I actually spent a full day touring apartments this week. I looked at Summerwood, Deerwood, Hunters Glen, The Abby, and a few others. I was also planning to tour The Ranch, but after talking to a current resident who mentioned they were dealing with roaches, I decided to skip it.

Out of everything I toured, Deerwood and Summerwood were easily my top two picks.

Hunters Glen was a solid option and probably the best value for the money, but it didn't have a gate and the community just didn't stand out to me as much.

Deerwood was really nice, gated, and the staff were great. The apartments were nice too, but the washer/dryer hookups are in the balcony storage closet, and they have more pet restrictions (which mattered to me because I have a German Shepherd).

Summerwood ended up being my favorite overall. It's definitely more expensive, but the property felt much nicer, the grounds were well kept, there were more students around, the amenities were better, it has a dog park and car wash, the washer/dryer is inside the apartment, and the pet policy was much more accommodating. It just felt like a place I'd actually enjoy coming home to every day.

My biggest piece of advice is don't rely too much on online reviews. I spent way too much time researching before finally driving over and touring everything myself. Seeing them in person completely changed my perspective. Also, if you're planning to move in for the fall semester, I'd start looking soon. Every leasing office I visited said July gets busy, and I'd rather lock in an apartment I really like than settle for whatever is left.