Moving to Prescott/Prescott Valley 12/1-need rental please (real estate, apartments)

[crsmith]

So, we've read the good and the bad and still decided to move to what we believe is a lovely place. We need to find a place to rent ASAP and I will be in the area next week (11/5-7) to find one.

It's just the 2 of us and a 12yo female chocolate lab. We'd like to find a 2-3br 1-2 b with appliances on a single level as Brandy's (the lab, not the husband ) hips are a bit arthritic. I work from home (when I'm not traveling) in IT as a systems integrator so high speed internet (at least 20Mbps) is an absolute must. We hope to find all this for $1,100 or less. Oh, and we have excellent credit.
I've looked on realtor.com, zillow.com & craigslist ans sent out inquiries.

So folks, any recommendations for management companies, real estate agents, condo/apartments?
Areas to look at? Areas to avoid?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Clare

[BriansPerspective]

It sounds like you are doing the right things. Check craigslist, and the property management company websites (search Property Management Prescott for a list). Be careful with craigslist though. There are scammers out there. If it is too good to be true, then it's a scam. You can also try driving through neighborhoods and look for rental signs. Some owners only advertise through signs.

Be ready to act quickly when you find a place that you like. The rental market is very tight right now. $1100 is probably on the low end of what you will find in a nice subdivision. You might need to spend $1200-$1300/mo to find a good house.

[crsmith]

Thanks for you input. We're very excited to begin a new chapter!

[keninaz]

Our daughter is in a duplex rental in PV that she recently rented. I would stay the place is about 8 years old and she pays $700 per month for it and trash service is included.
Cable One has up to 50 MB speed locally in most areas. I have their medium speed which is all I need. My ping just now is 22 ms and the download speed is just over 17 MB.
Good luck with your move.

[fluffythewondercat]

Following up on what Brian said, the Craigslist rental scam goes like this:

1) The scammer looks through legitimate rental listings and finds one with a street address.

2) He copies that listing but sets the rental price low.

3) An unsuspecting would-be renter contacts the "landlord" who tells her he is out of town now, but if she'll send him the first month's rent, he will mail her a key.

4) The key obviously doesn't fit the front door...

There was one of these situations where the victim showed up with a key and guess what, couldn't get in. She called a locksmith, who made her a new key (!). She found the "Welcome to your New Home" sheet inside on the kitchen counter and proceeded to call the actual landlord's number listed therein to complain about having to have a key made.

Meanwhile, the real renter arrives and a fight ensues. The landlord shows up with the police and it all gets straightened out, though the victim refuses to believe she's been scammed.

If you see a Craiglist rental listing that doesn't have a street address, it's more likely to be legitimate.

[crsmith]

I just called one of the property management companies and was told I had to pay a $35 application fee to see a property! Is this legit? Assuming I will working with several management companies just to view properties do they all charge a fee just to show a property?

[keninaz]

Really? When I moved up here from SE AZ 8 years ago I did not pay a fee of any kind to view homes.
In fact I did not like the idea that they would for the most part just hand me the keys and send me to the property. So people make copies of the keys and come back later to rob me?
I did not have any luck with the property management agencies in this area 8 years ago and was not impressed with the homes that they were showing me price wise or cleanliness wise. They were not ready to rent.

[BriansPerspective]

Originally Posted by crsmith

I just called one of the property management companies and was told I had to pay a $35 application fee to see a property! Is this legit? Assuming I will working with several management companies just to view properties do they all charge a fee just to show a property?

Yes, property management companies charge fees for applications. This serves two purposes. It reduces the number of unqualified applicants and it covers some of the cost of the agents'/employees' time to show properties. Thirdly, different owners have different credit requirements. If an owner will not rent to an applicant with a credit score below 650, then there is no sense showing that property to applicants with lower credit scores. The management company can only determine the credit score if you first apply and pay their fee.

Most owner-landlords will not charge fees to show the home, but may charge a fee for an application. That fee would cover the cost of paying a third party to run a credit report and background check.

[crsmith]

We haven't been renters since we purchase our first home in 1997, I guess things have change, hmm?
Thanks for the info!

[smilinpretty]

crsmith, most times the fee covers a credit check that costs money. You won't be charged a fee to view the properties, only if you find one that you want and you fill out the application.