It has been a tight market for years, but now the shortage of properties for rent in the Fort Drum area is worse than ever.

"Today we find ourselves in probably the tightest market I've ever seen," said Carl McLaughlin of the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization.

To put it in perspective, Fort Drum surveys 4,500 apartments for rent. 

Of those apartments, only 18 are currently vacant. 

That's just .4 percent.

McLaughlin, who monitors housing, says a healthy market would have a 5 percent vacancy. 

And the single family home market isn't much better for renters.

"If we get one that comes vacant, I don't think we'll have it out for a day or two and it's gone.  We have people calling everyday for rentals everyday, said Nancy Farney of Nancy D. Storino Real Estate

There is some good news. 

Several new apartment complexes are in the building phase right now.

It'll bring hundreds of new apartments onto the market, but it may not be enough. 

With the 3rd Brigade returning from deployment in the spring, any available units are expected to fill up quickly.

"There needs to be more, very clearly and we've known that for sometime," said McLaughlin.

Mclaughlin said right now some military families are living as far out as Lowville and Gouverneur. 

He says if new construction doesn't meet the incoming demand, some soldiers will have to move even farther away.