I moved to Austin from NYC in July '10, and it was essential that I find a comfortable,…read morewell-maintained, no-hassle place to live. Not an easy thing in a city with a bajillion college students (I'm 36, well past college life) & businesses that want to flip them for easy money. But I got super lucky with a 40 Acres garage apt in Travis Heights (near SoCo).
Moving equals massive stress and serious research, and misleading reviews can really screw up the hunt. So here are some details re my excellent experience with 40 Acres Group:
Not only do they handle every maintenance request within a matter of hrs, they also THANK me for keeping them posted on problems. No joke. They closely monitor their online maintenance request system & always get back to me asap. When a sick tree started dropping branches, they removed it without question; when neighbors started sneaking into our pool, they repaired the fence & added a locked gate within a day; when I noticed a tiny brown spot on my ceiling after the SXSW storms, they sent a guy to check the roof & seal/repaint the little spot within an hour.
My apt was converted just before I moved here -- the AT&T people thought Unit B was a "shed." Well, it's a pretty fab "shed" with new, top-line chrome & black appliances, hardwood floors, stone tile shower w. soda glass window, modern custom blinds and lots of built-ins. No remodeling expense was spared on my apt, the main house or the pool/deck area. When they tried to save money (on our behalf) last spring, by switching to lower cost pool maintenance, I sent them pictures of the pool turning green in pollen season, and they rehired our awesome Reliable guys within days. Again, no hassle.
They even went to bat for me when the owner balked at my request for a dog. Why? Because they'd come to KNOW me and appreciate me as a good tenant. This just doesn't happen in most renter scenarios. It doesn't. But they're different, and they made it work for me. And when I baked choc chip cookies to thank them, they didn't even complain that the cookies totally sucked.
Maybe I'm partial because 10 yrs of apt living in NYC was like being in an abusive relationship: outrageous costs, no commitment, no help, and certainly no love. But when I read a negative review here, I had to stand up for my awesome 40 Acres team. If I ever decide to move, it will be into another one of their properties because they've worked hard to create something unheard of: renter loyalty.