Õ¨´ºª ¨ MARCH/APRIL 2011 EDITION
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Alta Park West
9680 W Northern Avenue
Peoria 888 966 6836
mark-taylor com/altaparkwest
Northern Greens
8150 N 61st Avenue
Glendale 623 435 9988 mark-taylor.com/northerngreens
San Prado
5959 W Utopia Road
Glendale 877 461 5056
mark-taylor com/arizona/sanprado
West Town Court
8400 W Virginia Avenue
Phoenix 866 293 0992
mark-taylor com/arizona/ west-town-court
Acacia Pointe 8344 N 67th Avenue
Glendale 623 842 1522
Archstone Arrowhead 7701 W St. John Road
Glendale 623 486 9400
Arroyo Palms Apartments
4444 W. Ocotillo Road
Glendale
623.792.7067
Brook Creek Apartments
4937 W Myrtle Avenue
Glendale 623 842 3007
Bethany Village
6565 W. Bethany Home Road
Glendale
623.842.1032
Cambridge Square 6060 W. Royal Palm Road
Glendale
623.939.8615
Coldwater Springs Apartments 12115 W Van Buren Street
Avondale 623 882 2653
Country Gables Apartments 15010 N. 59th Avenue
Glendale
602.938.2578
No
No
The Coves at Newport 7102 N 43rd Avenue
Glendale 623 247 2105
Crystal Springs Apartments 8502 N 67th Avenue
Glendale 623 937 2910
Greentree Apartments
5959 W. Greenway Road
Glendale 602.938.2896
Northwest Garden Apartments 9350 N 67th Avenue
Glendale 623 878 7394
Norwood Village 6738 N. 45th Avenue
Glendale 623.934.7579
Ranchwood Apartments 5740 N 59th Avenue
Glendale 623 931 6220
Ridgepoint Apartments 5020 W Peoria Avenue
Glendale 623 842 3526
Rio Santa Fe 13015 W. Rancho Sante Fe
Boulevard Avondale, 866.540.0934
San Martin Apartments 6802 N 67th Avenue
Glendale 623 939 8442
San Remo Apartments 5755 N 59th Avenue
Glendale 623 931 7779
Shadow Rose Apartments 6231 N 67th Avenue
Glendale 623 931 5900
Sienna Park Apartments 6444 N. 67th Avenue Glendale 623.934.0636
Summerhill Place 6801 W Ocotillo Road
Glendale 623 939 7793
Sunset Landing 8450 N. 67th Avenue
Glendale 623.934.8151
Versante 11120 W Van Buren Street Avondale 623 463 5755
Villas at Camelback Crossing 5150 N. 99th Avenue Glendale 866.456.9841
Alta Phoenix Lofts
600 N Fourth Street
Phoenix 866 289 5292 mark-taylor com/arizona/ alta-phoenix-lofts
Matthew Henson Apartments
840 W Tonto Street
Phoenix 602 252 1522
Taylor Place 120 E. Taylor Street
Phoenix 602 496 6711 asu-taylorplace.com
Arete
2506 W Dunlap Avenue
Phoenix 602 944 7002
Brookeld Terrace 6545 N 19th Avenue
Phoenix
602.249.0114
Camelback Cove Apartments 4802 N 12th Street
Phoenix 602 279 6606
Canyon Place 4715 N. Black Canyon Highway
Phoenix
602.433.2500
Colter Park Apartments
525 W Colter Street
Phoenix 602 262 6575
Cottages at Hayward 2021 W Hayward Avenue
Phoenix 602 973 5322
Fountains in the Green 3019 N 14th Street
Phoenix 602 277 0282
Glen Arbor Apartments 2250 W Glendale Avenue
Phoenix 602 995 3323
Granite Bay 14230 N. 19th Avenue
Phoenix
602.866.9196
The Heritage Apartments 1100 E Osborn Road
Phoenix 602 241 6200
Hidden Cove 2001 W Union Hills Drive
Phoenix 602.863.9697
Maya Linda Apartments 8222 N 19th Avenue
Phoenix 602 995 3555
The Met 200 E Fillmore Street
Phoenix 602 258 6387
Mission Shadows 8111 N 19th Avenue
Phoenix 602 861 9904
Monarch Apartments 77 W Coolidge Street
Phoenix 602 277 2778
Monte Vista Apartments 302 E. Monte Vista Road
Phoenix 602 254 3257
Montelano Apartments 8330 N. 19th Avenue Phoenix
602.864.3400
Paradise Falls Apartments 15434 N 32nd Street
Phoenix 602 482 9099
Partenza on Highland 1320 E Highland Avenue
Phoenix 602 254 3200
Paseo Verde Apartments 4444 N Seventh Avenue
Phoenix 602 277 8170
Plaza 550 Apartments 550 E. Earll Drive
Phoenix
602.266.5822
Pointe del Sol Apartments 730 W Vogel Avenue
Phoenix 602 944 4004
Promontory Pointe 888 E. Clinton Street
Phoenix 602.298.4300
Tesoro Apartments 8603 N 22nd Avenue
Phoenix 602 997 7992
Uptown Arcadia Apartments 325 W Pasadena Avenue
Phoenix 602 264 2489
Villa Riviera 3040 N Second Street
Phoenix 602.253.0616
Village Square Apartments 14014 N 32nd Street
Phoenix 602 992 1333
Q. My sister-in-law is apartment hunting in San Diego, and shes been told that every time a landlord, or anyone else, submits a credit check, her credit score is automatically lowered by the credit rating agencies. Is that true?
