Farmstead

I'm writing from an experience as a former serious potential customer who almost moved there. My kids and I first looked at Farmstead soon after they finished phase 1 cottages. We met with one of the leasing agents who showed us the cottages. She was very nice the first time and management appeared accommodating. The rent was $1750 for the 1 bed cottage. The timing didn't work out, so we re-visited again this year. We were told multiple times that the rent would stay the same for phase 1 until 2025. Then the rent would go up when Phase 2 came along. At the end of the summer, we looked again and decided we'd move forward and see about applying. The rent was still $1750. 2 weeks later, The rent went up $75, then again a couple weeks later, went up another $75. ($150 total) I asked about it and they said because the cottages were sooooo popular, the owners raised the rent. This is the first hint at what kind of money hungry ownership you will deal with. They would not honor the fact that we were long time interested clients and were originally guaranteed by leasing agent multiple times that the rent was not going up. They were very dismissive, stopped returning emails with questions we had and were not as friendly the 2nd time we viewed the cottage. As you can see now, the rent is back to $1750 because people are leaving in droves after seeing the true picture. $1750 is overpriced for what you get. We thankfully did not give up our fabulous apartment where they do have cameras on the parking spaces. There were a couple of car break ins, but management took it seriously and kindly informed all residents, and asked for ring doorbell footage as well. No break ins in a couple years thanks to a landlord who cares about the residents. Farmstead has typical management who does not keep their word and blames it on ownership. Words of advise- find a rental where you are treated like a valuable asset, and not a pesky fly who gets treated shabbily when management is under pressure. Amenities like a pool and hot tub and a postage stamp fenced back yard where the neighbors can see right in your window and not worth all that. Stone Bridge is the best apartment complex in town!

Working from home here is terrible. It is SO loud. The walls and windows are thin. Construction noise isn't bad, it's mostly dogs barking. People seem to leave the dog doors open when they aren't home, and the dogs go absolutely nuts all day long. I can also hear the exact point my neighbor gets home each day. I can hear when they shut the door, when they close a cabinet or door, when they do laundry, etc. It essentially feels like we're sharing an apartment! I feel like roommates because I can hear everything! I'm paying more to live alone than I would've been paying with a roommate, but I feel like I took the short end of the stick. It's just as loud living alone here as it is having a terribly loud roommate. Also, the management has done nothing about this. I've talked to several neighbors who also have complained about how loud it is. Nothing is ever done.

2-bedroom, 2-bath cottage. The property itself is quite nice, with open green areas abound. Still largely under construction, but the construction noise isn't bad. While most cottages are duplex-style units, mine is a standalone which is really nice. It's the perfect space for my family's needs at the moment, and with it being a new build, it's got some great features like tall ceilings & windows and new appliances throughout.

The price is steep for what you get, considering that you're also paying separately for utilities and parking. All parking spots are reserved, and you have to pay for two, so keep that in mind if you have only one car or have frequent guests. Management's communication is inconsistent - you'll get different solutions to your problems depending on who you talk to, if you even do get a solution. They also still haven't keyed the mailboxes, so it's a toss-up as to whether your mail arrives or not. Some of this is new property hiccups for sure.

Location is another trade-off - it's not close to the UO campus at all, so you're either driving 15 minutes or taking a 7.5 mile bike ride. With that being said, it's a very quiet part of town, which makes up for the distance.

The apartment is in a very safe neighborhood far from downtown and has all wanted amenities. Dog friendly neighborhood. I greatly enjoy living here overall.