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1. Q.How much security deposit do I give?
A.Landlords
require 1 month security deposit equal to one month's rent.
2. Q.What happens if I don't finish my lease
and need to leave the island?
A.If you are in the military and had your military clause signed by Landlord, you'll
be entitled to your full security deposit. However, if you are not in the military, you'll need to discuss this matter
directly with your landlord. The Landlord usually keeps the security deposit if a tenant reneges their contract. You may need
to seek legal counsel regarding this matter. When signing your contract, please make sure you read your agremeent in detail
and ASK any questions before signing to prevent any problems in the future.
3. Q.What is the normal lease term/length
of contract?
A.Most, if not all, Landlords require a minimum 1 year contract. It's very costly to clean a unit and
to have it rented out for a few short months and is not feasible by many Landlords who'll need to spend for advertising
& cleaning again. However, some companies/owners may be able to entertain a a minimum 6 month lease if they have high
vacancies.
4. Q.What if I only need a place for a month or a few months, what can
you recommend?
A.There are a few places that can accept short term rentals. Some hotel units also function as short term rentals such as
the Pia Marine/Resort or Garden Villa where rental can cost from $1400+/month for a 2 bedroom and to the beautiful beachfront
Alupang Beach Towers, perfect for your executive lifestyle at $2200+/month for a 2-3 bedroom unit. There are few homeowners/landlords
that will consider this option if the vacancy has been running high.
5. Q.I will be arriving on Guam sometime
in the next 4-9 months, is it too soon to start house hunting?
A. Yes and no. It's great to to start doing some
homework in advance but many customers contact me with arrivals within 6 months and it is still too early to determine a units
vacancy. The best tool is to use the MLS search engine so you can see what properties to expect for your budget.
The nearer your arrival, I will recommend places, but it's way too difficult to determine the availability that far
ahead. Around the month prior to your arrival would be the best time to start actively corresponding with you on your househunting
rental needs. But please come back and visit my site for more updates. My recommendation is that we become "e-pals"
and I'll keep you informed regularly on the Guam rental market.
6. Q.Are there public transportation available?
A.Yes, but expect to wait for a very long time before the bus finally arrives and another hour or so to get to your
destination. If you are in a hurry, this won't work for you. There are "shopping buses/trolley's" that go
from every hotel and the major shopping areas. It cost $2.00 per ride and this is actually more reliable. And of course, there
are taxi's. But if you are here for at least a year, definitely get a car.
7. Q.I'm bringing a pet dog/cat
to Guam, will my pet be quarantined?
A.Please visit this site,
http://www.guamcustomsonline.com and you'll be able to get all the info on this
matter.
If you are in the US military, there is a quarantine at Anderson Air Force Base. This is welcome
news to all US military members arriving with pets! However, priority is given to AAFB members over other US armed forces
members.
8. Q.Do apts./condominiums accept pets?
A. Certain complexes have a strict no pet policy. In general,
the decision will be on a case by case basis depending on what type of pet, how large your pet, or how many pets will depend
on the owner/landlord. Normally a cat/bird/fish that are indoor trained animals have had an easier time getting accepted.
But a dog usually raises a red flag with most owners, especially if the entire complex has a not pet policy, so it's hard
to hide your dog when you go outside for walks. Usually a landlord/owners will require a pet deposit if they do accept pets. 9. Q. Do I need deposits for utilities
and how much? A. Yes, you need deposits to apply for utilities. Currently,
these are the deposit amounts required for (1) power: $50 per room and $10 application fee (2) water $52 (3) phone $58 (4)
cable tv $35-$50 (I'll need to verify) You will need to personally visit all these places to apply for utilities.
You can't do this over the phone. 10. Q. How much is an average utility bill? A. This varies
on consumption and number of occupants. One thing for sure, power and water rates keep getting more expensive.
I have a customer in a 3 bed/2ba 1400 s.f., single occupant, central airconditiong that turns of the a/c when he's away,
he averages $150-$180 per month on power, $45 water, $22 phone and $50 for basic cable. But if I have a family, for
example in a 2000s.f. house with 3 kids, power is about $450++, water is $65, with premium channels $75++, phone with all
features $25 and high speed DSL internet at $70 or cable modem at $60. But with the recent power hike, add
another $40 on top of your power bill. The best advice I can offer is that if you want to save power, don't leave
your AC running all day. The AC is what will bring your power bill high. Have ceiling fans installed also.
