Need rental home search advice: Chandler, Gilbert area (Phoenix, Queen Creek: real estate, rental homes)

[Dawgdoc]

We are moving to the SE Valley from Maryland at the end of April – perhaps a few weeks earlier if our home here sells quickly. Future coworkers have advised me to rent for a year before buying a home. If I take their advice, we’ll rent and subsequently buy in SE Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek (Maricopa only) or Ahwatukee.

I’d like advice from people with experience, which sources of data for single family rental homes are most up-to-date and have the most detailed filtering capability. As for filtering, in my experience Realtor.com and Rentals.com have the best set of criteria and RentalHouses.com, and Homes.com are close seconds due to lacking a garage size filter. Thankfully, photos of a home usually make it obvious how large the garage is.

Since we have a lot of stuff, we need at least a 3 car garage, 4+ BR, and 2500+ SF; the budget will allow for up to $2200 per month unless our present home in Maryland sells first. I know most landlords require a one year lease, but I’ve seen a few for 6 months.

When we get there, we’ll start in a hotel, check the newspapers, and either launch a quest for a rental we could live with for awhile or a home to buy for a long-term residence. Despite dreading a potential move from a rental to a purchased home, waiting 6+ months before buying would let us explore more, perhaps miss some further market declines, and would give us the flexibility to consider homes that were not in top condition if they were cheap enough to make it worth the effort.

Thanks for any and all tips offered!

[TrooperRat]

Originally Posted by Dawgdoc

We are moving to the SE Valley from Maryland at the end of April – perhaps a few weeks earlier if our home here sells quickly. Future coworkers have advised me to rent for a year before buying a home. If I take their advice, we’ll rent and subsequently buy in SE Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek (Maricopa only) or Ahwatukee.

I’d like advice from people with experience, which sources of data for single family rental homes are most up-to-date and have the most detailed filtering capability. As for filtering, in my experience Realtor.com and Rentals.com have the best set of criteria and RentalHouses.com, and Homes.com are close seconds due to lacking a garage size filter. Thankfully, photos of a home usually make it obvious how large the garage is.

Since we have a lot of stuff, we need at least a 3 car garage, 4+ BR, and 2500+ SF; the budget will allow for up to $2200 per month unless our present home in Maryland sells first. I know most landlords require a one year lease, but I’ve seen a few for 6 months.

When we get there, we’ll start in a hotel, check the newspapers, and either launch a quest for a rental we could live with for awhile or a home to buy for a long-term residence. Despite dreading a potential move from a rental to a purchased home, waiting 6+ months before buying would let us explore more, perhaps miss some further market declines, and would give us the flexibility to consider homes that were not in top condition if they were cheap enough to make it worth the effort.

Thanks for any and all tips offered!

I don't like either of those that you posted and I mostly rely on Craigslist to advertise my rentals. There are a large number of homes for rent on Craigslist covering the entire Phoenix area, you don't have to wait til' you get here to find a place, you can go there and start looking now!

[Dawgdoc]

Thanks for reminding me of Craig's list. I'd not really considered using it before and assumed it was the opposite of what I was looking for. I checked it out anyway and was surprised to see it offered some filters and was just not an unorganized digital bulletin board. I'll give it a longer look someday!

[AZ Tracy]

A real estate agent would be happy to set up a search for you of rentals with your search criteria. There is no cost or obligation to do that. If this is your first experience in the Phoenix area, renting is a probably a very good idea.

Welcome and good luck.