I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted anything... You'll have to forgive me, it has been a CRAZY couple of months...
Everything is settling down now, mainly because I have OFFICIALLY MOVED INTO A BMR THREE BEDROOM TOWNHOUSE! Sorry for "shouting" but I can't express how excited I am right now. And the thing that I want to stress to all of you is that I wasn't on the waiting list for this complex, and that when I called and asked if their waiting list was open I was told that it was closed and would be for several months. They explained that even once the list did open, the actual wait to get into one of the units was several years... But here I am!
So how did I do it? Well this journey has definitely been one of trial and error, and the purpose of this blog is for me to be the guinea pig, and then once I find out what works I come back and share that info with you all in an effort to save everyone a lot of time, energy, frustration... tears...
So here are my top tips for getting yourself into one of these apartments:
- Don't ask if their "waiting list" is open - When you contact properties that you are interested in ask if they have any specific size units available, or coming available, within the time frame that you are looking to move.
- Know your stuff - Visit the websites that are provided in one of my previous posts and identify the complexes that interest you. Regardless of whether or not they are showing a "CLOSED" waiting list status, just call the office directly and ask the question above.
- BE NICE! - You would be really, really, REALLY surprised to find out the amount of pull that some apartment managers have at these places. When you call them be polite, friendly, and as non-irritating as possible. When trying to get yourself into one of these units always remember that someone in the leasing office can be your best ally.
- Be Prepared - The difference between BMR/HUD Housing units and mainstream apartments are the amount of documentation required to prove that you are in fact eligible. Before you start calling around, it might be a good idea to start gathering your documents so that once you identify an available unit you can be the first one to get in there and get them the info necessary to process your application.Some examples of necessary documents are: Birth Certificates for your children, most recent tax return documents, three to six months of pay stubs and bank statements... pretty much any piece of paper that you can possibly imagine them needing they're probably going to ask for. So get started now and it will benefit you in the future.
So I guess that is the extent of my advice right now. I hope to be posting MUCH more frequently now that I'm living in a place that I actually don't mind spending time inside of... and not to mention a place with wireless internet, which helps a lot when attempting to blog.
Best of luck to all of you on your housing search journeys, and as always, feel free to shoot me an email with any questions, comments, etc. mysingleseason@gmail.com
