Rental Agents/Where to live in Cola? (Columbia, West Columbia: for sale, real estate)

[seitgeist]

I will hopefully be moving to Columbia in June for Grad School. I am going up there in a few weeks to check things out, I was hoping to find a rental agent so that I could look at a variety of apartments/complexes without having to search out/contact each one individually. Does anyone have any suggestions either of an agent or how to find one, I had no problem doing this when I lived in Boston but am having a hard time finding listings or any info about specific rental agents online. Also, any suggestions of where/where not to live? I would like to be close to USC and near stuff to do but safety is my top concern when looking about apartment, both for the apt itself and for parking. Any advice at all would be helpful! Thanks!

[waccamatt]

Do you have an idea of the type of place you'd like to live and a monthly range of rent? You can have anything from highrises to duplexes/quadraplexes to garden apartments or houses for rent close to campus. Are there any particular types of amenities you're interested in?

[mpaquette]

Be sure to post back here with the names of the places you are considering once you visit. When I moved to Columbia, I rented a place without asking around and it turned out to be a nightmare. Luckily I was able to hire a lawyer and get out of the lease, but it was a hassle I wouldn't want to repeat.

[seitgeist]

I am looking to spend under $1000/month in rent, I was thinking of getting a 2 bedroom and trying to find a roommate as I tend to get a bit bored living by myself. I was leaning towards some of the larger apartment complexes that I have seen online - my thinking being that many people in my grad program are doing it online and that maybe it would be easier to meet people living in a larger complex. I can't think of any particular amenities that are vital, but convenient/safe parking is key as I have a horse so will have to drive out to ride every day sometimes late or at odd hours.

[seitgeist]

Oh yeah, forgot in my last post, as I will be working and studying a lot I would prefer to be someplace that is not totally full of partying undergrads, I like to go out and have a good time but don't want people having raging parties in my building 4 nights a week!

[Brandon Hoffman]

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[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by seitgeist

I am looking to spend under $1000/month in rent, I was thinking of getting a 2 bedroom and trying to find a roommate as I tend to get a bit bored living by myself. I was leaning towards some of the larger apartment complexes that I have seen online - my thinking being that many people in my grad program are doing it online and that maybe it would be easier to meet people living in a larger complex. I can't think of any particular amenities that are vital, but convenient/safe parking is key as I have a horse so will have to drive out to ride every day sometimes late or at odd hours.

There are a lot of options for that price. You should check out Vista Commons on Pulaski Street in the Vista. The location is awesome and is within walking distance of lots of bars, restaurants and a grocery store. Vista Lofts is also in a great location as are a couple of buildings in Five Points, but the names escape me at the moment. You might also want to check out some of the highrises around campus... Claire Tower, Senate Plaza, Cornell Arms and there are also townhouses you can find for rent. With a $1000 a month budget, the world is your oyster; you'll have many options.

[elizabethcameron]

If you want to spend close to $1000 in rent, why not just rent a house in a decent area? My friend's house is 4 BIG bedrooms for $1200. If you want my house, it is for rent in lexington around 10 minutes from school. I rent for $850.

If you want to close to school, that will be Rosewood area, different street is totally safety, email me if you need further assistant. yli at sc.rr.com

[deibu]

You could probably check out some of the home/duplex/triplex,etc. rentals, like with Bollin Ligon (Columbia, Lexington, West Columbia, Northeast Columbia SC, Real Estate, Real Estate Agency, Homes for Sale, Opening Doors in Columbia since 1932) or another local rental agency... I'm not recommending any one over the other but that was the first one I could think of. They should be able to direct you to something - a lot of those rental agencys' landlords definitely don't want undergrads, so they will prefer you as a tenant. Those are definitely within your budget too, and they're near campus.

[colaperson]

I live on Main Street at some apartments owned by Capitol Places. Close to the Vista and Main Street has kind of a laid back vibe and no college students with raging parties. They have these guys in yellow shirts who patrol the area and do a great job.