College Housing: Who knew This Choice Was So Important?

Would you be surprised if I told you that one of the top five variables that you should use in choosing a college is housing? Depending on which part of the country, housing can be quite reasonable. Think non-big city Midwest and South. However, it can also cost you almost as much as tuition. Think L.A., NYC, and Chicago. Comparing housing costs within a particular area can save you time, money, and grief.

There are several different housing options:

• Live in the dorms. This is a great place to spend your first year of college. You get to make friends and get involved in campus life. Whether this is a good idea beyond the first year is up to personal taste, but sometimes can be good for less independent students.

• Rent an apartment. Again, some parts of the country offer low-rent apartments, but many university towns do not. Check it out. You may be surprised to discover that the dorms are a cheaper option.

• Lease an apartment. Only go in this direction if the student is stable and dependable. Horror stories abound about landlords forcing payment to the end of the lease after a student moves out early.

• Rent a room in a house or apartment. This can be quite nice or quite horrible depending on who owns the house or apartment. Meet them, talk to them, but do not do this over the phone. That spells disaster.

• Buy a house or a condominium. Buying something in some parts of the country is a sound economic move. The basic scenario is that you buy a house, move your child into the house, and rent out the rest of the rooms. You do not have to pay rent elsewhere and you will be earning equity in the property. Or not. This is where it gets interesting. This can be a great business decision or a lousy one based on the local, state, and national real estate market. Choose carefully.

• Live at home with Mom and Dad. This can be a relatively inexpensive way to go, but works better when you are 18 and not as well when you are 38. Parents and children can too easily fall into familiar patterns.

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Thomas Nixon is the author of Complete Guide to Online High Schools. In it, he details how to earn a high school diploma online. The companion website, BestOnlineHighSchools.com, is the premier source of information on online high schools. Tom is also the manager of the college support website, CollegeAdvocates.com. His website is ThomasNixon.com.

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