If you're moving quite a distance to school...

[SomeoneTakeMe]

Thank you soooo much! this was very helpful!

The BC area should be nowhere near $900 to live with a bunch of other people. I live in the heart of the North End in Boston with one person and pay less than that. Don't be fooled. You can definitely live near BC for a reasonable price. That said, you will likely be living with a bunch of undergrads which is the downside. Look at prices on Craigslist. that should give you a good sense.

[BrandNewName]

The BC area should be nowhere near $900 to live with a bunch of other people. I live in the heart of the North End in Boston with one person and pay less than that. Don't be fooled. You can definitely live near BC for a reasonable price. That said, you will likely be living with a bunch of undergrads which is the downside. Look at prices on Craigslist. that should give you a good sense.

i'm glad that that's your opinion, but as someone who lived there and paid that amount, regardless of what it should be, it can be that high. was it on the higher end? possibly. but even looking at craigslist now, you're paying upwards of 500 bucks for a bedroom in a shared apartment in the brighton area (and most look to be closer to 700). tack on utilities and that goes up. want a parking space - pay up! true, it was a large house very close to campus and that surely had something to do with the higher price, but as you mention, there are mostly undergraduates living in those houses. what that translates to is a lot of corrupt landlords jacking up the prices for run-down apartments/houses because the undergraduates either don't know what they are signing, are blinded by the dream of living off-campus with their friends, or are utterly desperate to find anything near campus once their petitioning for junior year on-campus housing falls through.

it's a bit frustrating for someone with (from as much as i can glean from your message) no experience of living in that area or of having worked with these off-campus housing issues for the student government of BC to act as if i'm trying to fool someone. i'm not. can you find a reasonably priced place near BC? sure. it can be difficult. but, the bigger question for me is whether that same reasonable price couldn't get you a much nicer flat elsewhere.

either way, IMO, the housing situation in the direct vicinity of BC cannot be compared to the rest of boston living: there are a limited number of high-quality apartments, the landlords seem to be able to do/charge whatever they want, and you are surrounded by loud/drunk undergraduates and the neighbors who hate them at all times. also -- although i am not completely familiar with this law because it went into effect after my time there -- the neighbors around BC have been successful in convincing the town council to pass a law limiting the number of people who can live in houses and apartments (i think no more than 4 non-family members may live together now). with fewer people to foot the total bill, i think it's just another sign that living right near BC is going to become an even more expensive endeavor.

all of that aside, bluedevil, i still think you would find grad living much better down the C line, if for no other reason than because you'll actually be able to buy groceries somewhere.

[Jack Horner]

i'm glad that that's your opinion, but as someone who lived there and paid that amount, regardless of what it should be, it can be that high. was it on the higher end? possibly. but even looking at craigslist now, you're paying upwards of 500 bucks for a bedroom in a shared apartment in the brighton area (and most look to be closer to 700). tack on utilities and that goes up. want a parking space - pay up! true, it was a large house very close to campus and that surely had something to do with the higher price, but as you mention, there are mostly undergraduates living in those houses. what that translates to is a lot of corrupt landlords jacking up the prices for run-down apartments/houses because the undergraduates either don't know what they are signing, are blinded by the dream of living off-campus with their friends, or are utterly desperate to find anything near campus once their petitioning for junior year on-campus housing falls through.

it's a bit frustrating for someone with (from as much as i can glean from your message) no experience of living in that area or of having worked with these off-campus housing issues for the student government of BC to act as if i'm trying to fool someone. i'm not. can you find a reasonably priced place near BC? sure. it can be difficult. but, the bigger question for me is whether that same reasonable price couldn't get you a much nicer flat elsewhere.

either way, IMO, the housing situation in the direct vicinity of BC cannot be compared to the rest of boston living: there are a limited number of high-quality apartments, the landlords seem to be able to do/charge whatever they want, and you are surrounded by loud/drunk undergraduates and the neighbors who hate them at all times. also -- although i am not completely familiar with this law because it went into effect after my time there -- the neighbors around BC have been successful in convincing the town council to pass a law limiting the number of people who can live in houses and apartments (i think no more than 4 non-family members may live together now). with fewer people to foot the total bill, i think it's just another sign that living right near BC is going to become an even more expensive endeavor.

all of that aside, bluedevil, i still think you would find grad living much better down the C line, if for no other reason than because you'll actually be able to buy groceries somewhere.

As someone else who's probably going to be attending BC in the fall and is worried about his living situation, thanks for your helpful posts!!

[BrandNewName]

Coincidentally, the cover story of the main student newspaper at Boston College this week is about the housing situation in the area and the "No More Than Four" zoning regulation that has recently come into effect.

The Heights: Ross: "We Disagree on This Issue"

[qweticowoods]

I was in the military before I returned to school... so I'm used to moving all over the place. I moved from Sacramento to Milwaukee in 2007... Now it looks like I'll be moving from Milwaukee to Las Vegas for grad school.

