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!!

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.

Martinson Construction owns a few rental properties that they rent out. I happened to live in one…read moreof them over near Cedar Heights. And I honestly can't say enough good things about Martinson Construction's management of the property - and the property itself. We occasionally had issues, but after reporting it to them, our issues were generally solved within 24 hours - or at least we received an update about what they had done to start fixing it (order a part, schedule a company, etc.). Rent actually went DOWN while we lived there, and prices were comparable to around the neighborhood. A week or two was usually given as head's up when they needed to enter the unit. Everyone who entered was always friendly. The apartment itself was beautiful with lots of natural light. It was modern and well-insolated, and our heating/cooling bills were pretty low each month. Generally around $70 or $80. Neighbors were quiet and friendly, and it was just a great neighborhood. Absolutely no complaints about it - and we were sad to move.

Very professional, thorough, and honest. Highly recommend!! I chose this company as they were…read morehighly recommended by a family member and I was impressed with Edgar and his professionalism and integrity.

JP Roofing is absolutely over priced! They just completed a small wind damage repair for me that…read moretotaled about 10 SF. They replaced one bundle of shingles and it took 2 guys about 90-minutes. They charged me over $700! The shingles cost less than $50. That equates to over $200 per hour labor. These two guys were not brain surgeons! You can find better!

Trustworthy and reliable staff both in office and on the job site. Would highly recommend!read more

T.E.A.M has been AMAZING to work with! From owners to project managers and the crew! Everyone was…read morefriendly, knowledgeable, respectful and all around great people!! We will definitely be using them again!!! Thanks to everyone who helped on our project!

Amazing work done by their team. Quality of the work is outstanding. The service requested was to…read morehave a driveway that isn't gravel and they delivered. Value for the money is top notch. You get what you pay for. Very upfront and straight forward.

Andy Mills was contracted to me by my realtor to replace four windows. I was disappointed when he…read moresent a newly hired employee to do the work. The new employee "Chris" took over a month to replace my windows. I am a single woman and thought the work looked fine. After the fact, I had two handymen ask who did my windows because the work was "very shoddy." Not only did Chris skip the caulking, he didn't nail down the flashing. There may be other things wrong, I am unsure. I have contacted Andy twice and he has not followed up on repair. I am very dissatisfied. Plus, the total I paid was more than the initial quote.

Great apartments! Clean space, quiet neighbors, friendly staff, and individual assigned parking…read more Close to a couple of really great restaurants, as well.

I found University Manor Apartments through their website when I was looking to move from…read moreCalifornia to Iowa for grad school, that being said, it was a easy transition. The complex is very close to UNI, there is parking for each apartment and the place comes with cable/high-speed internet provided. Additionally, the property managers are very friendly and attentive. My only complaint with the place is that it seems a bit pricey, but then again, most places are pricey when situated near a university. They do allow cats if that is something you are looking for.

This place has what you need...helpful staff, knowledgeable subcontractors, and a large variety of…read moresuppliers to fill any need you have for your home or office. I've had my house re-sided, replaced a fireplace, and would call again whenever I needed help. It they don't have it, they know who does. They are also very organized, and keep their customers informed on the timing of the projects.

I have had them do two different projects at my house. They did a great job on both of them. They…read moreare clear about their pricing and the staff is professional and knowledgeable.