Does anyone know anything about Jeffrey Spoon or Spoon Properties?
Supposedly, he/they are buying the apartment complex that i live
in and turning part of it into condo's.  The old landlord kept the
place really well maintained, and rent increases were (for the
area) pretty modest.  It sounds like my choices will soon be (1)
buy a condo from Mr. Spoon, (2) rent an apartment from Mr. Spoon,
and (3) find a new place to live.  Sky-high prices & rising interest
rates make buying look pretty dubious right now, but renting risks
both having a crappy landlord and being booted out again when the
CondoBorg hits the new apartment.

(It's Arbor Village Apartments, next to St. Francis Catholic Church
on E. Stadium near Washtenaw.)

31 responses total.

Are those the apartments that are right next to Trader Joes? Duh, I 
guess if they are E. Stadium near Washtenaw, they would have to be. 

I dont know anything about Mr Spoon. I do know that buying a condo isnt 
usually quite as good as an investment as buying a house. But, that 
doesnt mean it is a bad investment. 

I have a friend in Berkeley, CA who just had a similar situation happen 
to him. He ended up buying his place but is now going to be paying a 
LOT more per month than he was when he was renting. I dont think you 
would suffer the same issue. YOu might find that you'll be able to buy 
your unit without significantly increasing your monthly expense. 

There are 2 apartment complexes right next to Trader Joe's - Arbor Village
(mine) on the west, and Ann Arbor Woods (less desirable to my eye, but it
seems to attract the police occasionally) to the east.  (Then there's the
LampPost Inn (?) that's actually on Stadium, in front of Ann Arbor Woods -
it seems to be a motel that advertises weekly & monthly rates...)

My impression is that Ann Arbor housing prices have been rising far faster
than personal incomes for quite a while...at some point, the bubble's got
to pop when too few people can afford the sky-high price tags...and rising
mortgage rates mean yet-higher monthly payments...

I have to wonder how bad it will get before the bubble bursts. Because 
my friend in Berkeley was buying a house, we all spent a lot of time 
talking about California Bay Area real estate. Rents are way higher 
than they are here and the prices of houses are higher still. It is 
probably cheaper to rent in the short term there. 

My poor friend had been renting 1/2 of a duplex for under a grand a 
month. The owners decided to sell and it was buy or risk getting the 
boot from the new owners. So he bought. $640k!!! Now mind you, this 
place is itty bitty. I dont know the size of the other unit but I was 
at my friends place and I would guess it was around 900 sq ft. Sheesh. 

You would think that housing bubble would have burst when people 
started losing their jobs around there. I dont know how anyone can 
afford to live there. Houses in the "ghetto" in Oakland sell for $200-
$300k for fixer upper shack type places. It is insane. 

There is a part of me that really wants to move there but if I did, I 
am not sure how I would be able to afford housing. The jobs dont pay 
more or at least not as far as I can tell. I have to wonder...where do 
their cops, firefighters, bookstore clerks, teachers, etc live?

I am glad I bought my house when I did because if it were on the market 
today I wouldnt be able to afford it, even though my salary has 
increased since the time I bought this place. I love my house. But even 
so...the housing market has been making me feel trapped. If I sold my 
house, I wuoldnt be able to afford a better one in this area or *any* 
one in the Bay Area. 

Well, i've talked to quite a few folks, and still nothing very useful
about Mr. Spoon.  It sounds like he's fairly new to Ann Arbor, talks
big, and has some high-end projects downtown that aren't working out
so well.  Zilch about how he treats his tenants/customers. 

One condo-savvy & condo-owning building trades guy advised me to move 
out regardless - the new condo's are a big unknown, and the not-yet-
condofied apartments will get 2nd-class treatment one way or another;
meanwhile, there are plenty of other established-known-quantity condo
complexes out there and similar apartments complexes where renting is
their #1 business.  I don't know...this place is a LONG was above the
last apartments-only complex i was in... 

