UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K



                                 CURRENT REPORT



                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                                November 25, 1998
                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) 


                     MID-AMERICA APARTMENT COMMUNITIES, INC.
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)



     TENNESSEE                     1-12762                    62-1543819 
(State of Incorporation)    (Commission File Number)       (I.R.S. Employer 
                                                        Identification Number)
                                  




                          6584 POPLAR AVENUE, SUITE 340
                            MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 38138
                    (Address of principal executive offices)



                                 (901) 682-6600
               Registrant's telephone number, including area code





             (Former name or address, if changed since last report)



Item 5. Other events. Following notification of the New York Stock Exchange, the
following press release was announced on December 1, 1998.

MEMPHIS,  TN:  December  1,  1998.  Mid-America  Apartment   Communities,   Inc.
(NYSE:MAA)  announced today the purchase on November 25th of the 112-unit Island
Retreat Apartments in St. Simons Island,  Georgia.  Built in 1978, this property
was  purchased  for  $5,075,000  from Island  Retreat,  Ltd., a Georgia  limited
partnership.

The  transaction  included a loan  assumption  of  approximately  $3.5  million,
bearing 7.22% interest,  with the balance paid in UPREIT units at $28 per share.
The occupancy at closing was 92% with average monthly rents of $680.

Eric Bolton, President,  comments on the purchase, "Island Retreat is in a great
location  with a limited  amount of future new  development  risks for the local
market.  The  market  has long been  known as a great  year-round  vacation  and
exclusive residential area. Additionally,  the property is located very close to
our  existing  Brunswick,  GA  property  and  is a  good  fit  with  our  strong
Jacksonville,  FL  management  team.  This deal is highly  accretive  due to the
UPREIT units issued".

Mid-America  Apartment  Communities  is  a  self-managed   apartment  REIT  with
construction,  development,  management and acquisition  capabilities which owns
34,977 apartments in 13 states, including 1,652 units under construction;  there
are an additional 927 apartments in pre-development.

For further  information,  contact Simon R. C.  Wadsworth at (901)682  6668, ext
104.  6584  Poplar  Ave.,  Suite  340,  Memphis,  TN 38138,  (901)682-6600  FAX:
(901)682-6667.

                             Web-site: www.maac.net




                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                                      MID-AMERICA APARTMENT COMMUNITIES, INC.




Date: December 9, 1998                /s/Simon R.C. Wadsworth
      -------------------------       ---------------------------------------- 
                                         Simon R.C. Wadsworth
                                         Executive Vice President
                                        (Principal Financial and 
                                         Accounting Officer)