I'm not sure what to say about this building other than it's ugly. On a personal level, I never trust anyone that actually has to spend the time and money to put up a "NOW RENTING" banner. Those banners remind me of this girl that hangs out at my local bar: She has a lazy eye and a mole above her left eyebrow with lots of hair growing out of it, and she's also addicted to video poker. But she always wears ridiculously short skirts. That kind of advertising makes me want to not buy what she's selling. Anyway, they have a one-bedroom for only $575! It's at 1800 SE Stark and their number is 503-224-6956.
Ritzdorf Court, located at 1225 SE Belmont, is currently on fire. I don't mean that in a "the apartments are really hot" sorta way. I mean that in a "there is smoke pouring out of the windows" sorta way. This doesn't help you find an apartment. Sorry.
UPDATE 6/2/07: This apt has been rented This 450 sq ft studio apartment is available for move-in on Wednesday, June 6th. Curry Court is an eco-friendly remodel that includes Caroma dual-flush toilets, brushed-steel energy star appliances, non-toxic low-VOC paint, recylcled insulation, high-efficiency windows, and much more. Apartment #1 is on the northwest corner of the building on the first floor. Every apartment is different at Curry Court, and this one features rich olive walls, oak floors, and a remote control ceiling fan.
Located at 11 SW Curry, it is within walking distance of OHSU, PSU, NCNM, and others. We're directly across the street from the community gardens. Also near Duniway park and the totally awesome Lair Hill Market. I think you can even walk to SOWA, but I haven't quite figured out how to efficiently do that yet. I'm east-side for life, and the west-side confuses and angers me with all of its twisty dead-end roads. On-site laundry and bike room, on-site parking too. The nearby bus stop is serviced by lines 1-Vermont, 12-Barbur Blvd, and 44-Capitol Hwy.
$635/mo on a six-month lease includes water, sewer, and garbage. You pay electric. $40 application fee $200-$635 deposit, depending on credit and rental history $100 move-in fee $100 cat deposit Sorry, no dogs allowed. Email or call 503.231.9169 to schedule an appt.
This seems like a ridiculously good deal. A studio in a four-plex for only $430/mo. This was built in 1907. I snapped this photo as I was walking by, but I'm not sure if the available studio is on the corner shown or the opposite corner. Either way, you should check out their craigslist ad if you're interested.
Speaking of the Valencia, I just noticed on craigslist that they have a studio coming up July 7th for $635. That seems expensive, but those studios are pretty big compared to others I've seen in the neighborhood. 503-235-2442
As I will continue to say, I am not a fan of these 1970s buildings. I hate parking lots and thin walls. But it's a landlord's market out there and finding an apartment in this neighborhood seems next to impossible so I'll list this one. The Pine Tree is run by American Property Management, who seem to own about a thousand little complexes just like this one all over town. This one has an available one-bedroom for $595. It's located on the corner of SE 13th and Pine, which is just okay. Not great, not horrible, just okay. Their phone number is 503-235-2339 if you're interested.
Here's an ad on craigslist for a one-bedroom at the Kent Apartments located on SE 20th and Belmont. It was built in 1923 and rents for $650. But check out the ad. I don't know, but something about it rubs me the wrong way. For example:
Please email us a bit about yourself and to schedual a time for viewing.
Why does that sound so sketchy to me? I'd be okay with that line if it were someone just looking for a roommate, but this is an ad for an apartment building. Is that line implying that he is giving preference to one group over another? I mean, not to mention the spelling thing. And then, even worse, there's this:
No application fees.
Is this implying that the tenants aren't screened? I don't know about you, but I gain some solace knowing that the people that share walls with me have passed a basic criminal background check. Of course, I'm not saying that the landlord is discriminating against anyone or that he's letting a bunch of arsonists and child molesters moving in. I'm just saying he should write better ads so the wrong people don't think that's what he's doing. At any rate, $650/mo for a one-bedroom is a great deal. Especially considering that the 2-bedroom condos next door are listed at almost $500k.
UPDATE 5/27 1:30pm: This studio has been rented. This 480 sq ft studio is available immediately.
It has a new oak floor, large separate kitchen, new plumbing in bath, and a large walk-in closet. It is located on the first floor and faces east. There's on-site laundry, storage vending, and a bike room. The building got new double-paned efficient vinyl windows in 2004. Belmont Court is located at 1410 SE Belmont and was built in 1927. It's on the #15 bus line and is just six blocks away from Hawthorne. The nearest grocery store is Zupan's, nearest bar is Squeez. $565/mo includes water, sewer, garbage, and hot water. You pay electric. $40 application fee $100 cat deposit $100 cleaning fee $200-$565 deposit depending on credit and rental history If you'd like to rent this place, please email me or call 503-231-0954
I found this article via boingboing, and it's mostly right. We charge you $76.80 to clean your studio after you move out, so this is a good way to save some money.
