Mary Bridges, CTS Relocation Coordinator This question can bring excitement or anxiety depending on how it is answered ...

Moving is always a new experience, often into the "unknown," and many times leaves us with that "being in limbo" feeling. There are many things you can do to alleviate that feeling for both yourself and your family.

First, you can contact me and receive information about the housing available in Fort Wayne. If you are planning on buying a home, you can also go to www.Realtor.com and specify your needs, (I would suggest the 46825 or 46835 zip codes) and browse through the data for the Fort Wayne area. Housing in Fort Wayne is plentiful and affordable. We have apartments, houses for rent, and houses for sale.

Apartments range anywhere from $417.00 for a one bedroom to over $700.00 for a 3-bedroom/2-bath apartment in some complexes.

Tara Co-op, which is within two miles of campus, is one of the government-subsidized complexes. You need to get on a waiting list there, or know a seminarian who is moving out, and purchase their "membership." It is important to know this ahead of time, as you can only choose one way or the other, not both to apply here. Their one-bedroom apartments currently start at $316.00 and four bedrooms rent for $455.00. They do not allow pets.

Cambridge Square II is another government-subsidized complex. They accept small pets and their one bedroom apartments start at $351.00. Currently the three-bedroom townhouses begin at $446.00. They are also within two miles of campus.

There are also closer complexes like Woodbridge Apartments or Gardenview Apartments. Both are affordable and within walking distance of the seminary.

Rental houses are also plentiful. Rent ranges from $450.00 for a two bedroom and up to $800.00 for a three bedroom or more. There are many landlords in the area who prefer to rent only to seminary students and their families. Some are a short distance from campus and others are in the country up to 25 minutes away. It all depends on where you may be looking to live.

Houses for sale. There are always several homes available to purchase. I would encourage you to check out the homes being sold by seminarians first. I also suggest looking at homes in the north to central area of Fort Wayne, as these are the areas closest to campus. However, some students choose a certain area based on their school preference for their children. Whatever the choice, there are houses priced from $50,000-$160,000 depending on your needs. We also have several nice mobile homes priced at $23,000 or less.

We encourage you to visit us. An excellent time is during the Prayerfully Consider Campus Visit. We host one in September and also in March. It gives you a great opportunity to meet with other married students and talk with them about housing choices they made. It also offers a great time to check out the area, look at schools, neighborhoods, and the city of Fort Wayne. Of course you are welcome to visit at other times as well.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns about housing. I would be happy to talk with you and send you any information you need to help with this transition in your life. Moving is always an adventure. By working together we can help this to be an enjoyable experience for you and your family.

Blessings in Christ,
Mary B

For more informatin call Mary Bridges, Relocation Coordinator at 800-481-2155, or e-mail her at bridgesml@mail.ctsfw.edu.

From Volume 7, Issue 3, Summer 2004