How we’re using CoreML to help find and rent apartments

November 2, 2017 By Ally Greer

In addition to helping you find your next home, PadMapper helps you rent out your own place or find a roommate with Post A Pad. With access to millions of apartments and homes and millions of users per month, PadMapper (now part of the Zumper family) enables anyone to easily favorite, share, filter and message listings.

For the landlord or person posting a spare room, PadMapper’s iPhone app now leverages the power of CoreML to analyze uploaded photos and suggest relevant amenities, as well as recommend the best order to present photos based on what would be most attractive to users and get the best response possible.

The introduction of machine learning to our iOS app was inspired by a trip to WWDC earlier this year taken by developer Keith Lee. Feeling inspired after the conference, Keith knew that he had to build something using the new technology that was CoreML. A few weeks later, as part of the Zumper & PadMapper quarterly internal hackathon, he built the feature that thousands of users know and use today.

Download PadMapper on the App Store to take advantage of CoreML and intelligently rent out your room. Check out a sneak peek of how it works below.

Our Methodology: Empowering the Renter with Data

September 11, 2017 By PadMapper

For many people, rent is their single largest expense every month. At PadMapper, we believe in empowering people before they make a decision as fundamental as where they choose to live. That’s why we publicize the current median asking prices for one and two bedroom apartments at the city level in Canada.

For our monthly rent reports, we aggregate data from hundreds of thousands of active listings to calculate median asking rents for around the top 25 cities by population. This data includes more listings than most other rental websites and is sourced through a combination of proprietary listings posted by brokers and landlords, using Zumper’s landlord tool, and renters, with the rooms for rent feature, and direct feeds we set up with the largest Canadian landlords. Since our team also verifies every listing posted directly to PadMapper, we are able to provide an extremely accurate set of inventory and ensure the best apartment search experience for users.

Additionally, our rental data includes new constructions and excludes listings that are no longer available / currently occupied. This is a different approach from what other providers calculate which may be adjusted to reflect what renters are currently paying rather than reflect the open market. Our reports are able to provide better coverage of national rental trends and give renters the best picture of what they should expect to pay if they were to rent today.

Take a look at what current median asking prices are in cities across the Canada by viewing our National Rent Reports.

8 Worst Moving Fails From Your All-Time Favorite TV Shows and Movies

August 29, 2017 By PadMapper

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Skylar Korby at MakeSpace.com.

Movies and TV shows aren’t always the most realistic representation of everyday life. In fact, they rarely are. We’re all about a willing suspension of disbelief, but we’ve got to draw the line when it comes to your favorite characters suggesting truly heinous moving and storage ideas.

We adore the characters but could do without these eight worst moving fails from your favorite TV shows and movies. From Friends to When Harry Met Sally and beyond, we cringe at their snafus but, luckily, fill you in on how to prevent similar mistakes.

Mermaids

After another failed relationship, Mrs. Flax (Cher) picks the next place she will be moving her two daughters to by closing her eyes and basing the decision on wherever her finger lands on the map.

While we admire her spontaneity (even if daughter Charlotte, played by Winona Ryder, doesn’t), this isn’t exactly a foolproof plan.

If there are no major contributing factors to your move — like a new job, or the next step in a relationship — at least do a little bit of research on the places you’re considering relocating to. Then, head to Padmapper to help you find the perfect new home.

Friends

You’ve undoubtedly seen this iconic episode: Ross purchases a new couch, but refuses to pay the expensive delivery fee. He, Rachel, and Chandler try to get the couch up the stairs of his elevator-less apartment building, but it gets stuck.

Delivery fees may seem excessive, but in the case of safely transporting a large piece of furniture from the store to your door, they’re definitely worth it.

Committed to being frugal? Respect. Just thoroughly measure all stairways, hallways, and doorways that the furniture will be pivoting through to make sure it’ll fit.

The Money Pit

In this 1986 comedy, Walter (Tom Hanks) and Anna (Shelley Long) move into a completely dilapidated mansion sold to them by a con artist. The home was a great price, but after countless repairs and remodeling shenanigans, they’re not sure if it was really worth it.

