The apartments at Hawthorne Village have a community and amenities that many homes cannot provide.
For me the answer was easy, I don't like to mow grass or do yard work in any form. When renting a single family home, you must make sure to read the lease carefully. Are you responsible for the upkeep of the yard? Do you have to pay for a landscaping company to take care of the yard? Do you have to take care of the pool? Do you have to pay someone to take care of the pool? Are there penalties if you don't keep the yard and/or pool looking good? Make sure you know how much your rent will be and any extra services you have to pay for. What fees may be added and under what circumstances. Also, are there any liabilities that you assume in the case of an accident?
Any body can change out a light bulb, but what happens when your air conditioning goes out? Is there a certified air conditioning mechanic living next door to you? Most apartment communities have multiple technicians working on site, or on call that are certified to work on air conditioners. Living in an apartment community has many advantages with professional maintenance and management staff on site or on call at any time of the day or night. So, if any thing goes wrong, you have someone to take care of it. I am a little bit biased, but I feel living in an apartment community is easier and usually less expensive than living in a single family home.