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Back in October I made my first post in the Omaha forum because I was trying to choose between a job offer in Omaha and two other locations: Springfield, VA, and Charleston, SC. In addition to the advice from some of you, my wife and I exhaustively weighed pros and cons in an effort to be logical and practical instead of emotional. I say emotional because I am from the south so on first glance, Charleston, SC was the obvious choice.
However, after weighing things such as crime, housing market, desired restaurants, desired entertainment, education, traffic, cost of living, school system, various amenities, job market, overall livability, etc. etc. etc., Omaha was the runaway winner. As a matter of fact, Charleston, SC school system is one of the worst in the country. I/we spent about two weeks mulling the decision and I tried everything short of hypnosis to give the win to SC. Charleston is good on its own but compared to Omaha it fell short on the things we consider “quality of life. Needless to say, I accepted the Omaha job and about 30 days ago, started my cross country journey during the first midwest blizzard of 2012. That part was not fun and even scary at times! The trip was extended by a day because I-80 closed but by the grace of God we made it and after three weeks of being here, couldn’t be happier!!!!
My Impressions of Omaha so far:
1. I have great neighbors that I’m sure are from another planet! Example #1. When I arrived at the rental property there were 8 inches of untouched snow in the driveway. My shovels were on the moving truck which was scheduled to arrive an hour later so I had no choice but to ask a random neighbor if I could borrow their shovel. Not only did the neighbor loan me a shovel but also came out and helped shovel the driveway and sidewalk. Example #2. Another neighbor brought over a bag of salt (maybe it was sand) for the drive way. He and his wife also extended an invitation for Christmas breakfast at their house. Example #3. I received numerous “welcome to the neighborhood visits” along with assorted goodies such as cookies, candy, etc. The above examples may be no big deal to some of you but to me, their kind gestures were HUGE! I’ve lived on the east coast, west coast, northeast, and PNW and for the most part was ignored by my neighbors.
2. My first day or two in the area I thought Omaha drivers were the worse. Several weeks later my opinion is just the opposite. There’s always one or three idiots driving aggressively but for the most part, folks drive the speed limit and dare I say often times below the speed limit. Yikes!
3. Majority of the people I’ve encountered are warm, friendly, and overall welcoming. People seem to be split down the middle when it comes to their like or dislike for the area. I met just as many people who love it as I do those who question my sanity for moving here. I steer clear of the later bunch.
4. Tap water is absolutely disgusting! I tried for over a week to adjust to no avail. Something just seems off. I own a Brita pitcher/filter that has been packed up for four years until now.
5. Staying on the subject of water, for the first couple of weeks my dishes came out of the dishwasher smeared, chalky, and riddled with water marks and it would tick me off every time. I was told about a product call LemiShine which work wonders neutralizing the hard mineral filled water of Nebraska.
6. I am a vitamin / supplement junkie and am not too happy that my only choice for a vast assortment of vitamins and supplements is GNC. I wish there was a Super Supplements, Vitamin World, or Vitamin Shoppe in the area.
7. Please don’t laugh at what I am about to say but so far I’ve visited Johnny’s Italian Steak House, Texas Roadhouse, and Anthonys to satisfy my craving for steak. The best steak by far was Texas Road House followed by Anthony’s. Johhny’s Italian Steak House was horrible!
8. Mt. Dew & Mello Yello is the rule and not the exception as I’ve experienced in other places I’ve lived. Now when dining out I no longer ask IF they serve Mt. Dew or Mello Yello as I’ve come to expect it. Yes this IS a big deal to me!
9. Although I’ve been told February will be the start of bone penetrating frigid temperatures, I’ve found the weather so far to be great. It’s almost always sunny, barely rains, and there are many days where a coat isn’t necessary. Admittedly I have a high tolerance for cold temperatures and some days I am the only idiot without a coat.
10. The radio stations offer a lil something for everyone. …Jazz, Classical, R&B, Gospel, Pop, etc
11. Hy-Vee is great! – Where else can you go to take care of postal services, dry cleaning, gas, groceries, separate wine section, freshly made Chinese and Pizzeria!? Did I say dry cleaning?
12. Customer service can be hit or miss but it has mostly been HIT for me. Not only are people friendly but they WANT to help. People also seem incredibly genuine and as a result, I am stopped all the time for casual conversation especially if wearing my favorite Seattle or Portland sweatshirt.
13. Traffic – What traffic!?
14. I don’t find Omaha to be spread out as much as people claim. On average it takes 11-19 miles to get most places I want to go. Work is only 8.1 miles.
15. Right on Red – What is up with the inability to turn right on red until directed to do so??
16. Do-it-yourself Car wash!!!! Yeah go ahead and laugh but I thoroughly enjoy washing my own car and besides it’s cheaper. Other places I’ve lived have phased these yesteryear treasures out but Omaha have plenty that are fully operational. Yes even when it’s cold as you know what outside they still work!
17. Street Numbers – I am still not use to street numbers within residential communities. Other places I’ve lived reserve street numbers for the “down town” area.
