For many college students, going off to school means moving out of the house they’ve lived in their entire life. Some, however, soon move into a house of their own.

Over the last few years, more and more “parent investors” have decided to invest in real estate for their college-aged kids, rather than going the traditional route of dorms and university apartments. According to a November survey by Coldwell Banker, 64 percent of the company’s real estate agents see a “significant number” of parents buying homes for their children to live in while at college.

Lauren Wiley, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, currently lives in a four-bedroom house on 24^th Street and Kilbourn Avenue that her parents bought for her after two years of living in dorms. She lives with two roommates who help pay the mortgage.

“I was originally in the physical therapy program, so I was going to be here for six years total,” Wiley said. “My dad didn’t want to throw away four years of rent, so (buying a house) seemed like a better idea.”

Jim McMahon, assistant vice president in the Office of Student Affairs and the dean of Residence Life, said financial advantages can vary.

“It can be a huge financial advantage if you have a number of children who are all going to live in the house over the course of seven or eight years,” McMahon said. “If you just have one child, I don’t think it’s a good investment.”

Wiley, who will graduate in December, said her parents have put her house back on the market but haven’t had any luck selling it because of the economy.

McMahon also said living off-campus can detract from the typical college experience.

“(Living on campus) really connects you to the university community,” he said. “It makes you feel (like) a part of the campus. You’re more likely to be involved in organizations. You’re more likely to get better grades.”

Shauna Tisdall, marketing and leasing manager of the 2040 Lofts, agreed.

“That’s definitely a big thing, and that’s why we do push our student environment here,” Tisdall said. “That’s something that they’re only going to have once in their life, and they’re going to make life-long friends at college.”

But Wiley said she enjoys some of the benefits of living off-campus.

“During the winter I kind of wished that I lived closer,” she said. “But it’s a lot quieter; parking isn’t an issue. A lot of people were worried that because I was living off-campus that the neighborhood was going to be really bad, but we haven’t had any problems.”

Wiley also said she likes having control of the house year-round.

“I don’t have to deal with leases or landlords,” Wiley said. “(My) friends couldn’t move in until a certain month, but my roommates didn’t have to bring all their stuff home — they could just leave it here. We actually stored a lot of my friends’ furniture when they were moving out of the dorms.”

But Tisdall said the surrounding community, not the type of housing, is ultimately the most important factor in student life.

“It depends on what type of living environment they want,” she said. “They need to look more at the community that they’re looking to live in, rather than the apartments themselves.”