As apartment hunting season heats up, here's what an expert is seeing on the ground

As a new wave of college students graduate and another incoming class comes to take their place, now is the busiest time of the year for apartment hunting in Birmingham. 

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And things in 2018 are particularly busy, according to industry experts. 

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Jessi Tidwell, senior leasing agent at RentMonster, says they are busier now than they have ever been. That's particularly true in the city center, which has been a hotbed of new apartment construction activity.

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Tidwell said more people are looking to move into the city center rather than out of it. There are a couple reasons for that – with avoiding traffic on corridors like U.S. 280 one of the reasons. 

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But that's not the only one. 

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“People are really digging neighborhoods that are walkable,” she said. “‘How can I be somewhere where I can just walk out of my door and go right to a coffee shop or a park?’ So that’s been the biggest thing, finding a neighborhood where they really feel comfortable.”

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Additionally, a majority of her clients have pets, usually dogs, and are looking for a pet-friendly place to stay. Other criteria include hardwood floors, granite countertops and something that gives the place a unique touch, such as a barn door.

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Whether her clients are fresh out of college or looking for a place to retire, Tidwell said there aren’t many differences between what they want in an apartment. There is one thing, though, that only appeals to the older generation.

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“Cable!” Tidwell says, laughing. “It’s so funny. It’s like, if you’re 40 or below, you’re not getting cable. You don’t care about cable. But if you’re 40 or above, they have to have cable. That’s the first thing they look for, ‘Where is the cable going to be?’”

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While many of the newer complexes downtown have targeted more upscale renters, Tidwell said midrange apartments are gaining popularity in the metro. 

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Tidwell said she has seen studios in the Southside area for $550 to $600 a month. 

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In terms of market performance, Tidwell said vacancies don't generally last long unless there are problems with the building or the rent is overpriced. 

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“A lot of people are like, ‘They’re all being built at the same time. They’re not going to be able to fill those up,’” Tidwell said. “It’s not happening. They’re successful."

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Based on current trends, she foresees continued success in the market, driven in part by investor interest. As we've reported, a number of outside investors have flocked to Birmingham's apartment market in recent years. 

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“I would love to see Birmingham grow into Austin's size,” she said. “I’ve been here since 2011 — kind of the beginning of the whole energy of revitalization and starting to see little things happen to Birmingham and just excitement that everybody has — and that’s only continued. I’m not seeing any evidence of that stopping anytime soon."

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This is an article I wrote on assignment for The Birmingham Business Journal.