LEARNING LESSONS IN APARTMENT SEARCHING

Moving is no fun!  Moreover, most of us can agree that when we move we would like to minimize the amount of drama as much as possible.  There is an extreme amount of anxiety attached to moving when you are moving out of state.  I have moved state to state at least 5 times and each time I do my best to remember the lessons learned from the previous move.  There are some lessons that even after five moves I have not absorbed.  This move to New York was the first time that I went after an apartment for just me (vs. a roommate situation) 

My most recent move from Orlando to New York was very smooth all the way up to looking for an apartment and so with this blog post I hope I can save someone else the drama and you can apply the lessons I learned to your next apartment / house search.  Things have changed a lot over the years and not only have the prices risen but also the expectation as far as earnings and deposit amount.  Most landlords want you to make 40 times the rent and put down a 1.5 months as a deposit and Realtor / broker fees in some cases that are equal to one month.

When I first arrived into NYC, I stayed with a friend for a week.  Things were good... there were a nice comfortable bed, hot food, and good conversation.  Therefore, I spent this week looking for my new dream east coast apartment.  I had many ideas... exposed brick, fun neighborhood, and quick access to transportation!

In the NYC and tri-state, area people are accustomed to using Craigslist as a way to land a job, apartment, and a hot night out on the town with a certified crazy!  :-) 

So going to Craigslist was a natural first step for me.  I combed through all the postings and found my dream apartments but not the dream prices.  So sadly, I started looking in other areas of Jersey City and upstate New York.  There were some great places in Jersey City, with reasonable prices and good locations... so I printed my favorite postings out and proceeded to hit the streets in search of my new apartment.  

The first apartment was $635 a month and in a great neighborhood.  I was super excited about this place because I knew that with a rent this low I would be able to shop till I literally drop with all the money I would be saving in rent cost.  Outside the building, I was super excited because it was quiet and clean.  Once I walked in, I was super miserable because it was dirty and small!  Small is an understatement actually, it was the size of a one car garage.  There was absolutely no room to live at all.  Now I did consider staying here for about 10 minutes as I envisioned shopping and jet setting, but I knew I would be unhappy on move-in day; and so I kindly thanked the man showing me the apartment and went to apartment 2.

Apartment 2 was the start of the apartments in the $900 price range.  I was drawn to this apartment (while viewing online) because of the cabinets in the kitchen.  When I walked in the apartment smelled of fresh paint, the bathroom was to DIE for!  If you have ever been to an NY apartment, you know that the bathroom is sometimes the size of a closet and so the size of this bathroom was great!  I liked this apartment and there was nothing particularly wrong but there was nothing-particular right either.  I was able to get a potty break in and charge my phone because the property owner did not come to this place... he said, "There’s a key under the mat".  So, I took my sweet little time looking at this place and get powered-up for the next apartment viewing.

The next apartment sounded beautiful but I wouldn't know if that were actually true because this person didn't have time to show me.:(

The next apartment said "View of Statue of Liberty".  The pictures of the apartment seemed fine and so I proceeded to contact the landlord and we met a few blocks away from the apartment.  He said he would come and pick me up because I was far away and he was driving.  I was so tired of walking around that I agreed.  (Safety out the door when tired BTW)  We drove through the blocks and I noticed that there was a bunch of people just hanging out.  I asked the man "are all these people hanging out on the block with the apartment?" he said, "no, the block with the apartment is very quiet.”  I thought nothing more of it.  When we arrived at the apartment, the block was quiet, the outside of the house was clean, and all seemed fine.  When I entered the apartment, I fell in love.  The view of the Statue of Liberty was GREAT and perfect from a little Ohio-girl, such as myself!  The apartment was a two bedroom for $995 and there were some furnishings.  This was the best I had seen all day.  It was settled, I would take this apartment.

As the next days progressed, my friends moved my things into my apartment and I did my quick grocery run and was happy to get started on making this place the new home for Aleesha and my little doggy, Brooklyn.   

