No upper class housing..when to look for apts/houses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Down in Charlottesville, this whole thing is fueled by students who think they need to live in a select few buildings and complexes. The companies that run those places are happy to get their commitments.

No one needs to sign a lease in October. Just because some do doesn't mean your kid does.

You are underestimating things. MOST of the small and medium sized well located apartment buildings will be sold out by end of October. My DD wanted to live in what she thought was a little known complex and called at 8 AM the day they said they would know what they had available (which was in early Oct). Low and behold they had 70 applications already for probably less than 10 apartments. My DD didn't even know you COULD put in an app earlier, because she definitely would have. The next few weeks saw availability decline on a daily basis. My DS's roommates dad came down over parents weekend and took the boys around, made a spreadsheet of the options and then the boys made the decision. There's alot that an incoming freshman does NOT know about areas that are safe, what is popular, what is ethical, what is a good price etc. They do need help and if we parents want to help them, there is nothing wrong with that. With my DD she only looked at one apartment with her roommate, loved it, booked it all done.

Those nice smaller builders were done by Nov 1st. Booked and done. The "select few buildings and complexes' that are the most popular actually tend to have availability a little later because they are larger and more expensive. The trick is finding the smaller ones that no one knows about.

Luckily, you aren't kicked off campus there. You can stay in the campus apartments if you wish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Down in Charlottesville, this whole thing is fueled by students who think they need to live in a select few buildings and complexes. The companies that run those places are happy to get their commitments.

No one needs to sign a lease in October. Just because some do doesn't mean your kid does.

You are underestimating things. MOST of the small and medium sized well located apartment buildings will be sold out by end of October. My DD wanted to live in what she thought was a little known complex and called at 8 AM the day they said they would know what they had available (which was in early Oct). Low and behold they had 70 applications already for probably less than 10 apartments. My DD didn't even know you COULD put in an app earlier, because she definitely would have. The next few weeks saw availability decline on a daily basis. My DS's roommates dad came down over parents weekend and took the boys around, made a spreadsheet of the options and then the boys made the decision. There's alot that an incoming freshman does NOT know about areas that are safe, what is popular, what is ethical, what is a good price etc. They do need help and if we parents want to help them, there is nothing wrong with that. With my DD she only looked at one apartment with her roommate, loved it, booked it all done.

Those nice smaller builders were done by Nov 1st. Booked and done. The "select few buildings and complexes' that are the most popular actually tend to have availability a little later because they are larger and more expensive. The trick is finding the smaller ones that no one knows about.

Luckily, you aren't kicked off campus there. You can stay in the campus apartments if you wish.

yep very true. BUT I am hearing all over the parent pages about how bad the upperclass dorms are, no parking here, AC not working there, not a function kitchen here. I'm quite glad my kids are in nice apartments which they have been enjoying all aspects of. The upperclass dorms are by and large QUITE out of the way unless you do a theme house like the international dorm, or there are two dorms that are close in, the rest are a hike from grounds. Its not all peaches and cream living on grounds either.

The net net is this. My DD wanted to wait, very much. BUT her friends started grouping up and she did not want to be left out, so that caused the panic of ensuring you found your roommates for next year. She did not actually join the initial group that she thought she would, but rather waited a few weeks and just asked one person to live with her. It worked out. But I guarantee the kids will start feeling the pressure to group up early. It sucks for sure but it's not the end of the world.

I went to a school with 4 year in campus housing so it was all new to me. My DH went to URI and lived on the beach for two years. Lots of different experiences out there, none of which is superior to another really, they all have their quirks.

[Anonymous]

Glad someone posted and brought this to my attention. I will make sure my dd starts looking early.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is definitely something to look into when you are visiting colleges. At least so you are prepared for what lies ahead. I know it is common in large schools and urban areas, especially.

Just to let prospective students know, in virtually all of the SLAC's that my kid visited, you were guaranteed housing on campus for all 4 years. At most, they morph into university-owved apartments or shared houses (vs dorm rooms) for older students.

