Housing fair gives multiple options, information to attendees

UNC’s annual Off-Campus Housing Fair took place Wednesday in a larger venue than previous years: the University Center Ballrooms. The event was designed to help students get face time with property managers and vice versa.

Matt Dunsmoor, a senior political science and marketing major and the Off-Campus Housing coordinator, said the change in venue was part of a drive to expand the fair’s scope. Part of this expansion involved increased vendor presence.

“There aren’t just property vendors, but other service vendors, like moving companies, Best Buy and Habitat for Humanity,” Dunsmoor said.  “This year, we wanted it to not just be for people moving in, but those moving out, as well.”

Dunsmoor also said the fair will continue to expand and he wants to implement a heavier publicity push for next year.

Antonia Garcia, a freshman elementary education major, said she enjoyed the fair.

“I’m looking for a two-bedroom house for me and my roommate; and so far, this event has been very helpful to me,” Garcia said. “I probably won’t continue looking online — I’ll just call the people I’ve talked to here.”

Dunsmoor said some incentives to living off campus include dissatisfaction with the dorms, wanting more amenities and the prospect of finding a lower rent rate than on-campus living.

Some of the most popular off-campus areas that students rent include Arlington Park, The Grove, Co-ed Hause and Campus Hause apartments.
Dunsmoor said places like Arlington Park and The Grove are popular because they are student-only residencies.

He also talked about some of the common problems students face when starting their off-campus search.

“They tend to rush things, like signing a lease without looking it over or not doing enough research,” he said. “Other problems include not setting up proper roommate boundaries and a general lack of preparedness. One thing many property managers don’t like is the culture of students who don’t have any attachment to their house; they don’t consider it a home since they won’t be there long.”

Dunsmoor said his general advice to students who want to live off campus is to do the research, sign a roommate agreement and look through the lease.

But despite the attraction of many vendors, student turnout was little more than 200 throughout the day.

Misty Nuanez, a representative for Woody Investments, was one of the most popular vendors and described her disappointment with the turnout.

“We’ve only helped about 20 people, so far,” Nuanez said. “We helped 20 people in our first hour last year.”

She said she attributes the low turnout to the change in  the event’s venue.

“Last year, we were downstairs in the University Center, and the change this year may have meant people wouldn’t notice it as much,” she said.

Dunsmoor said he agreed, adding his own disappointment with the turnout. He said both the new location and the probability that more students are looking online for their research had to do with the low attendance.