Crossing the threshold

This is dedicated to a colleague of mine who is an artistic inspiration in what she does. Find her at Moonchild. It is also dedicated to anyone who is not only genius at what they do, but also willing to share it, and in turn inspire others. 

Your first place… a symbol of independence and leap of faith. While a first apartment or home is never perfect, it is big bite of sweet, sweet freedom. 

 Lindsay and I, standing at the threshold of freedom!

As the independent, self-righteous person that I am, I assumed apartment hunting would be simple. I thought it would be like shopping, which I happen to be excellent at. Pick a store/vendor, pay a visit, thoroughly examine your potential purchase, ask if it comes in another color or size, negotiate a price and then pull out my checkbook. Of course, I was wrong.

Now as a seasoned entrepreneur of the L.A. rental market, I’m willing to share the dos and don’t dos of apartment hunting. 

My biggest worry was being able to find a website that was reliable. So, I turned to my most credible sources, my friends.

If I had a dime for every time I heard Craigslist, I’d be renting in Beverly Hills by now. While I’m very certain that there are scams on Craigslist, I quickly found that it had great rental listings too. And it’s free!

I also turned to Westsiderentals.com (which is in the end where Lindsay and I found our place). Westsiderentals.com does charge monthly to gain access to listings. However, ask around. Lindsay had a friend with a log in/password - one of those friends of a friend things. Again, for free!

Once you have found your dream home, be sure to express to the building manager or landlord that you are willing to go above and beyond to get your paws it. With the economy still on the shaky side, most people in L.A. are renting, not buying. This makes for an incredibly competitive market.

If you’re genuinely interested, ask for the application, fill it out and turn it in ASAP.  The turn around time for my 2 bed + 2 bath was less than 48 hours. Within 72 hours I had placed my deposit. 

Make a checklist. Because the process is quick and unforgiving it is important to remember the following:

1. Do you feel safe in the surrounding neighborhood? In L.A. you’ll be doing some walking.
2. Can you afford last/first month’s rent and the deposit?
3. What's the parking like? Don't forget your little people - you'll be having friends over too.
4. Check the lights, sinks, toilets, locks, air/heat, fire alarms and appliances to make sure everything is working. If there isn’t something to your liking ask if it will be fixed before move in day.
5. Don’t be afraid to negotiate a deposit or rent price. Present your case by researching the average cost of similar apartments or homes in the area. 
• Example: “Other apartments in the area are going for about $1600. I believe that is much too low for an apartment this fantastic, but would you be willing to take $100 off of the monthly rent? If so, I’m capable of writing you a check for the deposit and last month’s rent today.”
6. Schedule a move in day.
7. Write up a contract to the terms you and your future landlord verbally agreed upon and ask him/her to sign it before paying your deposit. Chances are they will be giving you their contract to sign on move in day, but its smart to be prepared before handing over your checking and savings account.
8. Provide three references with your application.
9. Mention that you won’t be  contacting the landlord for silly things like light bulb changes. They like to see you take initiative, and it may give you a leg up in the competition.
10. Once you land the spot - because let's face it YOU WILL - remember the little things: set up your gas and electric bills (not the same company), sign a contract with a cable/internet provider, locate the nearest post office, when is trash day?, and meet your neighbors!

 Our picnic-style dining room table (made from refurbished wood) was purchased at the Fairfax High School flea market. Quality vintage and local craftsmen every Sunday. Check it out! 

 Wouldn't be a christening without a broken window.

Salud!

While the process is terrifying and adrenaline pumping (or is that just me?), it is meant to be fun! Don't let the pressure of finding the "it" place take away from the experience. 

To new beginnings… Cheers! 

Suit up and show up

I don’t have a purpose to this blog. I’m not intending to change the world, but I’m not looking for pity either. 

Since graduation last fall I have gradually become more uncomfortable in my own skin, feeling less certain of what I want to accomplish in life than I did in junior high school.  I recall writing a paper in eighth grade for my honors English class about my aspirations post high school. (Typical junior high curriculum for cookie-cutter suburbia, forcing 12 and 13 year-olds to write an essay about a part of life that was four to five years away.) I wrote about law school, NYU and helping animals. My teacher picked me to read my paper out loud to the class. While I’m thankful for my supportive family and teachers, it wasn’t until much later in high school that I realized I wasn’t going to be a New York City lawyer with six kids. I had good grades, a decent SAT score and more extracurricular activities than should be permitted. However, that wasn’t good enough. That was a feeling that soon became very familiar to me.

Now eight and a half years after writing that paper I’m actually very happy not to be pursuing law school, or six children for that matter. My freedom means more to me than just about anything else. However, these are difficult times. While I’m not going to rant about the impossibility of finding a job, it is a frustrating time and age for my generation. We can’t take on non-paid internships because they are only offered to enrolled students, but we are forced to interview for entry-level positions that others, sometimes twice are age, are in line for. And, it pays crap.

I used to dream about owning two houses, one on the beach, and one in the city. I used to dream about having more than parents did and, in turn, giving more to my family. Why does that seem so impossible now?

I read an unassuming article by Editorial Director, Jay Heinrichs, addressed to the readers, in, of all magazines, “Spirit” – the Southwest Airline’s social zine. I have to say, it forced me to eat a titanic piece of humble pie.  It is a charming article that compares the “complex” time of college, and the simplicity of mom and her home cooking. Jay chews on the  “tragic dichotomy of reality” and the symbolism (or perhaps lack there of) of mom’s voice of reason – “ apple pie” and “nap.” 

I’m confident that others in my generation feel similar to me – lost and ambitious in an America where there is an African American president, Osama bin Laden is dead, TV shows like “The Kardashian’s” reign supreme and Apple electronics are more common household items than fruits and vegetables. However, it is truly comforting to know, that to this day, something as simple as mom and her home cooking can knock us off our high horse.  Instead of feeling like a successful future is impossible, take a bite of humble pie then “suit up and show up,” as my mother would say.