Have you thought about buying a house or do you prefer the apartment 
thing?

Not really.  I don't have any interest in the maintenance that a house 
needs, prices for houses strike me as being foolishly high, and i just
don't have the emotional want for my own house.

(Not that i've got the $$$$$$ that Ann Arbor houses cost anyway.) 

I have peeked a bit at The Village (the big co-op of duplexes south of
Arborland between Washtenaw & Packard) on the web & asked them for
some info.  Parts of Walden Hills (on Pauline 'tween W. Stadium & S.
Maple) also look half-way reasonable.  Of course, a big part of really
buying is doing all the math to figure out what my current rent budget 
equates to after mortgage costs, interest rate deductions, paying for 
heat, association fees, etc., etc.

I have noticed that the condos in The Village havent been increasing in 
value at pace with the rest of Ann Arbor. Of course, while that might 
mean they arent the best investment, it also means that they probably 
are affordable. 

FWIW, I have known people who have lived there over the years. They are 
nice little places. They have basements which means extra space and the 
basements have hookups for a washer/dryer. They generally have hard 
wood floors and the living rooms have nice high ceilings. A lot of them 
have pleasant decks out back although if you dont like kids or dogs, 
they might not be the place for you. The complex has a pretty decent 
swimming pool which would be a plus for me. The kitchens are small but 
functional. The only thing that would bug me about the place is that 
because all the parking is on the street, it can sometimes be difficult 
to park near one's unit. 

Hmmm... I lived in that area for a while; the only pool I remember is
Forestbrooke.  'Twas nice, but I don't know what the membership fees are.

I'm really not interested in home-buying as an investment - especially
since prices have been skyrocketing for a while, it's like investing
in tech stocks in late 1999.

Ah, somebody who knows stuff about The Village!  Do tell...  How good &
solid is their basic construction?  Are they half-way decently insulated
& weathersealed, or is heating/cooling expensive?  Any issues with the
co-op's board, management company, etc.?  Any problems with unwelcome
critters (2-leg, 4-leg, 6-leg, or more)?  Noise issues?  Problems with
theft or other crimes?  I don't mind kids or dogs (if passably well-
behaved & cleaned-up-after), and walking a bit to park is good exercise.
Issues with vintage plumbing & fixtures?  Anything else to think about 
or look (out) for in a unit there?

Digging through the listings at www.Realtor.com, it looks like i may
also want to consider the bottom end units at Geddes Lake Coop.  For
$30K more than typical The Village 2BR units, i'd get 200 more sq. ft.,
an extra 1/2 bath, *attached garage*, lower association fee, no goofy
9.875% blanket mortgage, 30 years newer construction...on the other
hand, it's a sprawling flat-roofed doorwall showroom (likely huge
heating/cooling costs) and convenient to nothing except Gallop Park
& the high school.  Other than the lower monthly costs, i don't need
any of that (though garage is nice in cold or bad weather.  "Cheapest
in Geddes Lake" may be discounted for condition as well as size.

One 2BR unit on Fernwood in the Village is selling for ~$10K below
the rest - agent says it needs paint, floor refinishing, and new
countertops, but is in a more-desirable location.  I know at least
a couple builder guys who give referrals, and painting isn't too
hard...

Oops...a friend who used to live there says that Geddes Lake probably
*does* have a blanket mortgage after all...sounds like they were in the
midst of conversion to condo's a couple years ago (friend's last update)
with heavy foot-dragging by the old "coop/hippie" crowd there.

I dont recall the construction at The Village as being particularly bad 
although the unit my friend was renting had some issues that her 
landlord wouldnt fix. A leaking toilet had damaged the subfloor in her 
bathroom for instance. But, to be honest, I am kind of dippy about such 
things. 

