Creekfront at Deerwood

Current Resident 381768

Resident • 2013

It is unfortunate that new management had to come in during my lease, when I was extremely content and happy with my living arrangements. All of the so called "renovations" have been a nightmare. Nails on the ground, watch your tires! Dirt/rock piles everywhere, inconsiderate construction workers, holes in my apartment that have not been fixed after renovations, and the worse part would have to be the ridiculous increase in rent. I was looking forward to renewing here but more than likely will move out. **Be aware that the bottom line rent prices do not include washer/dryer, any valet trash package, or water (these are all extras). They also charge water by the person, not use. So if you have a family of 3 or 4, be prepared to add an extra $70-$100 to that bottom line. If I were you, in search of a nice, affordable place, look elsewhere. You can get more for your money on Hodges, St. Johns County, Kernan, or Gate Parkway.

mikkimarz87

Resident • 2012 - 2013

I use to love living here when the complex was Avistele. Once the renovations started, living here became difficult. I work from home and I work overnight shifts. I would wake up to men banging on my walls or drilling. I couldn't get any sleep! When i received notification that my cabinets and counter tops were being replaced, I didn't mind. However, when I came back home after the first day of renovations. My lights were on, blinds open so anyone could see in my apartment, and my AC was running. So if my bill is inflated this month, I guess I'm responsible right? The construction workers left dust, wood chippings and nails on the floor. In addition to all of that, my rent is going from $587 to $927! For a one bed room? I don't think so. I've seen a lot of U-Haul trucks around my area and come August, I will be leave also.

olleyolley

Resident • 2013

I have lived at Reserve for 6 years now, and I have got to say, every year is better than the last. I have never reviewed Reserve before because like most people, I too fall victim to only writing reviews about things I am unhappy with. Unfortunately we forget that we need to speak up when we are happy and not just when we are mad. That being said, I have read reviews on a couple sites for Reserve and I have to say that most of the 'complaints' are very unfair, and they seem less like complaints and more like all out attacks. While you have to take all reviews with a grain of salt, I think most of the people who have rated this place badly are just unhappy people in general. I would like to address some of the top 'complaints' I have seen made about this place, and set the record straight from a real renters perspective. Bugs- I have lived here six years, and I live in a heavily wooded part of the property. I have never had any infestation of any type of bug. Yes, this is Florida, and I of course find the occasional stray mosquito, palmetto bug (not roaches), ant, etc...but I just call up and get on the pest control list and the problem is taken care of. All these people that have such problems with bugs in their apts has to make you wonder how clean those people really are. Stuff Breaking- This property is an older property, I have no idea when it was built, but it's obviously not brand new. That being said, you're going to have stuff break, go out, etc...anytime I have ever had something that needed fixed I called up, put in a work order and they would come out and take care of the issue in a timely manner. Timely manner being subjective. All my emergency work orders have been taken care of immediately, when I call in minor stuff such as an a/c filter, it's taken up to a week to get replaced. But that's no big deal because I realize I am not their only renter and who knows, maybe the same time I needed an a/c filter a ton of other people had emergencies that needed to be taken care of first. I've never felt ignored, or brushed aside. Maybe some of these people just need to realize the world doesn't revolve around them, and take a chill pill. Unruly kids- There are kids here, but i've never once had a problem with them. They don't run around the place breaking stuff, they don't hang on peoples cars (like another place I lived). They aren't our all hours of the night. They have always been polite on the few chances I have encountered them while out and about. To be completely candid, the kids here are angels compared to some of the places I have lived. Rude Staff- Here is another topic I think people are being overly sensitive about, out and out liars, or they have a case of being the bad apple that staff has had to get on to for some reason, so they want to write a nasty review just to get even. In the six years I have been here I have never had one member of the staff come across as anything but pleasant. Most of the staff has been here as long as I have, and they are nothing short of a joy to do business with. So there is my honest review as someone who has been a long term renter here. The only advice I have is if you are looking in to moving here, don't put so much faith in these online reviews. Go and see for yourself and come to your own conclusion. While my experience has been great, of course there are going to be those who have had issues (valid or not). As the old saying goes, "You can't please everyone". I would also be happy to answer any questions anyone has.

dallywag

Resident • 2011 - 2013

For us, the Aqua takeover of Avistele began with a rush of water... literally. Quick points: (1) Aqua management is rude, possibly incompetent, and simply cannot be trusted; and (2) larger, better-maintained and more modern apartment/town homes are available at a comparable price in a more convenient, safer location-- just miles down the road. (1) Aqua management is rude, possibly incompetent, and simply cannot be trusted. Just days after Cortland Partners bought Avistele, renovations to the exterior of buildings began. My fiance came home just before 5pm one day. While walking to our apartment door, he was stopped by a construction worker. The worker asked if he lived there; my fiance said yes. The worker stated, so, so simply: "Your apartment is flooded." Panicked, my fiance ran to the door-- and found it unlocked. One bedroom was, indeed, sopping wet. Squishy carpet. Wet furniture. Damp clothes in the closet. Turns out that EARLIER THAT AFTERNOON, while ripping the rotted siding from our building, the workers ripped a little water pipe, too. Someone used a master key, entered our apartment, noted the flood, walked out, didn't lock the door, and went back to work. Angry, we questioned the office as to why we didn't receive a phone call stating, "Hey, someone broke a water pipe and now your bedroom is soaking wet." The snot-nosed answer? "Oh, we recently transferred all tenant information to a new system. Your contact information didn't transfer over." Hmm. My fiance expressed interest in the fact that the office no longer had a copy of our lease agreement. "Oh, no," the office assured us, "We still have a copy of the lease." When asked why that copy wasn't pulled and consulted for our contact information, bumbling ensued. Laziness? Probably. Incompetence? Yes. Complete and utter disrespect of tenants? Absolutely. I'm not sure we ever got a clear answer. When my personal property is in IMMEDIATE danger, particularly because of contractors that you have hired, you have an obligation to DROP EVERYTHING and find me. That is inexcusable. The office only got indignant at our complaint that the door was left unlocked; they simply said it didn't happen. Way to add insult to injury, Aqua. We were told that the contractor was given a master key. We NEVER consented to this and were NEVER even notified. I am NOT comfortable with Cortland Partners giving the lowest-bidding Florida contractor (and his crew of shady, rag-tag workers) complete access TO MY HOME without my consent or knowledge. This complaint was of no consequence to the office. As to our damaged property, the office stated that we would have to go through our renter's insurance. Er, sorry, Aqua-- isn't the contractor YOU HIRED licensed and insured? Way to pass the buck to your tenants-- but more of that behavior to come. After we made contact regarding the flood, they sent someone with a shop-vac and fans. The fans ran for days and of course, we footed the electricity bill. Class act, Aqua. (2) Larger, better-maintained and more modern apartment/town homes are available at a comparable price in a more convenient, safer location-- just miles down the road. Cortland chose to purchase a complex, Avistele, desperately in need of a facelift-- rotting holes in the siding, 30 year old windows with non-functional locks, lack of landscaping, outdated appliances, poor insulation, etcetera. Immediately after taking over and simultaneous to the start of the (painful) renovations described above, Aqua notified tenants that the rent for a two-bedroom apartment would be increased by $300 for a grand total of $1325 per month. Again, way to pass the buck to your tenants. The renovations have barely begun but because our lease it almost up, WE are being asked to pay an inflated amount for a product that has simply not yet materialized. I refuse to subsidize Cortland's investment. They bought a dud, they fix the dud-- not me. Cortland should be the one to bite the bullet of a few cycles of cheap rent until they completely deliver-- or at least substantially deliver. Even assuming that I woke up tomorrow to a brand new complex... $1325 for a two-bedroom apartment? Off the service road? Newsflash: this is not Gate Parkway. Three-bedroom town homes (garage included!) and apartments on Gate Parkway are going for $1400 / month. Who on earth would pay a comparable amount for a two-bedroom in an ungated complex off of the service road? With only two extremely inconvenient ingress/egress points to the service road, I-95 and JTB may as well be 20 miles away. Getting to I-95 / JTB from Gate Parkway is an absolute breeze. And guess what? The apartments and town homes on Gate Parkway aren't just renovated-- they are new builds. It is absolutely impossible that any makeover you could possibly give this place would warrant choosing Aqua over any number of neighborhoods off of Gate Parkway. Good luck with that tough sell, Aqua. Every neighbor I've spoken to intends to leave as soon as the rent hike becomes effective for them. My fiance and I's lease is up soon and we are absolutely counting the days. Let this review serve as a parting gift from us. I fully intend to wallpaper every apartment site on the internet with this review. Peace be with you and your poor investment.