We really liked the convenience of not having to lease apartments each year. It allowed her to roll out of bed five minutes before classes. Each residence hall had a kitchen in the basement, but most kids did not cook for themselves, which also saves time (no need to buy groceries, clean dishes, etc).

Way to coddle. Well done!

It was my kid's preference. It allowed her to focus on school (she will have plenty of time to "adult" over the next decade). It worked for our family and there is no reason to attack someone trying to share her experience.

Lol it “allowed her to focus on school.” She sounds 12.

My kid is a serious STEM major. She went to college to focus on school.

If yours went to party or otherwise goof off, then I am very glad that we got the kids we got.

[Anonymous]

I thoroughly believe it's artificial panic created by the big landlords in the big college towns (who do not give two s**ts about kids "finding their people").

They advertise how they'll run out! and get on waiting lists now!! don't get left behind!! It trickles to all the landlords big and small. Freshmen think they HAVE to lock something in.

It gets everyone revved up in October, and in a full-blown panic by November/December. Then.... you realize A) stuff is still available and B) people who have already signed have changed plans and are now trying to sub-lease it out. I pulled up my daughter's landlord's website (a big landlord) to get her floorplan drawing in July. I had the thought of checking availability and wouldn't ya know, they had stuff still to rent, despite all their prior advertising to the contrary. Not every building, not every configuration of bed/bath, but there were spaces available to rent in July! I'm sure the other landlords big and small were the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thoroughly believe it's artificial panic created by the big landlords in the big college towns (who do not give two s**ts about kids "finding their people").

They advertise how they'll run out! and get on waiting lists now!! don't get left behind!! It trickles to all the landlords big and small. Freshmen think they HAVE to lock something in.

It gets everyone revved up in October, and in a full-blown panic by November/December. Then.... you realize A) stuff is still available and B) people who have already signed have changed plans and are now trying to sub-lease it out. I pulled up my daughter's landlord's website (a big landlord) to get her floorplan drawing in July. I had the thought of checking availability and wouldn't ya know, they had stuff still to rent, despite all their prior advertising to the contrary. Not every building, not every configuration of bed/bath, but there were spaces available to rent in July! I'm sure the other landlords big and small were the same.

+1 and there are sooo many subleases available in May and June and even August where with a little patience and willingness to live with an unknown student, kids can find a sweet deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thoroughly believe it's artificial panic created by the big landlords in the big college towns (who do not give two s**ts about kids "finding their people").

They advertise how they'll run out! and get on waiting lists now!! don't get left behind!! It trickles to all the landlords big and small. Freshmen think they HAVE to lock something in.

It gets everyone revved up in October, and in a full-blown panic by November/December. Then.... you realize A) stuff is still available and B) people who have already signed have changed plans and are now trying to sub-lease it out. I pulled up my daughter's landlord's website (a big landlord) to get her floorplan drawing in July. I had the thought of checking availability and wouldn't ya know, they had stuff still to rent, despite all their prior advertising to the contrary. Not every building, not every configuration of bed/bath, but there were spaces available to rent in July! I'm sure the other landlords big and small were the same.

+1 and there are sooo many subleases available in May and June and even August where with a little patience and willingness to live with an unknown student, kids can find a sweet deal.

And how is waiting and then having to live with strangers better than renting in the fall with hopefully people who they know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thoroughly believe it's artificial panic created by the big landlords in the big college towns (who do not give two s**ts about kids "finding their people").

They advertise how they'll run out! and get on waiting lists now!! don't get left behind!! It trickles to all the landlords big and small. Freshmen think they HAVE to lock something in.

It gets everyone revved up in October, and in a full-blown panic by November/December. Then.... you realize A) stuff is still available and B) people who have already signed have changed plans and are now trying to sub-lease it out. I pulled up my daughter's landlord's website (a big landlord) to get her floorplan drawing in July. I had the thought of checking availability and wouldn't ya know, they had stuff still to rent, despite all their prior advertising to the contrary. Not every building, not every configuration of bed/bath, but there were spaces available to rent in July! I'm sure the other landlords big and small were the same.

