The “Waverly Town Homes” still looked vacant on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023.
Thirty-five rental units have been built at Waverly Drive and Grand Prairie Road in Albany. They have looked finished for months yet remain vacant. How come?
When I asked about this in July, the city building official told me the builders had a problem getting some electrical equipment. That hurdle appears to have been overcome. When the bike and I visited the place on Tuesday, some of the outside lamps were turned on.
A sign on the fence invites people to contact Centurion Real Estate Management for lease information. When I called the number Wednesday morning, I got several minutes of music followed by a recording that said: “No one is available to take your call.”
I left a message but so far have not heard back.
On its website, the management company has a name for the complex at the southeast corner of Waverly and Grand Prairie: “Waverly Town Homes.”
Fourteen of two-story units have two bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms each. Twenty-one others have one bedroom and one bath. Among their features: quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances.
The website says the units should be available Nov. 15.
The Centurion website says the units rent for $1,705 a month for two bedrooms and $1,305 a month for the smaller ones. There’s a $68 application fee plus a deposit. Renters must complete a pet-related questionnaire even if they have no pets.
City officials say Albany has an urgent need for more housing, so when these units are rented, presumably the need will be sligtly less. (hh)
The story has been edited in light of the comment below from an employee of the real estate management company. The original was wrong about the rent for the one-bedroom units. That figure applied to two bedrooms, and the rent for the smaller units is less.
The lights were on Tuesday outside some of the units, including these two.
The difference between town homes and and apartment, a town home will include a small yard. While some apartments may also include a yard, it may not be all units in a complex, where a townhouse complex all unites are typically stacked and have at least one common wall with a neighbor and a small private yard. Price appears to be in the ballpark for anything new. I trust you can follow up and provide an answer was to why they are taking so long to fill up.
How many apartment can Albany have it makes me sick
if your “sick” perhaps you should talk to your Dr. about your issue with appartments making you sick
Outrages rent and deposit…!!
$1700 for a one bedroom? That’s beyond ridiculous!
These are 2 bedroom 1.5 baths (14) and (21) 1 bedroom 1 bath. The $1705 is for the 2 bedrooms. I work for Centurion Real Estate Management! Thank you
I’m in a 4 bedroom 2 bath and my rent isn’t even that much that’s ridiculous
Is your rent subsidized?
See the revised story. That figure actually is for two bedrooms.
That’s what the world has come to, though. It is a big part of why we have a homeless problem. A lot of homeless people have jobs, but still can’t pay the high rents of today.
A little math will tell you why they aren’t rented. Assuming the old standard of your housing should be no more than 30% of your take home pay or 25% of your gross. Take $1,700 times 4 (assuming total deductions from gross pay at 25%) = $6,800. Now multiply that by 12 and you get and annual salary of $81,600 or $39.23 per hour. And people wonder why there is a homeless problem.
Just a few years ago my social security was barely enough to afford a one bedroom, but it was doable, with zero extras in the budget. Now I can’t even afford a studio, forget about a one bedroom or food, utilities, medicine, etc.. Even most decent roommate situations are too expensive! The days of the 25-30% ratio are long gone, I’m afraid.
I asked Hasso for an update because I can’t imagine the loss of income for that many dwellings left empty for a year (give or take) due to a lack of supplies..
I drive by that intersection often, so Mrs Kravitz is definitely wanting to know! LOL!
Thank you Hasso for your input!
The problem in the WIllamette Valley is overpopulation. Why do you continue to ruin a rural area with gentrification and insane population density. Taxes are raised to provide the infrastructure to cram all the rats inside the nest. Farmland is paved over. Watershed areas are destroyed and immorally filled in by landswaps. More water is consumed. Freeways are clogged. We need an immediate moratorium. We need “economic development and more “affordable housing” are false arguments. 90% of homelessness is a result of a failed justice system. If folks can pay $6 for cup of coffee with our inflated, fiat dollars, they certainly can pay the outrageous rental fees for their apartments and townhouses.
More residents = more taxes to spend on everything EXCEPT what is really needed. From the Federal to the State, to local government, we have so many unethical, immoral, out of touch politicians, it makes you wonder who votes for them! If it truly is the “majority”, our country is doomed.
Great post Bob!.. thanks for the sanity
What happened to all the funding for affordable housing? Wasting money and funding on camps and bigger shelters is not even a band-aid solution. Hanging out in the twilight zone while serious solutions are not being implemented is just leaving the homeless like hamsters in a wheel. The government is just shoving their problems into the closet and saying that they cleaned their room. Does not work for my kiddos and it should not work for the government. Maybe I should ease up on my kiddos when they need to clean up their messes and except it as skills training for a career in running the government. Thankfully they have more pride in themselves, suck it up and are accountable for their actions.
I’ve seen new apartment complexes being built in several local small communities.
They seem to be from 50 to perhaps 150 or more. They certainly address the issue of increased available units, but not the “affordable” part. I’m curious if any qualify for section 8 in pricing. And then there is a staffing issue. Someone has to do maintenance and where they going to find general repair people anymore? I have 4 houses I accumulated over 40 years. I’ve always done all the work and management myself. I’m 70 now and have failing health. I can’t find qualified help.
I sure don’t want to sell to one of these buyers who call every week and contribute to the out state rental conglomerates.
Also, you know what they will probably do. Because some places do this. They will keep one or two empty and just sit there and collect “68 dollar app fees” for a process that will cost them less then 5.00 and pocket the rest. There is profit to be had in those “app fees”
Eugene capped those things. They are out of control.
There are protections in place with regard to application fees. Highlights include: *Landlord must have written acceptance criteria
*If applicant is not qualified, must be informed which criteria failed
*If applicant is not screened, fee must be refunded.
Screening a tenant costs substantially more than the $5 you claim. Credit and background checks, plus employee/ landlord time dealing with the applicants and applications.
No mangement company or landlord in their right mind would sit on an empty $1400/mo unit to collect and manage application fees!
Stupid question but why do they pick such ugly colors to paint the outside of the new apartments? Is the paint free or something?
there really is no thing as affordable housing. Most of us working class cant afford 1700 a month for a small 2 br. and the government, state and all others certainly dont give a crap about what we can afford.
what does the government have to do with how much a landlord charges?
i here a lot of people screaming “smaller government ” and the same people screaming
“and the government, state and all others certainly dont give a crap about what we can afford.” so what is it smaller government so that landlords can charge what they want and company’s can pollute all they want. of the government butting into your business telling it that they cant pollute and must be responsible if the do.
That paint color – paint is recycled, and it usually is that gray color. It is cheaper to purchase recycled paint than ‘new’ paint. $$$