Current Resident 296055

Resident • 2012 - 2013

Please don't move here! This place as went down hill since it has become Aqua!!! They are increasing rent by 300 at the end of our lease for these so called upgrades. They are not worth it and its not worth the trouble we are going through. I regret moving here. I wouldn't have any trouble paying the 1100 dollars for. Two bed room apartment if it was worth it. This isn't even close to worth it.

kaysee1980

Resident • 2012

This place has been such a great first experience with renting! My roommates and I have all lived with our parents, this is our first home away from home, and we love it. Quiet community, really great and caring staff, and the best part is they feel like little homes. We love living here :)

Current Resident 354990

Resident • 2010 - 2012

This complex is old but it is no excuse for the staff to fall on. The management staff is the main problem here, they do nothing to fix problems, they are lazy, they have no communication with the rest of the staff. All roads lead back to them. If all the problems were fixed they would be a great management team. Look to them for answers and if they can't or won't give them go higher up to B H Management.com. Tell the big boss whats going on, don't just ignore things do something so your home will be a pleasure to go to every night.

Current Resident 74938

Resident • 2010 - 2012

I am writing this review because I feel that other future tenants need to be aware of the downfall of Avistele at Deerwood. My fiance and I first looked at these apartments and were sold instantly-obviously they take you to the new upgraded home as any place would do. However, the first pitfall when moving in was that the apartment (a 1 bedroom with a den in the South Village) was a lot smaller than the one we previously saw. We learned to live with it and made no big deal. I must say that the first year an a half of living at the complex was amazing. They hosted a lot of community events and all the staff was wonderful. At one point my dog decided to tear a large hole in my carpet. Once the maintenance request was put in the guys came out and looked at it, and it was taken care of the next day with a small fee of $ 60.00 to us. Maintenance is good and they do get out within a day for all requests. We ended up signing a second year lease. We were provided with 3 perks for re-signing the lease...which we were never allowed to use because of budget reasons they "could not follow through with their promises". During the second year we began receiving emails stating that we needed to be locking our cars and homes due to recent burglaries...and this has continued to increase. About every month I receive an email as such about the decrease in resident safety (great news right). I have even had a peeping tom in my window which was never convicted due to Avistele not pressing charges. I must say this was the last big act that the company did for the grounds because the lead maintenance and co-lead maintenance guys went around the property looking for the guy during the times the break-ins were occurring when they found him outside of my window. However, soon after the lead maintenance guy transferred to another property and we have been left with the not so friendly maintenance guy, who seems to write rude statements on your maintenance requests. The majority of the residents DO NOT pick up their dogs poop and thus it smells and you have to constantly look where you are stepping. The company did put in dog trash bins (few and far in between with no poop bags). The company sent out letters that they never enforced stating that you would be fined for not picking up the dogs poop...big joke. I have even had people let their dog poop right outside my door and not pick it up. This happens more frequently with the residents with small dogs. Needless to say, I went from enjoying this property with its 4 pools and wonderful staff to completing hating my life here. We got stuck signing a third lease because in the mist of getting married we forgot to send notice that we would not be re-signing or even get the chance to look for another place. The month-to-month was an unfair price for a crappy, out-dated 1 bedroom with a den. The property no longer supplies many things it did prior and residents must complete most of the work. Maintenance still gets stuff done in a timely manner and the only person I enjoy speaking with at the office is Renee. The property is not gated and the safety of residents has definitely decrease since I have been living here. They blame a lot of the downfalls on the economy but newsflash you cannot blame it on that anymore. You cannot get a returned phone call from corporate and there has been a lot of new staff members come in. If you live on the first floor be prepared to hear everything from your neighbors including them having sex and beating their children. Be prepared to be offered a lot less for the most of your money when you lease here. I would wait to see if they begin working things out before you decide to move to Avistele at Deerwood.

Prospective Resident 705743

Prospect • Visited 2012

Love this place!!!! No upstairs or downstairs neighbors!!! They are always full of renters, and through the Summer, typically have a waitlist!! Don't listen to disgruntled reviews!

