Flagged On Craigslist

For this piece of innocence:

Available 1/6/12: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2fywgWF-XQ

I don't know what to say about this one. I think it was originally a 1bd but when they filled in the pool back in '98 they added the sauna and clubhouse onto this apartment. The result is a labyrinth of Bowie-esque proportions. Well, maybe not THAT cool, but I could definitely Jennifer Connelly running around in there. Aw hell, I could see her just about anywhere to be honest with you. As long as she doesn't ever play Audrey Hepburn in some sort of biopic. That (and her craggy hip bones that you can cut bread on) is what ruined Jennifer Love Hewitt for me. She is dead to me now. You hear that Jennifer Love Hewitt?!? DEAD!

Oh crap. Now I have to go watch Labyrinth again or I'm going to be saying, "You remind me of the babe" all day. Can you imagine if you were viewing an apartment and the landlord-dude said that to you? I'd cross that place off my list in a heartbeat, unless the landlord actually WAS Jareth the Goblin King.
Um...yeah. Tangent.
Water, sewer, garbage included. Off-street parking, on-site laundry and management. Small dog friendly. Indoor cat friendly.
$300-$700 deposit.
No pet rent!
$150 cat deposit.
$300 dog deposit.
No owl deposit!
$40 app fee.

As suggested, I posted on the craigslist forums to ask why that would get flagged. I got all kinds of answers. Some were obviously wrong: "No posting youtube links on craigslist," and "It's against the rules to post an ad for an apartment that isn't available immediately." Others were kind of sad to me, and they were all along the lines of, "You didn't say anything about the apartment!" Most had some misspellings. I was actually confused why it was removed, as I read through the entire Terms Of Use on Craigslist and found nothing wrong with it. Finally I got an answer: "Stop trying to be funny. We'll flag whatever we want."

1615 SE Taylor

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Dear Greg,
Let's talk about your craigslist ad.
You are a property owner and I'm just a lowly manager, so maybe I'm out of line here. But look at this from a renter's point of view:

REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR NAME and PHONE NUMBER TWICE.
- 1- How Many People will be living there?
- 2-What kind of job(s) do you have? and what is your monthy gross income?
- 3-OR if you are in school who is the source of your finding?
- 4-What is your move in time frame and what flexibility do you have?

REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR NAME and PHONE NUMBER TWICE.

The combination of allcaps and asking what kind of job(s) people have is somewhat off-putting. Maybe that's just me, though. I'm not sure. Also, you should consider going to EcoHaus and putting in some bamboo floors. Your turnover costs would be halved and you could probably charge about $50-$100 more per month. Plus you wouldn't have to charge the people moving out the cost of cleaning the carpet. It was nice meeting you in the spring of 2007.

3946 SE 28th Place

I haven't heard of Paragon Equity Partners before, but here's their latest craigslist offering. My favorite thing about this place is the following part of their CL ad:

Please call/TEXT! Doug at 503-941-0659 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 503-941-0659 end_of_the_skype_highlighting to arrange a showing. You can also follow or message me on Twitter @PortlandForRent.

Great. So now someone's doing the apartment rental thing on the twitter. This blog is so 2003. Not to mention Doug is inviting you to text him. Unless he's carrying around two phones (one for work, one for home), then I think he wins the spirit award for dedication. The last thing I want to see on my phone at 10:15am on a Sunday morning while I'm either hungover or at the beach with my family or both is "do U stil have the apt on 28th pl & do U exept ferrets?"
At any rate, although this duplex looks pretty ugly on the outside I think it's a pretty nice spot to live--especially if you're trying to get out of living in an apartment. If I lived there, I'd probably spend most of my free time here.

Crown Point Apartments

The only reason I'm posting this is because I think that's an awesome picture. I'm not sure what the landlord here is trying to convey by putting this in his or her ad, but I'm pretty sure their motive was simply, "Whoa. It totally snowed." Kudos to them for not shoveling and instead, well, marketing. Crown Point is at 2925 SE 50th and they have a one-bedroom for $695. 503.234.7632.

The Money Shot Is At 1:33

Rule #1: Keep yourself out of the video.
Ashley Court has a 2bd for $775. Specials, storage, parking, etc.
503.232.8200

Hudson Court Apartments

This post is monumental in two ways. Way the first: They are giving away flat-screen TVs upon moving in. That's just nutty. Way the second: This is the first sponsored post I've done. Someone told me that if you accept gifts or payment for a blog post you legally had to report it, so there ya go: I'm writing this in exchange for a 22oz bottle of Ninkasi. Okay, let's see here, what's going on at Hudson Court? It's at 4129 SE 39th, that's nice. There's a two-bedroom for $750 (about $25-$50 under market) that looks like it has new carpet and lino. Oh, and a FREE FLAT SCREEN. Whatever. It's probably a Sorny. Do give Jessica a call at 503.774.3611 and check out her apartment. Tell her that the $4.59 she spent on that beer for me was well-spent. Let us all now celebrate my new paying gig as a blogger by drinking beer. Specifically, Tricerahops Double IPA.

