| No Fee Apartments Search Starts HERE |
| | Searching for a Roommate? | | 4/3/2008 1:19:57 AM | | “I’m too old for a roommate.” That is what many people say until they start their apartment search in New York. A roommate may be a realistic option after realizing what some of these landlords and brokers are charging to lease New York apartments. You would think temporarily being in an economic downswing would drop rental and broker rates in New York’s residential market, but it really hasn’t. However, the yearly spikes we’ve been seeing over the past three years have come to a steady plateau. A typical no-fee one bedroom apartment will be anywhere from $2,600-$3,800 depending on where and whether or not you’re looking for a doorman and/or elevator building. Finding a roommate is a common way for many to afford NY living. Many people convert their apartments to an additional bedroom by adding a wall for a one-time fee of about $800-$1000. (Anybody have recommendations for partition companies? Please post below.) A wall can turn that luxury $3,600 per month one bed apartment into an “affordable” $1,800 or so monthly rent payment. You will find these along with many other types of no-fee landlords on SkipBrokers.com for free.
Don’t have anyone to live with? Here are some options that won’t cost you a penny:
1) The obvious, you can search on Craigslist where tons of people looking for roommates (most normal, but some weirder than others). Another free website is Backpage.com.
2) You can also post your ideal roommate request for free on this blog with your email address and have people respond to your request so the both of you can search for converted two bedrooms together. There are always people looking for cool roommates to split their rent with.
As long as you don’t charge any type of fee, feel free to post apartments that you may want to sublet here as well. Please report and email support@skipbrokers.com if you think a broker made it on to this site and is trying to mislead no-fee apartment hunters. | | | Posted by: | Chino | |
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| | Slick Broker Tricks to Watch Out for... | | 4/3/2008 1:57:00 AM | | If you are looking to rent an apartment in Manhattan, you are probably thinking of every way possible to avoid paying a broker 15-20% of the annual rent as you instinctively head straight to Craigslist. I have a feeling you are not the only prospective tenant searching Craigslist. So here are tips and warning signs to look out for that will help minimize the chances of Craigslist leading you straight to a broker’s front door. This will save you much time, money and aggravation.
Craigslist Warning Sign 1: All “broker no fee” postings.
The apartment term “no fee” here in New York does not mean you can live rent free or that there aren’t any deposit requirements or application fees. “No fee” means there is no broker fee associated with that particular apartment. After realizing what a broker charges in Manhattan, “no fee” are two words that will save an apartment hunter thousands.
However, when you see apartment brokers posting many no fee apartments on Craigslist this should automatically raise a red flag. Regardless of how considerate you may think New Yorkers are, the chances of brokers spending hours to show you apartments out of the kindness of their hearts are extremely unlikely. Do you blame them? Apartment brokers make a very good living and it’s not by showing no fee apartments. A “broker no fee” listing on Craigslist is most likely a broker’s attempt to lure you in. Getting you to come to their office is half the battle for brokers.
They will start to interest you with similar apartments that have broker fees since the apartment you went there for was “just rented”. This is known as the bait-and-switch tactic.
Warning Sign 2: A no-fee “Open House” listed by a broker.
After confirming five times over the phone that this was an actual no fee apartment, I went to an open house only to find the apartment was well overpriced for the size and location it was in.This apartment was as close to unlivable as it could get. Out of the ten or so people who attended, nobody filled out an application but a few frustrated apartment hunters gave up on “no fees” and left with the broker to see other apartments in the neighborhood. I call this the “advanced bait and switch” tactic since the broker used a real no fee apartment as a satellite office managing to turn no fee hunters into potential paying customers.
Tip 1: Avoid brokers completely if you are looking for no fee apartments.
Many no fee listings posted by brokers may sound tempting, but will most likely end up with you paying a high fee. Avoiding brokers completely is your best bet if you want a no fee apartment.
Instead, focus your energy on finding no fee landlords and websites.
Tip 2: Head straight to the “by-owner apartment only” section.
Bypass the “all apartments” and “all-no fee apartments” sections in Craigslist as they are flooded with brokers.“By-owner apartment only” section is highly monitored and will put you in a better position to find landlords.
Tip 3: Try to deal directly with landlords.
In addition to brokers, many listings you’ll find on Craigslist are from current tenants looking to sublease their apartments or individual rooms (shared apartment). Subleasing from a stranger is not recommended especially if the lease is soon to expire, but is still a realistic option. You may have to pay for apartment damages or pay a substantial increase in rent at the time of renewal. In addition to Craigslist, there are many other free alternatives that put you in contact with no fee landlords directly. Some other free sites are listingsquare.com and nybits.com. Although these sites are free, their listings may not be the most accurate and up to date. Explore other no fee options prudently especially the apartment listing websites that charge you for similar information you will get for free at SkipBrokers.com.
