They're baaaack

It's been move-in time all over the neighborhood as the students return to campus. Rental trucks have been showing up every day. Today was the most intense: A huge apartment block between here and the UT campus opened for move-ins, and when I rode by on my bike this afternoon I lost count of the U-Hauls when I reached 20. Traffic on Nueces Street was severely backed up into the evening.

I've been grousing about all the big new buildings in the neighborhood, but the new housing stock already seems to be exerting downward pressure on rents. The three-bedroom unit downstairs from me, which I think is a bit overpriced, is still vacant a week before classes start, and a house down the street has lowered its advertised rent by more than 10% (it was way overpriced and probably still is). I don't like seeing empty apartments, but as a tenant I like it when prices stay reasonable.

And until the landlord finds someone to move in downstairs, it's always quiet. And I can be noisy if I want.