My friend who was renting at The Village didnt have major problems with 
critters. I dont know how well it was insulated but it was much better 
insulated than my house although that doesnt say much as my house 
pretty much isnt insulated at all and is rather drafty. As for noise. I 
think my friend *was* the noise problem and she doesnt live there 
anymore ;) Seriously though, Geddes Lake is much more quiet than The 
Village which seems to have more younger people and people with kids. I 
dont mind that kind of noise but some folks do. 


I like Geddes Lake better than The Village and if I were making the 
choice, I would go with Geddes Lake. I think the garage and the general 
lay out of the units would do it for me. That 200 square feet extra 
makes a difference. Well, I dont know how many different floor plans 
Geddes Lake has but the one I have seen where some friends lived was 
pretty nice. It had a nice pond view and had a cozy but not to cramped 
feel. 

I got a peek at a FSBO 1BR unit at The Village on Saturday.  Nice in
a lot of ways (owner worked for a builder & had been fixing it up in
his spare time), but the kitchen seemed mighty small for my enjoy-
puttering-in-the-kitchen tastes.  (Supposedly no larger in the 2BR
units, but note the source's bias.)  Walked almost the whole complex
- seemed a quite nice area with loads of trees, parkland, etc., but
the exteriors of noticable number of units looked overdue for fixing/
painting...is their regular maintenance schedule stretched a bit?
The monthly cost there is also starting to feel like an issue.  I'd
probably be paying ~$725/month in blanket mortgage, association fee,
& property tax, plus gas, plus my 2nd mortgage (at higher interest)
...vs. renting at $775/month now.  (Mr. FSBO said gas ranges from a
low of ~$20/month to ~$85/month in winter - doesn't sound too bad.) 
And hard to ignore your suggestion to prefer Geddes Lake, when other
sources all seem to confirm your scoop on The Village. 

I also looked at a $138K FSBO 2BR/1B balcony-overlooking-a-pond unit
at Geddes Lake.  Too pricey & too many little strangenesses to be of
real interest, but several others have also recommended there, so i
guess there are better units...but probably still a heavy winter heat
bill (~$180/month).  Probably have to have a Realtor to see some of
the ~$115K units listed on the web.

My eye's recently been caught by a 2BR/1B 2nd-floor balcony unit at
Independence Condo's (Packard at Independence, just up from George-
town Mall (Kroger)).  It's been vacant on the market for a bit at
$123K, with a $300/month association fee that includes heat.  It's
got a balcony, and huge cathedral ceiling in the main living/dining/
kitchen space.  938 sq. ft., carport, laundry off the 4-unit lobby.
Listing Realtor says the Kitchen needs remodeling & is mailing me
more info.  Straight condo means considerably better interest rate
on the mortgage.  Obvious questions - condition, what the balcony
faces, etc.  

They've announced pricing for the condo's here at Arbor Village (to
be "The Arbors") - "minimally fixed up" starting prices run from 
$125K for 1BR/1B to $140K for 3BR/2B...the latter's got about 2x the
floor space of the former.  Add up to $15K for "choicer location"
units and up to $15K for "new kitchen/paint/carpet/etc." units.
With the high minimum prices, i don't see it being reasonable for me.
The older couple next door have already plopped down deposit on their
3BR/2B unit...probably a good move for them.  

I just got the new Ann Arbor Observer & looked at its June 2004 Home
Sales page.  They noted a divergence in condo prices - rising for the
newer & feature-rich stuff, weak for older units.  Median price up by
5% from Jun03, but the dragged-up-by-big-numbers-at-the-high-end mean
price is up 10% from Jun03.  Particular complexes:  Chapel Hill held
steady, Oak Meadows dropped 17% ("comparable floor plans"), Walden
Hills fell 11%, and Weatherstone slipped 4%.  OTOH, The Village was up
7% & Geddes Lake up 3%.

The FSBO guy at The Village had noted to me that the number of units
up for sale there had surged following a fairly recent price rise, as
a number of people tried to cash out at recent higher prices...will 
that push prices right back down? 

