To MTR, LTR or Sell

To MTR, LTR or Sell

Member since 2025 · 1 post · 1 vote

My partner and I are pretty new in real estate, but we've been using house-hacking as a way to (hopefully) build our portfolio in Phoenix, AZ. Our first property is a single family home with long term renters. We then bought a condo in Downtown Phoenix and lived in it for 2 years. We recently bought another single family home at the beginning of this year, moved into that one, and are now trying to find renters for our Downtown Phoenix condo. 

The condo has been up for rent since March. It's currently June and we're still waiting to find renters. We're within a 10 mile radius of many large hospitals, so I'm starting to think about trying to market to traveling nurses and utilize Furnish Finder as a way to get mid term rentals instead. The only downside is that we'd have to invest in fully furnishing the condo without the guarantee of finding those mid term renters.

I did a search on Furnish Finder and our complex has 3 properties that are unavailable (presumably booked) through late summer. On Zillow, our complex currently has 8 condos for long term rent available. We are in the middle range of these properties as far as cost with a more modern and updated unit than the lowest priced units. 

Because of the mortgage and HOA payments on the condo, we know that we won't be able to cover the condo's expenses with rent alone. We'll have to spend money each month to make up the difference. Going into this plan, we were okay with that because keeping the asset is more important to us than having a cash flowing property. We're a dual income, no kids household and the expense to keep the condo isn't that much for us. I know technically it isn't smart, but I'm really hoping that playing the long game here will eventually pay off.

If you were in my situation would you 1). Continue looking for long term renters 2). take the risk to fully furnish the condo and market to mid term renters or 3). cut your losses and sell. 

Thanks in advance for any advice! 

1Reply
22 views

Most Popular Reply

Jeff HurstPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Austin · Member since 2024 · 1 post · 2 votes
1y

JZ - another option is to list on FurnishedFinder using photographs without furniture and have the first line in your description be that you will furnish prior to move in of your first renter. Many renters like that as they can be involved in minor selections (And also know everything is new). You mainly just need a plan to furnish the home on short notice if you find the right match. You can also reach out to the booked landlords on FurnishedFinder to ask about their experience. 

See this reply in the discussion

12 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Mason WeissBusiness Member
    Realtor · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2021 · 523 posts · 239 votes
    1y

    Tough situation here but obviously one you can figure out. I think if you have been intrigued by the furnished rental investing space then now is a good opportunity, but if you are looking to do that just to make a little more income, I'd probably hold off as the management will be significantly heavier. 

    I am okay running some properties at a negative for the right reasons, you could lower the rent and settle for a small decrease or depending on your equity situation you could 1031 the property into something that has a stronger tenant market in the area.

    I am here to chat about it more if you'd like and even take a look at your rental listing to see if there is anything you can tweak to make it more effective!

  • Jeff HurstPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Austin · Member since 2024 · 1 post · 2 votes
    1y

    JZ - another option is to list on FurnishedFinder using photographs without furniture and have the first line in your description be that you will furnish prior to move in of your first renter. Many renters like that as they can be involved in minor selections (And also know everything is new). You mainly just need a plan to furnish the home on short notice if you find the right match. You can also reach out to the booked landlords on FurnishedFinder to ask about their experience. 

  • Noah CorwickPro Member
    Realtor · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2021 · 271 posts · 115 votes
    1y

    Hi Jordan, 

    I'm a big believer in following your gut, and it feels like your gut is telling you to try the MTR route with your property. This seems promising from your description with hospitals being near you and the booked listings in your complex. 

    Some ideas for furnishing it is to get a lot on FB Marketplace/OfferUp to save money or stage it virtually with the notation in the description that you will furnish it prior to the tenant moving in like Jeff mentioned previously. 

    Overall I'd keep this property unless you feel you can upgrade significantly or have a ton of equity. I obviously don't know what part of downtown PHX you're in but be patient as downtown continues to expand. 

  • Realtor · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2020 · 20 posts · 13 votes
    1y

    Thanks for sharing all the detail—it sounds like you’ve been really intentional with your approach so far, and that kind of long-game thinking is what separates speculators from real investors.

    I own several rentals and currently have 4 rentals in the Coronado neighborhood. 3 of the rental listing are mine and 1 for a client (we have it listed BOTH for SALE and Rent, and I can tell you firsthand: the rental market in Central Phoenix has definitely slowed down. I’m seeing longer vacancy periods across the board. The whole real estate environment right now feels like it’s in a holding pattern—buyers are hesitant, renters have more options, and interest rates aren’t helping anyone make bold moves.

    If I were in your shoes, I’d seriously consider listing the condo both for rent and for sale. You don’t have to commit either way just yet—but putting both options out there can give you valuable market feedback. You might be surprised by which interest hits first. And since you lived in the condo for 2 years, you’d likely avoid capital gains tax under the 2-out-of-5-years rule if you do end up selling.

    Also, I'd take a hard look at where that equity could be working harder. With the HOA eating into your returns (and not doing much to attract renters), you might find better fundamentals in a different property—especially one without an HOA and with more flexibility in how you rent or use it. There are still tons of opportunities in the Phoenix market if you're liquid and ready to move.

    Furnishing it and going mid-term could work, but that adds upfront costs with no guarantee. I’ve seen some success on Furnish Finder, but it really depends on unit location, parking, proximity to hospitals, and how well it’s set up.

    Bottom line: you’re not crazy for holding on and trying to play the long game—but don’t ignore the opportunity cost. Listing both for rent and for sale gives you time to gather more data and make a move that fits your strategy and your stress level.

    Happy to share more if helpful—best of luck either way!

