Apartment Hunting Advice

[PonderInc]

A friend of mine is looking for an apartment in Tulsa, preferably near the river.  Any advice on good property management companies/apartment complexes that are reasonably priced?  Or, any knowledge of good rental property owned by an individual?  She needs a decent sized one or two bedroom, without too many stairs to climb.

[Dana431]

Sundance Apartments are reasonably priced.  Great location.  I still wish I could live that close to riverparks!

Sundance Apartments
3100 S. Riverside Dr.
Tulsa, OK 74105
(866) 441-6719

Good Luck!

[NellieBly]

A friend just moved into Westport. After looking at several other apartments and houses, she found them to have a nice staff, etc., workout room, and it was reasonable. She can also sit out on her patio and overlook the river and downtown Tulsa or just step down and take a walk on the path.

[deinstein]

Did someone just recommend a Case & Associates complex? That's funny.

Try craigslist.

[deinstein]

quote:Originally posted by NellieBly

A friend just moved into Westport. After looking at several other apartments and houses, she found them to have a nice staff, etc., workout room, and it was reasonable. She can also sit out on her patio and overlook the river and downtown Tulsa or just step down and take a walk on the path.

And live right next to an oil refinery and overpay on rent.

[NellieBly]

She likes it. So what?

[NellieBly]

Maple Ridge -- one of the most expensive neighborhoods in town -- is right by the refinery. It's hard to live anywhere by the river and not be around the refinery, injection well, water treatment plant, etc.

[deinstein]

quote:Originally posted by NellieBly

Maple Ridge -- one of the most expensive neighborhoods in town -- is right by the refinery. It's hard to live anywhere by the river and not be around the refinery, injection well, water treatment plant, etc.

Try again, Maple Ridge is on the other side of the river. Westport is way over priced for the market as well.

Best place to look are small, older apartments on Cherry Street.

[cannon_fodder]

I've heard good things about Sundance Apartments.  A couple of my friends have lived there for going on 4 year now with no complaints.

Westport seems nice also... but the refineries can be an issue some days and services were lacking from the people I know that lived there.  None stayed more than 1 year and most looked to get out before then.

But if he/she rents there - can I crash during Oktoberfest?

[AMP]

Most 1 Bed Rooms I know of in Mid Town run around $200 all bills paid except Phone/Cable/Electric.  Some are much higher so be careful of what you pay, most times you are getting ripped off big time.  

Many of the property owners today are experiencing high vacancies and even higher turnover.  Negotiate with authority, many are looking for long term tenents and will make some great deals if you are willing to pay a few months in advance.

Drive around and look for a place you like, then talk to the neighbors about the property. Spring time is the best, as most neighbors are outside working on their lawns or talking walks in the early evening.  Great time to stop and chat.   The neighbors know more about the property and neighborhood than the owners normally.  Noise, issues with late niters etc.  

Use all that to your advantage in negotiating the pricing.  May not work with the fancy smancy property management places that require contracts and other nonsense, but who would want to live under distress like a six page fine print contract written by attornies and all that legal smeagle stuff anyway.  

Most people I know in Mid Town that rent apartments and small lofts and offices have done it on a handshake.  As I pointed out, from my experience and from associates I know that own a large number of Apartment Buildings and rental private property, the market is very shakey when it come to long term and stable tenents in Tulsa.  I would never pay what they are asking.

[Rico]

One word of advice "Buy"...........

There is a nice pad in the Sophian on the market right now.. It has an Elevator....

I guess it depends on her income but all considered "Buy" do not "Rent"..!

[TURobY]

I moved to Westport about a year ago. I love it. I've got a great view of downtown and the river, the price is actually very comparable to the other apartments I looked at, and I am close to the highway.

[cannon_fodder]

I'm not sure where you got the $200 figure from, I've never heard anyone paying that low nor seen such a rate.  All of my friends that had one bedrooms started around $350 for fairly crap donkey apartments.  

I guess those were "fancy" apartments that "require[d] contracts" and stuff.

