Why do I have to call the apartments?

We do not call apartments because it is best for you to explain your personal situation. Also outside of availability, rent specials, and pricing, apartments will not share much more information without a background check. 

Application criteria
Landlords are now required to provide applicants with written notice of their eligibility criteria so applicants don’t pay money to be automatically denied. Remember, application fees are usually not returned even if the landlord rejects the applicant. There is one fairly recent exception -- if the landlord does not provide or post the eligibility criteria (e.g., income, criminal history), and the landlord rejects the applicant, the landlord must return everything the applicant gave them including the application fee and deposit. Section 92.3515, Property Code.