HOUSING GUIDE KENAN-FLAGLER MBA. Housing data neighborhoods explained apartment ratings. top properties Landlord info renter resources

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1 REVIEWS AND ADVICE FROM 100+ MBA STUDENTS KENAN-FLAGLER MBA HOUSING GUIDE Housing data neighborhoods explained apartment ratings top properties Landlord info renter resources Intelligent Apartment Search

2 Where Kenan-Flagler Students Live Who Kenan-Flagler Students Live With 26% 13% 11% 11% 39% Baity Hill Downing Creek Carrboro Franklin Street Other 18% 40% 42% Alone Spouse/partner Roommate (excluding spouse/partner) 18% of Students live with pets 12% of Students have children What Type of Properties Kenan-Flagler Students Live In What Size Residences Kenan-Flagler Students Live In 55% 16% 16% 13% Apartments Townhouses Houses Condos 25% 62% 13% One bedrooms Two bedrooms Three or more bedrooms Distribution of Property Ratings Average Rent by Apartment Size $950 1BR $1,150 2BR $1,275 3BR 13% % % % 9+ Rent Versus Own On Versus Off Campus Housing 93% Rent 7% Own 32% On 68% Off 2

3 Contents 2 Housing facts Our data on Kenan-Flagler MBA housing If you enjoy the guide, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! Table of Contents What s in the Kenan-Flagler MBA housing guide VeryApt.com and Chapel Hill Overview Using the VeryApt website alongside this guide with Scott Bierbryer, Co-Founder of VeryApt Neighborhood Guides Baity Hill, Downing Creek, Franklin Street, Carrboro Apartment Ratings Compiled from 100+ student reviews Most popular apartments Highest rated apartments Renter resources Landlord grades, renting process explained Questions or comments on the housing guide? Contact Scott Bierbryer, Co-Founder of VeryApt at: scott@veryapt.com (561) Disclaimer The reviews and ratings presented throughout this guide and the VeryApt website do not reflect the opinions, position or endorsement of VeryApt or the Kenan-Flagler Business School. The responses and reviews presented are solely those of the survey respondents. VeryApt and the Kenan-Flagler Business School assume no responsibility for readers or users interpretation of the data. The results do not in any way constitute a warranty or representation by VeryApt or the Kenan-Flagler Business School as to the quality, safety, or other features of a property. Students are encouraged to check all available sources of information about properties prior to leasing. The data in this guide is compiled from Kenan-Flagler MBA students, though this guide is not an official publication of the Kenan-Flagler Business School. Finally, we do not alter results or edit reviews based on any outside partnerships. However, Featured content (unlike Top content) is often supplied by partners who helped support this guide, or are from new properties that lack reviews but are likely relevant to students. 3

4 Use our intelligent search algorithm to receive a list of top properties Explore property details and reviews Book viewings directly with property managers and leasing agents Intelligent Apartment Search Why we started VeryApt, and how we can help you find your perfect apartment My housing search began around this time a few years ago. After the initial excitement of getting accepted into grad school and I ran out of Game of Thrones episodes to watch on my company computer, I figured I needed to find a place to live. I really didn t know anything about the city, so I approached every person I knew who went to school or worked in the area to learn more. Countless Google searches, Craigslist refreshes, and spreadsheet tables later, I figured out where I wanted to live. That process helped me find an apartment I love - I managed to balance my desire for space, proximity to students, and high-quality amenities. That said, it didn t make sense that the process should be so time consuming. My Co-Founder (and neighbor), Ashrit Kamireddi, who worked at TripAdvisor prior to business school, went through the same process as I did and thought that the review and data model he knew so well would be a great one to apply to apartments where grad students and working professionals live. Two years and thousands of reviews later, we re proud to offer this guide along with our companion site VeryApt. com. We want this guide to be a starting point for your search: an idea of where you should be looking given your unique situation. The site allows you to go through all of our data in detail and sort buildings by ratings and features. In addition, we ve partnered with the most popular buildings to offer you accurate and up-to-date information, so you don t have to sit in front of your computer refreshing Craigslist. Try out our Intelligent Apartment Search that will provide you with personalized apartment recommendations based on your unique needs and budget. Please contact us with questions or feedback on the site or this guide, and good luck with your housing search! Scott Bierbryer scott@veryapt.com Scott Bierbryer is a recent Penn Grad student. Prior to UPenn, he worked at Glenview Capital Management in NYC. He is a Co-Founder of VeryApt and lives in Center City Philadelphia. About the data in this guide This guide was compiled from survey data of 100+ students We asked students to rate their residences on a 1-10 scale Building ratings are determined by averaging these scores from residents Visit VeryApt.com to search quickly for more detailed amenity and rating information At VeryApt.com, you can read reviews on buildings in the guide as well as other great properties in Chapel Hill 4

