3. SELECT POTENTIAL APARTMENTS

Before you can navigate the sea of New Orleans real estate, there are a few terms you must learn:

  • Slave Quarters: These are apartments that, once upon an ignorant time, were homes to the slaves of the household. Today, however, "slave quarter apartments" mean cheaper ones. They are usually on the top floor of a building (which means it's hotter) and often don't have the same high-ceilinged glory of the rest of the building. However, the rent is almost always cheaper, which makes them great bargains.

  • Shotgun double: This means that the apartment is one side of a house that has been split in half. It is called a "shotgun" house because the rooms are all lined up in a row, which means that the resident must walk through all the rooms to get through the house. These tend to be cheap, but also make for awkward roommate situations.

  • Below Canal/Above Canal: This just means downtown and uptown, respectively.

Now you're ready to start your search. There are several ways to go about it:

Hit up your employer or school
Read newspapers
Go online
Drive around

Hit up your employer or school

You may want to begin your search by asking your employer if the company has any real estate services; some large companies hold apartments for employees or have very good contacts in the rental market. Similarly, if you have any school affiliations alumni or current contact your school and inquire as to whether the school has any apartment bulletin boards or online listings. These housing openings are often more affordable and safer than something you could find on your own, and many are open to people affiliated with the university.

Read newspapers

Check out the ads in The New Orleans Times-Picayune or in the local free weekly paper, The Gambit Weekly. Just search the papers for what you're interested in, make some calls, ask some questions, and move directly to step 4. Of course, if you have internet access, you can find these listings online.

Go online

Call us psychic, but we're assuming you have Internet access. In that case, we recommend that you visit Move.com apartments & rentals the best. HomeStore provides regularly updated listings of apartments available for rent in various neighborhoods based on options you select. They also offer moving tips, roommate advice, legal tips and other information useful to renters.

Drive around

If you're in the area, a quick drive around town will yield a plethora of potentials, as many homeowners choose to advertise solely by way of "For Rent" signs. If you're a student, you may want to wander around some universities and look on bulletin boards; not only will you find "Roommate Wanted" signs, but you'll also find realtors that are, obviously, happy to rent to students.