Apartment Blog

ForRent.com wants to make sure that we are reaching apartment renters and prospective apartment renters in as many places as possible so that it makes the apartment search easier.  So we post our apartment videos on various social networking and video sharing sites!  We upload videos to our video syndication network which consists of a variety of sites such as: YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Dailymotion and many others. These videos really provide a rich cinematic view of both the apartment community and the surrounding area.

Take a look at these…..

Millennium Apartment Homes in Greenville, SC

San Regis Apartments For Rent in Van Nuys, CA

Grand River Canyon Apartments in Colorado Springs, CO

Lamplight Square at the Park Apartments in Colorado Springs, CO

Villetta Apartments For Rent in Mesa, AZ

Avalon White Plains Apartments For Rent in White Plains, NY

Towers of Windsor Park Apartments in Cherry Hill, PA

Madison Park Apartments For Rent in Kansas City, MO

Orchard Heights Apartments in Rialto, CA Video

We’re getting more and more of these videos up each week. Have we hit your apartment community yet?

Every year people make resolutions for the New Year. Most resolutions circle around weight loss goals, money or time with family and friends. This year, we want to provide New Years resolutions specifically for renters!

Take a look below:

1. Start 2009 fresh….if you’re tired of the apartment community you live in now? Visit ForRent.com to find a new apartment in your area!

2. Follow the trend of 2008 into 2009, utilize tips for ‘going green’!

3. Feeling overwhelmed from 2008? Get organized in 2009!

4. Have you been saying you’re ready for a new look? Then spice up your decorating style in 2009 with a few decorating tips!

5. Wanna get fit this year? Why not utilize your apartment communities’ amenities?! Go to the Fitness Center to work out!

6. Is your goal to spend more time with family and friends this year? Become a terrific cook with these recipes and you’re bound to have more gatherings at your apartment!

7. Need to save money in 2009?? Consider getting a roommate, browse these roommate tips.

8. And if 2009 is another year that reminds you you’re alone, considering getting a pet! Weigh your options by reading pet-friendly apartment tips.

9. If you’re thinking of relocating to a different area, be prepared! Research as much information about that city/state as you can; one place to do so would be at our City Guide.

10. Another great resolution is to get to know your neighbors!

ForRent.com hopes you have a happy and safe New Year! See you in 2009!!

We’re reaching apartment renters and prospective apartment renters in as many places as possible so that we can make the apartment search easier.  We upload videos to our video syndication network which consists of a variety of sites such as: YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Dailymotion and many others; providing a rich cinematic view of both the apartment community and the surrounding area for YOU!

Take a look at these…..

Alaris Village Apartments in Winston Salem, NC

ForRent.com Hawthorne Gates Apartments in Atlanta, GA

Wellington Ridge Apartments in Lawrenceville, GA

ForRent.com Village at Cascade Park Apartments in Vancouver, WA

Springhill Apartments in Overland Park, MO

ForRent.com Versante Apartments For Rent in Tempe, AZ

Indigo Springs Apartments in Kent, WA Video

Summit at Warner Center Apartments in Woodland Hills, CA

ForRent.com Waterford Place Apartments in Atlanta, GA

Oak Park Village Apartments in Lenexa, MO

Echo Ridge Apartments For Rent in Castle Rock, CO

ForRent.com wants to make sure that we are reaching apartment renters and prospective apartment renters in as many places as possible so that it makes the apartment search easier.  So we post our apartment videos on various social networking and video sharing sites!  We upload videos to our video syndication network which consists of a variety of sites such as: YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Dailymotion and many others. These videos really provide a rich cinematic view of both the apartment community and the surrounding area.

Take a look at these…..

Monterey Pines Apartments For Rent in Loma Linda, CA

Country Club Park Apartments in Deland, FL

The Trail Apartments For Rent in Lenexa, KS

Key Isle at Windermere Apartments in Orlando, FL

Sun River Village Apartments For Rent in St. Peters, MO

Pelican Cove Apartments in Florissant, MO

Sinclair Apartments For Rent in Sacramento, CA

Diamonte on Bell Apartments in Phoenix, AZ

The Shipyard Apartments in Hoboken, NJ

If you have a Facebook account, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/ForRentcom/38844010942

and become a Fan of ForRent.com. It’s a great way to help expand your friend list and network with other renters and apartment industry professionals. If you are already part of this group, help spread the word!

