Apartment and Rental News

As January draws to an end, are you reflecting on all those resolutions you made a month ago?  How does it work when you your goals seem to conflict?  Specifically, what do you do when you’ve decided to get in shape AND spend more time at home or to spend less money?  We’ve put together some ways to exercise in your apartment so you can lose that weight without joining a gym.

Jumping Jacks

An oldie but a goodie.  Jumping jacks will get your heart pumping as they tone your muscles.  Do them in sets, and gradually increase the number of repetitions and/or number of jacks.  Related at-home workouts:  running up stairs and jumping rope.

Lift Weights

A pair of hand weights won’t break the bank, and they’re a great way to strengthen both your muscles and your bones.  Don’t jump in too quickly, however; learn how to use weights safely, and slowly build from lighter to heavier.

Watch Aerobics Videos

While pink workout tights may have gone out of style in the eighties, workout videos live on.  Shop around for the ones best suited to your goals and fitness level.

Dance

This is my personal favorite.  All you need is a good playlist, and enough space to flail about.  If you enjoy dancing, it may help you stick to your exercise goals.  It’s great cardio, and as an added bonus, the extra practice will help your rhythm when you’re out on the town!

Yoga

If you practice yoga regularly, you can deepen your experience by practicing on your own at home.  If you’re new to yoga, you can watch videos or listen to podcasts.  We suggest the latter only if you have a good understanding of how to safely move through the various poses.

Stretch

Stretching is exercise all by itself, and can be a good way to ease into more aerobic activities.  If you’re engaging in any of the exercises listed above, please remember to stretch and cool down when you’re done.  Your muscles, joints, and cardiovascular system will thank you.

As always, you should consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.

Do you have hints for people who want to get in shape when they’re short on space?  Tell us here or on Facebook!

As age-old rivalries go, dogs versus cats is paramount.  Like Superman and Lex, Caesar and Brutus, Dumbledore and Grindelwald (for some reason, no female rivalries come immediately to mind), cats and dogs duke it out on the symbolic stage every day, and they don’t even know it. So which furry friend should you choose to light up your days and smell up your couch?  Rather than go through the motions (“dogs are friendly, cats are independent,” etc. etc.), we thought we’d provide you with some telling quotes and let you decide for yourself.

“A cat is a puzzle for which there is no solution.”  –Hazel Nicholson

“Cats are smarter than dogs.  You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.”          –Jeff Valdez

“I am not a cat man, but a dog man, and all felines can tell this at a glance—a sharp, vindictive glance.”           –James Thurber

“A cat is more intelligent than most people believe, and can be taught any crime.”          –Mark Twain

“Choose a cat if you’d have a puppy; dog if you’d have a dog.  Puppies will **** your **** up for a few months, but cats will **** it up forever.”                    –Unnamed source

“Dogs have owners.  Cats have staff.”           –Unknown source

“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.”         –Ben Williams

“I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”       –Winston Churchhill

What are your thoughts on cats and dogs? Tell us here or on Facebook.

Although good credit comes in handy, it’s not the only factor that landlords use to decide whether or not to rent to you.  To understand how to beat a bad credit rap, you need to understand why landlords check credit in the first place:  they want to know if you will pay your rent in a timely fashion.  There are other ways to demonstrate your trustworthiness.

If a landlord requires a credit report, ask to provide it yourself.  Too many “hard inquiries,” requests for your score from people other than yourself, can lower your score.  Additionally, you should attach a letter to your reports, explaining past financial hardship that resulted in a less-than-stellar number, and how those issues have been resolved so they will not affect your current ability to pay rent.

If possible, also attach a letter of recommendation from your previous landlord.  In most cases, such a recommendation will mean much more than a simple score.  And property managers want conscientious tenants, so the effort of providing extra documentation might win you points.

Know your credit history, and be aware of how it has affected your current score; as the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed.  Every year, you’re entitled to one free credit report from the three biggest credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  The TrueCredit 3-in-1 Credit Report will tell you whether these bureaus have reported your scores differently and how each calculates your score.  Knowing these numbers ahead of time will prevent any surprise questions from a potential landlord, and may also help you understand how to build good credit going forward.

Another strategy to avoid rejection is to search for apartments whose managers don’t require credit checks.  Smaller apartments and single family homes, especially in non-competitive areas, are most likely to rent without a credit score.

Finally, it’s important to remember that most landlords don’t have a particular, deal-breaking score in mind.  It might take more time or further explaining, but if you’re proactive about your apartment search, you should be able to rent…even if your credit leaves something to be desired.

Have you been able to secure a rental with less-than-perfect credit?  Tell others how–here or on Facebook!