The Apartment-Hunter's Glossary

The Internet has made apartment-searching easier than ever before, but if you choose to use your local newspaper or tabloid as a resource, you're going to be met with a few abbreviations which may not ring a bell. Some of these terms are straightforward and relatively self-explanatory, while others are "code words" that could be an attempt to put a positive spin on the drawbacks of the apartment.
Take, for instance, the term "loft." Loft apartments are a hot commodity these days. People tend to associate them with hip, urban areas and unique architecture -- brick walls, exposed beams, wood floors and large windows overlooking the city. We also associate the term "loft" with a unit that has two levels -- a larger downstairs portion as well as an upstairs portion, usually just a single bedroom or sitting area. This layout creates the illusion of more space because the ceiling in such a unit is high in order to accommodate the upstairs area.
That's why, during a search for a new apartment recently, I was quite surprised to discover that my response to a "loft" apartment for rent in downtown Dallas led me to a unit that was a single-room flat. While the unit contained wood floors and a high ceiling -- both positive selling points -- it was a 550-square-foot room in which I could stand in the tiny kitchen and view my bed, living room area and laundry closet simultaneously. The scene was all too reminiscent of my college dorm-room days, so I passed. (The rent was also a staggering $810 per month for the privilege of living in one of Dallas' hippest new neighborhoods.) So it appears that the term "loft" can also mean one room and nothing more. (By some definitions, "Loft" may simply mean a unit in a building that contains anywhere from four to 11 stories.)
Here are a few other translations to help take the confusion out of your apartment search:
"Cozy" means either very small at best, or claustrophobic at worst.
"Alcove" means an area adjacent to the living room that may be used as sleeping quarters, a separate sitting area, home office, dining room, etc.
"Convertible" or "Flex" means that the alcove located off of the living room area is large enough to be used as an additional bedroom, if desired.
"Junior" or "Junior One Bedroom" means that while you do have an alcove adjacent to the living room that may be converted into use as a bedroom, it's a small bedroom (and of course, "small" is a subjective term). You're probably going to be able to fit one bed (single or full-size, queen-size if you're lucky, and definitely not king) and a dresser or nightstand in a junior bedroom. It's an excellent space for guests.
"Studio" technically means a two-room apartment consisting of a kitchen (one room) and the rest of the unit (second room), which serves as your combination living room and bedroom. Some studios actually contain alcoves for the sleeping area. (It's somewhat surprising that according to this definition, a studio is larger than the above-mentioned interpretation of a loft apartment.)
For those of us who are lucky enough to live in cities that have them, a "Brownstone" is a brick-row house built in the early 20th century, usually three to four stories in height but occasionally reaching five or six stories. These homes were converted into multiple units in the mid-20th century, and in many cities today, they're considered among the most desirable rental properties. Many of them have been restored to their original grandeur with polished wood floors, beautiful, winding staircases, leaded glass and bay windows. You won't find any elevators in these buildings, which makes moving a challenge. Most brownstone units can and do command a city's highest rents. Waiting lists for these units are common.
"Prewar Building" a term you'll spot often in the real estate sections of New York City newspapers, means a building ranging in height from 10 to 30 floors, and built in the period from 1890 to about 1940. You'll find plenty of architectural anomalies in these buildings, including high ceilings, hardwood floors, arched doorways, beautiful moulding and more. A "Postwar Building" is a structure built after World War II (after 1946). Units in these buildings tend to be less expensive than prewar building units. Postwar buildings usually are made of brick.
"Walk-Up" another popular term in New York City, describes a building up to five stories high that contains no elevator. Units in these buildings tend to be among a city's most affordable. Walk-ups are sometimes called "Low Rises." A "High Rise" means a building containing more than 10 floors, and which has an elevator.
"EIK" means "Eat-In Kitchen." If you don't see this abbreviation in the description of the apartment, you can't guarantee that you'll have one. In that case, you're likely to have a high countertop against which you may place barstools.
"WIC" means "Walk-In Closet." The more WICs, the better. "D/W," of course, means "Dishwasher," and "W/D" means "Washer/Dryer," neither of which you'll want to live without if you can help it. You don't mind hand-washing your dishes and using the laundromat down the street, you say? Will your answer be the same in six months?
"F/P" means "Fireplace." Unfortunately, you can't assume you'll get one in your unit unless it's directly stated. Even if you get a fireplace in your unit, you could encounter a landlord who forbids you to light fires if you live in a historic building.
