By the time a 20-something has moved into his third or fourth place, he's got the tricks and techniques down cold. But that first time apartment search can be a tricky endeavor. Your college kid or young adult hasn't done it before, and may need your help and support. It's probably been years since you've done it yourself. The apartment search city may be on the other side of the country. And - say it with me now - times have changed!

So here are a few new tips and tricks to help:

• Padmapper.com: This fantastic little website aggregates apartment rental listings from Craigslist, realtor listings and other online resources, then overlays it on a Google map. You enter the neighborhood you're looking for and add your parameters (price range, bedrooms, bathrooms, pet-friendly, etc.) and it gives you a flag-festooned map, complete with pop-up details and photos for apartments that fit that description, plus nearby restaurants, gyms and other necessities of modern living. And it's free. Highly recommended.
• Craigslist: Of course.
• The Campus Housing Office: Most university housing offices also offer rental listings, either online or the old-fashioned way, on a bulletin board. Encourage your child to check it out, in addition to using online resources.
• Alumni Networks: Many campus organizations have email networks and newsletters for alumni that can help here too. Some sororities pool their apartment and job information lists on a national basis, so Thetas in California, for example, can get rental and job tips for New York or Philadelphia from other Kappa Alpha Thetas who have settled there via the BettiesList.

• Brokers: The rental market in some cities - New York, for example, and Boston - are driven by real estate brokers. That's starting to change, thanks to some of the resources listed above, but newcomers to those cities (or newcomers to the rental market there) will probably find themselves working with a broker. They're expensive - the fee is typically one to two times a month's rent - but they know the territory and can help speed the search.