San Riva at the Foothills

An Apartment at Condo Prices From: gershwin_27 Date posted: 12/15/2005 Years at this apartment: 2003 - 2005 1 response   We really liked the San Riva Apartment complex. It was a very nice apartment to live it. Let me repeat, it was a very nice APARTMENT to live it. This is an apartment complex. These are not condominiums. Sure, they may be selling them and calling them condominiums now, but it is still apartment construction. Furthermore, the current management/ownership (Madison Development Group) was underhanded and deceitful towards us. They made it their policy to NOT inform the residents of the plan to convert into condominiums. We, for example, were not told until we went into the office to renew our lease; this was five months after they had changed ownership. When complaining on the fact they didn't provide us warning, they replied, "Too bad, state law doesn't require us to." So, we had just a little more than 30 days to find a new place to live and move. All of this during the holiday season. With that said, let me move onto my review. Parking: We never had a problem with parking. We had two vehicles. There were always spaces available near my apartment. Guests would never have problems finding a space. A very limited number of garages are available. However, they are quite small, the entrances were quite narrow compared to other complexes. Noise: Noise never bothered me, it is something to be expected. After all, it was an apartment. What do you expect, condo style construction'.... oh, wait. Without trying, you could always hear the neighbors sink running, footsteps from above, or people closing cabinets. It's an apartment complex. It is built cheaply as such. These things didn't bother me. However, I would definitely NOT want to purchase a condominium that is built with apartment quality construction. Condominiums should be built out of brick and cement, not wood and plaster that amplifies sound throughout the structure. As an apartment complex, there wasn't any more noise than would be expected, but as a condo' You're getting ripped off. Grounds: The complex is mostly a parking lot. There were not many areas to review. Of those areas, they were kept nice. The grass was green most of the time, and well maintained. But, there wasn't anything too special about it. There isn't much as far as foliage goes. You definitely knew you were in a desert while living there. The thing that bothered me the most was the overhead lighting outside in the common area hallways. They would often be filled with dead bugs (beetles, moths, etc.). After a while, it just was gross to look at, and would even get as bad to block most of the light, making it useless. Safety: I never had a problem, or felt safety was a concern. The complex is remotely located, and there isn't much to worry about as far as strange people wandering around. There is minimal shrubs or foliage for people to hide in, if that's your concern. Lighting was okay, only if they kept them clean of bugs (See Grounds above). However, one of the former apartment managers was convicted of murder, and is currently on death row, for killing her husband while on the property. So, if the history of crime in the area bothers you at all, you may want to remember that. Construction: Typical for apartment complexes; not for condominiums. The floorplan's are very typical for apartment complexes of that age. It's just another box. Nothing spectacular or interesting about it. One problem which was never fixed was the insulation on both the sliding patio and the front door. Gaps were very common to occur. You could always see paths for air, water, and bugs to get in. This problem would invite insects into the apartment (beetles, scorpions, etc.) That is one of the downside's of the location. That is, being on the outskirts of the city, you are more prone to getting various insects. As for everything else, I never thought of any of the following as a problem (as they are common for most apartments), but there are things I would not stand for if you were to think this a condominium. Sound travels well through the buildings. The pipes were quite loud. You could hear water running if anyone in our part of the building was using it. The cabinets are cheap apartment style cabinets. The kitchen floor is very cheap, dirties very easily. There is much more to be wanted as far as the counter top goes. I would expect to see granite or at least faux granite in a condominium - none found here. The appliances are okay, probably lower-middle of the line. The paint stains very easily, and is water soluble, so if you try cleaning it, the paint just rubs off. (I suppose this isn't a problem if you own the place though, since you can repaint, I think). Not much padding (if any') under the carpet; the floors were quite hard. The sinks are very shallow. Maintenance: We were always able to get someone to come out to help. Yet, they could never get the door insulation problem fixed. (See Construction above). I don't know how much of an issue this will be now that they are calling these apartments condominiums. Office Staff: I with they had never been bought-out by the Madison Development Group, we would have stayed for several more years if it wasn't for them. We never had problems with the original management. Renewing our lease was always a pleasant experience. We would always have our issues addressed, and they were prompt in to responding to complaints. Then they sold out to MDG, that was about 5 months before our current lease was to expire. The new company sent us a letter explaining that they were the new management. After that, they kept telling us about the 'great improvements' that were going to be made. Every month, they would repeat that. It was like: Now, we are now going to be putting a fresh coat of paint on the buildings/Get ready for new deck chairs in the pool area/This month we'll be changing all your light bulbs... etc. Yet, NOT ONCE did they tell any of us about the plan to convert into condominiums. Their policy was to keep it secret unless somebody asked to renew, then... deny them. I do NOT recommend San Riva Condominiums to anyone. As an apartment complex, it was a very acceptable place to live, I would have stayed for a few more years. As a condominium, you deserve better. I hope that you will not privilege this ownership with your money. Save it for a better company, save it for a better product.

Recommended: NO Overall Rating

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