As I was cleaning up one of my friends called me and said that he did not want to be in my business but this neighborhood was bad and has a high crime rate.  Looking around you cannot see the "crime rate".  I hung up the phone with my friend and decided to go outside to look to see if I could use my super spy eyes to see any crime.  LOL Well I didn't see anything so I decided to ask the people that lived under me.  You would have thought I had reported a fire or an emergency of some sort.  They were nervous and said, "They didn't want to talk about it" and "by the Grace of God nothing has happened to us".  This was not a good feeling.  OMG now I have a bad neighborhood and bad neighbors.  So at this point, I was upset and called the landlord to get his take on it.  Of course, he said, the neighborhood is fine.  It is quiet and safe and you will have no problems. 

All the cleaning and home making ceased!  I just sat down and gazed out the window for hours.  I didn't know what to do.  The landlord at all my money and I was left with a stack of paper clipped papers that said that this place belonged to me for another 364 days.  

Eventually I went to bed and was woken up around 11:30PM with the sound of music, laughter, and partying.  The party must have been good because it lasted until 3:30AM. 

During this time, I emailed the landlord and said that this is not the apartment for me and I am moving out the next day.  Over the next few days, I went back and forth with the landlord telling him that he lied and him telling me that the neighborhood was safe and it was all in my head.)  After all the back and forth we both had to compromise.  He gave me a portion of my money back and I had to accept it because I really didn't have any other rights, since I signed the lease.  

Here are the lessons learned:

1. Check out crime statistics online before moving.  You cannot see crime with your natural eyes.
2. Drive through the neighborhood at night especially on a Friday or Saturday night.
3. Meet your potential new neighbors.  You want to make sure that your neighbors are your allies.
4. Add a clause to your lease about you changing your mind within 24-48 time-frame
5. Call a taxi, delivery pizza, or Chinese place and see if they come to this neighborhood...  If they do not... do not move in - this is usually a tale-tell sign that robbery is a problem.

 Stay tuned to learn more about the apartment woes in NYC.

Today I Am... learning some adult lessons in apartment searching in the Big City!

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SHARING "The Mighty HTTP"

I love social networking! Why? –Because social networks allow individuals to connect with like-minded people or simply peek into another person's life.

When I am flipping through fan pages, group discussions or personal profiles the one thing I enjoy doing is clicking on links and learning more about a business or reading a new blog. Make this task easier for people like myself and add "The Mighty HTTP"

By adding "http://" and then your link, this will turn an URL to an active link that visitors will

EXAMPLES

RIGHT WAY: http://www.aleeshanash.com/

WRONG WAY: www.aleeshanash.com OR aleeshanash.com


I would gather that most people put a link on their comments or post because they are trying to create a more convenient avenue for readers to transition to their website, blog, video, pic, etc.   Here are five additional tips to consider when posting a "hot link" for viewers to click on:

1.  UPDATE SETTINGS -When possible, change the settings so that the link brings up "a new page" when it is clicked so that visitors can keep the original page active and possibly go back and click on other links that you have provided in the past.  By allowing the link to change the current page that a viewer is on may result in the person forgetting about the original source.

2.  PROVIDE LINK AT TOP OF POST - If you have a long post and then you provide a link at the bottom of your posting the viewer may not want to perform any more actions and may exit.  Also, if you have a post that goes off the screen then the reader may never get to the bottom.  You can not provide too many links, therefore you can link at the top and the bottom.

3.  LINK PHOTOS- Internet users are generally used to clicking on a photo in order to either enter a website, gain more information on the item featured in the photo, or be linked to a different page.  Most web developing sites and blogs allow you to click the photo and then hit the word "link" on the toolbar in order to enter an URL.  Linking photos can also assist with search engine optimization (SEO).

4.  SHORTER URL - By using services like http://www.tinyurl.com/ you can take a long URL and make it shorter.  This helps if you want to post links to Twitter or any of the other social networks that have a smaller writing space.

5.  LINK WORDS IN POST - When including or excluding a lot of information in a blog post or website copy it is helpful when people have links to gather additional information (if needed or interested).   By selecting key words in your writings and then adding a hyperlink to those words.  The words will become an active link and when clicked will zoom someone off to the reference or resource that you provided.

Happy Linking...

Today I Am... using "The Mighty HTTP"

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ADMIRING ALL THE ELEGANT IMPERFECTIONS

Everywhere I turn I see the words "shabby chic" so as my fascination continued to peak I decided to look further into what these words, that seem like an oxymoron, mean and look like.

