Landlords Can Easily Cheat on Taxes

One of my tenants paid me $1,350 in cash today.

If I didn't deposit it I could save over $300 on my federal income taxes.

Of course I'm going to report it...but still, it occurred to me how tempting and easy it would be to just - not.

I Kicked Out The Right Tenant!

This morning I met the city building inspector at the duplex. Apparently you have to get the place inspected between each tenant. I was surprised, however, to find a health inspector there as well.

Also waiting for me in the yard when I pulled up were two potential tenants (roommates), the existing tenant, and the handyman. I waved and smiled as I frantically rushed towards the chaotic group.

I paid the handyman and told the existing tenant to start the inspector through their side of the place while I showed the two roommates the other side. Nervous about what they were finding next door, I rushed through the tour and handed the guys their applications and bounced next door, telling them to keep looking around.

The inspectors were surprisingly jovial. They kept joking and laughing and commenting about how they love dealing with "cooperative" landlords and try not to crack down too hard on us. I just kept alternately smiling and staring with a concerned face at everything they looked at. I held my breath with every pensive pause, hoping I wouldn't hear a phrase like "Yeah, looks like you'll need to replace the entire roof."

Anyway, once we moved next door to the vacant unit, I found out the health inspector was there because of my former tenant, who I kicked out. I had never gotten a single request or complaint from him, except about his neighbors, but apparently he had been repeatedly calling and writing the health department!

I knew he had called them regarding a leaky faucet in the adjascent backyard - which was the last straw before I declined to renew his month to month lease. I would have had it fixed immediately, but instead he called the health dept on his neighbors.

But apparently he'd also called and written about other things, the most concerning being the "overwhelming stench of mold" coming from the bathroom and his bedroom closet, which allegedly caused him to have to move to sleep in the living room. He said in the letter he had repeatedly complained to management!

I told the inspectors I'd never gotten a single complaint from him or I would've had somebody out here to look into it. My eavesdropping tenants piped in that I always fix everything they ask and that I'm a great landlord; I mentally forgave them for those few months when they were behind on rent.

The health inspectors found no sign of mold, and they laughed at the former tenant, reading portions of his grammatically incorrect letter out loud. He ranted and raved about droppings in the yard, open pipes, backed up toilets, and goodness knows what else.

The inspectors just said they were releived to find that none of it was true! As was I, of course. I hadn't spent much time in that unit because it's been occupied since I bought the place. For all I know there could have been mold. The health inspector said he was glad that tenant was gone so they can quit dealing with him!

Me too, inspector. Me too.

Potential Tenants Compete for Duplex!

Only 15 minutes after I left the property Tuesday, having shown in to a very interested potential new tenant, I got a phone call from another one. The guy was standing out on the lawn with my existing tenant, hoping to see the place.

I had spoken to him that day and invited him to come out to look while I was planning to be there, but he had declined due to a prior engagement. Turns out that got canceled so he showed up, 15 minutes too late. I apologized and said there was no way I could turn around at this point; traffic was horrible and I was almost home.

The guy persisted and called me again today. He knew another person was interested but asked if he and his roommate could come see the inside anyway. I hesitated and told him that I am supposed to collect the deposit from the other applicant tomorrow; it was "first come, first served," but I promised to call him if for any reason that application fell through.

He countered that they could pay the deposit by tomorrow as well. Impressed, I still told him that I had to give the first person a chance but that he was #2 on the list.

An hour later I changed my mind. I called him back and told him that I'd be happy to meet him out there today and let them see the inside. After all, he had been one of the first people to call me about the place.

Assuming I get two applications back on Friday, I'll simply run them both. And may the best tenant win!

Tenant Tries to Ask Me Out

Great news! The potential tenant who I interviewed yesterday called me just now to arrange a time to give me the application and the deposit (of course I'll run the application before depositing the check).

Not as great news - he also took the opportunity to try to ask me out. I say "try" because I sort of averted the question.

First he asked if he could meet me at the property Friday afternoon at 4pm in order to give me the deposit and application and fee. I agreed, and then he tried to derail the business conversation by rambling about how his day was going and asking me about mine. His tone was not flirtatious so much as overly friendly - as though I wanted to be talking to him about his day in the middle of mine. Then he asked what my plans are on Friday night.

I pretended to assume that he was asking out of polite deference to my schedule, since we had just scheduled a 4pm meeting that day. But his behavior the day before made me know otherwise. I told him in a normal conversational tone that my sister was coming into town and that I'd be planning something with her.

