Pros - I moved into the Oaks in January 2008, and since then have only had 3 or so maintenance requests. All of them were fixed within a week, each time with a paper left at my door of what I reported, how it was fixed, when it was fixed, and who fixed it. Very impressive. The office staff are professional and effectively answer all my questions. They also have the cheapest garage and carport options than any other apartment I found. The garages are a nice size. The "1 bedroom den" floorplan has a built-in desk/adjustable-shelf system that is positively perfect for a computer with flat screen monitor. Nice sized bedroom closet with shelving system there too. Ample cabinet space in kitchen, including a storage pantry. Washer and dryer hookups in my unit operate just fine, located just off kitchen as far from the bedroom as possible, but at least they're there. Storage shed off balcony is good size, big enough for an couple adult bikes. Good quality carpet. Fireplace is not drafty at all.

However, it appears being financially capable of being able to mitigate from unexpected natural disasters is not a strong point for the Oaks. Any complex should have the resources to be prepared for, and able to solve (or at least somewhat consistantly attend to) these issues. First, UPDATE 9/1: The potholes on the main drive have been patched. Second, in September 2008, a windstorm caused significant roof damage. A whole year later most of the apartments still presently have Tyvek(tm) coverings on the roofs. SOME have been repaired but only some. Third, a faulty heating system caused the clubhouse to have a serious $200k fire in mid November. UPDATE: The cleanup has begun, and the reconstruction is expected to be complete by October. However, keep in mind, this means no pool, fitness center, or clubhouse until then. UPDATE 9/1/09 Clubhouse is looking really good. Bigger than what was there before. Looks like it'll have 2 floors. Not sure if there will be any additional accomodations, but some new exercise equipment would be quite nice.

Other minor notes to make - The heating/air system is outdated (slider control, can't time it for day/night) and my unit's is pretty loud and runs for a while before the temp changes. Balcony is a bit splintery but definitely not too bad. Kitchen and bathroom floors are made of that vinyl tile that gets dirty really easily. I have noticed some silverfish every once in a while, but not enough to call it a bug problem at all. This complex also does not cover water/sewer for you. I'm billed monthly at approximately $10-13/month for water, but it's on a completely individual use-basis (unlike Cobblestone). I don't see this as expensive at all, especailly compared to other places i've heard of having $40 water bills (cobblestone anyone') The only covered utility is trash. These are all-electric apartments, so expect high winter bills from heating. Pet costs are also exceptional at $400. I believe $200 is refundable. There is no additional pet rent per month, and you can pay the $400 in as many installments as you want, as long as it's within your chosen initial lease period.

UPDATE. Another annoyance I'd like to point out is the leasing office hours - Perhaps these will change when they get the new clubhouse done, but for now they're 9AM to 6PM weekdays, and I think only half the day saturday, closed sunday. I have gone to the office after work at 5:45 in order to pick up packages on several occasions, and on 3 of those occasions, the office was closed. During those 3 attempts, several other people, presumably in the same boat as me, also needed to inquire at the office, and were forced to leave frustrated and confused. If the office is not open at 5:45, the hours posted outside need to be updated to accurately reflect this. If there was some level of reaching out to the community tho, I'd see no problem with extending the office hours to 7 or 8 on weeknights to give people a chance to get home from work with time to spare instead of feeling rushed, and then only to find they left 15 mins early.

Bottom line - overall, this is a great place. Keep in mind, there's no pool, fitness, or clubhouse until at least October. After that, I'd definitely check this place out. There's no fancy accomodations or quirks, but 800 sq ft for the price of 500 elsewhere is unbeatable. You just have to deal with the inconviences such as the office hours.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 06/17/2009
Cobblestone is owned by the Connor Group. Your water/sewer/trash and "shared electric" (for hallways, grounds, etc.) will be billed through their third party company, Heartland Regional Power. So expect your $10-$13/month water bill to jump to $40. Also, every year when it's time to renew your lease, they try to raise $50. They'll hold firm on that until you turn in notice that you're leaving. All things considered, I'd stay with the Oaks or, if you don't have a large dog, check out Fairfield Pointe (no w/d connections though).
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/23/2009
Good news! The contracted construction agency is projecting the clubhouse will be completely restored between 60-90 days. The undamaged portion is actually going to remain standing, while the rest will be torn down and replaced by October. Sounds a little promising, but if it happens, I'll more than happily renew for a 3rd year.

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