I've got an old friend that's moving from Sacramento to Chicago for grad school this fall, as well. I told him that he should just move his stuff to Las Vegas, and I'll leave my stuff in Chicago.

[hamster]

Say you go in May to your soon to be city and sign a lease on an apt. School doesn't start until Sept however and you cannot move until right before, do you need to pay rent for the in- between months?

This is pretty standard here in SF (occasionally a landlord will split the difference for an ideal tenant) but a lot of things about housing are crazy here so I don't know about the rest of the country.

[breakfast]

Say you go in May to your soon to be city and sign a lease on an apt. School doesn't start until Sept however and you cannot move until right before, do you need to pay rent for the in- between months?

This is pretty standard here in SF (occasionally a landlord will split the difference for an ideal tenant) but a lot of things about housing are crazy here so I don't know about the rest of the country.

Depends on the landlord. When I was looking for my first apartment a few years ago, most of the landlords I talked to refused to rent out a place to me if I wasn't available to move in within at least 30 days.

I would recommend you call landlords in whatever city you will be moving to, and maybe hold off the trip until later in the summer (June or July, maybe?) if you can. Not every landlord is going to be the same, and I have a feeling a lot of it depends on the rental market in your new city. If a landlord thinks they could easily rent out the apartment to someone else who could move in quicker, you're going to have a hard time convincing them to go along with your split-rent idea.

[hamster]

Depends on the landlord. When I was looking for my first apartment a few years ago, most of the landlords I talked to refused to rent out a place to me if I wasn't available to move in within at least 30 days.

I would recommend you call landlords in whatever city you will be moving to, and maybe hold off the trip until later in the summer (June or July, maybe?) if you can. Not every landlord is going to be the same, and I have a feeling a lot of it depends on the rental market in your new city. If a landlord thinks they could easily rent out the apartment to someone else who could move in quicker, you're going to have a hard time convincing them to go along with your split-rent idea.

Thanks for the good advice!

out of curiosity, what city were you looking in?

[breakfast]

Thanks for the good advice!

out of curiosity, what city were you looking in?

This was in Phoenix about three or four years ago. Now I'm having to deal with looking for an apartment in a new town across the country, figuring out when to go out to look, how long to stay, coming up with rent to get me through until I start getting my stipend, and all of the other fun parts of moving.

[Switzerland]

I'm moving from the west coast to Rhode Island to attend University of Rhode Island and have NO idea where to even begin looking for an apartment...Anyone out there have any suggestions? I'm panicking!

[fuzzylogician]

I'm moving from the west coast to Rhode Island to attend University of Rhode Island and have NO idea where to even begin looking for an apartment...Anyone out there have any suggestions? I'm panicking!

Don't panic. Contact current grad students at your new department and ask them what they recommend. They'll be able to tell you which resources are good to use and what areas you should look at depending on preferences like budget, distance from school, safety, proximity to public transportation and such like. Maybe they can even introduce you to friends who are looking for roommates. You'll be fine--everybody ends up finding a place, however good it turns out to be. Worst case scenario, you don't like your apartment for whatever reason and you have to look for another place next year (easier once you're there and know the area). By far not the worst thing that could ever happen.

[bluesand]

I'm moving from the west coast to Rhode Island to attend University of Rhode Island and have NO idea where to even begin looking for an apartment...Anyone out there have any suggestions? I'm panicking!

I sent you a PM b/c it was lengthy. But if anyone else is interested, let me know...

Edited March 28, 2010 by bluesand

[wordslinger]

Yeah, I can relate to a lot of the angst on this thread... I'm moving from Charlotte, NC to Louisville, KY, which is definitely not as bad as the moves some of you are contemplating! But it's very stressful to move to a new city in a short period of time. Fortunately, the other grad students at my future school have been super-supportive, offering advice and even scoping out apartments for me. So I agree that they are a great resource.

My other issue is that I'm committed to a teaching job here in July, which means that I can't *really* move until August. Cutting it very close. Thanks to all who are posting their questions and experiences! So helpful!

[Tyrone_Slothrop]

For anyone who signed without seeing - how did you go about the actual signing of the lease? Was the realtor fine with you faxing a signed copy, or did you just the signed lease to them through the mail? I'm halfway tempted to try to do something like that, but I'm not sure how interested realtors are in dealing with a potential renter that way.

[gsams]

I'm not using a realtor. The places I have looked at are comfortable with me using a scanner or fax to sign applications. I assume this will apply to the lease.

[fuzzylogician]

My roommate used a realtor, she found the apartment and we both signed the lease. It probably helped that she was local so most of the process wasn't done from far away; I got a letter of endorsement from my department saying that I was going to attend and that I would receive a stipend, which cleared up any problem my (lack of a) credit history would have created. The landlord was fine with me faxing him a signed copy of the lease, and after I arrived in the States I went by the realtor's office and signed a real copy.