The site is updated regularly with videos, blogs, helpful apartment living tips and advice, apartment finding resources, upcoming events, and more.  You can also view photos, announce industry updates, find an apartment, share ideas and more.

By Simon Phillips 

If you live in a furnished apartment, a great way to add your personal touch to the décor is to use furniture slipcovers on the couch and chairs.  Not only can slipcovers hide unattractive or unfashionable upholstery, they have the added bonus of protecting your landlord’s furniture from wear and tear.  If you accidentally drop a slice of pizza on the sofa or your friend’s kid leaves mucky fingerprints on the arms, it’s much easier to wash a slipcover in the machine than to scrub the stains out of the upholstery by hand.

Slipcovers also come in handy if you’re furnishing your apartment yourself, especially if you’re trying to decorate on a tight budget.  It’s easy to find cheap or even free secondhand furniture from yard sales or family.  However, the disadvantage of secondhand furniture is that it’s not necessarily going to be to your taste.  Used sofas tend to look their age, with outdated, dirty or worn upholstery.  Also, it’s common for thrifty renters to acquire separate items - an armchair here, a loveseat there - rather than be lucky enough to find a matching 3-piece suite.  The beauty of slipcovers is they can solve all these problems, by making random seats match and giving old furniture a more modern style.

It’s relatively inexpensive to buy ready made slipcovers, especially if you shop around to find the best offers and clearance sales.  A 2-seat loveseat cover typically costs around $40 to $50.  A bonus of buying one-size-fits-all, mass-produced covers is they are designed to fit pretty much any furniture.  So, you can re-use them if you move to another apartment or if you buy your own furniture in the future.  The fabrics are usually hardwearing cotton or polyester, or a blend of both, and can stand up to lots of use and regular washing.  Stretchy fabrics that contain Spandex are also available, and are good for getting a really tight fit.

Of course, couches and chairs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so sometimes a ready made slipcover might not fit properly.  Custom slipcovers are more expensive and really only worth it if you’ve got a good quality seat you’re going to use for a long time.  But for renters on a budget, there are a few tricks you can use to help get a slipcover to fit.

For instance, if a slipcover is slightly too big and there’s a lot of loose fabric, tuck it all tightly behind and to the sides of the seat cushions.  Poking it in with a wooden spoon helps.  To secure it and prevent it becoming untucked when you sit on it, either buy some purpose-made plastic grippers or make your own from rolled up magazines and rubber bands.  You can push these into the gaps around the seat to stop the excess fabric untucking.  Another trick worth knowing is to use an old blanket or towel to add padding to narrow or wooden arms. 

So, if you’re looking for a way to put your own stamp on your apartment’s décor and get a coordinated look without spending much money, why not invest in some slipcovers?

Simon Phillips is a professional writer, interior design enthusiast and co-founder of www.GetSlipcovers.com.  He particularly enjoys finding ways of furnishing and decorating his home for less.

 Football equals Thanksgiving, right?  Now I would consider myself every inch of the word “fanatic” when it comes to sports, but I would have to put food over football when equating one or the other to Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving, by the way, is my favorite holiday!  Now that that’s out of the way, I would say one of our country’s greatest pastimes is to eat turkey and watch football on Thanksgiving Day.  Thanksgiving is a time for families to get together and just spend quality time.  Now for those of you who live in apartments, don’t feel left out.

I am also a renter who is having house guests for the holiday.  I live in a one-bedroom apartment, but it’s pretty roomy.  Roomy enough for my three younger sisters to crash.  It works because the atmosphere becomes more intimate and you get that closeness with your fam.  Granted they’re not rabid sports fans like me, they suffer through it to spend time with me!  Don’t let apartment living stop you from really enjoying your sports.  I know I certainly don’t let it stop me! 