There are even those few websites that do little to no updating and list false apartments just to get you to pay a one-time fee and have you chasing them for a refund check that ends up bouncing. There have been many complaints recently filed with the BBB about these types of websites. This has lead to these scam websites opening up the same type of listing services under new and different domain names. Please be very cautious before making any type of payment as there a select few that are reputable.
If you know of any other free websites or scam websites everyone should be aware of, please comment here. Help your future neighbors. | | | Posted by: | Paul Salamanca, CEO | |
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| | NEW OPEN HOUSE Just IN....Tenanat Breaking Lease | | 4/4/2008 1:23:30 PM | | NO FEE $3,600/month 2 BEDROOM OPEN HOUSE: SATURDAY 1:00 TO 6:00 (4/5/08)
ADDRESS: 175 WEST 90TH ST., APARTMENT 8H (ENTRANCE IS ON AMSTERDAM BETWEEN 90 AND 91ST STREET)
DETAILS:
DOORMAN BUILDING
VERY SUNNY (LARGE WINDOWS IN BOTH BEDROOMS, THE LIVING ROOM AND DINING AREA)
TWO TRUE SIZED BEDROOMS
RENOVATED WALK THROUGH KITCHEN (W/ TONS OF CABINET SPACE)
DINING AREA
LARGE LIVING ROOM
LARGE BALCONY (DOORWAY FROM LIVING ROOM W/ GREAT VIEW)
OFFICE NOOK
ONE RENOVATED BATH
QUIET (WINDOWS AND BALCONY NOT FRONTING ON AN AVENUE) | | | Posted by: | Chino | |
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| | Moving from LA... | | 4/10/2008 12:59:19 AM | | | Hi I'm moving from LA and am curious to know what a stard application process and deposit is for most apartments in NYC? | | | Posted by: | Nikka | |
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| | NYC building boom won't peak for 2-3 years | | 5/1/2008 2:07:15 PM | | NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City's building boom will not top out until 2010 or 2011 despite the ailing economy because so many billion-dollar public and private projects are under way, a panel said on Monday.
Wall Street is the sun around which the city's economy revolves, but private developers and public agencies have planned $51 billion of projects over the next four years, according to the blue-ribbon panel's report for New York state's Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
With contractors and skilled workmen in short supply and the prices of steel, concrete, copper and other materials spiraling higher, the state agency convened the panel to find ways to cut costs to avoid having to delay or reduce projects.
"The projects presently in the pipeline ... that are just starting are going to continue for a couple of years. It's not something that's going to end in 2008 or 2009," James Jones, co-chairman of the MTA panel, told reporters.
Click here to read full article: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2850878020080428 | | | Posted by: | Article by Joan Gralla | |
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| | No Fee Manhattan Apartment Tips | | 5/19/2008 12:38:55 AM | | New York, NY -- If you're thinking about looking for apartment rentals in Manhattan, you are probably also thinking of every way possible to avoid paying a broker 15-20% of the annual rent. Before you instinctively head straight to Craigslist, here are tips and warning signs to look out for that will help minimize the chances of Craigslist leading you straight to a broker’s front door. This will save you much time, money and aggravation.
Craigslist Warning Sign #1: All “broker no fee” postings.
The apartment term “no fee” here in New York does not mean you can live rent free or that there aren’t any deposit requirements or application fees. “No fee” means there is no broker fee associated with that particular apartment. After realizing what a broker charges in Manhattan, “no fee” are two words that will save an apartment hunter thousands. However, when you see apartment brokers posting many no fee apartments on Craigslist this should automatically raise a red flag. Regardless of how considerate you may think New Yorkers are, the chances of brokers spending hours to show you apartments out of the kindness of their hearts are extremely unlikely. Do you blame them? Apartment brokers make a very good living and it’s not by showing no fee apartments. A “broker no fee” listing on Craigslist is most likely a broker’s attempt to lure you in. Getting you to come to their offices is half the battle for brokers. They will start to interest you with similar apartments that have broker fees associated with them since the apartment you went there for was coincidently “just rented”. This is known as the typical bait-and-switch tactic.
Warning Sign #2: A no-fee “Open House” listed by a broker.
After confirming five times over the phone that a listing was an actual no fee apartment, Paul Salamanca who is SkipBrokers.com’s CEO, a website designed to help apartment hunters avoid brokers, went to this open house only to find the apartment was well overpriced for the size and location it was in. “This apartment was tiny and was as close to unlivable as it could get.”, Paul Salamanca explained. “Out of ten or so people who attended, nobody filled out an application but a few frustrated apartment hunters gave up on no fee apartments and left with the broker to see other apartments in the neighborhood.” Mr. Salamanca calls this the advanced bait and switch tactic since the broker used a real no fee apartment as a satellite office managing to turn no fee hunters into potential paying customers.
