Apartment Blog

Spring is here! YAY!! But as the warm weather approaches, so does all the pollen and allergens that can aggravate your sinuses! Its not just outside allergens that can help create a Rudolph nose, but also the inside of your apartment! Here are a few tips that I’ve found helpful to allergy proof your home!

Concentrate on the Bedroom!

According to Angel Waldron of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, you spend about 80 percent of your time in your bedroom! So it’s logical that should be the first place you start. Believe it or not, dust mites live in your bed! Somewhere around two million of them! They take residence in your pillows, mattresses, bed springs, blankets and comforters. “These mites are the number one indoor allergen, and their population peaks in July and August.”[1] So do your part in controlling them and it’ll go a long way toward helping your allergies. Be sure to wash your linens in the hot cycle frequently. Another tip is to purchase allergen-proof pillows and bed covers. I had both of them growing up and they helped relieve my symptoms!

Manage the Pet Hair!

While I’m an animal lover as much as the next person, there is some pet dander that I just can’t be around-specifically cats! And apparently I’m not alone. “Approximately 10 million people are allergic to cat dander, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation.”[2] Cats have the most allergens followed by dogs and rodents. So to control your animals’ dander make sure you keep your pet off your furniture, including your bed! Bathing your pet once a week also makes a big difference in cutting down on allergens.

Keep Pollen Out!

With the warmer weather coming, people tend to have their windows and back doors open to let in the fresh air. I know I love doing that! Turns out that could be a huge contributor to my allergies! Doing that brings the pollen inside your apartment! So if you don’t want the runny nose, watery eyes, and stuffed up feeling-keep those windows and doors closed! Especially during the time of day the pollen count is at it’s highest, which is between 5:00-10:00 am.

Get Rid of Mold!

Who wants mold in their apartment? I know I don’t! The very thought of it gives me the shakes, but it happens! The biggest hotspots for mold happen to be in your bathroom and your closet! The bathroom is one of the wettest places in your apartment. The combination of heat and dampness is optimal for mold growth. So make sure you do your part to prevent it from starting. A few tips to help with bathroom mold is to make sure you circulate the air before and after your shower. Use the fan during the shower and open the door for 5-10 minutes afterwards. Also be sure to stretch the shower curtain after your shower so all the water can drain and the material can dry out. Wash your bathtub, shower door, walls, etc, if you see any mold. Use rubber gloves and a mixture of bleach and water. Doing these few steps will not only prevent your allergies, but also your health and the appearance of your apartment!

So there you have it. A few tips I’ve learned from AOL Real Estate about how to allergy proof your apartment! I know this spring the outdoor allergens are going to create difficulty for some, but at least when you get inside you won’t have to worry about too many irritants!

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[1] Realestate.aol.com/article/_a/allergy-proof-your-home/20060501110209990001[2] Realestate.aol.com/article/_a/allergy-proof-your-home/20060501110209990001

In one of the forums I participate in, I came across a question regarding renters insurance and whether it’s worth the extra cost. There were many answers supporting each side of the question. Some commented that it wasn’t worth the extra expense because, really, how often do you get burglarized, flooded or have your apartment catch on fire. Others noted that the benefits of having it outweighed the expense-even if you don’t ever have to use it. So let me interject some of my opinions….

I personally feel safer having renters insurance. The peace of mind alone is worth the annual cost of $140. With that being said, I’m about 80% sure I’m never going to need it. However, hearing the stories on the news about fires that have engulfed an entire apartment building reassures me that I made the right choice. Whether I actually use it or not, I know that I am covered and that gives me peace of mind. Also, as one forum participant commented “it’s not just the insurance on your stuff, but also covering you for liability”. This is important! If someone gets injured in your home, having renters insurance will protect you!

So what is your opinion? I’ve stated mine and clearly I am advocating that everyone should have renters insurance. So if you happen to be in the market for renters insurance, check out our website!

Everyone has experienced road rage. Whether you’ve been on the receiving end or directing it towards a fellow driver, it’s not fun. Larger metropolitan areas tend to have the majority of traffic therefore they have some of the most aggressive drivers. The number one city that topped the list for most aggressive drivers (for the second year in a row) is……….Miami, followed by New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington.

 

The most courteous cities, regarding hostile drivers, are Portland, Pittsburg, Seattle, St. Louis and Dallas.

