Waterboy
04-10-05, 23:29
Renting an Apartment
I have been to Buenos Aries fourteen times in the past three years. Of the fourteen trips, I have rented an apartment eleven times. My good friend asked me for advice about apartments so I decided to do a brief write up on the subject. I live in New York and I am a property owner that has dealt with many real estate agents in the past.
In my opinion, apartments are a good budget option if you plan. My experiences have shown me apartments are good for privacy, cheaper than a comparable hotel (When you stay long term) cooking your own meals, and parties. The major downside is the security issue, and the quality of the apartments.
I prefer to have my privacy. I do not like being bothered with hotels checking girls IDs. I repeat with the same few girls often, I pick up most of my girls in the same bolicha, and take the same apartment- security for me is still a major issue. These girls are too poor, transient, and clannish and that’s were the danger lies. The vast majority of these girls are honest, working women trying to make the best of the situation they find themselves. Yet there is a very small minority out to get you either by themselves or by their associates. When I get robbed I just hope they just take my cameras, dvd player, and money. You need to remember unless the hotel checks the girl in and out you’re just as vulnerable as if you were in an apartment.
The other major issue is the quality of the apartment. You cannot go by the pictures on the web site. The best way to solve this issue is to obtain prior references from former tenants. Another way is to visit apartments when you are in town for future reference.
The upside of apartments is the cheaper price you pay if you are staying long term. The apartment can cost the almost the same whether you stay 2.5 weeks or a month. You also save money when you cook your own meals (Assuming you get a kitchen you can cook from). You will find supermarket food is very cheap in BA (Even by Recoleta standards). The biggest advantage is the privacy, there is no one to say who you can bring up or how many (of course you have the security issue).
Let me give you some examples of apartments I have rented. The first set are from a company called BA House. The owner is Marcella. She is trust worthy as I have left deposits with her with no receipt and each time I have returned she or her assistant has always gotten the amount right. Which bring me to an important point. This is a cash business (I assume they are avoiding the taxman). You wire cash for a deposit and later you give the whole balance when you arrive.
The first apartment is listed as A11 (http://www.bahouse.com.ar/). It is located on Vicente Lopez and Azcuenaga. It is a around the corner from Madahos. The living room has a couch in good condition and it also folds out (The fold out bed is not comfortable) into a bed. The living room is well lit and is great for taking pictures of girls. The kitchen is very small but useable. The kitchen has the hot water tank as long as you are not taking a lot of long hot showers you should have plenty of hot water. The bathroom is spacious and lovely. The bedroom has no ceiling light and only one lamp. For those of use that make videos you need to bring more light for your camera. The closet in the bedroom and has a mirror so you can see yourself fucking. The heating is centralized. They keep this building warm so no problems there. The apartment is in excellent shape overall. The exterminator comes a least once every two weeks for the building. He speaks no English, knocks on your door in the early morning. You let him in and he knows what to do. What you do not see/hear: The walls are thin. I could hear the telephone in the next apartment over. You can hear the people in the next apartment and they sure can hear you. They live boring lives in this building. I know I provide months worth of entertainment When I stay for a week. Yet I had only one complaint. The building is listed as having 24-hour security. There is someone at the front desk most of the time, but most of the time. The security is not present in the early mornings (0400-0600 hr) and from various hours the guy is outside talking to his friends but keeps a sharp eye on the building. Once they know you, they buzz you in or if the person is outside he uses his key to let you in. The building has close circuit TV so you can see who you buzz in.
The traffic flow is strange in this area. If you want a taxi, walk to Madahos or walk one block in the opposite direction to the main avenue.
Overall, this is a great apartment if you hang out in Recoleta. A great gym is also right around the corner.
The second apartment is located on Calle Guido. It is between Junin and Ayacucho. This apartment is across from Affaire in Recoleta. The couch in the living room has seen better days but is useable. The picture on the web sit does not show the sheet they throw over the couch. The living room has good lighting for photos. It also has a rolling square cushion you can use to bend her over. Nice stereo (Can play my burned cds) as you can plug in you cd player into. The kitchen is in good shape and spacious. The oven is easy to light but let them show you the first time. It is different from what I am use to in the US. The bedroom has a nice size TV with cable, the building is always warm, and the air conditioning is a tad bit on the nosey side. The bedroom has a lousy view therefore, it is quiet. The surrounding buildings block out any noise. It should be noted that Guido is a quiet street. The bedroom has adequate lighting for photograph with flash but poor lighting for video but additional lamps are in the living room to use. There are plenty of towels, spare bulbs, etc. the house cleaner does a good job on the apartment.
