Auston Grove Apartment Homes Blog

We all need a place to call home but even with the real estate downturn, many people continue to think that buying a home is a good investment and a way for them to build wealth. When times were good, this was not really the case for most people.  Wherever you choose to live, make sure it’s for the right reasons. Owning a home can be rewarding. Renting an apartment home with Auston Grove Apartments can also be very rewarding. Don’t just take our word for it – check out this article on Yahoo Finance – Why Your Home is not the investment you think it is. In recent months, the housing market, interest rates and the economy have been the focus of many news stories and are key issues in the political arena. Consumers have been inundated for years with visions of the American Dream and why home ownership is a great investment. As seen with the recent housing crisis, home ownership may not be right for everyone.

• If you bought in Rochester, N.Y., in 1980, you would have seen only a mediocre 4% annual growth for the next 25 years.
• If you bought in Dallas in 1986, as the oil boom went bust, your home wouldn’t have appreciated at all before 1998.

It is also important to look at the “net appreciation”.  Most people do not subtract all of the interest paid to the banks, maintenance, decorating costs, closing costs, taxes, and insurance from the appreciation.  In many cases, especially if you do not own your home for more than a few years, there is not true appreciation and in more and more cases, there is negative appreciation.  Many do not realize the real financial and practical advantages HHHunt residents experience every year when they decide to rent an apartment home at one of our communities. There are just a couple of points to consider and think about. Renting is a long term investment and very rewarding. Especially in the North Carolina area we are a respected and very diverse community. Be sure to take a look at our communities and our activities we have to offer. Our unique apartment homes at Auston Grove combine convenience, comfort, and technology for today’s lifestyle in our apartment homes. Our beautiful interiors are designed to optimize the way you live, work, and play. Contact us today to learn more about renting at Auston Grove, or feel free to stop in and take a tour of our community.

So you’ve just moved into your new apartment, great! How exciting is this, a new start in a new place! When searching for apartments you only visited the ones you believe to be in a desired location; but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow a few extra resident safety precautions. Here are a few tips Auston Woods recommend:

Resident Safety Tip Sheet

As a resident at an HHHunt Community we unfortunately can never provide any assurances or guarantees for your personal safety.  Crime and other emergencies are often inescapable and occur indiscriminately.  However, all of our residents can be certain we are committed to a proactive approach concerning deterring and managing criminal activity at our communities.  It is in your best interest and ours to take the necessary steps to deter crime from occurring when possible.  Below are some general safety tips for you to follow while living at our community to help protect yourself, your family and your property from criminal acts.

• Always report suspicious people or cars to the proper authorities, then to the Management Team
• Keep all doors and windows locked in your apartment home, even if home or taking a short walk.
• Never open your door to strangers and report solicitors to the Management Team immediately.
• Teach your children not to open the doors to strangers, talk to strangers, or get into a vehicle with any strangers and to report strangers to an adult..
• Always be aware of your surroundings and avoid strangers at night.
• Avoid walking or running alone at night.
• Avoid using headphones while walking or running.
• If someone in a vehicle stops and asks for directions, answer from a distance. Do not approach the vehicle.
• Try to take trash out during daylight hours.
• Never give amenity access codes or gate keys or codes to friends or guests.
• Do not label your keys with your address.
• Report inoperable window or door locks to the Management Team.  Inoperable window and door locks are considered emergency service requests.
• Do not discard mail with your name and address listed into common area trash receptacles.  Shred all mail or documents with your personal information (name, address, social security number, etc.) listed prior to disposing.
• Never publicize planned vacations or business trips.  This may notify potential burglars of opportunities to commit theft.
• Use lamp timer devices when out of town for an extended period of time.
• Request a mail and newspaper stop when out of town.
• Let a spouse, friend or other relative know your whereabouts, especially if you live alone.
• Vary your routine.
• Do not hide a key to your apartment under a mat, plant or other patio decoration.  Give a spare key to a trusted friend or relative instead.
• Purchase a Renter’s Insurance policy to cover loss of personal property due to theft.
• Purchase Comprehensive Insurance to cover loss due to auto theft.
• Take pictures or a video inventory of all valuable possessions in case of theft or fire.
• Never leave candles, oil lamps, stoves, ovens, or any other heat-producing element unattended.  
• Know all escape routes from the building and discuss escape routes and how to react in the event of fire with all family members.
• Report lighting outages in the breezeway to the Management Team.
• Check the backseat before entering your vehicle.
• Always lock your car doors.  
• Never leave packages, store bags, and other valuables in plain sight in your car.
• Avoid leaving cars running in the parking lot unattended to “warm up” during winter months.
• Always have car keys or apartment keys in hand when walking to and from your vehicle.  Never overload yourself with packages, bags or groceries when coming home.
• Do not leave your keys in your car.
• Develop a Family Emergency Plan to prepare for natural disasters, fire, crime, acts of terrorism and other emergencies and communicate to all family members.

Would you like to know three things that you could do right now to live a happier life? Well keep reading this blog about happiness. The rest of this blog will be very simple yet if you implement these tactics you will begin to live life even happier than you are now.

The first thing is to Laugh more. You shouldn’t take you, life or your situations to seriously. You can find humor in just about any situation. Laugh at yourself – no one’s perfect. Of course there is a time and place for everything but lighten-up and relax yourself with a good hardy laugh from the belly at least once a day.

Secondly, Forgive.

Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you. Forgive others for your own peace of mind. When you hold unforgiveness it’s like drinking poison and wishing that someone else would be effected. Forgive often and easily. Forgiveness is a decision not an emotion.

Gratitude is in the Attitude.

Develop an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings; All of them – even the things that seem trivial. Be grateful for your arms, legs, your home, your work and most importantly your family and friends. Take the time to appreciate life and be grateful to life.

The tragic part about this post is that many people will just read it be forget the part where they need to apply the words. We hope that you share and apply this blog liberally. Thanks for visiting. Join Us on Facebook as well.

It always seems  that whenever we go out on a movie date, my husband and I can’t decide which one to choose.  Tonight will be such a night. There are two major movies out this weekend, Iron Man 2 and Robin Hood.

My husband has been dying to see Iron Man 2 since last weekend when it came out.  It’s action packed, and he loves Marvel comics. I personally, would rather see the new Robin Hood movie. I adore Russell Crowe and Robin Hood was one of my favorites growing-up.

What movie are you going to see this weekend? Do you think Iron Man 2 will top Robin Hood for the weekend’s highest grossing film?

One lucky couple in California is taking home the $266 million Mega Million lotto jackpot that was drawn on Tuesday evening.

I played 30 tickets in a pool at work and came up completely empty handed. Did you play?

Jacki and Gilbert Cisneros appeared on the Today Show Thursday morning, announcing their new mega-millionaire status. They said that they plan to buy a new house and also donate to their church and alma maters. It’s nice to know that they’ll put the money to good use.

Mega Millions in the largest multi-state lotto jackpot. It’s in 39 states nationwide, including here in North Carolina. I usually only play when the jackpot grows enormous like it did this week. What would you do if you won the $266 million?