[pea-jay]

It all depends on the landlord/agent. Some will work with you, via mail or fax. Others require an in-person visit. My experiences have ranged from driving 400 miles just to sign a lease to the landlord leaving the door unlocked with the keys and the lease in a kitchen drawer (to be slid under his door with the rent check the next day). Talk about laid back on the latter...

[JustAnotherModernGuy]

I'm moving from the west coast to Rhode Island to attend University of Rhode Island and have NO idea where to even begin looking for an apartment...Anyone out there have any suggestions? I'm panicking!

Click below for info:

And/or feel free to contact me.

Best,

JAMG

[iamwhoiam]

Are there any people who moved to NYC without using a realtor? I heard lots of scary stories about online scammers and how NY realtors are a big waste of money (for students), so I am unsure about how to find a place to live. Is it possible to visit 1-2 months earlier and lease an apartment after looking around, or are they all like "move in now!"? I have quite a bit of money saved up so I would really like to live in Manhattan (UWS, Hell's Kitchen, Morningside Heights, etc.) for a couple of years.

Any grad students who live in NYC or who go to Columbia, input will be greatly appreciated!!!

Edited April 8, 2010 by iamwhoiam

[pea-jay]

Are there any people who moved to NYC without using a realtor? I heard lots of scary stories about online scammers and how NY realtors are a big waste of money (for students), so I am unsure about how to find a place to live. Is it possible to visit 1-2 months earlier and lease an apartment after looking around, or are they all like "move in now!"? I have quite a bit of money saved up so I would really like to live in Manhattan (UWS, Hell's Kitchen, Morningside Heights, etc.) for a couple of years.

Any grad students who live in NYC or who go to Columbia, input will be greatly appreciated!!!

I've been dealing with this too. The words "No Fee" are important to remember on any search. While I can't answer how far out you can secure a place, I know there are many places to look for one online (neighborhood newspaper rental listings, off-campus housing ads at Columbia, Craigslist) without realtor "assistance"

Edited April 8, 2010 by pea-jay

[Hugh10]

Are there any people who moved to NYC without using a realtor? I heard lots of scary stories about online scammers and how NY realtors are a big waste of money (for students), so I am unsure about how to find a place to live. Is it possible to visit 1-2 months earlier and lease an apartment after looking around, or are they all like "move in now!"? I have quite a bit of money saved up so I would really like to live in Manhattan (UWS, Hell's Kitchen, Morningside Heights, etc.) for a couple of years.

Any grad students who live in NYC or who go to Columbia, input will be greatly appreciated!!!

Hi - I'm from New York. It's fairly difficult to find a building that will let you sign a lease more than 4 weeks in advance. (the exception would be new developments that are eager to get their units rented) So, it's best to time your search when you're ready to move. One way to do it is to go to sublet.com and sublet an apt for a month before your move and use that as your search period. The best website I recommend for finding apartments in NY is www.streeteasy.com - which lists broker and no fee apts - or www.nybits.com, which lists no fee only. I don't recommend craigslist - unless you're looking for roommates or a share. Brokers aren't going to scam you - they're just an additional expense that's only worth paying if you don't have the time and energy to look for yourself (however, they do have some listings that you won't be able to get to). Hope that helps.

Edited April 8, 2010 by herc0308

[Beck]

I'm moving from Australia to Texas ... freaked out doesn't begin to cover it right now, but the reality of it all is just starting to hit. Headed to Austin.

[JackieW]

I was wondering if anyone in this thread had tips for finding a realtor? I'm moving from Connecticut to Wisconsin and very, very clueless!

[matcha]

Movin' from Santa Fe, NM to upstate NY. That is quite a change for me and I'm super excited about it!

Here's how I did the renting part: I took a four day weekend, visited with the department on one day and got a feel for the campus, on the second day I looked at seven different houses and signed a lease, and had two travel days. It was a whirlwind, but I'm really glad I did it! Some places had a very different feel than the pictures would make it seem, some places had really creepy landlords, and some places were "up hill both directions" and hard to walk anywhere to or from. It was worth the few days off plus travel expenses to find a great place.

Now I have to move my crud. I'm thinking about renting a pod or space on a moving truck (ABF) to get my mattress, chair, bookshelf, kitchen stuff and dresser across the country, then packing up my car and heading across country. If figure it will cost around $2,000.

Anyone know of any better suggestions for moving stuff cheaper?

[matcha]

I was wondering if anyone in this thread had tips for finding a realtor? I'm moving from Connecticut to Wisconsin and very, very clueless!

Try contacting the housing department at your university. Most universities will help connect you with someone they trust. Or ask current students about who they know or have heard to be reliable.