1996 GPWN / GPSC Housing Survey

Prior to the creation of Duke's Community Housing office which now conducts annual housing surveys, the Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC) and GPWN conducted a housing survey in the spring of 1996. While somewhat outdated, these comments are more qualitative and may add context to the quantitative numbers in the Community Housing surveys. Please keep in mind that the comments below are from 1996, and some of the apartment complexes and/or property managers may have changed and could be working to provide more amenable living accommodations than experienced in 1996.

What is the most important quality you are looking for in housing?

Safety, Quiet, Clean, Privacy, Affordable, Pets Allowed, Location, Garden Space, Biking Distance, Big Yard, Comfort, Hardwood Floors, House, Nice Neighborhood

What is the one thing you wish you knew before signing the lease?

That this house is poorly insulated

The cost of utilities...I probably would have rented anyway but I would have budgeted a little better. Also, there are no peepholes on the doors which bothers me, and cats are not allowed but a lot of people have them anyway. (near Murchison apt.)

The central air units are extremely old and inefficient, so electricity is VERY costly. (Azalea Park)

What a jerk the landlord is (San ans Sue Chung)

I wish I had seen the house. My roommate and I worked in the same lab in college, but she was two years ahead of me, and she found the house and then called me looking for a roommate. So I went in pretty much sight-unseen. It worked out fine for a year, but I am really antsy to move now.

Who my housemates would be! We haven't run into problems yet with the lease, over the past four years (me and/or my friends).

How thin the walls are. People who live on the bottom floor really complain about noise from the people above, and vice versa (Wood's Edge)

Cost of electricity
 
That the dogs next door barked 80 percent of every day and night. That the neighborhood is subject to panhandlers and other opportunists. (Forest Hills neighborhood)
 
All about Guy Solie.
 
That my last month's rent could be pro-rated (Pinnacle Ridge)
 
That roommates had to be Duke students to get the discount. (Chapel Tower)
 
The rights of a tenant in North Carolina (I'm still not sure about this).
 
What a slum it is. (Duke Manor)
 
Water quality (private house on a well).
 
The crime rate (Duke Manor)
 
How fast grass and weeds grow!
 
Lack of a nice, residential neighborhood to walk in (Chapel Towers)
 
You should insist on an upper floor.
 
How far it is to a grocery store/supermarket. (Central Campus)
 
That most of the windows don't open.
 
How far it is to campus (not far, but not bikeable or walkable either).
 
Residents in this area are noisy and rude (Duke Villa)
 
The pet deposit
 
How many people would come panhandling to our door. (Trinity Park area)
 
Rates for heating in the winter - it gets high!
 
That my apartment is accessible by a path in the back of the complex (Deerfield).
 
The number of undergrads in complex (noise) (Laurel Ridge Apts).
 
Our house is very poorly insulated, and has outrageous winter heating bills.

If there is anything else you would like us to know, or a pearl of wisdom you would like to pass on to future Duke graduate and professional students, please let us know.

In my tenure as a grad student (last 4 yrs) I have also lived in Wood's Edge and The Mews. Wood's Edge was very nice and had excellent/reliable maintenance, a nice pool and tennis courts, walking trails, and a good location between Duke and UNC (where my husband is a grad student). It was really expensive if you wanted to break your lease early. Also, we needed a rental history when we applied for a mortgage on our house. Wood's Edge first told us they had no record of us living there (although we moved only 9 months before) and then subsequently sent the wrong information to our bank, claiming we had been late with rent payments twice - which was not true. Later they claimed this was a computer error and sent a very unprofessional, handwritten note on a piece of scrap paper to the bank to correct themselves. If you are ever thinking of a buying a house, don't live at Wood's Edge! The Mews was very nice for grad students - the two story layout gives you bed/study rooms and living/social area downstairs so if one person wants to study they can have quiet while the other is louder downstairs. plus there are really nice back patios with wooded views and is close to Hope Valley for walks on the golf course. The maintenance wasn't as quick or professional as Wood's Edge - nor were other renters. The pool was also really run down. If you plan to be in grad school for awhile, however, I'd recommend buying a house. Our mortgage/property tax/homeowner's insurance payment is $611 a month - less than a 2 BR apartment.
 
I really recommend Ticon - they are great landlords.
 
Durham is a very unpleasant place to live if you don't drive.
 
Chapel Towers is an excellent bargain. The 2BR apts. should meet anyone's minimum standards, and the convenience for the price is terrific. There are, however, justifiable security concerns.
 
Do not rule out neighborhoods that don't have a lot of Duke students in them, and don't make snap judgments. My neighborhood is statistically safer and more crime free than say Trinity Park, but may people are frightened to live there because they don't know it well. Do your own research and keep your radius high. There is a lot of non-complex living in Durham that is quite livable.
 
If you have a car, don't live in a complex. For the same rent, you can have your own house!!!
 
International students should know how tough it is to get around Durham without a car, and choose their lodgings accordingly. Even Chapel Tower with its free bus to Duke doesn't enable one to walk easily to the grocery store.
 
