With the recent condo craze/crash in Florida there are a lot of, what a friend of mine calls, accidental landlords. They bought hoping to flip quickly and now are stuck trying to rent them out.

For the renter, they represent a large source of quality housing, usually at a much lower rent. They can’t afford to sit on a vacant unit so they have to do whatever it takes to get them rented.

But even more importantly, they also tend to be more lenient on the qualifications to rent.

Large apartment communities are usually bound by rigid standards that they have to apply across the board. If you have a credit glitch or infraction with the law from errors made years ago you may find it hard to qualify with the big boys.

A private owner may be a great option to use while trying to repair that credit to be able to rent elsewhere or even buy later on.

On the flip side, they don’t always have the expertise or resources to deal with problems that may come up with the apartment (i.e. repairs). Be sure you discuss who will be responsible if something goes wrong in the property and make sure it is spelled out in the lease.

It is also risky for the renter because they could be required to the pay Condo association and HOA fees for which their landlord is delinquent.

Renting in Gainesville can be a headache.  As we all know, there are a ton of options (a lot of the similar) from which to choose.  The problem lies in narrowing those options down to the few that fit your search criteria.  There are many choices to be made; furnished/unfurnished, washer/dryer, individual lease, and the list goes on.  Obviously price is a main concern, but a close second is usually location.  Many times these options clash with each other.  You can find an apartment in the price range you want but not the location or the amenities.  You can run around from place to place only to find out that the complex doesn’t allow pets, or doesn’t have a washer/dryer, or just isn’t available when you need it.  This can be extremely frustrating, especially with gas prices being so high.

Luckily, there is a way to avoid most of these problems.  Apartment Hunters can narrow your search for you and only show you the options that work for you.  All you have to do is contact us.  You can call us, email us, or just stop in the office.  Any way you choose you will have a personalized search tailored to your needs.

The days of driving around Tampa or Orlando looking for an apartment, or worse, looking through the classified ads, are quickly disappearing.

Most people don’t have the time or patience for that and the best properties and the best deals usually can’t be found that way.

The internet has become a huge resource for people looking for a new home. But too often it has become a glorified ad, only telling you what the property wants you to know.

This is where an apartment locator can be a tremendous help. A true locator service differs from the sites that simply offer a searchable database. Again, these really are just ads from the apartment community. There is no one to talk to or ask questions about the property except the property personnel. Nothing against them, but their job is to sell you on their property not necessarily the best property for you.

A true apartment locator with personalized help should be able to offer both the database that you can search, but more importantly, an experienced local expert that you can talk to (or email). You can tell them exactly what your needs or wants are, what is important to you and what is not. They can often times make suggestions or properties or even areas that you may not have ever considered before.

Especially with the proliferation of the condo conversion and reversions back to rentals it can be difficult to know if a particular property is renting or not. Many private owners can offer significant deals but are difficult to find on your own.

It does not end up costing the renter any more to use a locator. They are paid by the apartment community out of their advertising budget and are under agreement to offer the same rates as to anyone just walking in.

Many times a good locator can save you a substantial amount of money by looking for specials that properties will offer at various times to try to quickly rent a particular unit.