I had Whitetail Home Inspections do an inspection on a home that I was looking to buy. They were…read moreincredibly thorough and came back to me with a 63 page report that included pictures, details, and even what kind of specialist I should contact to help me with each of the issues that were found in the home. Great work, great price, highly recommend!

Matt was hired by the buyers of our home to complete our house inspection. After the inspection,…read moreMatt stated something to the fact that the blinds in our infant daughters room were broken but that he "put it back." I glanced in there and didn't see anything out of place and got side tracked with other things. A couple days went by and we got the report. I find by reviewing this that he had broke the bracket to my infant daughters blinds and put it back; not telling me or pointing out what he in fact did. Matt then proceeded to put it in the report with a picture of the blinds laying on the ground and a picture of the bracket he had broke stating it was insufficient. I know for a fact this bracket was NOT broken prior to him coming as we had the room professionally painted and had removed the blinds (not broken at the time). Additionally, it was obvious upon our arrival (after inspection) that all the windows were checked as all the window cranks were moved and now in an up position. There was no bother to put any of them back to the way they originally were. It was getting colder and colder by the day in our 5 month old daughters room and I couldn't figure out why all of a sudden this was happening. We were SHOCKED to find out today (3 days after the inspection) that Matt had opened the window in her room and left it unlocked letting in the freezing cold air. ITS THE END OF NOVEMBER in Iowa with temperatures dropping in the 30s during the nighttime hours. Leaving my daughters windows unsealed/unlocked is pure carelessness and sloppiness.

There are many apartments, duplexes and house available for rent on the East side of town. However,…read moreit is my duty to warn those who are considering renting about one Landlord in particular - Kenneth 'Ken' Thompson. Most of you know recently my little brother, Roosevelt 'Keon' Dale died. He rented from Ken whose company is called Thompson Holdings LLC. I cleaned out his apartment and noticed many things which caused concern. Not on Roosevelt's part but Ken's. The apartment, located on Quincy Street, is close to being what, according to Iowa Fire Code, should be condemned. However, Roosevelt was a 'neat freak' (much more than I) and the apartment was clean. Further, the windows on the front porch were covered in plastic. When I looked at his electric bill and for an apartment that small, I was BLOWN AWAY! For those who may not know, a small apartment even somewhat (not well) insulated should run about $125 per month and with energy efficient windows, that number drops. His bill was several hundred which is outrageous. The health and safety issues were numerous and I remember thinking - "How could someone treat others so?" I left the apartment clean (I am a landlord in Colorado and understand what that means from a tenant deposit reimbursement standpoint). When Roosevelt's next of kin attempted to retrieve the deposit, Ken, the landlord said "He broke his lease". How? Well, apparently and even though the law states 'spouses' (he wasn't married) can be held accountable but next of kin, non-spouse can not, Kenneth believed someone no longer living was still obligated to him. Roosevelt was killed and Ken had someone in the place (entered with no money down by the way). Just some brief research (and more to come) reveals Ken owns many properties, most of which are barely liveable. Some of you may have heard about the fire on Boston Street recently. This was caused by a space heater which shouldn't even be necessary IF a landlord abides by the Iowa law which decrees habitation heating requirements. A black family could have been killed for trying to keep warm. Roosevelt also had a small space heater. Here is the story - http://goo.gl/PjcWC - So why did Roosevelt live there? For those of us who grew up and are now, on the East Side, you know housing is difficult to obtain for many reasons none of which need be listed here. This isn't restricted to Waterloo, Iowa either because my family and I, in 2004, with great credit, no evictions were almost forced out of Fort Collins, Colorado by, well, you know the type. Believe me, my wife and would've stood pat had we not had two teenage children to be concerned with. Safe to say, we moved to Denver, around our own. My point is - I don't know how long this will be up and not 'flagged' by other 'slum lords' or Mr. Thompson but for those of you currently living in his properties or considering renting from him, HUD (Housing and Urban Development) responsible for assuring adequate protections for you against serpents like Ken, provides rights for you as a tenant! Whether, veteran, disabled (or having a disabled child), minority, senior citizen or other categories, make sure Ken or any of the others including those who are among us and VICTIMIZE us in housing in like manner, GIVE YOU WHAT YOU PAY FOR. These sorts will make all sorts of threats about evicting you IF you try and press the issue for better housing, maintenance etc but they CAN NOT do so! If they do and you are educated on your tenant rights, I can say with some surety, working in the industry, you will be well compensated from these vultures and may end up owning the property where the victimization occurred. Don't be fooled by the fact they OWN property. The truth is, they own the debt and like many on the East Side, are a few paychecks away from being 'on the street'. I am going to post a few links so that you may understand legal remedies available. If there is ANY issue which threatens your safety (like no hot water, heat, non-functioning doors, abestos etc), make a written request for these issue to be fixed by the landlord, keep a copy and then follow the process in the below links. Let me be clear - when you demand safe housing and these slum lords threaten you in anyway, whatever their color and disposition, immediately determine which of the below agencies is best for your circumstance.