Duke Villa apartments are very nice inside, lots of room for a 1 BR, especially well maintained with modern appliances but the quality of neighbors is greatly variable. Sometimes it is noisy and petty crime has been a problem, mostly for first floor residents.
 
Before living at Willow Creek, I lived at Willowdaile Apts - 3835 Guess Rd. The complex was noisy, had a bug problem, could hear noises from next apartment (TV from 2nd floor apt. can be heard from 1st floor), and maintenance NEVER took any action within a reasonable time. Even after numerous inquiries, management was not helpful at all. Willow Creek, on the other hand, has bent over backwards to take care of any problem I've had, including calling in a plumber when I wasn't satisfied with the limit of their ability to repair the problem.
 
Deerfield Apartments are really good quality. The administration is really helpful, and the maintenance responds within the day! I signed the lease before I even saw the apartment, and Deerfield was really helpful in getting me the best quality apartment. The only bad thing is that I live behind the front of the building, accessible by a park, which is kind of scary at night, especially since the one light has burned out. Yet, other than that, Deerfield should be highly recommended.
 
I wouldn't live outside of Southwest Durham. My wife and I didn't feel safe when we lived in Regency Place Apts. on Roxboro Rd. in Durham. Our main motivation for buying a house was security/safety and privacy with comparable housing.
 
I needed to be within walking distance to UNC because my roommate doesn't have a car and walks to UNC. From visiting grad friends in Durham my impression is that my apartment is cleaner, safer, and newer, but Durham apartments are cheaper, have more "character", and have fewer noise problems.
 
The one reservation I have about Deerfield is the constant (yearly) rent increase: rent was $600 the first year, $625 this year, and slated to go to $710 if I stay another year. Otherwise, I would recommend it to anyone interested in an "apartment lifestyle" Deerfield has tended to fill up quickly in the past - sometimes as early as Jan. or Feb. When I decided to move to this complex there was a waiting list for Aug./Sept. by Jan.! I don't know if it is still that way or not. lots of Fuqua students and med center students and residents live here. Friendly atmosphere, but definitely yuppie. Relatively quiet. Good management.
 
There are two problems at Innesbrooke - because the area is the safest in Durham, the complex is a bit complacent and the lighting in the parking lot is very inadequate. Secondly, if you do live in an apartment complex, do NOT live on the first floor, security is not a problem, but the kids living upstairs are. Generally, though, this is a nice complex, quiet and more family-oriented than most I looked at. I love the Woodcroft area. It's quiet and family-oriented. I don't mind the distance to Duke - it's great to be reasonably far away from the law school. I'm moving out of the complex because my roommates are moving closer to Durham. I'm staying in this area!
 
Before buying a home I rented from Bob Schmitz and the Forest Apts. Bob Schmitz was a miserable landlord with some really bad properties. We had difficulty with maintenance requests. We also lived in a very run-down dwelling infested with squirrels (which made the kitchen smell horrible). It was also very inefficient to heat in the winter. I'd recommend calling utilities to find out how much it costs to heat or cool a dwelling. Before signing the lease make sure you want to afford what it will cost. We also found his office staff to be generally incompetent and prone to making serious billing errors. I've never been so unhappy living anywhere as in a Bob Schmitz unit. I would recommend landlords with one or a few properties. The Forest was very different. The office staff members were always professional and prompt. I guess I was paying for it. The rent on the single I had was over $500 when I moved out.
 
NEVER MOVE TO DURHAM WITHOUT RENTER's INSURANCE! Many, many people are burglarized before their first year in Durham is up, and you don't realize how expensive it is to replace all those CDs, bike, camera, jewelry, musical instruments, etc. until they are gone.
 
My previous apartments, at 1700 Merrimac St., (owned by Richard and Lonna Harkrader) were great although the price was too expensive for me to stay in a 2 BR alone when my roommate moved away ($475/mn). But they are beautiful passive solar apartments with lots of windows, trees, wood, and brick floors. The BR are a bit small for two roommates to use as bedrooms/studies, but for a couple with one bedroom and one study they are great. The utilities are also dirt cheap - water included, gas, and electricity ran about $25-50 a month year-round including the window/AC. I would highly recommend it in addition to my current place (Greenwood Apts). I always felt safe there (top floor, dead bolt, peephole) although its a bit isolated in between a nice neighborhood and a low income neighborhood on the other.
 
Start looking early!
 
START EARLY! The good stuff goes early.
 
We have a cat, but wouldn't think of letting him outside (near Duke St.). Two locked bicycles were stolen from our porch a couple of years ago.
 
I am a runner, and the neighborhood (Woodcroft) has running paths, and is extremely safe. It looks like there are quite a few grad students who live in the complex (with roommates of course) and people in the office have been very friendly. The complex only has 4 washers and dryers, but for a monthly fee you can rent a W/D. Second floor apartments have vaulted ceilings. Garbage collection and mail is in a central location. (Woods Edge)
 
The place is already rented out for the next two years. It is great! ( 701 N. Club, Al Castellane)
 
The apartments (Ticon) also include a fireplace and come with a refrigerator, oven, and range. There are ceiling fans in the living room and all three rooms. The town houses are a little over a year old. Parking is a bit of a problem, but it is certainly manageable. It is just difficult to park directly in front of your apartment. I love it.
 
