Summer of 2010 I moved into an apartment in Ithaca newly managed by James Orcutt Real Estate. I…read morewas living in New Mexico and needed trees and water, research on the internet showed me a building that just "popped" for me, so I emailed James. We set up an interview a few days later and I arranged to be in Ithaca for a look at the apartment he was kind enough to hold for me. I am still in this apartment! I consider myself an expert as I have lived in apartments all my adult life and my father owned some rentals when I was a child, Orcutt Real Estate provides the best treatment this renter has ever experienced. Plus, he always knows my name and takes time to speak and smile if he passes me in the parking lot. Rare indeed. J. D.

I needed to rent an apartment in Ithaca while living in California, relying entirely on the…read moremanager's information because I wouldn't be able to visit before moving. James was extremely helpful, and provided great photos of the place. I am super happy with my apartment for the price I'm paying, and with James' management. My only gripe is that he can be tough to get in contact with unless it's an urgent matter. But he's a busy man and he'll get back to you quickly when you need it.

Rented a home from Nick and his team in Collegetown. Nick is as good as they come! Nick is…read moreextremely responsive on email, his team was quick on repairs, and he never hassled us when something needed a fix or a unique style of lightbulb (e.g., vanity light) needed replacement. We had no charges on move-out whatsoever, all deposits were returned in full. Nick also sent thorough emails/instructions on how to pick up keys, move-out protocol, etc. Overall an honest, hardworking landlord and would recommend renting from him

Staff is very responsive and helpful -- always responds within the day! Very quick with maintenance…read moreand other requests. Great pricing for rentals in the area!

We had to do a long distance sale of our old family home. Luckily, we chose Hallie to be our…read morerealtor. Anytime we had a question or needed help resolving an issue, Hallie was ready with clear explanations of our options. We especially appreciated her background in construction as we figured out how to prepare an older home for sale. Although the house was listed "as is," Hallie made sure that a professional photographer captured the natural Finger Lakes beauty of the property, so buyers could see the potential of the land and outbuildings. I highly recommend Hallie as a realtor!

When working remotely became an option for us, we decided to move to Ithaca, NY to live closer to…read morefamily. We contacted Hallie based on positive reviews and we're so glad that she was the one to help us find and purchase our first home. Her knowledge and availability was essential as we were unable to fly back and forth to tour homes. She was flexible and creative in showing us properties that fit our budget and had the space and amenities we were looking for. She never pressured us and worked with us to submit offers that we felt comfortable with. We were unfamiliar with the home buying process in New York but she helped guide us through it. We would definitely recommend Hallie and work with her again in the future!

Buyer beware! I signed a contract to purchase property last week (full price cash offer) the seller…read moreaccepted my offer and my earnest money was already deposited. Yesterday I got a phone call and was told if I didn't come up with an extra $6000 the seller's attorney was just going to simply "disapprove" my contract at the last minute so the seller could get out of the deal. This sequence of events raises serious concerns about the integrity of the transaction process and the conduct of the real estate agent (Amanda) and this brokerage. Specifically, the acceptance of my offer, followed by the solicitation or encouragement over the weekend of someone else to hurry up and make a higher offer at the 11th hour, and then the intimidation / "shake down" of an ultimatum. My attorney was flabbergasted and said she had never seen someone do this before. While Amanda's actions may have technically fallen within "legal bounds", they were completely underhanded and contrary to the standards of good faith and fair dealings expected in real estate transactions. This agent was highly unethical and I cannot believe this is how they are conducting business. I would never use this company again or recommend them to anyone. These tactics are very cut throat and the reason why real estate agents have a bad reputation of being shady. I have contacted the broker / owner of this company with my concerns and have yet to receive a response. I guess this is just normal practices business for this company.

Put in a serious offer on a property listed through this company. The showing was a joke. The…read moreowners hadn't even been told to clean up their personal belongings; hygiene products were all over the bathroom; the refrigerator was full of food that was starting to rot. There was a leak in the basement that wasn't disclosed upfront, and I found it in the inspection report later. I was initially told my offer would probably be accepted; less than 12 hours later, the owners changed their mind and demanded more money, and their agent never once spoke to me about trying to reach a negotiation. In fact, the agent, Hickory Lee, never spoke to me at all, despite me trying to contact her at least twice, and having made an offer. Extremely unprofessional and unethical. Would not suggest anyone wanting to buy or sell real estate approach this place. Go to Howard Hanna instead; I've never heard of one of their agents pulling this kind of behavior.

Melissa Shames did a fantastic job in helping us find a house to live in. We met her last year and…read moreshe started to look for family houses. She suggested various types of homes. Melissa being very patient with us when a deal fell through. She explained how deals fall through due to the contracts or the deal not being well written. Yet she never lost hope and helped us look for that place. We finally did. A million thanks to Melissa. She deserves a huge pay raise.

