We moved here for the location. We wanted to be close to Hunt Valley, but not in one of the many apartments on Cranbrook Road. We would have much rather moved to Loveton Farms, but unfortunately they do not take dogs. They replaced our windows a few months ago, and this has helped a lot. As you can read below many people are complaining about the water bill. We pay about $45 a month in our little apartment. I have friends in homes in this area that pay the same for each quarter, so I'm not sure how this is calculated. The leasing office has a new manager, who is very nice, and helpful. 6TrHFn6pn7poyqNlKEgn

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/01/2008
I have read the other comments in other threads. We have been here for about six years. The rent going up is not the problem as much as the lack of insulation via the sliding doors and windows which makes for a gas and electric bill of about $300 per month in the winter (new windows will be installed, though, I have heard.) Also, water was previously included in our rent; in addition to rent raised more than it was on a yearly basis in the past, we are now charged over $100 per month for water, and I know that large households are not charged anywhere near that much for water and sewer. Trees both large and small were removed en masse without much explanation and nothing has replaced them, leaving entire rows of buildings looking barren, like housing projects. Also, when Home Properties took over, gardens were removed and replaced with grass, also making the property look generic and cheap. To this day, small decorative shrubs taking up no more than 15 cubic feet are removed for no apparent reason other than H.P. seems to like plain grass abutting bricks; no gardens or trees. We have had no problem with noise as the walls and floors seem soundproof to us, but we have definitely suspected, as other residents have, that Section 8 or some other housing entitlement program has been implemented; either that or for some economic reason, the kind of tenants moving in appears to have really declined in some sense. Sorry if it sounds snobby (and this comes from someone who certainly does not expect everyone to look like Ward and June Cleaver) but it's an honest observation. Home Properties, something has slipped since you've taken over. The thing is, you won't find anything better in the immediate area so there's nothing for the tenant to do but put up with it - we don't own the place. Home Properties is just big bidness, impersonal and bottom-line efficient - the small-town familiarity and importance of esthetics over every last dime was a Brodie thing; Home Properties has brought an end to an era.
From: dindygirl	Date: 10/08/2008
$60-100 a month for water??? Wow. It was included when I lived there. Ouch. I live in a 1700f townhouse by myself now and pay $12 per quarter or $48 a year. That seems to be the norm for apt buildings these days though - jacked up water/sewer fees.
From: pooh8433	Date: 10/28/2008
TOPFIELD BLOWS!!! STAY AWAY, TRUST ME ON THIS ONE...We just moved out in September after just moving-in in March...We moved from Henderson-Webb (which is a -----hole and thensome) and loved seeing and hearing about Topfield from the office when we went to look and then fill out our lease. Then of course everything is different once you move in. TOO EXPENSIVE, way overpriced even for the amount of space that you get. Your a/c and heat will never stop running and you're never going to get a fast and/or good response from the office. Joanne will tell you lies upon lies and cost you countless dollars and time; she just ripped us off for part of our security deposit by asking us to move out a few days earlier than our 60 days notice. They all ready had our apt rented and still charged us $500 for remarketing and for the couple days that we left early (EVEN THOUGH THEY ASKED US IF WE WOULD MOVE EARLIER!) Topfield may be quiet and out of the way but it's also OUT OF THE WAY from everything and it's a pain in the a** getting through the side streets. They're cutting down all of the trees for absolutely no reason and now putting in a dumpster in the middle of the place, so you pay big money to look at nothing and take out your own trash.
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/14/2009
Top field has certainly changed, it had once had that close family feeling, You would see families cooking out and joining one another and talking outside. Now it seems as if it has become a revolving door that you never really get to know your neighbors. It definitely lost its charm of the past. It also appears as if the current residents don't care neither. I see trash from people getting out of their cars and ignoring to pick it up, plus many seem to be helpless when putting their trash into the dumpsters. If the dumpsters are full they cant even open the top to put their trash in. It seems as if no one cares about where they live. I used to be proud to live here, but its as if this place has fallen, I can not blame it all on the management, but the residents that reside here also. I think what started as a change in management and the loss of communication is what started the ball rolling. The trees flower beds didn't bother me that much. I can see their point in removing beds if they weren't taken care of. The trees which of most were pine trees and emitted lots of yellow pollen in the spring wont be missed by me. I'm not sure what the person here is talking about poor structuring with thin walls and ceilings. My ceilings are concrete and I hear very little. They are a bit chilly in the winter and my utility bill is quite high. I see they started to put new windows in, but have since stopped installing??? I'm hoping that will reduce my bills in the future, although I know its not all their fault due to the explosive rate hikes from BGE. The increase this year was the least i have seen in the past including when Brodie owned it. then again my water/sewer and heating of the water is outrageous. I'm not sure how they figure the bills out but i seriously think they a miscalculating, its as if the bill continues to climb each month and seems as if there is know end in sight. I have to say it seems to be safe and quiet here, but I believe it is getting to pricey when you have to pay for the water, rent, plus the heating of your home. you can expect to pay between all three approx.$1700. Add in telephone, cable, internet, renter insurance. your pushing $2000 a month. I'm also positives there is no section 8 program here. Although when a resident I suspect wrote on their new signs it surely made it it look that way!! I guess it all comes down to your mentality and how much you care about where you live. I hope this post helps, if you carry a big wallet then you will be fine here!!

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