Ok so on the back of that thread, I need advice about housing.
I will be moving to the Ann Arbor area (either directly in AA or on one of the immediate outskirt towns on the bus line). I have been car commuting for the last two years and with the snow and all that, I just can’t do it anymore.
So I’m starting to look at apartments/townhouses/condos and I’m already starting to feel overwhelmed.
We have a few options and I wanted some input.
I have very few requirements:
-It has to be animal friendly.
-Has to have a washer/dryer.
-2 bedrooms.
I’ve only ever lived in a cheap apartment or rented out my parents’ house so I’m at a bit of a loss.
Would it make sense to do something like: get a cheap apartment for the first year and then settle into something nicer the 2nd year and beyond once we have more in savings? Or should we start looking at apartments? Condos? Townhouses? Rent to own places?
We’d really prefer to not have a house right now- rented or otherwise. Neither of us want to do the lawn upkeep and all that if we can avoid it for now. A house is just a responsibility that we don’t want to have.
We have to get moving pretty soon because Ann Arbor rent is atrocious and the returning students will already be looking for off campus housing.
I guess my big question is: where do I start?
We do have an EXTREMELY rough budget but it’s more like a baseline amount. It’s basically our savings + my stipend- the only guarantees until he finds a job out there.
Doesn’t UM have grad school housing? Most universities do. And some allow pets.
USE the college resources, they know grad students moving out of good housing. My D got a great house for her and 4 friends because it was rented by a prof to grad students and the entire house was ready to turn over. You need to connect to as many of those resources as you can.
BTW, congratulations! and hope the wedding plans are going well.
I’d probably do a cheaper apt for a year while you get your feet under you and can figure out where you really want to live for your remaining time there.
I would never suggest buying a place until you have been at a place for a while. There is a lot of costs associated with buying a place. It is not worth it unless you plan on staying there for a while. As your budget is limited, you probably wouldn’t be able to afford anything worth owning. On the other hand, I would rent a place as nice as you could afford. It would be a place you come home to everyday, so make it as nice you could. Try not to get too stressed over it because when it comes to rental, it is a one year commitment. If you don’t like it, you could always move later.
I personally prefer a full service apartment over a house, but it is a personal choice.
Yes, I have a dog but she is going to live with my parents. She has started having bad hip and leg problems and they have the time to devote to her medical needs. It has to be dog friendly for when she comes to stay with us (and we plan on fostering). If we’re just getting a place for a year while we figure out what else we do, it doesn’t have to be animal friendly. (We’ll stay in an animal-friendly hotel if she needs to come stay with us.)
It’s hard to be flexible on the washer/dryer thing because of major allergy/skin issues.
@oldfort sorry for the stupid question, but what is a “full service apartment”?
@esobay the student housing at U of M is very, very expensive.
I do not know AA. But I remember when DS needed to find an off-campus apartment in another city, someone told him to start house/apartment hunting in the early spring. I think he found a studio in the end because it was too challenging for him to find a roommate in a short time. He had a full time job in that “gap” year so he could afford to live by himself.
I heard that the studio he rented was actually owned by his university (albeit managed by a property management company whose employees are mostly affiliated with the university. (Incidently, when I moved to the west coast and the first apartment I rented, that apartment is also owned by his university, a non-profit institute! Go figure.)
I vaguely remember that a hotel at AA which is located essentially in the middle of UM seems to be affiliated with UM also (but I could be wrong here as it was many years ago.)
Some school may have some online resources/web sites where the students or staff could find the apartment.
Hmm…there may be some paperwork that may be needed for leasing or renting an apartment. So get the documentation ready. Also, I heard that if you happen to like an apartment unit, it may be better to decide as fast as you can. Some may be able to decide on the spot immediately after the apartment manager shows an apartment unit to a group of prospective tenants.
Even though I try to write something that I happen to know here, I think I may not be able to offer much help.
You should also be asking advice from whoever in your department is in charge of new grad students, the current grad students, and the university’s general grad student office. All of them could have useful information for you.
I’d also vote for checking out married student housing. It may not be the cheapest option available, but it should be affordable with your funding, and (at least at the universities I’ve known) has the added advantage of allowing you out of your lease in the middle of the year if you finish up your dissertation and are ready to move on.
