Advice on where to invest in Washington state.

[Tyler Kowalczik]

Hello,

I'm new to real estate. I have been interested in investing for quite some time now and am trying to take steps to make that a reality. The strategy I'm most interested in is short term rentals. I live in Washington state and am looking for a good area for an STR. Places that immediately come to mind are Leavenworth, Port Townsend, and Port Angeles, etc., but I was wondering if anyone knows of some good areas to invest that are perhaps less obvious.

I'm not asking just because I don't want to put in the effort. I am trying to do my homework. I've read Avery Carl's book on short term rentals and have been researching vacation areas in Washington. I understand that you want to look for a place with year round tourism, growing tourism stats, favorable STR regulations, etc. I also know that Airdna is a great tool to search for markets; however, as someone new to real estate, evaluating and choosing between different markets is a lot to take in; I tend to get analysis paralysis when presented with loads of stats that I haven't quite yet learned how to analyze effectively.

I should also mention that my idea is to buy some land and build an A-frame cabin. The thought occurred to me that since my goal is to build a cabin, perhaps it less important which city/area I choose. I have seen some rentals on Airbnb that are killing it but don't seem to be in a prime Washington location. This has me wondering that perhaps it isn't always about the specific city you choose but more so the experience you build, market, and sell. Would appreciate to hear other's thoughts on the matter.

Thanks,

Tyler