Best practices consulting with a Co-Host when I don't have a property yet

[Thu Pham]

Hi community, I'm in the process of acquiring my first STR property in Joshua Tree and have met with a co-host that I really liked. I'd love to utilize their expertise when assessing a property since they are local but I'm not sure what the general expectation is when I don't have a tangible property and I have not entered into contract to work with them yet.

Some questions I have are: local regulations/permitting timeline, property's potential from their perspective, landscaping/amenities cost estimate (they also help facilitate this). Should I offer to pay them for their consultation, or are these types of questions common as part of the PM vetting process and is a "courtesy service"?

Any and all advice are welcome as this is my first time working with a PM/co-host. Thank you in advance!

[Thu Pham]

Quote from @Sarah Kensinger:

There's no reason for someone to charge you for these questions, and I'm a co-hosting company owner! To put it bluntly....if a company can't take 15-20 minutes and talk with an investor about the market and the possible purchase of a property, they're not a company I would recommend working with. Helping others and adding value should be at the top of their list, not making another dollar! If you want they're help applying for permits or getting contractors around, that's a different story, but general questions is what every business answers the phones for. 

BTW if you need a great PM/co-host company in Joshua Tree, reach out to me and I can send you some names.

Thanks, Sarah! Just DM'd you. Your thinking makes sense and is what I would expect as well. I actually had an initial phone call with the co-host that ended up lasting an hour because he kept giving me tips and local knowledge. I think that's what led me to wanting more insights from him! I'm looking for a bit more dedicated time to analyze for example, my top 3 properties so that's why I'm thinking of paying for his time, since it'll be a bit more targeted and in depth than just an overview of the market.