Apartment Living in Lincoln, NE – 2018

While the housing market is booming right now, many here in Lincoln still prefer apartment living.

As for the reasoning behind that, and more specifically the benefits, Michael Holroyd with Holroyd Investment Properties notes, “The two largest benefits of living in an apartment home are financial and freedom. At HIP Realty, we take care of property upkeep 24/7, including maintenance and repair, landscaping, snow removal, and so much more. But living in an apartment home also means flexibility and peace of mind. We offer a variety of lease terms so our residents have choices. When questions arise, we have a full, friendly staff in our local office ready to help in any way we can. Working with a company that has all of these benefits can be a great way to stay on track with personal and financial goals.”

There’s anywhere from efficiency to luxury options, with varying locations and amenities, so finding the right fit is all a matter of budget and preferences.

“People are looking for a place to call home,” says Holroyd. “This vision is different for everyone. Some are looking for a location close to school, work, or entertainment. Other people may be looking for conveniences like washer/dryers in each unit, dishwashers, microwaves, etc. Some are looking for money-saving options such as a fitness center and pool to avoid that gym membership.

Our apartment homes have a range of amenities to fit a variety of residents. Providing a great location, convenient amenities, and/or financial savings are all ways HIP Realty provides a place to call home.”

In agreement, Michael Olderbak with Kabredlo’s Properties adds, “People are looking for more than just a place to stay. They are looking for a home in a community. Offering events at the apartment properties like a Halloween party, Santa visits, and summer BBQs are ways that we embrace our community.

Residents also want to live in a community that is clean and beautiful. This means as just one example outside, having landscaped yards, and then inside, having modern kitchens. We have been upgrading our units with new appliances and granite, which are both quite appealing.

It’s become common for our residents to live in their homes for more than one leasing cycle, so it’s evident that more and more people have found that apartments are an excellent place to call home. One huge benefit of renting is that the residents do not have to pay expenses like property tax, homeowners insurance, and maintenance. With renting, there is also flexibility with location. If you do have to change jobs or schools, you are not tied to one address.

Also, while we’re on the topic of flexibility, one misconception is that if you rent, you must live in a large apartment complex. We offer many different rental opportunities – there are varying sizes of complexes as well as single homes, duplexes, and multi-family conversions. Another misconception is that you are not able to have large dogs. As a family-run company, we consider pets part of our family and want our residents to have the same privilege. So, we have pet policies in place that give residents the ability to have their pets in their home.”

In closing, he advises, “Especially over the last couple years, the demand for apartments has increased. This means that our properties tend to have waitlist for units. We recommend that anyone interested is proactive in their search, allowing 3-6 months to find their next home.”

As you might have noticed, there are a number of new apartment complexes here in Lincoln too. One of the newest is Aventine at Wilderness Hills, a beautiful property that is one of the more upscale apartment home communities, and in the quickly-developing area at 27th & Yankee Hill Rd.

Regarding this growth and demand, Nancy Salmonson with Aventine at Wilderness Hills explains, “A big misconception is that people live in apartments because they cannot afford a home. This is absolutely not the case the majority of the time. Apartment rent is very comparable to mortgage payments these days, with a growing number of people choosing apartment living over home ownership for the worry-free lifestyle and convenience.

Today, apartment living has drastically changed from what it was even a decade ago. It is a way of life anymore as opposed to just a stepping stone. People are now making apartments their forever homes. Of course you still have some residents who are in a phase of transition, such as is common with a home purchase or employment transfers. But, more and more, people are choosing to make apartments their true homes. And again, since that’s the case, they are looking for worry-free convenience. They want to know that they will be taken care of in the community that they choose. As previously mentioned, another significant factor is a community that is pet friendly. So many renters today are pet owners and their four-legged family members are very important to them. As such, they want to know that their pets are welcome!

She too highlights the main benefits, stating, “When something goes wrong in your apartment, you simply submit a service request and it is taken care of for you. Some other benefits are an onsite pool and fitness center, and a clubhouse that allows residents to rent space to host parties and other get-togethers. Also, no lawn mowing, no weed pulling, no snow shoveling…we take care of all of it.”

In conclusion, she recommends, “There are so many beautiful communities in Lincoln. If you are looking for an apartment, make sure that you do your ‘homework.’ Take the time to personally visit each property that you are interested in and meet the on-site staff. There is a lot of information on the internet, but there is nothing like a face-to-face meeting.”

In addition to the items of importance that are deal-breakers, which might be allowing pets or on-site amenities, there’s another big one – can you guess what it is?

Internet connection is one of the modern fundamentals of any living space – well, any space at all where a person spends time for that matter. It’s not something that anyone likes having issues with, especially ongoing ones that can be downright infuriating. Many are under the impression that it could be compromised in an apartment community because of the volume of activity based on the number of people using it at any given time. An important thing to look for is if there is a direct connection to your apartment home, because it provides assurance that you’ll be able to operate all of your technology along with ease of access and a consistent high rate of speed, among other benefits.

“With an increase in renters over the last five years across the country, there are raised expectations for improved amenities and services,” says Emily Schmitz with ALLO Communications. “Residents want and expect the same entertainment services as home owners, and this is where ALLO’s direct connection can be a huge benefit to apartment living.

Apartment hunters nowadays are running multiple devices at once, are interested in smart home capabilities, and want dependable streaming and gaming. Thus, high speed internet is one of the most important amenities prospective residents are seeking. ALLO’s network is 100% fiber optic, so a fiber connection is run directly to each individual unit. Customers will notice reliably faster speeds, even during peak times.

At every apartment complex where ALLO is available, the fiber is directly connected to each individual unit. This results in significant advantages such as expedited installations, increased signal strength, no data caps, and exceptionally reliable service.

ALLO is a true, all-fiber service and our MDU team works closely with the property managers and residents throughout the stages of bringing fiber optic TV, Internet, and phone services to an apartment community. Once ALLO is live at a complex, we pride ourselves on being local, honest, exceptional, and hassle free for all of our customers.”

In terms of the perfect place to call home, an apartment community here in Lincoln is it for quite a few people. Modern apartment living definitely has its perks – take it from us and take a tour or two, you’ll be amazed!