Find Your Perfect Home — We Do the Work.

Apartment communities, private landlords, and sellers in Texas allocate a marketing and leasing commission budget to licensed real estate brokerages for introducing qualified residents. They pay our commission out of their own pockets. It does not affect your rent, deposit, or fees — in fact, we often obtain specials that save you money.

It’s simple: when you tour the apartment communities we send you or complete their online rental application, write “Melissa Hurbs - Locator” in the referral / locator section. Once you sign your lease and the property confirms your move-in, proper documentation (you entered my name in the “How I heard about the community” field), and minimum lease term (normally 12+ months), upon payout we send your bonus gift card directly to you!

Upon using our services and confirmed approval and move-in, once payout is received, we send your bonus gift card directly to you!

Yes — on a case-by-case basis. We work with a number of communities and landlords that accept applications with these circumstances.

No, we do NOT manage properties. The Sawa Group operates strictly as a residential locator and real estate brokerage team specializing in apartment locating, single-family home rentals, and residential home purchases/sales. We do not handle maintenance, rent collection, or tenant disputes.

The state of Texas requires agents to sign tenant/rep agreements with their clients for representation purposes. Once an agreement is signed, the search begins, background checks are run, payroll check stubs are gathered, and tours are scheduled.

Yes, a bit. Rental houses are usually owned by individual landlords or small property groups rather than large management companies, so inventory changes daily and moves fast. When you submit your search, Melissa actively tracks new listings in your target area and budget and reaches out the moment something matching your criteria hits the market.

Absolutely — just let Melissa know about your pets when you start your search. Pet policies and fees are set by each individual landlord, so they vary property to property. Some single-family homes don't allow pets at all, while others are very pet-friendly. You'll only be sent options that fit your household.

Requirements vary by landlord, but most will ask for proof of income (typically 2–3x the monthly rent), a background and credit check, and sometimes a larger security deposit than you'd see at an apartment community. Melissa will walk you through what each specific property requires before you apply, so there are no surprises.

This depends entirely on the property and lease — some landlords include lawn care, others expect the tenant to handle it, and HOA rules vary by neighborhood. Melissa will help you understand exactly what's included before you sign. Once you've moved in, ongoing maintenance and property management are handled directly with your landlord — that's outside what The Sawa Group provides as your locator.

House searches are recommended to start 2–3 weeks prior to moving. Most landlords won't hold a property longer than 3 weeks.

Apartment searches can be started up to 60 days before your move, since notices from current apartment tenants open up availability further in advance.

Our primary hub is greater Houston (Midtown, Montrose, The Heights, Galleria, Energy Corridor, Medical Center, Washington Corridor, Memorial, Katy, The Woodlands), alongside full coverage throughout the DFW Metroplex (Uptown Dallas, Deep Ellum, Frisco, Fort Worth), San Antonio (Pearl, Alamo Heights, Stone Oak), and Austin.