and we all know what that means....
Thieves are stealing your rent check.
Lisa Carmona said somebody stole her rent money. It consisted of several hundreds of dollars in money orders.
She placed her rent money in her apartment's drop box and her apartment claimed they never received the payment.
Still, someone found a way to spend the money orders made out to the apartment.
"They cashed two of them and right now I'm in the process of trying to find out who and where it has happened it," Carmona said.
Carmona said the ordeal got her kicked out of her apartment.
"I had my copies of my money orders here saying that I had the money and I know I turned it in and I was forced to leave my home," Carmona said.
Carmona filed a police report and she hopes to get her money back.
A spokesperson for the Austin Police Department said crooks can alter money orders as well as steal routing numbers from personal checks. They urge consumers to check their mailboxes on a regular basis, pay bills electronically and keep a close eye on their checking accounts. You should also deliver rent payments in person.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Free Tree Recycling in Austin
Tree recycling tends to be more helpful for apartments since we don't have curbside pick up for most of us
Trees will be chipped into mulch that residents can take at no charge.
The recycling will take place Monday, Dec. 29 – Saturday, Jan. 10 at two locations:
Austin Community Landfill
9900 Giles Road
Located at the intersection of Giles Road and Highway 290 East in Northeast Travis County
Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday: closed
Williamson County Landfill
Located on the west side of 1660, between Highway 79 and Highway 29
Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. – noon
Sunday: closed
Original Story
Trees will be chipped into mulch that residents can take at no charge.
The recycling will take place Monday, Dec. 29 – Saturday, Jan. 10 at two locations:
Austin Community Landfill
9900 Giles Road
Located at the intersection of Giles Road and Highway 290 East in Northeast Travis County
Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday: closed
Williamson County Landfill
Located on the west side of 1660, between Highway 79 and Highway 29
Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. – noon
Sunday: closed
Original Story
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Getting Landlords to fix your Austin Apartment
A woman, in Mission Hills apartment, claims she has a severe rat problem and the management isn't doing enough to fix it.
You can read about the story here (video too), but that won't be the focus of the post.
If you aren't getting the response you think you deserve on an issue in your apartment there are some steps you can take to help move things along.
1. If you have an issue that threatens your health or safety, give management a written request for repairs. Use this form from the Austin Tenants Council as a guide
2. Be sure to keep a copy of the letter and send it by certified mail (e-mail is not proper notice under the Texas Property Code).
3. Call Austin Tenants’ Council’s telephone counseling line at (512)474-1961 if you still don't get the action you are looking for.
What else have you done to get a lazy landlord's attention?
You can read about the story here (video too), but that won't be the focus of the post.
If you aren't getting the response you think you deserve on an issue in your apartment there are some steps you can take to help move things along.
1. If you have an issue that threatens your health or safety, give management a written request for repairs. Use this form from the Austin Tenants Council as a guide
2. Be sure to keep a copy of the letter and send it by certified mail (e-mail is not proper notice under the Texas Property Code).
3. Call Austin Tenants’ Council’s telephone counseling line at (512)474-1961 if you still don't get the action you are looking for.
What else have you done to get a lazy landlord's attention?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Robertson Hill apartments are sold
An unnamed investor bought the Robertson Hill Apartments, a new 290-unit apartment complex at 9th and I35.
The complex has been developed by Martin Fein Interests. Robertson Hill has been part of the increase in construction of residential buildings in East Austin in recent memory.
Hal Holiday and David Aaronson of Houston-based Live Oak Capital brokered the sale on behalf of the owner, Robertson Hill Apartments LP.
Original Story - Ignore spelling error in the title.
The complex has been developed by Martin Fein Interests. Robertson Hill has been part of the increase in construction of residential buildings in East Austin in recent memory.
Hal Holiday and David Aaronson of Houston-based Live Oak Capital brokered the sale on behalf of the owner, Robertson Hill Apartments LP.
Original Story - Ignore spelling error in the title.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Austin apartments get some bailout money
From the Austin City Council that is.
The Austin City Council agreed to use $710,350 in bond money to lower some rents at an apartment project planned for South Austin. The city has invested about $800,000 into the project. They also gave the developer, Post Properties, a public street, valued at close to $300,000.
In April 2007, the council agreed to use bond money (and $397,000 in waived fees for infrastructure and engineering costs) to "buy down" the rent of 30 apartments to about $666 . The council said they wanted to see lower-cost housing dispersed citywide and not just relegated to East Austin.
Then this summer, Post asked for $800,000 more, saying it couldn't lower the rents without it. In negotiations, Post backed off that request and asked instead that the city waive provisions about tenants' rights and Section 8 clients, city Housing Director Margaret Shaw said.
The apartment project will replace the older, low-rent Stoneridge apartment complex on South Lamar Boulevard. It used to cost about $600 per month to live at the Stoneridge Apartments, what many consider the last affordable apartment complex near downtown.
Original Story
All in all, seems like a good deal for the developers. If the waivers are permanent, I don't think there is anything stopping them from asking for more money later and saying they will have to raise rents if they don't get it.
It is not known when the project will be completed. So at the end of the day, the city has spent a million dollars to get 30 lower than market apartments at some undefined time in the future. Good deal if you can get it.
The Austin City Council agreed to use $710,350 in bond money to lower some rents at an apartment project planned for South Austin. The city has invested about $800,000 into the project. They also gave the developer, Post Properties, a public street, valued at close to $300,000.
In April 2007, the council agreed to use bond money (and $397,000 in waived fees for infrastructure and engineering costs) to "buy down" the rent of 30 apartments to about $666 . The council said they wanted to see lower-cost housing dispersed citywide and not just relegated to East Austin.
Then this summer, Post asked for $800,000 more, saying it couldn't lower the rents without it. In negotiations, Post backed off that request and asked instead that the city waive provisions about tenants' rights and Section 8 clients, city Housing Director Margaret Shaw said.
The apartment project will replace the older, low-rent Stoneridge apartment complex on South Lamar Boulevard. It used to cost about $600 per month to live at the Stoneridge Apartments, what many consider the last affordable apartment complex near downtown.
Original Story
All in all, seems like a good deal for the developers. If the waivers are permanent, I don't think there is anything stopping them from asking for more money later and saying they will have to raise rents if they don't get it.
It is not known when the project will be completed. So at the end of the day, the city has spent a million dollars to get 30 lower than market apartments at some undefined time in the future. Good deal if you can get it.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Tired of people from California....Here come the New Yorkers
The New York Times has an article recommending downtown Austin as an 'appealing second home location.'
This may not be cause a mad rush from the Empire State, and may not do too much to counteract the overbuilding going on downtown, but it almost definitely means the efforts to Keep Austin Weird will get more and more difficult.
This may not be cause a mad rush from the Empire State, and may not do too much to counteract the overbuilding going on downtown, but it almost definitely means the efforts to Keep Austin Weird will get more and more difficult.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Gables Great Hills sold to Greystar Real Estate
Gables Great Hills has been sold by Gables Residential to Greystar Real Estate in South Carolina.
Built in 1993, Gables Great Hills has a unit mix of one and two-bedroom apartments.
Patton Jones, who helped broker the deal, said "Mid-1990s construction is popular with multifamily investors due to the ease at which you can upgrade this property type and seek increased rents."
Gables Great Hills is located at 11266 Taylor Draper Ln. in the Arboretum area.
It will be interesting to see if they can really raise rents in this environment.
Built in 1993, Gables Great Hills has a unit mix of one and two-bedroom apartments.
Patton Jones, who helped broker the deal, said "Mid-1990s construction is popular with multifamily investors due to the ease at which you can upgrade this property type and seek increased rents."
Gables Great Hills is located at 11266 Taylor Draper Ln. in the Arboretum area.
It will be interesting to see if they can really raise rents in this environment.
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