Sometimes renting an actual house is better but finding them is never easy! I thought it would be helpful for others if I complied my rental home resources. This is not a sponsored post but I have had the opportunity to to business with several companies on the list and will link you to the posts made when I lived in homes under the particular company’s management. Hopefully this list is helpful to some and our experiences can aid you in finding the right property management company for you!

Flagstaff, AZ Rental House Resources:

• Pollock Properties (http://www.pollockpropertiesinc.com/rentals.html) – We leased a home out in Kachina Village through them. Ann Pollock was very good to us despite the unfavorable situation we got ourselves into. We rented a home on a month to month basis, it was on the market and we had to show it whenever a Realtor had an interested buyer. The home owners were sneaky and shady but Ann was honest and helped make things right. We lived in one of their managed properties from about September 2007- February 2008. You can read about our experiences by checking the pollock properties tag (click the link).
• Coldwell Banker Narico (http://www.mattbrydenthal.com/ or http://www.flagstaffrentals.com) – Again we leased a home out in Kachina Village through them, we signed a 6 month lease, 3 months later we were told the owners wanted to put the home back on the market and that we would be forced to show the house for the remainder of our lease or until the home sold. We lived in one of their managed properties from February 2008 to September 2008. You can read about our experiences by checking the coldwell banker tag (click the link).
• AZNorth (http://www.aznorth.com/rentals.asp) – We had never used this company.
• The Ginsburg Group (http://www.theginsberggroup.com/rentals.htm) – We had never used this company.
• Levitan Properties (http://www.flaglips.com/) – We had never used this company. Specialized (when we were looking for rentals 2004-2008) in pet friendly apartment communities. No additional pet rent, deposits are fully refundable and often utilities are paid. Great for families with pets looking for apartment living in Flagstaff, AZ.

Evansville, IN Rental House Resources:

• Evansville Homes For Rent (http://www.evansvillehomesforrent.com/search.php) – I called them and they seemed very friendly and accommodating, I told them I had emailed them and would like an email response. I also emailed them prior to calling them to ask if anyone would be able to assist us by taking photos of homes we are considering renting since we wont be able tour the home prior to move in. Nobody has responded to me via email or phone.
• Fetter Property Management (http://www.fprent.com) – I emailed them to ask if anyone would be able to assist us by taking photos of homes we are considering renting since we wont be able tour the home prior to move in. I also called and left a message asking for a returned call or email. Nobody has responded to me via phone or email.
• Lowe Realty, Inc. (http://324125ji.topagentsites.com/all_listings.html) – I emailed them to ask if anyone would be able to assist us by taking photos of homes we are considering renting since we wont be able tour the home prior to move in. Nobody has responded to me.
• Given & Spindler (http://www.given-spindler.com/invenrn1.html) – I emailed them to ask if anyone would be able to assist us by taking photos of homes we are considering renting since we wont be able tour the home prior to move in. Nobody has responded to me.
• Corrier Press Newspaper (http://www.courierpress.com/realestate/) – Displays listings for rental properties and contact info but did not have property photos or extensive property information. Not a good resource for those looking for rentals from outside the state.
• F.C. Tucker Emge (http://www.fctuckeremge.com/propertymanagement/index.htm) – Displays listings and property info on their site. Homes are nice and the staff DOES respond to your emails, they are willing to help.

Hopefully this list provides some help to those searching for rental homes in Flagstaff, Arizona or Evansville, Indiana. If you have a site you want to add please do so in the comments field!

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So, today I spent several hours over at the old place cleaning things, making repairs and generally just tying up loose ends. In the past we have been hit with ridiculous cleaning fees, “pet odor” charges and what not and we are responsible pet owners so this makes us mad.

Our animals are well behaved, clean (no they don’t pee or poo all over the house) and we take great care in keeping our rental homes tidy and in good condition so when we get charged for supposed pet damages we know we are getting screwed.

We have found that being very diligent about cleaning the old place before move out and also demanding a final walk through with the landlord before relinquishing keys often prevents those “pet damage” fees and charges because the landlord has to notify us then and there of the things they are charging for.

Anyway, I decided to use up the bleach today to clean the crap out of the house. A strong, lingering beach smell should subconsciously alert the landlord that we did clean the place right?

I used bleach to mop the bathroom floors, to sponge off the spots on the walls, to wipe the blinds down, to clean the fridge & dishwasher and anything else that appeared dirty. I wore my bright yellow cleaning gloves and walked through the house with my bucket of bleach water just going to town on anything that appeared dirty.

Tomorrow the carpet cleaners will be doing the carpets there and we will tackle the stove, wax the wood floors and do the last min cleaning of the kitchen and anything else that needs work.

We are officially out of there and I am actually really glad. We have a bigger living space now, the house retains heat so we are anticipating lower gas bills, we have a set 6 month lease so we wont have to show the house or worry about being given 30 days notice to vacate… All in all it’s seems to have worked out okay for us.

Now we just have a TON of unpacking to do and we need to settle in.. I am taking my time with it though!

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[youtube I90WJeO9RDg Fun with family- video]

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Guess that means I can stop eating large dishes of jello like it’s going out of style huh? Random thought, I know but seriously I have been eating jello and craving it like crazy. We consumed one box already and I made up 3 more (yes 3) boxes last night for our chowing pleasure.

I really don’t need to be snacking on jello considering I have lost 12 pounds over the last 3 months and I am wasting away… I know you are thinking what a joke! This girl is honestly complaining about loosing weight?

Trust me weight is an issue no matter what size you wear. For my family the fast metabolism and over active thyroid glads are to blame and we have to work hard to “eat enough”. If we don’t we not only look bad but we have dizzy spells, stomach issues and so on. when you work food off as fast as you can eat it… It’s a pain!

So I need to be eating beef jerky or something that takes a while to break down/ burn off, NOT jello..

Oh, and I am doing my business inventory like a mad woman right now. I want to file my taxes but I need to know what inventory was at year end, which also means I need to input all my expense receipts that I put off all year.

I am also packing as much as I can to prepare for the upcoming move at the end of the month. I am literally surrounded by boxes but I guess we have been since we moved in here… We have been living out of boxes for the last 6 months… Living out of boxes makes packing to move a bit easier I guess.

Oh, and I have been getting my students ready for their upcoming competition at the end of the month too. You can see a video of them over at gather (a writing/ publishing site) (http://www.gather.com/viewVideo.jsp?id=11821949021859541). So what are you up to this fine day?

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We get the keys to our new place on 2/25 and need to be out of this place my 2/29.. It’s nice to have a few days to make the transition although I wont be able to spend my time blogging on those days cause I’ll be making trips back and fourth in the car trying to move loads of boxes.. Oh, well a bigger place is good so it’s worth it right?

Oh, I almost didn’t mention that my man got offered a promotion. I can’t list the specifics because it’s not official yet and I don’t want to blow his cover but basically got offered better/ more air time position that ideally should pay more and further his career more… We are excited about the possibilities but like I said it’s not official yet so we aren’t counting our chickens before they hatch.

Okay, so back to the point of my post.. We are moving again. I have become the little moving experts since I have moved every year for the past 8 years or so..

I am very anal about having all the moving/ utility documents with me (and not packed away) during a move. We have the best luck with utility companies, NOPE! It seems everywhere we move to has something that was not turned on or transfered as we requested. either the phone line doesn’t work or the electricity is not on or the satellite dish doesn’t get installed till 2 weeks after we are in the place… It’s always something so having that documentation on hand really makes getting it solved easier.

I am looking for little tid-bits of advice still though, do you have any?

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