Frequently asked questions Many of the links on this page go to the Austin Advantage Guide to Moving and Relocation, where you can find lots more information about how to make your move to your new home in Austin. Do you have townhomes and condos? Yes. We carry individual listings and subscribe to a service that posts listings from property management companies. Do you have duplexes and houses? Although our specialty is apartments, condos and townhomes, we can accommodate your house and duplex needs as well. How much does your service cost? Our services are completely free to you. We are paid a commission by the property owners, in much the same way a travel agent is paid. It no way affects your rent, and you could not get a better deal without us. In fact, because we work with the apartment communities every day, we can often work miracles! Do you do corporate housing? Our corporate relocation department works closely with the best corporate housing companies in the country. Corporate housing is an apartment that is completely furnished and set up with all the amenities of home. It offers the convenience of a hotel with the room and atmosphere of an apartment. All items are provided such as furniture, linens, pots, pans, utensils, and utilities. Cleaning service can also be arranged. How long does it normally take to find an apartment? Ideally, you should begin looking for an apartment 5-6 weeks in before you want to occupy it. However, we can accommodate immediate move-ins. In just 2 or 3 hours, on average, you can view a sufficient number of properties to make a decision. We save you time my using our knowlege to sort through the properties and only show those that suit your needs. Our Guide to Moving and Relocation has a detailed, printable "to do" check list that can help you make all your moves on time. I'm moving in from out of town and I don't have time for a house-hunting trip, how fast can I find a place to live? We have found homes for people, literally, in minutes and our clients are often able to move in the next day. It is not uncommon to lease to someone who is not yet even in town. We can fax, mail or e-mail all necessary information such as pricing, floorplans and applications. How long of a lease do I have to sign? The standard lease terms are for 6- and 12-months. However many communities will offer short term leases such as 3-month leases and occasionally month to month. Often the lease term will be extended to 7 or 13 months when a promotion such as one month free is offered. You should sign a lease for as long as you anticipate living there. A longer term lease protects you against price increases. For example, if you plan on moving to another city in a year. You sign a 6-month lease. When your lease is up you are surprised to find the rent is now significantly higher than it had been when you moved in. This has not been that rare an occurrence in Austin's recent history. What areas do you cover? We have three location each specializing in an area of Austin - North, Northwest and South. We also work with communities in Round Rock. I want the best deal, should I call several other locators? All locators roughly work with the same properties, but not all locators are created equal. Advantage Properties is the most reputable, knowledgeable and sophisticated locating service in Austin. We have the moist experienced agents, the most advanced computer database, and the best working relationships with the apartment communities. How will your service make it easier to find an apartment? Our experience makes it easier for you to find an apartment. We show you only those properties that suit your needs. First we do a computer match-up and then we go a step further. Our experienced agents know things that can't be quantified in a computer search. For example, which floorplans are best suited for a sectional sofa or big bedroom furniture, which communities will work with special circumstances, etc. Do you have floorplans of the properties? We have floorplans in our database as well as hard copies on file. Do you have information you can mail or fax to me? We have a free relocation packet that can be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed. This web site contains a wealth of information as well. Do you have furnished apartments? We have numerous way to set up furnished apartments. We have listings for furnished units from the apartment communities. We work closely with a furniture rental company, if you wish to furnish one yourself. And we have relationships with companies that rent corporate suites that come complete with everything - utilities, furniture, linens, kitchen utinsils, and more. I have a big dog, what do I do? Most apartment communities have a 25-pound pet limit. We have a limited number communities that will accept larger dogs. Your other alternative is to rent a house or duplex. Be prepared to sign a lease for one year. Our Guide to Moving and Relocation has the details about Austin's pet regulations. What are the qualifications necessary to lease an apartment? Management companies usually look at three things when it comes to qualifying you for a lease - your job, rental history and credit. Advantage Properties does not qualify you. Qualification criteria is developed by each management company. This creates a wide range of qualifying guidelines. Employment - Typically your gross income needs to be 3 to 4 times the monthly rental amount. For example, if you are looking at a $500 a month apartment, your gross income (before taxes) needs to $1500 per month on a "3 times the rent" criteria and $2000 per month on a "4 times the rent" criteria. Use our special online calculator to enter your specific information and get the results! Rental history - Two years rental history is usually verified. A prospective landlord will want to know things like whether you filled the lease term, whether proper notice was given, was the unit left clean, was rent paid on time, etc. Credit - Management companies use one of the three main credit reporting agencies. What constitutes acceptable credit varies widely. The absence of credit is usually not a problem. There are many apartment communities that will take into account special circumstances and still others that do not take into account credit history. That's how our experience comes in handy. We know the properties that will accommodate your needs and will match you to them. Can you help me if my credit is bad? Yes. There are apartment communities that do not place as high an emphasis on credit as others. There are communities that will take into account special circumstances such as sickness, accident, divorce, etc. We will find you the apartment community that's right for you. I have never rented before. Can you help me find a place? Yes. Lack of rental history will not prevent you from finding a home. You may be asked to show good employment references and credit. Can you help if I have been evicted or broken a lease? We have been able to help customers with an eviction or broken lease if there were special circumstances involved. Many times