Apartment Review for Alexan Star Ranch - Austin, TX

Review: Alexan Star Ranch I’ve lived at Alexan Star Ranch in Hutto, TX (built March 2009) for about 2 months (moved in Dec. 2009) and have been very satisfied. I live in a one-bedroom, 825 square foot apartment. If this review is helpful, list me (Tricia Rosetty) as a referral so I can get a rent discount. ? Pros: - Fantastic staff/management – if you’ve lived in an apartment complex before, you know how important this is! The leasing associates Maddy and Briana are very friendly and helpful. They work hard to make living here a good experience. Very professional. The maintenance staff is also prompt and efficient. - Pet friendly, including large dogs. Each home can have up to two pets, dogs up to 85 pounds. - Who knew crown molding could actually make things homier, but it does. Venetian blinds are great too. - Spacious linen closet in the bathroom, great shelf space in the laundry closet, good coat closet. - The shelves in the huge Hollywood-style closet, the coat closet, and laundry room are the kind that are wire coated – I’m not sure what to call it but they’re not simple rails. - Built-in bookshelves (two in my apartment) - Energy efficient appliances – refrigerator/freezer with ice maker (no dispenser), microwave, stove, oven, and dishwasher. - Studio lighting in dining room area and soft lighting with fans in bedroom, living room, and foyer. - Neutral painted, lightly textured walls. No restrictions on painting as long as you paint it back before moving out. - Lots of electrical outlets - Even in my small apartment, I have a balcony, which is great for growing a small garden. There’s also a bit of outdoor storage in the water closet (with light). - Sprinkler system got me a discount on renter’s insurance (which is required). - Gorgeous three-tier pool with fire pit and outdoor grilling – can’t wait for summer! Putting green and sand volleyball right next to that. - Access to business office 24/7 – printing (bring paper), three computers, and WiFi. - Nice gym open 24/7 – two elliptical machines, two treadmills, weight machines. Also has two TVs, iPod hook-up (doesn’t work with iPhone), radio, etc. Fob-protected access. - Laminate hardwood floor in kitchen and bathroom are easy to clean and look nice. - Valet trash pick-up with provided can Sunday through Thursday evenings. Trash compacter on site. - Gate can be opened for guests via a box call to your cell phone and the touch of a button. - Hutto will be getting a new YMCA that will be about 5 minutes away from the complex. - There is an animal hospital right off FM 685, minutes away. - Well-lit parking lot – I walk my dog late at night and feel safe. - Double locks on the front door with peep hole. - Office will hold packages for you to pick up. Very nice office with free newspapers, coffee, TV, lounge area, etc. - AT&T gets great service here – full bars and 3G coverage. - Diverse community – young single professionals, retired couples, families, white, black, Hispanic – all kinds of people! - Monthly social events (free so far). Cons These aren’t really cons so much as potential improvements. - You could probably find lower rent in Hutto or Taylor, but you really get what you pay for here – high quality management and units. - Only long term leases available – when I moved in, the shortest lease available for my unit was 15 months. Income must be 2.8 times the rent. - Not really near anything besides 130. Hutto doesn’t have a grocery store! - If you have an animal phobia, this may not be the right place for you. Most people own pets. Also, with pet ownership comes irresponsible pet ownership – some owners are bad about adhering to leash laws and cleaning up after their pets despite the fact that clean-up stations are available throughout the complex. - Pet deposit is $250 (refundable minus damages) plus a $250 one-time fee. Goes to $100 deposit, $100 fee for the second animal. Some breed restrictions. - The carpets are so new that they shed quite a bit. My Hoover tends to get clogged from the fibers. I feel like I could make a sweater from the amount of carpet I get up when I vacuum. - My apartment didn’t come with a washer and drier, just the hook-ups but I think some apartments have them. - It would be nice if I could set the thermostat to different settings depending on the day of the week. - I wish the pantry was bigger. - A gas stove would be better than the electric stove I have. - Free WiFi and cable in the apartments would be great. With a converter box, you can get basic channels like PBS, which is all I do. - The water doesn’t get terribly hot. I wish it could get scalding hot for the purposes of doing dishes and filled up the huge bathtub. - Not a fan of the florescent lighting in the kitchen and could use a light in the laundry closet. - Recycling on-site would be nice. I save my recyclables to bring them elsewhere. - It would be great to have a closed-in off-leash area but I’m sure that’s a liability. - On-site laundry cost $1 to wash and $1 to dry and only on one side of the complex. - If you happen to get assigned a high mailbox, they can’t change it. I’m 5’2” and I have the highest-level mailbox. I get everything okay, but it would be more convenient to have a box at eye-level or lower. I’m sure if you have some sort of handicap they would make arrangements for that. If you’re 5’4” or taller, you probably won’t have any problems. - There isn’t a guarantee of one parking space per bedroom, though covered parking and garages are available to rent (some apartments include a garage that’s attached). So far this isn’t a problem, but we’re not at capacity yet. It’s a positive for guests not to have parking passes I suppose. - The vent is kind of noisy, but definitely not the loudest I’ve heard.