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Condominium buildings along the canal walk at dusk

Services

Investment Properties

Rent estimates, operating costs and local rules, gathered for every property we send you.

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Run the numbers before the tour.

Rent estimates, operating costs and local rules, gathered for every property we send you.

An investment property is a spreadsheet first and a house second. Before we suggest a single tour, we estimate market rent from comparable leases, operating costs including HOA dues, insurance, taxes and maintenance reserves, and the likely return at a few different purchase prices. You see the assumptions, so you can change them.

Scottsdale and its neighbors have specific rules on short-term rentals, licensing and HOA leasing restrictions, and those rules change. We check them for every property and note anything pending. If you would rather not manage the home yourself, our property management team can take over from the day you close.

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Contemporary downtown condominium building with balconies and palm trees

How we analyze a property

A spreadsheet first, a house second

Every property we send an investor comes with an analysis before anyone tours it. We estimate market rent from recent leases nearby rather than asking rents, then build operating costs line by line: property tax, insurance, HOA dues, a vacancy allowance, a repair reserve and the cost of professional management even if you plan to manage it yourself. You see every assumption.

We run the numbers at a few purchase prices and financing scenarios, so you know the most you can pay and still meet your target. If a property only works at the asking price with everything going right, we say so. The goal is fewer, better tours and offers you can still defend to yourself a year later.

Local rules get the same attention. Scottsdale licenses short-term rentals, and many HOAs limit lease terms or the number of rented homes in a community. Those rules change, so we check them for each property and note anything pending before you make an offer.

After purchase we track how the property performs against the original estimate: actual rent, vacancy, repairs and costs. If you hold several properties, that record shows which assumptions were right and which need adjusting before the next purchase, and it makes later decisions about selling or refinancing much easier.

Assumptions you can see.

Every analysis lists its rent comparables, vacancy allowance, repair reserve and financing terms. Change any figure and the return updates, so the decision stays yours.

See listings
Interior detail from a recent Ashworth listing

  • 310

    Rentals

  • 96

    Owners

  • 28

    Parks nearby

  • 23

    Trailheads

  • 11

    Canal miles

  • 1,850

    Open houses

Investing in Scottsdale

What moves returns here

  • 01

    HOA leasing rules

    Minimum lease terms and rental caps can turn a good spreadsheet into a poor investment. We read the documents for every property before it reaches your short list. A single clause in the CC&Rs can matter more than the price.

  • 02

    Summer vacancy

    Leases that end in July and August can take longer to fill. We suggest lease terms that end in spring or early fall, when more people are looking. A few weeks of vacancy each year changes the return more than most buyers expect.

  • 03

    Older systems

    Cooling systems and roofs are the largest near-term costs on older rentals. We note their age in every analysis and price a reserve for replacement. The reserve sits in the analysis from day one, not as a surprise in year three.

What every analysis includes

The investor sheet

  • Rent estimate

    Built from recent leases nearby, not asking rents.

  • Operating costs

    Taxes, insurance, HOA dues and reserves.

  • Rule check

    Licensing, leasing limits and short-term rules.

  • Condition notes

    Systems ages and likely near-term repairs.

  • Resale view

    Price history and comparable sales.

  • Lease timing

    Current leases, renewal dates and terms.

  • Management cost

    What professional management would add.

  • Exit options

    How the property would sell in three to five years.

Interior from a recent Ashworth sale

A recent investment

Two condos instead of one house

An investor came to us looking for a single-family rental near Old Town. After we ran the numbers on six houses, none met her target return without optimistic rent assumptions. We suggested two smaller condos in a well-run building by the canal instead, after reading its reserve study and leasing rules.

The two units cost about the same as one of the houses, rented within three weeks of closing and spread the vacancy risk across two leases. Our management team took over from closing day, and her first annual report came in close to the original estimate.

A year later she used the same building's numbers to decide against a third unit there. The reserve study had changed and a special assessment was coming, and the updated analysis showed the return no longer met her target.

Illustrative example written for this demo site.

Client notes

Investment clients say

  • “The rent math was right to the dollar.”

    Lucia F.

    (Investor)

  • “Two tenants placed in a month, both great.”

    Walter H.

    (Owner client)

  • “Fair pricing advice, even when it stung a little.”

    Lucia F.

    (Seller)

Costs and timing

What investment with us involves

What it costs

Investor clients pay the same buyer fee as any purchase, agreed in writing before we start and usually paid at closing, often covered in part by seller compensation. The analyses themselves are free, however many properties we run. If you choose our management team after closing, management and leasing fees are set out separately in their agreement.

How long it takes

Most investors review analyses on fifteen to thirty properties and tour five to ten before writing an offer. Financing on investment property can take a little longer than on a primary home, so we plan on thirty-five to forty-five days in escrow and line up leasing work so the home can be marketed the week it closes.

Questions

Investment questions

  • No one can. We give you estimates with the assumptions in plain view, and we update them with real lease results if we manage the property for you.

  • They are regulated, and many HOAs restrict them further. We check the city licensing rules and the HOA documents for every property and tell you what applies before you make an offer.

  • We coordinate timelines with your qualified intermediary and tax adviser so identification and closing dates are met. We do not give tax advice ourselves.

  • Single-family homes, condos, townhomes and small multifamily buildings of up to about twelve units.

  • Yes. Our management team can take over leasing, maintenance and reporting from closing day.

  • Yes. We spend more time on the assumptions behind each analysis and on the costs that surprise new owners, such as vacancy, reserves and insurance.

  • Yes. We handle sales of tenant-occupied homes, including showing schedules that respect the lease and the resident, and coordinate with your adviser on any exchange timeline.

  • From signed leases on comparable homes nearby in the last six to twelve months, adjusted for size, condition, parking and amenities. Asking rents are a guide to the market, not evidence of it, so we lean on what people actually paid.

Current homes

Homes to look at

Illustrative demo listings. Not an offer.

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