Big Bear Vacation Rental

[Amanda Webb]

I’ve noticed a lot of threads in the past discussing short term rentals in Big Bear, but many of them are from a few years ago and there have been updated city ordinances since then, so thought it best to start a new thread.

My husband and I have been looking for a rental in Big Bear for a couple of years now and are finally ready to buy. We live in Burbank so would be managing it ourselves from afar via Airbnb. That said, I know new ordinances have been put into place that there must now be a designated in person check-in person to meet your renters as well as a designated 24/7 complaint response person who resides within 15 miles of Big Bear. This seems as though it would make short term rentals more difficult for people managing them.

My question is, are there people who offer the service of being an in-person check in person as well as a 24/7 complaint response person that you can pay? Do some husband/wife cleaning and maintenance services offer this now? Is it expensive, and would a vacation rental in Big Bear still be a good ROI?

In addition, could you technically designate a 24/7 response person who lives 15 miles away but you still be the person they call for things that don’t require someone to show up in person?

I was just looking on Airbnb the other day and noticed several Big Bear listings still have self check in keypads advertised. Are these people just outwardly breaking the law and advertising it? How do they get away with it? 

Is it still worth it to invest in a VR? Any advice would be much appreciated!

[Aaron K.]

@Amanda Webb I can't speak to the regulations but if the primary motivation is ROI it probably isn't worth it you can get better returns elsewhere, if you want to use the cabin part of the time then I would continue the search and understand that it will be an Air BnB subsidized vacation home and not an investment.

[Alfonso Aramburo Zepeda]

@Amanda Webb

You might want to take a look at Lake Arrowhead. I saw not too long ago better deals than in Big Bear. Closer to the 1% rule of thumb.

Unfortunately deals here are not as good as in the Midwest for traditional financing, unless you go to auctions, etc.

[Amanda Webb]

@Aaron K. Yes, we’re also looking for this to be a home that we, ourselves would want to use. We know it’s not going to be a “get rich quick” money maker. 

@Alfonso Aramburo Zepeda we did look in Lake Arrowhead, but the issue with needing Lake rights seems as though that would be a turn off to some renters. 

[Jared Cobb]

@Amanda Webb 

To answer your question about “services”: There are definitely cleaning crews you can hire, and you may be able to find that one couple that can do the in person check in, but all the ones I’m aware of want to manage the whole thing. And expect 25-30% commission on it.

As a resident and local realtor I can tell you there is a draw for renters all over the mountain for different reasons. Crestline is an up and coming area that the county is doing a lot to update and upgrade. It’s a small public lake that has a swimming area and you can rent small boats and water bikes, lake trail to walk around, skate park, and dog park. The lower elevation means less snow accumulation (less snow removal cost) and it’s a bit closer to the LA area than Big Bear.

Buying in the Lake Arrowhead Woods will gain you access to the lake via your own boat or designated swimming beaches. But your guests will not be able to bring their boat up with them. The boat being launched has to be registered in the home owners name and tied to the home in the woods. If you definitely want lake rights, be careful when you are looking here as there is a boundary that decides which houses are within lake rights and which ones are not. When looking on a map you won’t know unless you know, or have a realtor show you on one of our maps that has the boundary marked on it.

Running Springs area is pretty centrally located between Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear and is a cute little town, but doesn’t have much to offer in the town itself. There are some hiking trails, a swimming hole, and some shops. Snow Valley ski resort is about a 10 minute drive from RS as well.

Big Bear is a much bigger city and has a lot more amenities. But it is a decent amount further than the other three mentioned. The traffic getting up there can be bogged down in the winter due to high volume and slow driving conditions in the snow. The lake is public compared to Lake Arrowhead so your guests could bring their own boat up. So that’s a plus.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the area and I’d be happy to answer them. 

[JJ Truman]

Hi Amanda. We own four of our own vacation rentals and manage 20. There are definitely people offering the check in and 24 hour response services. Yes, there are cleaning services that offer it as well. Prices will vary and they have increased now that the city is enforcing the check in policy. The city is running stings on the listings with "self-check in." It's a great way to go if you're planning on self managing the property.

