[mlassoff]

Hi. As I get closer and closer to my look, I am now starting to look seriously at rental options in the greater Hartford and New Haven areas. Having lived in Austin, TX, where all the apartments are in large complexes of garden apartments, I am curious about living in a two or three family home where apartments are rented out.

The idea of a two or three family appeals to me, as they tend to be older and more interesting than apartment complexes. Also, having a yard, and being in a more residential neighborhood is appeal. In short, it feels like its easier to make these types of apartments a home versus the traditional apartment.

I'd be interested in everyone's feelings, opinions, and any experiences you have in this regard.

[Rich Lee]

In my experience, multi-family properties are often the same price or cheaper than the equivalent square footage in a single-family property. The same argument can be made that condos don't necessarily have a price advantage vs. comparable single-family properties of equal square footage. Granted, we're talking 900 - 1200 square feet here.

[ytlh]

I am reasonably new to Connecticut and was surprised, when looking for housing, at how many of the options were multi-family homes split into apartments. I personally wanted both an older building for the reasons that you describe as well as a "regular" apartment building that was not a house. It took a bit of searching, but I definitely found some buildings that fit this description in the Hartford area. (I live in one of the Clemen's Place apartments in the west end of Hartford). Many of the older apartment complexes are not necessarily going to be listed online, so it is easier to find them if you actually come to town to do a housing search.

The split houses definitely tend to have more yard space and a more residential/suburban feel. One piece of advice, though-make sure you ask about heating costs. These can be considerably higher in split homes than in apartment buildings and can be a significant factor in rent comparisons.