First things first: Don’t trust a crook to be your real estate agent.

Second, be realistic about how much money, time, and effort you’re willing to put into a fixer-upper. Biting off more than you can chew can take it from Dream Home to House of Horrors real quick.

Gilmore Girls

Luke lends Lorelai his truck to move Rory into her freshman dorm at Yale. Instead of just having it for a few hours, she insists on making multiple trips back and forth to transport an old mattress and buy Rory dorm essentials.

Don’t get us wrong. You should be a generous friend and help others out if they need it, but be aware that your kindness might be taken advantage of. Likewise, if you’re the friend that’s accepting the help, keep in mind that your buddy is doing you a favor, and return all trucks and other odds and ends in a timely manner.

Toy Story

Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) saves Woody (Tom Hanks) from the dangerous kid next door and must get them both back to the moving truck with the rest of their owner Andy’s toys. If they don’t make it, they’ll be left behind forever.

Spoiler alert: The toys easily open the door of the moving truck to let them in. Too easily. If toys could do it, what was stopping a random gust of wind or bump in the highway from doing the same?

Always double check the safety precautions your moving company takes with your belongings. Ask questions about their trucks, their standards, and their commitment to customer satisfaction. No need to risk Mr. Potato Head or anyone else losing your stuff.

New Girl

Cece (Hannah Simone) is moving out of her apartment to move into the loft with Schmidt (Max Greenfield). Of course, nothing is packed when Jess (Zooey Deschanel) shows up to help her move.

On top of that, Cece starts to experience moving anxiety and all kinds of mixed feelings about her relationship. She realizes this move signifies the official end of her single life. Her belongings conjure up a ton of memories as they pack them away.

While we can’t help with the relationship panic, we do have two pointers on how to pack more efficiently:

Pack in small doses so you’re not doing it all the day before moving day. Determine what you can do without for a few weeks/days and box those things up first. Leave the daily necessities to pack the day before. You’ll save time and sanity, which are always good things to have extra of when you’re moving.
Get rid of clutter as you pack so you’re not just moving junk from one home to another. If you don’t use the portable ice cream maker now, you don’t need to schlep it to the new place to not use it there, either.

When Harry Met Sally

Harry’s (Billy Crystal) couple friends disagree over whether or not to keep a wagon-wheel coffee table after they move in together. Recently-divorced Harry sourly advises, “Someday, believe it or not, you’ll go fifteen rounds over who’s gonna get this coffee table. This stupid, wagon wheel, Roy Rogers, garage sale coffee table!”

Don’t get discouraged by a grouchy friend. You and your significant other can agree on an all-new aesthetic for a space that belongs to both of you.

Shop together and pick out pieces that you both enjoy. Otherwise, prepare to compromise on your partner’s belongings when you move in with each other. If an unattractive coffee table is something they love, you’ll learn to love it, too.

Moving

Honestly, what doesn’t go wrong in this movie?

Arlo (Richard Pryor) must move his family from New Jersey to Boise, Idaho for a new job. There are just a few problems:

The movers are cons, the guy hired to drive his car from the old house to the new one is eccentric at best, and numerous belongings get broken courtesy of King Kong Bundy.

Always research your movers and any additional labor you plan to hire to ensure you’ll get quality service. Pay special attention to the moving company’s protection plan that outlines reimbursement for any damages. Accidents happen, but you don’t want to be left in the dust with a broken armoire!

Moving Day is hardly full of glitz and glamour. We know finding the right apartment, packing up your stuff, and moving to a new place can be tough. But as long as you’ve got a plan and a good sense of humor, moving will suck a whole lot less.

This article is written by MakeSpace. They offer full-service storage in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC — so you never have to visit a self-storage unit and have more time to decorate your new pad like they do in TV shows and movies.

5 Ways To Get Better Sleep Tonight

July 9, 2017 By Ally Greer

Did you know that:

The Brown Bat (not pictured; significantly less cute) is the mammal that sleeps the most, typically clocking just short of 20 hours per day
The average person will spend one third of their life asleep
35% of adults are getting less sleep than they need

You’ve probably heard thousands of ways to better your sleep, from turning off electronics an hour before getting in bed to drinking warm milk with honey, but which methods do the experts themselves use?