The people who are advertising that will be addressed, it's only a matter of time.

As far is it still worth it to invest. Based on what you mentioned in the previous response. There are still properties available that can cash flow with owner use. 

Happy to discuss more here, via email, phone, etc.

[Scott Clausen]

I'm following this thread with similar interest.  I live in South Bay and am in the Big Bear Ski Patrol candidate program.  Assuming everything goes as planned, I'm going to be spending a minimum for 8 weekends/year up in Big Bear, so I'm very curious about buying a place up there that I can use on the weekends I'll be there and then renting it out the remainder of the time.  

@Amanda Webb Any updates on your Big Bear research?

[Amanda Webb]

Just an update to this, we almost made an offer on a property last August but ultimately decided not to. We're travelling back up there this Sunday to view a few more listings. I'm starting to see a shift up there, as real estate prices seem to be climbing upward. 

[J Val]

@Amanda Webb What did you end up finding out?

[Katy Reid]

@Amanda Webb what's the latest? Did you ever buy?

[Amanda Webb]

@Katy Reid so, my husband and I ended up putting an offer in on a cabin and it was accepted. However, as soon as our offer was accepted, something wasn’t sitting quite right with me. I started doing the math and it seemed with how regulated short term rentals are becoming in Big Bear, mixed with the fees, permits, etc to even get started, it seemed as though we’d be lucky to even break even. Not to mention, real estate seems to be getting way over saturated up there. So we ended up pulling our offer. I’m glad we did, because then Covid hit. But after weighing everything, we’ve decided. It to invest in Big Bear.

That said, my heart was still set on investing in a short term rental in a mountain town. I began to do A LOT of research. My husband and I have since purchased log cabin in Gatlinburg, TN and are using it as a short term rental. We are cash flow positive each month and couldn’t be happier. Now we want to buy a few more in that area.

I think Big Bear would be a decent investment if we had all cash to purchase a property, but in carrying a mortgage, the juice didn’t seem worth the squeeze at the end of the day.

[Erik Tsou]

Originally posted by @Amanda Webb:

@Katy Reid so, my husband and I ended up putting an offer in on a cabin and it was accepted. However, as soon as our offer was accepted, something wasn’t sitting quite right with me. I started doing the math and it seemed with how regulated short term rentals are becoming in Big Bear, mixed with the fees, permits, etc to even get started, it seemed as though we’d be lucky to even break even. Not to mention, real estate seems to be getting way over saturated up there. So we ended up pulling our offer. I’m glad we did, because then Covid hit. But after weighing everything, we’ve decided. It to invest in Big Bear.

That said, my heart was still set on investing in a short term rental in a mountain town. I began to do A LOT of research. My husband and I have since purchased log cabin in Gatlinburg, TN and are using it as a short term rental. We are cash flow positive each month and couldn’t be happier. Now we want to buy a few more in that area.

I think Big Bear would be a decent investment if we had all cash to purchase a property, but in carrying a mortgage, the juice didn’t seem worth the squeeze at the end of the day.

Hey Amanda, I am based in LA as well and have been looking at big bear, palm spring etc for STR but so far the market is way too hot. Great job in finding the log cabin in TN. My question is, how did you find that market, and what is your experience with the market so far?

[Beau Boyster]

@Amanda Webb

Amanda congrats almost there!

Have you checked out Lake Arrowhead? Much less competitive. Also the lake is private! If you buy near lake you will have lake rights! Big bear is great as well!

Obviously you have made an offer and have insurance lined up! But if you would like to compare quotes please let us know! Boyster insurance has been specializing in Mtn homes for the last 30 years! We all have grown up on the mtn and all of our employees live on the mtn as well! We can answer any real estate questions or Insurance! We love this mtn! Glad to see people buying! Feel free to PM

[Tricia Watts]

@Jared Cobb wow. This was really helpful. Thank you for posting your answer so we can all learn. I’m currently in the process of buying a vacation home but has so many questions and your post answered so many of them.