Before I could change the subject he responded in an invitational, questioning way that he and some guys at work were planning to head down to the horse racing track and that it should be a great time. I told him that sounded like fun and that I was glad he was getting to know the area. Refusing to drop it, he asked if I'd ever been to the racetrack. I said "no" and quickly shifted things back to business by telling him I'd be at the property at 1pm and asking if we could meet then instead.

He agreed readily with some annoying comment like "Sure, sure, whatever you want little lady." He didn't come accross as persistent or creepy. Instead he kept chuckling and spoke lazily as though he just enjoyed the whole exchange. He called me "little lady" again while saying goodbye. Ugh.

If he tries to ask me out again - or over for dinner - I'm going to flat out tell him that I have a policy against socializing with tenants. Of course I'll say it in a friendly "gosh, I wish I could, but you know I can't" sort of way.

But hey, if all it takes is a smile and letting him call me "little lady" to keep him paying promptly and being easy-going, I can handle it. I'd rather the guy like me than hate me - the last tenant who seemed to have a mild crush on me kept the place in great condition and always paid on time.

Showing the Rental to a New Tenant!?

Today I finally started calling back some of the potential tenants who have been emailing me and leaving me voice mails (more detail on the delay in my last post, The Fair Weather Landlord).

First I listened to all the messages and numbered them in order of who sounded most promising/interested. I am also not ashamed to admit that I prioritized them by people who sounded "together" - those who strung grammatically correct sentences together (I gave a free pass to the two with Spanish accents) and left their name and number clearly and didn't ask questions that were answered in the ad.

The first guy I called (out of 9 on my list) said the place seemed "perfect" and he wanted to see it asap. He works right down the street, and he sounded very calm and mature on the phone. So I agreed to meet him out there after work today and showed him the place.

I got there early and shmoozed my existing tenant and a neighbor for a bit. They were in the driveway working on a car and drinking beer. Then I went in and made sure everything looked OK and waited. The new potential tenant showed up promptly and glanced around as I briefly showed him the place.

I like the vibe I get from him. He seems laid back but deliberate both in his speech and mannerisms. He's probably in his mid 50's and he appears to be partly Black and partly white. I'm not sure if that's the politically correct way to refer to him, but I hope is an indication that he won't have any problems with the inter-racial status of the couple next door! He smiled a lot, didn't inspect anything too closely, and has a seemingly stable job nearby which pays more than enough to cover the rent.

I had my sales hat on as we stood in the living room and discussed the neighborhood, the neighbors, and the fact that he's never lived in Texas through the summer. I wanted to close this deal. I assured him I'd replace the carpet and re-caulk the bathtub and that the air conditioner works perfectly well.

The conversation took a brief, weird but not totally unexpected turn when he asked about my marital status and age (we'd been talking about his girlfriend and current living situation, so it wasn't totally out of the blue). I answered, and he laughed and called me a "baby" and said he had been going to suggest we "get together" for dates but that he's too old for me. I faked a smile and nodded politely, mentally rolling my eyes.

He took an application and said he'll take the place and promised to cook dinner and invite me over to share it as soon as he moved in and bought some furniture. I ignored that comment and introduced him to the neighbors. They all seemed to get along swimmingly, to the point that I was bored and hot and ready to leave as I stood there in the sun chit-chatting with them all.

Luckily my existing tenant talked up the place and the area and me as a landlord, assuring the new guy that I do what I promise regarding repairs and that the summers aren't too unbearable.

As we left, he wanted me to take the "for rent" sign out of the yard - which I told him I wouldn't do until I got a deposit. He laughed as though we were flirting, and I smiled back, waving goodbye. I heaved a huge sigh of relief as I started my car and beamed a real smile. Hopefully this will be the only showing required; he wants to bring back the application tomorrow.

The Fair Weather Landlord

After asking my last tenant to leave due to numerous complaints from the neighbors, I finally listed the place for lease on Craigslist and stuck a for rent sign in the yard.

It took me a week to do those two things, which is an inexcusable delay. After all, time is money in the real estate business, and the difference between renting it this week (May) and next week (June) could be an entire month's rent - one twelfth of my annual income on the place!