Current Resident 817113

Resident • 2011 - 2012

Would NOT recommend! You can't walk to your mail-box without dodging dog poop, It's EVERY where! You walk outside on a hot day and you can smell the stench! It is even in the lease agreement that dog-owners are to pick up their own poop & Management never enforces things that are in the lease, yet threaten to kick people out or call the police for things that aren't in the lease. There are gangs of kids that run wild, you can't even drive through the complex without kids harassing the cars. Kids are not suppose to be at the pool without an adult if they are under 13 years of age, the pool in constantly bombarded with gangs of sweaty kids that never shower (As per pool guidelines) and basically take over the place. Maintenance is slow to fix any problems, your electric bill will be astronomical due to poor insulation/poor windows. windows are single-paned and probably the original windows, the buildings are made out of wood, and have holes/gaps galore, not to mention rotting floors, there are carpenter bees tunneling through the walls, and management doesn't seem to think that's something that should be addressed, the holes in the walls are prevalent especially anywhere there is plumbing/air vents. Never seen so many bugs in my life. Never had allergy problems until I moved here, the vents have probably not been cleaned since they were installed. They never mow/keep up with landscaping/trimming unless you are along the main drive-through the complex... they recently mulched the place, but only if you lived along the main drive-through area, areas off to the side were never touched, the pounds are usually nasty looking. The light at the mail box has been out since I've moved here & it fell over one time, so what do they do?!?! They go to the trouble of putting the light back up, but still never fixed it/changed the light bulb. The roads are HORRIBLY maintained... there are deep potholes galore. As per lease agreement over sized work vehicles are not to be parked on premises, however there are semis & huge box trucks that park on the roads and not even in spots (once again something actually in the lease that is never enforced). When you confront the office about such things, they constantly change their stories or say that they'll get on things and never do. Horrible experience here!

Current Resident 570727

Resident • 2010 - 2012

Love it.

I've been here 2.5 years and will be renewing again. No major issues. Staff is always helpful, maintenance reliable and these are the smartest floor plans in Jax.

Current Resident 375396

Resident • 2011 - 2012

A good place to call home!

We came up to the office to sign our first renewal and wanted to pay them a compliment, we asked where we could submit one and were referred to this site. We love living here, staff is great, property is great, and our home is great. We love living here and have never had any problems!

Prospective Resident 372048

Prospect • Visited 2009 - 2012

Unprofessional Staff/Management and Not a safe place

When I moved to Reserve 3 years back, it was one of the most beautiful place on service road and had the most cooperative staff I had met. Over the years, the place has become filthier, couple of break-ins, poor construction maintenance and the staff have become rude and snobbish. Their attitude is unfriendly and seems like they take their occupants for granted. Community roads are not maintained well and the electricity bills are high because the apartments are old with a lot of gaps. I have now moved to a better place (near GatePkwy area), its been over 5 months and absolutely love the place. I would not recommend anybody to live in a dump live Reserve.

allyaim72

Resident •

No apartment is perfect, however, Reserve is as good as it gets!

After graduating med school eight years ago, I accepted a job at a local hospital here in Jacksonville. My schedule is hectic and time consuming and so instead of seeking home ownership I decided to try my hand at apartment living. The first six years were quite miserable. The first place I moved into my upstairs neighbors were a bunch of college kids (who never seemed to sleep). After working 12-24 hour shifts I would come home exhausted and ready to pass out, but the noise from upstairs consistently kept me awake my entire 12 month lease. It was after my first two tries with apartments where I had upstairs neighbors that I started looking into single story apartments and townhomes. I have lived in just about every complex that has single story/town home options. The most frequent problem I had with other communities was the noise level in both the community itself and my immediate neighbors. I moved into Reserve at Deerwood a little over two years ago into a 3/2 town home. This was the final community I was going to try renting in, and if it didn t work out I would cave and by a house. I am so glad I came here! Some of my favorite things about Reserve are It is extremely quiet and peaceful here, my town house is huge, one of my neighbors has been here twelve years and the other has been here nine (not only are they very friendly, but they always watch out for my home when I am not there), the landscaping here is very nice, the gym is open twenty-four hours, when I leave work I know that when I come home I will have NO NOISE problems that would keep me awake, the full staff is great, and last but not least they have REACHABLE twenty-four hour maintenance. This last fact is a huge deal to me as the very last place I lived in I had my water heater burst and start flooding my apartment and when I tried to call the emergency maintenance line the phone number had been disconnected. My a/c went out here at 3am awhile back and Joe the maintenance super was at my house by 3:20am, which is an amazing peace of mind!! Curious as to what others had to say about this community (I was surprised by it only having a 50% approval rating) I looked over the last couple reviews. I won t say the others who wrote unfavorable reviews are wrong, everyone s experiences are different. However, I will say that all these reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. The only negative thing that I can say about this property off of the top of my head is that I was kind of bummed when I moved in that not all of the back patios are screened in. I guess living in a bunch of other not so great communities just makes me appreciate what peace I have living here. Like the title of my posting says, no apartment will be perfect, however, Reserve at Deerwood is about as good as it gets when renting an apartment!

