STR investment in 29 Palms

[Anthony Cole]

My girlfriend and I both own rental property, mine in Oakland and hers in Portland so were not total rookies here but we are new to the STR landscape. Our initial goal was to invest in Joshua Tree proper but we quickly learned the competition is pretty ruthless there (especially post pandemic), and we're just not willing to take the risks JT is demanding at this time.

We scoped out Yucca, Landers, and 29 Palms as other considerations. We're leaning away from Yucca and Landers due to popular demand, and are thinking of honing in on 29 Palms albeit the area furthest from the trend.. in distance and vision. With the north entrance to the national park along and the solitude visitors come to the desert for, we think 29 Palms has real potential.

Hoping this forum will provide us with both perspectives in support of a profitable venture in 29 Palms or any cautionary tales and/or general words of wisdom for those who have experience in the area. 

[Meagan Yednock]

@Anthony Cole I have an Airbnb in Flamingo Heights (Seven Arches). I also recently moved full time to Pioneertown, and have many friends investing in the hi-desert. My $0.02 is 29 Palms has a lot of regulations coming for STR. Some of my friends are investing on the retail/commercial side opening bars and boutique hotels and coffee shops there.. but I'd be cautious about investing in STR. Most of my guest are looking for starry nights w/o light pollution and not neighbors. In fact, they often ask on Airbnb how close the nearest neighbor is. The risk with a neighborhood in the hi-desert is that guest may need to drive by a lot of crap or methy houses before they reach a their rental. Permitting process for Yucca/JT/Pioneertown is relatively simple but we're also hearing rumors that this may get more strict/regulated in the future.