The guy above is not telling the truth. He just didn't get what he wanted. He was an excellent…read moreLandlord. Considering there has only been one complaint. Can't win with everyone. Hey this man cared deeply for his tenets. He often would let people who were short on money get away without paying the full amount.

I was having trouble getting rid of a piano. I couldn't give it away and couldn't find anybody to…read morehaul it away. Finally, after an Internet search, I came up with Josh and his business. I called him. He returned the call very same day. he came out the very same day and moved it for a very, very reasonable price. Not often am I so fired up to leave a positive review like I am on this one. I cannot say enough, good things about Josh and his business. It was truly a very good experience. I would highly highly recommend him to anybody that's looking to have something moved or any kind of service that Josh provides. Thanks again, Josh, Steve B

We specifically worked with Cathi Robertson through Ohl Iowa Realty as our realtor when we were…read morelooking to purchase our dream home. Cathi was everything we could have asked for and more in a realtor. Right away she showed how much she cared about us by looking at our interests and finding properties she thought we would be interested in. We looked at so many houses with Cathi, and she was never afraid to hear what we loved and also didn't love. She was always willing to schedule a showing at whatever house we wanted to. She was very flexible with my fiance and I's crazy schedules. She scheduled showings for us whenever it worked for us, no matter what time of the day it was or what day of the week it was. She even showed a house she knew we were seriously interested in when she had the flu! Cathi was very knowledgeable of the area since she has lived there for quite some time. She got to know my fiance and I on a personal level, not just a business level. She deeply cared about our interests and she was always looking out for what was best for us. The buying experience was also very easy. She was always looking out for us and was always able to answer any questions we had. We heard that purchasing a home is a long, hard process but Cathi's experience and professionalism made it exciting for us, as we were first time home buyers. We are so appreciative of everything Cathi did for us. We can't say enough positives about her, and it was hard to say good bye to her the day we closed on the house. We are so thankful for her expertise and now her friendship! We highly recommend Cathi to anyone, and she is the exact realtor we would want for my own family and friends.

Quegg did the exterior trim on our wood windows. From start to finish, they were among the best…read morecontractors that we've ever hired. I wanted to hire a local contractor, knew good things about them, so that part was easy. Bruce Quegg came over promptly to give the estimate and was super helpful throughout, including a very reasonable estimate. By the time the crew came, led by Will Quegg, they were prompt and kept me continually informed. When finished, they cleaned everything spotless, and, perhaps, best of all, didn't damage one of my wife's precious flower garden. Yes, hire Quegg for your needs. One of my best experiences.

My daughter hired Quegg to complete much needed maintenance on her home. They did a great job with…read moresiding, new windows, capping all the old wood around the windows, new soffit, trim, gutters and downspouts. It looks great and turned out way better than she anticipated. She was on a long waiting list but by the time they were ready to go, the communication was great and the job moved very quickly! Very pleased!

I cannot say enough about Oakridge Real Estate and its agent Tom Herzmann. Tom surpassed all…read moreexpectations when it came to helping our family find the perfect home for us. He went above and beyond the call to find listings that met all our needs and wants; helped us to navigate the world of home buying, local ordinances, and so on. He was amazing!! If you are looking for real estate in the Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Iowa area, as well as the surrounding communities, you will never regret contacting Tom at Oakridge Real Estate!!

I would HIGHLY recommend Jon Bronemann for your home inspection before buying a house. Jon was…read morevery thorough in his inspection and was more than willing to explain how the many systems work in your home. He is very friendly, personable, and professional. He even saved me more money after I moved into my home and found a slight issue where a plumber would have charged at least $100 just for coming out. Jon explained the solution to the issue over the phone and it worked great. Hire Jon Bronemann for your home inspection and you will not be sorry!

We arrived from out of state to inspect our first home and didnt know what to expect…read more We had our appointment scheduled with Jon and it was simple and straightforward to get it done ahead of time since he responds right away. We showed up at the house 10mins early and Jon was already on duty inspecting the property. He is very detailed about everything and super friendly. Honest and very informative about his findings. Jon is the right guy for your home inspections.

This is a Great company. A lot of my family has used Bobby Kastli as there realtor. He is very…read moreknowledgeable, kind ,understanding and goes above and Beyond to help you out. You cannot go wrong using Bobby as your realtor. And Remax Home group.