A colorful cartoon of a home in Scottsdale for rent with a Scottsdale Realtor and a landlord holding his head

If Scottsdale rentals are supposed to be such a great investment, why do so many landlords feel like they accidentally signed up for a second job?

On paper, everything looks right. Strong demand. Solid rents. Plenty of people are eager to live where sunshine is basically part of the lifestyle.

Then reality shows up. Usually, as a maintenance request. Or a late payment. Or a tenant who is very sure about a lease clause you are quite sure you did not write.

If you are trying to figure out how to increase rental income in Scottsdale without slowly turning into a 24/7 help desk, you are not alone. Most landlords start out thinking they will manage things just fine. And for a while, that might even be true.

But Scottsdale rental property…

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New year, new newsletter.

I haven't sent a newsletter in years, so I’m bringing it back as a simple way to share practical, local insight about Scottsdale and the surrounding areas - things I’d want to know if I lived here or was thinking about a move.

This was sent out as an email newsletter, and I've converted it to a blog post with some extra features and information.

Here's the January lineup:

A New Year's story featuring my crabby Grampa

Things to do in and around Scottsdale in January

It's an even drier heat (aka, the thermostat wars)

2026 Housing Vibes: No Wild Swings, Just a Smoother Ride - Or So the Experts Say

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Market Trends for Carefree, Cave…

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2 photos showing the difference of a landlord of a Scottsdale home with or without a property manager

You know that feeling when you're convinced you can handle something yourself? That smug satisfaction of skipping the "middleman" and keeping more money in your pocket? Yeah, I had that feeling too. Spoiler alert: it didn't last long.

When I bought my first rental property in Scottsdale, the math seemed obvious. Property managers typically charge around 8-10% of monthly rent. My place rented for $2,000 a month, so we're talking roughly $200 monthly, or $2,400 a year. That's a decent chunk of change. I thought, how hard could this be? I'd save thousands and pocket the difference.

Turns out, very hard. And very expensive.

The $2,400 Decision That Haunts Me

Let me paint you a picture. It's 2 AM on a Tuesday. My phone buzzes. The tenant is…

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