Typically, those inquiries are a very small part of a credit rating In many cases, theyre ignored completely or have zero impact, said Craig Watts, spokesman for the Fair Isaac Corp., which created the FICO credit score system more than 25 years ago.
A FICO score, which is the most commonly used credit scoring system in the country, is based on ve categories The biggest factor affecting your score is your payment history: how promptly you pay and how often youve been delinquent on monthly payments.
Credit report inquiries from a landlord, if theyre counted at all, would be less than ve points on a persons score, according to Watts.
Theres a difference between requests from landlords or a credit card company, and those from an auto dealer or mortgage company.
In general, if youre shopping for a home or auto loan and contact several different lenders to compare rates, it wont hurt your credit score Thats because the FICO computing system was changed a few years ago to protect consumers from being penalized for seeking multiple, competitive interest rates on home or auto loans If you have several inquiries from car loan or mortgage companies in a 45-day period, theyre lumped together as a single inquiry, Watts said.
Thats not usually the case with apartment landlords and credit card companies Even so, the impact of such inquiries is negligible.
There are far more signicant ways to damage your credit score. It can drop if youve:
Missed any bill payments, even a 30-day late payment.
Been hit with collection agency notices, foreclosures, repossessions, tax liens or bankruptcies.
Applied for any new credit accounts, which can indicate increased risk.
Closed any credit card accounts, increased the balances or had credit limits reduced Any of those might affect the ratio between how much credit youre using and how much you have available (Some debt counselors say that if youre using more than 50 percent of your available credit, it can have a negative impact.)
And remember, you dont get dinged by making inquiries into your own credit report. One of the best ways to stay on top of your credit score is to request a free annual peek from each of the three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) Check annualcreditreport com Generally, requesting a credit report of your credit history is free; obtaining a credit score costs a nominal fee, typically in the $7 to $15 range.
As for future apartment hunting, heres a tip: When youre applying for an apartment, bring a printout of all three of your credit reports and scores (from Experian, TransUnion and Equifax), said Emily Davidson, spokeswoman with credit.com in San Francisco. Theres a chance the landlord will use (your) documents instead of pulling a credit inquiry.
Moving a residence is often fraught with high emotions and involves a to-do list a mile long So, its tempting to give only passing attention to hiring a mover and the related incidental costs.
That could be a mistake - for your wallet and your peace of mind.
Moving can be quite expensive. A typical full-service interstate move costs about $4,300, while the same in-state move might cost about $2,500, according to the American Moving & Storage Association.
And while the moving industry has many ne companies, it is notorious for fraud and dirty tactics by so-called rogue movers.
Here are tips on making your move with lower costs and less hassle.
CHOOSE A TYPE OF MOVE: You have three basic choices: do-it-yourself, full service and a relatively new hybrid of the two Going it alone is cheapest, costing the rental price of a truck, gasoline, packing materials and, perhaps, pizza and beer for friends you rope into helping.
HIRE A QUALITY MOVER: If you hire help, get at least three price quotes and do homework Seek recommendations by talking with family and friends Investigate a companys reputation with the Better Business Bureau (bbb org), Yelp com and possibly the paidmembership site Angies List (angieslist com) Check a companys complaint history at the federal government site, ProtectYourMove gov.
DECLUTTER: No matter what type of move youre making, taking less stuff is cheaper and less hassle Set up a staging area with various piles for recycle, donate and sell.
BE FLEXIBLE: Like airline fares, moving rates depend on when you book The busiest time for movers, and thus the most expensive time for consumers, is summer weekends near the 15th and 30th of the month. Ask what rates
would be for different days or seasons.
SAVE ON BOXES: Buying new boxes from a moving company is the most expensive choice Ask if you can buy used boxes from your moving company Cheaper yet is nding free boxes, ideally from somebody who just moved Specialty boxes, such as wardrobe boxes, might be cheaper to purchase at a do-ityourself moving store, such as U-Haul.
