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More Families Turn to Rental Housing/Apartment Living

04/25/2012 12:39:00

Shared by AptExert.com - Kathy Curtis

More Families Turn to Rental Housing Digested From "Family-Friendly Rentals"
Las Vegas Review-Journal (04/17/12) by Marilyn Kennedy Melia
Breaking with tradition, more families are choosing to rent rather than buy. These families, including some who used to own, place a priority on neighborhood and the quality of the school system. In selecting between renting a single-family house and an apartment, they consider safety, education, and affordability. One multifamily housing architect reports that more large apartment communities are beginning to incorporate open spaces with play equipment and add more three-bedroom units. David Barker, a finance professor at the University of Iowa, and Eric Miller of the Congressional Budget Office offer evidence that homeownership is not necessary to provide stability for families. "We found that once you control for things like the wealth of the family, then homeownership itself is not statistically significant. When a family that lives in housing that is affordable – whether it's rented or not – that's linked with better school outcomes. [All the better,] if a family can afford to rent in a good school district," Barker says.

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Vacancy Rate Falling, Rents Increasing-Call Kathy at AptExpert.com for Help!

04/18/2012 11:25:00

NAR Outlook Predicts Apartment Vacancy Decline Digested From "Commercial Real Estate Forecasted to Improve"
Realty Times (04/12/12) by Carla Hill
Fundamentals are improving across the commercial property industry, according to the most recent quarterly outlook from the National Association of Realtors. "Sustained job creation is benefiting commercial real estate sectors by increasing demand for space," explains NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun. The group expects vacancies to shrink even more over the next year, by 0.4 percent in the office segment and 0.8 percent in the industrial market. The vacancy rate for multifamily housing, meanwhile, is slated to fall by 0.2 percent this year, leading to continued rent increases. "The tight apartment market should encourage more apartment construction," Yun noted.

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You need help in this market to find the best values in the area, call Kathy Curtis-Texas Apartment Locators Houston - 281-842-7965 or email me at kat.curtis@comcast.net to find your next apartment home without having to do any research, I'll do it all for you FREE! Visit http://www.aptexpert.com/ for details and contact me now!

10 Things Your Neighbors Won't Tell You

04/10/2012 12:51:00

http://www.smartmoney.com/spend/real-estate/10-things-your-neighbors-wont-tell-you-1307481521780/#articleTabs

The Number #1 reason to rent an apartment and not a home, townhome or privately owned condo! When you rent an apartment that is owned and managed by a well established management company - they must run "criminal history-background checks" on every occupant that is of age! This is very important to you - WHY? You don't want to be living across the hall or next door to a Registered Sex Offender or violent offender of any kind! You can avoid that by using a licensed professional apartment locator that knows the area and apartment communities that make sure that is mandatory! There are many other advantages to renting in a well respected apartment community. Read the 10 things your neighbors won't tell you above! If you buy or rent a home, a privately owned condo or townhome, or a privately owned rental of any kind, the fact is that you could easily be living next door to someone that has a criminal background, violent or otherwise! Buyer beware! This is just one of many reasons to use my service, AptExpert.com, or the services of a professional apartment locator such as myself, Kathy Curtis-Texas Apartment Locators Houston! I know from first hand experience as a prior multi-family property manager, the apartments that I work with always run a background history check - Email kat.curtis@comcast.net for your next apartment search free today or call 281-842-7965 to get your search started, absolutely a free service to you - the apartment owners pay me to bring them a new qualified resident and you enjoy reduced pricing, specials and getting the best possible quality from a licensed agent that is knowledgeable about the area and the apartment communities that match your criteria, wants and needs!

The Case For Continuing To Rent

04/10/2012 12:06:00

The Case for Continuing to Rent Digested From "The Case for Remaining a Renter"
SmartMoney (04/04/12) by Quentin Fottrell
Though super-low house prices and rising rents might seem to increase the appeal of homeownership for some, renting still has numerous benefits. Two things to keep in mind are that people in most other prosperous countries often rent, and that the main benefit most say was an incentive to own -- the mortgage deduction on taxes -- is useless if a taxpayer does not itemize the deductions on the annual income tax returns. Would-be homeowners also have to deal with a down-payment. Those who rent, as long as they do not rent through a real estate broker, typically only have to pay a damage deposit. Homeowners also have to contend with such future costs as legal fees, maintenance, and other repairs. Though a mortgage with a low interest rate can be useful, the slow recovery of the job market could mean that people need to move for jobs -- a process that is incredibly easier and cheaper when renting. Finally, the most historical benefit of homeownership -- equity -- has been accumulating so slowly, if at all, that it may no longer really count as an advantage.

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Apartments Are Through The Roof! AptExpert.com

03/28/2012 13:43:00

Taken from an excerpt from a local Texas publication

In apartments, occupancy rates are high and most complexes report month long waiting lists..

For those who already have an apartment, the increase levied each time a lease is renewed this month has risen to an average of $250, Best said, quoting statistics provided by apartment association officials.

Save your time and energy, contact AptExpert.com | Kathy Curtis-Texas Apartment Locators today to find your next apartment home, free, fast and I'm an expert in finding the best possible quality for your hard earned money!

281-842-7965 or email kat.curtis@comcast.net today to get your search going. You can also fill out the "start search/contact me" form on the home page of AptExpert.com or mobile site at www.m.aptexpert.com

AptExpert.com

03/13/2012 19:01:00

Apartment Rents are continuing to climb across the Clear Lake, and Houston, Texas areas, and as long as the market will bear it, they will continue to rise. We are having a tough time keeping up with demand, so that's why there are 39 new apartment rental properties under construction in the area, just in Houston, Texas alone! See more about this topic here and daily as I continue to keep my blog current for my customers and future customers. This was taken from the National Apartment Association, (The National Apartment Association (NAA) is America's leading advocate for quality rental apartment housing. NAA's mission is to serve the interests of multifamily housing owners, managers, developers and suppliers and maintain a high level of professionalism in the multifamily housing industry to better serve the rental housing needs of the public).

Orange County (Calif.) Apartment Rents to Jump 4 Percent

Digested From "Forecast: O.C. Apartment Rents to Jump 4 Percent"
Orange County Register (CA) (03/07/12) by Jeff Collins

According to the Marcus & Millichap's National Apartment Index, the Orange County, Calif., apartment market is expected to see lower vacancy ratings and higher rents this year. The report ranked the county fifth out of 44 U.S. metro areas and third out of the state's seven metro areas. Researchers are predicting that apartment residents will likely see an average rent increase of about 4 percent in the O.C. Additionally, they expect the vacancy rate to drop to 3.9 percent countywide. Unaffordable houses and younger workers moving out of their parents' homes are big reasons for the changes.

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Apartment News Across the US

03/13/2012 18:54:00