Then again, I've never been in a place in my life that didnt require a contract.  Either a dorm, an apartment, a rent house, a trailer, or owning a house.  They are all under contract, lease, lot agreement or mortgage.

There are one bedroom apartments down the street from my starting at $250.  They were built as temporary military housing for returning soldiers in the late 40's and were meant to be torn down in the 1950's.  Its more like a motel than an apartment, but for $250 a month and no contract I dont think anyone expects much more.

Am I in the dark about finding super cheap apartments that require no leases?  Where are these places and what landlord would lease without a contract!

[NCTulsan]

It's a few blocks from the river, but check out the Blair Apartments at 614 S. Elwood Avenue.  I lived there from 1995 - 2000 and loved every aspect of it.  Vintage building, balconies, reasonable rent, and I NEVER heard my neighbors.

[AMP]

Most businesses I know of that are lower priced and not trying to Retire off of you don't advertise much.  Apartment and commercial building ownwers I know in this area don't advertise in papers they just place a sign for rent in front of their units.  Many are near the TU area and in Mid Town.  I know one landlord that still charges the same rent for his duplexes that he did in 1980, he rents each side for $150 per month and he pays the water/trash bill.  He has had one renter for 17 years there.    

Two of our staff live in some apartments near Admiral and Harvard with no lease or contract, I know the owner of those apartments.  They pay $200 per month gas and water paid. They have gas wall heaters and gas hot water tanks and a gas stove/oven.  

All appliances and carpet were new when they moved in last year. Garbage Disposal, Dishwasher, Stove, Refrigerator all new. Outside is brick with asphalt type shingle roof. Kitchen was remodled with new cabinets and counter tops.

They have a decent size living room 15x12 with two windows a dining room 12x12 with one window, a tile floor kitchen with a separate back door.  A tile floor and wall bathroom with a lavaratory style sink, bathtub with tile wall and shower.  Bedroom hall way with storage closets and built in shelves.  Bedroom is 14x16 with walk in closet and two insulated windows.

Back and front covered porch with three steps up to the apartment. Wired for Cox Cable, phones and 220 for AC window units.  One AC in bedroom and another in the Dining area.  Heat is a wall unit that requires no electricity to operate.  

Their power bill run around $21 for Electricity in the Winter and $50 in the Summer.  They have no water or gas bill.      

My office building is owned by the same person.  I have no contract and I pay $125 per month for a three room office with storage and additional storage on the main floor. Been here for 12 years.  We have a common area that shares between all the office suites occupants a Fax Machine, Copy Machine and a hard wired land line telephone.  I had another office we operated it was at 51st and Lewis area I paid $75 per month for a two room office there for 8 years.    

Building I am in now used to have a phone answering service we all used as our secretary in the lobby, but she passed away three years ago. We all paid her $25 per month for her after hours phone answering service.  She could Fax, Email, answer the phone, take orders, complete pre-entry forms, answer common questions and do most anything we needed.

Just have to ask around and drive around and look for signs.  Most that advertise in papers are much higher priced.  I would never sign any contract or lease on any rental property without an opt out agreement for any of our businesses.  I am happy with a month to month agreement and a handshake.  Worst that happens is you have to move out if you miss a payment, but that can happen even if you have a contract/lease/mortgage or own the property outright.  

You never really own realestate 100% as there is property tax requrired and it can increase, miss paying the taxes and you no longer own the property.  Plus the City/County can take you property for a Highway or other need.  And you can loose it in a judgement.  The cost of maintenance, upkeep and depreciation typically out run the increase in property value in this area.  I have owned five homes and four commercial realestate properties and lost tons of money when I sold most of them over the years.  

I am much more comfortable renting space today than having the burden of maintenancne and upkeep of owning commercial property.  Bottom line owning buildings is a nightmare that takes 10 to 15 plus hours a week of my time to deal with.  I would rather be traveling and enjoying life than having to babysit contractors and maintenance people.