Apartment Blog

 It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  My cousin’s favorite song to accompany her favorite sport - football.  We’re going to focus on college football for this one though. 

The Florida Gators are the preseason #1, no surprise there.  I’m not a Gator fan by any means (FSU all the way!), but I’ve heard it is a pretty nice area.  If you’re starting school in the fall you may want to check out some off campus housing near Florida State University or the University of Florida.  With Tim Tebow returning for his senior season, the Gators are predicted to win their third national title in four years.   The top ten also includes:  Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Alabama, Penn State and Oklahoma State, in that order.

The top ten rankings don’t show it, but the SEC is going to be a lot stronger this season with five teams in the top 25 (Florida, Alabama, LSU, Mississippi and Georgia).  LSU has been known for their defense in the past, but have struggled since power defensive lineman, Glenn Dorsey left in ‘08.  I have high hopes for the Tigers, though.  Georgia is a school that continues to go after it year after year; they finished last year with a very respectable 10-3 record.  Coach Mark Richt has a no nonsense attitude and apparently so does the Bulldogs’ mascot, UGA.

It’s clear that quarterbacks dominate discussion for this season with the top three Heisman candidates, Colt McCoy (Texas), Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Tim Tebow (Florida) all starting in the QB position.  Two of them hail from the Big 12 conference; Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford.  Out of these three, my vote goes to Colt McCoy because I’m neither a Florida nor Oklahoma fan.  My hatred for Oklahoma stems back to 2003 win they gave Jason White the Heisman trophy.  Larry Fitzgerald got robbed!  What ever happened to Mr. White anyway?  Has anyone seen or heard from him?  Is he even in the NFL anymore?  That would be a NO!  This is one of the many reasons why I’m looking forward to the Red River Rivalry even more this season.     

Last season Texas beat Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry even with the horrible officiating throughout the game.  And I will never understand how the Sooners jumped the Longhorns in the rankings last season when they clearly beat them in the head to head.  There will never be a logical explanation for that mess.  That’s the BCS ranking system for you.  But if you’re thinking about moving and you’re an avid college football fan like me, think about Texas as many would argue the Lone Star state is home to the best college football athletes in the country. Check out some apartments for rent in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.

Schools in the rebuilding phase:  Notre Dame.  They are currently listed as #23 in USA Today Poll.  I think that’s rather high especially with Charlie Weis’ job hanging in the balance.  If the Fighting Irish don’t come through this year, he’s probably done.  The Irish have ranked in college football’s elite throughout history, but you wouldn’t know it from recent seasons.  They finished last season with a less than respectable 6-6 record.  That’s not going to get it done this year.   But if you’re still holding on to the Irish’s old glory days (like my father) then you’ll want to check out some apartments in South Bend. 

Miami is another school that’s had its share of struggles.  Miami really hasn’t been the same since the Ken Dorsey/Willis McGahee era (I’m not a Hurricanes fan, but I’m secretly a WM fan).   Even though they’re not ranked in the top 25, the ‘Canes have a lot of returning talent and look to start the season strong.  However, their first game is against the ‘Noles on 9/7 so that’s a guaranteed loss.  Sorry Miami. 

It looks like this is going to be a pretty eventful season.  Many analysts predict the Gators to win the 2010 National Championship, but I think it’s still up in the air.  Either way, I can’t wait for the season to start.  Everyone mark your calendar for Thursday, September 3^rd.  Hard hitting and pigskin, that’s what I live for.

Americans are finding that renting an apartment is an increasingly attractive option especially considering its affordability when compared to the housing market.  But it really depends on where you live. Business Week worked with the research firm Reis and came up with a list of large metropolitan areas with the most affordable rents. You’ll be amazed at some of the average rents these large metros have!

1. Oklahoma City, OK. Average rent: $543
2. Columbus, OH. Average rent: $677
3. Indianapolis, IN. Average rent: $675
4. Kansas City, MO. Average rent: $701
5. Fort Worth/Arlington, TX. Average rent: $718
6. Cincinnati, OH. Average rent: $710
7. Denver/Aurora, CO. Average rent: $887
8. Greenville, SC. Average rent: $887
9. Houston area, TX. Average rent: $769
10. Dallas/Irving, TX. Average rent: $814

Being from Hampton Roads, VA, I am amazed that some of these larger city areas have the same, if not lower, average rents as where I live! How about you, do you find this shocking at all?

“These results are based on  metro areas with populations of at least 1 million are ranked based on average asking rent as a share of income. The highest-ranked metros have the lowest share of income used for rent. Fourth-quarter 2008 average asking rent is a blended average for all sizes of apartments and does not include landlord discounts or other incentives. The populations, incomes and rents are for the metropolitan statistical areas as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Click here for full descriptions of the individual metro areas.”

What are we exposing about these selected Apartment Communities?
That’s simple; we’re exposing the property’s attractive features. We show the apartment communities’ amenities such as bedrooms, baths, layouts, fitness centers, pools, community center as well as the surrounding area. This really gives prospective renters the opportunity to gage a property before going to physically see it.

Why on sites like YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Dailymotion, AptsVideo.com and others?
Again, that’s simple! In order to make the apartment search process easier for you, we need to be where YOU are. And that would include sites like YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Dailymotion, AptsVideo.com. If you’re on these sites and want to look at an apartment community that is in your area, then what better way than to search then while you’re on MySpace or YouTube, etc. Without leaving the website you can still have an in-depth view of an apartment community of your choice.

Why should renters care??
As a prospective or current renter, you should care because we’re simplifying the apartment search process for you. You should care because we are trying to make a process that can be extremely difficult, easier; saving you time, energy and giving you peace of mind. And in today’s economy those are all desirable things. 