Tip 1: Avoid brokers completely if you are looking for no fee apartments.
Many no fee listings posted by brokers may sound tempting, but will most likely end up with you paying a high fee. Avoiding brokers completely is your best bet if you want a no fee apartment.
Instead, focus your energy on finding no fee landlords and websites.
Tip 2: Head straight to the “by-owner apartment only” section.
Bypass the “all apartments” and “all-no fee apartments” sections in Craigslist as they are flooded with brokers. “By-owner apartment only” section is highly monitored and will put you in a better position to find landlords.
Tip 3: Try to deal directly with landlords.
In addition to brokers, many listings you’ll find on Craigslist are from current tenants looking to sublease their apartments or individual rooms (shared apartment). Subleasing from a stranger is not recommended especially if the lease is soon to expire. You may have to pay for apartment damages or pay a substantial increase in rent at the time of renewal. In addition to www.Craigslist.org and www.SkipBrokers.com, there are a few other alternatives that put you in contact with no fee landlords directly. Explore other no fee options prudently as a few websites claiming to provide similar services for a one-time fee have been receiving many complaints regarding false listings.
Website Link: http://www.skipbrokers.com | | | Posted by: | NYC Apartment Press Release | |
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| | BEWARE OF "NO FEE" WEBSITES THAT TRY TO CHARGE YOU... | | 7/21/2008 1:25:20 AM | | APT. 'SCAM' A TANGLED WEB
By LAURA ITALIANO
Four enterprising 20- somethings bilked 4,000 apartment-seekers out of nearly $1 million through a bogus "No Fee Apartments" scam, officials charged yesterday.
Customers were lured in by ads on Craigslist and other Web sites promising "Exclusive Listings!" from "New York City's #1 No Broker Fee Apartments" company.
But all customers got for the $200 they paid the four young alleged crooks - who operated out of West 26th Street offices as "Innovative Apartments" - was a runaround, according to state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
The company wouldn't run the credit reports and background checks it promised customers, the AG said. And the only "exclusive, no fee" apartments it offered through its database either didn't exist or weren't exclusive and no-fee at all, having been recycled from other Craigslist advertisements.
When customers complained and demanded refunds, they were ignored, given a partial refund or given a refund check that bounced, officials said.
"Craigslist.org can be a terrific asset for New Yorkers trying to navigate a difficult real-estate market," Cuomo said in announcing the alleged two-year scam.
"But bait-and-switch schemes orchestrated by crooked apartment brokers can turn hunting for an apartment into a nightmare," he said.
Arrested yesterday were Innovative Apartments co-owners Nader Jaber, 24, of Manhattan, and Igor "Bobby" Portnov, 27, of Teaneck, NJ. Also busted were Portnov's brother, Boris "Brian," 22, also of Teaneck and Brooke Corio, 24, of Staten Island.
The four, appearing in jeans and T-shirts, pleaded not guilty in Manhattan Supreme Court to scheming to defraud customers and operating an apartment-information vendor without a license.
Hours after their arraignment, Innovative Apartments was still open for business.
Its Web site at inapts.com was still studded with testimonials by "satisfied" customers and pictures of apartment-building exteriors.
And their phones were still up and running.
"Why wouldn't we?" one befuddled operator asked when a reporter inquired if the company was still taking application fees.
Told the names of those indicted, the startled operator gasped, "Uh, yeah, they're my bosses."
He then hurried off the line without giving his name. | | | Posted by: | SKIPBROKERS NEWS UPDATE | |
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| | Fee Free | | 7/28/2008 12:26:47 AM | | When New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo recently charged four people with bilking 4,000 apartment-seekers out of nearly $1 million through a bogus "no fee apartment" scam, Paul Salamanca, the CEO of SkipBrokers.com, breathed a sigh of relief.
His legitimate company used to charge a fee for a listing of no-fee apartments - until he heard of some scammers working his turf.
"I'm actually thankful I came across them months ago while reading peoples' comments about how they got ripped off," Salamanca told On The Money. So six months ago Salamanca switched his company to a totally free service that rings up income from advertising on his site and from sponsors.
