Can you waive the cleaning fee if I clean the condo myself before I leave?

No. The cleaning fee covers not only the cleaning fee paid out directly to the cleaning lady, but the inventory check and the changing of the front door security code.

What utilities are included in the rental price?   Do you have Internet Access?

The condo rental fee covers all electrical charges, as well as free local phone calls & Expanded Cable. Renters need to pay for their own long distance charges via calling cards or a personal cell phone. Dial-Up internet access is available for renters who already have their own ISP. As most of our renters have not wanted Hi-Speed internet access, and having it available would require us to pay for a long-term contract, we don't have it permanently set-up. Personally, we have not had a problem getting unsecured Hi-Speed access from others who have hubs set-up in the complex…but we do not in anyway guarantee that as part of the rental.

What would the total cost be for a Peak Season Rental without any discounts?

$4,280 ($3100 rent + $1000 security deposit + $150 cleaning fee + $30 credit check) *

*Of course assuming there is no damage, the $1000 security deposit will be returned within 14 days after you leave the condo, so the effective total would be $3280.

How do you set monthly rates?

We base our rental fees on what the market is charging for comparable condos. When setting our rates we look at other units that have:

What makes this location particularly desirable?

We rented various condo units in a number of condo complexes for a decade before we decided where we wanted to purchase. The following are just some of the reasons we picked this particular condo:

Can you tell me where your condo is located?

The condo is located in Northern Scottsdale, at The Villages III complex within the McCormick Ranch development. The Villages consist of a group of condos bounded by N 91st & N 96th Streets and E Via Linda & E Mountain View Road. We do not give out the exact address to potential renters as we don't want the unit sitting vulnerable when not being rented, nor do we want to inconvenience those who are currently renting with potential renters popping in to see the condo. We personally rented various condos for about a decade before actually purchasing this one, and we were often inconvenienced during our stay by people who just wanted to look at the unit for potential future rental. So it got to feel like we had to always be ready to display the unit for others and it felt invasive for us on our "vacation". To compensate for this, we keep the pictures up-to-date on the website so you can see exactly what you will be renting. If you want to see the general location using something like Mapquest, you can enter the address of the Mustang Library (10101 N 90th St, zip 85258) which is just blocks away from the unit itself.

Can I rent this condo for less than 1 month?

The condo association in this particular development dictates that leases be written for no less than 1 month. Someone wanting to rent for less than a month would need to sign a one month contract and pay for the entire month. This costs about the same a 2 week stay in the nearest Three-Star hotel . Also, you can save money by cooking and eating some of your meals in-an option not available to you when staying at a hotel. As our rents include utilities, the tenant would then be eligible for a refund on the electrical portion of the utilities that would not used when the unit was unoccupied.

Can I rent the condo for more than one month, but less than 2 months (e.g. 6 weeks)?

If the condo has not been rented for the next consecutive non-peak seasonal month, an extended stay can certainly be accommodated. A six-week rental during the peak season is rarely available, unless there happens to be someone else who wants to rent the remaining 6-weeks to fill up the 3 month stretch. Since our condo association requires that we rent for a minimum of one month, renting for 6 weeks would leave us unable to rent the remaining 2 peak season weeks to someone else.

Have there been recent updates to the condo itself?

We are constantly improving the property.  Some recent updates include new: tile, paint, electrical, plumbing, lighting, linens, window treatments, dishes, deck sealing, LCD TV in master BR, stackable washer & dryer, etc.

What items are included in the condo rental?

See our Complete Inventory

I have never rented a condo with a keyless door entry. Why do you have it and what happens if the lock fails?

We installed the deadbolt keyless door for added security and convenience. This means you key in a number code to unlock the door.  We found that we were needing to frequently re-key the door because either workers or renters would not return the key. It's fairly common practice for renters to leave the door key under the doormat when they leave, making it readily available for some unauthorized person to copy and use at some later time. Changing the entry code between renters provides an increase in security for those who stay there. Also, we like the convenience of just pushing the lock button when we leave instead of having to fiddle with the key. In the highly unlikely event that the lock fails (this only happened once because a renter chose not to replace the dying batteries at the time), we have a master key in a secure lock-box nearby.

