seiclan

Does anyone know anything about Arden Villas (another complex my daughter wants to look at)?

Impackt

Here's a few older reviews
Arden Villas Apartment Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Orlando apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com

alongwait

Saw Sterling Apartments, or what eventually will be this morning. The shell is up and they are working on it, but no sample to see. However they did have a bedroom with TV and the appliances, couches, etc set up in leasing office so we could see what would be in the apartment. The price advertised in their brochure is for furnished apartments. All bedrooms have full size beds and a flat screen tv on the wall. The dresser is drawers under the bed which actually looked great. The only extra fees are for the parking garage, which is $10 month or $20 if you want an assigned space. It is directly across the street from the campus and is supposed to have a gate, and a shuttle service back and forth. It was quite chaotic and there was quite a crowd. D got there at 8:10 and there were 7 people in front of her. They would not assign rooms to people who did not have a roommate and would only put them on a waiting list. It isn't a big complex, only 272 apts. My final impression was that clean and new will be nice. Who can beat sleeping on a brand new mattress with brand new appliances. The bedroom will be small, but the closet will be not included in the sizing. It's competitively priced for what it is and $2100 cheaper than the Towers. It is a model for the environment, so UCF is making a big statement with that, as will Orlando. I think it will be safe. She's in.

alongwait

Also saw Victoria Place. I loved it. It seemed very well taken care of and more secluded than all the places on the main drag. You can walk right over to shopping. Very peaceful and pretty place. The parking is outside, but is in a park like setting. I did not get into particulars since D was not going to live there, but as a young adult I would sure like it. The only thing I don't care for is the drive to campus. It seems close but it's a busy road, especially during rush hour. Also, this is not a student campus and does not feel like one. It is quite expensive as well. If price and the whole college campus thing is not an issue, it is worth a look for sure!

dvm258

I went over to Sterling today, and there really wasn't much to look at because its still under construction. And if you're looking for a 2/2 room, its best to bring a roommate with you, otherwise you're put on a waiting list for those. I also visited Jefferson Village and the Lofts, and both of those looked good.

Chromeboy

Hey, me and a few friends are thinking of staying at Pegasus Landing for fall 2010(freshmen).

Can anyone tell me more about it and the good/bad?

Impackt

I've heard that both of the Pegasus' are bad places to live

UCFKnight

I know of some friends who stay there. I don't recommend either.

daddyh

My D was just accepted into UCF for Fall 2010. She will major in Event Management through Rosen but wants to stay at main campus her first year. We're OOS (Philadelphia suburb) and I'm trying to figure out if it is worth pursuing a non-affiliated UCF apartment.

Specifically are any of you doing so in hopes of attaining in-state status for tuition? Or are you just looking for less expensive alternatives to UCF housing?

Yarenia

I just got accepted to start in spring of 2010 i been looking at off campus housing but they all seem to have high crime levels. I was very interested in the lofts and jefferson village but had read many bad reviews about theft. I'm planning to take my car to to UCF so im looking for a safe place ?

seiclan

Neither here. It is nearly impossible for an OOS student to gain instate tuition simply by living here for a year btw. To be considered instate, the student, if a dependent, must have parents/guardians who file taxes in Florida. If the student is independent, they have to file here. There is a long list (with additional criteria) which can be found on the florida state schools websites that ascertain whether a person is instate or OOS, just search it. For instance, for my instate daughter, I had to submit my florida driver license number, voter registration number and ....something else that I am not recalling at this time.


As for less expensive alternatives...we are just looking for alternatives, since my daughter will be a junior and has had enough of dorm life. I am not looking at the price as much as the comfort, safety and location of the off campus options. But that is just us.

seiclan

This is from the residency classification website at ucf:

A Florida "resident for tuition purposes" is a person who has, or a dependent person whose parent or legal guardian has, established and maintained legal residence in Florida for at least twelve months. Residence in Florida must be as a bonafide domicile rather than for the purpose of maintaining a residence incident to enrollment at an institution of higher education. To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, you must be a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident alien, or legal alien granted indefinite stay by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Other persons not meeting the twelve-month legal residence requirement may be classified as Florida residents for tuition purposes only if they fall within one of the limited special categories authorized by the Florida Legislature and DOE. All other persons are ineligible for classification as a Florida "resident for tuition purposes". Living, owning property, or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish legal residence for tuition purposes. Students who depend on out-of-state parents for support are presumed to be legal residents of the same state as their parents.


