Apartment Blog

There are many reasons to love Halloween.  Here are 5:

• 1. It means that Fall is really here. You get to enjoy the beautiful colors of fall and even enjoy the cool weather before the fresh winds of November roll through.
• 2. Candy is in abundance and you don’t have to feel guilty about purchasing lots and lots of it. People will automatically assume that you are buying candy for the neighborhood kids, but you may just be buying it for yourself! Enjoy it, it will be your last candy binge before Christmas!
• 3. Potential to meet new neighbors. Halloween gives you a reason to interact with neighbors that you may have been shy to meet in the past. It may also help your kids meet good friends in the neighborhood
• 4. Kids! Well, you may not be a fan of kids but you won’t be able to turn them down in their cute costumes. Even if you don’t have your own, you can spoil other people’s kids, see their smiles, and then see them leave. This might be the ideal interaction with kids.
• 5. Another excuse to have a party. The last quarter of the year can be extremely stressful and any occasion to have a party is a good occasion. Don’t miss out this year.

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

If you plan on throwing or attending a Halloween party, don’t you want to be the center of all the festivities?  Don’t let anyone outdo you this year.  When wearing a costume you get to become someone else for one night.  Why not make it memorable for you and all attendees.    We’ve posted a blog about Halloween Couple Costume Ideas, but here are some hot costumes for Guys and Gals:

Guys

• 1. Geico Caveman- Team up with a buddy or two and purchase caveman masks. You can wear the laidback button up shirts seen in the commercials or even go with the biker outfits. This will surely garner a lot of laughs when you arrive and will make it easier to talk to the women at the party. Who can resist a rugged and famous Caveman?
• 2. Iron Man- If rugged and hairy is not for you, maybe you want to show off the iron you have been pumping. Even if you haven’t been pumping iron, I am sure that the Iron Man costume comes with pre-pumped muscles for you to show off. If ladies love the man of steel..wouldn’t they love the man of….Iron?
• 3. Michael Jackson- This year we tragically lost the King of Pop. Many people will probably wear a Michael Jackson costume in commemoration of him, but make sure that you go all out. You must have the infamous white glove and you might want to learn a few moves before showing up so that you can battle against all of the other Michael Jackson wannabes!

Gals

• 1. Pirate of the Caribbean(Elizabeth) - Argghh..Nothing cooler than a female pirate. With the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise, pirate clothing is still in. Make sure to bring your sword with you because you may have to show Iron Man and the Caveman who is boss!
• 2. Race Car Driver- Danica Patrick is kicking butt in the racing world and you can remind all of the men at the party with your race car driver costume. Make the super heroes look outdated and the athletes look lost.
• 3. Betty Boop- If you get sea-sick or car sick, the Pirate and Race Car driver costumes may not be for you. They won’t be believable. But, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind showing up as a starlet. Let it be your night and come to the party knowing that all the attention will be on you. Maybe you can even bring your own fans and lights. Why not?

This can be your year to win the “Best Costume” prize.  Don’t let the opportunity pass you by!

With the housing market in a slump and apartment rates increasing, it’s easy to be hesitant about which to choose: Rent or Buy.  More and more apartment residents are thinking of ‘taking the plunge’ so to speak. In fact, very close friends of mine even went as far as speaking with a realtor and looking at houses in their area. They were able to find some that would allow them to pay the same monthly rent as the two bedroom apartment they are currently renting.  So why didn’t they decide to jump?

Simple, they weren’t ready for the commitment. The upfront financial burden that comes with purchasing a home was more than they thought and the constant upkeep and maintenance of being a homeowner was a scary prospect.  They also weren’t sure where they would be in five years, which would make a permanent residence here pointless.

1.       The Upfront Financial Burden

It’s no secret that purchasing a home is a costly decision. Not only are you signing a loan amount for the selling price of the house, but you are also faced with closing costs which consist of lawyer fees, loan officer fees, application processing fees, taxes, etc. That initial cost can be between five to seven percent of the selling price!! If you don’t have that money saved up, be weary of lenders lending out ridiculous amounts of money you may not be able to afford. Or really great ‘no money down’ deals that have hidden clauses in the fine print! This is a main reason why the housing market has plummeted.
   
2.       Upkeep & Maintenance of Homeownership

The comfort of living in an apartment-calling a landlord or management company to fix whatever is wrong with your place-is long gone when you sign on that dotted line of homeownership! Once you become a home owner you are responsible for locating-paying for maintenance workers in addition to your monthly mortgage payment. So if you are uncomfortable with the idea of having to pay additional money to fix any problems, then you may want to stay somewhere where help is just a phone call away and there are no extra fees to have it done!
   
3.       Location in 5 years??

Typically, renting over homeownership has an advantage during the first five years a person purchases a home. Because a good portion of monthly payments do consist primarily of interest on a mortgage, whereas renters just pay to have shelter over their head.  If you don’t know where you will be living in five years (or sooner than that), then you may not want to purchase a home. After five years of owning a home is when it becomes beneficial because you are paying down your investment.

So what does this mean? For current renters, it means you should really think about your options. Yes, the housing market may be in a slump and this is the best time to purchase a home; however, you need to make sure you are ready to take on this step.  Weigh all the factors and look before you leap!