The Thanksgiving Day Classic is one that carries rich tradition.  This American football custom began in 1920 showcasing five teams, all of whom are now defunct.  This year Thanksgiving Day gives way to 3 games on Thursday, November 27^th.  The Detroit Lions play host to the Tennessee Titans, fresh from their first loss of the season with a kickoff time of 12:30 PM.  The Titans will definitely be taking out some frustration.  Poor Lions, the Titans are going to whip them like some potatoes!  Next, the Dallas Cowboys play host to the Seattle Seahawks with kickoff scheduled for 4:15 PM on Fox.  Even without Tony Romo, Dallas should have no problem brushing the Seahawks to the side.  And last but not least, we have the Arizona Cardinals visiting the Philadelphia Eagles with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 PM on the NFL network.  I’m a little hesitant to give a prediction on this game because the Eagles are streaky, but Arizona, better yet, Kurt Warner, has definitely been showing more than shades of his former self. 

You can turn your apartment into a Thanksgiving Day Classic haven for your family and friends by visiting ForRent.com or our Holiday Guide on our blog.  Now don’t choke on turkey while screaming for you teams!  Gobble, Gobble!!  Happy Thanksgiving.

Arizona is in the southwest region of the U.S.  Its capital is Phoenix and the 2^nd largest city is Tucson.  We will get into those cities apartment trends.  Arizona is apart of the four corners states and is bordered by New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California. As most of you may know Arizona has a desert climate, which means exceptionally hot summers and mild winters. 

Did You Know?

According to Wikipedia, approximately 15% of the states 118,000 square miles is privately owned. The remaining area is public forest and park land, recreation areas and Native American Reservation. Another interesting fact is that Arizona is home to one of the largest and well known -preserved meteorite impact sites in the world-meteor crater!

Phoenix Apartments:

As mentioned earlier, Phoenix is the states capital as well as the largest city. Strong population growth in this city is predicted to give the Phoenix apartment market a healthy performance.  With the number of renters increasing developers are expected to meet the demand with 4,200 units. Search Apartments In Phoenix, AZ.

Tucson Apartments:

Tucson is the 2^nd largest city in Arizona.  It is located southeast of the Phoenix metropolitan area. This city is predicted to be among the fastest growing small MSAs in the country with the relatively low cost of living, proximately to major trade corridors and pro-business environment being the main reasons. Search Apartments in Tucson, AZ.

Colleges and Universities in Arizona:

With corporate relocations and expansions to the Tucson area, there will be an influx of jobs.  Couple with the students at the University of Arizona, the renter demand will be high. For apartments near other Colleges/Universities in Arizona, visit ForRent.com.

Economic times have many businesses thinking twice before they spend their money. However, numerous studies, going back as far as the Great Depression, have shown that maintaining or increasing advertising during tough economic times yields greater results than advertising during good times. According to a recently released article titled, “Advertising in a Recession: In Chaos Lies Opportunity,” advertisers who can maintain or increase their advertising investment will see a greater impact in their advertising. During the recession of the early ’80s, research shows that firms that maintained or increased ad spending during those tough economic times enjoyed significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the next three years versus those that eliminated or decreased advertising.

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”- Albert Einstein

Below you will find ten helpful tips for advertising during tough economic times.

1.      Maintain Quality Customer Service

Current and previous customers are your most valuable asset when the economy’s in a bad place. They already know, like, and trust your business. You can avoid the usual sales and marketing costs to introduce them to your business. Instead of chasing new customers, target the ones you’ve already got. Customer service is even more important in challenging times.

2.      Gain Market Share at Your Competitors’ Expense

During the last recession, McDonald’s almost tripled their advertising campaign at a time when their competitors, namely Burger King, were cutting back. So even though this may seem counter-intuitive, tough economic times may be the time to increase your marketing.

3.      Increase Your Visibility

Consumers don’t stop buying during tough economic times. They may become more selective, but they are still going to buy-most likely from a brand they know. The more visible you are, the more confident your customers and prospects become. By reminding them of your stability and staying power, they will put more trust in your business.

4.      Create Synergy Among Marketing Mediums

Utilize all of your offline and online marketing tools and create synergy between mediums. Enhance your print with text messaging and use streaming video to create a better user experience online. An integrated marketing approach helps to create an overall communication strategy for your target market.