Now, what?  I'm tempted to get preliminary "what we'd loan you" numbers
from a mortgage place, eyeball a unit or 3 in several complexes to
identify places i'd like, then start graphing prices over time, like
stock geeks supposedly do (trying to pin down the "right time" to buy
or sell).  

Meanwhile, my friend with a ~1400 sq. ft. mobile home in that nice park
out on Jackson in Scio Twp. is now hoping she can clear $20K on it...
hard to beat that price, but i've no idea what monthly costs are. 
And the vacancy rate for apartments here at Arbor Village is still far
from zero - can i dicker it down a bit? 

(The mean price for houses was only up 4%, hinting weakness in the top
end of the market.  Hopefully this'll curb the "miles of McMansions"
sprawl a bit.)

One of the nicest things about ownership is that, eventually, you do 
own the home.  That perk might seem so far away as to not feel 
tangible, but you're still going to need housing in 15 (or 30) years 
and how nice if the biggest chunk of change in your budget isn't 
always a mortgage or rent.

If you're going to be in the area for the long haul, and you can 
afford it, go for ownership, and go for a 15 year mortgage.

We actually know someone who was so scared to make the move into 
owning instead of renting that he posponed the decision right into 
not being able to retire because of monthly rent payments.  Don't go 
there.

Er, postponed.

Walden Hills is pretty nice - my old office was in that complex.  Solid
construction, so less noise between units.

I pulled out the info that the listing Realtor's junior "Buyer's Agent"
guy mailed me when i called them about the Independence Condo (see #13,
2nd paragraph above) yesterday.  (FWIW, Mr. Eager-to-be-my-agent mailed
pitifully little info, 99% of it duplicating what he knew i'd already
seen on www.Realtor.com.)  The complex is considerably nicer than my 
(dim memory & driving by) impression.  A very friendly older resident
i ran into was happy to talk about things, and (allowing for some bias)
spoke favorably of both the complex & vacant unit's current owner.  It
sounds like she had several cats...i'm allergic...but the carpeting is
"new" - was it cleaned & recarpeted *after* the cats left?  He did note
that the association fee has gone up considerably to fund new balconies
& other substantial maintenance projects in the past few years...well,
far better to know & have some of it fixed already.  Hot (& cold) water
are also included in the association fee, the balcony overlooks an nice
landscaped part of the complex's central courtyard, and the windows at
the top of the cathedral ceiling do not open (though some other folks
have paid to get that changed).  Sounds like Ann Arbor Realty (?) is
the management company...yet another entity to investigate...

Anybody know the sales commission rules for A^2 Area Realtors?  I'm
wondering whether Mr. Underwhelming Realtor would collect double if
i didn't have a Realtor of my own (to collect her own %), or if the $
would be left in the seller's hands (letting 'em drop the price?).  I
probably should decide strategy on that before trying to get a look at
Realtor-listed units in any of the complexes i'm considering.  

(I could also check how long the Independence unit's been on the market
& mail the owner a letter if it looked like her contract with her
Realtor might be up...but i'm a ways from being that serious about the
unit.) 

The commission is something like 15%.  If there are two real estate
agents, they split the commission.  If there is only one, that one gets
the whole commission.  In this case, the listing agent and his associate
would split the commission.

IIRC, agents' contracts include a clause giving them the commission if a
person they contacted eventually buys the property, even if the contract
has since expired.  It's usually time-limted, three to six months after
the contract expires.  The clause is there to protect them from exactly
what you are considering doing, Walter.

NB:  "Realtor" is a registered trademark of the Board of Realtors.  Not all
real estate agents are members of the Board of Realtors, so not all real
estate agents are Realtors.