Creston Villa #12, and a little incentive comparison

I have an apartment coming available in a couple days. It's a two-bedroom townhome for $775:

So yeah, there it is. Not a bad little place. It's always been difficult to rent apartments around xmas, but it's especially hard this year because of the crappy economy. So this morning I'm going around craigslist to see what other places are giving away to get people to move in:

• Ashley Court is giving away 2 weeks free and a $150 Visa gift card.
• 3609 SE 42nd is offering $200 off your first month rent.
• 3430 SE 58th will give you one month free.
• Madrone Acacia will let you sign a month-to-month lease or give you half a month free.

All of these seem like pretty good deals I guess.
But take a gander at MY SPECIAL:

Here is our special, and it is a good one: Upon move-in, you will receive a partial CD discography of obscure 80s band The Chameleons UK, including--but not limited to--"Script of the Bridge" featuring the hit "Up The Down Escalator," which reached #18 on the German pop charts in 1983. One might say it was their seminal album.

I think I know why I haven't been getting much traffic these days.

Creston Villa #12

Weird apartment coming up:

It's the only 2-bedroom townhome I have at Creston Villa, and it should be ready around the 21st or 22nd of December. I personally prefer the flats to this townhome, but with this one at least you don't have any upstairs or downstairs neighbors. And I guess it's slightly bigger than the flats, but just barely. $795/mo includes water, sewer, garbage. Rent this apartment from me and you can have the rest of December for free. And, um, I don't know. How about a $50 New Seasons gift card? 503.771.4040

Damn Montananites

I thought I had rented this apartment, but people from Montana tend to be flaky sometimes. I blame that "River Runs Through It" movie. For some reason.

Please rent this apartment. I will be your BFF. It's only $600/mo!

Creston Villa #6

Hey, I don't have a video for it yet, but it looks a lot like this one:

I'm even offering a $75 gift card to New Seasons if you move in before the 1st. If it were me, I'd spend it all on this. I gotta say, Creston Villa is getting more and more awesome. I would've avoided that place three years ago, but nowadays it's the bee's knees. Or many bees' knees. Call me and rent it! 503.771.4040

Creston Villa #30

Although this video is of #5, it looks exactly like #30. I'll have a video of #30 after I get it finished--which might be a little while. The girls that just moved out were YOUNG, 19 and 21. They were also artists. Or at least I'm assuming they were artists based on the amount of stray spray paint all over the walls, doors, deck, ceiling, etc.
Young girls and property management--like young girls and everything else--are kind of a mixed blessing. It's nice having them bake you cookies and pretend-flirt with you, but sooner or later they're going to move out and you'll have to scrape their glow-in-the-dark stars off the ceiling.
$785/mo on a 9-mo lease includes water, sewer, garbage.

Creston Villa #41

I also have an apartment for rent, shown here:

$775/mo includes water, sewer, parking, and garbage.
Pet friendly, quiet building next to the Safeway.
The address is 3640 SE 40th, and my phone # is 771.4040
Here's the CL ad.

Stuff I have coming up

Creston Villa #41 should be ready 3/10 or so for $775:

Creston Villa #30 should be ready on 3/8, and it looks a lot like 41 but with a better kitchen for $775.
Creston Villa #19 is a funky ground floor apartment that I don't have a video of, but it's only $720 and should be ready around 3/10.
Queen Marie #207 is $830 and it will be ready around 4/10:

At the Warnell, I have a one-bedroom coming up around 3/15 for a cool $700. It's not my favorite because it's on the ground floor, but it has hardwood floors and is pretty big. Sorry no video.
Available now, I have this, and this.

I'm giving out New Seasons Gift Cards for referrals these days. If you know someone that needs an apartment and they rent from me, I'll kick you back a $25 or $50 card depending on which property.

How to peak my interest and then immediately kill it.

Mention Jackie O in the title of your craigslist ad so I'll click on it, and then mention Austin Powers in the first sentence so I click the back button.

And what's with the pictures of the full trash cans?
UPDATE: These guys are starting to grow on me.

Creston Villa #41

Please tell me what I'm doing wrong. Why won't anyone rent this apartment from me? Two months ago I could have had half a dozen people lining up to pay $825 for it. Is it just the slow season, or is the apartment market finally catching up to the housing market? Here's a video. Maybe that will help.