I was walking around the neighborhood today and saw that the Valencia Apartments has their little "for rent" box out with the cute little brochures. This is another one of my favorite buildings in the neighborhood, since it seems like it's in great shape. It was built in 1928, so it's a great old bricker. Also, it's right above the Yarn Garden, which is a place I would totally shop if I had any reason to buy something like, say, yarn I guess. According to KBC Management's website, they have a one-bedroom available for $765. It's at 1430 SE 14th, right on the corner of 14th and Hawthorne. Their phone is 503-235-2442.
Anderson Property Management (503-284-8022) is offering a 2-bedroom duplex at 1427 SE Salmon. I called the number, but they have one of those answering services that don't know any details. Therefore I know absolutely nothing about it except that it was built in 1981. I also found no craigslist ad or website for APM. Perhaps they are relying on walk-ups, word-of-mouth, or idiots like me to advertise. Or even worse: Oregonian classified ads. Does anyone read those anymore?
Ah, shared housing. I saw this sign up on a house on 14th and Taylor last night and thought I'd better mention it. I looked into it and it might be a 1904 5-plex. You have to share a bathroom, but you get your own kitchen and private entrance. So I guess it's not quite as bad as having roommates. You can still have naked breakfast, but you have to put on a robe when you get out of the shower. I found their craigslist ad, so if you're interested that has all of their contact info. Not to be sexist or anything, but if it's all dudes in there then you know that bathroom has gotta be disgusting.
A day late. Lynnwood Apartments--No vacancies, no notices. Warnell Apartments--No vacancies, no notices. Belmont Court Apartments--studio available immediately: $565 Queen Marie Apartments--No vacancies, no notices. Sellwood House--1 studio available June 11th: $610/mo +$75/mo util fee Curry Court--3 studios available June 10th: $635
If you haven't already found this during your search for an apartment, there's a funny website called Apartment Ratings that supposedly relies on former residents of apartment communities to rate their experience on a scale of 1 to 5. While I guess that website is a good idea in theory, it has some pretty major flaws. For example, if you do a search for our zip code (97214), you'll only come up with four apartment buildings--and I run three of them. I found my Lynnwood Apartments on there, and someone has described me as "sexy and muscular," which is a slight exaggeration. I think I know who may have written that one. Only six people have rated the Lynnwood, and they're all positive reviews. I'm sure that there's gotta be someone out there that actually hated living at the Lynnwood, so that rating of 100% is pretty useless in my opinion. Conversely, if you check out the ratings for Wimbledon Square, you'll see that 79 people have gone online to rate that building. While the sheer amount of ratings might give you a better overall picture of the building, I have a feeling that the management company would like to see that website go away. Read through some of those ratings for Wimbledon. Some are very funny, some are scary, some kind of make me uncomfortable with the blatant racism. One of my favorite reviews there contains this gem: "The walls are so thin that STDs can pass through them." Ouch.
Morlee Court on 18th and Hawthorne has a couple of studios coming up. The carpeted one on the ground floor is $575 and the one with hardwoods is $595. I'd go with the hardwood floors one if it were me. Their phone number is 503-233-4332, but I've never been able to get them to answer the phone or call me back when I'm doing my silly market surveys. I've walked by this place a thousand times but have never actually been inside. It was built in 1924, so I'm sure I'd like it. I wonder if it has the original steam radiators in the studios, or if it was converted in the 1970s to electric baseboard heating.
UPDATE: This apt is no longer available, but I have a similar one in the same building coming up 6/15. As promised, here's the video for Sellwood House Apt. 3:
This apartment is available immediately. The rent on this 450 sq ft studio is $595/mo on a 6-month lease plus a $75/mo utility fee that includes water, sewer, garbage, hot water, heat, gas, electricity, cable, and wi-fi. In other words, you write only one check for everything from rent to wi-fi. This is an eco-friendly studio with sustainable caramelized solvent-free bamboo floors, non-toxic paint, dual flush Caroma toilet, marmoleum floors in the kitchen and bath. It also has some green features that you can't necessarily see, such as cellulose insulation, water-based wood putty, non-toxic caulk and cleaning products, salvaged lumber, and FSC-certified plywood. This is also one of the few studios I know about in southeast Portland that has a gas stove. This unit faces east and south. The Sellwood House is a historic property lovingly remodeled in 2003 to green specifications. It has off-street parking, on-site laundry, and extra storage. It's on the #19 and #70 bus lines. There are indoor bike racks as well. The exerior of the building can be viewed here. The application fee is $40. The move-in fee is $100. Cat fee is $100. Deposit is $200-$595 depending on credit and rental history.
This apartment is available immediately. To schedule a showing or to learn more info you can email me or call 503-231-9169.