And obviosly, if you want a big house, it will be more expensive with power. I have a customer with 4000
sqaure feet house paying over $1000++ each month. Also, you will need to personally visit all these places to apply
for utilities. You can't do this over the phone. 11. Q.What's the cost of high speed internet? A.
My cable modem service $62.45/month. But then I bundled up. There are bundled packages available that offer basic cable
tv (lots of channels included in this package from CNN, ESPN, major networks, but no premium channels), basic landline phone
service, and internet from $84.95-$99/month depending on which company you choose, MCV or GTA. It definitely is better to
bundle up.
12. Q. What's the
costs of cell phone usage?
A. Thank
goodness for the newest rates of unlimited cell time at $59.50. I was paying anywhere from $300+++, but with the privitazation
of Guam Telephone Authority that's competing in the cell business, the competition has dropped their rates. You can check
out rates at www.ite.net , www.guamcell.net , www.gta.net or http://www.iconnectguam.com and find out all the different programs they have. Some offer long distance and high speed internet services too. A
lot of people bring their stateside number to Guam but the roaming cost is outrageous.
13. Q. I'm on Guam for a few days and need to look at few properties but won't
rent until a few months later til I move permanently, can you show me a few properties while I'm here?
A. Because of my very busy schedule, I must give priority to those who need "immediate" assistance and move in.
I know that many of you want to see properties to get an idea but I am processing many tenants a week who need to move in
asap. I will need to refer you out to one of my colleagues.
14. Q. I just need a place for
a few months that accepts my pet dog or cat, is there anything out there?
A.
This is tough one, short term and a pet, double challenge. This is definitely not my specialty and will not have many,
if any choices to recommend.
15. Q. What hotel will accept my pet dog or cat?
A.
For luxury, Westin hotel, but there is a limit on weight/type. For economical, Days Inn.
16. Q. Are there lots of snakes on Guam? A. This probably is
the most asked question I get unrelated to real estate, but I just have to answer this so I don't have to keep repeating
myself in email reply to customers. It's amazing to think that many unfamiliar with Guam think that Guam is slithering
with snakes everywhere. The only snake I've seen is on display at Underwater World and once (and a rare sighting)
right near my apartment. But other than that, I'm more concerned about running over a boonie dog or cat when I'm
driving who don't run in front of your car out of nowhere. However, I've had customers who live near jungle
growth areas that claim that snakes are just a common sighting. One person I know on base housing has found a snake
several times in her kitchen area. Lots of snake stories, but nothing juicy from my end. FOR
MILITARY MEMBERS ONLY I work with many members in
all branches of the US Armed Forces who seek off base housing. Keep in mind your OHA is "Use it or Lose it".
If you receive $1200 OHA and sign for a $900 apt., you don't keep the difference. You have
30 days of TLA and need to be aggressively househunting. The housing office wants you to start house hunting right away
so you don't exceed your TLA. If your furnitures doesn't arrive on time, you can have loaner furnitures
up to 90 days, so don't worry about your household goods not arriving when you get here. The most popular question
I get from those bringing their furnitures is "should I bring my washer/dryer?". My answer is no. Most
places will have this appliance and if not, you'll be provided one by the housing office for the duration of your tour
here in Guam. If you are an E-5 or below
in the Navy and single, please have your chit approved before looking at properties. This process is lengthy 2-4 weeks,
so I recommend you do this immediately. I also recommend that everyone gets a briefing
in the housing office to know all the facts about your OHA. It's important to note that if there are utilities included
in the rent, this will be deducted from your utility allowance. Housing is very strict about revealing all the amenities
included with your rent. If you need to contact the housing office for any inquiries, the numbers
are for Navy Housing (671) 333-2081 and Air Force Housing (671) 366-2127. Or you can contact me, I process members on a daily
basis and probably may know the answer to your question. This has been the most commonly asked
questions via-email. I'll add more in the future that maybe of interest to others.
Please do not hesitate
to email me for any other questions you may have regarding finding a rental or moving to Guam.
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