I knew this. But my sister was moving in during the week, work was crazy because my boss was unexpectedly out, and I was plum tired and didn't care that much. That's right, I wasn't entirely motivated to get out there and get the thing re-leased. In fact, it took me a week just to drive over and check out the condition he left the place in! Luckily there wasn't rotting food in the fridge or anything, or I really would've paid for my laziness/apathy/avoidance.

I love being a landlord when it comes to collecting rent checks and calculating tax breaks and analyzing my cash flow spreadsheets and even shmoozing tenants/potential tenants. I love the feeling of pride and progress and ambition it brings me to be a bona fide real estate investor.

But when it comes to cleaning and maintenance and taking complaints - I not only hate it, I pretty much avoid it. Which is, of course, expensive. Not only does delaying confrontation of issues often enable them to snowball into bigger, more expensive ones, but even when I do deal with them head on I am significantly more likely to throw money at them than try to find the most cost effective solution.

Why? Because the most cost effective solution often involves me getting my hands dirty - or missing a fun social engagement I've been looking forward to - or having to struggle to learn something new that I don't care about knowing (like how to install carpet). Guess what's easier and far more preferable? Paying somebody else to do it.

For example, whenever I get a call about a leak or a clog I simply call my regular plumber and pay whatever he quotes over the phone to fix whatever the tenant claims is wrong. I don't drive over to investigate, I don't ask questions, I just pay somebody else to take care of it. I've spent well over $1000 on plumbing issues during the last year at that place.

Sure, I could have taught myself some basic plumbing skills and learned how to fix leaks and unclog drains and dropped what I was doing to go address those issues myself each of the 5 or so times they have arisen. I'd have over $1000 more in the bank, and I'd be more self sufficient.

But I also would have had to see, talk to, and interact with my tenants 5 more times. I would have spent God knows how many (miserable) hours with my hands down a drain in close proximity to other people's hair and bacteria. I would have had to dedicate time and energy to research how to do that stuff when I could have been studying for the CFP or doing my job a little better or sleeping.

I admit it. I'm a fair weather landlord.

Financial To Do List

My Financial To Do List:

1. Decide whether to contest tax assessment of rental by May 31.


2. Get rental unit cleaned up and re-leased by June 1.


3. Pay car insurance renewal premium of $642 by June 14.


4. Enroll in and pay for 2 summer term CFP classes by late June ($1,470 incl books).


5. Submit request for $700 reimbursement for Spring CFP class from employer as soon as the final grades come back in late June.


6. Make $5,000 annual payment to grandfather by mid July for the personal loan he gave me last summer for the downpayment on my second rental property.


7. Pay off $6,325 in credit card debt before 0% rate expires in the fall.


8. Enroll for review course for CFP exam by the end of the summer.

Cheap Things To Do This Weekend

My sister has officially moved in with me, and I am trying to figure out how to avoid blowing through hundreds of dollars this weekend in my excitement to entertain her.

I've already gone out to eat one too many times this week with her, and I've got a fridge full of food. The challenge will be to sit at home and eat some of it, but somehow we'll manage. She keeps insisting that she likes to cook, but other than some eggs I've yet to witness it; I think I'll have to force it out of her starting tonight.

Wasting away hours by the pool is always a fun, free activity - except for the fact that it's supposed to be rainy (cloudy at best) from Friday night through Tuesday. (Insert rant about how it's been absolutely GORGEOUS every weekday and rainy/cloudy EVERY weekend for the last month!!)

So here are some other ideas:

Gym!
I already posted about my new upscale gym; I've been been there four times in the week since I became a member; I even went to a very early morning pilates class! And I am still excited to keep going, despite the fact that I've gained 2 pounds since I began my little exercise habit.

My sis got a short term membership as well, and we will spend countless enjoyable and healthy hours there this summer. Today we're going for some general cardio, tomorrow we'll be taking a dance class, Sunday is yoga, and Monday will be kickboxing.

While this isn't free of course, it's already been paid for, so it technically qualifies.

Art / Museum(s)
She's dying to see the Dallas Museum of Art (she inexplicably knows a lot about the architect who designed it), so we can probably kill an afternoon doing that. I have honestly never toured it myself, despite that I live basically within walking distance so I'm not sure if there is an entrance fee, but if there is I'm sure it's minimal.

Since the Nasher Sculpture Center is right next door, we might as well make a day of it and stop by. Actually they do a "Saturday Night in the City" event which I believe is free and involves live music...I'll have to look into that as a cheap Saturday night option.

