House-hunting changes over time

Halloween is long past, but groups of people are still going door-to-door in Ann Arbor. As early as October, students start scrounging their friends together to search for a place to live in the fall.

Leases are signed a couple of weeks earlier each year, said Liz Allmand, owner of Allmand Properties.

"Last year, the first group called at the end of November; this year it was the beginning of November," Allmand said. "It's like a domino effect; one group starts looking and it spreads."

Traditionally, people looking for apartments have been able to delay making decisions until winter term, said Cris Keezer, office manager of PMSI Properties. But even this long-standing housing rule may need to be rewritten.

"I've signed leases for everything from houses to efficiencies already," Keezer said. "A couple of years ago, it was people looking for big houses or specific locations first, but this is starting to change."

KEVIN KRUPITZER/Daily Leilani Smith of Prime Student Housing, Inc. shows LSA sophomores Ariel Yip and Amanda Field an apartment available for rent.

"This time of year is very frustrating for me," said Pattrice Jones, former coordinator of the Ann Arbor Tenants Union. She said she hates watching University students, especially new ones, sign leases so soon after arriving at school.

"It is shocking that students should be feeling any pressure at all to make decisions about next year now," Jones said

LSA junior Bryan French said it's difficult to make housing decisions so early in the year.

"I'm not worried about housing right now, but I should be," French said. "My landlords gave us two weeks' notice at the end of October to reserve my lease for next September.

"We couldn't (meet the deadline) because we didn't know what we were going to do yet. There's four of us right now, and I think I'll be living with only two other people next year," French said.

Rebecca Greenshields, a CMB leasing agent, said the cardinal rule for housing is: "the larger, the earlier, the better; the closer (to Central Campus), the earlier, the better.

"Last year I saw more properties go before Thanksgiving than ever before," Greenshields said. "When looking for a place to live, January is too late for both big groups and for those looking for a Central Campus location."

Students who already rent housing must decide whether to re-sign leases early in the year. "We're practically handing them a move-in package and a renewal letter at the same time," said Kaye Mears, a property manager for Keystone Properties.

First-year students and transfers, after being on campus for just two months, have to make difficult roommate decisions earlier than ever before.

They need to be especially careful if they are choosing roommates they met just a few months ago, said Jim Etzkorn, a psychologist at the University's Counseling and Psychological Services.

"Groups change. People's situations will change ... there are a lot of potential conflicts that can arise," said Jeffrey Micale, a housing adviser with the University's Off-Campus Housing Program.

But students can avoid these issues by getting to know their future roommates better.

"Communication skills are the most important thing I'd look for in a roommate," Etzkorn said. "Have you actually sat down and talked with your future roommate, or are they just a friend of a friend who seems kind of cool?"

Etzkorn suggested finding roommates with similar interests and expectations.

"If you value cleanliness and want a roomate to spend time with, you need to find someone with similar goals for their living experience," Etzkorn said. "People are often disappointed because they expect one thing from a living experience and get another."

Although it is difficult to find off-campus housing later in the year, Etzkorn encouraged students to be thorough, and wait if necessary, when considering ther housing options.

One option for students wishing to delay their decision is to live in residence halls for another year. The lottery for University housing will be held sometime between January and March, said Dana Fair, University Housing's public affairs coordinator.

It is also possible to find off-campus housing at a later date. But chances are, any such housing will be farther from Central Campus, Greenshields said.

"Many buildings on the west side of campus or Kerrytown house mostly professional students, and do not lease until April or May," Greenshields said. "These are really nice properties, which are a lot quieter and run a little cheaper because they are farther from campus."

While timing is a sore point, it is not the only hang-up students have with the Ann Arbor housing market. French said many students feel off-campus housing is substantially overpriced. He said his apartment costs far more than he originally was willing to pay.

"I wasn't really sure what to expect when I was looking for an apartment last year," French said. "But I figured I could get a place for $300 (per month). I soon realized that $350 is far more realistic."

Landlords shoulder the majority of the blame for high housing costs, said LSA senior Todd Clebes. "To be close to campus you need to pay outrageous prices," Clebes said. "Landlords are taking advantage of owning a home close to campus because they know students are limited in where they live."

Allmand denied that housing is overpriced, saying she prices properties according to their fair market value.

"We do surveys of other landlords and price our homes comparable to those in the rest of Ann Arbor," Allmand said. "We typically do a 4.9 percent or five-percent price raise per year to keep up with inflation."

Not all college campuses have a housing market as tight as Ann Arbor's. Students at Michigan State University in East Lansing can get housing at a later date and at lower cost than Ann Arborites, said Michigan State junior Bryan Fingeroot.

"Students here start looking in January," Fingeroot said. "Most people end up paying $250 to $300 per month to live in a single."

Living in a double is one way students facing a budgetary crunch can cut down on costs. LSA junior Aimee Wagnitz said her house next year is a bargain compared to residence halls. "Next year, I'll be sharing a room and paying $280 per month," Wagnitz said. "This is a bargain compared to a single room in the dorm, where I pay $3,000 per semester."

While pricing is important, students are also placing a greater emphasis on housing quality, said Allmand. "Price isn't all (students) are after; the kids are expecting better-quality homes than they did a few years ago," Allmand said.

But Clebes said affordability and quality is a rare combination in Ann Arbor's housing market.

"Some of the apartments in Ann Arbor are more suited for rats and cockroaches than students," Clebes said.

Still, quality, price and location are all for naught if students foresee conflict at home.

"It's important to trust your intuition," Etzkorn said. "You need to decide if you feel comfortable living with a particular person or feel pressured into making a decision."

- Daily Arts Writer Emily Lambert contributed to this report.

11-20-97