5 CHAPEL HILL NEIGHBORHOODS EXPLAINED The most popular neighborhoods for Kenan-Flagler MBA Students 1 Baity Hill 28% of Kenan-Flagler Students Baity Hill is the most popular neighborhood for MBA students, and the convenience to class is one big reason why. The apartments here are a great value for the cost of rent. 2 Downing Creek 14% of Kenan-Flagler Students Downing Creek is more removed from campus, but students here appreciate living with other graduate students in higher-end amenity apartment buildings. Other Neighborhoods Less than 6% each 5 Weatherhill 6 Southern Village 3 Franklin Street 10% of Kenan-Flagler Students Franklin Street is Chapel Hill's famous hub for dining and nightlife. It's a go-to hang out spot for both graduate and undergraduate students. 4 Carrboro (town) 9% of Kenan-Flagler Students Carrboro is a hip and active town of graduate students, young professionals, and families, with frequent community events and several locally owned establishments. 30 Percentage of MBAs that live outside the top 6 neighborhoods 5

6 BAITY HILL Most popular neighborhood for MBAs, with unbeatable convenience to class LOCATIONS AND FEATURES Baity Hill is the most popular neighborhood for Kenan-Flagler MBA students. The apartments in Baity Hill are new and well-maintained and are called out for having a great value for the cost of rent. Baity Hill's convenience to class and other parts of town might be its strongest pull. The walk to the business school is only a few minutes long, and UNC offers a free shuttle that takes students to Franklin Street and other areas of Chapel Hill. On the downside, there are few restaurants and grocery stores in nearby walking distance. WHAT'S GREAT Short walk to the Business School Plenty of other MBA students Shuttle to Franklin Street and other parts of town Good value for cost of rent WHAT COULD BE BETTER No grocery store nearby Walk to Franklin Street is a bit long Few restaurants nearby Can get noisy after basketball games Under 5 Under 5 Under 5 Under 5 SIGNATURE SPOTS Entertainment Dean E. Smith Center Fitness Fetzer Gym, Ram's Head Recreation Center Parks North Carolina Botanical Garden 6

7 DOWNING CREEK Live in a community of graduate students in an amenity apartment building LOCATIONS AND FEATURES Downing Creek offers a fun social scene of graduate students living in popular apartment complexes like Alta Springs. The apartments in Downing Creek are a bit pricier, but provide great amenities like on-site gyms, pools, convenient parking, and pet-friendly communities. This neighborhood is farther away from key destinations like the Business School and Franklin Street so having a car is recommended. The drive to campus isn't too long, and it's easy to catch a ride with other MBA students, but expect recurring traffic on major roads like 54 and 15/ WHAT'S GREAT Amenity apartment buildings Plenty of MBA and Law students Fun graduate student social scene Share rides to class with other MBAs WHAT COULD BE BETTER A bit more expensive Drive to campus Farther from bars and restaurants on Franklin Street Few public transportation options SIGNATURE SPOTS Grocery Harris Teeter Restaurants One, Cafe Carolina, Five Guys Fitness Orangetheory, Pure Barre 7

8 FRANKLIN STREET Chapel Hill's renowned destination for dining and nightlife LOCATIONS AND FEATURES Franklin Street is Chapel Hill's hub for dining and nightlife, with a mix of undergraduate and graduate students. There's something fun happening every night, and the constant foot traffic comes with its fair share of street noise. These neighborhoods are in walking distance to campus, but they're farther away from the Business School than Baity Hill. That said, some students find the easy access to convenience stores, bars, and restaurants to be well-worth the longer walk to class. WHAT'S GREAT Great bars and nightlife Lots of restaurants Convenience stores and pharmacies Walk to campus WHAT COULD BE BETTER Can get noisy Finding parking can be difficult Undergrads blend into social scene Long walk to the Business School SIGNATURE SPOTS Grocery Walgreens, CVS, Franklin Street Market Restaurants The Root Cellar, Kipos, [B]SKI'S Entertainment Top of The Hill, Bob's, The Crunkleton 8