neighbor130

Resident • 2011 - 2012

Not the safest complex/area

You get what you pay for. The gym equipment is mediocre and the pool is small and sometimes crowded. The floorplans are much nicer then most cookie cutter apartments. They're more like tiny houses. If you choose to move here, I recommend researching with who your neighbors are if you're concerned about noise. I'm in between two units, one of which is separated by a firewall. I've been fortunate enough to have relatively quiet and friendly neighbors in the small cul de sac that I live in. I chose this place purely because of the location and the small dog run that they have. Come to my find, I've only used it twice since last fall because of the not so friendly dogs and the few idiot owners living here - no fault of the complex of course. My second month here, there was a drunk driver who backed into the light pole at 3 o'clock in the morning in front of my room. As with any other neighborhood/apartment, renters insurance and an alarm if available is a no brainer. Some punk teenagers kicked a neighbor's door in and a few days later, set a bush next to their door on fire. There've been 5 reported burglaries in the last two months (yes, I've reviewed the police reports for this complex alone). There were also a lot of domestic disputes and theft/vandalism on the report also. Teenagers from a neighboring complex repeatedly damage the property's privacy fence so they can hang out by the tennis court/pool. Last week a neighbor's dog was attacked by a German Shepherd while she was checking her mail. A man broke the dogs up but was nipped himself in the interim. There's supposed to be a breed restriction but I've seen Dobermans and Pitbulls on the property, too. The type of dogs don't bother me, it's the owners that I worry about sometimes. I've only had to deal with management a handful of times for simple maintenance issues. Not the most stellar customer service skills but I didn't really care as long as the problems were taken care of. Although there was one incident that annoyed me (needed an a/c filter), because maintenance had come into my apartment while I was at work. Unless it's an emergency, it's listed on my lease not to enter unless I'm present. Secondly, I specifically asked on my written service request to contact me so that I can be there that day. I come home with a card signed off by one of the maintenance men on my kitchen counter confirming that I had a new filter. Luckily, I hadn't turned on my alarm that morning; and fortunately my dog didn't attack the man that came in. I wish I had done more research before moving here. Several friends rent privately owned condos in nearly new communities along Gate Pkwy W for $800-900 but they also get free basic cable, internet, and water. I'm definitely moving elsewhere once my lease is up. Hope my review helps you - happy apartment hunting!

lovelacesammi

Resident • 2008 - 2012

Military Wife

I am the wife of a military man(world traveler) and I just wanted to say thank you to Reserve for being such a great place all around. We loved living here and will refer anyone we know who is moving to Jacksonville, to you guys. Thanks again!!

Worldtraveler80

Resident •

Loved Living Here

Just wanted to say thank you for the past 4 great years. I am military and being stationed elsewhere but I am sad to say goodbye to this wonderful property! Staff: There are two ladies in the office Kim and Kristanna who have been there for as long as I can remember and Joe the maint. man, and then Callie, Rudy, and BJ are kinda new but great additions. They have been a constant pleasure to deal with, I can't think of anything negative to say about my interactions with them. Did things ever go wrong in my apt.? Yeah, but the staff handled my problems speedily and with smiles on their faces. My Apartment: It's 30yrs old, there are going to be problems. The biggest problem I had was when my a/c died last summer. It was replaced the same day though so a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things. Also this is fl there are bugs, they do reg pest control though and although I would be lying if I said i'd never seen a bug in my apt, I never developed a 'problem' with bugs. The Property: I moved to Reserve because unlike the apartments in the Mayport area or even base housing (heck even other local apts) this place just had a different feel to it. You really just feel like you are coming home everyday, and not just to the apt you stay in. Lots of trees and flowers, pretty nice landscaping, not littered with trash like other place i've lived. One of the best things about this place is how quiet it is. I never hear any noise outside at night, no shouting or loud music its freakin great. Overall: The best place I have ever lived! Being military I usually change locations every 2-4 years and there are times while living in a specific city i've had to move once a year because I hated every place I moved into. Not the case here. I did my homework, toured just about every place in Jax and finally decided on Reserve. I don t regret my decision for a second. Thanks again Reserve staff, you guys are awesome!

zdp89j

Resident • 2010 - 2012

Contrary to popular belief, this complex has been great.

