Be Weary of Deals that Sound Too Good

As you might know, I'm preparing to move. Upon conducting tours of several apartment complexes looking for my new home to jump start my future professional career in, I was given the following deal: The apartment complex was nothing special on the outside, but it was very close to the beach, had a very large 1 bedroom layout, lots of closet space, and a nice enough pool. I was offered the place at a discounted price, with free extended standard cable, free water, weekly pest control, free trash pick-up, a free first month of rent, and a discounted security deposit, and the move-in date I wanted. It all sounded great, and even though this was the last apartment complex I planned on touring before making my decision, I somehow resisted the urge of taking the deal right then and there.

Instead of taking the deal, I took care of turning in some new paperwork at my new work and had a brief chat with the security officer in charge of handling my paperwork. Having lived in the area for a long time and having a son who has rented apartments in several places in the area, she had some useful advice. She strongly opposed to me living there for the following reasons: The place apparently has a huge drug and crime problem. Vehicle vandalism is common, there has been several drive by shootings, and recently there had been someone murdered outside their own car. The deal given to me most likely was a desperate attempt at bringing in new customers that knew nothing of the crime problems running rampant in the area of the complex.

Lesson here? When moving to an unfamiliar city, always consult someone who knows the area or the local police to ensure the place your moving to will be a good environment, and be wary of deals that sound too good to be true. I did find a new residence, and while it will cost a lot more than this deal was, the area is gorgeous and has a good reputation.