or blue). Warm colors are reds, oranges and yellows or cool colors such as greens, blues and violets.

While ideally these suggestions would be used for painting, if you live in an apartment community that does not allow you to paint, think of other methods! Use fabrics in the color scheme you choose or creative décor pieces, such as paintings and trinkets. Regardless of what color scheme you do choose, make sure you decorate your new apartment with colors that reflect your personal style-after all, you are the one who has to live there!

If you’re planning on decorating your apartment using color, check out the descriptions below as to what each color means!?

RED

Red is associated with energy, danger, power, determination, passion and love. It has very high visibility which is why stop signs, stoplights and fire equipment are usually red. Using a little bit of red goes a long way, so use small doses of red and it will be just as a larger surface.

ORANGE
Orange is a combination of red and yellow so it combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with sunshine, the tropics and fall. It represents enthusiasm and creativity. It is highly accepted among young people and is a great attention grabber. You can highlight the most important elements of your design by using orange.

YELLOW

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It produces a warming effect and is linked with happiness, joy and energy. Bright, pure yellow is a great attention getter but is used best as a companion color instead of a stand alone color.

GREEN

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony and freshness. For an outdoorsy, sporty feel, use combinations with green and yellow with black or white.

BLUE

Blue is the color the sky and water. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, confidence, truth and heaven. It is considered to be beneficial to the mind and body and has a calming effect when used for decorating. When used with warm colors, like yellow or red, blue will create visually stimulating vibrant designs. When mixed with green, it’ll make for a natural palette.

PURPLE

Purple is associated with royalty. It signifies power, nobility and ambition. It is coupled with independence, creativity and magic. A purple room can boost a child’s imagination or an artists creativity. A light purple is a good choice for a feminine design.

WHITE

White is associated with goodness, purity and innocence. It is considered to be the color of perfection. Like the color Black, white compliments all other colors.

BLACK

Associated with power, formality, death and mystery, black usually had a negative connotation. Although it is considered to be a formal, elegant and prestigious color, it is also the symbol of grief. It does, however contrast well with bright colors.

When thinking about getting a companion for your apartment, make sure you consider all the factors, especially when thinking about purchasing a dog. Such factors include your lifestyle, your finances and your environment.

You need to consider your daily schedule before you bring a dog into your home. If you are a very active person and are rarely home, it may not be fair to the dog. If you have several kids be sure and take into account the additional demands a dog brings. Once you’ve thought about your lifestyle, you can then think of what type of breed would work best (should you still choose to get a dog). Know the potential problems of getting a dog and the specific breed that may work best, before bringing one home. This will eliminate the possibility of it not working out and having to find a new home for your pet.

Having a dog is a financial commitment. Similar to having a child, a dog has financial needs that rely solely on you!! They have to go to the vet for shots when they are sick, be fed when they are hungry, and be bathed when they are dirty. On top of the necessary items, there are additional expenses such as daycare (if you chose), toys, training, and the cost of your time. So be sure that you are financially able to care for the dog before you bring him/her home. That too will eliminate the possibility of it not working out and having to get rid of it later.

And of course, you need to consider your environment. Make sure you live in a pet-friendly apartment community and check if there are any restrictions with animal breeds and sizes. You don’t want to get a medium size dog if your apartment community only allows dogs below a certain weight! On top of the rules inside the apartment community, make sure that the environment you live in has places for you to take your dog. Research if there are any dog parks near by or certain routes best for taking your dog for walks.

As a dog owner, a two year old Chihuahua named Bailey, I know the demands on my time and finances he makes, but I also know the true joy I experience by having my little guy. So be certain that you have thought about the factors involved of having a dog, or any animal, before bringing your pet to your apartment! Search for pet-friendly apartments for rent on ForRent.com via our optional search criteria off of the home page.

Full of rich history, Louisville, Colorado has risen to #3 on the best places to live list in 2007 according to CNNMoney.com.

Louisville lies roughly six miles east of the City of Boulder and 25 miles northwest of Denver. Just see what one reader says about the quaint city:

“Great small town feel, surrounded by the urban setting. Great food. Nice slow paced life.”

-Posted by GK in Tulsa, OK.

Other interesting facts include: The median family income of $94,385, job growth rate is 3.68%, and the median home price is $322,812. For 2007, the top ten out of a hundred best places to live in the United States are:

Information collected by CNNMoney.com