We had the pleasure of working with Melissa Shames from Howard Hanna. She's been a great agent to…read moreus for literally for like last year. We had a sale through fall through late due to a contingency. We had a lot of offers rejected as well. I had some personal stuff in my family and had to take some breaks. But she was very good with just picking it back up and you know we ended up finding a place in May exactly what I needed as per space and conditions of the home. I really like the place I internationally got a place that needed a little work because I want to put my own personal touches on it. I didn't want to buy someone's renovation I was just going to change anyway, you know? But we got a really good place that has best schools at every level, great size and amenities, like a fireplace within my budget constraints more than enough green space. I could easily throw an Additional dwelling unit on the property (Tompkins county has a grant program too) to offset the mortgage. But Melissa is relaxed and resourceful. She'd meets us with gear with thermal heating elements because she really is familiar with the beautiful but sometime erratic weather of the fingerlakes. She really is aware of the nuances in the area. I Highly recommend her.

Broken dishwasher for over a month, unable to replace or fix- This is the management company. When…read morewe called after a month, told us to not call them back and hung up the phone rudely. Wifi is for the namesake only doesn't work. When we came in, it was super dusty and dirty. Basically, they are everything that you don't want in a management company. So stay away from them. Note to landlord: please find a better service management company for your housing needs. Thank you,

Please stay away from this company. Some of their business practices are not legal. They do not…read morecare about their tenants, they only care about being paid. They have displayed a total lack of concern for the health, safety, and well being of myself and a number of their other tenants on multiple occasions. The staff treat you not as a respected customer, but as an unwanted burden. They get away with their behavior because so many students in Ithaca do not know their rights as tenants. If you are already a tenant and you are reading this, please find a copy of the NY tenants rights guide NOW!

So here's the deal: most people who do reviews of landlords have an axe to grind. They rarely…read morehighlight the good and dwell on the bad. I think Certified Properties did an okay job though, and hopefully this review serves to help others considering one of their properties. I lived in a Certified Properties of Tompkins County [CPTC] apartment with one other person from 2012-2013. Our apartment, which was two blocks from Cornell, was a steal for this market: $450 a month per person for a two bedroom, one bathroom upper story apt. in a quaint old farmhouse that had been partitioned. CPTC did an excellent job of maintaining our apartment when we notified them of problems. One day, our front door lock broke, leaving me locked in the apartment. I had a meeting to go to in a few hours time, but after calling Certified, they came right out, took the door off, repaired the lock, and the repairman was friendly and knew what he was doing. Whenever we had an issue, they responded with professionalism. However: in June, when we received the place, it was in a horrendous condition. The windows had been left open and hundreds of tiny gnats had died and fallen to rest on our living room floor. We cleaned that up, but...it wasn't fun. Next, when we left the apartment, even though we personally cleaned everything according to their instructions, we got charged a massive cleaning fee, taken out of our security deposit. Eventually, I got most of it back by making our case, and after management admitted that a clerical mistake had been made, but only after repeated calls and emails. Moving forward, tenants should always do two things: take lots of photos on an iphone or whatever when moving in, and take lots of photos of the state of the apartment when moving out. All in all, CPTC is a professional company, especially if you're a good tenant (no parties, responsible care for the property etc), but do your due diligence, learn your tenant rights, and take photos to document conditions so as to combat future claims that may or may not be correct.

Mismanaged. Avoid this property management company, they are terrible, and have a bad reputation…read more The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing in this poorly run agency - they lack integrity and decency. Management companies work for the owner of the building, not the tenants, who treat tenants like second class citizens. Its the second rental I have lived in that they managed and in both cases their performance is poor and with numerous bad experiences. As a responsible, conscientious tenant, I will not tolerate being bullied, disrespected, and intimidated. Or routinely ignored with a lack of communication. Double check that they receive rent payments, insist upon a receipt, and regularly request a tenant ledger record from them to made sure that your rent payment are being recorded.

Absolute worst renting experience ever! The initial property manager was arrested for stealing…read moremoney from tenants, and the new manager then told me I wouldn't have a parking spot after being guaranteed one in writing. It took two months just to get my parking pass. I was lied to about the apartment being vacant and less than 24 hours before move-in I was emailed (not even called) to advise that the previous tenant hadn't moved out! I had movers hired and everything. It was almost a week before repairs were complete. The "cleaning" staff left the apartment with black grime and mouse poop all over and I had to hire a separate cleaning team to make it habitable. There was one problem after another, including a maintenance tech breaking my stone bathmat and leaving it there in pieces, heaters not working, bathroom leaks, etc. The last straw was when they rented to a very mentally ill drug addict, and I had to arm myself to go downstairs or do laundry. I was unable to sleep as this person screamed at all hours of the night and smoked marijuana inside, also against the lease rules, and harassed myself and other tenants. They won't return my security deposit (I moved out early with 90 days notice due to uninhabitable conditions) and I have had to resort to legal action. None of my written concerns were EVER addressed or replied to. Do not rent from this company!