I know nothing about Ann Arbor, but my recommendation is to search with the intent that this will be your home for the foreseeable future. Do not commit yourself to moving in one year. In addition to happymomof1’s suggestions, check with Student Housing. They often keep lists of off-campus options. Ask everyone you encounter if they know of housing with your parameters.
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Would it make sense to do something like: get a cheap apartment for the first year and then settle into something nicer the 2nd year and beyond once we have more in savings?
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Moving is such a pain in the tush …and expensive with all the truck rentals, utility setups, etc…that you should really try to only do it once if you can. You’ll be moving 4 adults and pets, right? That’s a lot of “stuff” to pack, unpack, organize…and then do it again a year later? yuck!!! Avoid at all costs.
Moving doesn’t bother me all that much. I’ve moved many times and never used a moving truck.
No, it’ll only be the two of us moving. Now that we’re moving to Ann Arbor, my parents are going to be moving back to their house that they’ve been renting out and we’ll be selling the house that we’re currently living in. Once this house sells (which should be VERY quickly as the market out here is very hot right now), I’ll be getting a chunk of the sales.
I sent out an email to the grad students I know last night and got some suggestions. I’ll be following up with these this morning.
I found a couple of condos that I really liked on paper. The rent is a bit above what I wanted to pay but it’s not completely outside of my budget. I’m going to go look around today. I am quite fortunate to only be moving a few minutes away
I second the suggestion to look at married student housing, which usually is on the shuttle bus lines and offers the benefit of like’minded people all going through the same thing as you. The sense of camaraderie and community can be really helpful, and you will all be living on a shoe’string, so there´s no keeping up with the Joneses. We lived in Married student housing when we had young children and we LOVED it.
Another possibility is to see if you can house sit for a faculty member who is on sabbatical and traveling for the year. My first husband and I did this–it was a great deal because all we had to do was pay the utilities. Put the word out in your department that you would be interested I doing this. Check with grad student housing too. People there may know of opportunities to house sit. Some home owners even pay house sitters but that may entail some upkeep responsibilities. It is a great way to get to live in a place you might not otherwise be able to afford.
First of all, JEALOUS! AA2 is a fantastic place to get to call home for awhile!
I personally say to invest some time now and find a place to settle for 2 years, not one. Moving is a heck of a lot of work and before you know it, that first year is up and you will be looking to load that moving truck again - ugh!
Some thoughts:
how about Ypsilanti? Less expensive and probably still on the bus line???
I work at a medical college - there are certain buildings on campus that have old fashioned bulletin boards where students still hang flyers listing places for rent - ask around if there are spots like that at UM.
Craigslist - not a good place for everything, but good for apartment searches.
My daughter lives in the land of evil for a UM fan - Columbus - she was lucky to find an area that has street after street of older brick homes that were build intentionally decades ago to be divided into 4 units for apartments - nice and homey and basement space for storage and washer/dryer - anything like that in AA2 area?
How soon do you need to move? Again referencing medical students/residencies and places they live, they are using looking for people to take over places in June when they leave for new adventures - you might check medical student buildings on campus for flyers.
romani - full service apartment is one with doorman and maintenance people onsite. They will accept your packages, deliver them to your apartment. Maintenance and handy onsite would shovel the sidewalk/mow the lawn, fix anything in your apartment and make sure the apartment building is in good order. I owned a house while kids were growing up. I got tired of worrying about the roof, paint, fireplace, appliances breaking. Mosty suburban townhouses and apartments won’t have doormen, but they will maintain the ground and fix things in your apartment. If you don’t need a yard, why rent a house? Too much work.
Our S rents a condo in a full service place that delivers packages into his unit, has business meeting rooms, movie viewing rooms, veryr nice common areas, and of course exercise room and a small pool. (He does not live in or near MI), I agree that moving can get tiring and expensive, especially as you acquire more “stuff.” That said, I did move every year when i was in college and law school, plus moving home every summer. I would have loved not to move, but that wasn’t how things turned out.
Ok, new question: does anyone have any experience with the new home buyer incentives?
It seems like it might be a better deal for us to buy a decent-nice condo as we’ll be there for at least 5 years. I have good credit (740s) and I have an aunt and uncle that are willing to float me 20% for the down payment until our current house sells (we are very close and believe that education is the most important thing in the world… they have been willing to gift it to me but I’d rather it be a loan).
