Apartment-hunting Tips for Michiana Students

Apartment hunting in Michiana requires a little time and patience if you hope to snag just the right place at just the right price. With three large colleges and universities in the area, and with the alluring white-sand Lake Michigan beaches bringing in so many part-time newcomers, there are changing conditions that will affect your effort to find that place of your own, home-sweet-home. Here are a few tips for cutting through the maze and getting to the chase:

Get an early start.

There is a dizzying assortment of rental units available, from beachfront cottages to downtown walk-up flats to the more typical suburban apartment complexes. But seasonal changes in availability and, more importantly, in cost, are common. A waterfront two-room unit may rent for $500 a month in winter, but you'll rarely be able to obtain a full-year's lease on beachside apartment. Even the most rudimentary dwelling near the water hits $1,500 a week - or more - after Memorial Day. Even if you can afford the cost, you may not find what you want if you wait, especially in St. Joseph, New Buffalo, Bridgman, Chikaming or Michigan City.

Check out the neighborhood.

Even in our small little towns and villages, it's a fact of life that some neighborhoods are safer than others for students and young people moving in. Before you lease anywhere, always call the local police for an update on crime stats, and proceed accordingly. Berrien County Sheriff's Department has a busy schedule of Rape-Aggression Defense (RAD) classes designed for girls and women; check it out. Also, do a few drive-bys during the day and the night to get a feel for what's up after the sun goes down. Don't rely on the word of the rental agent, who may or may not live nearby. If you can, ask a few neighbors or other tenants what the neighborhood is like.

Try getting there from there.