Ventilate

David Nebauer, a psychiatrist and professor at Johns Hopkins University has recommended sleeping with a bedside fan every night, no matter what. He notes that people sleep better in colder temperatures, and also explains the added benefit of white noise, which soothes and blocks out louder sounds that could be disturbing to sleep. Dr. Nebauer’s recommended temperature for sleeping would be described as “a little chilly when you’re not covered up.”

Get out of bed

Yes, you read that right. The next time you’re having a hard time sleeping, try getting up and doing a calm activity elsewhere in your apartment – but try to stay in the dark. Many sleep experts have said that reserving the bed for sleeping and sleeping only helps train your mind to see the bed as a relaxing place, rather than a place where you lay down and worry about things.

Put some thought into your pillows

First and foremost, you should be replacing your pillows once a year. When you do it, remember that there are many different options, even though it may feel overwhelming when they all look exactly the same on that ten foot wall in Bed Bath & Beyond. Start by thinking about what position you typically sleep in. If you’re a back or stomach sleeper, opt for a thinner pillow. If you sleep on your side, try to find something a little more firm to support your shoulder. Then, figure out what type of filling you like. Experts recommend down or feather-filled pillows, because it’s easy to change their shape to fit your body in the optimal way.

More blankets, less problems

If you happen to share a bed, you’ve probably participated in a middle-of-the-night blanket war with your partner. There’s a pretty simple piece of advice for avoiding this problem, and frankly I’m not sure why this isn’t a standard thing by now: get another blanket! Having one blanket per person is a significantly less extreme solution than getting separate beds to avoid sleep disruption, and who doesn’t want a little extra fluff in their bed?

Reverse psychology

Hear me out on this one: Colin Espie, professor of sleep medicine at the University of Oxford, says that “thinking about sleep and wishing for it to happen is a recipe for staying awake. If you give yourself the paradoxical instruction to stay awake instead, you’ll be more likely to fall asleep.” Eventually, you’ll probably get so confused by what you’re trying to tell your body to do that you’ll fall asleep anyway.

Sweet dreams!

Pro Tips: Taking the Best Fireworks Photos

July 4, 2017 By Crystal Chen

This week, our skies will light up with fantastic displays of fireworks. Neighbors will run down the streets with firecrackers and sparklers, and family and friends will gather to celebrate the birth of America. Capture these magical moments with your camera, and you’ll be able to relive the fiery festivities for years to come. Whether you take your photos with a 35mm camera or your smartphone, these tips will ensure all your fireworks photos come out beautifully this 4th of July.

Find the Skyline

Everyone has their favorite skyline. Find yours. Whether it’s in the big city, the mountains, or the rolling hills of a little suburbia, you’ll want to get elevated for the best vantage point. Find that high place and set up camp before the fireworks show so you can practice focusing your camera on the skyline or the horizon. With the farthest point in-focus, you should be able to get plenty of fireworks shots without any blurs or fuzzy focus issues.

Adjust Your Camera Settings

Camera settings can make or break your fireworks photo op. So use these tips to adjust your camera settings before trying to take any photos (these tips work for camera phones too!):

Turn off the flash
Turn the ISO down to 100 or 200
Adjust focus to infinity for the fireworks display
Set the shutter speed between f/11 and f/16
Use a tripod

Don’t Forget the Sparklers

If city codes allow it, pick up a few sparklers before the big fireworks show. Pass them out among friends and family for a more intimate and carefree photo session. Sparklers make beautiful, nostalgia-inducing pictures that are fairly easy to capture. But don’t forget to adjust the focus to a closer range!

Put a Flag On It

Whether you’re taking pics of the big shebang or the backyard fireworks display, you can use a tiny American flag to add a fresh focal point to the foreground. Don’t have a flag handy? Hold up your beer and salute the rocket’s red glare. In fact, you can use any object in the foreground to add originality and context to the moment.

