I will provide what I believe is an unbiased and balanced review. I have noticed that a number of the reviews posted here reflect great anger and frustration, and are so obviously biased and overstated, that they should be taken with a grain of salt.

This is my second year at Fox Run. I have been generally pleased, but, like others, have experienced my share of frustrations. A bottom line here is that most low- to mid-priced apartment complexes demonstrate many of the problems that I describe below. In this context, I see Fox Run as mid-priced. So while problems exist, it's somewhat par for the course.

I will report on issues categorically.

OFFICE STAFF DEMEANOR, COMMUNICATION, AND PERFORMANCE.

This is a mixed bag. The majority of the office staff has been very courteous, competent, and professional, but there have been a few "bad apples" demonstrating rudeness, deception, and indifference. Two of those three "bad apples" are gone, but one remains as of September, 2008.

Effective and timely communication has been an intermittent problem for this office. I know of at least two cases (having cross-checked and verified) where messages left for the head of maintenance were not transmitted to that person. There have also been problems with accurate and timely notification in cases of outside contractors needing access to your apartment.

It is critically important for a new tenant to not assume anything, ask questions, and get all important responses in writing. "He said, she said" troubleshooting after the fact is a waste of time and frustrating for all involved. It is also important for a new tenant to cross-check and verify information, since at least one office member does not necessarily provide totally honest and accurate information.
Also, insist on seeing "your" apartment to verify that the quality of cabinets and other fixtures are equal to or better than that of the model you are shown. If you are not allowed to see your unit, get a written assurance that the kitchen cabinets sink and faucets, lighting, bathroom cabinets, sinks, tub, faucets, and other fixtures are of equal or better quality than what you are shown.

MAINTENANCE STAFF DEMEANOR, COMMUNICATION, AND PERFORMANCE

The maintenance staff is very polite and professional, and sensitive to tenant concerns. They try hard.

Communication has been an ongoing problem, sometimes because of involvement of the main office staff. The maintenance operation also has not developed any sort of coordinated information management approach that works well to address the varied ways requests are made so that maintenance response is well coordinated. They have been ongoing problems with appropriate follow-up and completion of job requests.
Unfortunately, the professional competence of the maintenance staff varies considerably. Some have been excellent, doing highly professional quality repairs and maintenance, while others are minimally competent and lack basic knowledge and skills in the building trades (taking on tasks they shouldn't), thus botching the repair/installation jobs. As a group, they are generally undertrained and underequipped insofar as tools and supplies. The maintenance operation is also understaffed and they are asked to do far too much, given their staff numbers.

AIMCO really needs to do five things with respect to maintenance: (1) Add more staff (2) Test all staff for required competencies; (3) Provide staff with ongoing training and professional development; (4)Fully quip staff with necessary tools, equipment, and supplies; and (5) Set up an integrated communication and job management system that works.

I would suggest great caution with respect to outside contractors (Carpet, cable, other) coming into your apartment, if you have any items of significant financial or sentimental value. I'm not talking about theft, but rather, clumsy and indifferent people who may cause damage through a lack of training, knowledge, and professionalism. So, you would be better off trying to schedule those visits to allow for you be home at such times.

CONDITION OF BUILDINGS

These buildings are getting to a phase in their life cycle where apartments will systematically need to be gutted and redone. They are definitely showing their age and are like that old car that is in the 90,000-130,000 mile range, where a lot of things start going wrong. AIMCO seems to have taken a piecemeal (band-aid) approach, based on short-term budget concerns. While understandable, it may not be a wise approach, given the tremendous potential of this property (terrific location, nice trees/bushes, parkland, lake, playing fields, and walking paths).

PARKING and CONDITION OF GROUNDS

The staff tries hard to maintain attractive grounds. Unfortunately, as is the case in many low- to mid-priced apartments, there are always a few inconsiderate families who just don't care and use the dumpster and other areas for dumping their junk. It s not a problem unique to Fox Run. The remedy to that is tenant awareness and talking to those people when someone sees them doing it, asking for help keeping the place decent. To the credit of Fox Run, I see maintenance staff out every morning cleaning the lots and dumpster areas, and where there has been some really objectionable dumping near dumpsters, those issues have generally been resolved within a day. Parking space is tight (by 8pm), but just seems to be adequate.

RENT AND OTHER FEES

The rents are in the mid range. Before moving in to Fox Run, I did extensive research on about 100 mid-price apartment complexes throughout mid-New Jersey and visits and did walk-throughs in apartments at 20 of those complexes. Every single complex had its good features as well as certain problems. There's no free lunch. If you want to pay high rents ($1600-$1800 for a 1-bedroom apartment), then you can get a really nice place somewhere else with virtually no problems. Be very careful about introductory rent deals. EXPECT a significant increase in rent your second year (mine was 7%).

RECREATION AND NATURAL FEATURES

This is the strongest point of Fox Run. The grounds are nice, and the complex is backed by a mile-long lake and wooded areas. There is a paved walking trail that is 2.2 miles long and it's terrific. There are several playing fields and a park a few minutes walk from your apartment.

NEARBY NJ AREAS (within 10 miles)

Fox Run is very strategically situated, another great plus for the property. It's a 2-minute drive, or 10-minute walk to the Plainsboro village shopping area, with most of the stores you need on a routine basis, including post office, UPS, barber shops, restaurants, coffee house, etc. Stults Farms (200 acres), which has wonderful home grown veggies and fruits in season is an 8-minute drive from Fox Run. There are many nice parks and wooded areas close by--great for young families. The NJ Turnpike entry ramps are under 13-15 minutes away. You have quick access (15 minutes) to the heart of Princeton and great access (15 minutes drive to the south) to extensive shopping on both sides of Route 1. So all things considered, the location is superb.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you are an educated consumer and do your homework (investigate at least a dozen apartment complexes that seem to meet most of your needs), you may want to consider Fox Run. But make sure that you are a strong advocate for your needs and take my advice to get information in writing. If you value the importance of some of the positive aspects of Fox Run that I discussed, then it s a good place to live, providing fair, but not great value, for the money spent. If you are looking for a near-perfect, no-hassle place, and the positives (lake, parks, location) don't outweigh other factors, then maybe Fox Run is not the best place for you. It s just a shame that AIMCO doesn t realize that they have a potentially wonderful property here that is worth improving. Yes, the rents would go up (maybe 10%), by it would be money very well spent, both by AIMCO and the tenants.

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