SAVE ON PACKING MATERIALS: If youre packing yourself, ll suitcases, laundry baskets and plastic containers with unbreakable items Use pillows, scarves and towels to wrap fragile belongings. And you might as well empty your paper shredder into a box to add cushion.
MAIL BOOKS: If you have many books, pack them yourself and ship them at the postal media mail rate It might be cheaper than paying a mover A 70-pound box would cost less than $30
CONSIDER CONSOLIDATION: For longdistance moves, ask about consolidating your stuff on a truck with other peoples.
INSURE IT: Check your homeowners or renters insurance policy to determine whether it provides coverage for your belongings while in transit If not, youll probably want more than the basic free valuation coverage a full-service mover provides Be aware that you probably cannot get insurance on boxes you packed yourself A mover must pack them.
BE PREPARED: Plot out where furniture and boxes will go The less time movers spend rearranging, the less expensive it will be.
TIP: Tipping each mover $3 to $5 per hour is customary, said Stephen Coady, marketing manager for Gentle Giant Moving Co in Somerville, Massachusetts.
For in-depth information on choosing a mover, see the free, downloadable Make a Smart Move available at moving.org.
It isnt easy to build up the nerve to ask your landlord for a reduction in rent But these days having the gumption to renegotiate a lease is paying off as landlords struggle to nd and keep tenants with good credit and a history of paying on time.
Ask Mike Haskins, a Raleigh, North Carolina, resident who recently was able to lower his rent The vacancy rate had risen in his neighborhood after two other apartment complexes had been built He knew that the complex in which he was renting wasnt at capacity, and rent for a similar unit on the rst oor was set at $650; his rent was $750.
I felt like I had some power, said the 24-year-old.
It took some pushing and a threat to take his business elsewhere but before long, Haskins made a deal When he renewed his lease, his rent was $100 lower.
It felt like it was the same experience you go through when getting a car. If you agree to the rst thing they offer you, its probably not the best youre going to get, he said.
There are several reasons landlords may be willing to make a deal these days.
Eighty-eight percent of property owners who participated in a recent rent.com survey said that job losses are contributing to vacancy rates Fifty percent said would-be tenants cant afford rent or are trying to save, and 45 percent said that the trend of more people doubling up with roommates is causing units to sit vacant. The survey polled owners representing 3,192 apartment communities throughout the country.
Plus, theres even more inventory to compete with these days because in sluggish housing markets many homeowners rent their homes instead of selling, said Peggy Abkemeier, general manager of rent com And some renters are becoming homeowners as affordability improves and the government entices them with a rst-time buyer tax credit.
In response to vacancies, 68 percent of landlords said they were lowering rents and 68 percent also said they were giving one or more months of rent free; 38 percent said they were reducing deposits; and 18 percent were offering upgrades or allowing more leniency for breaking leases or changing status, according to the rent.com survey. Fifteen percent are offering storage or parking at reduced rates, and 8 percent are relaxing pet policies.
Another survey, from Move Inc , which operates realtor com, found that 39 percent of people would sign a 12-month lease if it came with two months of free rent, and 18 percent would sign for free utilities for two months including water, electricity and gas Fourteen percent said a free at screen or LCD television would get them to commit to a lease for a year.
And yet another survey by TransUnion, which screens credit for property-management companies, found that half of property managers are having difculty locating qualied renters, compared with last year.
Lessors of real estate are earning signicantly less so far this year, according to Sageworks, a nancial information company Prots are falling, company research shows, and empty units cost money to maintain.
Still, rental markets do vary, so before you start negotiating make sure you know your markets dynamics.
In Californias East Contra Costa area, rentals are scarce because there is so much competition between former homeowners who lost their homes in foreclosure, said real-estate agent Lynne Palmer.
In fact, there are some markets where the monthly cost of renting is more than the cost of buying a similar place, such as Queen Creek.
Theyre usually areas that have been really hit by foreclosures, as well as short sales, said Leslie Tyler, vice president of ZipRealty.
Whether you own or rent, youre bound to end up with furniture, clothing, electronics and a whole lot of other stuff But thats where the common ground ends.
Most homeowners have insurance that covers the loss of their possessions in the event of a re, theft, or other covered peril Thats not the case for renters.
Nationwide, 96 percent of homeowners have homeowners insurance (such insurance is a requirement of having a home loan) while only 43 percent of renters have renters insurance, industry statistics show.
Almost half of the renters questioned in an Allstate survey of the Bay Area conducted in June said they knew about renters insurance, but had not yet bothered to look into getting a policy. Another third said they didnt think their possessions were valuable enough to get insurance.