What you do not see: The bedspread is not washed often. Stains I left were still there on subsequent visits. The buzzer is tricky to use so I had to take the elevator down to let people in each time. The couch is worn out. The apartment is in the back and thus has no view. You must request the real estate agent set the message service on the phone!
Final comment: This is my favorite apartment. I request this one as my first choice but is frequently rented out.
The next apartment, I took because the apartment I originally wanted was unavailable. It is listed as A15 located on Santa Fe between Esmeralda and Suipacha. It is about five blocks from Cattos/Hooks. What you see in the photos is accurate. The bathroom is in good condition. The couch and chairs are in good condition. The bedroom has only one lamp good for photos with flash but poor for videos. It has a beautiful view from the bedroom window. I was there in the wintertime and that building is kept hot. What you do not see the owner charged me damage because the curtain rod was broken. I am a property owner in New York City I know the difference between wear and tear and damage. If you rent this apartment be sure to check everything yourself and note any damage and condition. You have been warned. What you don’t see: Despite what they tell you there is no 24 hour security. Calle Sante Fe is very noisy. In the video I shot you can clearly hear the traffic going by. Remember Santa Fe is busy at all hours of the day. This noise is heard with the metal shades drawn and the window closed. The bedroom is by the window. The TV is old and has no audio /video jacks in. The cable has the bare minimum (ie. No Sony channel). I would not recommend this apartment because of the noise from Calle Santa Fe.
This apartment was a last minute rental because I could not get anything in the Recoleta area. It is listed as B38 on Santa Fe between R. Pena and Callo. I would say overall that this is a nice apartment. The pictures on the web site are accurate. The kitchen is small but usable. The bedroom is surrounded by windows so it is great filming in the daytime. There are lamps to shoot pictures and videos. The duplex has two TV, the stereo played my burned cds, the couch and bed are comfortable. What you do not see: This apartment is at the top of the building and it is the tallest in the area therefore there is some traffic background sound but not a lot. The apartment is not connected to the central heating and it has many windows. It was a little on the chilly side in the winter. There are two separate electric heaters to use. I am from New York so it didn’t seem cold to me, it might be cold for others. Security at night is an old man(my mother could beat his guy with one hand tied behind her back). There is no security in the daytime. The hall lobby is in a shopping area.
I would recommend this apartment in the spring or summer. It has a little background noise, but spacious.
On 6 October my commander informed me that I will receive orders reassigning me to the HHC, 42nd Infantry Division (This unit is now in Iraq). I quickly planned a last minute trip to BA. The last apartment I have used from BA House was A26. This place is located on M. T. Alvear between C. Pellegrini and Suipach. I picked this place because I am moving my operation to the downtown area. I did not discuss the apartment with the real estate agent (Big mistake)before I came to BA. The bedroom is adequate for photos but poor for videos. The apartment is in the back so it is very quiet. There is no background noise in my videos. You get nice sunlight in the daytime. There is no stereo in the apartment. I suggest you get the compact computer speakers and hook it up to a cd player. The kitchen is small and very worn. What you don’t see: The bathroom is a disaster. The paint is peeling from the walls, the sink leaks, the tub is painted white, all the tiles and porcelain is painted. The bathroom is “ghetto”. If you see what they do for poor people in the inner city-you know what I am taking about. The bed has that cheap foam mattress it is not good for fucking. The air conditioning is on the noise side. The worst apartment I have ever stayed in. I hope the word gets out about this apartment as it is listed on several web sites. I will give it credit as a great location. If they fix this apartment I would stay here. You can walk to Hooks/Cattos in four minutes and it is near my favorite private apartment.
The only problem with this real estate agent I have had is based on the fact she wouldn’t take a reservation until one month before I was scheduled to arrive. She is trying to get a monthly rental be she gives it up for a week. This means I won’t know my location until 4 weeks from my arriving. She does not have too many properties in the downtown area I like so I am looking for a new real estate agent to deal with.
General Observations about apartments:
Telephone Service: Make sure the real estate agent resets the message service and make sure it works.
Kitchen: Make sure the agent shows you how the light the stove and oven (Some of the apartments have been tricky). The small apartments have those tiny refrigerators with no freezer if you like ice cream like myself you cannot store any.
Weather: I am from New York so the winter seem mild to me. The buildings have heat on when I would never turn it on, but it is something to think about.
