Housing related questions

[nomadsam]

Hi All,

I finally received my acceptance letter last week and since then I've been scrambing around trying to get things ready before classes begin. Right now, one of my biggest worries is housing. With a spouse and three children, I'm not sure if I can afford a decent two bedroom apartment for a reasonable price.

So, to the sxm experts out there, I have some questions for you:

- I was wondering if there were any tips on negotiating rent prices. With a very limited budget, every dollar counts. Depending on how things turn out, I may live on sxm alone for a semester before I bring the family out.
- Is it really impractical to live on the French side of the island?
- Are "unsafe" locations (i.e. cheaper rental properties) really unsafe?
- Any recommendations on decent (but economical) areas/properties close to school?

Any suggestions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and I look forward to meeting everyone soon.

[kemper6036]

right next to school are the most expensive places. i have never heard of people negotiating their rent here.....you can always try. if you live on the french side you'll be driving but supposedly its nicer

good luck sticking to your budget.....it can be quite pricey down here

[nomadsam]

thanks for the info. can you recommend some areas on the french side that may be suitable for a family (ie safety, close proximity to shops etc)? and what is the typical communte time to school?

even though i live in connecticut now, i used to live in the sf bay area for ten years so i can handle up to an 1 hour long commute. only thing is the rising gas prices... can't sxm make some deal with that crazy venezuelan dictator for some cheap gas?

sorry for the bombardment of questions and thanks again.

[kemper6036]

i cant recommend any specific places.....they can be hard to come by from what i've heard. maybe someone else can answer.

trust me, an hour each way is too much when you're in med school. there arent that many hours in the day.

gas is very expensive here......i think it comes out to about $6/gallon. make sure you factor all that in.

perhaps some other non-single family people can help you with specific places because most students live right nearby school and pay more for convenience