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Old 08-05-2010, 08:40 PM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
17 posts, read 33,012 times
Reputation: 10

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I'm moving to Chicago in a few months. I'm told it's not a great idea to use a leasing agency/apartment finder service, but I will only be in town for a few days so currently I have an appointment with Homescout Reality and Luxury Living Chicago. Does anyone have any experience with either of these?

I'm told to use Craigslist so I started looking through the listings as I'm going to be in town in a few weeks; however, every posting I have found is listed by a leasing agent. Is this the case with every listing on there or is it just a matter of going through the postings more throroughly and being patient to find a posting by a private landlord/non-agent?

Any advice/help would be greatly appreciate!

Thank you in advance!
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Old 08-05-2010, 08:44 PM
 
Location: Chicago
15,586 posts, read 27,676,327 times
Reputation: 1761
Quote:
Originally Posted by babyblues2 View Post
...I have an appointment with Homescout Reality and Luxury Living Chicago. Does anyone have any experience with either of these?...
I have never heard of either.
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Old 08-05-2010, 08:46 PM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
17 posts, read 33,012 times
Reputation: 10
Avenger - do you recommend using an agency? If so - who? Thanks for all your helpful input.
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Old 08-05-2010, 09:18 PM
 
Location: Chicago--Bucktown
425 posts, read 1,439,075 times
Reputation: 178
Agencies have their benefits, but should not be your only means of looking. Use Craigslist to get an idea of what you can expect in your price range and neighborhood before going with your locator.

Also, when you're with your locator, make sure you are stern, or better yet don't give your full price range. For example, if you say you can spend up to $1000, then guess what price apartments you're going to see (answer: $1000), even though there will surely be others cheaper. So be stern about your price that you want to pay.
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Old 08-05-2010, 09:44 PM
 
Location: Chicago
15,586 posts, read 27,676,327 times
Reputation: 1761
Quote:
Originally Posted by hank0604 View Post
For example, if you say you can spend up to $1000, then guess what price apartments you're going to see (answer: $1000)...
Not to mention they just might get you to sign a lease on a place for $1000 that they might have been shopping at $800 or $900!
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Old 08-05-2010, 09:48 PM
 
Location: Chicago
15,586 posts, read 27,676,327 times
Reputation: 1761
Quote:
Originally Posted by babyblues2 View Post
Avenger - do you recommend using an agency? If so - who? Thanks for all your helpful input.
Agencies can be useful especially for someone that is moving from out of town with not much knowledge of the city. It is a double edge sword with agencies, but dealing with some landlords directly can be much worse. Some landlords will really b.s. someone not from the area.

I have never used an agency personally since I grew up in the city and know the neighborhoods well enough to know what I want and want I do not want.

I am sure there are others on here that have experience with agencies-maybe they will post in this thread.

================================================== ===============================================

Click on one of these links in this thread for places already mentioned:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/chica...ds-moving.html


Threads on finding apartments
Apartment Finding Companies - Questions
Chicago Leases, agencies, and moving
apartment finders?
River North
Using apartment-finding companies
Finding an apartment in Chicago -- how soon is too soon -AND- how late is too late?
best way to find apartments?
Planning on late July/early Aug move-is it too early to start hunting for apts?
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Old 08-06-2010, 07:09 PM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
17 posts, read 33,012 times
Reputation: 10
Thank you so much for your help! I really love this forum - it is a vast wealth of info!! Everyone is so generous on here and I am really looking forward to moving to Chicago!
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Old 08-06-2010, 07:49 PM
 
Location: Edgewater
72 posts, read 261,801 times
Reputation: 27
Hi,


I used Apartmentpeople and Apartmentfinder and well yeah - you have to know what you want and stick to it. They will try to sell you less desirable places first or extend the boundaries of certain neighborhoods. But: they take you around in their car - so you know what the neighborhood looks like and if you think you would enjoy living there (if you're not familiar with the city). For me it was a big help just to get started and in the end I even settled down with one of their apartments.

good luck!
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Old 08-06-2010, 08:33 PM
 
Location: River North, Chicago
226 posts, read 642,196 times
Reputation: 96
These apartmentfinder agencies are garbage. Sheer, unbridled garbage.

I called a handful of them back when I was looking for a place, and I don't think a single one of them ever named a property/apartment/building I didn't already know about via Craigslist/Hotpads/various other free real estate websites. Some of them even told me the asking prices were HIGHER than the prices I saw on the websites.

Do your own research. Don't waste your time with them.
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