Apartment Locator / Apartment Finder Guide

Are you ready to locate your next Houston apartment? Should you use an apartment locator / apartment finder? 

Finding an apartment in the Houston Metro area can be really hard! Houston is a very large city with lots of great apartments and neighborhoods. An apartment locator can help you narrow down all of these choices to some options that work for you and your specific search criteria. In this article we will explain how our apartment locator / apartment finder service can help you in your next apartment search and the steps we recommend for you to take throughout the entire process. Our team at HoustonApartmentHunter.com is hear to help make your next move as smooth as possible!

Our ultimate guide to locating your next apartment covers:

According to an Apartment Locator: Steps Before You Begin Your Apartment Search

An Apartment Finder’s Three Phases of Locating an Apartment

Apartment Finder Phase I – Working With Your Apartment List

Apartment Finder Phase II – Narrow Your Apartment List to Your 5-6 Favorites

Apartment Finder Phase III – Tour Your 5-6 Favorite Apartments and Submit Your Application

What If You Decide You Want to Rent or Buy a House or Townhome Instead of an Apartment? Should I Still Use an Apartment Locator?

Conclusion: An Apartment Locator Helps Make the Process of Searching for a Houston Apartment Much Easier!

According to an Apartment Locator: Steps Before You Begin Your Apartment Search

Before you begin your apartment search it is important to consider a few very important questions.

When should you start an apartment search?

Most apartment complexes in the Houston metro area require 60 day notices (2 months) from their current tenants in order determine availability. We always say that it is a good idea to begin an apartment search at least 2 months before your move-in date. Apartments in the Houston area fill up fast, so the early bird gets the worm so to speak.

Where do you work or go to school?

Houston is a very large city! We recommend trying to focus your search within about a 30 minute drive of where you need to be every day. Traffic can really be a nightmare with all of the ongoing construction. It is always best to live closer to where you need to be every day for work or school for your own mental sanity! Using an apartment locator familiar with Houston is the best way to narrow down your search areas to great neighborhoods close by. Houston has many great areas to live that are within a 30 minute drive of where you need to be every day. We can help because we know Houston!

What is your budget?

Generally most apartments in the Houston metro area require you to pay no higher than about 1/3 of your gross income in rent. For example, lets say you make $3,000 per month gross income (before they take your taxes out). This means that you can afford an apartment with a rent price of no more than $1,000 per month. That is the number to start with as a maximum rent price. Just let your apartment locator know what your max budget is and we can then talk about recommended great neighborhoods within about a 30 minute drive of where you work or go to school.

Why do I need to use an apartment finder?

You are probably thinking why not just search for apartments on a regular search engine? This pretty much returns everything and can really be overwhelming. There are so many apartments in Houston, so it is always best to use an expert that has lived and worked all over the city. Our agents are very familiar with Houston neighborhoods and can make great recommendations based on what you are interested in.

Another reason to use an apartment locator is because this is all we do every day. We have access to pricing and availability and can eliminate properties we have had complaints on or properties that rent to people with criminal records. The apartments never tell the general public who they are renting to, but they do tell us. If you have credit issues or have had some problems in the past we can certainly save you time with recommending apartments that will work with your situation. And finally, our service is totally free! We even pay a $100 rebate check when we get paid to help out with your moving expenses for listing Houston Apartment Hunter on the referral question of your application/guest card paperwork. Using an apartment finder is a no-brainer!

An Apartment Finder’s Three Phases of Locating an Apartment

There are really three main phases of a good apartment search. The first step is to submit a form on our website telling us what you are looking for. Here is the form we use to start working with you: http://www.houstonapartmenthunter.com/find-an-apartment/. Make sure to tell us how many bedrooms you are looking for, your budget, the locations you are considering as well as any background issues that apartment complexes may have issues with. After we get you your apartment list, next phase is narrowing your apartment list down to your 5-6 favorites. We always try and send you about 30-40 of the best apartments that match your criteria, but after you spend some time looking at them, it is always best to drill it down to 5-6 of your favorites so that touring is more manageable. Phase 3 comes along after you have your list narrowed down. Apartment complexes in Houston have leasing agents waiting in the leasing offices that can give you tours any time that works for you. I’ll go into more detail in the next three sections.

Apartment Finder Phase I – Working With Your Apartment List

Before you submit your request to us for an apartment list you will need to consider a few things. We always recommend being brutally honest with us about your situation. The apartment complexes are going to find whatever it is that you are worried about so save yourself the application money and tell us the dirt about your past! Never lie to an apartment finder because we are working for you to find a great place that will work with you. You can submit a request here any time you are ready to begin your search: http://www.houstonapartmenthunter.com/find-an-apartment/

Here are some things to consider when you are requesting your list from us:

Do you have any background issues that would cause an apartment complex to deny your application?

These issues will come up when you submit an application and they run your credit history and criminal background checks. It is always best to be honest with your apartment locator so that we can get you a list of properties tailored to your situation. Did you get a misdemeanor when you were younger? Have you ever had a broken lease in the past? These things will come up and can cost you some serious application money. Tell us ahead of time so we can save you some money and prevent denied applications

What amenities are you looking for in your next apartment?

Newer apartment complexes are starting to come with quite a few great amenities. From fitness centers and sports, to entertainment options. The list goes on and on, but the requests we get most often are for units with washer/dryer and gated entry for added security. Tell us ahead of time if you just have to move to a place with hardwood floors or a pool. Your apartment locator can drill down your list based on exactly what you are looking for. This saves you time!

What neighborhoods would you like to live in?

