Apartment Blog

ForRent.com just recently launched the Apartment Tips and Advice Center, which includes helpful information on apartment basics, apartment hunting, financing your apartment, looking for a roommate, moving, and more! If you go onto the ForRent.com home page, the ‘Apartment Tips’ section is located between the ‘Relocation Center’ and the ‘Rent your Property.’

ForRent.com strives to provide the apartment seeker with resources that make apartment searching and apartment living easier. The Apartment Tips page offers tons of tips and advice on apartment living, entertaining and decorating , going green , searching for a roommate, pet-friendly apartments, how to deal with roommates, and more! ForRent.com is a ‘one-stop shop’ for apartment seekers to locate and live in their perfect apartment home. We hope you take a look at our Apartment Tips page and find the information beneficial, whatever your needs may be.

Tired of spending an arm and a leg on gas? Want to eliminate the amount of hours you spend in traffic? Well the perfect solution is simple, move closer to your job!

I was reading this article “Renters go downtown to save on gas, commuting” by J.W. Elphinstone, and it appears that people are getting the idea to move closer to their jobs or mass transit areas in order to save money. This seems to be a nationwide trend, therefore, making rents higher in those metropolitan areas. Cities where this trend seems to be the strongest are Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Seattle, Baltimore, Minneapolis and Portland, OR.

Young renters and empty nesters alike want to move within walking distance of their jobs to save time and gas. Although the rents for apartments in downtown are increasing, the math is quite simple. You already spend $900+ on rent and an additional $200-$300 on gas due to your daily commute. So moving closer to where you work might cost more in rent, but you’re saving in gas and essentially getting more hours added into your life by eliminating the long commute.

Apartment seekers need to think about how they will narrow down their apartment search based on the aforementioned reasons. Landlords, management companies and apartment owners are advertising their properties with maps and brochures to showcase where they are in relation to landmarks and public transportation. The informed apartment hunters will do the research about location and ask questions regarding mass transit so they can find the perfect apartment for their needs.

Currently I work in downtown and the rents within walking distance of my job are so much more than what I pay now. However, if I were to eliminate the cost of my car (repairs, gas, insurance and maintenance) the cost would be about the same. And I would save an extra 45 minutes to an hour of my day from commuting. Plus, another added bonus would be extra ‘going green’ efforts by saving on consumption of fossil fuels! So maybe this is something I should think about…..

What are your thoughts?

Green doesn’t just have to be the color for your party, make it the theme!! Green living can extend to how you entertain! Making it green is easy on the environment and easy for you to do! Mimicking the tips we’ve already given you for St. Patrick’s Day Party Ideas, we’ve matched some eco-friendly ones. Check out these tips:

Tip 1: Invitations
As I always suggest, send out electronic invitations. Besides giving your party a more casual tone, you also save on paper that is just going to be thrown out later.  Or if you’re party is going to be formal and dictates having an invite, try to use recycled paper invitations.

Tip 2: Decorations
Just for the sheer expense, I always try to recommend fun crafty ideas for holiday decorations. Take a look at our St. Patrick’s Day Party ideas. But it turns out, not only will these save you money; they are also more environmentally friendly! Making your decorations would be a creative and a fun thing for you and your friends or kids to do.  And as much as it hurts, my favorite party staple that I always recommend–balloons–is actually pretty bad for the environment! They often end up in the ocean where they are consumed by sea life, which eventually die from balloons blocking their digestive system. So looks like all my ballooning days are over! 

Tip 3: Food & Drinks
A cute and easy idea to avoid waste is serving finger food. By serving finger food, you alleviate the need to have utensils or plates.  Your guest can just have their little sandwiches, cheese & crackers, cookies, chips on napkins.  And if you want to save on purchasing cups, offer your guests canned or bottled beverages. You can recycle them when they are done!  Wow, this tip allows you to save on a little bit of money as well! Cha-ching!

Tip 4: Entertainment
If you’ve read our blog about St. Patrick’s Day  Party ideas then you know we suggest doing contests, having music or a movie playing in the background.  These ideas don’t require too many materials. But another idea I’d like to add is doing Karaoke! You don’t necessarily have to have a machine (although it helps), but just grab a bunch of your already ‘tipsy’ friends for some movin and groovin and perhaps a little singing!  This should make for a lot of entertainment!! 

While we are making suggestions about how to make your St. Patrick’s Day party more eco-friendly, please remember these tips can certainly be used for your other parties.  If you’re having a Birthday celebration soon, think about using some of these ideas. Not only are you helping the environment but you also may be saving some money in the process!! Bonus!!