Security: I am in the army so security to me means someone has the capability to know when something is wrong, can react to it(Get help), someone is alert, multiple layers, and dedicated. All the security cameras and alarms do you no good if the person goes to the bathroom or takes a break and there is no back up. Most places the security is there to watch out as people go to work. When they come back from work, the “security” (It could just be the maintenance people) goes home.
Cash Business: This is a cash and carry business. You better find someone you can trust. You can ripped when they try to charge you for damages (They have your deposit). They can take your deposit you initially send. Etc.
Quiet Apartments: If you want peace and quiet when you sleep avoid apartments where the bedroom is facing a main street: i.e. Santa Fe, Callo, 9 de Julio, Cordoba, Corrientes. I am not saying don’t rent from these areas. You should check to see how the bedroom is situated. Is there any buildings blocking out the sound? Is the bedroom in the front or back? How high is the apartment if it is taller than the surrounding buildings you will get the noise. In general, apartments with lousy views tend to be quiet. Watchout for the places boasting a great view as they are usually facing the main street. Try to get apartments on the small side streets as they are quieter.
I came up with a list of some questions to ask (the best way is to apartment while you are down in BA.
1. Is there TV with cable? How many channels?
2. Does the TV have aux Jack so I can hook p my ddvd player? Does the stereo have aux jacks?
3. Air conditioning? What room?
4. What type of heating system? Are there electric radiators
5. Microwave present? Oven Present?
6. An iron for clothes?
7. Type of security.
8. Bell can someone be buzzed in?
9. Location of bedroom? Size of the bed? Type of bed?(Avoid those couch beds at all costs)
10. How is the lighting in the apartment (Shooters of pictures and video)?
11. How far in advance do they take deposits?
12. Living room with couches and chairs? How many?
13. Lamps and lighting?
14. The neighbors (Get a building with old folks that never go out)
15. What the building like on weekends?
16. Refrigerator with freezer?
My final advice: Don’t rent a place unless you have seen it yourself or you had a recommendation. Get references from past travelers on the agent you are dealing with. If you discover something wrong/broken tell the real estate agent right away. You might see if you can replace/repair it yourself- it will come out cheaper. Make sure they do an EXACT inventory of everything in the apartment before you take possession. Insure you note discrepancy in wear and tear on the apartment.
I have been to Buenos Aries fourteen times in the past three years. Of the fourteen trips, I have rented an apartment eleven times. My good friend asked me for advice about apartments so I decided to do a brief write up on the subject. I live in New York and I am a property owner that has dealt with many real estate agents in the past.
In my opinion, apartments are a good budget option if you plan. My experiences have shown me apartments are good for privacy, cheaper than a comparable hotel (When you stay long term) cooking your own meals, and parties. The major downside is the security issue, and the quality of the apartments.
I prefer to have my privacy. I do not like being bothered with hotels checking girls IDs. I repeat with the same few girls often, I pick up most of my girls in the same bolicha, and take the same apartment- security for me is still a major issue. These girls are too poor, transient, and clannish and that’s were the danger lies. The vast majority of these girls are honest, working women trying to make the best of the situation they find themselves. Yet there is a very small minority out to get you either by themselves or by their associates. When I get robbed I just hope they just take my cameras, dvd player, and money. You need to remember unless the hotel checks the girl in and out you’re just as vulnerable as if you were in an apartment.
The other major issue is the quality of the apartment. You cannot go by the pictures on the web site. The best way to solve this issue is to obtain prior references from former tenants. Another way is to visit apartments when you are in town for future reference.
The upside of apartments is the cheaper price you pay if you are staying long term. The apartment can cost the almost the same whether you stay 2.5 weeks or a month. You also save money when you cook your own meals (Assuming you get a kitchen you can cook from). You will find supermarket food is very cheap in BA (Even by Recoleta standards). The biggest advantage is the privacy, there is no one to say who you can bring up or how many (of course you have the security issue).
Let me give you some examples of apartments I have rented. The first set are from a company called BA House. The owner is Marcella. She is trust worthy as I have left deposits with her with no receipt and each time I have returned she or her assistant has always gotten the amount right. Which bring me to an important point. This is a cash business (I assume they are avoiding the taxman). You wire cash for a deposit and later you give the whole balance when you arrive.