Ticon Properties is the best management company I have ever seen in this area. The properties and the area around them are incredibly well-kept. The maintenance is excellent. The apartments look like new. Ticon has opened a new complex, Lenox, off of Morreene Rd next to American Village. There are 1,2,3 BR apartments available immediately.
 
I've also lived fairly comfortably in Duke Manor on the far side of the complex, but there have been some problems there. The piece of advice I give all prospective students is to check out any place before renting it (or ask someone here to go by). Neighborhoods in Durham vary greatly within a few blocks! Also, everyone should get renter's insurance to cover replacement of stolen items. I haven't been robbed yet, but it is pretty common. My current rental experience has been fine. The previous house in which I lived was a terrible experience because of the landlady. This house is very convenient to campus and is roughly adjacent to the neighborhood where President Keohane's residence is located. The address is 1225 West Cornwallis, 3 BR, 1.5 bath (1 mile from Duke) rent $850 (2 years ago), with $200 non-refundable pet fee, and a clause in the lease that said that the renters would pay for any and all repairs to the house up to $70 per repair. The original owners were quite reasonable and we had a verbal agreement with them to let the house go month to month for the next 6 months after our 6 month lease expired. However, they sold the house to new owners, Alan Rauch and Marilyn Elam. These two people were extremely inconsiderate of our privacy and refused to recognize the validity of the our handshake agreement with the original owners. Ms. Elam and Mr. Rauch would descend upon us with no notice to take pictures of the house or to "check something", or (after we had told them we were not going to renew the lease) to show the house to prospective tenants. We had no security or privacy even on weekend evenings. they treated us as though we were something between serfs and peasants. Marilyn Elam is a lawyer and so they always acted like as though they were calculating how little of their landlord responsibilities they could get away with performing before we would try to bring legal action against them. On a personal lever, their treatment was disrespectful and inconsiderate. They refused to do any repairs to the house even though our original lease specified that the owners would be responsible for all repairs (original lease $700, no pet deposit). We spoke with legal aid services and they recommended that we confirm every communication with these owners via registered mail. When we moved out, they refunded very little of our original deposit, even though the house was in excellent shape. We, being students, had no resources to try to take them to court to get our deposit back, neither did we know how to protect ourselves against such unfair and arbitrary treatment. This experience showed me the necessity of establishing some sort of informal network of renters and information about renter's rights (very few). It sounds like this survey is a step in the right direction.
 
Note that Guy Solie (Trinity Properties), who owns much of Trinity Park, is a very smooth diplomat. But he can't seem to get his maintenance system under control, and he raised our rent from $500 to $565.
 
All apartments (Forest Pointe Apts.) have nice porches and all come with washer and dryer units. I would strongly recommend these apartments for grad students and professional.
 
I think it would be helpful to new students if you could solicit feedback on where people have lived in the past, and why they moved out. Especially insight on where to absolutely not live in Durham, and whom to definitively not rent from. But this is a good start. Fewer questions about "complexes" please! I think there are a lot of students who don't live in complexes and don't want to live in complexes who face the most unknowns and who could benefit the most from this survey. Another suggested question: How did you find the place where you are currently living? Where is the best place to look for house ads?
 
Well, I received several visits from the police. One night a taxi driver pounded on my door at 2:30 am telling me my cab was ready. I informed him that I had not called a for one. The next thing I know, I hear ma'am, this is the police. They asked me all sorts of questions about an injured man, etc. This place is dangerous and sketchy to live in alone, let alone with a roommate. Don't do it even if it is cheap. (Duke Manor)
 
Poplar is an affordable but 'downscale' apartment complex. The buildings are old (I would guess pre-1960s) with only window units and no dishwashing machines. Also, the hot water mix changes rapidly when others in the building use it (only a problem when taking a shower). There are few amenities and the laundry room is generally dirty with frequently malfunctioning machines. However, the neighborhood is quiet, the maintenance crew is very responsive, the rent is reasonable, and it is very convenient to Duke's West Campus.
 
This particular house will probably be sold after we move out, so the specifics about the house aren't relevant. But ii is a very nice neighborhood, if anyone sees something else in the area. It is not so far away as the places along Guess Rd., but have the same atmosphere and benefits of being away from the crime-ridden sections of town. (North side of carver St.. between Hillandale and Guess).
 
I would avoid the singles at Chapel Towers at all costs. The back windows look directly back at Damar Courts, which tends to be loud. The area also attracts panhandlers. However, the 2 BR reserved for grad students in the back of the complex are much nicer and secure. Families are common there. Just be aware the buses don't run in the summer. However, I would recommend trying to rent or buy a house, particularly if you are a grad student here for a long time. It's great becoming a member of the community, and doing long term projects like planting bulbs and a garden. It really helps with settling in. Plus, in Durham you can usually get better deals with houses than you can with apartments. My neighborhood is near the Eno River State Park off of Cole Mill Rd, and I can recommend it without hesitation. It has a little bit of the rural feel with big yards, and farms just down the st.