Fall Kickoff- Maricopa's football season is back!

HOME

Cake ingredients

Why? Because rental income is only one part of the equation. How long will the property remain vacant between tenants? How well will it be maintained? Are repairs addressed before they become larger expenses? Is the tenant likely to renew? Are lease terms consistently enforced? In the long run, those decisions often have a greater impact on your investment’s performance than an extra $50 or even $100 in monthly rent. The bigger picture Successful rental ownership isn’t simply about achieving the highest rent. It’s about maximizing the overall performance of the investment. Sometimes that means pricing a property correctly from the beginning instead of chasing a number the market won’t support. Sometimes it means selecting the most qualified tenant rather than the first applicant. And sometimes it means making decisions today that protect the property’s value years from now. The best-performing investments are rarely the result of one good decision. They’re the result of many good decisions made consistently over time. Asking a better question Determining the right rental price is one of the most important services a professional property manager provides, but it’s only the beginning. Perhaps the better question isn’t, “How much can my house rent for?” Perhaps it’s, “How can my investment perform at its very best?” Whether you’re preparing to rent your home for the first time or you’ve owned rental property for years, we’d be happy to share our perspective on getting your investment to perform at its very best. At Crest Premier Properties, that’s the conversation we enjoy having every day.

From our table: Erika’s tres leches cake

1½ cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 5 large eggs, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar, divided ⅓ cup whole milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Tres leches mixture 2 cups whole milk 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

O NE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS WE hear from prospective landlords is, “How much do you think I can rent my house for?” It’s an important question — and one we hear almost every week. After all, rental income is one of the first things owners consider when deciding whether to keep a home as an investment. How much can I rent my house for? The answer goes beyond how much a tenant pays each month BY SHERMAN AND EUPHEMIA WEEKES

BY ERIKA PARAMO

ROWING UP, FOOD BECAME one of the earliest connections to my Mexican culture. My birthday has always been my

favorite day of the year, and when I was little, my mom would buy me two cakes: one from the panadería and one from Vons, our local grocery store in San Diego. I always remember tearing into a perfectly moist tres leches cake. My mom once told me I didn’t have to eat it, but she always bought one because it was my grandma Josephine’s favorite. It became mine, too.

1 cup of half-and-half A splash of Mexican vanilla extract A pinch of cinnamon

Over 20 years has taught us that while it’s the first question most owners ask, it usually isn’t the most important one. Looking beyond the monthly rent Two similar homes can rent for the same monthly amount and produce very different financial results.

ERIKA’S TIP Tres leches cake is known for its soft, creamy texture, so only refrigerate the cake after allowing it to cool and adding the milk mixture. I like to top my cake with homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Directions 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch pan, but don’t heavily grease the sides — this helps the sponge climb. 2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 3. Separate the eggs. Put the whites in a large bowl and the yolks in another. 4. Beat yolks with ¾ cup sugar for about 2–3 minutes, until pale and thick. Mix in milk and vanilla. 5. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix. 6. Beat egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Beat until you have medium-stiff peaks. 7. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter in three additions. Don’t stir aggressively or you’ll knock out the air. 8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and springs back when touched. 9. Let the cake cool completely in the pan. 10. As the cake cools, make the tres leches mixture. Combine the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, half-and-half, Mexican vanilla and cinnamon. 11. Once cool, poke the cake all over with a fork or skewer. Slowly pour the tres leches mixture over the entire cake, letting it soak in gradually. 12. Refrigerate the fully soaked cake at least 4 hours.

After moving away for college, I could never find a tres leches cake that tasted like the one from my childhood, so I started experimenting until I created my own recipe that tastes like home. Every bite takes me back to being a happy “mommy’s girl” surrounded by family on my birthday. Cooking Mexican food is one way I embrace my heritage and keep those traditions alive. This cake is more than dessert; it’s a little piece of my childhood, my mom and my grandma, mi alma. Erika Paramo, 1, smiles for a photo with her grandmother, Josephine, in 2000.

480-838- 9558 CrestPremierProperties.com

Place your Arizona investment in experienced hands.