All Forum Posts by: Alex F.

Very nice!!  Congrats!!  If you don't mind, post a link to your place.  

@Kwanza P. We have an STR in Mexico. It's been awesome, not only from its performance but it's our go-to place for vac or long weekends.

How is the Bed & Breakfast doing?  

For finding cleaners definitely try out Turno.com.  ITs a great platform to find cleaners, schedule, and have checklists.  And if you have cleaners outside of turno you can still use turno with them.

Many years ago, we worked with a VA on a fixed rate. PM me, and I can share her details. However, your goal should be to make instructions/communications/labels/etc. clear enough so you get few calls and just a handfull of messages. Most check-ins/out should be close to automatic.

With our 12 properties (9 ours and 3 cohosting) we get 1 phone call every 2-3 weeks.  And about a handful of messages in the app per day.  The majority of the messages are requests for early/late checkout, recommendations, and misc items.  

Dauphin Island - That is a cool place.  It was in our list to potentially expand our portfolio, but we already have 3 properties close to the shoreline....perhaps one day.

For those that have STRs, has anyone used HostShare.co?

I've exchanged our place with another host by on a 1-1 bases.

Host share seems to have an interesting concept of exchange available nights but within 5 days.....so what typically is not rented. And you basically bank 21 nights then get to use 21 nights from someone else.

Without fully signing up I can't tell if they have just a few or a lot of properties listed.

The concept is definitely interesting, and could work but if the number is properties is high. They charge 300 something a year for the membership. Has anyone used them ? Good/bad ?

@Mariangela Ciciarelli I wouldn't advise having your first STR in the Orlando/Kissimmee market specialty if you plan on self managing.

On one hand it is highly competitive, but on the other hand there are millions and millions of tourists. So if you can make your place stand out, know the hospitality business, you can do well. It won't be a super lucrative STR, but will more than break even. Here is ours

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/606577680390071886

We use it a couple times a year as it's a great place to visit and always have a pretty good occupancy rate. But this is the property that needs the most attention as far as making little price adjustments, top notch guest communications, great team on the ground, etc.

Adding a theme to one or more rooms is a must. You need to stand out from the poorly managed and poorly setup homes.

For anyone looking at the 2nd or 3rd str i would recommend the market.

Also next year Epic world opens and will bring in even more tourists....

Good luck

Look at the zoning.  I'm not sure about Colorado, but there is a city where we have 1 (soon 2) STRs where STRs are not allowed in residential zones, but are allowed in commercial/mixed zones.   Sales in these areas are not common and when they do happen they are competitive.....

Hi @Sokun So  As for dynamic pricing I use wheelhouse with most properties and pricelabs with 1 property.  The dynamic pricing integrates with my PMS, which is Hostfully.  Then it synchronizes to vrbo/booking/airbnb/whimstay, and a few others.