Finding a house to rent near Starkville, MSU (Jackson, Columbus: for sale, apartments)

[hunchbob]

Greetings. I have been hired for a teaching position at Mississippi State University which starts in August. I'm currently living in California, so it's not a convenient or inexpensive trip to make to search for housing prior to moving. I've looked on craigslist, but the golden triangle area doesn't have a listing, the closest is North Mississippi, which covers a broad area. Very few listings come up for Starkville and surrounding area. The people I've spoken with have been very nice but not familiar enough with the technology to take and post images of the properties to give me an idea of what they are like.

I've signed up for the University's housing, but none will be available when I need it. I've google searched for rental housing in the area but mostly just found apartments, which I'd like to avoid, and houses for sale, and I'm not ready to buy.

Are there any on-line sources I'm missing? and if I take a trip to find housing what sources should I look at to find available houses for rent?

Also any info on nice areas to live is appreciated. I'm in my 40's, male, single/divorced/no kids, and a working visual artist seeking an environment condusive to creative work. I love being around nature, and also like older houses/buildings/neighborhoods, places and people with character and interesting histories. Not a fan of post-war suburban cookie cutter developments or gated communities. Thanks.

[hunchbob]

Also wondering about short term rentals, any better alternatives to a hotel?, while I search for a place to live.

[brickpatio]

Starkville daily news website classifieds has about 10 houses for rent

[hunchbob]

Originally Posted by brickpatio

Starkville daily news website classifieds has about 10 houses for rent

Thanks, I'll try calling some of them tomorrow.

Any other recommendations? community bulletin boards, realtors who are good at this sort of thing? Areas to look when I get there? short term rentals while I look?

[hunchbob]

Found some prospects, so far no one has any photos posted or ability to email images of the houses, so I'm trying to guess what the houses are like from verbal descriptions. What is Green Oaks neighborhood like?

I tried looking on Google Earth but all I can get are low resolution aerial views, no street view available. It does give me an idea of proximity to neighbors, trees, roads, shopping and the University, but not what the houses look like.

[brickpatio]

Generally speaking, north of highway 12 is older homes and south is newer homes. The older residential neighborhoods to drive around and look for for-rent signs would be the Cotton district and Nash Street historic district which are along University drive between Main St downtown and the university and full of students...and the Greensboro historic district on the west end of downtown main street. Also the blocks south of Main St, such as Jackson St, are older homes, mostly modest cottages and bungalows. Along South Montgomery south of Hwy 12 are more upscale and newer suburban subdivisions.

[hunchbob]

I found quite a few more interesting properties for rent through the paper in Columbus. The houses I've seen for rent in Starkville so far, at least the ones with photos available, seem to be very uninspiring brick houses with low ceilings, few and small windows, and dark interiors.

By contrast I've found listings of houses in Columbus more plentiful, much lower prices and what look to be nice houses with interiors filled with natural light. (probably more of a factor for me than most as I work as an artist/painter when not teaching)

Columbus seems close enough to MSU to still take advantage of all the university has to offer outside of my job there. What would living in Columbus be like? I'm most interested in the area around the old downtown, and/or at least the parts closer to MSU and Starkville.

[hunchbob]

Someone gave me the name of a realtor in Starkville if I was looking to buy, which I'm not ready to do, and recommended Tabor management for rentals. The realtor doesn't handle rentals and Tabor management told me they have nothing available.

Anyone know of a good realtor in Starkville who handles rentals of homes in the area?

[brickpatio]

Columbus is loaded with historic homes, including many antebellum homes. It's slightly larger than Starkville and more of a traditional town that happens to have a small university and a military base. There are also many neighborhoods with homes on high wooded ridges.

[snoo]

We have lived in Starkville since '78 and I would definitely live here. Don't even think about Columbus. The rent might be somewhat lower, but you will have at least a 30 minute drive each way. Crime is rampant there - there is more unemployment and lower economic level and there aren't nearly as many cultural or sports events.

We lived 11 years in Greenoaks Subdivision before moving out South Montgomery (newer area). It was a great "starter home" subdivision. The layout of the streets provides for good walking and there is very little traffic. Homes in the oldest section (nearest Highway 12) are mostly 3 bdm, 1 1/2 bath built in the 1960's. The section toward the back has homes that were built in the 1970's and '80's. This is not a "prestige area", but you would probably be happy here. Most realtors can inform you of houses that have been listed to rent.