Back in late 2009 me and my wife were looking through this site for complexes that happened to have positive reviews and we came across this complex. I know that usually people only come on here to complain, but I'm from the other side of the fence. This complex has been nothing but helping, friendly, and kind to us in our two year stint living here. Their staff has been extremely helpful, maintenance men were prompt and friendly, and the homes are well built and nicely renovated. There was a time where I knew I was gonna be a few days late on rent, and since I came to them early on about it they not only were willing to work with me, but they even waived the late fee as well. Every maintenance call has been responded to in 1 hr or less EVERY time even at 2am in the morning. When we had upgraded to a two bedroom, we got an apartment that was in not so many words a lemon. Had 10 service calls in two months. I approached the complex manager Tabitha with my concerns, and she put me into an even nicer deluxe home in the middle of my lease for THE SAME RATE and even had the whole maintenance staff move us into it at no extra charge. A few months back they had put a tow sticker on my wife's car because the tag was expired and the tire was flat. We were in the process of trying to sell it. I went up and talked to management and they gave me an extra month to get it sold or fixed. The final positive experience was that at the end of my final lease I had came up short on time for packing and cleaning because of some extenuating circumstances, and what did they do? They were able to extend my move out day a whole week and just simply bill me on a daily rate when I had approached them about it. Never have I received such good customer service from an apartment complex. They are very accommodating if you just simply take the time to talk to them and be honest with them. The only complaint I ever had about this place was the parking...there is no designated parking and in some parts of the complex you have to park very far away if you happen to get home late. Also the lawn service always hit our side of the complex bright and early at 8 in the morning (can be very loud at times). But overall its quiet, they WILL NOT rent out to anybody with a blip on their criminal record, its safe, it's clean, and its reasonable. I will admit their rates are higher than most in this area, but you get what you pay for. And trust me...its worth the extra price for the peace of mind you get. I would recommend them to anyone. They have been wonderful to me and my family. And no this isn't a leasing agent writing this...if you wanna verify call me on my cell at 9049820945. My name is Zack. My personal thanks to Danielle, Tabitha, Andy (former leasing agent) and Eva (former leasing agent). Hopefully this helps.

Current Resident 451226

Resident • 2009 - 2012

My 3 years here.

