Finding an Apartment Project

For this project, you will need to decide what features are important to you for finding your first apartment. Imagine
yourself ready to move out of your parents house or away at college and needing a place to live. Where would you want
to be? What things do you need and want in an apartment? How much can you afford?

Background Answer these questions in complete sentences. Change your answers to bold or another color
1. Where do you want to live and why? (City/country, what state/area?)
I want to live and look for apartments near Amherst, Massachusetts because I want to attend the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst.

2. Will you be living with a roommate, multiple roommates, or alone? Why?
I plan to live with a roommate throughout college and after. During college in my junior and senior year I would like
to get an apartment with my boyfriend near UMass, so I think I would always be living with a roommate.

3. What are the 5 most important features or amenities of an apartment for you? Use the PDF Apartment
Checklist for ideas and write 1 sentence for each to explain why it is important.
1. Can I control the temperature level of the heat and/or air conditioning?
This is important to me because Massachusetts has harsh winters and it gets very cold, so I would want to able
to control my heat during the winter months.
2. Can I hear my neighbors?
This is important to me, especially during college because I do not want to be able to not sleep when I have an
8:00 A.M. class or have my studying for finals interrupted by loud neighbors and/or parties.
3. Are there security cameras in entrances, hallways, and elevators?
Having security cameras throughout the apartment buildings and the outside complex is important to me for
security reasons, so I know that I am safe in my apartment and that my belongings are safe as well.
4. Who is responsible for repairs, you or your landlord?
This is important to me because I want to know if I would have to use my own personal money for repairs
because if I was responsible for them, I would have to set some money aside for that in my budget for
emergencies and repairs to my apartment.
5. Is there an emergency alarm, fire alarm, sprinklers, fire exits, etc.?
This is important to me because in case of an emergency I know I will be warned and I will know where to go and
that the emergency will be taken care of.

4. Find TWO apartments that meet many (or all) of your qualifications and fill out the information you can on this
table.
apartments.com, forrent.com
zillow.com or trulia.com just set filters to RENT
NOT rent.com (you need to make an account)
Search your college newspapers classifieds section too!

Qualification Apartment #1 Southpoint Apartments Apartment #2 The Boulders Apartment Homes
Location Southpoint Apartments are located in Amherst,
MA.
The Boulders Apartment Houses are located in
South Amherst, MA.
Number of
Bedrooms
The apartment has two bedrooms. The apartment has two bedrooms.
Number of The apartment has one bathroom. The apartment has one bathroom.
Bathrooms
Square Footage The apartment is 900 square feet. The apartment is 850 square feet.
Rent amount The rent is $1,060.00 a month. The rent is $999.00 a month.
Length of lease
(month/year)
The landlord gives you a choice between either a
nine month lease or a one year lease.
The length of the lease is a one year.
List apartment
features
Some features include a dishwasher, choice
between unfurnished or furnished, on-site
2laundromat, carpeted floors, and on-site
management/maintenance.
Some features include a fully equipped exercise
facility, a BBQ and picnic area, a playground,
laundry facilities, bus stops, and a community
garden.
Security deposit The security deposit is $200.00. You must contact the apartment offices for the
security deposit price.
Layout of the
apartment


Pictures

Utilities included
(water, garbage,
electric, heat, etc.)
The utilities included are garbage pickup and
heat/hot water, a dishwasher, and gas.
The utilities included are heat/hot water,
internet access, cable/satellite, garbage disposal,
sewer, a dishwasher, and gas.
Parking They offer parking in the parking lot of the
complex and there is no parking fee.
They offer parking in the parking lot of the
complex and there is no parking fee.
Pet policies Only indoor cats are allowed and there are no
pet fees of deposits.
Two cats or two small dogs or one of each are
allowed in each apartment, but the combined
weight of each pet must not exceed 40 pounds.
Other costs There are no other costs required, but if you There are no other costs required except for
wanted to have TV, internet, cable, etc., you
would have to pay for that yourself.
luxuries or wants you might want to have.
Other interesting
information
This apartment is only five minutes away from
UMass Amherst which is where I would like to
go to school and the bus service to UMass
Amherst from the complex is free.
It is minutes away from UMass and Amherst
College.
Roommate(s) or
Alone
I would plan to live in this apartment with a
roommate to help split the costs and rents.
I would plan to live in this apartment with a
roommate to help split the costs and rents.
5. Now compare your two options. Which one would you prefer to live in? Why did you decide on this apartment?
I would rather live in the Boulder Apartment Homes because the rent is slightly cheaper. Also, the apartment
pictures I looked at seem much nicer looking and more modern than the Southpoint Apartments. I like that I could
also have a dog in this apartment which I plan on having which not many apartments allow dogs, so that is definitely
a perk. Furthermore, it is close to the college I want to attend and there are much more utilities included which will
reduce my monthly costs.

6. Will you be able to afford this apartment?
a) Assume you earn the median salary for high school graduates working full time - $29,950 per year.
i. First, find your net income by multiplying your salary by 0.75 = $22,462.50
ii. Then, find how much you will take home per month by dividing that number by 12 = $1.871.88
iii. Next, find what you should spend for rent by multiplying that number by 0.30 = $561.56
iv. Is the rent for the apartment less than what you calculated in the line above?
No, the rent for the apartments I looked at were much higher than $561.56.
v. If no could you afford the apartment with a roommate?
Yes, I could afford it with a room roommate because both of the rents around $1,000.00 a month,
so we could split it if we both make at least $29,950 per year.
b) Assume you have the average income of a full-time college student, which is $14,400 according to the
National Center for Educational Statistics.
i. First, find your net income by multiplying your income by 0.75 = $10,800.00
ii. Then, find how much you will take home per month by dividing that number by 12 = $900.00
iii. Next, find what you should spend for rent by multiplying that number by 0.30 = $270.00
iv. Is the rent for the apartment less than what you calculated in the line above?
No, the rent for the apartments I looked at were much higher than $270.00.
v. If no could you afford the apartment with a roommate?
Yes, I probably could, but it would be a tight budget for both of us to live on and we would have to
cut some costs to afford the rent.
c) Assume you make the median salary of a person in the career field youre interested in. Look up the salary
on https://www.bls.gov/ooh
Career: Psychiatrist
Median Salary: $201,056.00
i. First, find your net income by multiplying your salary by 0.75 = $150,792.00
ii. Then, find how much you will take home per month by dividing that number by 12 = $12,566.00
iii. Next, find what you should spend for rent by multiplying that number by 0.30 = $3,769.80
iv. Is the rent for the apartment less than what you calculated in the line above?
Yes, the rent for the apartments I looked at is way, way less than $3,769.80.
v. If yes is this a good idea? Why?
Yes, this is a good idea because I would easily be able to afford the apartment by myself and I can
either treat myself with the leftover money or put it into a savings account or something of that
nature.