All Forum Posts by: Bonnie Low

Hi, Veronica. Have you tried posting on Turno yet for a housekeeper or Thumbtack for a handyman? Both of these are good sources to find out who's out there and potentially get quotes. Good luck!

Think of the "insurance" the platforms like Airbnb offers like covering incidentals. It is not the same as having full property coverage and liability coverage. For example, they might kick down some money if you can prove a guest damaged your sofa. Or they might not. They might kick down some money if you can prove you had excessive cleaning costs because the guest trashed your place. Or not. It's arbitrary and out of your hands. If you are operating an STR, you need a specific short term rental policy and not all companies offer it. Proper is probably the most well known, most expensive and best coverage. If you're operating an MTR, you'll want to talk to your specific agent, explain what you're doing and how often guests will turn over and see what they recommend. Usually it's a policy for a rental dwelling and they may require specific riders.

Congratulations! That's impressive to find your first deal off market AND to have a creative finance play. I'd love to hear more about your midterm lease during rehab. How did that work?

 Hey, Michael - that really stinks and I can understand why you'd be frustrated. I know the 2-step authentication process is not a requirement because I've never had to do that so maybe you chose that when you set up your account? Not sure. Anyway, I think @Saad D. is here on the forums and probably can address these concerns for you right away. Good luck!

What type of traveler are you marketing to? That will tell you a lot about how you should configure your space. If at least one person is going to be working from home, an office setup may be desirable, although a lot of people prefer not to be glued to a desk and like to move around the home as they work. If your guests travel with a child, that second bedroom will be a necessity. It's hard to answer without knowing more. One option is to offer it set up either way. You can mention in your listing that it an be configured either as a bedroom or as a private office. You can then discuss it with potential guests.

Hi, Cyndi and welcome! Have you already purchased an MTR property? If you haven't already, I suggest getting in some local FB groups for travelers in your area or region. A lot of people find their next guest or their next property by doing so. Good luck!

I haven't had any issues with the wifi in either the Kwikset or the Schlage but my Schlage is in a city location with usually reliable internet. However, my Kwikset is in a very rural, mountain area (Lake Lure NC) and I have a 3 story cabin. The router is on the top level, the lock is on the main floor and power goes out regularly. We have a backup generator that kicks on within seconds when the power goes out and even despite all that, I have zero issues with the Kwikset lock. There is no separate wifi bridge. 

I just find the Schlage to be glitchy. It's more difficult to program, the interface isn't as good as the Kwikset and the batteries drain much faster.

I have units with the Schlage Encode and others with the Kwikset Halo and I far prefer the Kwikset. Unfortunately, I also use Hospitable for my PMS and they STILL haven't gotten the Kwikset integration. It's really not a big deal. I just have to assign the codes manually and make sure the code makes it in my automated check-in email. I just don't like the functionality of the Schlage. It's harder to program, the app is less user friendly, I find it glitchy and it drains the batteries much faster than the Kwikset.

Congratulations! House hacking is a great way to start and I don't think you can go wrong in Columbus.

 Thanks, Allen. At what point do you introduce the lease when you're using Airbnb? Do you mention there is a separate lease agreement in the property description? What if you accept the Airbnb booking and then they refuse to sign the lease? Do you cancel the Airbnb booking and just take the hit? I'm just curious how this works because I advertise my MTRs on FF only.