According to Wikipedia, shabby chic is a form of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their age and signs of wear and tear or new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique.

This sounds a little bad... I mean who would want distressed or worn out furniture? On the contrary to how it sounds the shabby look is actually very beautiful and it allows for people to find good in something that someone else though was worthless.

Roses are a huge part of the shabby chic look. If you have ever seen a rose bush, you know that each rose looks completely different. Some of the blooms do not open all the way--while others seem to reach out towards the sun like open arms. Then there is the little tattered rose... the one that has something unique about it and it just draws you in. The elegant imperfections we see in a rose can be seen in just about everything.

I challenge you to find all the elegant imperfections in your world and arrange them to decorate your life.


 Today I am... admiring all the elegant imperfections!

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HAPPY FOR NO REASON

Each morning at my workplace we hold devotions.  This morning it was my turn to lead and I covered a topic that people are always "feeling" about (verses thinking or talking about).  The topic of "happiness".  I read from a book called Happy For No Reason by M. Shimoff.

Even though I am only in the first two chapters I find myself wanting to go back to page one so that I won't forget what was said.  The book is that powerful... or I am just not that happy!  Two people today said that they think I am a "happy for no reason" person; which is interesting to me because I don't think that about myself.

The book talks about our happiness levels. Based on studies done said that people gain about 50% of one's level of happiness comes from genetics, 10% of what we own or have in our possession (job, car, house, money, etc.) and then 40% comes from our thoughts and perceptions. 

Thoughts and perceptions seem easy to change yet people do not choose to actively change their thought patterns and thus changing their attitude ... that leads to happiness!

Strangely enough one of my friends at work wrote in his blog about joy and what does it mean to joyful or find joy, so this morning when he heard the devotion, it led us to talk more about this idea of authentic happiness and what that means for our lives.  His blog focused on a lot of what I had already been thinking about happiness and how people orchestrate moments of joy in their life by buying things, searching for "funny YouTube videos", or getting to know people at work who are friendly and validate us and thus make us happy.

What happens when the things we put around us or the people we put around us go away?!  This thought even further defines the idea of "happy for no reason" when you think that this happiness has to dwell within you... because of you.

In the book there is a story about a woman who lost their sight after using some over-the-counter eye drops.  The stories talks about how she lost her vision within one hour of her using the drops.  She describes how she spent the first year in bed and rejecting any people who may come to comfort her.  After a year of not experiencing much joy in her life she decided that she needed to do something about her life.  She got connected with an organization that provided Seeing Eye dogs.  After some workshops and some practice the women found herself living more independently and regaining her interests in the things she liked in the past.  The author of the story ends by saying, "Although I lost my sight, my vision has become greater."

When I was reading this women's full story, all I could do was cry.  The story was so motivating and yet sad at the same time.  I think it is sad that something as critical as sight would have to be removed for one to find true happiness and yet the gumption that the women demonstrated made me look at my life and examine the areas that I am sitting around, too scared to make a call and challenge myself -- in fear of the "what if's".

I challenge all of my readers to find joy in their every day ins and outs and to work on changing the habits, people, thoughts, etc that create any discontent in your head or heart (or both).

Happiness is at the top of my list of things I want to "be" when I grow up!  What do you want to be?

Today I am... workings towards being happy for no reason.

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CELEBRATING DAY 21: DRINKING WATER

Today is day 21 of drinking water and as I sit here with my last cup of water on the 21st day I can say that I feel really proud of myself for sticking to this for three weeks.  I would be remiss if I didn't say how great I feel. My face has completely cleared up and overall I just feel the benefits of increasing my water intake and removing all the other liquid libations (as one of my friends would call them).  I have been "getting moving" too so that also helps. 

This accomplishments actually reminds me of all the times I have attempted to implement a goal in my life and I only made it for that moment... I am sure some of you can relate if you have ever tried a fad diet.  I remember when Atkins came out.  I was the first one to say... Oh, I can cut bread out of my life.  When lunchtime rolled around I was salivating at every sandwich, noodle, cookie and piece of cake that I saw.  It is sad how we defeat ourselves and talk our self out of making a decision that might just save our life!

