6 Easy Steps for Finding an Apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most expensive rental markets in the United States. It doesn't help that apartments are snapped up as quickly as they become available, making finding an affordable apartment almost impossible.

Below are 6 steps for finding an apartment in the Bay area, no matter if you're looking for an apartment in San Jose, Oakland or San Francisco:

Step #1 For Finding An Apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area

Check out Craig's List (http://sfbay.craigslist.org ) on a daily basis and even more often. The residents of the Bay area internet-savvy. Almost every landlord lists their rental properties on this free ad site. When I was looking for an apartment, I checked the listing morning, noon and night until I found something.

Step #2 For Finding An Apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area

Know your market and common turnaround of apartments. Most tenants leave apartments at the end of the month and landlords want to fill them quickly. Remember: empty apartment equals no money for them!). You'll notice that Craig's List gets very busy in the last 2 weeks of the month. Keep this in mind when you're looking for an apartment.

Step #3 For Finding An Apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area

If the ad has a phone number, use it! Landlords are busy people and may only check their email every couple of days, but they do check their voicemails.

Step #4 For Finding An Apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area

When calling, be respectful and business-like. Provide all information in a curt and quick message. If you need to, write down a quick speech you can read off when you reach a voicemail.

Step #5 For Finding An Apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area

When you go to open houses, plan to be one of the first ones there. Make sure you bring all of the information you need to fill out the application, along with a check or cash for the application fee. If you like the palce, fill out the application right then and there. Most landlords go by the "first come, first serve" attitude, begin with the people that turned in applications first.

Step #6 For Finding An Apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area

When the good news arrives (You've got the apartment!), make an appointment to sign the paperwork and turn in your deposits. Some landlords will only hold a place for so many days....hurry up!