Have Fun With It

Fireworks photography isn’t just about all the pretty lights. It’s about family, friends, bbq, and all the star-spangled displays of patriotism that go along with our great American holiday. So let loose and get creative with your fireworks photos.

Happy 4th of July!

What’s the deal with renters insurance?

June 28, 2017 By Ally Greer

Rental application. Credit report. Income statement. Lease. Guarantor. Roommate agreement. Renters insurance.

These are just a few of the terms you’re probably entirely too familiar with if you’re in the process of relocating. And by entirely too familiar, of course, I mean that you’ve heard them thrown around a million and a half times but still find yourself unsure about the details of each one.

Today, we’re going to focus on renters insurance.

What is renters insurance?

Renters insurance provides tenants with coverage in the case of theft, loss, damage, or injury to personal belongings.

Typically, apartment buildings are covered by the landlord or property owner’s insurance policy, but there are some limitations to this when it comes to the tenant. For example, if your personal property is damaged in a building fire, or if someone is injured while inside your apartment, your landlord will not be held responsible for any property that they do not own. This is where renters insurance comes in!

Do I have to get renters insurance?

It is not mandatory to have renters insurance in the US, but landlords are allowed to require it if they so choose.

It’s fairly common for younger renters to feel like renters insurance is an extra and unnecessary expense. If you find yourself thinking, “but I don’t even own anything that valuable,” think again! Although you might not have a $1.8 million necklace sitting in your bedroom, when you put together the respective values of everything you own, it adds up in a way that might surprise you. According to State Farm, the average person has over $35,000 worth of belongings that are probably not covered by a landlord’s policy. The Insurance Information Institute (III) recommends creating a home inventory when beginning the process of taking out a renters insurance policy to get a better idea of this value as it pertains to you.

Imagine a scenario where you lost everything inside your apartment; from your bed to your dresser to your running sneakers to your dishes to that $10 top you got last week at H&M. Would you be able to start over with absolutely nothing and replace your (what you thought were low-value) belongings?

What does renters insurance cover?

There are three main buckets of coverage for renters insurance. The first includes replacement of personal items that are damaged or lost, in a theft or fire, for instance. A basic renters insurance policy will reimburse you for the exact value of all of your lost items. At a more premium level, you’ll be able to receive coverage for the full cost of replacing the items (this is worth springing for if many of your items or old and/or worn).

The second benefit of renters insurance covers your liability should someone face an injury in your apartment. If something happens to someone in your apartment that leads to that person getting stitches – to go with somewhat of an extreme example – your renters insurance policy could cover the costs of those medical bills.

Lastly, renters insurance can help cover costs of temporary living arrangements if your apartment is too damaged – from smoke, for example – to live in. This cost is not covered by the landlord or his/her insurance policy.

How does it actually work?

Depending on the type of plan you purchase, your renters insurance will likely kick in after a predetermined deductible. This is the amount of money you’ll have to spend on damages out of pocket before the insurance coverage kicks in and covers the rest of the cost. The higher the premium – how much you’re paying for the policy – the lower the deductible tends to be.

How much does renters insurance cost?

The average cost of renters insurance is much lower than that of homeowners insurance due to the fact that it only covers the items within your home, rather than the home itself. This is good news for renters on a budget (over half of whom don’t have renters insurance!). According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the average cost of renters insurance ranges around $180-200 per year. That comes down to around $15 per month! Two beers’ worth of spend in exchange for eternal peace of mind.

What do I do now?

I must admit, up until this very moment, I did not believe I needed renters insurance. In fact, I’ve lived in an apartment for 5 years without it. Now, though, I have officially convinced myself to go out and get a policy. Here’s where I’m going to go and I hope you do the same.

Additional resources:

http://www.iii.org/article/your-renters-insurance-checklist

https://www.trustedchoice.com/renters-insurance/coverage-faq/#1791072690

https://www.allstate.com/tools-and-resources/renters-insurance/what-does-renters-insurance-cover.aspx

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2014/04/08/renting-an-apartment-this-mistake-could-cost-you-5000-or-more/#64005d3747cb

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