I also want to walk her down the block and introduce her to a local artist and gallery owner who I am friendly with.

Church
I'm going to use my sister as an excuse/mechanism to get me back in the habit of attending services each Sunday. I really enjoy it when I go, but the last few months I've enjoyed late Saturday nights out even more. If we don't get into the habit immediately, we won't go all summer.

Besides my parents are already worried that I'm corrupting my little sister. She was here 2 days to visit last week and applied for a Nordstrom credit card entirely without my knowledge, which got shipped to them at her "home" address. Also she has accepted no less than two phone calls from them from different happy hour excursions. So I can't have them thinking I'm keeping her from church too!

As an aside, church might actually be a good place to meet some new, decent people. And I'll be more likely to attend church social events while I have her to go with me.

The Mall
She bought a suit last week that she needs to pick up from alterations (with her new Nordstrom card of course), so we'll be headed to the mall at some point.

This can be a cheap activity if we focus hard enough, and she'll be excited to window shop through all the crazy designer stores that she only gets to see on vacation usually.

Maybe we can even see a movie. Not free or even particularly cheap, but it IS Memorial Day Weekend. At least we aren't taking a trip!

Car Insurance Premium Drops Like a Rock!

My car insurance premium usually costs around $900 every six months. This is with NO accidents or claims or tickets on my record and also includes discounts for being a homeowner and having a safe car, etc.

I've been told it's that high simply because of the area in which I live - there are a lot of car break ins and thefts, plus there are loads of uninsured drivers in Texas, etc.

So when I got my renewal notice I wasn't suprised to see it was $910. I skimmed through the notices to make sure they still had me down for zero accidents and I happened to notice a paragraph at the end of one of the notices.

The notice itself was explaining how they calculate rates - they explained that they consider accidents and tickets and also that they check my credit every 3 years and so on. The last paragraph was called "Information Regarding Length of Continuous Coverage" and it informed me that the company takes into consideration drivers who have had continuous coverage for 3 years or longer.

Normally I would have let this go, but an odd sentence made me pause - it said to call a customer service rep to make sure my account had been updated once I had 3 years of coverage.

I was right on the line - I have had coverage since I bought my car in early 2006 (before that I didnt' have a car for a few months so technically my coverage was "lapsed"). So I figured I might not be getting this discount yet - especially since they implied that you have to call to make sure it's applied.

So I called. And 5 minutes later my premium due had been adjusted - from $910 to $642!!!! I am thrilled. I was hoping for a $70 reduction, and really I was just expecting to be told that this had already been taken into account. I just saved $268 with one phone call!

That's $45 a month from now on! Woo Hoo!!

Cash Crunch

No matter how well you plan there are always times when you feel flush with cash - and other times when your cash flow is crunched.

I'm in crunch mode currently. Many others probably are as well. This month is a long month - one of those where 2 paychecks has to stretch over 31 days (and 5 weekends!). Not to mention that one of them is a holiday weekend. I don't have plans for Memorial Day, but many folks are taking trips, or at least will be spending more having cookouts, going to the lake, or just going out for a few extra meals.

But I'm dealing with some unique financial outflows which all happen to converge in May:

This happens to be the month when I am dealing with a tenant vacancy. One tenant paid half rent for May and moved out this past weekend. If I can manage to get it rented by June 1, I'll only be out $375 for the month, but it's still a bit stressful, plus I have to deal with costs like cleaning, changing the locks, etc.

Also, I just got notice of my car insurance renewal premium, which is almost $1,000. I thought I had until late June and actually I hadn't even thought about it yet.

I have to enroll for my next (and last) 2 CFP classes soon. That'll be around $1450 including books - and I won't be reimbursed for the class I'm in now until July (once final grades are back and my company has a chance to process my request).

Oh, and my little sister moved in with me this week so I made a couple of big grocery runs to stock up for her. Add an extra tank of gas this month from carting her around for her interviews, etc last week. And I accidentally paid for our entire $40 lunch today because the waitress swooped by and grabbed the book before she could stick her card in.

I also picked this month to join a new gym as well, and although I got the initiation fee waived I've been charged for the first 2 months up front. AND I had to pay my old gym membership one last time this month.

I should be able to make it through without dipping into savings if I time everything right (though I won't be able to add to savings in June). We'll see!

CFP Update

I am half way through my 5th CFP class - the one on Tax Planning.

