Life Elevated: Meet the Residents of Elevate's Next-Level Condo Community
Elevate welcomed its first residents home in June of 2022. Since then, our initial building has filled up quickly, with only a select few units still available.
As the Elevate community has grown, we have gotten to know our residents well—one of the unique perks of having our leasing and property management company, Brotherton Investments, in the building.
“I have a lot of residents that come down and stop in every day to say hi,” says Wendi Hayden of Brotherton Investments. “It’s nice to have our office on-site to build that relationship.”
Elevate residents range in age, from medical residents and young professionals to recent retirees. They work in many different industries—marketing, coaching, higher education, healthcare, pharmacy—and for iconic local companies including P&G, The University of Iowa, and the Iowa Heartlanders. They come from across the Corridor (North Liberty, Tiffin, Solon), across the country (California, Florida), and even across the world. In short, no two residents are the same.
Thinking about making the switch to condo life? We can give you many reasons to put down roots at Elevate, but we’d rather you hear it from our residents themselves! Here are a few of their stories.
Josh: From the Golden State to the Hawkeye State
Let’s start with Josh C., who purchased an Elevate condo (sight unseen!) in 2022.
Josh is an assistant professor at the University of Iowa, where he works in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Originally from rural South Carolina, Josh has lived all over the country, completing grad school in Philadelphia and teaching for two years at San Jose State University in California. Now he’s an Iowa transplant.
“Even though I’ve lived in a lot of different places across the country, this feels a bit more like home than other places have,” says Josh.
When he accepted his teaching position at the University of Iowa, Josh began searching for a place to live.
“Having been in the Bay Area of California where I was never going to be able to afford a home, I knew I wanted to purchase something,” says Josh. “I wanted a place where I wasn’t going to have to focus on dealing with the weather, so I knew a condo was the right call.”
Josh planned to fly to Iowa for a house-hunting trip. However, with mortgage rates at a nationwide low, the housing market was frenzied. Properties were being sold quickly, at times after a few days (or even hours) on the market.
Josh knew the odds of the perfect home hitting the market while he was in town for a visit would be slim. He decided to forego his house-hunting trip for a new plan: lease an apartment for three months through the University while he searched for a home.
In the meantime, he scoured the Internet to get a head start. Josh was looking for a luxury condo, preferably new construction, with modern amenities in the Iowa City and Coralville area. He wanted a place close to campus, but not right in the center of the action.
Eventually he came across an Elevate listing that caught his eye—particularly the pond. Josh inquired and got in touch with Mike Bails of The Bails Team at Urban Acres Real Estate. Though Josh couldn’t travel to Iowa, Mike still took him on a tour via phone.
Josh also did his research on Elevate’s location. He was drawn to the proximity to Iowa River Landing and Trader Joe’s. Plus, it was the perfect distance from campus—close enough for a quick 10-minute commute, but far enough away that he wouldn’t run into his students.
“Elevate just felt like a good fit for the lifestyle I was looking to lead,” says Josh. “It really offered me exactly what I was looking for at this stage of my life. So I bought it sight unseen.”
Now, Josh has settled into life at Elevate with ease. He uses the gym regularly (which he says he typically has all to himself) and enjoys the peace and quiet of the lobby while he’s trying to write.
“I love having everything contained and right here,“ says Josh. “I use amenities in ways that make me feel like I can lead a more healthy lifestyle, even if I don’t want to go outside this time of year.”
Josh’s pug, Penny—whom he calls “17 pounds of complete sass”—has also adjusted well to life at Elevate. Her favorite things (so far) include walks around the pond, playing with the other dogs of Elevate, and the treats stashed in the Brotherton Investments office.
“Every time we go down there, she pulls me to go and see Wendi and Polly,” laughs Josh. “She loves spending time with them. She just loves all of the people she can interact with here.”
Roger + Bert: Time to Downsize
Roger Dotson is another Elevate pet parent. He and his wife, Roberta (Bert for short), were one of the first people to sign a lease. They officially moved into Elevate in June of 2022 with their 11-year-old Havanese Max.
For the trio, the move to Elevate was about convenience. They were living in a 2,500-square-foot, three-story townhome in Tiffin. The stairs weren't ideal after Roger’s knee surgery, and the space was more than they needed as empty nesters. It was time to downsize.
The Dotsons began searching for something that better fit their lifestyle. They immediately knew they weren’t looking to purchase a home. Roger and Bert had owned a home for 20 years while raising their children, but had otherwise always rented. They preferred the convenience of a low-maintenance lifestyle—or, as Roger puts it, “I don’t like to mow the lawn!”
