After a long day of class, many would agree there’s just no place like home.
And for a number of University students, home can mean an affordable freestanding house near the campus area.
David Engle, Louisiana real estate broker for Engle Realty, which specializes in the University area, said he works with many students and parents.
Engle said savings are an advantage of buying a house over renting an apartment.
“The longer students stay in school, the more savings they’ll have,” he said. “Even if the property is sold for the same price it was bought, buyers with a house note will keep some principle and have savings built up on the house.”
Engle also noted students living in neighborhoods close to campus can bike or bus to class and avoid parking problems. Students looking to own pets may also have an easier time finding a living situation in a house.
“Often if you have a house you don’t have to follow someone else’s policy,” he said. “You can set your own policies.”
Engle said popular neighborhoods include Tigerland, Brightside View, Beau Pre and some areas further from campus like Meadow Bend and Highland Creek.
Engle said students can get a single family home in Beau Pre for about $180,000, and property in the Tigerland area is cheaper at about $100,000 to $120,000.
History sophomore Maria Guidry rents a three-bedroom, two-bath house in Southdowns, located near campus.
Guidry said at $1,275 a month, the rent for the house is cheaper split among herself and her two roommates than an apartment would have been, even with added utility costs.
“Trying to live on campus is not what I wanted to do this semester,” she said. “This worked out for all of us and I think there’s more freedom. Our next-door neighbors are 25 feet away from us, so it’s a lot quieter, too.”
Despite the freedom, Guidry said owning a house is a greater responsibility than alternative living situations.
“You do have to worry about things breaking and how to fix things more,” she said. “It’s not like you call someone and they come over and fix problems. Repairs are on you for the most part.”
Engle said students paying for their own housing are more likely to rent, while buyers often have parental support.
While many students may not have credit history, Engle said in some cases students can use parent’s credit, giving the parents more responsibility and further involvement.
Ian Davies, petroleum engineering sophomore, lives in a four-bedroom, three-bath house in Riverbend, off Brightside Drive, which is owned by one of his roommates’ father.
Davies said he pays $600 a month for rent, plus about $100 a month for utilities.
“The space is cool and I like having a yard,” Davies said. “We can do whatever we want, and it’s a lot better than dorms or apartments, which can get cramped with four people. Here, we all have our own space.”
Davies said he and his roommates are required to follow neighborhood standards and have to be considerate of neighbors.
“We can’t have a ton of huge parties because some neighbors do get ill-tempered quickly,” he said.
Catherine Melancon, mass communication sophomore, said she pays $500 a month for rent with about $150 a month for utilities for a three-bedroom, two-bath house on Bluebonnet Boulevard off Nicholson Drive.
Melancon said living in a house makes her feel independent.
“I like how far away it is from campus,” she said. “Traffic is not as bad, and when I go to campus I spend the whole day there and get a lot done. I know the drive is at least 15 minutes, so if I’m going to campus I can spend time in the library, where if I had a dorm I would be going back and forth to nap or hang out.”
Melancon said her landlord is responsible for any repairs to the house, while she and her roommates take care of the furniture and their own personal items.
“I feel a lot safer in a house than I would in an apartment or dorm,” she said. “Even though the electricity bill is pretty high each month, I still like living here.”
 
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Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected].