Renting An Apartment Near Texas Medical Center?

[MovingSoon]

Hi everyone,

I'll be relocating at the end of December and feel it will be a good idea to rent for a few months before buying our own place. Will be looking for a spacious 1bd or average 2bd apartment. No "top-luxury" is needed but it will have to be reasonably renovated, energy efficient, close to Medical Center/Rice, dishwasher and balcony is a big plus. Reasonably quite complex is preferred.

So here are my questions for the HAIF community:

1) Any complex recommendations? Any area recommendations? What is the price range I should be looking at (I am thinking of below $1000 but would not mind spending less)

2) What is the minimum lease term one can count on? I'll be probably living there for 6 month or so, but would like to get month-to-month or 3 month contract in case our dream-house shows up on the market...

3) How hard is to find and get a place? What's the occupancy rate in the typical complex? How long does it take to get approved? I would be coming before Christmas and feel like staying 1-2 nights in the hotel until the apartment is found - is this a reasonable plan.

Thanks for your input!

[mpbro]

I can't speak for the complexes, but I live close to the Med Center and there are a lot of duplexes just west of the med center (Southgate subdivision). From signs, rents tend to be in the $1200 range for a 2-bedroom, probably below $1000 for a one-bedroom. Since Hurricane Katrina, vacancy rates dropped all over the city (supposedly 100K of them here at one point).