9 CARRBORO An active town of graduate students, young professionals, and families LOCATIONS AND FEATURES Carrboro is a hip and active town that neighbors Chapel Hill to the west. It's packed with locally owned bars, coffee shops, stores, and restaurants. Carrboro also has a reputation for hosting community events year-round focusing on activism, music, food, and more. There's a mix of graduate students, young professionals, and families, and this diversity is reflected by a wide variety of housing options. The walk to class is doable, but driving speeds up the commute quite a bit. The more-popular bars on Franklin Street aren't too far away, but the breweries and bars in downtown Carrboro are a nice change of pace anyway WHAT'S GREAT Diverse selection of housing options Active small-town community Great locally owned shops and restaurants Walkable with lots of green spaces WHAT COULD BE BETTER Longer walk to class A bit removed from events on campus Bars are less popular than the ones on Franklin Street Less clear where other students live SIGNATURE SPOTS Grocery Weaver Street Market, Harris Teeter, Carrboro Farmers Market Restaurants Akai Hana, Elmo's, Venable, Spotted Dog Shopping Sofia's, Fleet Feet Sports, Chatelaine's Entertainment Cat's Cradle, Glasshalfull, Tyler's, Steel String Fitness Carrboro Yoga Company, Carolina Core Pilates, Crossfit Carrboro Parks Carles Herman Wilson Park, Wilson Park Trail, Tanyard Branch Trail 9

10 APARTMENT RATINGS KEY Outstanding for a category $$$$ $ per renter Very Good $$$ $870 - $1049 Average $$ $750 - $869 Below Average $ < $750 * Prices subject to change and varies significantly by room type Property Type Rating Price Range Best for Families Best for Pets Most Popular Management Amenities Value Social Safety 5 Howell St Apt 7.0 $$ Alta Springs Apt 7.1 $$ Ashbrook Apartmens Apt 8.5 $ Autumn Woods Apt 5.0 $$$ Baity Hill Apt 8.7 $$ Berkshire Manor West Apt 9.0 $ Bradford Ridge Apt 7.0 $ Fidelity Court Apt 9.0 $ Garrett West Apt 8.1 $$$ Glen Lennox Apt 7.0 $ Palladian Place Apartments Apt 8.0 $$$$ Rosemary Village Condo 9.0 $$$$ Sagebrook of Chapel Hill Apt 8.0 $$ Southern Village Apt 9.5 $$$ Springs of Chapel Hill Apt 7.0 $$$$ Station Nine Apt 6.6 $$$$ Timber Hollow Apt 7.0 $$$ ABOUT OUR CATEGORIES Property Type Apartment (Apt) Condo Key Building Factor Ratings Overall Rating Popularity Properties with one building manager. Often have consistent pricing/features. Properties with multiple owners. Lease terms and features can vary significantly by unit. Overall feedback on building quality. Estimated # of Students in the building. Living Situation Ratings Families How Students with partners and/or children rated the building. Pet Owners How Students with pets rated the building. Building Quality Ratings Management Maintenance and service quality. Amenities In-room and building features beyond the basics. Value Building quality given cost of rent. Social Building community and social scene. 10

11 MOST POPULAR 1ST BAITY HILL Baity Hill, 1503 Baity Hill Dr 90+ $$ STUDENTS Buildings with the most Kenan-Flagler Students READ MORE REVIEWS AT VERYAPT.COM What Kenan-Flagler Students typically look for: Lots of Kenan-Flagler Students Excellent location Affordable apartments with solid amenities 2ND Review by Kenan-Flagler Business School Student Great place if you need to be just a short walk away from the school. Don't have to drive to school so that's a big plus and you are still on campus. Definitely recommended. Apartments are very clean and professionally managed and are great value for your money. ALTA SPRINGS Downing Creek, 100 Spring Meadow Dr 35+ $$ STUDENTS MOST POPULAR NEIGHBORHOODS Baity Hill Downing Creek TOP 10 1ST BAITY HILL 90+ STUDENTS 2ND ALTA SPRINGS 35+ STUDENTS Review by Kenan-Flagler Business School Student Tons of MBA students live here so easy to share rides to/from school. Apartments are large and have lots of closet space. Updated kitchens and bathrooms are great. Washer/dryer in every unit is awesome. Only downside is far from bar scene so feel removed from campus. 3RD AUTUMN WOODS 20+ STUDENTS 4TH ROSEMARY VILLAGE 15+ STUDENTS 3RD AUTUMN WOODS Carrboro, 222 Old Fayetteville Rd 20+ $$$ STUDENTS 5TH ASHBROOK APARTMENT HOMES 10+ STUDENTS 5TH GARRETT WEST 10+ STUDENTS 5TH SOUTHERN VILLAGE 10+ STUDENTS 5TH SPRINGS OF CHAPEL HILL 10+ STUDENTS 9TH BERKSHIRE MANOR WEST 5+ STUDENTS Review by Kenan-Flagler Business School Student The apartment complex is located in a very nice wooded area close to Carrboro. My apartment faces the woods where a small creek runs through, and makes for a very relaxing ambiance. The swimming pool is very nice and they just renovated the entire pool area and put in new grills, TVs and an indoor pool table... 9TH FIDELITY COURT 5+ STUDENTS 11

