All Forum Posts by: Sabrina Calnan

@Al Flackey Are you looking to add booking.com because you're not getting a lot of traction on Airbnb or Vrbo? Booking.com is definitely gaining some market share as of late. However, I recommend optimizing your listings on Airbnb and vrbo first. You're not likely to get much traction on booking.com if you're not already getting traction on Airbnb and Vrbo. A side note that booking.com is not as user friendly as Airbnb/Vrbo.

@Ethan Swat 💯 what Micheal said. Who is the traveler in your area? I've seen so many people pump money into amenities that nobody cares about. Make sure it's valuable to your traveler and then market the amenity well. I could see this being a good one for the right demographic.

@Robert Love I'm curious If you did some market research to determine if there's a market for midterm rentals in your area. I've worked with a lot of midterm rentals and I do find the larger houses much harder to fill. Most corporate relocations and temporary medical workers require smaller units. I've always had good success with midterm rentals on Airbnb - You just have to make your settings to attract a midterm renter. Here is my ambassador link if you would like someone to walk you through it: Sign up to host on Airbnb and use the extra income to fund your passions. Here’s my invitation link: https://www.airbnb.com/r/sabrinac1973?s=39&t=131c0j

Here are a few other places you might try (disclaimer, this is not my list)

AHRN.COM...military housing

TACARES.COM..for displaced families

TEMPORARYHOUSINGDIRECTORY.COM (THD)..for displaced families.

CATALE.COM..for displaced families

ALESOLUTIONS...for displaced families

TRAVEL NURSE HOUSING RENTALS by LANDLORD (FB)

CORPORATE HOUSING FURNISHED RENTAL LANDLORDS and TRAVELERS (FB)

FURNISHED MONTHELY SHORT TERM RENTAL (FB)

TRAVEL NURSING CIRTRU(.COM)

PREMIER INSURANCE HOUSING..

APARTMENTS.COM...

ZILLOW..

FURNISHED FINDER...

FLXLEASE.COM..

NURSEBNB.COM..

.TEXAS RISK SOLUTIONS...

PRIESTON AND ASSOCIATES..

BROKERAGE SERVICES INTERNATIONAL...

NEW ENGLAND CLAIMS SERVICES..

VALICENT INSURURANCE SERVICES, INC..

@Mindy Nicol Every market has successful operators and poor operators. It's nice to poll people for a general feel. However, it's hard to know whether that person is marketing and operating their STR well or not. I recommend relying on actual data. As others have stated AirDNA is a great source and the latest article about the best places to invest is a great place to start.

There are multiple factors at play. As always, the particular area and property are a factor.

We're seeing more saturation in areas where there isn't heavy regulation or restrictions on short-term rentals. I see you're in Arvada; it's one of the few areas in Metro Denver that allows non-owner occupied short-term rentals so there are a lot of larger Airbnbs in the area.

Second, short-term rentals have become very popular and even with regulations there's an increase in short-term rentals in the most popular tourist destinations. With that, If a property is near a popular tourist destination (for example near Sedona but not in Sedona) it may no longer show up in the search algorithms because there are enough properties in the desired tourist destination.

The last thing I would add is that the short-term rental market is maturing. In the beginning anyone who slapped up a property on Airbnb was successful. Now, only those who treat it as a true business and manage it appropriately will be successful. There are tons of properties out there doing really well or even better than before. Offering great product is key and the secret sauce is on the back end. This means working the platform algorithms and actively managing a dynamic pricing and revenue strategy.

Hi All! I'm doing a knowledge gathering trip to Pittsburgh May 15 - May 18th (with the intention to purchase an STR) and I'm looking to connect with investors and professionals in the area. Anyone want to meet for coffee? I'm an experienced investor in the Denver area, former LTR property manager, co-host to over 35 Airbnb, and Airbnb Superhost Ambassador. I do have a RE Agent and STR Manager I already plan to work with.

Additionally, can anyone point me to any PA real estate groups or places to connect with PA peeps on bigger pockets (I'm not sure if there is a better place to post). Thanks!

I addition to what John said above, I would keep at least 1 - 2 months of mortgage payments aside to cover vacancies (I'm not sure what "stable" means in your market).  The best way to prevent unnecessary repairs is to check in on your tenants regularly.  We do a walk through of the inside and the outside of the home every 90 days to ensure preventative maintenance is handled and that the tenant is not abusing the home.  We let our tenants know that it's our policy to do so once their application is approved and before the lease is signed (it also helps weed out bad tenants up front).

100% Yes, this is something we do for our tenants.  Functioning gutters are so important to the maintenance of your home that we pay for it to ensure it's done regularly, thoroughly and correctly.  The cost to keep them clean and functional is minuscule compared to the potential cost of repairs related to poor drainage (damaged foundation, water seepage, mold) all which occur over time and are hard to spot until it's too late.

As a landlord, you'll always want to look the long term value of your property versus what is easiest and cheapest right now.

Hi there - I would require that the business owner gaurantee the lease in his own name and perform a regular backgroud check on him, with verification of income, etc.  I would also verify the contract with the base, whether it be through getting a copy of the contract or some other way.  Lastly, I would also screen each employee that will live in the property the same as you would other tenants, with the exception on income since the business owner will be paying rent.  

In addtion to screen, I might suggest taking a larger deposit.  Construction workers can cause a lot of wear and tear on a home...dirty shoes, heavy tools, etc..

In this case, I would refer to your lease.  Does your lease require that your tenant is supposed to fix things or does your lease require that your tenant is supposed to notify you if something is broken.  If it's the latter, I would charge the tenant for the damages as they shouldn't have been fixing the hole in the first place.  If it's the former, I would go with a warning and put a lease addedum in place stating that you should be notified of necessary repairs and handle or approve all maintenence.  I never leave maintenance up to tenants unless they are professionals, and even then, I require that all the work be approved beforehand.