Emily over at the La Salle has a huge one-bedroom for rent. The La Salle is probably in the top 5 of my favorite buildings in the neighborhood, as it seems like they've been able to maintain most of their 1924 charm throughout the years. The apartment is on the second floor and has hardwood floors, french doors, and a lot of other charming stuff that will make your friends jealous. At $835/mo it's a little more expensive than most places, but you get what you pay for. It's a block off of Hawthorne so there's not too much street noise, and it's within stumbling distance of Langano Lounge. This building is one of those places where the rare vacancies are snatched up pretty quickly, so by the time you read this, it's probably already rented. Wouldn't hurt to call, though. 503-238-2005. 1504 SE Madison. UPDATE 5/24/07: Here's her Craigslist ad.
The Highland Terrace Apartments at 2045 SE Madison have their vacancy sign out this afternoon. They are run by Reliance Property Management and according to their website they have a one-bedroom for $750/mo. That seems like an okay deal for a pretty 1927 building. I called their number (503-244-1359) this afternoon at 4pm but the answering machine said they were closed. In case you're not from here, SE Madison is a block north of Hawthorne so it's a quick walk to the number 14 bus. Hopefully, they actually have an apartment available and their not just being lazy by leaving their sign up. I've been guilty of that.
I just got a truncated 30-day notice from #10 at the Sellwood House. They're moving out on June 2nd so it should be ready around June 6th or so. #10 is probably the best or second best apartment in that building. I know that pretty intimately since my ex-girlfriend lived there for about a year around 2003ish. In fact, I believe we broke up in that bathroom. I'll have video of a comparable studio up tomorrow, but until then you can refer to this post for a look at the outside of the building. The rent is $615/mo + $75/mo utilities. That includes water, sewer, garbage, hot water, electric, heat, gas, cable, and wi-fi. Like I said, I'll have an actual ad up on Craigslist and here sometime tomorrow. If you'd like to jump on it now, let me know.
I was just trying to find some more information about that apartment on SE Salmon being offered by Mainlander Property Management when I noticed that, according to their website, they are "The Pro's." Is it just me, or does incorrect apostrophe usage somehow NOT inspire any confidence in a property management company? I would email them about it, but they probably have that phrase written all over their stationery and I hate being the bearer of bad news.
I sometimes have to manage this building whenever it's in between managers. Like I've said before, I'm not a big fan of the 1970s architecture (or properties with the word "Villa" in them, for that matter), but it's just so cheap to live there it's hard not to let people know about it. They have a one-bedroom-plus for $585 that's coming available around June 5th or so. The "plus" in that equation is kind of like a bedroom but I guess they're calling it a den. It's at 3608 SE 40th, right across SE 40th from that newish Safeway. If this building was 45 years older and about 20 blocks closer to my neighborhood, it would rent for about $800 or so methinks. It's about a block away from Creston Park, which is one of the better parks in southeast. The phone number for Creston Villa is 503-771-4040.
If you haven't heard about the incident last week at the Ladd's Addition Apartments yet, then I'll briefly fill you in (as I understand it): Some idiot that lives there decided it would be a good idea to microwave some mercury and caused a chemical fire. Said chemical fire caused a total evacuation of the building and now all of the other residents' possessions have to be destroyed by hazmat. In true Portland style, his excuse was that he was trying to build a fuel cell that would run cars on pure lavender oil. Or something like that. I heard through a trusted friend of a relatively-reliable friend that some of the tenants are trying to sue either the building owner or the management company, but this is a lawsuit that they will lose. It is situations like this that are the reason you need renter's insurance. I pay a total of $10.58/mo for my renter's insurance, so there's no excuse not to have it. Chances are that your building will never catch fire, but if it does, the apartment building is NOT liable for your stuff. Or your living situation. It sucks, but that's the way it is. On the plus side, The Ladd's Addition Apartments are really cool, and I'm pretty sure some people are going to be moving out soon. Those hazmat guys can really clean stuff up, so I'm sure the place is okay.
I need to figure out a way to put a little chart on here. Until then, here's what I have available at the 6 apartment buildings I run. Lynnwood Apartments--No vacancies, no notices. Warnell Apartments--No vacancies, no notices. Belmont Court Apartments--No vacancies, no notices. Queen Marie Apartments--2-bedroom apartment available June 15th: $975. Sellwood House--2 studios available May 25th: $595+$75/mo util. fee. Curry Court--3 studios available June 10th: $635
I'll do this every friday unless things get crazy enough to warrant doing it more often.