18. Rental Property – Please please please be careful when choosing a rental property OR rental property management company. I got stuck with a HORRIBLE one and as a result created the following website after the owners of A-1 Property Management refused to address my concerns. The web address is (avoid moving with nancy dot com)
19. I'm here - Nuff said!
In closing we absolutely love it here and couldn’t be happier!!!! We agreed that we would rent for a year BEFORE looking to buy but after just three weeks we are considering new construction with a completion date of Oct/Nov timeframe. That is a testament of us finding what we now consider home. I don't knock those who dislike or even hate the area because people have a right to their opinion. I too have a right to my opinion as you've read in this loooong post.
Thanks to everyone for your advice and words of encouragement. A special thanks to todd00 and albus87 for the many PM exchanges in which my questions and concerns were patiently answered and addressed! I will pay it forward if anyone needs further opinions from an Omaha newbie!
Glad to hear that you like Omaha. We moved from there a few months ago after living there for three years, and unfortunately, I didn't feel the same as you do about it, lol. I wish I had, it certainly would have simplified life!
I did go to your website- I have to admit, I was somewhat shocked. When I saw the pictures you took of the home, and then the description you gave, well....honestly? I didn't think the problems were...insurmountable?- I know, I know, who am I to say that, etc.- and I really don't mean that in a bad way- but nail holes, well- a lot of times they don't get all of them- and I noticed a few of them were those plug-type things, and if they had pulled those out and left the holes, it would have looked a lot worse, plus the fact that (I think but I'm not sure) they might have anchors in the wall behind them, to hold up something heavy...like a big tv or something-the ones that had been spackled over, I had to look close at a couple of them to even see where they had been. The "trash" you described, I was expecting to see something horrendous- but it was just a couple of planters and some children's larger Tyco toys- my idea of "trash" would have been ....well, trash, lol. Maybe a rusted car or two, garbage, wood stuff, etc. The microwave looks like the bottom part just popped off, and could be easily popped on, you know? The rest of it...honestly, it wasn't that bad! Of course, I know- you paid a deposit, and you expect to have it in good shape, which is completely within your right. As far as "dirty" goes, the walls didn't look bad, or maybe it was just the pictures and I couldn't see it well enough. And if they used a flat paint, that would explain a lot- you cannot clean it. I don't know what kind of "dirty" you meant, but I do know that Omaha is verrrry dusty- it manages to get in closed doors and windows, how, I haven't a clue- but someone warned me about that when I moved there. They were right, lol.
But now you say that the owners of the company have retained an attorney and are "coming after you"- gosh, that's...well, not good, lol. And I say that because (I would have to re-read, but I think) you have only been there for...three weeks? And already you have a website up lambasting the property company that you have rented from, and they have now hired an attorney- Your best bet, IMHO, would have been to do a walk through and write down everything that was wrong- fix it yourself, but that way they wouldn't charge you later on when you move out. I'm sorry, maybe it's just me- but the things you were angry about just didn't seem to be a big deal, not really- in your description I was expecting to see some pretty horrific pictures, but in all honesty (and you will probably roast me for this, but well...I call it like I see it, lol), it seemed to be some major nitpicking going on. Now this could be due to the fact that you had just driven 2000 miles through a snowstorm, and this was not what you were expecting. But you just moved there, and you don't want to get off on the wrong footing with people---especially by creating a scathing website against a property company that you just rented (leased?) from, and who now have an attorney because of it, lol.
I do hope it works out well for you. There really are some nice people there, and although Omaha wasn't for me, it does have a lot of positives....but I don't think the website was such a good idea
Glad to hear that you like Omaha. We moved from there a few months ago after living there for three years, and unfortunately, I didn't feel the same as you do about it, lol. I wish I had, it certainly would have simplified life!
I did go to your website- I have to admit, I was somewhat shocked. When I saw the pictures you took of the home, and then the description you gave, well....honestly? I didn't think the problems were...insurmountable?- I know, I know, who am I to say that, etc.- and I really don't mean that in a bad way- but nail holes, well- a lot of times they don't get all of them- and I noticed a few of them were those plug-type things, and if they had pulled those out and left the holes, it would have looked a lot worse, plus the fact that (I think but I'm not sure) they might have anchors in the wall behind them, to hold up something heavy...like a big tv or something-the ones that had been spackled over, I had to look close at a couple of them to even see where they had been. The "trash" you described, I was expecting to see something horrendous- but it was just a couple of planters and some children's larger Tyco toys- my idea of "trash" would have been ....well, trash, lol. Maybe a rusted car or two, garbage, wood stuff, etc. The microwave looks like the bottom part just popped off, and could be easily popped on, you know? The rest of it...honestly, it wasn't that bad! Of course, I know- you paid a deposit, and you expect to have it in good shape, which is completely within your right. As far as "dirty" goes, the walls didn't look bad, or maybe it was just the pictures and I couldn't see it well enough. And if they used a flat paint, that would explain a lot- you cannot clean it. I don't know what kind of "dirty" you meant, but I do know that Omaha is verrrry dusty- it manages to get in closed doors and windows, how, I haven't a clue- but someone warned me about that when I moved there. They were right, lol.
