All Forum Posts by: Jonathan Cope

@Roy N. 

I agree with you and K. Marie Poe. 

As the AirBNB offering matures and grows further, regulation is coming. 

It reminds me some of the early days of sales tax in e-commerce. 

At first it was not a material matter as the scale of e-commerce was not significant. 

Today, however, it is a different matter. 

Still a hot topic as the protests in Hungary this month showed. 

Thank you for your thoughts,

Jonathan 

@Account Closed 

@Elizabeth Colegrove highlights the prospects of the opportunity well in her post above. 

When we visited Spain this past summer, I was impressed to see how many people were able to cash flow enough to replace their employment and build a small portfolio. 

I spoke with two women who noted that female unemployment in their age group was above 50 percent.

As such, they had each built themselves employment via this AirBNB model. 

I was genuinely impressed. 

Thank you for your thoughts. 

Good luck, 

Jonathan

@Tavonte Battles 

I am glad you found the tip useful. 

Am just finishing saying my goal now. 

If you enjoy listening to motivational speakers, try YouTube for great free content. 

For example, I found audiobook versions of Think and Grow Rich and Rich Dad Poor Dad via YouTube. 

I also own copies each, but I found the YouTube versions useful when reading was inconvenient. 

Your goal sounds like a good one. 

Make it more specific over time and it will become your business plan. 

@Brandon Sturgill is right. 

There is a lot you can learn as you are working toward your goal. 

The free UBG from @Joshua Dorkin and @Brandon Turner is terrific. 

I suspect it will offer you ways to shorten the time to achieving your goal. 

Good luck. 

@Brandon Turner 

Thank you. 

BP is proving to be a great motivator and educator for me. 

I have opted to continue with my plan above, in particular becoming more active across the forums. 

I have had a great time exchanging initial thoughts with members from lots of different areas and areas of expertise. 

Writing posts and responses is also helping me hone and focus my opinions about investing and my landlord experience to date. 

The Podcast Shows continue to be terrific. 

I have enjoyed listening to those focused on partnerships of late, such as 95 and 08, as I am working through the early stages of a promising one.

I'll be reading your chapter on partnerships in the morning. 

I found it interesting how both @Curt Bidwell and @Al Williamson, of 95 and 08, were from such ethical backgrounds and the extent to which it made their businesses and partnerships stronger. 

@Joshua Dorkin is right to advise listeners that honesty is the only acceptable policy. 

Warren Buffett and Howard Marks, both investors I admire greatly, counsel that one should always take the high road. 

Mr. Buffett likes to quip that it also has less traffic. 

@Ann Bellamy just offered similar advice as I listened to Podcast Show 09. 

I enjoyed hearing her take on business as a native of Massachusetts - which I won't ask Brandon to say - and lover of New Hampshire. 

You all have created a great thing with these Podcast Shows. 

I look forward to learning more about how other BP Nation members are leveraging them in their business. 

@Christopher Doyle are you finding them useful for the way you are thinking about investment?

Thank you again,

Jonathan

@Les Jean-Pierre 

Interesting to hear that AirBNB is creating the necessary demand to support management businesses for owners. 

I expected that it must be but still good to hear. 

Harlem to Brooklyn is tough. 

I commuted from Hoboken to Columbia for a time. 

Similarly tough. 

Meet and greets would certainly be out in your case. 

Doing away with tenant court sounds wise. 

That is too much hassle. 

Best wishes on building your business and your next steps. 

Thank you,

Jonathan

@Micki M. 

I like your plan. 

Given how flexible your model appears to be and how much demand you seem to attract, your model does strike me as conservative and thoughtful. 

If it turns out you need more revenue you have ways to generate it. 

If you need more time you have ways to make your model more automated. 

That seems wise and conservative to me. 

Assuming you have or can build some cash reserves, your business appears to be growing in a direction that is more stable and less eat what you kill commission-based. 

That seems wise, too. 

I find it interesting that you are getting longer-term AirBNB reservations. 

I use them myself for business and find them convenient and price effective. 

One gets to establish routine and build a sense of home over such a duration. 

For you, it limits the hassle and revenue risk. 

Well done. 

I wish you luck with your next phase. 

Congratulations on being rented through May. Nice peace of mind. 

Thank you,

Jonathan

Les Jean-Pierre New York seems to be AirBNB's number one market for demand. I can imagine that transitioning to a new model would be interesting. Management will clearly be important, as I expect expectations will be high for potential tenants. Good luck with your plans.

Jeff S. Agreed. Often it is 'explained' to me why they feel bad for me and my landlord predicament. You know, the tenants, the toilets, the stress. I smile and share that is not for everyone but that I have enjoyed serving tenants for 10+ years now. It is my kind of business. Other than some head shaking, the explaining usually then stops and my inner smile broadens. I enjoy being the freak.

@Micki M. each seem to be using a similar approach. 

Is that for peace of mind in your case or for some other reason?

Best of luck with your new venture. 

Thank you for your thoughts and numbers,

Jonathan

@Grant Bublitz 

I wondered if that might be the case when I was initially writing. 

But I figured I share my plan story if it could be useful. 

Congrats on the new job. 

That is messed up, however. 

Crazy to think that that is possible. 

No doubt you'll make the best of it. 

If the messed up part turns out to be why you become an investor then you'll win in the end. 

Good luck on becoming an investor.