So what new videos do you have in store for us this week?
Well, take a look…..

Apartments For Rent in Texas:
Ventana Apartments in San Antonio, TX

Apartments For Rent in Wisconsin:
Monterey Apartments in Waukesha, WI
Presidio Square Apartments in Milwaukee, WI
Boston Lofts Apartments in Milwaukee, WI

Apartments For Rent in Ohio:
Solon Park Apartments in Solon, OH
Brookside Oval & Way Apartments in Cleveland, OH
The Enclave at Kennedy Ridge Apartments in North Olmsted, OH

Apartments For Rent in California:
Wilshire Margot Apartments in Los Angeles, CA
Wolf Ranch Condominium Apartments in Sacramento, CA

Apartments For Rent in North Carolina:
Strickland Farms Apartments in Raleigh, NC
Lexington on the Green Apartments in Raleigh, NC

Apartments For Rent in Washington, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Oregon, Maryland and Missouri:
Evergreen Park Apartments in Vancouver, WA
The Townhomes of Regency Place in Philadelphia, PA
Richfield Village Apartments in Clifton, NJ
King’s Court Apartments in Beaverton, OR
Columbia Commons Apartments in Columbia, MD
Luxury Living at Zona Rosa Apartments in Kansas City, MO
       
            

ForRent.com is providing more great information about apartment communities in your area. And check out the most recent uploaded videos…… We upload them to our video syndication network which consists of a variety of sites such as: YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Dailymotion, AptsVideo.com and others to make them more accessible for your viewing pleasure!

So take a look…..
Apartments For Rent in Florida:
The Wimberly at Deerwood Apartments in Jacksonville, FL

Apartments For Rent in Ohio:
Winfield Commons Apartments in Cleveland, OH
Colony Club Apartments & Townhomes in Bedford, OH
Bridlewood Apartments in North Olmsted, OH
Stonebrooke Village Luxury Apartments in Medina, OH

Apartments For Rent in Texas:
Park at North Vista Apartments in Houston, TX
The Lakes of Stone Glen Apartments in Keller, TX

Apartments For Rent in California:
Hidden Oaks Apartments in Citrus Heights, CA
Village Green Apartments in Sacramento, CA

Or like they say in Ohio “Ohio, The Heart of It All”

Our professionally produced apartment videos enhance the apartment shoppers, YOUR, experience by allowing you to view apartment communities units and amenities as well as the surrounding city it is located in. All of these videos are syndicated to ForRent.com, AptsVideo.com, along with more than ten major channels including Yahoo, MySpace and YouTube.

Take a look at the most recently uploaded videos for this week, including many in the great state of Ohio….

Apartments For Rent in Washington:
Tenzen Apartments in Bellevue, WA
Cascade Ranch Apartments in Federal Way, WA

Apartments For Rent in Ohio:
Big Creek Townhomes & Apartments in Parma Heights, OH
Liberty Hill Apartments For Rent in Solon, OH
Huntington Green Apartments in University Heights, OH
Granada Gardens Apartments in Cleveland, OH
Clarkwood Greens Apartments in Warrensville Heights, OH
Cobblestone Court Apartments in Painesville, OH
Pepperwood Apartments & Townhomes in Cleveland, OH
Settler’s Landing Apartments in Streetsboro, OH
Hunter’s Hollow Apartments in Strongsville, OH
     
Apartments For Rent in Texas:
Village Oaks Apartments For Rent in Austin, TX
River Stone Ranch Apartments in Austin, TX
Sequoia Cable Ranch Apartments in San Antonio, TX

Many of us heard Hyundai’s story in which they promised to let owners get rid of their vehicle should they lose their job. The auto company was acutely aware that people were afraid to make big purchases. So Hyundai announced it’s Assurance Program at the beginning of 2009, a pledge to let people return new vehicle purchases within the first year of ownership without penalty should they lose their source of income.  This incentive apparently worked as Hyundai rebounded from a 48 percent sales drop to a 14 percent sales increase in that time frame according to AutoTropolis.com.

While having that security on your newly purchased car is comforting, should you lose your job your biggest worry would be a place of residency! Rest assured there is a program called Lay-off Proof Lease which provides 60 days of rent-free living if you lose your job.  And after that time, if you don’t find a new job you may cancel your lease without penalty. Can you imagine that? If you lose your job and you live in an apartment community that is a participating property, you can live rent free for 60 days (restrictions do apply).  Bet you’re wondering what properties near you are participating properties, huh?

Well, that is easy to find! If you go onto ForRent.com and click on the search page you will see in the middle of the page ‘Search for Apartments by Name’, click on ‘Property Management Companies’. If you type in ‘Goldberg Co., Inc.‘, you will find a list of apartment communities that are participating properties in Ohio such as Granda Gardens Apartments in Cleveland and Settler’s Landing in Streetsboro. Are you looking for an apartment in North Carolina? Legacy Crossroads in Carry or Legacy North Hills and Barrington Place in Raleigh, North Carolina offer the lay-off proof lease.  How about Florida? Apartment communities include Cypress Grand and Westwood Reserve at Citrus Park in Tampa.  How about if you’re living in Texas and want to find an apartment community offering this incentive? Don’t worry, Toscana at Sonterra Apartments in San Antonio will take care of you!

Goldberg Co., Inc. prides itself on having a level of maintenance and management that is unparalleled in the real estate industry.  The apartment residents and office tenants are proud to be in some of the most attractive buildings and surrounded with the most up-to-date facilities and highest quality on-site management.

During these economic times, uncertainty is guaranteed.  There are very few people whose job is 100% recession proof, so having an apartment community that understands should a situation arise is very reassuring.  Weathering this economic storm would certainly be easier with more companies taking on this incentive.