Cost of student housing.......

[MsPurtell]

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Has anyone started looking at the cost of student housing. At Stony BRook its nearly $800 for a one bedroom and nearly $1200 for a two bedroom!!!! DH and I are now living in a three bedroom and can probably squeeze into two. The housing in the area is not exactly cheap either. Anyone else seeing the same at other schools??? 🙁

Margaret

 

[waiting]

I can tell you that in Chapel Hill you can get an "ok" 1 bedroom for 600 or so and a pretty nice one for 700-800. Of course, most people end up splitting a two bedroom apt. or condo and paying about 500-700 each (w/o utilities). Isn't 800 pretty good for the NYC area? It's expensive, but I'd figure it would be that much if not more considering locale....

Sorry to hear about how your decision is "being made for you"....that's very unfortunate and unjust after how hard you've worked to put yourself in a position where you have a choice....I hope you're able to work things out...if not, though, Stony Brook is a great school and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Just think back to several months ago...I remember a post by you where you went on and on about how badly you wanted to go to Stony Brook and how excited you were at the possibility....well, you've made it! 😀 🙂 😉 😛

 

[MsPurtell]

Hi waiting,

The figures I gave are for the on-campus housing. That flipped me out, but who knows, maybe it's the same elsewhere. I confirmed on the "allopathic" student board that there will be huge tuition hikes at SUNY med schools and wonder what that may mean for the dental schools. It's unnerving me.

I'm still looking into CT insurance to keep my options open. I may be able to buy United HC PPO, but it'll cost me about $430 per month (all the more reason to be concerned with housing and tuition costs!!). I'm waiting for the company to send me the info and hoping it'll work out. I really appreciate your positive thoughts.

Margaret 🙂

 

[groundhog]

MsPurtell,
Last year when we were at UCONN we checked out apartment rentals in the Farmington area. They were very reasonable at that time. I believe I recall seeing two bedrooms with 2 baths (master and common) in the $700 range.

By the way, why wouldn't you be able to get health insurance through UCONN?...I thought every university related health science center offers its students an optional reasonabally priced comprehensive health care package.

 

[MsPurtell]

Hi Groundhog,

That's very reasonable for rent. I'd be overjoyed if DH and I could get that in the Farmington area (if I end up at UConn). Of course, if condo prices are good, we may just buy.

I'm still waiting to hear from UConn about the health insurance they offer students. I think it must be taking them a while to respond because of the holidays. I e-mailed and called them. A big problem I have with most insurance plans is that they do not cover pre-existing conditions (I've had metastatic cancer) and, if they do, it costs a lot of $$$. Even if UConn's health plan would cover me, I'd want to know for certain that the hospitals and doctors the plan offers are excellent. I'm seeing a very well known gyn oncologist now who has been affiliated with a great hospital. Unfortunately she's no longer taking my insurance (nor is the hospital) so it doesn't pay for me to try to keep my old insurance after I leave my job. The whole thing has been so complicated because every insurance is different, state law varies, sometimes the doctor takes an insurance and the hospital he/she is affiliated with doesn't (or vice versa). I just want to be covered to the max and have great doctors at my disposal should a get a recurrence (which thankfully is only a slight possibility at this point).

Thanks for asking and letting me vent a bit.

Margaret

 

[Thebeyonder]

Hi,
MsPurtell my wife was a contracts administrator with United Healthcare, she has a legal degree and could help you if you have any questions about coverage.
I rent in East Hartford which is east of the river, so to speak. I have a one bedroom apartment and it costs us $660. A two bedroom in East Hartford is costing our friends $860.
To find a two bedroom in East Hartford for less than $800 is amazing, and East Hartford is not as ritzy as the west of the river, where Farmington is. To find a two bedroom in Farmington for $700 is not believeable at all.
Housing prices in Farmington/West Hartford area are fairly high, not as high as fairfield county, but close. The condos are roughly $140,000 and a house is probably $160,000.
Any questions about housing or rental costs in connecticut can be asked through me, since we are looking to buy a house in this area and are acquainted with the prices. We also did extensive apartment searches in this area, since we recently moved from Danbury, in 99.
Also, you can find a two bedroom in New Britian for probably $660, but the neighborhood may not be that great, and there will be zero ammenities.
Also, if you don't mind the drive and being in the middle of nowhere you can find a good deal in Bristol.
Forget about Avon and Simsbury.
Honestly you should probably forget about Farmington, unless you have a lot of available cash or your husband can demonstrate that he has relocated his job to Connecticut.
My wife and I tried to secure an apartment in an O.K. area of West Hartford, but since we both moved from Danbury and did not have a job at the moment, the apartment complex wanted us to front six thousand dollars, an advancement on our first few months rent and a security deposit. Nevermind that we showed them our bank statements, which had ample funds, the apartment complex still insisted on the money up front, so we said the heck with that, and moved to East Hartford, where the rent was less and the security deposit needed wasn't so huge.
Ms.Purtell you can try apartmentguide.com and century21.com for apartment, condo, and housing costs respectively.
Also try ctnow.com!

 

[groundhog]

I'm pleased that Thebeyonder is able to provide current information on rental rates in the UCONN area. I was only in the area for two days last year and I do admit that my memory may be a bit fuzzy about specific details. However, I do recall that many advertised units seemed very accomodating and reasonabally priced compared to the area in which I live. While there, I did hear that Farmington attracts a lot of retired folks. Maybe the rental units that I felt were great bargains are built with the use of government funds and can only be rented to retired senior citizens at subsidized rates.

 

[MsPurtell]

Beyonder & Groundhog,


Thanks for all the housing info! We are looking at all the immediate surrounding areas and deciding whether or not to buy (DH needs a job in CT though before I'd expect them to give us amortgage). And beyonder, I'm sure I will have questions about United HC!

Margaret