My Real Estate Experiences

                                                                               History

With all the complaints about the housing market these days, it is a rarity when someone says, “Real Estate has been really good to me”.  I have three rental properties -   A small office building on 40th Place in Phoenix.  My own office is here - I rent two offices to other mental health professionals.   There are a 2 bedroom condo at Villa Lafayette in Phoenix and a three bedroom house in North Tempe on Larkspur Lane.  Both are being remodeled at the moment.  

I moved here in 1977 from Alaska; I bought the Larkspur Lane house from another doctoral student in 1978 and lived there for six years.  The house appears to have been designed by a famous Mid-Century Modern architect, Ralph Haver. It has not been verified yet, but homes by Haver and his ayocotes, are scattered throughout the neighborhood.  They are sought after due to the high ceilings and energy saving lot placements characteristic of the Haver design.  It looks modern and spacious.  The house is now being remodeled.  There have been seven other tenants in the last forty years.  I am planning to restore the floors thoughout to polished concrete, replace the bathrooms, update the kitchen, redo the outside laundry room.  There is a outdoor building to use for storage - with air-conditioning added it could be used as a she-shed or man-cave.   

The Lafayette Villa Condo belonged to my mother who lived there for ten years; nursing home income was a priority and the market was bad, so I took out a partial mortgage and for her to use the money.  The kitchen, all the flooring and both bathrooms have been completely remodeled.  It looks bright, clean and very modern. New Quartz countertops, a new dishwasher and new lighting are being installed.  

In 1999 I saw a three bedroom house on the corner of Indian School Rd and 40th Place.  It did not have a residential real estate sign outside.  It was zoned R-5 for non-retail or office use .  The previous owner never remodeled it. The front yard had 18 (I kid you not) palm trees; the back yard was a trash heap and it was completely destroyed inside. (If you lived in Arcadia before 1999 you might remember the turquoise fence. It actually was a crack house for awhile.)  

This solid structure, however, had lathe and plaster interior walls which were 8 inches thick - great sound proofing for offices.  There was a well kept intact brick exterior, lots of style, and really good “bones”.   Once, it was truly a neighborhood eyesore.  My neighbors appreciated the remodel.  In 2010 a pipe broke at the office resulting in an interior remodel that was fast and furious, but brought a much needed style change to the décor.   

I never thought about being a real estate maven or a “land baron”.  I have been blessed by wonderful tenants who have been long time renters and many have become good friends.  I am in this for the long run, I don’t see any repossession or short sales in my future.  I hope to meet you soon. 

Aynne  ( cell 602-402-2217)