<p>I wonder if anyone else is having a problem with long distance apartment hunting. I ordered brochures and applications online, and they still haven't arrived. I get only voicemail for one complex. A friend of mine is doing the coast to coast thing, but she's going to live in a single dorm for the first semester and use that time to find an apartment. According to her, it comes out cheaper, with no utility bills, but the space is tiny and she has to share a bathroom, which is what she would have done with a private apartment. Anyone have any good tips?</p>
<p>AlphaFlight,</p>
<p>I'm in pretty much the same boat.</p>
<p>Craigslist is a godsend.</p>
<p>I second Craigslist. It's the best. Also, check out your school's housing website as it may offer some resources.</p>
<p>I'm basically calling higher-end places owned by realtors with good user ratings on an apartment ratings site. When I get ahold of a complex, I ask them if they can send me digital photos of the place before I apply.</p>
<p>It's worked thus far...I got pictures from one place and the other place I'm looking at right now is going to be sending me a custom video tour of my prospective unit.</p>
<p>Now, I probably have a slightly higher budget than the normal grad student though. I live with my fiance in a 1 bedroom apt, so we can split a more expensive unit.</p>
<p>I would recommend talking to locals from that area... they can also give you some insight on the area. If your faculty can get you in contact with current grad students they may be able to give you some good advice on complexes in the area.</p>
<p>I live in Chicago right now (Hyde Park - UChicago), so if anyone needs info, I may be able to help them out.</p>
<p>And if you have a family or several roommates, we're vacating our 3BR townhouse end of June. Our landlords are awesome. We also rented through another company here in Hyde Park that shall remain nameless (unless you email me - in which case I will be happy to tell you precisely who they are and what the bastards are like) who are, shall we say, slumlords. So the advice to talk to locals is really golden.</p>