What's your policy on sending someone out to fix or replace something in the condo while I am staying there?

Unlike many of the condos we rented prior to purchasing our own, we take extra steps to maintain the inhabitability of the unit. We routinely do maintenance and make minor repairs (e.g. grease sliding door jams, clean all cupboards and drawers, fix broken drawers, scrub patio decks and furniture, etc.) throughout the year. That being said, we do not send out a handyman or cleaning lady during your stay to tighten a loose towel rack (a screwdriver is provided if you wish to do it yourself), put a shower door back on track if dislodged by a tenant during their stay, dust deck furniture, or change light bulbs (also provided) or batteries in the remote controls. We certainly would correct any major problems that might arise during your stay (e.g. non-functioning major appliance due to age or failure and not as a result of tenant abuse, or fix a broken heating-cooling system).

The condo comes with serviceable small appliances and electronics. Replacement of any such items is left up to the discretion of the owners. For specialized items ("Do you have a Panini maker?") please consult the recently updated inventory list for a complete listing of everything that is included with the rental .

How do I go about booking my time in the condo?

Multiple month peak season rentals and off-peak season rentals are taken on a first-come-first-served basis throughout the year. Single month, peak season rentals are taken starting in October of the prior year (you can book Jan. '09 starting on Oct. 1, 2008). To reserve the condo, we need to receive the $1000 security deposit. Rent and other fees are due one month prior to the time you rent the unit.

What if I need to cancel my reservation for any reason?

In the case of non-peak rental months, we charge a cancellation fee of $800 (that is, we return just $200 of the security deposit) if you need to cancel. For peak-season months, we keep the $1000 security deposit UNLESS we are able to rent it out without little effort or additional advertising costs. If the latter is the case, the security deposit will be returned.

Where do I park my car?

The condo comes with an assigned covered parking spot located close to the front door. There are also plenty of unassigned spots for those who come to visit.

How do I get my mail?

You will have an assigned locked mailbox located nearby in the parking lot of the complex.

How is a condo rental different than booking a hotel room?

We have always rented through a property manager. How is renting through a private owner similar or different?

A property manager simply serves as the intermediary between the owner and renter. When we started renting in the early 90's (pre-internet), the only way to rent a condo was either through word-of-mouth (e.g. you happen to be fortunate enough to run into an owner during your stay who had not already rented for the following year, or an owner happened to run a newspaper ad in your local paper) or through a property manager. In the 10 years we rented, we were lucky enough precisely once to rent a condo through word-of-mouth from the actual owner. The remaining times we rented we went through a local property manager.

The advantage of going through a local property manager is that he/she often has a variety of properties available in different complexes which increases your chances of finding a place to stay during the time frame you are looking for. This route is also particularly helpful if you want to experience the amenities and community of various locations and you don't want to do all the leg-work yourself. In our case, the main disadvantage was that we always got properties that were strictly investment properties for those who owned them. As such, maintenance and attention to details that would make the space more livable were not addressed as the owners' themselves nor the property managers ever stayed there and "used" the space. Common issues included dirty cupboards and dusty dishes, poor lighting, odd placement of or lack of furniture, saggy mattresses and drawers and closets full of junk because no one ever went through them to toss things out. However, despite those minor annoyances, we were always just grateful to be in paradise.

The main advantage of renting directly from the owner is that you don't need to pay for the commission that goes directly to the property manager. Additionally, those rental properties that are actually part-time owner-occupied, tend to be better maintained and more usable because the owner stays there as well. Owners love reliable, repeat renters and renters often enjoy the predictability of renting the same place year after year. This arrangement can be a win-win for both owners and renters. The disadvantage is that the unit might not available at the time you would like to rent it. Our renters have reported no difference in the amount of time it takes to get something repaired whether they have needed to call the property manager or when calling us directly. We have a couple of reliable handymen that we have occasionally needed to use during a renter's stay.