1. Rent.com does NOT list everything:
I'm not knocking them at all, in fact I think it is a great tool. But remember that not every apartment management company advertises through them (or similar sites). Just take some time to drive around the city and see what you can find. When my roommates and I got here we settled on a mediocre place because we couldn't find anything better listed on Rent.com. However after a week or so of living here we started finding all sorts of places we never knew existed.
2. Online apartment ratings are not always accurate:
Ever notice how sites like ApartmentRatings.com only seem to have places rated horribly? Do yourself a favor and check the place out anyway if you like it. Generally the only people who take the time to complete these ratings have had horrible experiences or just like to complain. Now if several people complain about the same thing such as mold or shady creepers hanging out in the complex, that may be a cause for concern.
3. Check out the complex at night:
Dear old Mom taught me this one. A complex can look completely different at night that it can during the day. Remember the shady creepers from point 2? Take a drive through the complex after the sun goes down and just look for anything odd. Look at the people who hang around outside and see where they hang around at. Generally I hate to come home to a place where people hang out in the shadows at night.
4. Summer specials:
Nobody likes to move, especially in the heat of the summer. A lot of complexes offer specials in the summer such as cheaper rent, a month free or no fees. Being a college student, it's never a bad idea to save money.
-S. Demsky
3 comments:
ASTRA ZENNIE: You have written many intresting things in your blog good job....
They figured out how to sell used cars on the internet, you'd think by now they could figure out how to apply that to lease an apartment. I moved to Tyler without knowing much of anything. I packed all my belongings into my Honda from the Chicago area and drove to Tyler. I looked at about three places on a Thursday and moved in that night.
I'm surprised there aren't more housing options on campus or near campus at UT Tyler. Do people consider apartments with other transportation options? Perhaps to live somewhere close enough to bike to UT-Tyler, or walk, or take the bus?
Well you could walk to school if you were close enough and brave enough (there is a disturbing lack of sidewalks in this city). Most people who want to live near campus live at the Reserve or Cambridge, but they're a little pricey and things get a little rough sometimes. Paper-thin walls to boot.
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