The midterm was actually much easier than I expected (I was pretty worried about it). I still have to complete a project and take the final, but all in all I feel pretty good about it, and I think this class is down hill from here. It turns out I kind of like tax planning.

I only have two required classes left - one on Estate Planning and a summary course that combines the material from the other 6 classes and stresses case studies. Then I'll probably take some sort of Kaplan Review course before finally sitting for the CFP Exam in November.

This whole journey has flown by, but it has been a huge time committment and - to be honest - a bit of a beat down at times. Studying for the occassional midterm or final in one topic area is stressful enough; I'm dreading the preparation and cramming that will be necessary for the Big Exam this fall.

Doing the whole thing in one year instead of two is definitely challenging - but I'm very glad I'm doing it this way. Otherwise it would be hard to retain all the information (especially as figures change annually) and stay motivated to follow through.

I still have over 6 months to go, but I keep envisioning how relieved and carefree I'll be when it's all over!

Tenants Driving Me Crazy

The power is out at one of my duplexes.

I got a call yesterday afternoon from one tenant, letting me know the power was out. He had already called the power company to verify that they had paid their bill and that there were no reported outages in the area.

His conclusion? That his next door neighbor had maliciously cut their power. They'd heard noises coming from the closet (where the fuse box is) and then the power went off and then their neighbor walked by "as if to check and make sure their power was off." He added that they could still hear the TV from next door so they knew his power was still on.

They'd already called the power company who was sending someone out to verify connectivity. They just wanted to let me know their neighbor was apparently up to no good. I've already sent a 30 day notice to him, due to repeated complaints of harassment from these tenants. I feared he was lashing out as his move out day (the 15th) approaches.

Then the same tenant called me back to say the power company couldn't have anybody out there until "later tonight," and he implied without asking directly that maybe I should call an electrician to have somebody out there sooner. I declined, explaining that there was little chance I could get anybody out there faster anyway (it was 5pm by now), and that the first thing they'd need was the power company to verify connection.

I called the accused neighbor, and he let me know that his power was out and that he had already called and been told the whole block is out of power and it would be awhile until they got it fixed.

He claimed he had a battery operated radio on, not the TV, and that the noise the neighbors heard from the closet was him packing because I'm kicking him out - which of course he doesn't appreciate since he's so quiet and keeps to himself and just pays the rent on time.

I let myself be led into a 15 minute debate wherein I ended up forcefully laying out all the reasons I was kicking him out instead of the neighbors. Though I thanked him for paying rent on time and keeping the place up and tried to be as nice as possible so that he wouldn't get mad and start damaging the place right before he moves out.

He insisted on repeating every complaint he's launched about the neighbors and insisting they are the problem, not him. Bottom line - he was planning to move anyway and they have a long term lease and I can't take the fighting and calls anymore so I've asked him to go ahead and move.

UGH!

So I called back the other tenants to let them know that my understanding is that the power is off on the whole block and that their neighbor did not cut them off intentionally. He countered that they were on the phone with the power company that very minute, who say there is no outage in the area.

At this point I pretty much blew up because I'd already been arguing with the other tenant for 20 minutes - who, as usual, I pretty much just had to hang up on to end the conversation. "Do I need to come over there and peek in the windows myself?!" I asked with a raised voice. "This is getting ridiculous!"

I told him to let me know if the power company doesn't come out or if they do verify that power is on in other houses on the street and I need to call an electrician.

I haven't heard back.

All I know is their rent is due in 2 days and it BETTER be paid on time! I am kicking out their neighbor at their request basically, so I swear I am calling the guarantor on the lease if it's even a day late. And I'll start the eviction process if I don't have rent by the 20th. I am about ready to kick them out too at this point and start from scratch!

Thank God I bought the other duplex since those tenants pay on time and give me very little grief. Otherwise I would be getting pretty tired of this whole landlording thing about now!

I Joined an Upscale Gym!

Being a member at a "nice" gym has been on my wish list for some time. I have been putting this off though, because for some reason I am comfortable with endless one-time splurges but am very averse to increasing my monthly fixed costs.

For example, I've been wanting a new flat screen TV for over 2 years now. It's not the one-time cost of the TV that's holding me back, but rather the increased monthly cable bills (for HD programming, an HD DVR, etc).

Anyway, a friend of mine recently gave me a week long pass to her very upscale gym. I went several times and absolutely loved it. In fact I was actually itching to go back the next day, and the next! This has never happened to me with a gym before.

