Hello all! This is a follow up to my post on 3/4/18 about being disappointed with my PM houses being difficult to lower and raise. First off, thanks to all those who took the time to post a comment and share your experiences and knowledge with me, this wannabe Land lord. It is greatly appreciated.
I wanted to share with you what I’ve learned since my post. As you know, after careful research and communicating with PMCA about choosing a PM house and pole, I bought the Birds Choice Waters Edge 8 Suite house with the Birds Choice Telescoping Pole plus another PM house from another manufacturer, but that is another story.
After putting up the houses, I immediately learned why people don’t do regular nest checks. It is not easy to lower and raise the Birds Choice Waters Edge house on its telescoping pole. The house is very heavy and doesn’t slide down easily. I will require assistance to do it, which is not what I wanted. Now, if I’m even able to attract any PMs, it’ll be an ordeal to check on them. What now?
Yes, the house is cemented in the ground. Yes, we followed directions for assembly and placement, etc. to the letter. Yet, the house is extremely heavy to raise and lower and require two people, which is what I didn’t want. I don’t want to bother my spouse every time I want/need to do something. I wanted to do this on my own. This was to be my “baby”.
I did go ahead and contact the manufacturer of the Birds Choice PM house who is aware that there is an issue with it and some customers have had difficulty with using this telescoping pole
and though, was sympathetic about the issue, there is nothing they can/will do about it. Coincidentally, in mentioning my problem on my post here on the forum, I discovered some other PM landlords also encountered difficulty using this pole, some labeled it “aggravating” to use. Since the PMCA, advocates the importance of doing nest checks, and they sell this pole, I did notify them about this problem to either stop selling the pole, or to put a disclaimer about the difficulty some may find using it to lower and raise the house. The consumer and/or member should know before hand in order to make an informed decision, as to whether or not they wish to purchase it. 
For those seeking their first PM house or to add another one, be careful what pole you purchase with it. The pole is just as important as the house when being able to do nest checks. Do all the research you can, and you still may not get what you paid for. Don’t rely on the PMCA to give you the best advice on choosing one either. And if you have a problem, don’t be afraid to speak up about it so that others know about it. Share your positive and negative experiences. That’s what I’m doing here. I’m not quitting, but it is very frustrating when things don’t turn out they way they are supposed to; when things don’t function as they should. I’m at a loss and did I say, disappointed. Please don't misunderstand: I'm not angry, just a bit annoyed with beginning my journey into the world of helping PMs being such a pain in the neck! 