We are one of the millions of people who rent their home. Last month our lease was due for renewal. So before going in to discuss any term changes on the lease, I decided to do a little homework.

The Wall Street Journal has had, this year, several articles stating that apartment vacancies were at a 30 year high. 2009 ended with the vacancy rate of 8%.

CNN Money.com reported that rents are going down on the average of 3% per rental unit.

The following was posted on MyFirstBoiseHome.com. I felt that this information is so important in helping you save money, I have re-posted for you folks.

Real Estate looks a little different today than it did 5 years ago. We’ve seen some good times and we’ve seen some not so good times in real estate but the name of the game is adapting. We can all say we specialize in something but what we need to specialize in is what our clients and prospective clients need. And when I say specialize I mean be proficient, very proficient.

The weather is getting warmer. Summer heat will soon be here. Some places in the United States have already reached the 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

We can send our electric bill through the roof on just the cost of running our air conditioners, if we don’t do some practical money and energy saving things. They may not seem big, but they can make a big difference when we get the electric bill in the mail.

Turn Off the Computer – Turn off the computers when not being used. Computers generate heat. Computer use up electricity. Just by turning off your computer when it is not being used can save big bucks.

When will people learn?  Home buyers are still attempting NOT to use a professional Realtor and home inspector.  What are they thinking?

Using these professional services will save you much more money then trying to go it alone.  The stories about home buyers not using a home inspector are endless.  How much is a home inspection these days?  $250. – $500?

Recently a friend of mine took the sellers word that the property was in great shape and there is not water in the crawl space.   Guess what, there was water in the crawl space and the repair cost was well over $3500.00.  So much for saving a buck.  In the real estate world, these instances are for too numerous.

When it comes to buying a home in today’s current economy we need all the help we can get. This is especially true first time home buyer. Whenever, I meet with my good friend Craig Ballhagen, I am amazed at his insight. Below is a reprint from his blog, MyFristBoiseHome.com. I truly believe reading will give you some tip that will save you money and frustration when you go to buy a home.

Boise’s next generation of first time home buyers must step up and take control of their home loan process and take responsibility for the documents they are signing.  Remember you are borrowing hundred’s of thousands of dollars and required to pay it all back.

Once again, how much is enough? How much square footage does a person REALLY need?  How many rooms in a house are full of “stuff?”

In the first part of February, I set down with James Stocker to talk about insurance we progressed from auto insurance to homeowners insurance. From that meeting he help me write Auto Insurance – Get the Facts.

It was in that meeting, James was telling me that he has seen about 95% of the family’s who group their homeowner and auto insurance together save up to 20%.

All mortgage companies require homeowners insurance. Many realtor’s, mortgage companies refer or recommend certain insurance companies for homeowner insurance. The truth be known you can shop around for the best company and best rate for your homeowner insurance.

It is pretty exciting news for first time home buyers when your loan officer calls to say, YOU ARE APPROVED!  That is great news!  Hold on, not so fast!  Maybe not?

If a home buyer is applying for a conventional loan with less than 20% down, private mortgage insurance approval is necessary.     Potential home buyers and Realtors, need to know that just because the lender has issued a loan approval, it doesn’t mean the deal is done.

According to Harvard University 40% to 50% of all households in the United States are renters. Renters may not live in the same building as the landlord. Renters may not even live in the same town as the owner. Many property owner’s use a property management agency to take care of all the work in being a landlord for a flat fee or a small percentage of income from the rentals.

No matter if you are renting or because of one situation or the other, there are a few things you must consider. The whole process of moving into a rental is like entering a relationship with the owner of that rental. If you find yourself renting an apartment, townhouse or even a house through a property management agency you are entering into a relationship with the owner through the property management agency.