Puzzled about Logan Utah Apartments... (Washington, Hyrum: rentals, credit, hotel)

[jon_pa2ut]

I'm moving to Logan UT in January to work at USU for 1-2 years, and trying to find an apartment before arriving. I would prefer to find a place which is quiet, small, nice, and not student housing, but within walking or biking distance to the University. While I do recognize that people in Utah get married a lot younger than we do in the East, I am entirely failing to find nicer, smaller apartments. It seems that there are lots of affordable student housing options, and then lots of affordable 2-3 bedroom monster apartments and townhouses, but not much in between. The rent seems quite reasonable, but I'm worried that utilities could be quite high on a large place, and I honestly have no need for more than 400 sq. ft! If possible, I'd love an older apartment in town with a bit of character, but I have NO idea how to find one.

So, a few questions:

Where do the single, non-student folks in Logan live? Are there any?

Is it safe to assume that gas heat or electric heat pump are the cheapest options in this region?

Should I just plan to go there and stay in a hotel until I find a good place?

Should I just accept that the only options are twice as big as needed (or in student housing complexes)?

Any advice here would be appreciated! I'm pretty excited for the move, but I'll feel better once I find a proper apartment.

[john2timex]

As you have already been looking, you already know the answer. The key to explaining the problem is historical.
Unlike other communities where growth was fueled from economic expansion, Logan has never had a strong manufacturing/industrial need for people. Other than Millers in Hyrum the base is technological and research oriented. If it weren't for the university and its associated spinoffs, Logan would be almost any other small Utah town.
Other than the university there is no need for high density housing. Even now there is no shortage of land on which to spread out on and build a home. The type of habitation you are looking for is very comon in areas where, in the past, a large number of people were needed in a small geographic area.
Some suggestions that occur to me would be for you to buy a home with the character you are looking for (there are many smaller bungalow options near campus) and rent out the other rooms. There may still be balloon financing options that would serve your purpose depending on your credit. Logan is being more aggressive enforcing its regulations on unapproved rentals lately but another option might be to find a mother-in-law apartment for rent. These are usually about the square footage you discribed but are usually in the basement.
As far as utilities go, my opinion is that natural gas is the most cost effective option. Thankfully we still have lower prices on natural gas that other parts of the country do to the fields in Wyo. Electric heat is expensive. Although you are correct, a heat pump is better than baseboard heat.

[easternerDC]

Have you checked Craigs List? I just moved to Logan about 4 months ago, and we checked there regularly.

The Islands area would be a good place to look if you want older houses with "character". the Islands area has a mix of students and families, and the apartments tend to be smaller. Also, from where I am in the Islands, it is only about a 20 minute walk to the University.

It is really hard to find a place here remotely because the condition of the apartments vary. We found some places for $500 per month that were complete dumps, and then the place we are now renting in the Islands area which is a two bedroom townhome - but not huge like some of the other places.

We ended up traveling to Logan (from Washington DC) for a weekend to find a place, and it was worth it because we could see what we were getting into.

[almostidaho]

"The Island" is indeed a good place to try to find an older rental. But that poster was right on the mark about the condition of many of Logan's rentals . . . they can be quite rundown. Try posting on Craigslist, in the USU paper "The Statesman," or in the Herald Journal. Best bet of all: contact your department head or secretary or your dean's secretary about the availability of sabbatical rentals, etc. Word of mouth in the USU community often nets you the best deals.

[jon_pa2ut]

Just wanted to thank you all for the replies! -- After just one week of craigslisting, I found a great small apartment rented by a USU faculty member. It is exactly what I was after. So, with a neat place to live, I am no longer dreading my move.