A: Typically, experts suggest you spend the following amounts:

Housing 33%
Food 14%
Auto 14%
Insurance 5%
Debts and Savings 9%
Entertainment 5%
Clothing 5%
Medical 5%
Contributions and Misc. 10%

Therefore, if you bring in $2,200 per month, then $725 of your income could reasonably be dedicated to rent. The caveat to this is if you're faced with extraordinary expenses, such as shopping for a home or planning a wedding.

Keep in mind, also, that your lifestyle may dictate that you revise the above guidelines to fit your personal situation. But...the numbers should add up to no more than 100% (or you'll wind up moving back in with the parents!)

Gaining a feel for a neighborhood
Q: What's the best way to get an honest feel for a neighborhood?

A: The best way is to ask someone who lives there that you trust. That sort of information is indispensable. When I owned a small apartment-finding service in San Francisco, I relied heavily on my own personal experience when recommending neighborhoods, and I relied on the advice of people that I trusted who were familiar with the City. But people disagree about what constitutes a great place to live. Some folks prefer fresh air, some like Times Square. There's just no telling!

So there is a strong subjective element in the advice you'll hear about certain neighborhoods. You can do a lot to find out objective information. Look in Your Neighborhood on our website where you'll be able to get statistical breakdowns of demographics, crime rate and median income for any given zip code area using tools provided by Homefair.com. We also have neighborhood descriptions for some major U.S. cities. That tells part of the story, sure. Then comes the "official version": guidebooks, media printed by the local Chamber of Commerce or Visitor's Bureau. These put the best face possible on the area, but will give you some idea what's going on.

Visit the area. Walk around - visit the post office, supermarket where you'll be likely to shop. Local merchants and residents will be a good source of information, but again they may be subjective. Don't be afraid to ask why they like the area. What's the area like in the Summer (or Winter, Fall or Spring)? Just because you're visiting now when the weather is nice doesn't mean the streets don't ice over every Winter. No simple answer here. Some neighborhoods are harder to read than others; they look great on the outside, but they have more subtle problems. So research will be your best friend, and there is no simple substitute for it.

Deciding when to view apartments
Q: I am moving from Boston to the Los Angeles area. My move in date is July 1, 2000. When is a good time to start viewing apartments?

S.G.

A: I'm going to take the liberty of expanding your question somewhat. You should start acquiring information about where you want to live in Los Angeles (or wherever you want to move) right now. What do you like to do? How will you do this in Los Angeles? How much does it cost? What will your commute be? Get these questions answered!

There are many good resources for these answers both on-line and off. Homestore's site, www.realtor.com, provides you with many tools for finding information about most areas in the United States. Use the "Find a Neighborhood" tool to find out more about schools, cultural amenities, crime rates, transportation, demographics and more.

Surf the Net, or get a book about your new city. Subscribe to a local paper. You'll learn lots about your destination city, and some of it may be helpful in shaping where you move, how you move and when you move.

Next, I'd recommend you take a visit to see the city, before you begin your search. The purpose of this visit should be to give you a general idea of where you want to live, how long your commute will actually take (I know it says 10 miles on the map, but the 605 Freeway is brutal in the morning!), and so forth. You may also be able to get information on local resources you may need to help you complete your move. Where is the local storage rental facility? Where will you turn your rented truck in?

After these two steps are completed, next focus on finding a perfect apartment. You'll want to start looking at places on RENTNET® and calling landlords no more than eight weeks prior to your move. If the rental market is very tight, you'll have plenty of time to make additional calls. But call around and ask general questions first. (Hopefully, you'll be calling owners or managers of buildings that you saw on your previous visit.) Be polite and professional. Introduce yourself and tell them you'll be moving from a great distance. If this is a place you'd like to be considered for, ask if there is a waiting list for vacancies. If so, get on it - and check back every week or two!

Then, you'll need to visit and start viewing places. Unless the market is unusually tight, I'd recommend you do this around the first of the month in the month prior to when you'll be moving. Why? People usually give notice around the first. So, if you're looking at moving July 1st, I'd be in Los Angeles on or around June 1st to make as many viewings as possible. This will give you maximum exposure to available rentals.

And be prepared! You will very likely need a credit report and a rental resume, both available on the RENTNET® site. The next step is to sign the lease and plot the move - I'll leave those two steps in your capable hands.