I moved into Avistele in June of 2009 and am finally leaving now, woohoo! Anyway, the first year and a half of living here wasn't so bad, or maybe I was just naive. However things have definitely gone downhill since then, from office staff (had a wonderful manager, Dan, current manager is not so friendly) to the condition of the buildings, etc. I have been in 3 different apartments here, 2 in North Village and 1 in South. My first apartment was in the North Village, and was fine when I moved in. A few months after that is when the maintenance began, first with our shower leaking into the unit below us, then to little brown bugs that we couldn't get rid of, ants crawling in somehow when it rained, dishwasher/garbage disposal troubles very frequently, and a drippy sink. All of these problems were fixed when I called maintenance, except the dripping sink. They came out THREE times before they finally got it right, because all they were doing was turning the faucet super hard until it actually started to break off of the sink. Against my better judgement I signed another lease after my first one was up, to an apartment in South Village with a roommate. The overall appearance of this apartment was of course much nicer as it had newer appliances and tile in the kitchen and bathrooms instead of that plastic stuff. However these apartments are still old so the maintenance issues didn't end just because it looked nicer. Toilets were constantly running, bottom burner on oven didn't work, etc. I only lived there for about 7 months as my roommate situation didn't work out; I transferred back to a 1 bedroom in North Village for cheaper rent and so I wouldn't have to pay a million dollars to break my lease and move somewhere else. Upon moving out I received a bill for $250 for cleaning, mind you NO damages to the apartment just cleaning. I cleaned this apartment upon moving out to the exact standards it was when I moved in. I called the front office disputing the bill and they were no help so I called corporate. Don't ever call corporate unless you want to deal with extremely rude people who really couldn't care less- I was crying after I got off the phone with this woman who told me that in the move out inspection pictures (which were taken and dated before I cleaned the apt) the unit looked 'not very clean'. When I pointed out that the inspection pictures taken by Avistele were dated the day before I cleaned, she told me to take it up with the office manager. Obviously I already tried that or I wouldn't be calling you, idiot. I ended up having to pay this bill because Avistele would no longer accept my rent checks without the $250 added in. I wrote them a very nice letter =). Now to my third and final apartment, and definitely the worst. Leaky pipes, constantly broken dishwasher and garbage disposal, IMPOSSIBLE to keep this place clean because every time I clean the bathtub/toilet two days later there's black stuff (mold?) all over them. Oh and did I mention this is the same model apt I had before except this one now costs $700 instead of $600 like I paid before? It's really probably worth about $400. Same issue with shower leaking into downstairs apartment which they knew about before Imoved in but "forgot" about, so I had men in and out getting in my way fixing my tub the same day I moved in, and for about 3 more days after that. Not a huge deal except it should have been taken care of before I moved in. The walls are extremely thin, although I only had one noisy neighbor so not a bad experience in that respect. Like I said before these apartments are old even if you get one that's revamped, I believe they were built in the 80's so there will still be issues. My electric bill is very high, and my bedroom is either an igloo or sauna depending on the weather. This is a decently safe neighborhood with maybe a few shady characters but no one has ever bothered me. The rent for the quality of what you get is honestly too high, and you can add about $50 onto your base rent/trash for water/sewer, etc. They make you pay $15 a month for valet trash which is nice but it should be an option not a necessity- there are many conveniently located dumpsters. Honestly if you're considering this place I'd suck it up and maybe pay $100 more for rent in a newer place- you'll save that on your electric bill alone.

Current Resident 390377

Resident • 2009 - 2012

It is very funny that as soon as somebody writes a bad review, within a day somebody responds to that writing good about this community ;-) Its very obvious who would be writing this other than the management!! A couple of months back when I moved out from this community, I did not give a positive review, and immediately second day..it was countered by positive feedback. Same thing happened yesterday when somebody gave a negative feedback about Reserve and today somebody responded with a positive feedback!! lol!! Since I have subscribed to the reviews ... I get an email notification whenever there is new review about Reserve!! Go through all the previous reviews and you will see a counter positive feedback to one negative... I think that's how they want to keep their statistical Percentage better!! I would still say "STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMMUNITY" if you have other better options!!

chadandi

Resident • 2007 - 2011

Adequate

I have read all the reviews on here, even dated back before my time. Some reviews are hateful, but the majority of the reviews are SPOT on. I prefer to just keep to myself and handle most of the problems that I have on my own. I enjoy the small community and the quite, that is why I stay.

Current Resident 148672

Resident • 2011

THE RESERVE AT DEERWOOD IS A DUMP!

This place is an absolute dump. The manager has no business running a car wash, let alone an entire complex. The buildings are being supported by metal poles and the entire place has been deemed unsafe to live in. After a good rain the hallways are flooded from watering seeping through the ceiling and walls from the floors above. To date, August 2011, 3 cars have been stolen, in this "supposed" gated community. The gates are ALWAYS open. Countless cars have been vandalized, from deep to the metal scratches, to tires being cut. If all that is not enough to keep you away, the maintenance staff is an joke, they come to work when they please, ride around all day on a golf cart and complain about having to pick up trash. And yes, it is everywhere. They are not responsible for the greens, the lakes, or any inside maintenance on the "condo's" so what do they do? You have families of 4 adults with children living in 2 bedroom less than 1200 sq ft. And the dog crap is everywhere.. EVERYWHERE, they are supposed to fine those who do not pick it up, but want you to take a photo, email it to the office and then they will "talk" to the irresponsible dog owner. What an absolute joke. Why do I stay? b/c I was foolish enough to get roped into buying one, and leaving would mean losing my shirt. As for that, with investors buying them at 25,000 as rental properties what do you expect the future will bring?