  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    1y

    @Jordan Zurn

    It sounds like a problem property for some reason??!!

    Since you lived in it for the last 2 years, you would qualify for the 121 Primary residence exclusion. You can sell now and take the first $500K of profit tax-free. A tax-free option to get out of a problem property is a wonderful thing to have. Sell, take the proceeds tax-free, and invest in something with better potential. Or wait on the sidelines for better deals to come along. Which is happening as we speak.

    If you hold and rent it for 2-3 more years, you can still do a 1031 exchange in the future and indefinitely defer all of the tax.

    The 1031 Investor5137 Reviews
  • Property Manager · Carefree, AZ · Member since 2017 · 9 posts · 11 votes
    1y

    Hi @Jordan Zurn,

    I don't have all the details, but if I had to decide right now with the information I have....I would go with option 2 or 3.  Here is how I came to my tentative conclusion:

    My wife and I owned a condo and ended up renting it out for just over 7 years.  We had the same renter in the condo the entire time, no vacancies for 7 years (we were really lucky). We charged 5% below market because we had such a good tenant.  I even payed the condo off in 2020.  We ended up cash flowing about ~$1,200 after all the expenses in the last year.

    The issue I had with the condo was that we were paying $400 a month in HOA fees, and over $4K a year in property taxes. The high HOAs were something I was NEVER going to get away from.

    I could have kept the mortgage, raised the rent to market...but it still would not of been the best long term rental investment.  Our Cash on Cash return was lower than an Ally High Yield Savings account!  The only thing that saved us was the condo appreciation, and believe it our not, the northeast was in a sellers market earlier this year when we sold it.

    I have better returns with my single family rental homes that have low HOAs ($70 a month) and higher rents.  (I would probably do better with multifamily, but I am not comfortable with that asset class yet).

    You could figure out how you get more monthly revenue, like offering a furnished MTR (option 2)...but would it get you to a +$500? +600? a month cashflow?  That would be better than negative, but that's not that great (all it takes is one special assessment or another vacancy and you are negative for the year).  Again, I don't know your numbers.  Could you get +$1,000 in positive cash flow?

    My Concerns: Rumor has it the PHX condo market is not strong right now.  So I am not sure how much you get if you sold now...so weigh out the one time loss with the recurring monthly losses and determine if it makes sense if you decide to go down that path (this assumes you don't want to go buy the furniture and flip it to an MTR). 

    It is possible we are going to see flat pricing for a couple of years...so maybe selling now is okay.  No one really knows how the market is going to go...some people will argue if rates drop your condo might appreciate well in the next couple of years.  So the application over the next 5 years is not certain.

    In summary, I would not throw good money after bad and sell if you are only going to be +500 a month after moving to an MTR, but if you are +$900-$1,000 and you only have to spend $8-10K on furniture..I might go for it.  However I would sell the condo if market conditions improve in the next couple of years...because you will never get away from the higher overhead costs...like HOAs.

    PS..you might get the $250K primary home tax deduction if you sell it in next ~3 years (assuming there is a profit).  I think you have to have lived in the home 2 of the last 5 years and you can only take this tax deduction every 2 years (you need to validate with your CPA).  

    Best of luck with your decision. You'll make a good choice.

  • Aaron ZimmermanBusiness Member
    Accountant · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    I would try the MTR route or sell. I would probably try the MTR route first and then if you can't get someone then, you can sell

    When you say you lived at the property 2 years, did you live there for over 2 years? If yes, you may get the section 121 exclusion on your primary residence. If there's any gains, this could be a tax efficient way to pull equity out of the property. 

  • MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    I'm generally not a fan of condos for rentals unless in a resort area without massive competition. The fees can bury any profits and when you want to sell there may be multiple similar units listed. If you think it has merit as a rental try the virtual staging option but I would probably lean toward selling. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 826 posts · 809 votes
    1y

    after 10 yrs in the Phoenix market without a vacancy lasting longer than 1 week, I'm seeing 2-3 month vacancies as well. 

    I wouldn't MTR it - MTR is just another fad that will get oversaturated by all the STR operators looking for another straw to grab. If you believe in long term fundamentals of your market, drop the rent and LTR it. You can try selling as well, but you'll likely face long DOM. Think about what you want to do for the long game and hold to your strategy.

    That being said, condos are not good long term investments. I would sell the condo and buy SFR or MF. Likely good opportunities to buy in Phx over next 18 moths.

  • Colleen F.Pro Member
    Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    1y

    @Jordan Zurn and should you get unlucky enough that the HOA decides they don't like renters or don't like your renters it is not like dealing with a neighbor. HOA boards are a wild card.

  • Basit SiddiqiBusiness Member
    Accountant · New York, NY · Member since 2015 · 8k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    1y

    If the property is losing money as an investment(considering cash flow and appreciation), it is better to sell it. Time will not fix the issue.

    Converting the property from LTR to MTR might give you a renter but be mindful that this will require more work on your end. Is the extra return worth the extra work?

  • Patrick O'SullivanBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2024 · 523 posts · 196 votes
    1y

    Hey Jordan,
    You're clearly putting a lot of thought into your strategy, and that's great to see—especially early on. Mid-term rentals can be a solid option in the right location, but since you mentioned not having experience with MTRs, it’s totally fair to weigh the added time and cost that come with furnishing and managing those tenants.

    If you decide to stick with the long-term rental route or end up leaning toward selling, happy to help however I can. I’ve had more experience on those fronts and might be able to offer some perspective if you're troubleshooting your listing or weighing the numbers on a potential sale.

    Whatever you choose, sounds like you're playing the long game with intention, and that’s what matters most in the end.

    get MULTIfamily Property Management4.7220 Reviews
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.