Hmmm.  With 15% going to the Realtor(s), it sounds like i need to start
looking at FSBO's.  That $123K unit at Independence would be $104.5K
net to the owner...and peeking through the Real Estate Closings page in 
back issues of the A^2 Observer seems to reveal that units there have 
actually sold for $70.0K to $116.5K in the past 3 years, and one with 
the same street address as the listed unit sold for $103K last year...
best guess is that it's right under the one for sale.  The $70K+ sales
are in '01 & the $88.5K in Jan02, so the '04/'05 Observer City Guide's
"$90K to $115K, 1 to 3 bedrooms" is starting to look real, and the $123K
price tag on the listed unit looks ambitious.  Makes me wonder if the
local standard is to list stuff at "hope & prayer" prices, then settle
for 10%-20% less if no eager spendthrift happens by.  The "either ~$104K
or ~$115K" price split at Independence since May02 could be explained as
"either FSBO or (commissioned) agent", too. 

Nah, it's the "list high and hope" syndrom.   Generally, the initial
offer is less than the asking price.  Real estate and cars are the two
places bargaining is still expected.

Hmmm...it sounds like i'll need to redo my approach to this...if the
asking price is within ~25% of plausable, then review the actual sales
price history to decide whether the place merits a closer look...but
if, as the above data point suggests, the A^2 Observer City Guide is
an accurate source of real prices, then the new algorithm could still
be pretty quick.

Then there's the local reality for each property i figure's worth a
closer look.  Mr. Wanna-Be-My-Buyer's-Agent spilled that the unit at
Independence needs ~~$6K of work on its kitchen when i caught him a
bit off guard with a candid question, then forgot it fast (not in his
hand-written summary that re-repeats several small favorable details).
Sounds like, "Buyer's Agent" or not, i'd better be ready to do quite
a bit of my own detective work, and hire experts as needed.

Renting is looking better and better...

That 6K can be knocked off the purchase price, PDQ.

Sellers are obligated to reveal the defects they are aware of.

Getting the house inspected is expected.  I used Patrick Lions, The Buyer's
Inspector.

Peeking at www.Realtor.com this morning, another 2BR/1Bth 2nd story condo
at Independence has hit the market - at $133.9K ($10K more than the other
one).  Has a unit sold high recently that they think they can get it, or
is this a fantasy price?  They didn't bother posting a little blurb (to
mention features which might support the price), nor did they post any
interior photos.

The point on the wanna-be Buyer's Agent was that he seems to be showing
active hostility to my interests (paying a low price, not through the
nose) while he's trying to convince me to take him on as a trusted and
well-paid agent.  The whole real-estate-related industry has pretty clear
interests running directly against the interests of (potential) buyers -
this does not inspire confidence.

If the $123.9K unit was listed at $104K (plausable price to judge by the
Observer's history) - $6K (fix the kitchen) = $98K, then i might feel
some real interest.  As it is, i find myself looking harder at all the
900-1000 sq. ft. units over at Walden Hills listed at $102.5K - $117.5K
and wondering what they really close for, wanting to really see a 2BR
unit at The Village, ask my friend more about her $20K mobile home out
at Scio Farm Estates (?) on Jackson Rd., etc.

Hmmm...fair number of little things have happened since #24.  There were
a load of open houses at The Village last Sunday, and i visited most of
'em.  Yep, the 2BR's kitchen/living/dining is NOT bigger than the 1BR's.
Met a Realtor (Charles Oliver of Coldwell Banker/Schweitzer) who really
seemed like i could work with (up front with both features *and* problems
of the unit he was showing, suggested both a high and low offer to make
(both way below list) when i noted that the unit seemed a touch pricy,
far more eager to discuss stuff i'd need to know & what he'd be doing for
me (vs. naked bids for my business) when i was more interested in him than
the particular unit he was showing).  The unit i liked best was a middle
2BR FSBO - nice young couple eager to sell in my timeframe, only $707 per
month co-op bill (on Pittsfield near Packard), stove & 'fridge switched in
the kitchen (big improvement in my eyes), and many differences from the
"standard" mostly in the direction of my tastes.  Dunno...not in love with
it, and priced at "but we're eager to bargain" $89.9K

I've traded voice mails with Charles Oliver & updated him on things. 