Current Resident 301010

Resident • 2009 - 2011

Overall, we were very happy here

My family and I have lived here for 2 years now and we have been very happy here. When we went to renew our lease here, they tried to drastically raise the rent and and make us pay for trash. However, we were able to negotiate and got them to waive the trash fee and lower the increase. In the end, we were happy. This place is very quiet and we have never had a problem with parking. The apartment is kind of old, but adequate. If we put in a maintenance request, they usually come that day or the next day. The place has monthly resident activities with free food and alcohol or other activities. It can be a good way to meet people.

Gogreeny

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Needs better management

This place is a joke. We have now lived here almost one year. The so called dog park is never clean and your pet cannot enjoy it. Hazard to be in. Residents are actually going beyond and keeping it clean due to the poor management. Lighting in the courts and park never work at night. Landscaping only seems to be a priority at the front of the place to make it seem like they care. Those of us living in the back barely even get our grass trimmed properly. (When we first moved here Ms. Rickett told us they would be updating all the landscaping that year - what a lie). There is no proper air venting in the racket ball courts making it a danger to utilize. Treadmills shock you in the dry winter air - another danger that no one seems to care about. Water bill comes from a third party billing but is due to the Management address. It comes about 4 days before due date - and the due date can change without notice. Maintenance is a nightmare - Our fridge leaked from the freezer down to our food from the first day we moved here. It took about 3 weeks and 4 separate attempts to get maintenance to check the right issue with it. Finally after I marched in the office and demanded to know why it was not fixed they finally just brought in a new fridge. The maintenance guy was confused stating "Uh a checked your fridge out already". We had to explain a 3rd time - it was the FREEZER leaking down to the bottom not the fridge. Our first impressions of the maintenance here has stuck with us. Almost a year later they have sent a letter stating they have raised the rent by $300.00 a year. When calling about it they sited "market prices". More people have moved out here then in it seemed. Both sides of us have been empty for a while. They have "updated" units that cost more but our is not one of those units. Doubt we will stay as they are plenty of nice places around with better reviews. I really wish I had more positive things to say about this place but the management here leaves much to be desired. At least they are nice to your face, but that is about it.

imtheman_andyg

Resident • 2011

Why all of a sudden?

If anyone with common sense (granted I know that it is a rare thing these days) actually looked at this site, they'd say up until a few months ago, the last time someone reviewed this place was like...years ago? And now all of sudden there are comments and rants, and it is just PURE drama. I'm actually kind of embarrassed to say I live here, but for arguments sake, I feel what I have to say may qwell some of this intense hostility and craziness. (I can totally tell the comments management put) LOL *I guess they don't realize they can log on as managers???* The bottome line, really to all this, is: Is this apatment community a decent place to live? I mean isn't this what people come to see on the website? Yes, it's decent. Is it great, wonderful, perfect? That's obviously debateable. Up until a few months ago, it seems the biggest problem people had on here were cats and bugs. While the bugs are gone and no longer an issue, the cats are not. This is because Maintenance and residents feed them like we are the god damn humane society. On to management: Sometimes it takes a second call to remind them about a work order, but that's more Maintenances fault than the offce staff. (Maintenance is a whole different issue below). I've always had a generally good repoire with the ladies up front, but I can see where some of the commenters would have an issue. They can be real ------- about community rules. Maintenance: Probably the biggest downside to the entire property. They have no idea what they are talking about EVER!!! And on top of that, they forget your work orders and you can spend a fair amount of time with leaky faucets and broken things. It's a decent place to live, perfect for new couples. The teenagers around here are total -------s and don't listen (not even to their parents). But there are no crack heads, or drug addicts. Although I have seen an occassional beer bottle at the doggy park, but some people are just trashy regardless of whether you point it out or not. Just like the people who let their dog ---- all over the place and don't pick it up. I'm gonna leave all the ratings in the middle, cause that's what this community is. Middle Rate. I think once maintenance is taken care of, some people won't have such an issue. I guess either way, my point is: no place is going to be perfect. It just depends on what you're willing to live with, and what you're not. I guess I can live with slow maintenance and cats because I've never had an issue with noise. Although I do think the closer you get to the pool in the summer, the louder is gets. Plus I can have my big dog here. And my dog is more important than worrying about ------ staff. Good Luck apartment hunting & believe me. Some of the worst reviews, are the most accurate...but to be taken with a grain of salt.