All Forum Posts by: Lauren Kormylo

I’ve lived in Phoenix for 38 years. I think it’s a bad idea to buy here for the purpose of retiring to that exact house in 30 years.  

The heat is getting worse year after year because of global warming and the “ heat island effect”, where more concrete and roads that hold heat mean the temperature stays hotter at night.  It’s noticeable in the time I’ve been here.  

Your friend may not want to live in the Phoenix area at all.  He may decide to retire where his grandkids are, which is common. 

Neighborhoods in Phoenix and surrounding cities change over time, and a good one today may not be desirable in 30 years.  The house will be old by Phoenix standards then, and outdated in looks and technology.  

Why would he want to buy a house for 350K or more and only break even over 30 years?  I would advise him to invest that money in the stock market.  In 30 years, he’ll be able to buy a much nicer brand new house, with lots of money left over.  And no worries about being a long distance landlord all that time.   

I collect Arts and Crafts era items, which includes Craftsman and Mission styles. 

I used to get Arts and Crafts Home magazine (the website is still up, good resources there  https://artsandcraftshomes.com/magazine ) .  This section with a library on building technology  may be something you can use.  https://artsandcraftshomes.com/magazine/building-technology-heritage-library

But awhile ago, they folded the magazine into Old House Journal magazine.  It regularly runs features on Craftsman homes too.  https://www.oldhouseonline.com/

68% of Americans own pets, including me, so I allow them in my rental. Otherwise, you’re excluding a huge part of the population from your rental.

I require a $350 deposit for one pet, $100 more for a second pet. No monthly pet rent. 

My current renters with a dog have been there 3 years. We just did an inspection of the house, no damage that I can see. We did have one couple with a dog that scratched up the wooden front door.   After they left, we had the door refinished, cost $250, which we kept from their deposit.   We have carpet in the 3 bedrooms, tile in the rest of the house.  I haven’t had any carpet ruined by peeing so far. 

There is often a city code that may restrict the height of fences in the front yard. 4 feet may be the limit. 

Does the house have a patio door?  They make removable glass panel units with a dog door built in. That would not need removal of your existing door. 

I have put mine on Zillow and Craigslist. But the only good applicants I’ve gotten have come from the sign in front of the house. I put up a plastic container for flyers up too, with color photos of the interior, and more info on price, pets, qualifying requirements. I also put a sign up on the nearby major street with the property address, with an arrow pointing them to the house.   Just remember to check on the flyers, they go quickly. 

If you really want someone to take the junk, you can’t have it off to the side of the house. Put it by the curb, with a sign on it saying FREE.  No one knows if they can take it when it’s on the side of your house.  In our area, we have metal scrap and second hand furniture dealers who cruise around looking for stuff that way.   

If it’s not gone by the next day, you have to haul it to the dump, or put it in your backyard where it can’t be seen.   I would ask the neighbors if they know anyone who can use the stuff.  

@Shelby Pracht   Blood is not hard to get out, but the secret is you have to only use COLD water.  Warm or hot water sets it in there for good.

My husband takes blood thinners, so it seems like anytime he has a scratch, it opens up at night and he ends up with blood on the sheet.

I use a bar of soap.  Wet the stain with cold water and rub the bar of soap on the stain.  Then rub the fabric together to scrub it, and rinse with cold water.  If not out completely, do it a second time until it's gone.  Then launder as usual.   

Here in Phoenix, some of the old neighborhoods are on a similar irrigation system. It’s leftover from the canal system dug by the Indians and expanded by white settlers. But this water flows into back yards by ditches, where you open and shut small gates to direct it into yards. It floods the entire yard under inches of water, and yards will have a raised berm around the perimeter to keep it in. There is no pipeline or filters to worry about.  

I agree with the rest that renters will not want to clean the filter out every month. 

I have a LTR here, and we pay a landscaper to take care of it once a month, and build that into the rent.  And that has desert landscaping. No grass, but that means weeds to pull or spray, bushes and trees to trim,  and leaves to clean up.  I see plenty of rental houses in my neighborhood where the yards look like hell, and I do not want my rental to get like that. 

We do a yearly inspection. 

AZ requires 48 hours notice. I email the tenant asking if a certain day and time is good for them, normally 4 or 5 days in advance. 

Your buddy getting 2.5K a week in Feb and March is impressive! It must be a great condo.