It has a very zen, spa-like feel, making you feel healthier and more energetic just by walking in the door. They feature local art which changes regularly, plush towels and water are plentiful, and the people there are fit but friendly. The place manages to avoid the meat market feel of some upscale gyms I've been to. It strikes a great balance between motivating me to look and perform my best while not making me feel pressured to have designer gym clothes and wear makeup to work out.

All the equipment is state-of-the-art, of course, and there are tons of unique classes led by legitimate trained professionals. The yoga studio is amazing and they provide all the materials you need (which are cleaned between each use). The biggest benefit with the classes is that they are insulated so that if you are in the pilates studio, for instance, you aren't distracted by the throbbing music from the spinning studio.

The locker room takes the cake, though. It's nicer than any I've seen, even in luxury spas in hotels. You actually want to take a shower in this gym, especially since they provide everything from shampoo to shaving cream to hair-dryers to q-tips. People even walk around barefoot!

And on your way out you can pick up a gourmet salad, all-natural smoothie, or organic coffee (not for free, though). There is also a spa on the premises if you fancy a post-workout massage or a quick wax. They even provide complimentary valet!

All for just over $130 a month. Which happens to be three times what I pay now. However I can't go back to my smelly, sweaty, dirty, loud, gritty old gym that barely even provides you a towel and has a bathroom that more closely resembles a gas station than a luxury spa.

This new gym provides several distinct benefits which will entice me to go regularly.

1. I might actually start going in the mornings because I will be willing - and happy! - to shower and get ready there.


2. I will be held accountable by my two friends who are members and go there very regularly.


3. It is right next to the place I most often stop to pick up dinner/lunch. So I might as well go to my new gym now, even for 20 mins, and then pick it up there on my way out (or even get it from the place in the gym and avoid a second stop).

Sister Moves In, Affects Budget

My younger sister is staying with me this week; she's in town for a multi-day interview for a summer internship. If she gets the job, she will live with me this summer.

Actually, she'll probably live with me this summer even if she doesn't get this job; she'll find one sooner or later, especially since she's willing to take an unpaid internship if she has to. So this week is an interview in more ways than one - we get to practice our living arrangement for a few days.

I didn't think much about it when I offered to let her live with me for the summer - in my one bedroom condo - several months ago. The layout is good, but it's still just under 800 square feet of space. I have one bed (queen size), one reserved parking spot, one bathroom, and one TV, none of which I am used to sharing.

I haven't lived with this sister since she was in 6th grade and I was in 10th (we all went to boarding school), but I'm quickly learning some fun facts about the way she lives. Early indicators show that a shared living situation with her might just save me some money this summer.

Ways She Might Lose Me Money
Naturally my utility bills will be higher. She's used to living in Ohio, and the Dallas summer is going to hit her like a ton of bricks. I have already had to turn the A/C down from my usual 74 degrees to 72 so that we could sleep comfortably together. Plus she may be home using lights, TV, and A/C when I otherwise might be away in CFP class, the gym, happy hour, or working late.

There's the small but real possibility that we could deal with casualty losses/repairs from a car break in with one of us parking on the street all summer.

My entertainment expenses might go up. She has never lived in a "big city" before and will want to take in all the concerts, museums, and sporting events she can while she's here (especially since she won't be taking a summer vacation).

Way's She Might Save Me Money
My food costs will certainly go down. I currently eat most meals out (or pick up expensive pre-made foods from the gourmet grocer), but she likes to cook and keep a well stocked pantry/fridge. Plus it will be more fun and efficient to eat at home with two of us there instead of just me. And on top of that, she'll pitch in for my share of some groceries in lieu of rent payments.

I was going to hire someone to clean my house at least once a month, but now I can put that off at least through the summer. Her exact proposal to me was "I'll clean and buy groceries if I can live with you for free," which is a-ok by me. And not only that, but I'll be more motivated to clean because someone else will be around as a witness to my lifestyle.

In fact, the first thing she asked me when she arrived yesterday was "can I be in charge of dishes?" as she looked around my (unclean) kitchen, visibly concerned. I grinned and said "Sweetie, you can be in charge of whatever you want."

Back From Vegas Vacation

I left for Las Vegas last Thursday afternoon, after announcing the trip to readers.

