No one likes to move. Moving is stressful, exhausting, scary and exciting too. Its a new beginning, you’ve gone through your things and donated and thrown away the unwanted and your ready to start fresh. Looking for a new place to live can be very hard. With these few tips hopefully it will make the job less cumbersome and stressful.
Decide what area you want to live in and search the listings. Drive the area and look for signs. A fair amount of people do not have computers and will just post a sign in the yard. This is one of the most effective ways to advertise and it is used by almost everyone with a rental home. Some neighborhoods and subdivisions however may not allow signage.
Do some research and learn what the most popular advertising tool is in your state. This is where management companies and owners advertise the details of homes available for rent. It is different everywhere, for example in California the most popular listing tool is
www.Zillow.com
. If your not sure call a local property management company and ask them. While you’ve got them on the phone ask them if they have anything available that meets your needs and price range. In Oregon the most popular advertising tool is
www.Craigslist.com
. Craigslist has done a lot of updates to their posting requirements and is much more secure than in the past and is a great resource.
When searching on line be very careful, be suspicious and smart. No one should ever ask you for money up front and promise to send you the keys. That is not how any management company will proceed with the transaction. Look for homes that are managed by a legal management company and verify that they are Licensed and Insured. Look for ads that are full of details with pictures, prices complete descriptions and no misspelled words or strange sentences with contact information clearly stated and not just email communication. You should expect to have to fill out an application and go through a screening process. Ask which company they will be using for the screening and verify it is a legal and licensed company as well. After approval you will be asked to put a deposit and get a receipt. This is a “deposit to hold”. If your moving from out of state you will need to sign the rental agreement and addendum’s upon arrival and would get the keys at that time and pay the first months rent. Keep in mind, there are many ways that this process can be done and it may vary from company to company. My point however, is to be smart and never just send anyone money without some sort of organization and receipts and make sure that you are working with a licensed management company for your protection.
Be prepared to answer questions about your personal financial situation, credit history, rental history, why your moving, if you have bankruptcies, foreclosures or any debts that may show up on your screening report it will be important to disclose that up front. Know your past addresses and contact information, be able to list employment information with contacts and phone numbers. Most importantly be honest and upfront about your situation. This is the time to disclose your situation and “sell” . Its a time to get to know your manager or management company and how they communicate with their client’s. Tri County Management, LLC will perform a pre-screening over the phone to verify your qualifications before showing a home. It’s a quick simple way to lear about each other. Why show a home to someone who doesn’t even meet your qualification guidelines? So, be prepared to answer these questions. Get a rental application and go over it. These are the questions you’ll need to be able to answer.
Be very proactive about your search. Once you’ve found something you may be interested in, make the call. The fastest and most efficient way to get information and speak to someone about the add is to call. Voice to voice is the best way for you to answer the questions they will have and for you to get your questions answered as well. If your still interested once you’ve been pre qualified make an appointment. The sooner you view the property the sooner you will get an application in and get your approval. If you live in an area where the demand for homes is high undoubtedly there will be many people interested and you could get bumped by someone with an earlier appointment who decides to turn in an application before you.