The first apartment is listed as A11 (http://www.bahouse.com.ar/). It is located on Vicente Lopez and Azcuenaga. It is a around the corner from Madahos. The living room has a couch in good condition and it also folds out (The fold out bed is not comfortable) into a bed. The living room is well lit and is great for taking pictures of girls. The kitchen is very small but useable. The kitchen has the hot water tank as long as you are not taking a lot of long hot showers you should have plenty of hot water. The bathroom is spacious and lovely. The bedroom has no ceiling light and only one lamp. For those of use that make videos you need to bring more light for your camera. The closet in the bedroom and has a mirror so you can see yourself fucking. The heating is centralized. They keep this building warm so no problems there. The apartment is in excellent shape overall. The exterminator comes a least once every two weeks for the building. He speaks no English, knocks on your door in the early morning. You let him in and he knows what to do. What you do not see/hear: The walls are thin. I could hear the telephone in the next apartment over. You can hear the people in the next apartment and they sure can hear you. They live boring lives in this building. I know I provide months worth of entertainment When I stay for a week. Yet I had only one complaint. The building is listed as having 24-hour security. There is someone at the front desk most of the time, but most of the time. The security is not present in the early mornings (0400-0600 hr) and from various hours the guy is outside talking to his friends but keeps a sharp eye on the building. Once they know you, they buzz you in or if the person is outside he uses his key to let you in. The building has close circuit TV so you can see who you buzz in.
The traffic flow is strange in this area. If you want a taxi, walk to Madahos or walk one block in the opposite direction to the main avenue.
Overall, this is a great apartment if you hang out in Recoleta. A great gym is also right around the corner.
The second apartment is located on Calle Guido. It is between Junin and Ayacucho. This apartment is across from Affaire in Recoleta. The couch in the living room has seen better days but is useable. The picture on the web sit does not show the sheet they throw over the couch. The living room has good lighting for photos. It also has a rolling square cushion you can use to bend her over. Nice stereo (Can play my burned cds) as you can plug in you cd player into. The kitchen is in good shape and spacious. The oven is easy to light but let them show you the first time. It is different from what I am use to in the US. The bedroom has a nice size TV with cable, the building is always warm, and the air conditioning is a tad bit on the nosey side. The bedroom has a lousy view therefore, it is quiet. The surrounding buildings block out any noise. It should be noted that Guido is a quiet street. The bedroom has adequate lighting for photograph with flash but poor lighting for video but additional lamps are in the living room to use. There are plenty of towels, spare bulbs, etc. the house cleaner does a good job on the apartment.
What you do not see: The bedspread is not washed often. Stains I left were still there on subsequent visits. The buzzer is tricky to use so I had to take the elevator down to let people in each time. The couch is worn out. The apartment is in the back and thus has no view. You must request the real estate agent set the message service on the phone!
Final comment: This is my favorite apartment. I request this one as my first choice but is frequently rented out.
The next apartment, I took because the apartment I originally wanted was unavailable. It is listed as A15 located on Santa Fe between Esmeralda and Suipacha. It is about five blocks from Cattos/Hooks. What you see in the photos is accurate. The bathroom is in good condition. The couch and chairs are in good condition. The bedroom has only one lamp good for photos with flash but poor for videos. It has a beautiful view from the bedroom window. I was there in the wintertime and that building is kept hot. What you do not see the owner charged me damage because the curtain rod was broken. I am a property owner in New York City I know the difference between wear and tear and damage. If you rent this apartment be sure to check everything yourself and note any damage and condition. You have been warned. What you don’t see: Despite what they tell you there is no 24 hour security. Calle Sante Fe is very noisy. In the video I shot you can clearly hear the traffic going by. Remember Santa Fe is busy at all hours of the day. This noise is heard with the metal shades drawn and the window closed. The bedroom is by the window. The TV is old and has no audio /video jacks in. The cable has the bare minimum (ie. No Sony channel). I would not recommend this apartment because of the noise from Calle Santa Fe.
This apartment was a last minute rental because I could not get anything in the Recoleta area. It is listed as B38 on Santa Fe between R. Pena and Callo. I would say overall that this is a nice apartment. The pictures on the web site are accurate. The kitchen is small but usable. The bedroom is surrounded by windows so it is great filming in the daytime. There are lamps to shoot pictures and videos. The duplex has two TV, the stereo played my burned cds, the couch and bed are comfortable. What you do not see: This apartment is at the top of the building and it is the tallest in the area therefore there is some traffic background sound but not a lot. The apartment is not connected to the central heating and it has many windows. It was a little on the chilly side in the winter. There are two separate electric heaters to use. I am from New York so it didn’t seem cold to me, it might be cold for others. Security at night is an old man(my mother could beat his guy with one hand tied behind her back). There is no security in the daytime. The hall lobby is in a shopping area.