 

Do you live in a city with high road rage?? The AAA website offers a three-step plan to avoid being a victim of aggressive driving.

 

1. ‘Don’t Offend’ which simply means do not cut off other drivers, don’t drive slowly in the left lane, don’t tailgate and DO NOT gesture to other drivers.

 

2. ‘Don’t engage’ other drivers, which basically means do not cause trouble. Don’t look the other driver in the eyes (stare them down) and call 911 should you feel that you are in a dangerous situation.

 

3. ‘Forget Winning’ If someone has done #1 or #2 to you, let it go. Don’t let it frustrate you till you become angry. Try to put yourself in the other driver’s shoes and free yourself from any aggravation.

 

 

I know on my daily commute to work I sometimes feel the need to bang on the steering wheel to alleviate my frustrations, but what about you? Do you have any constructive methods to help you release your frustrations while you are on the road?

 

 

Source: AOL AUTOS, ‘Road Rage and Aggressive Driving’ by Craig Howie

Don’t let the excitement of the holiday season make you vulnerable to theft this holiday season. Here are some tips to help you avoid identity theft and protecting your home.

 

Deter thieves by safeguarding your personal information

○ Make sure you shred any financial documents and paperwork before you throw them out.

 

○ Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through email or mail unless you know who it is you are working with

○ Don’t carry around your Social Security card or write it on your checks.

 

○ Keep copies of your receipts when purchasing gifts.

 

○ Never tell anyone your PIN for the ATM and don’t write it down on your card!

 

○ To be extra cautious you can always sign up for a credit monitoring service so you can view changes that occur on your credit report.

 

 

Protect your home from potential criminals

 

○ Be cautious about locking the doors and windows to your house. Also don’t forget to lock your garages and sheds.

 

○ If leaving for an extended period of time, make sure your neighbors have a key to your place and pick up your mail (if you don’t already have it held at the Post Office)

 

 

○ Have lights set up to be on automatic timers.

 

○ Don’t hide spare keys near your door (i.e. under the rug, above the door, under a rock, etc.) Burglars know this trick!

 

 

○ And don’t leave descriptive telephone answering machine messages. (Like they did in Home Alone) It just lets whomever (even telemarketers) know that you will not be home for a certain period of time.

 

 

Make sure you are safe this holiday season by protecting against identity theft and other holiday crime.

 

 

 

 

Source: Federal Trade Commission

 

 

 

 

Brick Township, New Jersey

This small city is north of Howell Township and east of Point Pleasant. According to Morgan Quinto Press, Brick Township has recorded the lowest rate of violent crime of any town with 75,000 residents or more.Brick Township is home to actress Kristen Dunst before she relocated to California. Brick Township’s location is convenient to many attractions, such as Ocean County, which has several beaches. Thanks to the Garden State Parkway, living in Brick Township allows for an easy commute to northern New Jersey and New York.

Check out the other cities that made it on the list as the Top 5 Safest Cities in America. Is your city on the list?

1. Brick Township, NJ
2. Greece, NY
3. Orem, UT
4. Irvine, CA
5. Troy, MI

Source: CNNMoney.com

You love your apartment community so why not help keep it safe? There are some things that all of us can do to help make where we live just a little safer! For example, you could start a neighborhood watch program, or if your apartment community already has one, become more involved.

 

Any motivated individual or a collective group can organize a neighborhood watch program, doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, single or married. All you need to do is send a flier around the neighborhood stating your wish to organize a neighborhood watch program or visit your neighbors to communicate your efforts. Set up a meeting at your apartment or the clubhouse so that you and your neighbors can discuss any issues that are occurring. As a group, you should create a list of topics that you find concerning and that need to be addressed. The committee can organize a schedule for who will be patrolling areas and when. Other items you may need are mentioned below:

 

A time and place to meet regularly, a map of the community with spaces for names, addresses and phone numbers, brochures or other material on topic of interest (i.e. crime rate, neighborhood facts, etc.) as well as Neighborhood Watch Signs that need to be posted around the community (You can purchased these at the National Neighborhood Watch Institute website)

 

Once you’ve got the basic set up taken care of, you may want to have a police officer come in and sit with the committee to give some ideas of how to spot a potential crime or unusual behavior, how to handle a crime, and how to report one.

 

Hopefully with all the steps mentioned above and of course visiting the USAOnWatch.org site, you’ll be able to accomplish your goals in making your apartment community a safer one for you and other residents alike.