We specialize in many great Houston neighborhoods! Here are some of neighborhoods in Houston that we are most familiar with:

Apartment Finder Phase II – Narrow Your Apartment List to Your 5-6 Favorites

Take some time to go through your apartment list once we send it over to you and try to narrow it down to your 5-6 favorites. You can see where all of the properties are located on the map feature and find out amenities by clicking on each property. Be sure to click the little heart button to keep track of your favorite properties so that your apartment locator can help you out.

Here are some other considerations once you are going through your list:

What if you see a property that is not on your list and you want to know more information about it?

We work with almost all of the properties in the Houston Metro area so the main reason it probably wasn’t on your list is that the price may have been too high. It could also be for lots of other reasons like complaints former clients have told us – we absolutely love hearing feedback from our clients. Another reason is that it could be a property that works with people with criminal backgrounds. Be sure and tell your apartment finder about any apartment complexes that you are interested in so that we can send you pricing information and make a recommendation. Remember that your apartment locator is here to help!!

What about availability for your move-in date? 

Most apartment complexes in the Houston Metro area now require 60 day notices for moving out from their current tenants. That is how they determine availability. Remember that the apartments will rent out units on a first come, first served basis so it is always best to begin your search about 60 days before your move-in date. Remember that the early bird gets the worm so start working with your apartment locator early!

How do you determine quality for an apartment?

A great formula for figuring out the quality of your apartment is:

  • Rent (divided by) square feet (equals) quality or
  • Rent / Square Feet = Quality of the Apartment

This is the best way to determine the quality of an apartment without actually seeing it in person. This number will give you a score. The higher the number, the higher the quality of the apartment. The lower the number, the lower quality of the apartment. Think of it like a test from when you were in school You always want an A, but an a required more work. Everybody wants an A grade apartment, but A grade apartments cost more in terms of rent. Sometimes a B grade apartment works better for your budget. It really just depends on what you can afford. It is always good to check out an A grade, a B grade, and a C grade property in your search area. We recommend starting with the C grade apartments and working your way up until you figure out which ones you have to have!

Crime Data in Houston Neighborhoods

Your apartment finder should always keep tabs on crime rates in different Houston neighborhoods. Houston is a big city that is always changing so we recommend checking out this great tool if you want to dive deep into current crime stats in the areas you are considering: https://www.crimereports.com/

Apartment Finder Phase III – Tour Your 5-6 Favorite Apartments and Submit Your Application

Tell your apartment locator which ones you are interested in. 

Be sure and let your apartment locator know your 5-6 favorites before you tour any of them! Some of the apartments require us to pre-register you in order to earn a commission for our work and send you a $100 rebate check. The main reason to check with your apartment finder first is so that we can send you updated pricing information and make recommendations. We work with apartments every day, so take advantage of our expertise in narrowing down your 5-6 favorites even more!

Feel free to tour any time, the apartments have leasing agents in the office that can give you tours any time that works for you! 

Most apartment complexes in Houston have leasing agents waiting to give you tours. Just tell them that your agent with Houston Apartment Hunter sent you so they will know that you are working with an apartment locator.

Pick your favorite property and submit an application. 

Don’t forget to tell your apartment finder which property you have decided on – the apartments never tell us when you sign a lease! Also remember that when you are submitting an application, you need to tell the apartment complex that you are working with an agent at Houston Apartment Hunter. Remember that this is the only way we get paid for our work. If you forget to list us down on your application, we don’t get paid for our work! Take moment to list us on the referral so that we can earn a commission and send you your $100 rebate check.

Claim your $100 rebate check by submitting a form on our website. 

Remember, the apartments never tell your apartment locator that you have signed a lease. We are counting on you to let us know. This is why we are happy to send you a $100 rebate check to help out with your moving expenses. It is important to tell us this information right after you get approved so that we can confirm your lease with the apartment complex. The sooner you tell us, the sooner we can get you your $100 rebate check when we get paid our commission to help with those moving expenses. For more information on how our rebate policies work, please check out our Terms and Conditions for Our Service and Rebates where we explain everything in detail.

You can claim your $100 rebate here: http://www.houstonapartmenthunter.com/claim-rebate/

Move in and wait for your rebate check! 

Once we get a signed lease confirmation from your apartment complex stating that you listed Houston Apartment Hunter on your application we will mail your rebate check when we get paid our commission. We will be sure to send you an email so that you will know the check is on the way to your new address. Please allow up to 2 weeks for the post office to get the check to you since sometimes there are delays in changing of addresses. Most rebate checks arrive on time, but let us know if your check hasn’t come after 2 weeks once we tell you it is on the way!

What If You Decide You Want to Rent or Buy a House or Townhome Instead of an Apartment? Should I Still Use an Apartment Locator?

While we specialize in apartments, we are also Realtors. We have agents in our company that specialize in house and townhome rentals and purchases. For rental properties, you will need to complete a residential lease application and pay for a credit check/background check in before we show you any properties. It is always better to go into a lease armed with all of the information that a landlord will need to determine if they will rent you a property. Remember that these private listings are very competitive, so we want to make sure you have a good chance of getting approved. For purchasing properties, you will need to get a pre-approval letter from a lender before we tour properties. We can recommend some great mortgage brokers to help with this process or you can work with your bank or other lender you may have. Let us know how we can help with all of your residential real estate needs!

Conclusion: An Apartment Locator Helps Make the Process of Searching for a Houston Apartment Much Easier!

Working with an apartment locator / apartment finder can really save you time and money! Searching for an apartment in Houston can be daunting, but if you take the step to work with Houston Apartment Hunter you can count on our expertise to make it an easy process and get a $100 rebate just for using our free service and listing us on the referral question of your application. Also, using an apartment locator / apartment finder can really help narrow down your search before touring. It is important in this time of Covid 19 / Coronavirus to limit your search as much as possible in order to stay safe. Thank you for using our service!