Source: Progressivekid.com

So this year you want to host a fun green filled St. Patrick’s Day party, huh? Well, follow these tips and you’re sure to not disappoint!

Tip 1: Invitations
As always, we start our hosting parties with letting the guest list know who, what, where, when, etc. These invitations can be hand crafted, store bought or emailed! Chose whichever suits the party you’re throwing or guests attending. Regardless of the medium chosen, have the St. Patrick’s Day theme clear with lots of green, shamrocks, leprechauns, etc. Think of clever phrases or jokes to get a rise out of the receiver, such as: ‘Knock Knock, who’s there, Irish, Irish who?, Irish you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!’ Ha ha ha!!

Tip 2: Decorations
Think green and silly when it comes to decorations for your party! Shamrocks and leprechauns are a must on the walls and windows. Take a look at our St. Patrick’s Day Crafts blog for ideas on how to create some of your decorations or go with store bought ones. I always advise using balloons as I think they scream party! But additional decorations would be needed on the buffet table such as green table cloth, napkins, cups, confetti, centerpieces, etc. Also make attire a decorative element by having everyone wear green and leprechaun hats!

Tip 3: Food & Drinks
Keep the green theme going with your food too! You can have green cookies, green M&M’s, chips with guacamole, fruit that’s green, green beverages, etc. Let your imagination run wild! And if you can’t think of enough foods that are green, you can always use food coloring! The obvious drink choice for a St. Patrick’s Day party is beer. Traditional Irish beers, such as Guinness or Murphy’s Irish Red Ale, would be served. If your party does have alcohol please be responsible for all your guests. Have someone as the designated driver for those that drink or offer guests to stay the night.

Tip 4: Entertainment
A must in every party is to have entertainment for your guests. You can have contests such as a limerick contest, St. Patrick’s Day games or just music or videos playing in background for noise. A suggestion would be having the music/movie coordinate with the theme, i.e. St. Patrick’s Day party having Irish music or one of the Top 10 St. Patrick’s Day Movies playing on your T.V. Either way, you’ve got to have something fun and interactive so your guests won’t be bored!

With these four tips your St. Patrick’s Day party should be a blast! Your guests will have a smashing time and you’ll be regarded as the best host! Enjoy!

Source: ehow.com

When you’ve lived in various apartment communities, you’ll learn to appreciate different amenities. Here’s a list of apartment & community amenities that I truly LOVE!!

Apartment Amenities:

1. Vaulted Ceilings
2. Fire Places
3. Bay Windows
4. HUGE Walk-in Closets
5. Washer/Dryer INCLUDED in the rent
6. Garden Tubs
7. Microwave & Garbage Disposal
8. Large Pantry
9. Hardwood Floors/Tile
10. Automatic Outside Lighting

Apartment Community Amenities:

1. A REAL State-Of-The-Art Fitness Center
2. Pool/Sauna/Jacuzzi
3. Dog Park
4. Putting Green
5. Car Washing Stations (w/vacuums)
6. Jogging/Walking Trails
7. Tennis/Volleyball Courts
8. Playgrounds
9. Grilling Picnic Areas
10. Gated Entrance

What about you? Did I leave any off that you absolutely love about your apartment and/or community?

Spicy Seven Layer Dip

Items you’ll need:

1-2 cans Refried beans

Container of Avocado Dip

1-2 tubs of Sour Cream

1 lb of ground beef/turkey/chicken

1 Green Pepper (diced)

Sliced Jalapeno Peppers

1 bag of Shredded Cheddar or Taco/Mexican Cheese

1-2 bags of Tortilla chips (recommended Tostitos Gold Tortilla Chips as they are thicker & will hold the dip better)

Process:

1. First Layer: Heat up the refried beans in the microwave until it becomes smooth (a few minutes), you’ll need to spread a flat layer on your pan. Then let it cool.
2. Second Layer: smooth over the avocado dip onto of refried beans layer leaving a ¼ to 1/8^th of an inch on the side.
3. Third Layer: smooth sour cream over the avocado dip, also leaving ¼ to 1/8^th of an inch on the side (so you can start to see the layers on the side of the pan).
4. Fourth Layer: sprinkle the ground beef onto of the sour cream layer. For a healthier alternative you can use ground turkey or chicken. Depending on your taste you can lightly sprinkle or pile on the meat. (or none for vegetarian dip)
5. Fifth Layer: add the diced green pepper on the ground meat
6. Sixth Layer: add Jalapeno peppers onto of the green peppers (more if you like extra spice, less if not too spicy)
7. Seventh layer: depending on your preference for cheese, you can sprinkle or just dumb the whole bag (evenly distributed) on top of the entire dip!