it is as simple as getting an additional deposit. We will do everything in our power to assist you with this situation. Do you have places that offer major employer discounts? Yes. We stay abreast of the market, including special promotions. In addition, we have a corporate relocation department dedicated to corporate moves. Therefore, we are especially aware of these types of specials. Do you have short term leases? Yes. We have apartment communities that will lease on a short term basis. We can also negotiate a transfer clause or homebuyer's clause that will allow you to terminate a lease early. For very short stays you might consider taking advantage of corporate housing, which we can assist you in obtaining. Do you work with all the properties? We work with approximately 98% of the rental properties in the Austin area. Will my rent be higher if I use you? No. It's just like how you can use a travel agent instead of going directly to an airline but still you don't have to pay a higher fare. We can usually save you money by showing you the best deals. It is very difficult to obtain the kind of information on your own that we provide to you for free. It is very easy to waste precious time calling around and driving to properties that do not have what you are looking for. We save you time and money by only showing those unites that best suit your needs. What bills will I pay? Typically, apartments furnish water, sewage and trash. This is not always the case, especially with the newer properties, some of which require you to pay for water. Many properties pay for extra utilities such as gas, hot water and cable. This could be a deciding factor in choosing a property. Say you've found an apartment community you love but the rent is $15 more than another place you're considering. Our database contains information that may be relavent. We search and may find out that cable and gas for heating and cooking are paid for in the complex that's your first choice. That's a monthly savings of well over $15 per month. Do you have anything with garages? Many communities now offer all types of parking options - covered parking, garages, and even attached garages where you walk straight from your garage into your apartment. Do you have anything with lots of trees or views? Some of Austin's finest properties are located in the Hill Country and offer spectacular canyon views. Many others have kept an abundance of trees or are located next to a greenbelt. What is a studio? We classify a studio as a one room apartment or an apartment where the sleeping quarters are not completely separated. Often efficiencies and studios are the same floorplan. Are there any move-in specials? Austin grew so rapidly from 1994 to 1996 there was not enough rental units available to handle the demand. As a result rents and occupancy soared. It was difficult to even find a place to live and promotions were nonexistent. Recently, an explosion in construction has brought the supply in line with demand. As a result, we are seeing a stabilization of rents and a growing number of special promotions such as 1/2 to 1 month free, low or no deposits, amenity upgrades, etc. What steps do I have to go through to find an apartment? First, contact Advantage Properties! Tell us what you are looking for and we'll do all the work from there. We'll enter your criteria in our state-of-the-art custom database, check availability of each community and call you with the results. It's that simple! We will arrange an appointment at your convenience and personally escort you to the properties that suit your needs. We make finding an apartment as simple and efficient as possible. See our "to do" check list for a detailed, step-by-step guide. You can print-out the check list and use it during the entire process of moving. Do you have all-bills-paid communities? There are only a couple of all-bills-paid communities. Typically, all-bills-paid situations are not beneficial. The rent is significantly higher than for a comparable unit to compensate for the electricity costs. Consequently, you end up paying the same or more and having less selection just for the convenience of not paying an electricity bill each month. What type of amenities do your properties have? We represent properties in all price ranges with every type of amenity available. Washer/dryers, views, weightrooms, intrusion alarms, limited access gates, maid service, aerobics classes, fireplaces, wetbars, sunken bathtubs, lofts and more. Can I get a washer/dryer connections or an actual washer/dryer in my apartment? We have many communities that offer washer/dryer connections or the actual units. In addition we work closely with a washer/dryer rental company to offer even more alternatives. Can I find out the average utility cost for the apartments in which I am interested? You can call the utility company and learn the cost of an average bill for the last 12-month period. Obviously that is only an average and for a user other than yourself. Your usage, as well as other factors such as seasonal fluctuations, could cause your bill to vary. Do I have to go to the utility company to get my services turned on? It depends. Many communities participate in a "Read and change" program whereby they transfer the utilities into your name when you move in. You will need to establish an account with the utility company. If you can provide a letter of good standing from your previous utility company, the City of Austin Utility does not require a deposit. Our agents will be able to provide information on what utility company services there are in the community you have selected. I am coming from out of town, how will Austin's rates differ from those in my city? That depends on the city. Currently Austin has the highest rents of any city in Texas. Many people experience "sticker shock" when coming from other cities. However, our customers from the East and West coasts say Austin rents are comparable to or less expensive. Call one of our experienced agents or see our Guide to Moving and Relocation for more information on pricing. Can you find me an apartment in a safe area? We are unable to comment on the safety or security of a particular area or community. You may wish to contact the local police and compare crime statistics. The police numbers are in the resource section of this page as well as in our move-in packets. Do you have any segregated communities such as for adults only. No. Current law does not allow for discrimination based on race, creed, religion, age, or family status. What type of mass transportation does the city have? Austin has lots of transportation options Capital Metro provides bus service city wide. Your agent will be able to provide you with bus schedules. I want my child in a particular school, can you find all the communities that go to that school? Absolutely. Our custom database can search on school districts and well as individual elementary, middle and high schools. 3 Locations to serve you! Northwest North South 800 451-8988 800 294-1836 800 576-8341 Copyright © 1996 Advantage Properties. All rights reserved.