I have very mixed feelings about this place. The grounds are spectacular and like no other apartment complex I have ever seen. I live near the old race track and the views are incredible. The staff are very friendly and I have a lot of respect for them. You are close to the Fano Creek Trail and can bike ride and jog in peace there.

The main problem here is the shoddy construction of the apartments. You can hear EVERYTHING in this place even though most units are end units (you have neighbors on 1 side of you and above you). In all fairness to the Frank Estates, we ended up with an awful neighbor above us. It sounds like he is operating a night club above us and often plays his music until midnight. However, the floors and walls are so thin that you can hear everything. I can hear him going pee in the middle of the night, his tv on in the bedroom, and him getting drunk with his friends most nights. If you chose to live here, make sure that you get a 2nd level apartment or townhouse. Even if you live on the 2nd floor, your neighbors will likely hear everything that you are doing. Not recommended if you are a private person.

I was also disappointed with the "remodel" done to our unit. I was lead to believe that we would have new carpeting in our unit. This wasn't the case. They were steam cleaned instead and they look very worn out. Especially in the hall way. Most of the cabinets and doors were just painted over and the paint job was poorly done. They put new cabinet faces on metal cabinets and they just don't look right. I really felt like they cut a lot of corners here. A few simple finishing touches would have made the difference between the interior being a 10 and a 5.

I have never had such high utility bills until I lived here. My last electric bill was over $200 for a 900 square foot apartment. I even used the wood burning fireplace regularly during this period. I haven't had a bill that high since I owned a 2000 square foot house and lived in a colder climate. The problem stems from the large, drafty windows that are in each unit. They really need to update the place with more energy efficient windows. I fell in love with the view and big picture windows, but I now keep the blinds closed almost 24/7 to conserve energy. There are also lots of gaps and drafts through the doors here. I ended up putting duct tape over the door bell as cold air was pouring in every day.

I don't mean to focus so much on the negative here as this really is a nice place overall. I would just suggest that you get a 2nd floor apartment, take extreme measures to conserve energy, and look over your unit more carefully to ensure they haven't cut too many corners with their "remodel." If you look around the neighborhood you will find larger houses for rent for the same price as their 2 bedroom apartments. It just comes down to whether or not you want to do your own yard maintenance.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/09/2009
I live here too and couldn't agree more!!! Where are these houses you are talking about in the neighborhood for the same price. I only pay 920.00 for a 2 bedroom and I have a garage. I like it here. I lucked out with quiet, respectful (for the most part) neighbors, but I can hear the peeing in the toilet above me. I thought that was normal for an apartment. Everything that you say is true, tho, because there is NO insulation for weather or noise.
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/11/2009
You must be in the older units? I think the remodeled units are start out around $1100. We checked on Craigslist and there are several homes for rent around this price range in Garden Home and Tigard. I think it is always up for debate what is "normal" noise for an apartment. I've lived in about 10 different apartments/ town houses over the last 12 years and this place is probably the 2nd worst for noise that I have lived in. We even had the tv on at a moderate level the other day and could still hear our neighbor pee and flush above us even though he was on the opposite end of the apartment. I will miss the lush, green fields and trees here though. I am sad to go despite some of the problems here.... :(

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