My ex-husband tells this funny story about trying to find apartments when he came to the United States. Upon receiving his internship at Google, he began scouring Craigslist for rooms to rent. He sent multiple requests. As his future roommates tell it, they were convinced they were being scammed. Some random guy from France whom they had never seen or talked to over the phone, who was willing to jump into an open room in a house with four other roommates. All they had to go on were a few emails. They began taking bets on whether he was real. And they had every right to - in this day and age, why would you trust anything?? But he WAS real, and soon was at their doorstep ready to move in.  

I have been thinking about that story recently as I have been applying for apartments in Paris. It has helped me stay grounded when I have fears about being scammed (As my friend Amy put it, a "perfectly irrational rational fear" [side note, Amy writes a travel blog you can check out here]). It is challenging when you have to find a place that does not require in-person interviews or fluent use of French. I am still in the midst of the process (about to sign a lease for a studio apartment - more to come on that), but wanted to share some of my initial findings or resources I have been using:

LODGIS.COM This listing site was one of the top recommended on many websites and was suggested in my school's housing packet. PROS: 1) The website is easy to navigate with the ability to search precise needs/wants 2)When you email you get a response from an ACTUAL person (no robo emails) 3) Wide selection 4) My research indicated that the fees for this agent were less than some of the others CONS: 1) They do not accept applications until 2-3 months before the proposed move-in date. As my immigration appointment is right at the 3 month mark, I did not have time (nor can my anxiety handle waiting till the last minute)

AIRBNB.COM Okay, so there are a LOT of politics involved in using this site, The debate around this needs a whole separate blog, so I will not be discussing that here. I will say I looked at Airbnb to see if there were better options for long-term rentals. PROS: 1)Easy to see reviews and ratings, giving you a better sense of the actual quality of the place 2)Easy to reserve 3)Airbnb is a global company with a strong guarantee policy if something goes wrong (this happened to a friend of mine in Paris, and Airbnb got her a new place of better quality) 4) Options for both individual apartments as well as roommate situations CON: 1)The actual rent is higher 2)The search options don't provide a lot of specificity 3) Contributing to a system that is controversial (to say the least...)

PARISATTITUDE Another popular listing site. PROS: 1) Good selection with a search bar that combines map search and some specificity 2) They let you make applications further out than 3 months! 3)Streamlined online portal and process CONS: 1) My emails with their representative seem to all be robo emails - does not give me a lot of security, as it is nice to feel like I am dealing with an actual person

I should mention by far the biggest challenge: Paris is NOT cheap. I get that I currently live in San Francisco, a very expensive town, but even I am having some sticker shock on how little your dollar (or euro in this case) stretches. I quickly realized a one bedroom at this time is not an option - or rather, I am making the choice to pick location over space. When else am I going to be living in Paris?! Might as well make this a fun experience. 

Another thing that came up was the protocol of having a "Guarantor"/Co-Signer if you are student. It's not unreasonable: I don't have a steady job over there, and my freelance work is sometimes in flux. But at nearly-thirty, it felt embarrassing calling my Mom for this favor (she is of course very supportive and happy to help). Luckily, I submitted my own proof of funds and my information, and I think they are waving this requirement as a result (I hope...)

I am in the process of finalizing a lease via ParisAttitude, so keep your fingers crossed this is going to work out (no scams, please). I am lucky enough that an agent fee is an option (I forget the percentage, but it is going to work out to being about 900 euro for me), because I felt limited by having no time to go in person to apartment hunt. The big question is: What do I do when this lease expires in June? Would love to find other options to find places (or even roommates!) - leave your suggestions in the comments section.

(PHOTO: I took this photo while staying at my favorite hotel in Paris in 2015 - a dream view. Can you imagine how much that view would cost in an apartment?!?)