Just to add one more comment. When you said:

"I can afford to pay the mortgage + house rent without dipping into savings if my Louisiana house isn't rented out. Not so sure about paying the extra $400 per month for the larger apartment."

That to me is crux -- if you don't sell or rent your Louisiana house in a timely fashion, would you putting yourself into financial difficulty if you take the apartment? You should be able to work out a budget to determine that -- you need to be sure before you take the pricier apt., unless you can afford to dip into your savings without it being a problem. If the numbers don't look favorable, then rent the house and plan on finding a larger place once you do rent or sell your house. That's just practical. Yes, it's a pain to have to move twice, but it's also a pain to be broke.

Let us know what you decide to do....