Find local housing easily through LCC

By Mallory Stiles
Editor in Chief

Whether you own your own home or are currently sleeping on someone’s couch, it always good to know what real estate is out there. LCC’s Off-Campus Housing website is a great place for students to start.

Click here to see the website for yourself! Not only can you find a roommate and a place to stay, but there is also a wide variety of different resources listed, complete with contact information.

The Lookout Adviser Larry Hook said he has technically been in charge of keeping the housing website going since 2004, before technology made everything effortless.

“Originally, when I was in charge of the housing stuff, it was a lot of work,” Hook said. “I had to type up ALL the listings online! It was a third of my job!”

Now, thanks to the world-renowned commercial real estate company, CoStar, Hook said his life is much easier. He also said he feels students are getting more for less. 

“They do a great job of listing available housing, but they also have services to help you find a roommate and get involved in campus life,” Hook said. “The website offers a lot more than just housing and it’s really cool to look at; you can see pictures of potential roommates, learn if they smoke or not, if they allow guests or not, things like that.”

CoStar University Account Manager Taylor Casey has been with the company for a while, however she said she recently took over some new territory and, luckily, LCC is part of her newly-acquired case load.

“We create these websites for over 100 universities,” Casey said. “It’s a one-stop-shop for students.”

Casey said even though there are a lot of other ways to scout real-estate, she feels this website is the best vehicle for students because it provides not only information, but guidance and safety tips.

“I think housing websites are super helpful when it comes to real-time information,” Casey said. “It’s not that newspapers and stuff aren’t (helpful), but on a website, you can synch to different data feeds and things can be updated by the hour. That way you are seeing the most up-to-date availability and pricing while also seeing ALL of the potential options in one area on your screen.

“There is also a button for scam education. We provide scam education so all the students who come to the site can find awareness there, and learn to look out for things that could possibly be a scam.”

Casey said the scam education can be a real lifer saver.

“Unfortunately, we have had students get taken for anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000,” she said. “It can be really devastating, so we try to push that scam prevention hard and so do our partners.”

Casey added that she encourages curiosity, and is available at tcasey@costar.com to address any questions or concerns.

Options paralysis exists, but, thankfully, there are all sorts of tools at LCC to help students barrel past those pesky barriers.

“I think students should know that this resource is out there,” Casey said. “It’s a free resource and it’s just to help them see all of their options.”