Need help renting a house sight unseen in CO

[otowi]

I second the suggestion to do an extended stay hotel or airbnb for a month or two and then find a place that will actually work for you that you can see.

[kevin_in_Denver]

If you are comfortable with an apartment in the lively and crowded Capitol Hill neighborhood or Wash Park, I would recommend Cornerstone for several reasons:

1. Huge selection on their website, which is always up to date. (50 vacancies showing right now)

2. Great software, you can get an apartment reserved without waiting for replies to voicemails. A few years ago, they told me a high percentage of their clients lease up before they even arrive in Denver.

3. If you go directly to their vacancies on their website, you aren't competing with lots of other people as you would answering a random Zillow or Craigslist Ad.

4. Their reviews are stellar https://www.yelp.com/biz/cornerstone...ments-denver-5

5. They used to manage a 22 unit building for me, so I know they are solid.

6. They do not have any crappy buildings nor any buildings in bad neighborhoods.

7. The owner/manager of the company directly owns a large percentage of their inventory (that's why he started the company, he couldn't find good management in Denver 20 years ago)

On the other hand:
1. If you really want a single family house or half duplex you will have to deal with the independent owners (like me)

2. You will pay full market value at Cornerstone. It will take a lot of digging on your own and multiple showings to find a great deal. Remember, with management companies, you are not really the customer, the landlord is the customer.

3. As an independent guy I LOVE "sight unseeners" for my old houses, because my houses tend to be a bit run down, and I know you can't nitpick very much by long distance. So to avoid disappointing you, I recommend that you send a local friend or associate to have a look. That proves you aren't getting scammed, and that the place is livable. But I also know that the associate will not be picky, he doesn't care that much because he doesn't have to live there.

If you can afford the inventory at Apartments.com, I wouldn't hesitate to rent anything they advertise. They list 90% of the big so-called class A complexes and are well set up to handle remote leasing. One thing to note about these places is that even if you were in Denver now, they tend to show you a model unit, probably not the actual one that you wind up getting. So photos and a video walk through is just as good as an actual showing in this case. Once you pick the complex you like, be sure to check the Yelp review, because Apartments.com is only an advertiser.