It pays to to keep in touch with the ones you want to rent from.

` Well, I'm in a fine mess.

` Even though I was the first person to look at a nice apartment going for $400, someone still managed to get there before me! How!? I didn't have the number that Phil had used to call them (and he refused to look up his previous calls on his cell phone), so I knocked on the manager's door each day to hand over my application.
` Apparently, the manager spends a lot of his time out back at the garage! I was knocking today just as he was walking past on his way toward the back gate. I asked about that apartment he had shown me, and he said that a little old lady had already rented it out!
` The owner was busy cleaning up there at the moment, so the front door was unlocked. I went in and she said; 'Oh, were you the one who left that note on the door? Wait... weren't you here on the first day? I didn't think you were interested because you never called back.'
` Luckily, she was very nice about it, and in fact, she sent me to some other places - which I found to be either unaffordable or kinda scary.
` It just so happens that I was getting hungry from walking all over town, so I stopped by Taco Del Mar for a nice vegetarian taco with some water. And would you know, the girl who worked there told me about some 'nice studio apartments' for only $425 right near where she lived, so I set off in that direction.

` I had my cell on me, so I called and the manager let me in to show me one of their studios! Well, they'd raised the price to $450 (including water, garbage and sewer), but I think it's worth it: Not only is the bathroom actually inside with the rest of the apartment, but there's laundry facilities on the uppermost and lowermost floors - plus the room seems to retain heat fairly well because the window was open and the fan was on, and I didn't think it was cold!
` Also, it's got a hardwood floor, which is good because I have a very large and groovy-looking floor rug for just such a purpose!

` I still have the number for the other place in case the current renter bails out - they'll tell me if she does - but I'm thinking that I like this place enough to turn in my application on Monday morning.

` Well, for once, I majorly saved my own ass. ...Thanks to the girl in the Taco Del Mar.

` Minutes later: I've found some more places going for even cheaper! I'm going to check one of them out tomorrow morning!