"DM": "Doorman Building." That's an expense you'll want to consider assuming in any large city. Buildings with doormen tend to be larger and taller, with elevators. "Reno" means that the unit or the building in general was recently renovated. Be careful. The term "renovation" also is subjective. Don't rent a "reno" sight-unseen. You might be expecting an apartment in like-new condition, but your landlord may have decided that the term "reno" was justifiable after he replaced your bedroom doorknob and left the avocado green carpeting and broken appliances alone.
"Furnished Apartment": means that you'll have the basics covered ... but don't call House Beautiful and tell them to shoot your apartment for next month's cover. You'll have your sofa, your kitchen table and chairs, your bed, a dresser and probably your basic household items. These units are perfect for people who need temporary housing (for a short-term business assignment, for example). More often these days, you'll see corporate housing companies offering their services in major metropolitan markets; corporate housing is probably your best bet in these circumstances, because you can be fairly certain that all of your needs will be met.
A word of caution: All of the above-listed terms are subject to change, depending upon the landlord's own definitions. While many landlords don't deliberately set out to deceive prospective tenants, they may simply define these terms differently than you do. And it's easy in your rush to find an apartment as quickly as possible to put on your rose-colored glasses and assume that "cozy" means homey and not tiny.
The best strategy is to allow yourself as much time as possible to find your new apartment. Don't sign anything until you've walked through the unit and thoroughly inspected it. If you answer an advertisement and enter a unit only to feel that you've been misled or that something isn't quite right, leave immediately. Trust your instincts. If they're telling you that this isn't home in the first five minutes or that the landlord isn't sincere in his pledge to make repairs in the unit (a good tip-off is a landlord's reluctance to put that pledge in writing), you're not going to change your mind later and decide that you really have found the apartment of your dreams.
The apartment market is more active than ever. Take advantage of these hot markets, and compariso
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Best Places to Live - How to Choose the Right Neighborhood

When you're trying to find the best places to live, choosing a neighborhood is almost as critical as choosing a house or apartment; it needs to be safe, affordable and provide you with everything that you need.
If you're planning on purchasing a home, keep in mind that you're not just buying a house, you're investing in a neighborhood. The two are synonymous so you need to be extra careful in choosing the area you'll be living in.
Before we get started, you need to ask yourself what the most important features of a neighborhood are; what makes a neighborhood special to you? Do you prefer:
Quiet streets or a busier, active area? Walking to amenities? Trees and parks? Close proximity to shopping and restaurants? Older neighborhood or a newer development? Tight-knit community or anonymity?Now that you have that perfect neighborhood pictured in your mind, let's look at 8 key factors you should consider.
Crime and SafetyResearch the Internet: Using a search engine like Google or Yahoo or MSN, type in the name of the city and "crime statistics by neighborhood". This should generate some information, depending on the size of the city. Most larger urban areas have detailed crime reports, while smaller towns may only have general information. Either way, this is a good place to start.Contact the Local Police Department: The police department will provide details about a particular area. This is probably your best source for information on crime and safety. Most police stations will also provide details on how active the community is, if they are involved in crime prevention or community policing.
Drive Around the Area: Look for graffiti or other kinds of vandalism such as broken windows. Do homes have strong deterrents; "Beware of Dog" signs or high fences or bars on accessible windows?
Look and FeelTake a Look Around: Spend time walking through the neighborhood. Take note of the condition of the houses, the front yards, the streets and sidewalks. Observe if people you encounter make eye contact with you. If they do, chances are it's a safe and friendly community. Check for vacant lots or abandoned buildings. Both could be used for commercial developments which could change the feel of the neighborhood and impact the property values. Note the traffic and speed and if the streets seem quiet or noisy. I recommend taking a few walks through the neighborhood. Try doing this at different times of the day to get a sense of its highs and lows.
Also note the type of individuals living in the area. Young families versus college students comprises a completely different kind of neighborhood as does older homes than high-rises and condos.
TransportationCommuting Time: How long will it take to get to work? Will you be going with or against traffic? Is the route easy to navigate? Public Transportation: Is there public transportation available as an alternative to driving? During peak times, how often does the transit stop?
International Access: If you need access to the airport, how far is the drive? What is the cost to hire a taxi? Is public transportation an option?
SchoolsThe sign of a good neighborhood is a well-kept school. And if you have children, this is probably the first consideration when looking for a good neighborhood. For more details on choosing a school for your child, check out Finding a School. Another factor to consider is how your child will get to school. Is there public transportation? Can they walk? Is it safe? How far is it to drive?
