Life in the apartment complex

elSicomoro · 06-04-2003, 09:26 PM

With the exception of one year, I've lived in an apartment all my life. (Though the place where I did most of my growing up was a 2-family flat, with my grandmother and aunt living downstairs...not exactly an apartment, but close enough.)

Having been in an apartment for so long, you get used to seeing a lot of people come and go. Since we've lived at our current place (almost 3 years), we've had 5 new tenants. (We live in a 5-unit building. The complex has 77 buildings, most with 5 units, some with 6).

Our neighbors have been pretty good for the most part: Across from us is the East Asian couple and their toddler. Below them is an older lady. On the first floor is a family of 5. All seem very nice...no complaints, other than them leaving the front door partially ajar.

But when a neighbor moves out, you begin to wonder...who's coming in next? You just hope they'll be decent folk and not cause any problems.

Our neighbors below us just moved out at the end of May. They were an interesting pair--a white couple, late 30s/early 40s...best described as high-class white trash.

Wait a minute...I'm pretty much high-class white trash, so that would put these folks in the middle of the pack.

Apparently, they had kids, though they didn't live with them. But you could tell when they were visiting. Running around the apartment, making an incredible racket...our floor was always shaking. Thank God they were only here for a year. And that damned dog they had...a yippy dog. It barked quite a lot the first several months they lived here. Then the female would be out front in the early morning or late evening...in her nightgown, letting the dog do its thing. What a mess. Maybe if she were better looking, I might not have cared, but...

Our complex has a glut of vacancies right now, it seems. Probably b/c our complex is on the expensive end of places around here...I suspect many folks are getting priced out. We're paying $734 now, and when our lease flips in October, it'll probably bump up to $765 or so. Hopefully, the apartment will stay vacant most of the summer. It's a one bedroom joint, and those seem to be the most plentiful at the moment (along with the 3 BR ones, though there are less of those).

We can't afford to move this year (not enough money in time to do so), so we'll be here one more year. But I've already resolved to get the money saved up early--hopefully this fall. As I've mentioned previously, Rho and I want to live in a place that is more tailored to our lifestyle. And with me working in the city, it's not really worth it to move to the suburbs anymore.

So for now, we'll spruce up the patio and the apartment, and keep looking for our dream place. I love this apartment though--probably the best one I've ever been in. It'll be hard to leave it, but I'm sure we can find something just as nice, if not nicer, come next year.

elSicomoro · 06-29-2003, 06:32 PM

So, I'm walking out to my car yesterday, when I see some guy trying to open the door on Rho's car.

I stand there for a second, then I say, "Can I help you?"

He looks up in surprise, then I say, "That's my car!"

He stands there for a second, looks at the car again, and says, "Oh sorry, the cars look alike in the shade."

It turns out he was the boyfriend of my neighbor downstairs, and he was trying to get into her car.

Now, let me ask you this: How the fuck do you get a green Ford Escort wagon confused with a purple Geo Metro?

06-29-2003, 07:40 PM

You don't. He's a fucking liar. Next time you see him, stab him in the ass with a compass and tell him

"Let this be a lesson to you, you lying mother fucker: don't fuck wit' da bad side of me."

elSicomoro · 06-29-2003, 08:03 PM

He appeared to be intoxicated or high. I went over to the car and started piddling around, like I was actually doing something, until he went back in the apartment. When he did, I heard a bunch of yelling coming from the apartment.

What a nut.

wolf · 06-29-2003, 09:33 PM

Either way (high, or looking for goods to hock to get high with) ... don't leave any cool lookin' stuff out in sight in the cars.

You know, if you were in Texas you could have shot him.

elSicomoro · 06-29-2003, 09:43 PM

Nope...nothing cool in Rho's car.

That Guy · 06-30-2003, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wolf
You know, if you were in Texas you could have shot him.

I can only tell you how true that is. I've had many a friend pull a hefty weapon on a fella that was either tampering or attempting to break into an auto.

Maybe it's the heat that gtes to ya.

ladysycamore · 06-30-2003, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore
Nope...nothing cool in Rho's car.

