SoCal Mountain Community STR Vacancy Rates

[Trevor Lohman]

Hey BP,

Curious if any owners out there can comment on vacancy rates in the local mountain communities. Specifically some of the more affordable communities that can still pass as vacation markets. Big bear city, twin peaks, Bluejay, running springs etc. 

Arrowhead Woods and Big Bear Lake are a bit out of my price range for now. 

I'm curious if people have had success with any of the nearby communities such as those mentioned above. 

I really like the arrowhead and running springs areas, but I'm not sure how much of a draw they'll have compared to big bear city, being right by the resorts. For the sake of this discussion let's say we're looking at 2/2 houses that have the good vacation cabin vibe. 

Thanks for any feedback guys!

[John Underwood]

Trevor,

Just look on VRBO and Airbnb for these areas and search for 2 bedroom house like what you would be interested in. You can look at their rental rates and calendar to see how much they are being rented. This should give you a good idea on these markets.

I do this for my area and I put it in a spreadsheet with hyperlinks to properties I see as competition. Then I can analyze the data such as average prices based on season or special events.

I check these a few times a year.