This page describes our housing and finance situation, which I’m getting better at making clean. I know this is lengthy, but it save lots of back and forth. And easy to refer to. 😉
Background: We’ve been 37 years at our current apartment and could get references from our past landlord and the past management company (the building sold in January and − no surprise − all fourteen units are being kicked out). We are two men in our early sixties with credit scores over 800. We have helped the landlord deal with numerous issues over the years (we were his on-site managers for about a year), and have only once in 37 years been late with the rent…and THAT was just a tech error caused by WaMu becoming part of Chase Bank. 😉 We have good savings; we just don’t have a lot of income since Robert retired. I’m self employed and my income varies from year to year. More on our income below.
For clarity, I’ve formatted this as the questions we’re typically asked:
For how many people? 2 men in their early sixties
What size and breed of animals do you have? 1 lovebird (only about six inches from beak to tail tip). Please let us know right off if this would disqualify us.
When are you looking to move? Ideally, April 1 -15, but sooner isn’t out of the question, just harder.
What are the credit scores for each adult occupant? Over 800 for each of us.
Is it from a Landlord, Prop Mgmt co or family? We had a great relationship with all three of the landlords (from the builder to his daughter Barbara to her husband after Barb passed. But the building has been managed by Countywide Properties since around 2000 and we’ve had a great connection with them as well, acting as the on-site managers for a couple of years. In Jan 2026, the building was sold and is now managed by a management company who doesn’t know us.
Can each occupant provide their last 2 pay stubs? Is the gross income no less than $7000 per month?
Our income is the discussion point. Know as you read that, in 37 years in this apartment, weI’ve only once been late with the rent and even THAT was a tech issue that caused Chase not to issue the check as it should have been. 😉
- Robert retired a number of years ago; he gets a net $1200 from an annuity. That said, he also just recently started a home-and-pet-sitting business (don’t worry; it’s outcalls only! No strangers’ animals would be coming to our place!) So that will bring in some more income.
- If he HAD to, he could start taking his Social Security now but we would like to wait a few years on that; you probably know that the longer one postpones, the more the monthly amount becomes and, with our savings and frugal lifestyle, we just haven’t wanted to start that yet. If he had to start that up, it would be another $2133 per month come June, but we really don’t want to do that yet if we can help it.
- I’m both a substitute teacher (about $20000 a year on just that) and have two businesses that I can show my 1099 forms for my total for the year. I’ve had years totaling in the 50000s years in the 80000s. It just changes. More significantly, i have savings and investments that I can always fall back on in slower months.
- I have investments in mutual funds that yield about $490 in dividends per month. I currently have that set up to always be reinvested because I haven’t needed the cash. If I had to, I could easily have that diverted to my bank account monthly instead.
- We own a house in the desert and the tenants have loved it there (and us!) for about five years now. They are definites on staying. They will be paying $2480 a month when we renew the lease in April.
- Many of my photo editing clients pay me in cash, which I know isn’t PROOF to you, but do know that is on top of everything you’re already seeing.
- *Finally, I have been investing in mutual funds for almost forty years and, besides having cash reserves, I could always call my investor to sell some if I had a down month. My savings and mutual funds (which I could demonstrate if need be) are a safer bet for you than anyone else’s job, which could end next week! 🙂
So, as you can see, describing my monthly income is tricky, but between all this and savings I could demonstrate, we’re a very safe tenant choice.
Hope this helps, complicated as I realize it is. Please let us know if a showing is bookable now that you know our situation.