August 29, 2008

Home Solutions by Patti Hirst was created to help the seniors who need to go into an Independent Living facility because they can no longer take care of their home anymore. Our services allow seniors to remain in their homes while we care for their home. Whether it is house cleaning, carpets shampooed, windows washed, yard trimming, handyman repairs, remodeling or just having furnace filters and light bulbs replaced, we will make sure their home is kept up. We are HOME CAREGIVERS!

Rental Homes - all these services are required for investors who own Rental Homes so my business expanded to help mainly the out of state investors care for their property. While out of state owners cannot be here to handle the day to day maintenance of a home (or local owners who wish to have me handle their home caregiving), we offer Rental Homecare as well. Because we are NOT REALTORS, we do not handle the money exchange. Rental Contracts are written between the tenant and landlord and checks are paid from the Tenant to the Landlord. If we can help an Owner find a Tenant, we love putting the 2 together but do not charge for that.

Lastly, we will also "House Sit". This involves checking on the properties when they are unoccupied. This service can be weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. If this is in the summer, we will summerize the house and then check regularly for roof leaks, break-ins, and irrigation problems. We do not have a contract for our services. We do it the old fashioned way, if we help you care for your property, you pay us, if we don't do what we promise, you don't.

Please contact us:

Home Solutions by Patti Hirst
623-271-3454
Cell phirst@cox.net

OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q: Do you have a sample Rental Agreement we can use?
A: Yes, we can give you a copy of the Rental Agreement we use for our properties. Feel free to make any changes.

Q: Do you do 1 year leases only?
A: We look for the longest term we can find but it may not be your intent to rent forever. If you are planning to rent for a long term, I recommend locking the price for a year or 2 and stating that the rent can go up no more than $50/mo. for example. I will rent to snowbirds for shorter periods of time with the furnished homes we have. Just a note for the wise, our winter season is strongest from Jan. - March. If you rent for the month of Feb. or March without having Jan. filled, you may not be able to find a tenant for just that one month of Jan. There are plenty of tenants coming for the full 3 months. Keep a waiting list going just in case.

Q: Is there a cleaning/damage deposit that is collected up front?
A: We charge a one months deposit on a long term rental for our homes and $500 for short term furnished rentals. It states in the lease that they must leave the house in the same condition less normal wear and tear. If something is ruined when they turn in the keys, that amount is deducted from the damage deposit. Should the damage be more than the deposit, it does not get them off the hook on paying. You can go after them for the repairs. Luckily, this has never happened to me before. Seniors are increadible. Our experience is that they take very good care of the home.

Q: How many houses do you care for in the SC/SCW area?
A: Currently, about 50 homes, most of them in Sun City West, but also in Sun City, Sun City Grand, Corte Bella, Sun Village, Westbrook Village, Festival and Traditions. We stay in the Senior Communities.

Q: Is there a contract I sign with you?
A: No, we do it the old fashioned way. If we don't do as we promise, you don't pay us.

Q: What is your fee, and what does it include?
A: The fee is based on the services we offer. I will go over your needs and provide you with a fair price. Prior to a tenant's arrival, we will make sure the house has been cleaned, windows washed as needed, carpets shampooed as needed, repairs performed as needed and yard maintenance completed. If you call us with a repair call, my partner, Gary and I go to the house and take a look at the problem. About 85% of the time, we can fix it ourselves at little or no cost to you....Gary is wonderful. If it is something more serious, we will call a specialist after contacting you first unless it is an emergency. You will not know about the little problems as we handle everything without any worry to you. We recommend Service One Home Warrantee. You can rest comfortable that if there is a major problem, it will cost a $49 service fee. The annual fee is around $400 to $500 depending on which plan you go with. If you go with Service One, please let them know Patti Hirst referred you as they will send me a $25.00 reduction on my next renewal of one of my homes for the future. As we are not Realtors, we do not charge if we are able to help you find a tenant. We do run an ad in the Daily News Sun every Tuesday and Saturday, we advertise our homes at the Sun City West Visitors Center, we use Craigslist to keep our homes rented, we use Vacation Rental websites to feature one of our homes and we get leads from them for other rental homes, we have many, MANY realtors who support us and send us leads to help their clients. We will do anything that is needed to care for your home. Once a tenant leaves, we are available for "House Sitting". Whether you wish for us to check on your home weekly, every other week or once a month, you can be assured your house is cared for.

Q: If nobody is living in my house, why would I need someone to come by and check on it?
A: A house is heathier if someone is living in it but that is not always possible. AZ is so dry, it takes a toll on rubber hoses, porcelin toilet tanks, PVC pipes at the irrigation lines and furniture. If your home has to remain empty, toilets should be flushed at least once a month, irrigation lines checked for heads popped off or leaks underground, possible roof leaks, pest control, water buckets placed inside for humidity or the airconditioning should be turned to about 90 degrees. Water should be shut off inside the house and Water Heaters should be turned off while empty. Empty houses are also a target for break-ins. We recommend a timed light to go on and off in the evening.

Q: What else do you do as a home care-giver?
A: We can oversee the remodeling of your home. I have many contacts of qualified and reasonably priced contractors. I also furnish homes through Estate Sales! Furniture you would never know has been sat in before....purchased at a fraction of the cost of new.

Q: Do you require Renters Insurance as part of your rental contract ( renters must show that they have proof of insurance?)
A: I strongly advise they carry renters Insurance. It is the cheapest thing and they are crazy not to have it. If they loose everything they have in a fire for example, your insurance covers the structure but not their furniture. If you want to require them to have Renters Ins., you can make that a requirement.

Q: How does it work for the tenants to use the recreation facilities?
A: Each person who is on the Title of the house in SCW must pay for a annual recreation card. If you plan to rent it, you must keep the card(s) on file at the Sun City West Administration Offices. The tenant can buy a recreation card as long as the owners card(s) are on file. The fee for the tenant is the same for the owner if they are paying for an annual pass. A snowbird can purchase a monthly recreation card for $60.00/mo. (effective 7 1 09)

We are available 24/7 if you need us.