I would recommend this apartment in the spring or summer. It has a little background noise, but spacious.
On 6 October my commander informed me that I will receive orders reassigning me to the HHC, 42nd Infantry Division (This unit is now in Iraq). I quickly planned a last minute trip to BA. The last apartment I have used from BA House was A26. This place is located on M. T. Alvear between C. Pellegrini and Suipach. I picked this place because I am moving my operation to the downtown area. I did not discuss the apartment with the real estate agent (Big mistake)before I came to BA. The bedroom is adequate for photos but poor for videos. The apartment is in the back so it is very quiet. There is no background noise in my videos. You get nice sunlight in the daytime. There is no stereo in the apartment. I suggest you get the compact computer speakers and hook it up to a cd player. The kitchen is small and very worn. What you don’t see: The bathroom is a disaster. The paint is peeling from the walls, the sink leaks, the tub is painted white, all the tiles and porcelain is painted. The bathroom is “ghetto”. If you see what they do for poor people in the inner city-you know what I am taking about. The bed has that cheap foam mattress it is not good for fucking. The air conditioning is on the noise side. The worst apartment I have ever stayed in. I hope the word gets out about this apartment as it is listed on several web sites. I will give it credit as a great location. If they fix this apartment I would stay here. You can walk to Hooks/Cattos in four minutes and it is near my favorite private apartment.
The only problem with this real estate agent I have had is based on the fact she wouldn’t take a reservation until one month before I was scheduled to arrive. She is trying to get a monthly rental be she gives it up for a week. This means I won’t know my location until 4 weeks from my arriving. She does not have too many properties in the downtown area I like so I am looking for a new real estate agent to deal with.
General Observations about apartments:
Telephone Service: Make sure the real estate agent resets the message service and make sure it works.
Kitchen: Make sure the agent shows you how the light the stove and oven (Some of the apartments have been tricky). The small apartments have those tiny refrigerators with no freezer if you like ice cream like myself you cannot store any.
Weather: I am from New York so the winter seem mild to me. The buildings have heat on when I would never turn it on, but it is something to think about.
Security: I am in the army so security to me means someone has the capability to know when something is wrong, can react to it(Get help), someone is alert, multiple layers, and dedicated. All the security cameras and alarms do you no good if the person goes to the bathroom or takes a break and there is no back up. Most places the security is there to watch out as people go to work. When they come back from work, the “security” (It could just be the maintenance people) goes home.
Cash Business: This is a cash and carry business. You better find someone you can trust. You can ripped when they try to charge you for damages (They have your deposit). They can take your deposit you initially send. Etc.
Quiet Apartments: If you want peace and quiet when you sleep avoid apartments where the bedroom is facing a main street: i.e. Santa Fe, Callo, 9 de Julio, Cordoba, Corrientes. I am not saying don’t rent from these areas. You should check to see how the bedroom is situated. Is there any buildings blocking out the sound? Is the bedroom in the front or back? How high is the apartment if it is taller than the surrounding buildings you will get the noise. In general, apartments with lousy views tend to be quiet. Watchout for the places boasting a great view as they are usually facing the main street. Try to get apartments on the small side streets as they are quieter.
I came up with a list of some questions to ask (the best way is to apartment while you are down in BA.
1. Is there TV with cable? How many channels?
2. Does the TV have aux Jack so I can hook p my ddvd player? Does the stereo have aux jacks?
3. Air conditioning? What room?
4. What type of heating system? Are there electric radiators
5. Microwave present? Oven Present?
6. An iron for clothes?
7. Type of security.
8. Bell can someone be buzzed in?
9. Location of bedroom? Size of the bed? Type of bed?(Avoid those couch beds at all costs)
10. How is the lighting in the apartment (Shooters of pictures and video)?
11. How far in advance do they take deposits?
12. Living room with couches and chairs? How many?
13. Lamps and lighting?
14. The neighbors (Get a building with old folks that never go out)
15. What the building like on weekends?
16. Refrigerator with freezer?
My final advice: Don’t rent a place unless you have seen it yourself or you had a recommendation. Get references from past travelers on the agent you are dealing with. If you discover something wrong/broken tell the real estate agent right away. You might see if you can replace/repair it yourself- it will come out cheaper. Make sure they do an EXACT inventory of everything in the apartment before you take possession. Insure you note discrepancy in wear and tear on the apartment.