+1 and there are sooo many subleases available in May and June and even August where with a little patience and willingness to live with an unknown student, kids can find a sweet deal.

And how is waiting and then having to live with strangers better than renting in the fall with hopefully people who they know?

Because most people don’t make new lasting friends or find their tribe in the first semester. Even people who roomed with their BFF freshman year find they are no longer BFFs by the end of the second semester. Living with people you know doesn’t guarantee no roommates from hell!

[Anonymous]

The fair housing act also prevents apartments from renting only to students. Parents are shocked…shocked I tell you..there kids could end up rooming with non students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thoroughly believe it's artificial panic created by the big landlords in the big college towns (who do not give two s**ts about kids "finding their people").

They advertise how they'll run out! and get on waiting lists now!! don't get left behind!! It trickles to all the landlords big and small. Freshmen think they HAVE to lock something in.

It gets everyone revved up in October, and in a full-blown panic by November/December. Then.... you realize A) stuff is still available and B) people who have already signed have changed plans and are now trying to sub-lease it out. I pulled up my daughter's landlord's website (a big landlord) to get her floorplan drawing in July. I had the thought of checking availability and wouldn't ya know, they had stuff still to rent, despite all their prior advertising to the contrary. Not every building, not every configuration of bed/bath, but there were spaces available to rent in July! I'm sure the other landlords big and small were the same.

+1 and there are sooo many subleases available in May and June and even August where with a little patience and willingness to live with an unknown student, kids can find a sweet deal.

And how is waiting and then having to live with strangers better than renting in the fall with hopefully people who they know?

Because most people don’t make new lasting friends or find their tribe in the first semester. Even people who roomed with their BFF freshman year find they are no longer BFFs by the end of the second semester. Living with people you know doesn’t guarantee no roommates from hell!

And living with a random person they don’t know does guarantee no roommates from hell? I say this as a parent of someone who did have someone join their group later in the year. They think they’ll get along ok but no more certain then people they knew from the hall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had no issue last year while in town spending the day with my freshman helping her look at apartments. Kids now adults don’t just have the knowledge of what questions to ask management, to think about driving complexes or houses at night, to ask the right questions of current residents.

My role as a teacher didn’t just stop when she turned 18.

OP, she signed a lease last October and every single roommate dropped out of the room and she was placed with random girls.

So now your sophomore is living with random people. hopefully she has decent roommates, but this is exactly the potential with picking a place/roommates after 1-2 months of freshman year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had no issue last year while in town spending the day with my freshman helping her look at apartments. Kids now adults don’t just have the knowledge of what questions to ask management, to think about driving complexes or houses at night, to ask the right questions of current residents.

My role as a teacher didn’t just stop when she turned 18.

OP, she signed a lease last October and every single roommate dropped out of the room and she was placed with random girls.

So now your sophomore is living with random people. hopefully she has decent roommates, but this is exactly the potential with picking a place/roommates after 1-2 months of freshman year.

One girl she knows from her sorority, the other three are randoms as were the three she got placed with in a dorm her freshman year.

[Anonymous]

DD will apply to the school at her college for her major during her sophomore year in January. They offer spots at two campuses an hour apart with travel on a busy under construction interstate. They do not announce awarded spots until end of spring break in mid March.

She will not be looking for housing until she knows she got in and on which campus.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely agree that landlords and the parent Facebook pages fuel this.

Parent Facebook pages have some of the most anxious, panic-stricken posts I’ve seen. Do not get caught up in their freak outs.

[Anonymous]

I love my best friend, but after sharing hotel rooms with her a few times, I know we would not have been good roommates.

Roommates are people you can cohabitate with. They don’t have to be your besties.