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 in great meadows nj because that where I lived all my life
2. Will you be living with a roommate, multiple roommates, or alone? Why?
a roommate type of deal not really a roommate more like my girlfriend
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.

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
Location

Apartment #1 NAME

Apartment #2 - NAME

Mansfield Village

Number of
Bedrooms
Number of
Bathrooms
Square
Footage
Rent amount
Length of
lease
(month/year)
List
apartment
features
Security
deposit
Layout of the
apartment
Pictures
Utilities
included
(water,
garbage,
electric, heat,
etc.)
Parking
Pet policies

River Dr, Allentown, PA 18109 Rittersville

1

Says call for information

750

$840-$915
year

$900-1400
year

Hot water

Hot water

200

400

Water,garbage,heat

all

1 pet allowed

free
2 pets

free

Other costs
Other
interesting
information
Roommate(s)
or Alone

Electric,

Eletric,

1 roommate

1 roommate

5. Now compare your two options. Which one would you prefer to live in? Why did you decide on
this apartment?

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 = ____22462.5___
ii. Then, find how much you will take home per month by dividing that number by
12 = __1871.875________
iii. Next, find what you should spend for rent by multiplying that number by 0.30 =
___561.5625_____
iv. Is the rent for the apartment less than what you calculated in the line
above? no
v. If yes is this a good idea? Why?
vi. If no could you afford the apartment with a roommate? Yes I can with
a roommate
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 = ____10800___
ii. Then, find how much you will take home per month by dividing that number by
12 = ______900____
iii. Next, find what you should spend for rent by multiplying that number by 0.30 =
____3000____
iv. Is the rent for the apartment less than what you calculated in the line
above?
v. If yes is this a good idea? Why? Yes cause I can afford it
vi. If no could you afford the apartment with a roommate?
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
i. First, find your net income by multiplying your salary by 0.75 = ____26250___
ii. Then, find how much you will take home per month by dividing that number by
12 = ____2187.5______
iii. Next, find what you should spend for rent by multiplying that number by 0.30 =
___656.25_____
iv. Is the rent for the apartment less than what you calculated in the line
above? yes
v. If yes is this a good idea? Why? Cause I can afford it
vi. If no could you afford the apartment with a roommate?