The Journey
I kicked it off with a vodka-water with lemon at the airport while watching the swine flu spread on CNN, hoping I wouldn't get stranded in Vegas if it were to take over Dallas in my absence. The flight was smooth, and when I landed I had to pay a $3 ATM fee to take out $100 because I'd forgotten to get cash at my local bank before I left it (despite the fact that I work there).

I landed 15 minutes early and got my bags in record time. After a $40 cab to my downtown hotel I went straight to VIP slots to hug my grandmother hello. She was there, just like I knew she would be, bourbon in hand and feeding bills into the machine, smiling.

Surprise!
I barely had time to take my bags upstairs before it was time for an early dinner with 6 of my cousins (2 more were still in transit). My grandmother didn't join us since a) she doesn't eat much and b) she rarely leaves the slots once she sits down for the day/night. I had just received my 8 oz fillet Oscar when my dad walked in and surprised us all.

He was in the middle of a three week cross country trek, the primary purpose of which was to drive my sister's car to Washington where she and her husband are moving. He was using it as an excuse to visit every friend he's ever had along the way, and had decided to stop in Vegas while we were there to get a free meal and night's sleep (and, secondarily, to see us).

The Money, Honey
When my dad gleefully told me my grandmother - his mother - had given him $500 the second he arrived, I started to get worried. I hadn't received an envelope, and I certainly was not going to ask her for one even if I thought she had intended to give me one and forgotten.

But I had been hoping for/counting on getting $500 to reimburse myself for my travel costs. My grandmother always gives everyone an envelope with $500-$1,000 in it upon arrival (depending on the number of people there and whether she paid for our flights as well). She also passes out $100's every time she hits a jackpot (3-5 times a trip, in general).

This practice evolved primarily because very few of us can or would choose to afford to entertain ourselves in Vegas without her assistance. It's also because she is very generous. Thirdly but significatnly, she loves the attention. She heartily enjoys the looks on peoples' faces as she glides through the casino sprinkling her beaming relatives with hundred dollar bills as she passes.

Luckily she remembered on her own and had one all ready with my name on it after dinner. And this time there was $1,000! I was very surprised, since she's been worried about the economy and because there were nine of us on the trip, not including my dad. I played a bit of blackjack and broke even before heading to bed.

I'm Sleeping Where?
We had three rooms, one of which was a Presidential suite with a master bedroom on each side and several living areas. All four bedrooms were taken by my cousins - 4 married couples. My grandmother slept on her favorite couch in the sunroom, which I couldn't believe. She's sponsoring this whole trip, and she gets the tiny sofa? Apparently she likes it though, and prefers that to getting an extra room.

My dad commandeered the big couch in the living room, and I slept on a rollaway bed in a corner. I swear, we were like the Beverly Hillbillies squeezed into that amazing suite (though I have to say that the rollaway was actually one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in).

Activities
The next few days all followed a familiar pattern. Each day starts with a big breakfast in the suite at 8:30am and 3 hours of discussions (which inevitably build to shouting arguments) about politics and business and religion. That's the only constant, one in which I delight endlessly. The topics of choice on this trip were CEO pay (whether it is deserved, whether it's a moral issue), our health care system, whether you can be gay and Christian, and whether the corporate life is a positive or negative ambition.

Then we disperse for either a few hours at a cabana at the pool, an afternoon nap, a workout or spa treatment, or some gambling. We reconvene for an evening show and a big group dinner, and then gambling until you feel like going to bed.

I ate and drank freely, saw two shows, had an 80 minute massage, and rode around in a limo for four days all on my grandmother's gambling dime. Most of our activities are comped based on how many points she racks up gambling. It was pure greatness, I have to admit. Of course we all know how spoiled we are and how difficult it will be to ever go to Vegas (or anywhere else) on our own budgets when our grandmother is ultimately unable to go anymore.

The Point of it All
I got a lot of quality time with my grandmother this trip, for which I am very grateful. I hung out with her a few times while she gambled, and we talked a lot in the suite late at night when the others were off in the bedrooms.

She opened up about her fears regarding my grandfather's fading health and how tough it is to take care of him. Her Vegas trips are her only chance to escape that dreary daily burden. Her mind is fading, though, and she knows it. She repeats the same old stories and will frequently ask the same question multiple times in an hour.

