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7 Hacks to Help You Find Your Next Apartment in a Week

By U.S. News & World Report

The amount of time you give yourself to find a new apartment is important. Ideally, you’ll able to research on your own time, weigh the pros and cons of different neighborhoods, tour all your best options and finally settle on the place you’ll be happy with for at least the next year.

But that’s in a perfect world. In reality, a new job in another state, overtime that takes up your weekends or simple procrastination means you’re suddenly scrambling to find the right place while you get closer and closer to moving day.

When you have to make a decision quickly, it’s all too easy to settle for an apartment that’s less than ideal. But with the right preparation and a little strategy, you can narrow your search in a couple days and have your perfect apartment in a week. Here are seven hacks to finding your next place in just seven days.

[See: 8 Apartment Amenities You Didn’t Know You Needed.]

Define your budget. You can’t make any moves without knowing your budget first.

Many landlords and property managers require you to earn a certain amount beyond the rental rate in order to approve an application. Collin Bond, a broker who works with buyers, sellers and renters at Triplemint, a full-service real estate firm in New York, says the recommendation for New Yorkers is to make an annual salary that’s 40 times the monthly rent. So if the rent on an apartment is $2,750 per month, you’ll need to make $110,000 per year to live comfortably.

Research, research, research. One week of apartment hunting sounds like a harrowing, action-packed few days, but most of it actually happens online. A simple Google search or visits to sites like Zillow, Trulia, Apartments.com and Rent.com can get you seeing apartments along with all the preliminary information you need in just a few clicks, from parking costs to details on laundry facilities, amenities and whether pets are allowed.

Hone in on listings in specific neighborhoods by reading up on crime statistics, nearby schools or local businesses in the areas you’d like to live — whether it’s based on where you’ll be working, where your favorite grocery store is or the community that feels most comfortable for you.

“Once you’ve done that initial homework, then that’ll give you an idea of who you should be talking to,” Bond says.

[Read: The 10 Best Apps for Finding Your Next Apartment.]

Reach out remotely. Online listings only provide so many details, so when you’re ready to inquire in communities that interest you, send emails and make phone calls to property management offices. Ask for more information on available floor plans, rent prices, typical utilities costs and any other details you need to confirm before you can seriously consider the apartment as an option.

Many communities offer email options to get in touch, as do apartment listing sites to make it easier to reach out without having to make a bunch of calls. In addition, Yelp has created a Contact Agent tool that allows users to easily inquire about a listing directly from its site.

The feature also shows the typical response time from the leasing office, so users facing a time crunch to find a new place to live can feel more confident about receiving a response in a timely manner. “You can send a message and know someone’s going to get back to you,” says Effi Fuks-Leichtag, group product manager at Yelp.

Sending a message also provides you with 10 additional, similar apartment communities in the area you may have missed and allows you to send the same note to any you choose. “Instead of being on 10 phone calls, you can filter half of them, then you can progress with whomever you want and do it at your own convenience,” Fuks-Leichtag says.

Consult a professional. Especially if you’re relocating to a new city, a real estate agent can be an invaluable asset when it comes to finding a place.

The local knowledge and rental insight can even make remote leasing possible. Kim Reidy, director of relocation for Seattle Rental Group, says her firm offers packages ranging from $250 to $650 for renters to tour for a half day or full day with an agent or see apartments virtually through video chat.

“They want that industry professional to really get them up to speed,” Reidy says.

Narrow your search. Before taking any tours, however, you should curate the listings you’ve found and bookmarked online. Remove any apartments outside your budget, those in a location that’s not ideal or simply ones you don’t see yourself renting in.

Your tight schedule is key, so there’s no point in touring an apartment you wish you could afford or one you think you could make yourself like.

Designate one or two days for tours. With a shortened timeline, the last thing you want to do is waste time visiting places you’re not seriously considering. Take that short list of apartments to check out and make appointments to tour them in either one or two days.

If you’re working with an agent, there’s a good chance he or she will be able to schedule tours in a way to optimize the day. Just don’t make it too much of a marathon — you want to find the place you’ll live, not break a record for number of tours in a day.

“I try not to show more than six in a day,” Bond says. “Even at six, everything starts to get jumbled together, and you forget what bedroom goes with what dining room.”

While touring, keep your own list of must-haves in mind, while also keeping an eye out for red flags that may indicate the place isn’t ideal, such as deferred maintenance in the apartment, poorly kept common areas and signs of a possible pest problem.

[See: Your Moving Checklist: Don’t Let These Details Slip Through the Cracks.]

Make your pick and move quickly. In the current state of low housing inventory throughout the U.S., the rental and sale markets are moving just as fast as each other, so there’s no room to hesitate if you’re on a deadline.

“Hopefully at the end of the rental tour, someone feels educated enough, with the listings that were provided beforehand and the rental tour, to go ahead and make that decision on where to rent,” Reidy says.

Once you’ve made your choice out of the places toured, be ready to fill out a rental application and provide the landlord with all your information needed to conduct a background check and verify that you can afford the apartment. Similar to purchasing a home, Bond notes, you don’t want there to be any questions about your ability to afford the apartment. “Then the only terms that are negotiated are the terms of the lease or the terms of the sale,” he says.

For renting, that means negotiating terms of the lease and possible concessions that can give you money off the rent, a waived security deposit or paid moving expenses.

More from U.S. News

The 25 Best Places People Are Moving to in the U.S. in 2017

The 25 Best Affordable Places to Live in the U.S. in 2017

The 25 Most Desirable Places to Live in the U.S. in 2017

7 Hacks to Help You Find Your Next Apartment in a Week originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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