All Forum Posts by: Jonathan Williams

Hey @Bryan Hancock, I have used https://www.onlinejobs.ph/ to hire several full-time and part-time virtual assistants with great results.

Now, this service is pretty much like a job board, so you have to interview, train and figure out all the management/admin tasks for your virtual employee. But there is some good talent on there after you sift through the applicants you get. 

I know there ar other companies out there for virtual assistants that are more "white glove" service for finding, hiring, and training that others may have used. 

It might not be a precisely apples-to-apples comparison, but I have a 2/2.5 1200 sq ft beach house just an hour north of Wilmington at North Topsail Beach and I pay $125 for cleaning, $95 for linens, so a $220 total cleaning fee I pass directly to the guests. I have only been renting it for a couple of weeks but have been booked almost solid since launching, and no one has mentioned anything about the fee (as of yet). Other STR owners have told me that in the off-season, I may need to be prepared to drop the cleaning fee down...

@Michael Baum Thanks for sharing your process! I use the notes trick for some non-real estate related stuff and am glad to hear it works for the AirBnB stuff as well. 

@John Underwood Good points and and ongoing costs are definitely something I am keeping in mind before pulling the trigger on anything. From my side, always on the lookout for tools that can save time and streamline processes.

@Bruce Woodruff You make a good point about VRBO. I was just considering starting with one platform to learn the ins and outs of it first before going to another platform. I chose AirBnB just because I am more familiar with it from the guest's perspective. Did you start on both platforms immediately?

@Carlos Ptriawan I've had the same experience with Stessa as well thus far. Some limitations but overall pretty helpful in organizing everything. As for remote key management - property is an hour away but between my cleaner and a neighbor who is doing some ongoing yard work on the property, figured they could help with the replacement as needed. Have a spare key on the property in a lockbox as well in case the batteries fail before we are able to change them.

@Ken Boone Thanks so much for all this information. As for listing on both, definitely now reconsidering starting with just one. I will have to look into Guesty for Hosts some more - I've heard of them but have yet to dig into what they offer. And you're right, there are tons of options out there - that's why I appreciate hearing what people are using and what works. Will have to dig into the smartthings hub and RBOYs automaton to see if it can work with my lock. Hostfully and SignNow are also appreciated. Good points on learning the ins and outs before getting everything automated as well - something I am definitely thinking about as I look at everything I am putting together!

@Michael Baum Awesome - thank you for that! I am going to look into the Samsung Smart Things hub - I wasn't able to find a Schlage Encode anywhere and ended up going with the Kwikset Halo. We will see how long that lasts based on the mixed reviews I read about it.

Do you have any automations in place when you're messaging people on the apps?

What tools, software, or other programs does everyone use to manage/operate their short-term rentals?

I have purchased and (mostly) set up my first STR property and getting to the point where I am looking at various programs and subscriptions that would help make managing my property easier (and help make the most money). Looking for programs that would integrate with AirBnB (and potentially VRBO).

Currently utilizing Stessa for bookkeeping and looking at Pricelabs (for pricing), Hospitable (for management/communication), and RemoteLock (for smart lock management). 

Any suggestions/recommendations for what works well would be highly appreciated!

I'm using Stessa (https://www.stessa.com/) for my short-term rental and it is working pretty well. Plus, its free so you can give it a try pretty easily.

@Eamonn McElroy Thanks so much! Definitely a great idea if I decide to go the remote route.

@Seidy Lasker Thanks so much! Will check Ashish out. I am hoping to find someone local to me but if that doesn't work will look outside that. And yeah, absolutely agree regarding legal issues/business structuring - just want to make sure I run what the attorney I use wants to do by a CPA to make sure what might be best for me legally also makes the most sense from a tax liability perspective.

@Jonathan Pavkov Have not purchased property yet - just getting everything set up and ready for that. I recently moved and figured this was a good opportunity to find someone who I could work with locally.

I'm looking for an investor-friendly accountant to help in preparing and filing my taxes. Does anyone have any recommendations for the Wilmington, NC / New Hanover County area? I would appreciate anyone who would be able to offer advice on how to structure purchases/LLCs/deals/etc. in order to get the most tax benefit out of them as well.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

@Ladd Gasparovic awesome! Will check him out as well.