But now you say that the owners of the company have retained an attorney and are "coming after you"- gosh, that's...well, not good, lol. And I say that because (I would have to re-read, but I think) you have only been there for...three weeks? And already you have a website up lambasting the property company that you have rented from, and they have now hired an attorney- Your best bet, IMHO, would have been to do a walk through and write down everything that was wrong- fix it yourself, but that way they wouldn't charge you later on when you move out. I'm sorry, maybe it's just me- but the things you were angry about just didn't seem to be a big deal, not really- in your description I was expecting to see some pretty horrific pictures, but in all honesty (and you will probably roast me for this, but well...I call it like I see it, lol), it seemed to be some major nitpicking going on. Now this could be due to the fact that you had just driven 2000 miles through a snowstorm, and this was not what you were expecting. But you just moved there, and you don't want to get off on the wrong footing with people---especially by creating a scathing website against a property company that you just rented (leased?) from, and who now have an attorney because of it, lol.
I do hope it works out well for you. There really are some nice people there, and although Omaha wasn't for me, it does have a lot of positives....but I don't think the website was such a good idea
It's easier to number my comments so know I am not being a smart @ss.
1. Truthfully I got an attorney first because they entered the property WITHOUT my consent and knowledge. Their attorney coming after me is an idle threat but one I welcome.
2. Are you saying 51 days is not enough time to empty trash, clean or hire a cleaning crew, replace blown light bulbs, fix microwave, sweep garage, replace filters, and empty trash? Did you see the pile of wood debris in the back yard? Perhaps you are stuck on the severity (or based on your comments, lack thereof) and I am peeved because the items I listed is Property Management 101. Based on your comments, should I accept the urine stains that were left on the toilet? After all, I could strap on gloves and clean it up myself in less than 5 seconds right? I am paying premium rent and expected a certain level of service. Even if I exclude ALL the damaged and soiled walls, why wasn't the other items completed PRIOR to my arrival. As my website states, this rental was listed as available on November 1, 2012 and I moved in December 21, 2012. Hopefully you see my point.
3. I have no doubt it will work out because even though I have been here for such a short time, I am sort of a big deal and arrived with connections and leverage which they certainly know about.
4. The website was a GREAT idea! A-1 Property Management's failure to prepare the property for my arrival was not such a good idea and I plan to expose expose expose!
I still love Omaha though! :-)
Last edited by south_east2west; 01-28-2013 at 08:23 PM..
It's easier to number my comments so know I am not being a smart @ss.
1. Truthfully I got an attorney first because they entered the property WITHOUT my consent and knowledge. Their attorney coming after me is an idle threat but one I welcome.
2. Are you saying 51 days is not enough time to empty trash, clean or hire a cleaning crew, replace blown light bulbs, fix microwave, sweep garage, replace filters, and empty trash? Did you see the pile of wood debris in the back yard? Perhaps you are stuck on the severity (or based on your comments, lack thereof) and I am peeved because the items I listed is Property Management 101. Based on your comments, should I accept the urine stains that were left on the toilet? After all, I could strap on gloves and clean it up myself in less than 5 seconds right? I am paying premium rent and expected a certain level of service. Even if I exclude ALL the damaged and soiled walls, why wasn't the other items completed PRIOR to my arrival. As my website states, this rental was listed as available on November 1, 2012 and I moved in December 21, 2012. Hopefully you see my point.
3. I have no doubt it will work out because even though I have been here for such a short time, I am sort of a big deal and arrived with connections and leverage which they certainly know about.
4. The website was a GREAT idea! A-1 Property Management's failure to prepare the property for my arrival was not such a good idea and I plan to expose expose expose!
I still love Omaha though! :-)
Lol, I can understand that you expected things to be in order, and rightly so-you paid the deposit, you expected it to be the way it should have been. And actually, no, I didn't see the wood in the backyard when I looked the first time- I just saw the kids yard toys.
Oh, I do see your point- they had plenty of time to take care of things, but they didn't. And the things that they didn't take care of weren't huge things, like massive holes in the walls, or rats, or...well, you know what I mean. But I guess what I'm wondering, is, the website, etc., what will it accomplish? Judging from what you said, they don't seem to be taking kindly to it, lol-in a sense, I do understand your frustration, that the things you expected to be done, weren't- and since you said it was an expensive place, maybe more so. To me, these are things that are easily remedied and not worth the level of energy you are putting into it, to the extent of hiring an attorney, which isn't cheap. Light bulbs being replaced, nail holes being puttied (or just put pictures over them, which is probably what the nail holes are already there for, lol)....get rid of the kids stuff in the backyard, make a note of the damaged wash room floor so you don't end up having to pay for it when you move, things like that. I don't know the extent of the "trash" inside the house, just the pictures you put up (the paint and a ...bag? Underneath the sink..the air freshener and I couldn't tell what else that was in the picture)--it's all irritating, definitely- but you just moved there, and with a new city and a new job, and getting settled, you have enough on your plate without adding this to it!
However, if it's the PRINCIPLE of the thing? Now THAT, I can identify with!
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I own a Brita pitcher/filter that has been packed up for four years until now.
one and as a result created the following website after the owners of A-1 Property Management refused to address my concerns. The web address is (avoid moving with nancy dot com)