As of Friday, www.Realtor.com still showed the $123.9K list-far-over-the-
sales-history condo at Independence as available.  Maybe ask the yucky
(listing) Realtor to show it to me, then (*if* it seems nice, checks out
as cat-hair-clean, kitchen isn't too broken-down, etc.) try to lowball it?

I've heard more favorable things about Walden Hills, but haven't gotten in
there yet.  One "lived there" source says the assoc. fee on smaller units
was low as of a few years ago; the yucky Realtor told me otherwise (while
trying to steer me toward more expensive stuff he was listing).

I called Scio Farms Estates about my friend's big mobile home - sounds 
like lot & water/sewer is about $475/month, making that far less a bargain
for me.  (I do not need 1400 sq. ft., deck, yard, extensive landscaping, &
such...plus, she had cats & i've got allergies.)  Flip side, it's vastly
cheaper to own than any condo, and i could probably move out & pay to have
it hauled to the dump after 10 years, yet still come out 'bout the same as
renting an apartment - powerful arguments.  But how fast does the lot rent
rise, and could disruptive ownership changes strike there?

Meanwhile, renting another year here at Arbor Village is looking less good.
Local rumor's explanation for the *still*-sitting-unpaved parking lot here
is that Mr. Spoon's in financial/legal trouble.  A less-unreliable-sounding
rumor is that they've got the place rented almost full again - so i can
probably forget dickering a deal on rent next year (lease up Sept. 30th).
The construction here *is* a mess, and was fast/intense only at first (the
tear-everything-up phase)...how much to discount living here for that (how
long will it go on)?

Next time you speak with Charles Oliver ask he was the Charles Oliver
of M-net, circa 1987.  If so, tell him Mary says, "Hi".

Hmmm...it's been a month since #25, and a load of stuff has changed.
The hunt for something to buy is over & dead.  I'm not eager for the
big floor space, yard, or magical feeling of ownership.  Plenty of 
folks have told me that real estate is a sure-fire great investment
...with an overall mix of faith/facts similar to that for dot-com's 
and tech stocks in 1999.  It doesn't work on a cost basis either - 
if i owned a $100K place with $300/month association fee (& periodic
stuff that a condo owner's got to do), i'd be paying a total of $500
per month after adding in property taxes.  If i owned $100K in cash,
i could get over $400 a month from stashing it in a long-term high-
quality bond fund...i could find a really nice apartment for $900/
month ($400+$500).  No $$$% back-end load to a Realtor if i wanted
to sell out of the bond fund, no assessments to fix leaking basement
& roof, etc. 

Back here at Arbor Village, i gave 30-day notice to the landlord on
Aug. 31st - so out by Sept. 30th or else.  After weeks of wild & 
crazy rumors, we got official word last Friday that Mr. Spoon will
close on the place mid-month...but that the condoization of my side
of the complex will be turned over to another (unnamed) developer.
I'm assuming that i'll have signed a new lease elsewhere before i
learn that developer's name...even if there isn't yet another delay.

So on to the hurry-up apartment search.  Working with (more like
sucking off) a savvy fellow searcher from Arbor Village with similar
needs, asking family & friends, etc., i've cooked up a short list of
prospective landlords & apartment complexes - all that are on it are
First Martin Corp. (the U-M AD's firm) and Nam; the complexes are 
Homestead Commons & Mill Creek (FMC, both near Stone School & 
Eisenhower in south Ann Arbor) and Mapleridge, Mulberry Row, & 
Thorncrest (Nam, on Dexter Rd. on the west side, at the Packard /
Eisenhower split on the south side, and a few blocks north of down-
town Saline respectively).