Property Values and TaxesCurrent Value: Find out what houses in the neighborhood are currently valued at then ask a real estate agent how that compares with the average value five and ten years earlier. How much has the property increased? Has the neighborhood changed? Is the real estate agent aware of any future developments? Future Development: Information can be found at city hall or through the local Chamber of Commerce. Future developments change a neighborhood, increase taxes and increase traffic. It's a good idea to investigate the future potential of the neighborhood then decide if that outlook will be suitable to you and your family.
Property Taxes: Find out from the real estate agent or the city what the current tax rate is and how much it has increased in the last five years. Is there another expected increase? How much might you pay in five years? Build this amount into your moving budget.
AmenitiesIf you decided earlier that the ability to walk to amenities or at least have easy access to them is important, then make sure you note if day-to-day requirements can be met. How close are you to a grocery store, convenient store, cafes and restaurants? If there are bars close-by, how noisy will it be on the weekends? For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you with Apartments in Middlesex County NJ. Raritan Crossing has apartments near metropark, apartments near Rutgers and apartments near Robert Wood Johnson. Central NJ Apartments. After a day of hard work you can relax in your luxury rental apartment and buy undergarments for yourself or your loved one online here. You can check out the women’s clothing undergarment blogs and shapewear here, here, here and here. For shapewear and it’s a great place to buy women’s undergarments

Attorney’s fees

Some leases require a tenant to pay the landlord’s attorney’s fee if the landlord has to use a lawyer to take the tenant to court. If your lease has such a term, and the landlord takes you to court for eviction and wins the case, you will be responsible for paying a “reasonable” fee for the landlord’s attorney. Cite: Community Realty Management v. Harris, 155 N.J. 212 (1998); University Court v. Mahasin, 166 N.J. Super. 551 (App. Div. 1979).
Sometimes a landlord will demand attorney’s fees in an eviction action and seek to evict if the tenant cannot pay them. However, in order to do this:
There must be a written lease, and
The lease must state that attorney’s fees are “additional rent” or “collectible as rent.” If there is no written lease that describes attorney’s fees as “rent,” you cannot be evicted for failing to pay attorney’s fees. Cite: Community Realty Management v. Harris, 155 N.J. 212 (1998).
However, even if there is such a lease provision, the law may limit the amount of your rent due, and the landlord may not be able to evict you for failure to pay attorney’s fees. For example, a public housing authority cannot evict a tenant for nonpayment of attorney’s fees, even if the lease calls the attorney’s fees additional rent. Cite: Housing Authority of the City of Atlantic City v. Taylor, 171 N.J. 580 (2002); Hodges v. Feinstein, 189 N.J. 210 (2007). If you live in other housing that receives federal assistance, such as Section 8 housing, you should also argue that the amount of your rent is only what the housing agency handling your Section 8 says it is—that is, it is only the rent amount stated in your lease. Also, if you live under rent control, you should argue that the rent control ordinance limits your rent, and that adding in attorney’s fees as extra or additional rent would exceed the rent control limits. Cite: Housing Authority of the City of Atlantic City v. Taylor, 171 N.J. 580 (2002); Community Realty Management Inc. v. Harris, 155 N.J. 212 (1998); Ivy Hill Park Apartments v. Sidisin, 258 N.J. Super. 19 (App. Div. 1992).
In an eviction case, if the judge finds that you are responsible for paying a reasonable fee for the landlord’s attorney, you can be evicted if you do not pay that amount on the day of the hearing. Sometimes a landlord will ask a judge to evict a tenant even though the tenant paid the rent owed before the court date, but failed to include the attorney’s fees with the rent payment. If the landlord tries to do this, the tenant should argue that the landlord, by accepting rent, gave up or “waived” the right to evict for not paying attorney’s fees. Cite: Carteret Properties v. Variety Donuts, Inc., 49 N.J. 116 (1967). However, it is up to the court to decide whether in fact the landlord did give this up. Therefore, it is always important to go to court unless the tenant obtains a statement in writing that the landlord is dismissing the case.For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you with Apartments in Middlesex County NJ. Raritan Crossing has apartments near metropark, apartments near Rutgers and apartments near Robert Wood Johnson. Central NJ Apartments. After a day of hard work you can relax in your luxury rental apartment and buy undergarments for yourself or your loved one online here. You can check out the women’s clothing undergarment blogs and shapewear here, here, here and here. For shapewear and it’s a great place to buy women’s undergarments