Review for Village In The Woods Apartment

Positive:
-I got into this apartment when I was going through a divorce, unemployed, credit problems, and desperately needed to find a place to live with my two kids. They were great about working with me on the application and deposit.

-We liked the floor plan and cupboard space in the kitchen.

-It looks like they're actually doing some renovation and repairs now, not just talking about "major renovations" then putting siding on one side of one building then giving it a rest for a few months like they've been doing for the past few years. Maybe it'll clean the place up a bit? I wasn't about to stay around to find out.

-Low occupancy meant lots of parking spaces.

-Some of the office staff were actually very nice, a few were even helpful.

Negative:
-Potholes big enough to lose a tire (or a compact car) in that don't get fixed in a timely fashion, if ever.

-Holes and weird green growth and mold on the siding of most buildings, porches literally falling off the side of the buildings. We almost lost a kid when our porch railing broke. (Don't worry, it only took a week and a half of waiting and about four phone calls to get it fixed!)

-Summer electric bills were close to $300, despite the thermostat kept between 76 and 82. Seems awfully high, for 1,000 sq ft. when my homeowner friends pay half that for twice the square footage. (Insulation, anyone?)

-Drug dealers a permanent fixture around the playgrounds, lots of teens "hanging out" between the buildings at all hours of the day and night, enjoying the cigarettes and alcohol that the mini-mart next door will gladly sell them.

-One of our cars got broken into and the stereo stolen. The other car was vandalized, but nothing stolen. Two or three of the kids' bicycles were stolen, after that we had to give up and quit replacing them.

-The "tennis courts" advertised had no nets and there was more fence missing than there was intact. The "volleyball court" was merely a large community litterbox. Pools were scary. When they tell you the jacuzzi is "out of order today" on the grand tour, keep in mind it's been out of order as long as anyone can remember.

-Keep track of when your lease ends. They usually won't contact you about renewal, they'll wait and try to stick you with the month-to-month rates. Don't get caught by the extortionist 60-day move-out notice requirement, either.

-Walls are thin. I walked to the mailbox at 11pm once and overheard every conversation going on in every apartment along the way. We could hear our neighbors peeing loud and clear, every day. (Again, insulation, anyone?)

-There are many dog owners in this apartment complex, most of them do not observe the designated dog walk areas nor do they scoop up the poop. A few let their big and mean dogs wander around without a leash. Carry a baseball bat and watch where you step!

Summary:
If you need something right away, you won't have much trouble with vacancy or application acceptance at Village in the Woods. I feel Village in the Woods is overpriced for the quality, but last time I checked, it's much more affordable than other apartments in the area. Still, if you have kids... keep them inside and move away as soon as you can.