Stuff I have coming up soon:

Creston Villa #41:
Available 11/1ish: 800 sq ft 2bd facing east and a west-facing balcony. $825/mo. Here's a video of the place:

Creston Villa #27:
Available 11/5ish: Basically the same as #41 above but the windows face north and the balcony faces south.
Sellwood House #7:
Available 10/26ish: 360 sq ft studio facing south on the top floor. Award-winning green remodel of a 1900s convent for $750/mo. Rent includes water, sewer, garbage, hot water, heat, gas, electricity, cable. It looks almost exactly like this one:

Queen Marie #204:
Available 11/10ish: 460 sq ft studio facing east on the second floor. Beautiful 1920s building right across the street from the Eastbank Farmer's Market. $700/mo includes water, sewer, garbage, hot water. Looks almost exactly like this one:

Lynnwood #210:
Available 11/10ish: 340 sq ft studio on the top floor facing west with a sweet view of downtown. $640/mo includes water, sewer, garbage, hot water, heat. It kinda looks like this one:

As always, give me a call at 503.231.9169 if you'd like to check these out.

2133 NE Halsey

Palisades Properties has an interesting 1960s 2bd with hardwoods in a nice neighborhood for $995. It's dog-friendly even. However, I'm noticing this new trend where you're actually paying a monthly rental fee for your pet. In this case, it's $25/month. I'm not really big on animals that you can't eat ("Is that a pet bunny or a food bunny?" my Mom was fond of saying), so maybe this isn't a big deal to pet owners. But I'd be pretty crestfallen knowing that my dog was costing me $25 per month. But whatevs. I think my cat saw me writing that line about eating animals and is now hiding under the filing cabinet.
Link to picture of property on google maps.

Creston Villa Apartments #18

UPDATE: This apartment has been rented.
Available immediately:
This is a large (662 sq ft) one-bedroom apartment located at 3624 SE 40th between SE Powell and SE Francis. It has a huge eat-in kitchen, a good sized living room and bedroom, and a small walk-in closet. The two large windows face south so it gets a fair amount of light. There is a very large and private covered porch. Here's a short video of the apartment:

Creston Villa has on-site coin-op laundry with brand new machines, off-street parking, and on-site management. We're on bus lines #9 and #75, and literally right across the street from the new Safeway. The nearest Stumptown Coffee is 6 blocks away. The nearest brewery is 11 blocks away. Downtown is about 7 minutes by car and 19 minutes by bicycle.

$615/mo on a six to twelve month lease includes water, sewer, and garbage. The building recently had brand new double-paned high-efficiency vinyl windows installed so electricity isn't that bad. My last bill was $35, and that was for chilly November.
$200-$600 deposit depending on credit and rental history
$40 application fee
$100 move-in fee
Cats are allowed with a $100 fee.
Well-behaved dogs under 30 lbs are allowed for a $200 fee.
Please call 503.231.9169 to schedule an appointment to view this place in person.

Creston Villa Apartments #3

UPDATE: Application Pending
Available immediately:
This large (700 sq ft) two-bedroom apartment features an open kitchen with dining room, a wide entry room, huge living room, and two good sized bedrooms. The two bedrooms face west, and the living room and dining room face east. It also has a large deck facing east that also has its own stairway to the parking lot.
The full bathroom was remodeled in 2005 so it's in great shape. There are also three closets in this apartment.
We have off-street parking, a large laundry room with brand new machines, vending, and on-site management. We're within walking distance of many little shops, and within throwing distance of the new Safeway. Tri-met bus #9 and #75 stop within a few hundred feet of Creston Villa. We're also about 2 blocks from gigantic Creston Park.
$700/mo on a 9-month lease includes water, sewer, and garbage.
$40 application fee
$100 move-in fee
$100 cat fee
$250 dog fee (under 30 pounds only)
$200-$700 refundable deposit based on credit and rental history
Creston Villa is located at 3608 SE 40th, Portland, OR 97202

Please call 503-771-4040 to schedule an appointment to come by and check it out.
Here's a little video of the apartment if you're interested:

Creston Villa #16

The apartment will be ready 9/6/07:
This is a ground floor 2-bedroom apartment with private porch and outside entrance. At 740 square feet, this is one of the smaller two bedrooms at Creston Villa. All of the windows face south in this unit. The kitchen includes a dishwasher and disposal. Carpet is 11 months old. There is on-site laundry with brand new washer/dryers, two parking lots, and on-site management. This apartment also has new vinyl windows which keep the heat/cool in quite efficiently. It was painted with Miller AcroPure, which is an environmentally friendly no-VOC paint, and cleaned with cleanVIA and BacOut which are environmentally friendly cleaning products.
Creston Villa is on buslines 9 and 75. It's right behind that new Safeway, so groceries and Starbucks are about 100 yards away.
Here's a video of the apartment:

$650/mo on a 9-month lease includes water, sewer, garbage.
$200-$650 deposit depending on credit and rental history.
$40 application fee
$100 move-in fee
$100 pet deposit if you have a cat
Sorry, no dogs

Creston Villa
3608 SE 40th
Portland, OR 97202
503.771.4040