FOQ's! or FREQUENTLY OVERLOOKED QUESTIONS!

Who ARE you guys??

Charm City Rents! is a team of Realtors®, who are offering to act on your behalf - as Tenants' Agents -  to locate a rental and to negotiate leasing terms that are beneficial to you.  To learn more about the difference between Tenants' Agents and Landlords' Agents, please visit the Maryland Real Estate Commission.

Once I fill it the Charm City Rents! rental search form - will you guys pester and spam me??

Nope, absolutely not.  We get gazillions of inquiries everyday.  We will answer each one of these search requests by e-mailing listings of rentals that match your preferences, or, with an

"unfortunately, we couldn't find what you want..." 

which usually happens when an applicant asks us for too much home for too little price.  Once we respond to you, then it's up to you to look over the information we've provided and get back to us.  We will ALWAYS respond to you and honor our commitment to serve you diligently and competently.  We will not, however, hunt you down.  Finding a rental is almost as much work as purchasing a home.  If you are not committed to the task, well we can't get it done without you.  If you are, then we will rock, and we will roll, and we will do everything in our power to find you a place you can happily call home.

Charm City Rents! really doesn't charge tenant clients?

Correct.  We really don't.  We work with legitimate, law-abiding, conscientious, savvy landlords, and the landlords pay the placement commissions.  But again, we work for YOU, the tenant.  Again, please make sure you understand Real Estate Agency by visiting the Maryland Real Estate Commission.

 Well, then, why are you asking me for a $35 application fee?

We're not, really.  We're telling you that the more information we have about you, the more efficiently we can work for you.  If you allow us to pre-screen you, i.e. if you fill out our application form, and then pay $35 so we can pull your credit, then we can competently market you to potential landlords.  So, for example, before we go look at a rental, and before you go falling in love with that really groovy home, we can say to the owner:

"John and Jane Doe have credit scores around 650, and they earn a total of $60,000 a year, and they have a very good previous landlord reference..."

and if the landlord or landlady says,

"no, that doesn't quite meet our requirements"

- well, this way we haven't your wasted time and money and broken your heart pursuing a rental you're not going to qualify for anyway.

Most owners will still require that you fill out their application and pay their application fee.  Again, before asking you to pony up to that landlord/lady, we will put it to him or her:

"Mr. Landlord or Ms. Landlady, before you ask us to pay that application fee of yours, please assure us that, given the info we have presented you, you believe this applicant will qualify for your place."

If the landlord/lady says "yup, you bet," and you then pay their application fee, and you get placed (so we get paid), we will refund your $35.  Fair enough?

 Can't I pull my own credit and show it to you?

Absolutely you can.  Every American is entitled by federal law to one free credit report per year from each of the 3 major credit reporting bureaus.  You can obtain those reports here - www.annualcreditreport.com. We highly recommend that you make use of this service, or that you sign-up for one of the many $20/month (or so) personal credit monitoring services.  Learning now how to stay on top of and manage your credit is not only an important first step to finding you your rental home, it's key to your future financial success and security!

Did you just say my credit score is key to my future success?

Yup, sure did. Let's talk about real estate for a minute.  Unless you live under a bridge, you are a player in the real estate industry.  You play some role in the maintenance and financing of the roof and walls you live under and within.  Home-ownership is not for everybody.  It may never be the right thing for you, and that is absolutely fine.  But even if you plan on renting for the foreseeable future, or for the rest of your life, your credit score will determine the number of choices you will have anytime you move.  Crummy credit will usually mean you will be limited to renting from landlords or landladies who are desperate.  Good credit gives you the option of renting from conscientious, business-like property-owners.  As you can guess, the good landlords and ladies usually have the good properties.

But probably, if you've read alllllllllll the way down to here, you are the type who is thinking seriously about your future, and probably you are thinking that one day you'd like to be a homeowner yourself.  In that case, you should start thinking about home-ownership now?

 Did you just say I should start thinking about homeownership now?

 Again, yup, sure did.  IF - and it's a big IF - you are the type who understands what a big repsonsibility homeownership is, and IF you are at a point in life where it makes sense to start planning, i.e. you have a decent job or career, you've got credit - it may need some repairing, but you've got it.  If you've got those things going on, and you are serious about committing yourself and disciplining yourself to doing what you need to do to get your finances in order so you can buy a home of your own within the next year or two, then you should absolutely begin that process now, and

you should jump over and visit our sister site for homebuyers - www.HomeAgainMaryland.com.  There we will give you a free credit report and mortgage consultation, and we will simultaneously work with you to find you the rental home you need now, while charting a course for you to purchase in a year or two.  Go check out our mortgage consultation site - HomeAgainMaryland - Mortgage Consultation.