All Forum Posts by: Eric P.

Yes, you can be a beginner and figure it out eventually or get educated, follow the steps and look professional from the start. 

I get step by step instruction, closed FB group for support, monthly group coaching calls. If this is going to be a business then I highly recommend. 

$997 is nothing for proper education. I make that in 1 booking.

One of our properties in Kelowna https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/33999409

@Julie Hill Hi Julie, The Coachella Valley is a great spot for STR's!!!

Hello! I will be closing on my first STR in early June and could really use some recommendations on how to manage it myself. I have worked with long-term rentals and flips, but this seems like a whole new world! I would like to start with some type of management software that integrates the different sites, allows me to integrate auto price updates (wheelhouse), and easily manage guest communications and bookings. A plus would be the ability to communicate with the cleaning team. I have spent hours pouring over the different software programs to the point that my eyes are crossing! Can someone simplify this for me and point me in the best direction to start? What has worked well for you and why? Also, I do live locally, but about 20 min from the unit.

Uncle @Paul Sandhu is the cream of the crop and rises to the top! 

I have wifi thermostats, wifi water heater, outdoor security cameras, but still use a lock box. It has never failed me and works every time with no setup and no batteries. If it isn't broke why fix it?

 You're not wrong, and it's a risk.  I once had to have someone present for the cable installation... talk about frequently missed windows!!  But fortunately I had a ton of stuff for my handyman to do anyway (again, it was a new property), so I just made them happen on the same day.  

It's admittedly an issue that doesn't always have a neat solution, but hopefully there's some flexibility around a planned install so things can be organized in an efficient and cost-effective way.  But at some point, it's the cost of doing business.

Well @Eric P. in that instance I'd just purchased the property and was in town for closing/setup, I got lucky on the timing of the sale!  So I was able to oversee the delivery personally.  However, if that hadn't been the case, I would've asked my handyman to be present for the delivery.

Go to Home Depot?  Pfft - the glory of the Internet is at your fingertips.  Make your selections, buy them online, arrange a delivery date... don't have to leave your couch (or the beach).  Main logistical thing to work out is who will let in the delivery people and make sure they don't screw it up.

If updating the kitchen is just a matter of the appliances, that might be a lot less expensive than you think - I replaced all the kitchen appliances with stainless in one of my cabins for less than $1500.  Fridge, dishwasher, and stove.  Wait for a killer holiday sale and go for it.  

If you intend to do something more intensive like replacing cabinets and countertops, obviously that's a lot more to bite off.

I do agree that kitchens and living spaces are a big deal in terms of appeal - and since you host large groups, it's quite likely they'll do a good bit of cooking.  So I think that's the "sexiest" change... though I also agree that practically, the best thing would be adding that shower (and that would be some forced appreciation on the house, too).  

Of the things on your list, updating the bathrooms cosmetically is the least important for sure.  I'd probably knock out the kitchen first, then add that shower, and finally update the bathrooms if you really want.

As the title says. A friend of ours found a gif of a woman bouncing on one of our beds with our very particular artwork in the background.

Through this we were able to do an image search and found porn videos shot in our home. So far we’ve found seven.

Fine. We figured this would happen. We’ve been hosting since 2011 and we know how this goes.

But here’s the issue. We found a video of her shooting outside our home with our neighbor visible. This irks me. We are very particular about our rules and not disturbing our neighbors.

We can tell by shots of the house that it was a few years ago (no fence, no doggy doors, etc), so we’d never be able to pinpoint the actual renter, but we do have the actress’s name. She’s fairly famous in Oregon for doing the same thing at her college library a few years ago. I’ve reached out to her to no avail.

Is there anything we can do? I’ve asked PornHub to remove the material shot in our home without our consent, but I imagine that will be ignored, too.

I've been manually applying rules (1 night min stays, 10% discounts, etc) based on how close unbooked nights are coming up. Is there any software that could do this automatically? I've toyed around with the idea of making a python script to automatically do this if not