(Renters) tend to be younger when they enter the rental market and (think) My stuff is not worth that much but when you lose everything its devastating, said Dawn Prince, owner of an Allstate agency in San Francisco Thats not the attitude to take, she said.
Its not that you dont have that much Its that what you do have would be very difcult to go out and replace, she said.
Forty-two percent of renters in the Allstate survey, regardless of whether they had renters insurance or not, estimated the value of their possessions at $20,000 or more.
Premiums for renters insurance are tied to the insured value of your possessions and the size of the deductible, among other factors.
It depends on how much coverage you choose, Prince said, adding that the cost can be lowered if you get renters insurance from the same carrier that provides your auto insurance. Renters insurance covers the loss
of personal property due to re or smoke, lightning, vandalism, theft, explosion, windstorm and water damage from plumbing Renters insurance also provides for temporary lodging. But it does not cover damage caused by earthquakes, oods or landslides. Such coverage has to be purchased separately.
When looking for renters insurance, make sure the policy has replacement coverage as opposed to actual cash value coverage, experts advise With replacement coverage, the insurance company pays up to the policys dollar amount for what it costs in todays dollars to replace the items Actual cash value pays the replacement cost minus the appreciation.
Renters insurance also includes personal liability coverage for medical and legal bills in cases where the insured renter causes accidental injury to other people and/or their property.
Not only that but the liability coverage also extends outside of the home Personal liability coverage deals with things that happen in life that dont necessarily have to be at home, Holland explained.
Some renters policies can also include dog bite liability with coverage depending on the dogs breed and its history.
When a renter has roommates, its important to ask the carrier if the policy can be written in the names of the all roommates, said Holland.
Some renters incorrectly assume the landlords insurance for the apartment building will cover their possessions.
There is no duplication of coverage between a landlords coverage and a tenants coverage, Holland said.
The upshot: If a re in your apartment building destroys your possessions, youre out of luck if you dont have renters insurance.
Alta Ravenwood
647 W Baseline Road
Tempe 480 619 6135 mark-taylor com/altaravenwood
Apache Station
2323 E Apache Boulevard
Tempe 480 659 2600 apachestation com
Block 1949
1949 E University Drive
Tempe 877 466 4920 block1949 com
Chazal
1075 N Miller Road
Scottsdale 888 303 1697
mark-taylor com/arizona chazal
The Domain at Tempe
1900 E Apache Boulevard
Tempe 480.966.3300 assetcampushousing com/ portfolio/domain-at-tempe
Gateway Tempe
1655 E University Drive
Tempe 480 699 5333 gatewayattempe com
The Lofts at Rio Salado
1033 N Parkside Drive
Tempe 602 895 9000 srgcares com
Metropointe Apartments
7017 S. Priest Drive
Tempe 480 264 0977
mark-taylor.com/arizona/metropointe
The Palms on Scottsdale
1535 N Scottsdale Road
Tempe 480 699 4200 thepalmsonscottsdale.com
San Marbeya
1720 E Broadway Road
Tempe 480 619 6443
mark-taylor com/sanmarbeya
San Palmilla
750 W Baseline Road
Tempe 480 619 6137
mark-taylor com/sanpalmilla
San Portella
2155 S. 55th Street
Tempe 480 619 6464
mark-taylor.com/sanportella
Villas on Apache
1111 E Apache Boulevard
Tempe 480 303 7001 villasonapache com
*Restrictions; **$14 for water, sewer and
Azul at Spectrum
3134 S Market Street
Gilbert 877.464.8535
mark-taylor com/arizona/ azul-at-spectrum
Borrego at Spectrum
3004 S. Market Street
Gilbert 888 626 9770
mark-taylor.com/borrego
San Cierra
2400 N Arizona Avenue
Chandler 888.514.5991
mark-taylor com/sancierra
Waterstone Apartments
1651 S Dobson Road
Mesa 480 831 6200 thewaterstoneapartments com
454 West
454 W Brown Road
Mesa 480 699 8034
Country Club Verandas 1415 N Country Club Drive
Mesa 480 835 9316
Apache Station
2323 E. Apache Boulevard
Tempe 480 659 2600 apachestation com
The Domain at Tempe
1900 E Apache Boulevard
Tempe 480 966 3300 assetcampushousing com/ portfolio/domain-at-tempe
The Lofts at Rio Salado 1033 N Parkside Drive Tempe 602 895 9000 srgcares com
Matthew Henson Apartments 840 W Tonto Street Phoenix 602.252.1522
Taylor Place
120 E Taylor Street Phoenix 602 496 6711 asu-taylorplace com
University Palms 1207 E. Eighth Street Tempe 480 517 4800 universitypalms com
Villas on Apache 1111 E Apache Boulevard Tempe 480 303 7001 villasonapache com