LOL, sad but true. Well, except my TV/radio (which is a lousy substitute for my non-working car radio...ha!), but other than that, nothing of importance.

Now, had *I* come out and saw this dude by my car, I don't think I would have been as diplomatic as Sycamore. *evil grin*.

elSicomoro · 07-27-2003, 10:51 AM

The new lease for the next year came last week--$774 a month, a $40 a month increase. All things considered, still a good deal.

But now I'm in a self-created conundrum...kinda.

Here's the deal. Rho and I are already planning on moving next year, to a more "hip" area. Most of the apartments we have been looking at are in the $900-1200 a month range. That's a lot of glue to be plopping down on an apartment, so...

More and more, I'm pondering the idea of buying a house. We wouldn't need a lot down, my company would give me a discount on PMI, and my good credit would pretty much insure a good mortgage rate. And we'd probably wind up paying $600-900 a month for something that we own, thereby putting equity into it.

But buying a house brings up a ton of concerns: Our housing market (buying-wise) is tight right now, and it seems like the houses are currently over-priced. Property taxes are nothing short of ridiculous right now, and I don't see Big Ed and the state legislature doing anything about it anytime soon. (There are some new houses being built not too far from here on the other side of the Northeast, and from what I've heard, the yearly tax bill on them is $7000.)

Then there is the issue of staying. At this time, Rho and I have no intentions of remaining permanently in Philadelphia. Realistically, with her parents getting older and her being the only child, I sense we will wind up back in Maryland in the next 2-3 years. (Me and HB are going to become best friends, I bet you.) So, would it make sense to buy a house next year, only to move out of it after only owning it for 1 or 2 years?

5 years ago, I was so against buying a house, b/c of maintenance issues, taxes, and what not. But now I've come to the conclusion that buying a house can be a very smart decision, if done carefully. I don't want to deal with a landlord and neighbors I can hear fucking through the walls forever.

I guess the best thing to do for right now is stay the course, and do more investigating. Not only will it make me a smarter homebuyer down the line, but it'll actually help me understand the nature of my job better, seeing as I work for a Private Mortgage Insurance company.

(BTW, we're now accepting volunteers for the big move, which will occur between July and September of next year. Food and liquor will be provided. Plus, you get to hang out with Rho and I all day...what a treat for you!)

Tobiasly · 07-27-2003, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore
So, would it make sense to buy a house next year, only to move out of it after only owning it for 1 or 2 years?

The short answer is: no. Owning a house is awesome if you can afford it, and in the long run it's a good financial decision (esp. with interest rates at like a 45-year low or some shit like that), but all of the fixed costs are up-front. You'll pay a shitload in closing fees, and for those first few years you're paying mostly interest instead of principal, which, like paying rent, is just money down the drain.

Plus, think of the hassle you'll have to go through in a couple years when you want to sell.

07-27-2003, 12:11 PM

No, good credit would ensure a low interest rate.

Still, you're looking at them probably asking for 15-20% down. What are houses running?

I wouldn't do it.

Tobiasly · 07-27-2003, 12:52 PM

Good credit only gets you the lowest of the going market rates. Someone with good credit would have had a higher interest rate 5 years ago than they would today.

You can get loans for pretty much as little down payment as you want. You can even get cash back if you want. Of course, this also assumes you have good credit. They'll make you pay PMI until you own 20%, but I only put down about 10% on my house and still got a good rate at the time (a year and a half ago).

xoxoxoBruce · 07-27-2003, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Plus, you get to hang out with Rho

I'm in!

Have you considered buying a condo? A lot of people used to do this in order to build equity, avoid maintenance and turn in a couple years. I don't know if this is still viable in todays market.

elSicomoro · 08-08-2003, 09:08 PM

I haven't given much thought about the condo thing, but given the prices of houses here, I imagine the condos are overpriced too.

elSicomoro · 08-09-2003, 11:38 AM

Rho calls me at work around 11:30 Thursday morning.

"Did you see the kitchen light this morning?"

"No...what are you talking about?"

Sometime between 7:30 and 11:30 Thursday morning, the fluorescent light in the kitchen came loose. So, it was just hanging from the ceiling, with only the electrical wires holding it up. And the only time we ever mess with it is when I clean the light shield, which is maybe every 3-6 months.

