Buying first AirBnB - want advice !

[Danny Day]

My wife and I are looking at purchasing our first AirBnb - and I am finding this method of real estate investing is much different than the others I've studied.

Quick details on the deal...

We are looking at a property that will run us about $1,950 / month to operate with an average occupancy rate of around 30%.. this will spike in the summer months as this is a vacation home as well near a river / lake. 

For the seasoned pro's and those that have done this before, I am sure you have ran into some of the same questions I asking myself... such as: How do I find (accurate) occupancy rates? and How do I find (accurate) rental rates / comps?

When I compare what I see booked on Airbnb playing with dates, vs what is showing on some of the Airbnb metric websites, they are very conflicting.

I'm trying to think of everything that I am not thinking of... any words of wisdom, articles, or advice is appreciated

Danny