I think she likes gambling because that's when she feels in control of her mind. She hates being reminded that her memory is fading, and she complains bitterly that nobody ever calls her (which isn't true, by the way). In Vegas she's surrounded by appreciative relatives and her mind clicks into gear as reliably as a clock as she tracks her cash and follows her strategies with the "machines."

It was a fantastic trip. We all reveled in her stories and had a great time catching up. And I came home with $1,200 in my wallet.

The only downside was that I am increasingly conscious that each trip I tak to Vegas with my grandmother might be my last. She only has so many years left, and besides our family is so large that it could be years between invitations even if she keeps it up.

I'm lucky though because I'm right in the middle - old enough to have gotten to go with the older married cousins a few times now, and young enough that when my sisters and other single cousins start turing 21 that I may be invited along with them as well. Here's hoping!

Kicking Out My Tenant

I'm such a coward. I finally agreed to kick out one of my tenants (in the face of multiple complaints from my other tenants, his neighbors), so I sent him a 30 day notice.

I kindly but professionally outlined his offenses (admitting to smoking pot on the premises, having another person live there without my permission, repeatedly requiring the cops to come to the property to file or respond to complaints, and allegedly repeating racial slurs to his neighbors, which cannot be tolerated). I also explained that I had the right to give him a 3 day notice since he'd violated the lease, but that instead I was simply attempting to set a move-out date in stone, which I thought would be best for everyone involved - and I defensively added that he had told me he was planning to move in May anyway.

The truth is that this asshole might be a racist, but he is handy, he rarely calls or bothers me, and he pays his rent in advance. I'm kind of pissed off that I'm being forced to not renew his month to month lease because the inter-racial couple who live next door (who have a long term lease and habitually pay late and call me to fix crap every single month), keep complaining about him.

UGH. So now I have to make sure he moves out by the 15th, list the place for lease, fix it up, get it inspected, and find a new tenant who won't mind living next to an inter-racial couple who work odd hours and have a giant barking dog. Ugh!

Accepting - and Embracing - My 9.5% Raise

I got a raise in April. It was just under 10% (9.42% to be exact), which was the minimum I expected and said I would accept.

I still haven't had my official review, but my boss kindly got the figures approved and applied so that at least I got a raise in April, when my review was due, rather than having to wait for the raise until she had time to discuss my performance with me. The fact that I could see online that I got an "exceeds expectations" (a 4 on a scale of 5) and didn't even get a 10% raise for my promotion to Assistant Vice President really irritated me at first - in addition to the fact that my boss didn't even pretend that the formal review, during which I could express my thoughts and preferences, would have any bearing on my final raise.

When I requested to schedule my review in late March, my boss mentioned that all the increases had already been approved and pointedly told me "you'll be happy," so I was very conflicted when I saw the figure and wasn't, in fact, very happy. Not only am I already being paid much less than the average member of my team (despite outperforming by every objective measure), but I also am not even getting a double digit raise in the face of the promotion from Officer to Assistant Vice President - what is supposed to be the "big" promotion in our company.

I was so irritated, deflated, and then ambivalent about the whole thing that I haven't even blogged about it yet, though I've known all this for weeks. However, my sentiment has recently changed dramatically.

My boss sat down with me finally and - though I still haven't had my actual review - she wanted to go over the figures of my raise (which I already knew, as they'd been applied to each April paycheck). She explained that the company had debated a "no raises" policy for 2009 but had instead eventually settled on a 2% maximum increase for any employee, even for merit raises.

The President of our division personally advocated on my behalf, however, and my boss and her boss and him lobbied for me to get the 9.42% raise (which puts me exactly at a $60,000 base salary). I was very humbled by this story, and appreciative. She told me specifically that in case I didn't know, I am apparently a big favorite of the Prez's, who said he saw real potential in me and was sure one day I'd be a "star." Plus she offhandedly commented that "of course" they would continue to increase my pay annually as much as they could until I get to "where I should be."

And I did find out my other coworker got a 1% raise, so apparently my 9.42% is really a big deal and I am certainly appreciative of it in light of our current economic situation. People at other banks are getting laid off, after all. How bratty of me to think about complaining about a huge raise when I've only been in the business for 3 years anyway.

So I'm now making $60,000 base salary, in addition to a 20% annual bonus (or more if I really exceed my goals). And it's not like my job is incredibly demanding anyway - I really enjoy the work. So as it turns out I am very satisfied with my pay, my progress, and the recognition that I've gotten so far. Now I just need to make sure I continue to earn it.