So for Today I Am..... SUPER PROUD of myself! 

I am sure you are wondering what will be the next random feat I will attempt to take on.  For now I am still on Day 2 of Getting Moving and tomorrow I will be doing a trial run of one of the hardest challenges yet!

Stay tuned!

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NOT INTERESTED! DAY 19 / DAY 1

Today is Day 19 of Water and feels like Day 1 of "Getting Moving"!  This week has been a little different.  On Tuesday night I completely broke out in hives and spent Wednesday at the emergency room!  Before I got to the ER I stopped to get a ginormous cup of water and as soon as I walked in the nurse yelled, "Don't drink any of that water!"  I didn't know if she had seen something in my cup or if it was really poisonous water.  When she realized how loud she yelled she quickly calmed down and told me that I shouldn't drink anything in case the doctor gives me any medicine she didn't want for the water to come back up and I choke on it. Anyway, I leave the ER in one piece--no choking or gagging on water! and I didn't even get any medicine so I wasted a perfectly good cup of frosty water... for nothing!

The doctor was VERY nice to me considering that I was just sobbing because at this point my skin had started to gross me out.  I just kept reassuring him through my tears that, "I am okay... I am just freakin' out."  Because of the "freakin' out" I think he wanted to find a solution quick.  He quickly gave me three prescriptions to get filled and told me that they would solve the problem in a few hours.

Since I have filled the prescriptions I have been NOT interested in water at ALL!  I do not like taking pills with water - so these last few days have been rough! There are two gallons of sweet tea, a 2-liter of A&W Root beer, and crispy looking 2-liter of Strawberry pop (my favorite) and orange juice in my fridge that I have been sadly avoiding all week.  When I get to day 21 in a few days I will probably not want any thing else to drink but water.  But today... I am NOT INTERESTED in the tasteless, clear beverage that even though is refreshing is SUPER plain... water!

Wish me luck and keep me lifted up in prayer that someone does not find me passed out at the foot of the fridge after an overdose of all the yummy beverages listed above!

Today I am... acting crazy over something to drink! LOL

P.S. Getting moving has been a bust this week.  Today I went swimming... Let's see how the next 20 days go for Getting Moving 21 day in a row! Stay tuned.

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SHARING 5 SOLOPENEURER GUIDELINES TO LIVE BY

As a solopeneurer I think it is important to have a set of core guidelines to refer back to when we have those days when we just want to close up shop--literally!

These guidelines govern how I approach my business and the days when I am feeling less capable. Please feel free to incorporate them into your business and work practices.

ALEESHA'S SOLOPENEURER GUIDELINES:

Be confident in your abilities.

Find ways to remind yourself of why you entered into business in the first place. Think about all the things that you love about what you do and focus on that. Think about or visit your website and read about all the people you have helped with your product or service.

Surround yourself with positive people.
People can quickly drag you down if you let them so it is important to find people who lift you up and support your business goals. It is said that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Choose these five carefully it could make or break your business.

Plan to accomplish your goals.
Planning to accomplish goals has two meanings for me. First, intentionally writing a “things to do” list and intentionally sticking to the list only sets me up for success. Secondly, by keeping a positive attitude about what I need to accomplish and genuinely feeling like I can manage the things I need to accomplish makes for a better attitude while achieving the tasks that I have listed in my things to do list.

Get help and learn to delegate items that are not a good use of your time.
When I first started out I was doing everything myself! YIKES! I was building my website, writing web copy (yes in that order LOL), designing and printing stationary, sending emails, making phone calls... need I list more?!?

Ask for help on the items that you do not know how to do. In other words--do not teach yourself something so that you can do it yourself. When there are task that you can do but it is not a beneficial thing to do for your business then delegate that item to an assistant or intern. There are many ways to find help for your business, start with your local universities “intern and career office.”

Enjoy what you are doing!
It is hard enough to start a business as a solopeneurer but it is REALLY hard when you do not enjoy what you are doing! If you are doing something that, you do not love... then stop right NOW!

