Vacation Rentals Rents Verification?

[AP Horvath]

Hi there -- 

We're considering purchasing a vacation rental in coastal Texas as an investment property. Question: what is the best way to estimate daily rent rates and vacancy numbers?

I suppose I can ask the seller for a rent schedule - but they could provide me with anything they want. 

 

[Julie McCoy]

For the record, I'm not sharing my tax returns with any potential buyer.  Some property sellers will provide a rental history (which may or may not have any detail), some will not.

Past performance is not an indication of future returns - for better or worse!  Presentation and management style matters A LOT, in my market there's plenty of rental histories that are low on properties that can and will perform very well when managed properly.

Check out comparable properties and see what their rates are at for different seasons.  I agree that vacancy is harder to estimate, and talking to local PM or two like @Nathan Gesner suggested can give you a solid bird's eye view of the market.