Roger found Elevate online almost as soon as Brotherton posted the first openings for leasing.
“I did the virtual tour on the website, and it had all the features we’d been looking for, but in a situation where we could continue to rent,” says Roger. “That’s what drew us in.”
They reached out to Wendi, and soon after, signed a lease for a two-bedroom condo with a pond view. Their condo is 1,500 square feet—half the size of their Tiffin townhome, but with no stairs.
Square footage isn’t the full story. Max also factored heavily into their decision to move to Elevate. Roger recalls the struggle to find housing that was pro-pet as they searched for a place to live.
“Elevate advertises right up front that they’re pet-friendly and they certainly have been,” says Roger. “That was very, very important to us. It’s just a really nice place to have pets and people that are very understanding of pets.”
Roger and Max take advantage of Elevate’s backyard when the weather is nicer, visiting the dog park or taking a walk around the pond. Much like his upstairs neighbor, Penny the Pug, Max also makes sure to stop by the Brotherton office whenever he can for a treat.
“Every time I go to my mailbox, Max is straining at his leash to look in Wendi’s door,” laughs Roger.
But Max isn’t the only member of the Dotson family enjoying the amenities. In November, Roger’s family rented out the party room for his granddaughter’s baby shower.
“You normally don’t invite men to baby showers, but we did and it worked great because they played pool and the kids were playing shuffleboard and video games,” says Roger. “Everyone was active and busy and happy.”
One of the Dotsons’ favorite places to hang out is their deck. Bert snaps pictures of their view overlooking the pond—sunsets, fall colors, and snowy days—and posts them to Facebook for friends and family to enjoy. Roger uses the balcony to cook out on their gas grill—something many condos won’t allow, and something he appreciates he can do at Elevate.
For Roger, their home also doubles as his office. He works full-time for a software company out of Orlando, Florida. He began working remotely 34 years ago—well before it was trendy. Bert is a consultant in the beauty industry. Both are planning to retire soon and are looking forward to more time spent relaxing in the sauna or perfecting their swing in the golf simulator.
“I would recommend it to anyone,” says Roger about living at Elevate.
Andrew: Living His Best Personal and Professional Life
Unlike Josh and the Dotsons, Andrew Longfellow didn’t find Elevate online. Instead, his job led him to Elevate’s front doors—literally.
As a salesperson for Gordon Flesch Company, which specializes in office technology such as printers, copiers, and phone systems, Andrew often visits local businesses to grow his clientele. One day in the summer of 2022, he stopped by the Brotherton office, back when it was located on Holiday Road in Coralville, and he met Wendi. Andrew happened to be looking at moving out of his home in North Liberty.
“She took me on a tour that same day,” says Andrew. “The rest is history.”
Andrew had looked into other condos in Tiffin and North Liberty, but was sold on that initial tour of Elevate’s building.
“Elevate was far and away the one to go with,” says Andrew. “The first time I walked in there, with the chandeliers and the couches, it was so welcoming. It was a no-brainer with my love for golf, the working space, and being centrally located to my customers.”
The co-working area was an especially big draw for Andrew. Before finding Elevate, he had looked into renting a co-working space in the Corridor. When he signed his lease at Elevate, he realized he could check that off his list.
“I work out of Gordon Flesch’s Cedar Rapids office, and I hardly ever make it there because Elevate has the business center and good internet and all the things I need to work from home,” says Andrew. “You’ll usually find me at Elevate or in front of my customers.”
In fact, Andrew has hosted his co-workers—fellow account executives and managers—in Elevate’s conference room for sales meetings. Afterwards, they usually make their way to the game room for a round of pool or some golf.
Andrew also makes sure to use the amenities for himself, hitting the gym or relaxing by the fireplace.
“With the amenities, I don’t have to leave the house ever,” laughs Andrew. “But it can also be a central meeting point for kicking off a fun night. It’s just so easy with the great location.”
Whether through work or fun, Andrew has immersed himself in the Elevate community —though he admits he might know more pet names by heart than he does people.
“It’s been easy and very enjoyable,” he says about living at Elevate so far. “Wendi and Polly really knock it out of the park.”
Join Our Next-Level Community
If there’s one takeaway from getting to know our residents, it’s this: Our luxury condos, amenities, location, and spacious backyard are great, but the people truly make Elevate next-level.
Interested in learning more about what it’s like to live at Elevate? Think our condo community would fit your lifestyle? Reach out to us! Mike, Wendi, or Polly would be happy to talk.
A heartfelt thank you to Josh, Roger, and Andrew for sharing their stories!