So, Rho calls the office and waits. And waits. And waits. Finally, she calls them back at 4:30. They say they'll have to come look at it on Friday because it's not an emergency.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't along the lines of no a/c, but it could have been a possible electrical problem, so their asses should have been over here Thursday afternoon.

Fortunately, the only problem was that the screw that holds the fixture up had apparently come out. We have no clue as to why or how...I suspect it may be due to the regular vibrations we feel coming from downstairs. Our last neighbors below us made a racket all the time and now our new ones do too. Never had that problem with the two previous tenants that lived there...fucking idiots.

06-04-2003, 09:26 PM	#1
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Life in the apartment complex With the exception of one year, I've lived in an apartment all my life. (Though the place where I did most of my growing up was a 2-family flat, with my grandmother and aunt living downstairs...not exactly an apartment, but close enough.) Having been in an apartment for so long, you get used to seeing a lot of people come and go. Since we've lived at our current place (almost 3 years), we've had 5 new tenants. (We live in a 5-unit building. The complex has 77 buildings, most with 5 units, some with 6). Our neighbors have been pretty good for the most part: Across from us is the East Asian couple and their toddler. Below them is an older lady. On the first floor is a family of 5. All seem very nice...no complaints, other than them leaving the front door partially ajar. But when a neighbor moves out, you begin to wonder...who's coming in next? You just hope they'll be decent folk and not cause any problems. Our neighbors below us just moved out at the end of May. They were an interesting pair--a white couple, late 30s/early 40s...best described as high-class white trash. Wait a minute...I'm pretty much high-class white trash, so that would put these folks in the middle of the pack. Apparently, they had kids, though they didn't live with them. But you could tell when they were visiting. Running around the apartment, making an incredible racket...our floor was always shaking. Thank God they were only here for a year. And that damned dog they had...a yippy dog. It barked quite a lot the first several months they lived here. Then the female would be out front in the early morning or late evening...in her nightgown, letting the dog do its thing. What a mess. Maybe if she were better looking, I might not have cared, but... Our complex has a glut of vacancies right now, it seems. Probably b/c our complex is on the expensive end of places around here...I suspect many folks are getting priced out. We're paying $734 now, and when our lease flips in October, it'll probably bump up to $765 or so. Hopefully, the apartment will stay vacant most of the summer. It's a one bedroom joint, and those seem to be the most plentiful at the moment (along with the 3 BR ones, though there are less of those). We can't afford to move this year (not enough money in time to do so), so we'll be here one more year. But I've already resolved to get the money saved up early--hopefully this fall. As I've mentioned previously, Rho and I want to live in a place that is more tailored to our lifestyle. And with me working in the city, it's not really worth it to move to the suburbs anymore. So for now, we'll spruce up the patio and the apartment, and keep looking for our dream place. I love this apartment though--probably the best one I've ever been in. It'll be hard to leave it, but I'm sure we can find something just as nice, if not nicer, come next year.

06-29-2003, 09:33 PM	#5
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Either way (high, or looking for goods to hock to get high with) ... don't leave any cool lookin' stuff out in sight in the cars. You know, if you were in Texas you could have shot him. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-29-2003, 06:32 PM	#2
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	So, I'm walking out to my car yesterday, when I see some guy trying to open the door on Rho's car. I stand there for a second, then I say, "Can I help you?" He looks up in surprise, then I say, "That's my car!" He stands there for a second, looks at the car again, and says, "Oh sorry, the cars look alike in the shade." It turns out he was the boyfriend of my neighbor downstairs, and he was trying to get into her car. Now, let me ask you this: How the fuck do you get a green Ford Escort wagon confused with a purple Geo Metro?

06-29-2003, 07:40 PM	#3
dave Guest Posts: n/a	You don't. He's a fucking liar. Next time you see him, stab him in the ass with a compass and tell him "Let this be a lesson to you, you lying mother fucker: don't fuck wit' da bad side of me."

