OT: campus housing

Submitted by _DG7_goblue on
Quick question for other students; who here has already started signing their leases for next years apartments? This is going to be my first year getting an apt (currently dorming) when should I lease?

MGoShtoink

December 14th, 2011 at 8:24 PM ^

You and your future roommates should probably get out there and start looking ASAP.

For future reference, if you want to find a house around State, Oakland, Packard... the so-called "student ghetto", you need to get out there in Sept-October.  

My roommates and I literally just went around knocking on doors asking how many bedrooms and if they were resigning next year.  The "good" houses go fast, as I'm sure the apartments do.

coldnjl

December 14th, 2011 at 9:11 PM ^

MGoShtoink is right...if you want to live in the student ghetto, you are WAY to late. However, there are other options.

If you guys are not dead-set on living in an appartment, you can wait until June-August and look for an appartment in a student house north of Division. Generally, that area is typically grad student or older student housing. It is cheaper and closer to alot more (main street, Kerrytown, 5 minute walk to campuse, closer to the hospital, and riverfront) than central campus (south of south University). Typically, the land lords steer their properties to older students who decide later in the process (typically late winter/early spring) by not advertising availability until late spring or summer. 

I lived on E. Ann for two years and loved it. It was really quiet but as I said, it was close to alot. My rent was about 450 a month, but it was a room in a house and had roommates. It was a five minute walk to campus...

bmdubs

December 14th, 2011 at 11:28 PM ^

My friends and I waited until February last year to sign a lease and got a nice apartment in a house down on McKinley by Yost...

BUT we learned from it and got out a month ago and signed for a sweet house on Arch! So stoked to live in the student ghetto another year. Everyone should live down here at least one year

Steenie

December 15th, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^

Totally underrated and great area to live would be right around east Jefferson, or El Jefe, the Jeffrey, as we used to call it.  Anywhere around there definitely still has that student ghetto feel without being to grad-student or ktown hipster.

a2_electricboogaloo

December 14th, 2011 at 8:24 PM ^

as I've only lived in dorms and a house while at Michigan, but if it's anything like looking for a house, then you should get on it ASAP.  Most house shopping/searching is done in october-ish, or november on the later end. But again, it might be different for apartments, I'm not sure, but I'd still recommend getting on that soon. 

However, there is solid chance there is a surplus of apartments next year—at least on the more expesive end of the spectrum—as there are two more on appartment buildings opening on campus next year (Zaragon West and Landmark) which may reduce the demand for apartments somewhat.

LSAClassOf2000

December 14th, 2011 at 8:33 PM ^

I am sorry in advance for what will happen to your parking lot during the holidays...

EDIT: The Hamilton Place crowd can expect a few planned outages in the spring too. Sorry about that too. 

LSAClassOf2000

December 14th, 2011 at 8:42 PM ^

...it's because of the City Place development on S. Fifth. The west side of Hamilton will be sort of converted to underground feeds to accommodate their requirements. You'll notice a ton of changes around March or so.  I know this because I am designing the new feed for the block. 

a2_electricboogaloo

December 14th, 2011 at 8:46 PM ^

That development is directly behind my house (I awoke this morning to my house shaking from the steamroller flattening the ground).  And noted, thanks for the heads up.  Is there anywhere I can go to get information on when the planned outtages will be/how long they'll last?  Or will DTE notify us of that beforehand?

In reply to by M-Wolverine

PurpleStuff

December 14th, 2011 at 10:00 PM ^

I don't think I could fend off the beating my girl would perpetrate against me if I announced my plans to move back to the MGoFratHouse in Ann Arbor instead of feeding her cat and making dinner.

Bosch

December 14th, 2011 at 10:44 PM ^

but ours was cleaned once a week the one year I lived in the house.  I can't say the same for any other place I lived while in school.

Also, the price to live in the fraternity wasn't all that far off from what I would have paid anywhere else, and I got two squares prepared everyday by a hired cook.

From your comment, it is implied that you didn't live in a house and I'm guessing your exposure to fraternities was pretty minimal.  Referring to the conditions as "total filth" is an inaccurate generalization.

Blerg

December 14th, 2011 at 8:50 PM ^

My current roomate and I found our place last February.  It's just the two of us, but there was a good amount of decent housing (apartments for 2) availabe.  Our spot is on Packard by Greenwood.  The more roomates you have the harder it's going to get.  So get on it asap, but a great apartment late in the game is not out of the question.

LSAClassOf2000

December 14th, 2011 at 10:14 PM ^

unless we were supposed to shut it off then, the answer would be "not personally, no". We tried a midnight shutdown once...once. I ended up in court explaining why a pneumatic wrench made a lot of noise. I am not joking here. 

In fact, anyone who was near Zingerman's Deli on a crisp March night this year....yeah, that was my fault in part. 

M-Wolverine

December 14th, 2011 at 9:30 PM ^

For OP- Might have changed as they got bigger, but CMB management who ran it was family owned and run. Great people. Think the two daughters took it over, but they own so much now, it probably isn't the personal touch anymore. But I'd contact them, and they can tell you what properties have space all over town. I went from there to over on McKinley, closer to the athletic campus. And you'll at least have a good idea what's around town and where, even if you go in another direction.

Jon06

December 14th, 2011 at 9:09 PM ^

i've leased decent one-bedroom apartments twice, once on main st. just off hill, and once on hill essentially across the street from quickie burger, in the summer just before the year started. in fact, i got the latter place in the space of a week in august, and moved in less than a month later. i also did all that with a dog, which limited the options more than usual.

so, there's less available now than there would have been a month ago, but you'll find something ok if you're on your own. if you're looking for something with multiple bedrooms, you should feel a little more urgency to get started now.