I’m a freshman living on campus, just wondering what off campus options are best and where to avoid. I’m mainly interested in student housing that it advertised everywhere like Callaway and the different buildings near Northgate, but any input is welcome. Thanks!
@nodoubt16, My son was in Hullabaloo his freshman year and this year moved to U Centre at Northgate. New/clean/modern/well equipped townhomes, great location (especially for engineering), great amenities and staff! Check them out early as space fills up quickly. He and his roommates reserved their spot in late October last year. https://www.americancampus.com/student-apartments/tx/college-station/u-centre-at-northgate
My son moved into UCentre when it opened, beginning of his sophomore year. He’s a senior now and is still very happy living there.
bump
My son and a couple of his buddies are in need of housing next year and several of our friends with current aggies have mentioned that the pre-lease incentives are best before Christmas break, that rents tend to go up after the New Year or the incentives are gone.
Here is a link that was posted on the Aggie Mom and Dad Facebook page. https://aggiesearch.tamu.edu/. It is a good tool when researching places to live.
Be aware of if places are furnished or unfurnished and individual or joint lease. Most are individual that I found, but places like the Barracks, which are really super cool with BearX being built, are joint leased.
Ucenter is our first choice. It is a little higher than those farther southwest but the proximity to campus, engineering, all bills paid, furnished, etc. The lofts of Wolf Pen Creek are also a consideration on the southeast side of campus and then the Cottages is our pick on southwest. They are the furthest away. The woodlands is a nice place but has a shuttle bus instead of being on a bus route and the 3 people I know of that live there, they bought on campus parking permit because the shuttle is 45 minutes round trip at times.
Use the aggie search link and it will narrow to your budget and preferences.
My son is in UCentre and daughter will be and like it. it is not all bills paid though, you pay electric which runs my son about 40-50 per month. Still recommend.
Does anyone know which locations offer furnished apartments and all utilities included? I’m in need of housing just in case because I will be coming in during the spring semester and don’t know if housing is avaliable.
@southernbelle18 There are so many complexes in CS to choose from. See if this search results link works for you. These are apartment complexes that are fully furnished. You will have to check them out yourself to see which ones provide which services, if any, because the aggie search does not give utilities as an option under the expanded search. https://aggiesearch.tamu.edu/search/results/id/search_288fd80eafe6cf56934d2cd052c5a78e I did select the box for internet/wifi included.
You can do a search using the link for the townhomes etc. The Cottages in Southwest CS are furnished and charge $50 a month additional for all of your utilities so you don’t have to worry with collecting from different roommates to pay the utility providers. The Cottages does it for you, they just collected it separately from rent.
Something else to consider is if they are on the A&M bus route or have a shuttle, if you don’t have a car.
Thanks for the correction on Ucenter @aggiedadtimes2 In making my comparisons, I misread that electric was not in the included utilities. How does the billing work at Ucenter? Do they pay the complex utilities or do they set up electric themselves and split it with rommies?
Unless things have changed, the included utilities are just amounts based on average consumptions, overages are charged per month to each roommate based on either the entire apartment or entire building ( only because that’s how the utilities bill for some older units) depending on the apartment complex. Some are only for excess electricity, some for both water & electricity. For my kids, when in apartments with individual leases, each roommate got their own additional bill generated from the apartment complex not the utility company.
@Thelma2, My son is in U Centre this year, but moving to a 5-bedroom house next year. His last electric bill (1/4 of the total) was $80, but the boys keep it cool and they are in the 3-story townhome. Wherever your student lives, check into Simple Bills (simplebills.com). One student starts the electricity account with the provider, but each month Simple Bills divides the bill and bills each roommate for their share (1/4, 1/5, etc.). This can be done with other utilities as well, which are usually paid by the students in a house (water, garbage, cable, etc.). It’s a $4 per month service charge, but worth it to not be a bill collector for your roommates. At U Centre, electricity is the only utility you will need to set up with the provider. U Centre handles all others (water, cable, etc.). U Centre filled up in November last year, so students need to act quickly.
@southernbelle18, I’ve seen some recent posts on Aggie Reddit where students looking for someone to take a spot in their house/apartment for spring semester (in most cases, it’s a senior who’s graduating in December). You might check that out. https://www.reddit.com/r/aggies/new/
Finding a spring semester move-in is extremely easy, you’ll have a selection to choose from due to internships, study abroads & graduations. Have your parents join the Aggie Mom & Aggie parents facebook pages - parents are more pro-active asking about leases since most of them are the guarantors (responsible for the payments).
Thank You @lee6666 My eldest have lived in three places besides freshman dorm (in a different college town) and each one had a different set up for billing/collecting. His best friend is also in engineering and in the same dorm (but different roomies). His mom isn’t on forums and wasn’t aware of the housing needs so early. So it is a combined effort while the boys talk with other guys so we can have 4 but who are also clueless and their parents are not aware of the early need. UCenter has on their webpage that rents go up on the 28th!
I am going to Cstat on (Sunday) and hope to be able to visit around. It is nice that a lot can be done online.
Selfishly, I’d like them to be in one spot for at least the next two years and maybe something different Sr yr +(he’s contemplating the engineering business masters-forgot what it’s called). I like the 4-5 bedroom houses (Howdy Ct new development and others), we are just not at that stage for him yet or the finances, paying for 3 in college right now.
If/when you look for houses, as a tip be ready to pounce with a deposit and guarantor forms. The close to campus homes go very fast & they do not hold them (no matter what a realtor/management company says - we were burned twice). Most current occupants have to give notice by Nov 1 and the re-leasing frenzy begins for the following fall.
Howdy Future Ags! (I’ve posted this same thing on the Spring 2017 transfer thread)
For those of you who have been accepted already, congratulations! For those of you still waiting to hear back, I know firsthand just how painful the waiting and wondering process is because I was actually a transfer student myself into Mechanical Engineering during the fall of 2013.
Texas A&M University is a fantastic place to be a student and has provided me with opportunities and experiences I will never forget. With that being said, I am quickly approaching my graduation date this December, and am excited to start the next chapter of my life working as an engineer, full-time.
I am currently searching for a student who plans to move to College Station for the Spring of 2017 and is looking for housing. The 4 bedroom house I live in is ridiculously close to campus, and has the coolest roommates you could possibly ask for. The house has a backyard and each tenant has their own room and bathroom. Please contact me if you would like more information or would like a tour of the house! I am willing to negotiate. Also, feel free to contact me if you have any questions about life in College Station or making the transition as a transfer student. I work in the advising office so I answer similar questions every day as my job =]
Message me through this website or text me @ 281##309##2342.
Thanks, good luck, and Gig ‘Em!