12 HIGHEST RATED 1ST SOUTHERN VILLAGE Southern Village, 200 Copperline Dr 9.5 $$$ OVERALL RATING Buildings with the best overall ratings READ MORE REVIEWS AT VERYAPT.COM What the best properties typically offer: Review by Bridget D "Southern Village is a lesser-known gem, but it's worth it. A handful of other classmates also live there, but I think more should continue the trend! Great bus system for internationals w/o cars. High-end amenities Close proximity to Kenan-Flagler Nearby stores/grocery 2ND ROSEMARY VILLAGE Franklin Street, 400 W Rosemary St 9.0 $$$$ OVERALL RATING Excellent management Review by Kenan-Flagler Business School Student Amazing location, with lots of Kenan-Flagler students. Large apartment, with rooftop patios, lots of space, and walking distance to Franklin. 1BR $950 2BR $1150 3BR $1275 3RD BAITY HILL Baity Hill, 1503 Baity Hill Dr 8.7 $$ OVERALL RATING TOP 5 1ST SOUTHERN VILLAGE OVERALL 9.5 RATING 2ND 3RD ROSEMARY VILLAGE BAITY HILL OVERALL 9.0 RATING OVERALL 8.7 RATING Review by Kenan-Flagler Business School Student Great place if you need to be just a short walk away from the school. Don't have to drive to school so that's a big plus and you are still on campus. Definitely recommended. Apartments are very clean and professionally managed and are great value for your money. 4TH ASHBROOK APARTMENS OVERALL 8.5 RATING 5TH GARRETT WEST OVERALL 8.1 RATING 12

13 LANDLORD GRADES and the renting process Grade A+ A+ C B B B C B B+ A B A+ A A Landlord Aspen Square Blue Ridge Connor Group Eller Residential Living Greystar Grubb Properties Heels Housing Mills Rentals Northwood Ravin Sage Brook Ticon Properties TRAC Management, LLC UNC Student Housing Weigand Omega LANDLORD GRADES Grades were assigned to landlords that received two or more reviews by using a combination of management ratings and overall ratings for the properties they manage. Letter grades correspond to the following: A+ A B+ Over Understanding the renting process If this is your first time renting, here is a heads up on what the process is like: Application process You will be asked to fill out an application for an apartment. Likely this will include an application fee ($30-50) and potentially a deposit (up to one month s rent). If you re coming from abroad, you may have to provide alternate information - in the absence of a social security number, bank accounts, etc., often landlords will accept your visa documents and acceptance letter. Landlords will use your information to approve you based only on your credit history and income. In the event where there are issues, a landlord may grant the application on the condition that a guarantor cosigns the lease. after you re approved A landlord will often ask for a security deposit and prepaid rent. A landlord typically charges up to two months rent as a security deposit and will ask for up to two months in prepaid rent. At the end of your lease and after you give proper notification that you are moving out (typically days), the landlord has 30 days to return the security deposit at the end of the lease. The landlord may not return the deposit in full if there are claimed damages to the property or other charges outstanding. B C+ C What to look out for Check for additional charges or obligations that could cost you more than the listed price of a property. This could include move-in/move-out fees, renters insurance requirements, condo fees, common electrical fees, etc. Definitely ask about previous electrical/utility bills to get a feel for what additional monthly costs there may be. Be sure to research the landlord and management company before placing any sort of deposit. If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out to us at contact@veryapt.com. 13

14 FOR DETAILED REVIEWS AND PERSONALIZED RECOMMENDATIONS VISIT