Yeah, and if a frog had wings it wouldn't bump it's ass a hoppin'.

Yeah, it's disheartening to see the building so empty. If it had been built with more 1BR apts that are easier to rent, it might be a different story regardless of what's demanded per month to live there. As for the setting of the rents, a lot of that is determined at the Hanover corporate headquarters in Houston, and based on what did rent well in the building is also how this increase was determined, and for what specific types of floor plans. (The place is about 70% rented now, not considering possible turnover of residents this summer, so that figure may go up or down.)

A few people under the age minimum have slipped in. How that happened--no clue. Well, duh, some parent was a guarantor of an place, but given how it's advertised how "strict" the age limit is it just made me say "uh, what?"

I'm one of the fortunate demographic who qualified to live in that building but I can sense a terrible value even if I'm not real-estate savvy. People's perception of "luxury" is going to differ as well, and while some of the appointments may be state-of-the-art, the overall construction of some of the appointments is pretty darn shoddy.

I just think all of this is pretty funny given the hype of this complex during its construction--and it seemed to look promising back in the day. I started following this thread last summer when I was moving to the area and well, now there's some assessment of a living experience there and I don't have any more to add to it here, as I think I've plenty said my piece. I will be interested though to see how this complex will fare 2, 3, even 5 years from now as people come and go.

It's that type of thinking that has created the housing mess we currently have.

The place is ridiculously overpriced, luxury or not. Denying and dismissing that reality isn't going to improve the occupancy level - more realistic prices are.

__________________

Its nice having a Wachovia branch thats open on a Saturday in the area. I'll say that.

__________________
A song that says it all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqITJFGyq4s

Oh yes. Definitely agree with that.

Recently decided not to renew lease at Domus after getting notice that they were going to raise the rent by $200/month. Since then the management have been basically playing games. Lots of "oh we didn't get your notice" and "we didn't get your rent check"..."we can't accept checks for more than 1 months rent". Very unprofessional.

Apparently they're set up to screw you and have a lot of policies that are applied selectively to charge you more in the event you decide not to renew. I'm disappointed and I think that it represents a general lack of good faith on their part (the management company) who is new the area.

The property is fine for the area. There is a general lack of security in the parking lot area which I would be cautious about and keep your head on a swivel (duh, you are in a city, people). I would say that the fit and finish in the actual apartments themselves is on the cheap side for what you're paying ($2K+/month). You can tell where they've cheaped out. For example, those "hardwood" they advertise floors are actually a plastic material that generates an ungodly amount of static electricity. Mine are uneven and separating as well. The electricity (sockets) are extremely cheap and broke the first day I plugged anything in. Besides this, the place is barely occupied and the people that actually do live there are Whartonites or UPenn law students whose parents pay the rent or richer foreigners (mainly Asians) who are taking advantage of currency valuations.

Do yourself a favor and look for a place near Rittenhouse if your budget is in the $1800+ range. You'll have a much better experience, better amenities, and certainly a better neighborhood.

z

Uhhh...okaaayyyy...



If you felt uncomfortable leaving your original post up, or felt it wasn't necessary, that's all right, but I don't feel it will get you in any trouble. Believe me, anything I've said here, I said it to the management too.

What is the minimum age? I was not aware of any allowable age-based restrictions, other than for 55+ communities.

I believe the minimum age is 22, though they are not as strict about it as you may think. I know of at least a few undergrads who slipped in last year (I think they were 20)--I got this info firsthand from one of the managers who has since moved on.

The idea behind having the age restriction was likely so this wouldn't turn into a dorm--while it is a civilized place to live, it definitely has a graduate dorm-like vibe to it esp. with all the Whartonites and Penn Law kids living there.