Dry Creek Realty

I have worked with Dry Creek and Melody specifically for the past 4 years. They do NOT take pictures of your property monthly, as another reviewer suggested. I have rented two different properties from them, over the course of 4 years. Pictures are taken when the property is handed over and when it is vacated. They are taken in between and during inspection (which is every 6 months) and/​or if significant damage to the property is noticed or reported. They DO NOT come inside your home and violate your privacy. They DO do drive-​bys occasionally and will photograph visible neglect. This is not «stalker-​ish» behavior; it is to protect the actual property owners, who they also have a duty to protect and represent. This has actually happened to me and upon receiving polite notice of concern about an overgrown lawn, I simply called and explained I did not have a mower yet, but would be getting one shortly, and was given ample time and polite consideration to amend the problem. Property management companies have a fiduciary duty to protect both the renters and the owners of the properties they manage. If you are a property owner, this is a FANTASTIC team for you; they protect the condition of your property fiercely. If you are a renter, this is also a stellar team because they work with you EXTENSIVELY on whatever problems (or set backs) you may have, as long as you keep them in the loop so they can assist you and advise you accordingly. The other concern I would like to address, posed in another negative review, is the non-​refund of the application fee. The application fee is (at last time I did it, and I had to do it for BOTH properties I rented because it is only good for one year) $ 35 per applicant. You do not pay this fee if you are simply interested in viewing properties. You may view as many properties as you wish for free. You do pay this fee if you are seriously considering applying to rent a property with this company and it is non-​refundable. You do not pay it per property; you may rent any property you qualify for, within one year. This is an industry standard that is charged by all property management companies to reimburse them for the cost of running your credit; they make no money on this. If you do not get the property you applied for, usually you will be refunded. If you choose to go through with the application process and later change your mind, this fee is still non-​refundable. Again that is an INDUSTRY STANDARD any management company will charge you and tell you the same.

Due to company restructuring, I was transferred from Washington to California with a 2 week notice. Not a lot of time to look for a place to live, especially while packing and handling the logistics of the move. Google is my friend and I found Dry Creek Realty handled property management in a rural area (Galt) near where I was being transferred to. I let Melody know my timeline and budget constraints, and now I am living in a nice home for less than the rent in Seattle. Dry Creek does do frequent inspections, but it has actually been helpful. On one inspection they actually found a small leak under the sink! This leak could have resulted in catastrophe and instead, was handled promptly. Dealing with Melody has been a pleasure. Thanks Dry Creek!

The previous reviewer seemed to have the opposite experience that I’ve had with Dry Creek Realty and Melody. We moved into one of their rentals recently and so far Melody and the rest of the staff have worked very hard to make sure we are happy in our home. Not everything can happen the day it’s requested, landlords and Realtors are not wizards. They’ve addressed any issues that have come up and been friendly, professional, and understanding about everything. I’d recommend them if you are looking into moving to the central valley/​south Sacramento area. Just make sure you have the correct expectations of your home and realtor — a rental built in 1980 is going to be different than one built in 2006.

Dry Creek Realty are a bunch of crooks! I looked at a property and wasn’t sure about it so I took two blank applications and they ran my debit card first without me turning the applications in. When I talked to my husband we decided it wasn’t the place for us so we never turned in an application. I called them to ask for a refund because I wouldn’t be turning them in. She told me it wasn’t their problem and that there are no refunds. Melody talked to me like I was stupid for even asking for a refund and like I was wasting her time. She showed me what horrible customer service is! They didn’t do any services for me but yet they took my $ 70.00! I would have understood if they actually took my complete application and ran my information but I never gave them anything. I will never rent from them and I will be telling everyone about my terrible experience!

They will take a good chunk of your deposit! They also take pics of your rental monthly! Which I have never heard of and seems stalker ish. They don’t get back to you when you need them to. This was my first rental experience and they made the worst of it. Still thinking about taking them to court. We will just have to see. Thank God we got a house!