Near the University of Oregon, there are currently three large student housing projects that are currently under construction. Rene’ Nelson, CCIM of Pacwest Commercial Real Estate, Inc indicates that this will ease the pressure on students looking to rent a place for next year.
The first two projects will be ready for the students by the new semester which will start during fall 2014. The largest and the project with the biggest scale will be ready for the fall 2015 semester which is being built by Core Campus from Chicago. Core will offer approximately 500 beds in their complex called the HUB and will also offer approximately 10,000 sf in amenities which will include BBQ area, hot tubs, workout area, yoga studio, and a food eatery on the ground floor.

Some students are starting to sign leases for next year but there is a large contingency of students that are taking their sweet time in signing up for leases. They anticipate that if they hold out then they will find lower rents by desperate owners. Many owners do not anticipate seeing a large vacancy in 2014 as a result, the prices of leases and the like are holding steady and even slightly increasing over 2013 rents by $25-$45 per bedroom.
Rene’ feels that students who sign up for the leases now will find not only a nicer place and have a larger base to choose from but also will find that rents probably will not be that much cheaper in fall 2014. By renting students are able to take the mental pressure off of themselves of where they will live next year. This is still a very good time to invest in real estate because of the steady rents.

Rents are relatively high in the campus area currently so it is preferable to find landlords that offer amenities with the unit like free cable or WIFI
Nelson indicates that over the last couple of years the University of Oregon has continued to increase enrollment thanks in large part to an outstanding sports program including nationally recognized football program. Foreign and out of state students are the main push behind the student increase because they want to be a part of a solid nationally recognized university which includes sports teams and activities that they can enjoy while going to college.
As a result, rent prices have continued to increase as the vacancies have come down. Some good landlords are still charging a measly amount of money from students but you will typically find that those properties are dated, very small in size, or in a less than desirable location. It is still a great time to buy real estate as the rates of rent are higher. Rents are currently holding steady for students who are looking to sign new leases.

Pacwest Commercial Real Estate Inc. has recently been involved in a sale for a student housing complex in Eugene, Oregon. Rene’ Nelson, CCIM is their foremost agent or broker who understands everything there is to know about the real estate business. She is an expert in student housing and is known to be the foremost authority on the subject. She knows what apartment owners look for regarding performance of a property as well as location and future upside rent potential.