You'd better hope nothing bad happens to you while you're renting with them. During my two-year…read morestay at Ravenwood, I had problems with the thin walls and the leaking roof (from the toilet upstairs) multiple times. In addition, they took away over $700 of my $1000 security deposit by the end and nothing was wrong with the apartment. I would recommend you renting with someone else ethical :)

Melynda is just the best. Responsive, creative, and overall a great listener and planner for what…read moreworks for you. She sold my house for a great price, more than I envisioned, and she worked tirelessly to make it happen. I am in awe of her energy and compassion. You won't be disappointed working with Melynda.

Melynda is one of those rare agents that actually cares about her clients. She is easy to talk to,…read morereally understands the market, and most of all what it takes to purchase and sell a home in Tompkins County. We loved her work so much we hired her to do both and couldn't have been happier with her work! When we were ready to sell, Melynda took care of everything. I truly believe her eye for preparing and staging a house to sell is unparalleled. There were so many moving parts to the process of selling, which could have been overwhelming, but Melynda took care of every detail. Our house sold almost immediately after we put it on the market and went for more than we expected. Buying a house in a competitive market was also a breeze with Melynda. Once we explained what we wanted, she quickly and efficiently found a property that was a perfect fit for us. She is very well connected and respected in the city, and was able to help us navigate a bidding war and get us the home we wanted at a price we needed. We were so happy with Melynda's work. We HIGHLY recommend Melynda as an agent for any real estate need you may have.

This is a long review, but I feel it's important for other future tenants who rent from PPM. It…read moreconcerns not only a rat infestation that persisted in the home throughout a large portion of our lease, but also PPM's response. I'll start by saying that PPMs maintenance staff was always very quick to respond when we entered an issue on the online portal. We had a great relationship with PPM homes leading up to this issue, however their lack of response and way they treated us throughout the process led us to make the decision to report this. We started having rodent issues in December. We were aware that this can happen during the cold months, and made efforts to keep our kitchen clean and floors swept. The problem persisted as we routinely found droppings throughout the kitchen and containers of food bitten and clawed at. We had an issue with our sink leaking and reported it to PPM who sent out a maintenance worker. The worker fixed the sink and let us know that one of the lines was chewed through, most likely from a rodent. Not long after, we out in another maintenance request for our dishwasher which was not receiving water. The PPM worker who came by once again fixed the issue and let us know it was most likely due to rodent activity. Finally, this spring we were woken up in the night to our dogs barking at a rat that was caught in one of our glue traps we set in our kitchen. I called PPM the next day to report this and the woman I spoke with told me it must have been the same rat they had been trying to catch for weeks. After some time had passed, we reached back out to PPM to see what was being done about this. The same woman who told me that the rat we captured was probably the same one they had been chasing, then told us that they did not have any record of a rodent issue, and that if we didn't put in a maintenance request for it, that it wouldn't be documented. We had figured since the maintenance requests we had put in were then found to be caused by rodents, that the maintenance staff would document this. The owner of PPM (Rob) responded the same way, saying that they had no record of this. They then sent out a crew to set up traps around the apartment. Our upstairs neighbor spoke with us about her rodent issues, also mentioning that PPM had failed to properly address the issue. We felt gaslit by PPM, first when they told us that the issue was likely because we weren't keeping the apartment clean enough, and even more so when they claimed to have no knowledge of the persisting issue even after their own staff pointed out to us that it was the cause of our dishwasher and sink problems. We are hoping that by reporting this issue, that we will save other tenants from the stress it caused us. We also hope that PPM will address these issues in a more professional manor.

My son and his seven friends rented a house last year and paid almost $7,500 in security deposit…read more PPM Homes told them they would only receive 21% of their money back. Now, three and a half months later, they still have not received any of the money back. They also did not receive an itemized list of deductions, which New York law requires within 14 days of vacating the property. PPM Homes claims they had to pay to remove furniture, but the current tenants who moved in immediately after said that no furniture was removed. The former tenants were also told that the security deposit checks had been mailed to the old rental address, but the current tenants confirmed that no mail for the former tenants had arrived. When asked whether the checks were sent by certified mail as proof, PPM Homes said no. PPM Homes also claims to have emailed the former tenants but has been unable to provide copies of those dated emails when asked and the tenants have not received any emails. How convenient that they allegedly send security deposit checks to an address that they don't even live at and emails to an email address that they don't have access to anymore with no proof of either. Despite numerous attempts by the tenants and me to resolve this matter, our experience in dealing with the office has been extremely frustrating. They don't return calls or emails. The "manager" Jack who I spoke to was extremely rude, dismissive and repeatedly spoke over me. In recently speaking with other parents whose children have rented from PPM Homes, they had similar issues. I would not recommend using them as a property manager or renting from them.