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FAST FORWARD TO DAY 12/10

Wow!  I cannot believe that a week has gone by and I have been hanging in there with drinking only plain water.  Each day has not been easy and there are lots of moments when water is not always convenient or preferred but I remember that it is simply a choice and I can control what I pick up and put in my mouth.   Also drinking so much water has you running back and forth to the restroom and that has been something new to adjust to -- especially during the work day! LOL

Going through this process has helped me to be mindful of all the places that I am "drinking" something unnecessarily and using as a unhealthy food filler.  Liquid calories are dangerous and through this process I am more aware.  Here are five healthy benefits of water:

1.  Water leads to increased energy levels

2.  Water leads to overall greater health by flushing out wastes and bacteria that can cause disease.

3.  Water is the primary mode of transportation for all nutrients in the body and is essential for proper circulation.

4.    For a majority of sufferers, drinking water can significantly reduce joint and/or back pain.

5.  Water naturally moisturizes skin and ensures proper cellular formation underneath layers of skin to give it a healthy, glowing appearance.

On the "GETTING MOVING" front I will report that every day is harder to find a new fun way to keep it moving.  I have gone between exercise tapes in the house, hitting the gym and getting on treadmill, swimming, and walking around the lake after work.

In Florida there are lakes all over the place and I am very fortunate to have a lake right outside my work place.  This week I asked, my very good friend, if we could walk around the lake four times after work.  It was really one of those things where you use the other person's response as a way to measure how crazy the goal is.  Of course, my friend, said, "sure!" and we were off. 

At 5PM each day the weather is BLAZING hot in Florida and so we both knew that we were in trouble!  We made it around the first time with not a lot of problems but after the 2nd time around, I started veering off to the right towards the entrance to the building and even closer to the air conditioner.  Even though we had both talked about going outside and walking around in the heat--We were NOT properly dressed.  I had on some rayon pant and shirt outfit with gold sandals from my favorite TJ Maxx like store.  My lovely friend had on a black dress, plastic flip flops and just to add a little more heat to the situation... a wig!  Needless to say, we were hot, very hot and uncomfortable!  Once we got around the lake twice I was done but I was persuaded to keep going and we made it around one more time!  The thing that got us around the last loop was concentrating on the step we were taking at that very moment and each of those steps added up to get us all the way around.  From this experience and a week of "GETTING MOVING" I have learned:

1.  I need good friends to keep me going when I think I can't make it.

2.  Finding creative ways to do something that you do not enjoy is a fun process that can help you learn more about yourself.

3.  Swimming REALLY helps reduce the number of allergy pills I need to take

4.  Getting moving is the opposite of living a sedentary lifestyle.  That "getting moving" doesn't mean I have to run a marathon but it is intentionally doing something to keep myself healthy.

5.  That you can inspire others to get moving too!


Today I am... happy to be inspired to be an inspiration!

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WATER DAY 6 & GET MOVING DAY 4

Today I discovered a great way to "get moving"!  About two years ago I saw an infomercial about a workout called "Turbo Jam".   I remember thinking, "Wow, they are having so much fun!"  Of course I didn't purchase the "exclusive offer" at that time but a year later I purchased a copy of the workout program for $9.99 on eBay.  After getting the DVD in the mail, I put it on the shelf with all the other workout programs and never thought about it again.  If you already read Day 5/3 then you will notice me holding a sign in front of Bally's Gym.  It used to say "Day 4" on it however, I had to alter the photo to fit the right day.  Originally, I was going to work out at the gym but time got the best of me and I had to "get moving" at home.  I pulled out the DVD and to my surprise, it is actually a lot of fun! The music is great and the creator Chalene Johnson is very motivating and a great dancer!

If you are looking for a new workout program to do in the comfort of your own home I would recommend TurboJam.  It is for any fitness level and you can start today and not feel guilty about all the workouts you missed in the past.

The water is getting easier to drink and today my closest (self-appointed) accountability buddy said they were proud of me!  I'll drink to that! (Water, of course)

Today I am... happy to know I have some dedication left in these bones!



About Turbo Jam

Turbo Jam® is the workout that doesn't feel like work. Chalene Johnson packs each workout with calorie-blasting cardio, kickboxing, body-sculpting, and dance moves set to the hottest music ever. You're scorching fat and sizzling calories at a rate of up to 1,000 an hour . . . It's fast. It's fun. It works.

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