For now, better drive-through and web-rating impressions put First
Martin's properties in the lead.  Both offer basic, practical ~1980
construction at under $700/month+heat for 1BR units.  Both offer a
cure for hearing too much of your upstairs/downstairs neighbor -
townhouse layout at Mill Creek and concrete-lined floors at Home-
stead.  Mill Creek's a bit cheaper, but looks it and is closer to
the freeway; Homestead supposedly has an obnoxiously intrusive set
of application paperwork but is right next to the brand-new branch
library.   

I'm still trying to learn about more good landlords & places to
consider, but sorting/cleaning/throwing out is ramping up...in a
bit over two weeks, i'd better be busy *moving* to a yet-to-be-
decided new place... 

That sounds pretty stressful!

Update:  hopefully my hunt is over.  Since #27, i've toured Homestead
Commons (nice in lots of ways, with unexpected bonuses in several spots,
but under-spec dimensions in some critical spots, a too-cramped feel to
the kitchen, and the floors in the kitchen/bath were that flat, feature-
less material that only seems to come in a color best called "septic".
Nam fell off the list after a drive-through of his Mapleridge property
gave me a "don't want to live there" impression and my fellow searcher
was underwhelmed by them on the phone.  Meanwhile, i checked out stuff
at Craigslist.org on Meg's suggestion and cold-called several of the
higher-rated complexes from apartmentratings.com.  One sounded-great-&-
only-$600/month-with-utils "upstairs of landlord's house" apartment on 
W. Summit (just NW of downtown) fell through for lack of fast references. 
I did discover that some places are very eager indeed for tenants - free
first month's rent, up to $500 of moving costs reimbursed, and similar. 
Meanwhile, Traver Knoll Apartments (between Traver & Plymouth right by 
where the A^2 RR tracks cross Barton on the NE side) was offering $200
per month off a big 1BR apartment, 9 month lease, free A/C & heat.  A
great location, ~40-year-old unit, excellent bottom line ($640 per month 
plus non-AC/non-stove electricity), passable condition with seemed-hyper-
energetic maintenance patching up the bad parts, faces to Traver through 
a dense tree line, top of 2 floors, "Modern" (older) part of the complex, 
eager to close the deal *now*.  It took some digging & opinion-soliciting 
in their parking lot to get any references beyond the one web site, then 
i put down my deposit early Friday.
   There's no way that Traver Knoll can compete with Arbor Village (my
current apartment) in the architecture dept., and i'm sure i'll miss it
every day.  That stark "modern" look was a fad that faded for some good
reasons.  Nice real wood vs. decent metal kitchen cabinets.  Close-to-
perfect (for their age) white tub & tilework vs. was-a-trend-blue stuff
that really needs recoating & serious fixing.  Shallow apartment with
generous roof overhang & balcony projecting over well-landscaped court-
yard vs. deep, with windows only onto the cut-flush balcony.  Earthy
muted red brick with white wood trim & modest-sloped shingle roofs vs.
stark white-with-black-metal-outlines cubes.  A jillion other things,
though Arbor Village isn't built perfect.
   On the other hand, i still have no idea who'll even own my side of
Arbor Village on Monday, or who'll work here.  (Mr. Spoon supposedly
will own the other side of the complex as apartments while this side
is turned to condo's by ???.)  Most of the security lighting has been
dead for months.  All the office & maintenance staff that i'm aware of
(the other half of the really good place that this *was*) believe that
they're being let go after being ill-treated at best...and the great
maintenance was why i came here to begin with. 
   Enough blogging - time to do errands, start packing, etc. 

I used to live near Traver Knoll and kind of liked living on that side 
of town. There are some nice walks around there and the shopping is 
decent and it doesnt take long to get downtown. I didnt like the house 
I lived in though. Eventually I ended up at Windemere Park apts and I 
liked those a bit better. Good luck with the move. 

I lived in Traver Knoll for a couple of years, and I really liked those
apartments (I was in the older "modern" ones, too).  

Shopping isn't as good as it was, since the Broadway Kroger closed a few years
back.  But the Plymouth Rd. Kroger isn't incredibly far, although probably
too far to walk.

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