Getting an Apartment

[HopefulInOhio]

Alright guys..I'm headed out next week to look for an apartment. We have several complexes here in town.

Tell me the news now - do they run a credit check and if it's bad you get turned down immediately? I have the money to move in and for a deposit and moving...but I have this black cloud over me that is telling me my credit is gonna screw this up big time.

If I don't get my daughter and I out of this house, I'm gonna go nuts. My divorce is moving along fine, but I can't take living in the marital home any longer. In order to move ahead like I need to...and my daughter too..it's gotta happen.

Besides, I'll come out better in an apartment..too many repairs here to do and the propane is eating me alive.

I just feel so hopeless on everything. If I have the change of scenery I need, I honestly feel I could move ahead faster.

Anyone have trouble renting a place before or during a BK?

[BK'd-Betty]

Hopeful - when you go in to talk to the property manager, explain your situation BEFORE they do a credit check or charge you an application fee.

That's what we did and saved ourselves alot of time and trouble - I was upfront about our BK - the ones that have policies about it told me right away, so no bother to fill out the application and run the credit.

The ones that said they could probably work with me on it where the ones I paid an application fee to and allowed them to run my credit.

You don't want to get too many inquires on your credit report as it will tank you scores for the next 12 months - and why waste the money on the application fee only to be turned down.

Be upfront and honest, you'll be surprised how many are willing to work with you and the ones that won't - then oh well - you didn't lose anything by trying.

I actually did my apartment shopping online at www.apartments.com, and called them by telephone prior to going in - explained my situation by phone and only drove to the ones that said they could possibly work with me.

Good luck to you!

Alright guys..I'm headed out next week to look for an apartment. We have several complexes here in town.

Tell me the news now - do they run a credit check and if it's bad you get turned down immediately? I have the money to move in and for a deposit and moving...but I have this black cloud over me that is telling me my credit is gonna screw this up big time.

If I don't get my daughter and I out of this house, I'm gonna go nuts. My divorce is moving along fine, but I can't take living in the marital home any longer. In order to move ahead like I need to...and my daughter too..it's gotta happen.

Besides, I'll come out better in an apartment..too many repairs here to do and the propane is eating me alive.

I just feel so hopeless on everything. If I have the change of scenery I need, I honestly feel I could move ahead faster.

Anyone have trouble renting a place before or during a BK?

[aveda6]

Betty,

Were you able to find a decent apartment after your searching? I'm just curious if you had to avoid the larger complexes in order to find someone willing to work with you. I'm in NH and have started to look (I haven't filed yet) and I have asked about how they handle applications with bankruptcies. All of them have said that as long as they are not recent then they have no issues (obviously that means I'd be out of luck once I file). My attorney has advised us to find and rent an apartment before filing to avoid this issue. What are your thoughts?

jim

[BK'd-Betty]

Hi Jim - most of the apartment complexes said we had to be discharged first (we had already filed). I ran into some that said they want either 2 years or 3 years post BK before they would consider me.

We found a great apartment - I ADORE it! It's in a complex that has about 240 units - very family oriented, clean and well kept grounds, the inside was like brand new the day we moved in!

I was open and honest with the property manager, developed a rapport with her and she allowed us to get a letter from our attorney stating the approximate date of our discharge (because it was their policy that you had to be discharged).

So with letter in hand, she ran our credit and approved our application - no additional security deposit required - we paid what every one else that applies paid.

So, yes, we did get a nice, new, modern apartment - during our BK and before we were discharged. We like it here so much, we're getting ready to renew our lease for another year!

So, it is possible, just a little harder - but if you can lease before you file - you'll have a much better chance.

Betty,

Were you able to find a decent apartment after your searching? I'm just curious if you had to avoid the larger complexes in order to find someone willing to work with you. I'm in NH and have started to look (I haven't filed yet) and I have asked about how they handle applications with bankruptcies. All of them have said that as long as they are not recent then they have no issues (obviously that means I'd be out of luck once I file). My attorney has advised us to find and rent an apartment before filing to avoid this issue. What are your thoughts?

jim

[BK'd-Betty]

PS: We surrendered our home in our BK and it's still in foreclosure. However, the foreclosure had not hit our credit report at the time we applied for the apartment.

They asked me if our home was in foreclosure and I said no - because at the time we were current on the mortgage and were not in foreclosure. I think it would have been much more difficult to get an apartment with recent foreclosure showing on the report.

Hopefully, we'll live here 2-3 years and the foreclosure won't be so much of an issue.

[bige1030]

I got a cosigner with good credit, and I was approved right away for my new apartment. I applied after filing. I still haven't gotten a discharge yet - the courts are quite slow around here.

[aveda6]

Betty, Thank you very much for replying. This whole process is stressing me to no end. I just want to decide on a path and stick with it. At this point I just want to know where I'll be living and where my son will be going to school. I'm willing to give up the house and live with paying rent rather than try and play a wait and see game while they foreclose. I wish I could wait and save some money but my nerves couldn't take it.

We think we may have found an apartment that will allow us to take our dogs which is an even bigger reason to move early.

[BK'd-Betty]

Jim - I know EXACTLY how you feel! We could have stayed in our house for a year or more and lived rent free - but you know what? We just wanted to get on with our lives - move ahead. We didn't want that foreclosure looming over our heads for months on end - plus we took it one step further and moved clear across the country - talk about a frest start! LOL

Living in the house would have just kept us in the sh*t - we wanted out IMMEDIATELY upon deciding to let it go!

PS: We have two cats and this apartment complex had no problem with it - just an additional $250 Pet Deposit!

Betty, Thank you very much for replying. This whole process is stressing me to no end. I just want to decide on a path and stick with it. At this point I just want to know where I'll be living and where my son will be going to school. I'm willing to give up the house and live with paying rent rather than try and play a wait and see game while they foreclose. I wish I could wait and save some money but my nerves couldn't take it.

We think we may have found an apartment that will allow us to take our dogs which is an even bigger reason to move early.