Report Reveals Apartment Rents Continuing to Climb

Average apartment rents in the United States climbed in the second quarter while vacancy rates dropped to a new low, according to data released Thursday by real estate research firm Reis Inc.

Asking rents rose 1% to a monthly average of $1,091--the biggest increase since the third quarter of 2007--while the national apartment vacancy rate dropped .2% to 4.7%, the lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2001.

The data can be attributed to a growing number of people who need housing but aren't buying their own home because of the housing slump and difficulty getting a mortgage, reports Reuters.

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Dont Lower Your Guard on Moving Day

When moving into or out of an apartment, make sure you or someone you trust has an eye on your valuables. A tenant in Salina, Kans., just learned this lesson the hard way.

As the tenant was moving out of her apartment, she realized she couldn't find her purse. A tip led police to arrest her neighbor, who allegedly swiped the purse from the tenant's apartment while she was in the bathroom. The neighbor has been charged with theft and aggravated burglary, however the purse is still missing, according to a report from KSAL NewsRadio 1150.

Another way people tend to lower their guard on moving day is by accepting help from people who offer it. Keep in mind that some people pretend to have good motives only to take advantage of their easy access to your personal belongings. Protect yourself against moving theft by accepting help only from people you trust.

Facebook Likes Bring Thousands to Chicago Homeless

In November, I blogged about a new Facebook campaign aimed at helping people who can't afford a place to call home.

Through the campaign, dubbed "Raising Awareness. Taking Action: A Campaign to Help End Homelessness," Apartments.com promised to donate $1 to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless for every new "Like" it received on Facebook throughout November and December.

Thanks to the many people who participated, Apartments.com was able to present the Coalition with a check Wednesday in the amount of $15,000.

Headquartered in Chicago, Apartments.com launched this inaugural campaign with the aim of bringing greater attention to homelessness in the United States, where an estimated 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness each year, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.

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Before You Jump on the Roommate Bandwagon

There are many good reasons to share an apartment with another person, and having a roommate can make an apartment living experience that much more fulfilling and enjoyable.

But, too often, people wind up with roommates even though it's not the ideal option for them.

If you're thinking of living with a roommate, consider these three situations in which people choose to live with roommates that often lead to trouble.

Looking for Neighbors With Similar Reading Habits

Say you're a bookworm looking for an apartment in or around the nation's capital. Which places should you consider? (Washington, D.C., itself, as well as Alexandria and Arlington, Va., are all good choices for well-read folks like yourself.) Want to move to a city where your neighbors are most likely to buy books on business and investing? (Try Cambridge, Mass.)

You can get the answers to these questions and more by checking out Amazon.com's second annual "Most Well-Read Cities in America." This new ranking and analysis of U.S. cities based on data compiling total per capita book (print and Kindle), newspaper, and magazine sales can provide you with interesting insight into what or how much the people in cities to which you're consider moving are reading.

Before They Were Celebrities They Were Roommates

Have you ever met someone who recounts rooming with a celebrity before that person became famous? Sometimes, it just so happens that both roommates turn out to be celebrities.

For instance, did you know that Kiefer Sutherland and Robert Downey, Jr. shared an apartment for three years before their careers took off? Or that Holly Hunter and Frances McDormand were randomly assigned to be freshman-year roommates at Yale?

Check out some more such roommate pairs in The Huffington Post's "Celebrity Roommates: Famous Friends Who Lived Together."

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Help Choose Americas Best Apartment Roommate

If you didn't submit a video for Apartments.com's fourth annual Roommate of the Year contest, or if your entry wasn't chosen recently as one of 10 finalists, you can still participate in the contest.

Visit roommateoftheyear.com to check out the finalists' videos and cast your vote for America's best apartment roommate. You may vote once a day each day through poll closing on July 6.

One lucky renter will win the grand prize of $20,000 -- $10,000 cash plus a year's rent (of $10,000). Four additional renters will take home runner-up prizes of $500 each.

Got an interesting story about how you found your roommate? Share it with other readers!

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Staying Safe From Dangerous Appliances

A large fire broke out the other night in an apartment building in Hempstead, N.Y., destroying as many as 12 apartments and displacing dozens from their homes. The blaze started when, according to a new tenant, she simply turned on her new stove to use it for the first time, which triggered an explosion, according to a report from Newsday.

Although some appliance failures aren't forseeable or preventable, you can avoid safety risks from products you use in your apartment by learning about important recalls as they're issued. Also, here's a simple step you can take to help others when you discover unsafe products in your apartment.

Moving Choose Your Help Carefully

If you're planning a move soon, it may be tempting to accept help from anyone who offers it.

But if you're not confident that you can trust a person who offers to help you with your move, they may take advantage of their easy access to your personal belongings, including valuables and important documents.

You can protect yourself against moving theft by accepting help only from people you trust.