Important Points You need to Know About Residency Reclassification
Residency Reclassification requirements are established by Florida statutes and the Florida Department of Education administrative code.
Determinations made on residency status are based on the documentation requested on the Residency Reclassification Application and Affidavit. Applicants applying for a residency status change must adhere to the instructions accompanying that form.
There is a difference between being a “Florida resident” and a “Florida resident for tuition purposes.” Residing in Florida for a year or longer does not automatically qualify you as a Florida resident for tuition purposes.
To be considered a “Florida Resident for Tuition Purposes,” you must prove through the submission of official and/or legal documents that you are not merely living in Florida while attending UCF. Each applicant must show proof of a bona fide domicile, rather than a mere temporary residence incident to enrollment in an institution of higher education, during the requisite 12-month qualifying period. On campus housing, Greek housing, and university affiliated housing do not qualify as bona fide domiciles.
Documents establishing Florida residency (for example: drivers license, vehicle registration, voter registration card) must be issued 12 complete months prior to the first day of classes for the term of residency reclassification. Additionally, there must be an absence of any documents representing legal ties to any country or state other than Florida. All documents must be copied onto letter or legal size paper prior to submission to the Registrar´s Office.
No single document, including leases, deeds, employment verifications, or driver´s licenses, will qualify you for Residency Reclassification. Determinations are made based on multiple factors and all the documents submitted.
Evidence that you are the financial dependent of an out-of-state resident can disqualify you from Residency Reclassification. Students must demonstrate that they are financially and legally independent from any out-ofstate resident.
Financial hardship and/or length of enrollment at UCF are not determining factors of Residency.
The application and accompanying documentation must be submitted to the Registrar´s Office prior to 5:00 PM on the last day of add/drop of the Term for which you are seeking residency reclassification. UCF has three terms per calendar year: Spring, Summer, and Fall.
The e-mail address specified on your Residency Reclassification Application and Affidavit will be the Registrar Office's primary means of communication with you.
You can learn more about Residency Reclassification requirements from your current Undergraduate Catalog or online Graduate Catalog. (see the “Financial Information” section of either).
UCF is authorized to make discretionary judgments as to residency within the bounds of the law and in reaching this professional judgment will evaluate all documents submitted and information available. Students who feel an erroneous decision was made regarding their residency reclassification may request an appeal in writing to the UCF Residency Appeals Committee.
Contact Information

daddyh

Thanks Seiclan! I did read the reclassification requirements on ucf.edu but I appreciate your "nearly impossible" assessment of doing so. That helps; we'll stick with plan A and have D stay in a dorm freshman year - her preference anyway.

seiclan

Okay, DD and I looked at a bunch of places, we narrowed it down to three and then chose Victoria Place. I loved Sterling (one of the other top contenders) because of its newness, location and student amenities but after living in Towers for two years, my daughter didn't want a student community at all. She really wanted to come home after class to quiet. Victoria Place is deluxe and located walking distance to Waterford Lakes Shopping. It is expensive too but has everything that she wants in a community (free abundant parking, valet trash, mix of all ages of residents, location and cozy). We filled out applications and gave a deposit to be on a waitlist. This is NOT a student community so the current leases expire at any point during the year and residents only need to give 60 days notice. We will not find out which actual apartment are available (or what the actual rent is) for her July 1 move in(we wanted it early for other reasons) until May. The cost for a 2 bed/2 bath 1200 sq. foot (big...Sterling 2 bedrooms are about 800 sq ft) unfurnished apt should be about $1300/month, but it will cost almost $1600 in actuality when I add in the cost of utilities, cable TV, internet, trash, and if she gets a lake view or not (more money). This is much more than many college students would or could pay but we did this for D1 in Gainesville so we told D2 she could have this too. I am guessing this apt in the long run will cost about $50/month more than Sterling (which is furnished and has the UCF shuttle btw). We already have a full apt of nice furniture from D1 who is graduating UF in May so the unfurnished/furnished thing didn't phase us.

alongwait

That's great! Victoria WAS nice from what I saw and I thought cozy too. Very pretty. What was the third choice?