This dip can be refrigerated until needed, so you can do this in the morning, make all your preparations for the party and bring it out as guests start to arrive.

You’ve seen recent posts about how you can do more to protect the environment and conserve our resources, such as recycling and reusing. But what other efforts are being done around you that you may not even know about? Did you know that apartment communities are making great strides to improve their communities to increase their ‘going green’ efforts? It’s true!

It all starts with construction. Recycled materials can be used, low VOC paints, carpets and other indoor products are making their way as well as heating and cooling systems that are geothermal based (meaning it draws upon the earth’s temperature to supplement traditional systems). Many products are out there for construction companies to use, such as biodegradable linoleum and industrialized recycled polmer (for carpet tiles).

So why aren’t all apartment communities being converted using more environmentally friendly efforts? Well that’s a simple answer, money! “Green construction is often looked at as costly and can seriously hurt the project’s bottom line. Using environmental design is normally estimated to cost as much as 15 percent more than traditional jobs[1].”

Even so, the costs for going green may increase for the developers but they do the exact opposite for the tenants. Having more energy efficient & water saving devices in the apartment community will help drive down costs for residents, which is ultimately what every renter wants!! And given the increased demand of environmentally friendly communities, I’d say resident’s voices are being heard. Many renters expressed that they would pay more in rent if they would be living in a building that makes efforts to conserve and recycle. Because when you think about it, having those amenities will actually save you more money in the long run with reduced electric and water bills!!

So ask your apartment community if they’re doing their part!

[1] Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Jun 25, 2004 by Ezra Fieser

Going green is instrumental in keeping our planet alive. So do your part to make sure you aren’t over using our resources and depleting our reserve. Here are some water and energy saving tips for your home.

○ Compact fluorescent light bulbs are an efficient lighting source for your home. They conserve energy by using less wattage while also creating the same brightness as incandescent bulbs. And they last longer too! (Which saves more $$)

○ Don’t let your faucets leak or drip water!! This is one I get on my boyfriend about ALL the time!! When brushing your teeth, you just need to wet the tooth brush. Turn off the water. Put the toothpaste on the toothbrush and start brushing. When you need to wash the toothbrush and spit the toothpaste out, then turn on the water. Doesn’t seem like you’d save that much water but twice a day for 365 days a year-it adds up!!

○ This is an interesting tip that I had never heard before but am definitely going to do from now on, put lids on pots to avoid heat waste and help water boil faster!!

○ Use cool/cold water whenever possible as using warm or hot water requires more energy to heat.

○ Use rechargeable batteries.

○ Use the natural sunlight during the day instead of using electricity! The sun is the brightest and cheapest source of light around!

Do you have any other helpful tips for saving water & energy around the home? Let us know!! We all need to do our part!

Source: www.alephnull.net/eco/saving

We at For Rent Media Solutions are continuing our efforts to be environmentally friendly. All FRMS newsprint pages are printed on recycled paper. Our coated paper has a percentage of recycled content, depending on the availability. All of our insert cards are printed on a UV press that uses non hazardous inks and emit no VOC’s into the atmosphere. We also recycle all of the metal for the plates and the ink/water/fountain solution. And all waste paper is returned to the mill to be used in recycled papers.

So take a cue from us! When you’ve finished searching for apartments for rent in For Rent Magazine, be sure to recycle it!

Thanks!

Hot Artichoke and Tuna Dip
3 oz. tuna, drained
12 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1-2 cloves garlic
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped canned green chilies
1 tablespoon minced green onion
2-3 tablespoon mayonnaise
Hot pepper to taste
Crackers or French bread to eat with

Blend all ingredients, expect crackers or bread, in a food processor. Process till blended, not pureed. Put in ovenproof dish and bake uncovered in 350 degree temp (Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes or till golden brown. Serve hot with crackers or bread. Makes 12 servings.

Crab Dip

8 oz Cream Cheese

1 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise

1 small finely minced onion

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Garlic powder to taste

Mix well and spread in round glass pie plate.

1 12oz. bottle of Heinz chili sauce

Dash of Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon of horseradish sauce

Mix and spread on top of cream cheese layer

1 lb. of lump (or claw) crabmeat-sprinkle on top of chili sauce (add chives on top for color)

Hope you enjoy these!