He said the transition has been rough at times but that surviving now by charging money up front for a list of "no fee apartments" could be even harder. | | | Posted by: | NY Post Article | |
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| | Inside Information for NO FEE Apartments in NYC | | 8/6/2008 1:50:02 AM | | If you're looking for a no broker fee apartment in New York, you will come across many no fee options but there are only a couple to take seriously. First you will find Craigslist but by now you've already figured out that there are still brokers posting apartments in the no fee section claiming to have no fee apartments just to get you in their front door. Once you go there 'SURPRISE!" that apartment was just taken off the market. Then you type in "nyc no fee apartments" in google and come across a list of no fee apartment websites and think you're in heaven. One of the first websites you'll probably come across will be Rent-direct.com aka rdny.com who will show you tons of apartments, but leave out the no fee landlord's contact information...what's the deal with that!?! Then you soon realize that you have to pay around $300 to receive the landlord's contact information. (Mlx is another similar option) You will probably start to convince yourself that this is much better than a broker's fee until you quickly think twice as you are pulling out your credit card. "Should I risk spending $300 on a website that I'm not sure will work??" ***Please be aware that some no fee websites that charge an upfront fee have been reported to the BBB for providing little to no service. Inapts.com was recently charged for allegedly bilking people out of nearly $1million.*** http://search.newyork.bbb.org/reports.aspx (check BBB's website here and enter in the url before paying a fee)
Then you realize you may have really hit the jackpot because you've come across a couple of no fee apartment websites that show you available apartments for FREE! There is www.Listngsquare.com that shows available no fee buildings. This website gives you a list of no-fee management companies so you can call yourself and is helpful except don't rely to much on their accuracy when seeing an available apartment on their site.
The most updated site is www.SkipBrokers.com that is also free and gives you insight on management companies and landlords. It's easier to call the landlords directly when you feel confident about the accuracy of their listings.
You will also run into the actual management companies' website yourself but will soon get tired of searching through four or five different websites each day knowing that a million people are doing the same thing. Think about it, if you found a no fee management/landlord website, how hard is it for a million others to find the same? Some of the easier no fee management companies to find are Jakobson Properites (nofeerentals.com) and Standard Realty (ownernofee.com). Here you will find they have a laundry list of affordable/available apartments but based on many tenant and prospect reviews these apartments make up in quantity where they lack in quality. Hmmmm....May be this is the reason their websites are a little easier to find then other landlords? I'm sure if you enjoy torture and for some reason decided to continue your search, you will come across many fly-by night websites that right away are spammed with advertisers hoping you click on one of their ads.
The bottom line is weed out the background noise and focus on the legitimate and free websites like Listingsquare.com and SkipBrokers.com first before decided to pay for any website or broker. Whether you find your apartment through a no fee website or a broker, either way, this process is not easy so be prepared for the challenge and stay optimistic. You'll be glad you did, this city is definately worth the effort! | | | Posted by: | mrooney | |
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| | San Francisco Bay Area Welcomes SkipBrokers.com | | 10/29/2008 5:25:21 AM | | San Francisco, California, October 28, 2008 – In all likelihood, Bay Area home prices will continue to decline through 2010 due to an increase in unemployment and a flood of foreclosed homes. This trend has many potential first time home buyers searching for more affordable apartment rentals while they still wait to make one of the biggest investments of their lives. With a competitive online apartment rental market, SkipBrokers.com developed a proprietary tool making the rental process less troublesome for these apartment hunters by aggregating key information across the internet. People on the apartment hunting trail can now reduce the amount of time spent searching online by receiving valuable information from one consolidated source.
“With so many rental websites showing many of the same apartments, it is unfair to have the prospect toggle back and forth spending hours trying to distinguish the difference between each and every website.” said Paul Salamanca, CEO of SkipBrokers.com. Rather than adding to the competition, SkipBrokers.com directs its users to other websites offering the best deals for thousands of available apartments around the San Francisco Bay Area.
There are many apartment rental websites that offer cash incentives for renting an apartment through their service. Users can now utilize SkipBrokers’ search tool that surfs the internet for apartments immediately notifying prospects where the most reward can be found for that particular apartment. While similar online services have been around for hotel and airline industries, Salamanca added, “We are excited to be a pioneer in the online apartment rental market by providing a service that helps prospects receive the highest reward for renting apartments while saving them tremendous amounts of time during the process.” SkipBrokers.com also collects reviews for each apartment allowing the user to read how satisfied current tenants are with the property before scheduling a visit.
SkipBrokers.com is a free online service expanding nationally after originating in New York City as a premier no fee apartment company. A concierge service is also available courtesy of SkipBrokers.com to help their users find the best deals on apartments, movers, boxes, phone, internet and cable. The registration process is intended to filter out “tire kickers” so more time can be spent catering to the more serious apartment hunter looking to move within 90 days.
Website Link: http://www.skipbrokers.com/sanfrancisco | | | Posted by: | Judy Edwards | |
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