We have lived at VG of Ann Arbor for a little over a year now. Contrary to the other reviewers, we've had no encounters with bugs (THANKFULLY!) other than the usual ants and spiders.

Our apartment has a loft and a wood burning fireplace, both very attractive selling points to us. It is also nearly 1,000 square feet. We also have a balcony with a lovely wooded view during each season of the year. We love swimming and visiting the jacuzzi and walks around the community are enjoyable almost any time of year. Consider, however, that VG of Ann Arbor is often QUITE slow clearing snow from the parking lot in the winter-- we were virtually snowed-in several times last winter. They also do not maintain the sprinkler system very well and it is frustrating to see water (that YOU are paying for) gushing, in streams, across the parking lot each summer while the nearby grass turns brown.

We did have some problems with water leaks last winter, though it seems EVERYONE in Michigan did with all of the ice dam troubles in our area. Despite two calls to have this leak fixed and the walls painted, no one EVER showed up! Have had problems, in general, with slow/no/improper response to maintenance requests-- smoke detectors going off when cooking (not even burining the food), critters in the duct work , floor rot due to water leaks, painting a foot up the walls and slopping paint on the carpeting in the entryway and not completing the job for months, etc. There are also problems with the security systems that I won't discuss since it could lead to more safety worries.

In general, the community is very quiet and feels safe to us despite some of these drawbacks.

It is true, however, that the security gate IS always up despite paying a deposit fee for the gate card. Also-- no exercise bike in the fitness center. Perhaps one of the biggest bummers is that access to some of the clubhouse space (e.g. where the pool table, TV and computers are) is closed after business hours. This means no playing pool, etc. after 6PM on the weekdays!

Of course, the biggest overall disadvantage of VG of Ann Arbor is their extraordinary rent prices. We paid $980 the first year we lived there and the rent increased to $1040 the second year-- quite a jump (though still only a 6% or so increase).

We live on the second floor and moving in was a hassle given the lack of elevators. Bills are also a problem-- the water bill situation is RIDICULOUS! We pay at least $300 a year JUST for cold water. The insulation IS good though and reduces heating and cooling costs a bit. As for electricity, those costs (of course) are higher in the summer if you're using your central air.

Overall, I'd recommend living someplace a bit less pricey and saving up for a house (which is what we wish we'd done). Plus, if you like animals, you won't get charged a nonrefundable $250 pet security deposit and $25 pet rent PER month if you have your own house. Our apartment is spacious and attractive, but if we have a problem, we don't get the results we'd expect for the price that we pay. Plus, we haven't been able to save any of our money paying such an extraordinary amount for rent each month.

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