5.      Maximize Your Print Advertising with Mobile Marketing

This can deliver highly personalized and useful information when and where it’s needed. By including a For Rent Magazine^® text messaging keyword on your print or outdoor advertising, you’re allowing prospective renters to reach you 24/7. According to Mobile Marketing Association, 69% of U.S. mobile subscribers use text messaging, with 44% texting daily or weekly. Mobile marketing is on the rise and consumers are conveniently searching for apartments and jobs via mobile Web sites and PDAs.

6.      Enhance Your Internet Marketing with Streaming Video

ForRent.com’s Community Theater^TM video package is an effective Internet marketing alternative allowing you to cost effectively reach hundreds of thousands of prospective renters with our video syndication network. Streaming video has a proven track record to be a successful brand-building medium that has increasingly effective and measurable results. According to comScore Media Metrix, Americans viewed more than 11.4 billion videos for a total duration of 558 million hours during the month of July 2008. 

7.      Build Closer Relationships

The mantra, “It’s not what you know but who you know,” will become more important in tough economic times. Online social networks allow you to actively engage with consumers and deliver messages that are relevant to their changing needs. According to eMarkerter.com, 44% of U.S. consumers used social networking sites at least once a month in 2008. Customers will be looking for those businesses that are still actively engaging with them.

8.      Integrate Community Theater Videos Into Your Social Media Profiles

Through social media, new relationships can be formed between brands, businesses, and consumers which will outlive the economic downturn. Get involved in communities and social networks where your customers are already engaged. Post your Community Theater videos on your apartment community social media profiles such as MySpace^®, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube^TM.

9.      Leverage E-mail Marketing

E-mail marketing will gain market share because marketers can tie them to sales. Use your ForRent.com Community Theater video and send an ePostcard to prospective renters that filled out a guest card on ForRent.com. ForRent.com’s Community E-mailer also allows you to create and send a personalized brochure via E-mail. The power and reach of email has become a must for businesses. It is easy and provides direct interaction with your customers.

10.  Provide Perks

Providing perks to existing customers is good for brand loyalty and can help you achieve brand differentiation. Providing perks to new customers can also provide a leading edge over your competition when it comes to catching the attention of first time customers.  Some example perks are move-in coupons, waiving application fees, rent specials, movie coupons, gas gift cards and more!

Jacksonville is located in the northeast region of Florida, approximately one hour from St. Augustine and two hours from Daytona Beach. Jacksonville is well known for its Jacksonville Naval Station, which was a part of the BRAC Commission (Base Realignment and Closure).

An interesting fact about Jacksonville is that the St. Johns River runs through the entire city and is over a mile wide, with numerous bridges to get into the city over the river.  And of course, Jacksonville is home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the National Football League team, that play at Alltel Stadium.

If you’re looking for a career in healthcare insurance, Jacksonville is the place for you!  It houses corporate headquarters for Blue Cross & Blue Shield and HealthKeepers. To search for jobs in the Jacksonville, Florida area you can visit ForRent.com. According to Forbes.com, Jacksonville made the list at #18 for the top 40 cities for job growth. Jacksonville also made the list of top 40 best cities for singles.

Jacksonville Apartments:

The apartment market in Jacksonville will continue to have renter demand as there is continued job growth and business development. That, coupled with the city’s skilled and educated work force, makes it a desirable place to reside. As if employment growth and entertainment attractions weren’t enough to bring in residents, the overwhelming support of animals may be enough to entice you. Apartment communities throughout the city are extremely pet-friendly.  It is typical for apartments to allow a variety of breeds and weight, as well as offering facilities for animals to play. View apartments in Jacksonville, FL on ForRent.com.

And true to Florida’s reputation there are great beaches for locals and tourists alike. Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach are all located within a ten mile radius. Note: Ponte Vedra Beach is where the Players Championship Golf Tournament takes place.

So if you’re considering relocation, Jacksonville, FL should definitely be on your list of places to explore. With the appeal of Florida’s beaches, the increasing job growth and many other attractions, you’re sure to find your perfect home!