06-29-2003, 08:03 PM	#4
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	He appeared to be intoxicated or high. I went over to the car and started piddling around, like I was actually doing something, until he went back in the apartment. When he did, I heard a bunch of yelling coming from the apartment. What a nut.

06-29-2003, 09:43 PM	#6
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Nope...nothing cool in Rho's car.

07-27-2003, 10:51 AM	#9
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	The new lease for the next year came last week--$774 a month, a $40 a month increase. All things considered, still a good deal. But now I'm in a self-created conundrum...kinda. Here's the deal. Rho and I are already planning on moving next year, to a more "hip" area. Most of the apartments we have been looking at are in the $900-1200 a month range. That's a lot of glue to be plopping down on an apartment, so... More and more, I'm pondering the idea of buying a house. We wouldn't need a lot down, my company would give me a discount on PMI, and my good credit would pretty much insure a good mortgage rate. And we'd probably wind up paying $600-900 a month for something that we own, thereby putting equity into it. But buying a house brings up a ton of concerns: Our housing market (buying-wise) is tight right now, and it seems like the houses are currently over-priced. Property taxes are nothing short of ridiculous right now, and I don't see Big Ed and the state legislature doing anything about it anytime soon. (There are some new houses being built not too far from here on the other side of the Northeast, and from what I've heard, the yearly tax bill on them is $7000.) Then there is the issue of staying. At this time, Rho and I have no intentions of remaining permanently in Philadelphia. Realistically, with her parents getting older and her being the only child, I sense we will wind up back in Maryland in the next 2-3 years. (Me and HB are going to become best friends, I bet you.) So, would it make sense to buy a house next year, only to move out of it after only owning it for 1 or 2 years? 5 years ago, I was so against buying a house, b/c of maintenance issues, taxes, and what not. But now I've come to the conclusion that buying a house can be a very smart decision, if done carefully. I don't want to deal with a landlord and neighbors I can hear fucking through the walls forever. I guess the best thing to do for right now is stay the course, and do more investigating. Not only will it make me a smarter homebuyer down the line, but it'll actually help me understand the nature of my job better, seeing as I work for a Private Mortgage Insurance company. (BTW, we're now accepting volunteers for the big move, which will occur between July and September of next year. Food and liquor will be provided. Plus, you get to hang out with Rho and I all day...what a treat for you!)

07-27-2003, 12:11 PM	#11
dave Guest Posts: n/a	No, good credit would ensure a low interest rate. Still, you're looking at them probably asking for 15-20% down. What are houses running? I wouldn't do it.

07-27-2003, 12:52 PM	#12
Tobiasly hot Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Jeffersonville, IN (near Louisville) Posts: 892	Good credit only gets you the lowest of the going market rates. Someone with good credit would have had a higher interest rate 5 years ago than they would today. You can get loans for pretty much as little down payment as you want. You can even get cash back if you want. Of course, this also assumes you have good credit. They'll make you pay PMI until you own 20%, but I only put down about 10% on my house and still got a good rate at the time (a year and a half ago).

08-08-2003, 09:08 PM	#14
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I haven't given much thought about the condo thing, but given the prices of houses here, I imagine the condos are overpriced too.

08-09-2003, 11:38 AM	#15
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Rho calls me at work around 11:30 Thursday morning. "Did you see the kitchen light this morning?" "No...what are you talking about?" Sometime between 7:30 and 11:30 Thursday morning, the fluorescent light in the kitchen came loose. So, it was just hanging from the ceiling, with only the electrical wires holding it up. And the only time we ever mess with it is when I clean the light shield, which is maybe every 3-6 months. So, Rho calls the office and waits. And waits. And waits. Finally, she calls them back at 4:30. They say they'll have to come look at it on Friday because it's not an emergency. Okay, so maybe it wasn't along the lines of no a/c, but it could have been a possible electrical problem, so their asses should have been over here Thursday afternoon. Fortunately, the only problem was that the screw that holds the fixture up had apparently come out. We have no clue as to why or how...I suspect it may be due to the regular vibrations we feel coming from downstairs. Our last neighbors below us made a racket all the time and now our new ones do too. Never had that problem with the two previous tenants that lived there...fucking idiots.

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