This seems like a ridiculously good deal. Mainlander Property Management (whom I know nothing about) is renting a 2-bedroom apartment at 1525 SE Salmon for only $650/mo. For comparison, I just rented a 2-bedroom a few blocks away from this place for $975. It's in a 5-plex built in 1965, so you can probably hear your neighbor sneeze, but for that price it might be worth it. It's 900 sq ft and has its own washer and dryer and off-street parking. It's kind of a strange looking building--set back off the street with a few parking spaces in front of it. Absolutely no character, but like I said it's only $650/mo. You can learn everything I know about it by calling 503-635-4480 and asking about property #210. Bet you $20 it's got carpet. UPDATE 5/24/07: The sign is down, so it's probably rented.
I'm managing the Sellwood House for a friend for a while, and there's a studio coming up over there around May 22nd or so. It's not quite done so I don't have a video of it yet. But I did head over there today and shot a short video of the exterior. Built in 1904 and originally a convent, the Sellwood House is located at 1408 SE Boise St. in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
Rent for the studio will be $595/mo plus a $75/mo utilities fee that includes water, sewer, garbage, hot water, heat, electric, gas, cable, and wi-fi.
I'm not a big fan of these 1970s-style buildings, but one-bedrooms are pretty rare right now so I wanted to let you know about this apartment that is seemingly available for rent right now. This is a 6-plex at 1615 SE Taylor. It was built in 1969 so I'm pretty sure you're stuck with carpet. I've talked to the owner, Greg, a few times and he seems like a pretty nice guy. I know the last opening here had its own washer and dryer and rented for $695, but I'm not sure about the new one that is apparently opening up. You can reach the owner at 503.680.0909 UPDATE 5/25/07: The sign is down, so the apartment is most likely rented now.
About four years ago I stopped using pinesol, lysol, and all that other icky chemical stuff at my apartment buildings and switched to CleanVia. It's readily biodegradable and isn't sodium or petroleum based like other "environmentally friendly" cleaners like SimplyGreen (or whatever it's called). Last I checked, you can buy it from the nice folks at Environmental Building Supply, and a gallon of this seems to last about 6 months. Every little bit helps, right?
Apartments go really quickly these days. I'll often get a 30-day notice and set up a little open house on Craigslist, only to have the apartment already rented before said open house occurs. If you ever want to get the jump on an apartment, you can print out a Rental Application (pdf) here. Yeah, I know it says "sample" on it. Most apartment managers don't care about that. They're just happy that the apartment is rented and they can go back to unclogging toilets. I've included that Rental Application link on the sidebar.
Hey, on my way back from getting a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll this morning I saw that Kathy at Hawthorne Court has a one-bedroom apartment available. This is rare. If I had a building full of 60 vacant one-bedroom apartments in this neighborhood, I'd have it full in 72 hours as the demand for these is ridiculously high. In other words, by the time you read this, the apartment will be rented. Hawthorne Court is a neat old 1920s courtyard walk-up. I've been in a few of these apartments, and they seem a little bigger than most one-bedrooms in the neighborhood. Some have carpet, some have the original oak hardwood floors. If I remember correctly, it has gas heat, which means that your heating bills are gonna be pretty high in the winter because of the original (yet awesome) drafty wooden windows. I'm not sure what she's charging these days, but I'd guess $725/mo. Hawthorne Court is at 1650 SE Hawthorne. 503.233.8865 UPDATE 5/22/07: The sign is down, so the apartment is most likely rented now.
I'm an east-sider 'till I die, but I'm currently helping out a friend and watching over a building on the west side. Curry Court was built in 1978, but Jill bought the place in 2005. She gutted the place down to the studs and rebuilt the place using all eco-friendly materials. She's did such a good job on this building that she won some sort of award from the City of Portland. The Office of Sustainable Development even used Curry Court as an example of how to remodel, and one day a representative from each of the 50 states toured the place. That was a fun day: Fifty people in pastel pantsuits walking through taking notes and oohing and aahing. Anyway, I currently have three large studios coming up over there. One of them (available June 7th) looks a lot like the studio in the video below except it has a recycled cork floor instead of bamboo.
The other two have totally different floor plans (bigger kitchen, smaller living area) and will be available June 7th and June 27th, respectively. I'll have videos of those once they're ready. In the mean time, I'd love to pre-lease these babies so let me know if you'd like some more info. I usually show them on Monday nights after 5:30. Once they're vacant, the showing times can be more flexible.
I run apartment buildings in Portland, but I need a website to refer people to that actually has updated information. Sites like oregonlive or princeton property are great resources, but they frequently have outdated information. So this site should serve as an easily-updatable resource for anyone that wants to rent an apartment from me. Also, I'll include information about other rentals I see around town. Since I'm a property manager, I sometimes get the inside scoop on available apartments. I'm not a good salesman and never have been in the over seven years I've been in the business. I'm not trying to specifically promote my apartments; Instead, I'm simply trying to create a resource for people looking for housing. I may get bored or frustrated with this by about the Wednesday of next week, however, so we'll see how it goes.
