All Forum Posts by: Kathy Lindsay

My renewal quote came in double from last year so I'm attempting to shop the market.  Does anyone have a referral for a commercial broker that can write coverage in the FL Panhandle?  Much appreciate any info!

I'm looking for recommendations for a lender that is licensed in Michigan and handles STR investment loans. Thanks!

Looking for recommendations for an agent that is familiar with the STR market in the Traverse City, MI area.

I just finished listening to the Audible version and I regularly watch Avery's webinars. She is a wealth of information on the short term real estate market and now the short term financing space as well. We have 7 STR's in the Florida Panhandle and I look forward to working with her team to expand our business into other locations. Thanks @Avery Carl

@Abe DeHart My husband is a RE Professional so we were able to offset against W2 and other income.  I think it's worth a conversation with an experienced RE Accountant so they can advise on your situation.

@Abe DeHart - I purchased a STR in 2019 through our LLC and did a cost seg study. It saved a tremendous amount of tax for me in a year when I really needed the additional depreciation. They are relatively inexpensive and I think worth the $$. I would also highly recommend @Steven Hamilton II and Hamilton Tax Services as an experienced and knowledgeable RE Tax Accountant.

@Glen Friedman Thanks for the info on the JAX REI groups. I have reached out to JaxReia twice by email and FB message without a response. I live in Tallahassee and am interested in investing in Jax since my son lives there. Can I attend your meetings virtually? I'll join the FB groups you mentioned as well.

I have return guests ask to book direct and have always been hesitant to do that, we use Airbnb and VRBO.  I worry about the liability and also booking stays in excess of 28 days.  I've read some of the forums that say in Florida this will turn into a long term tenant at that time and the landlord laws come into play. 

@John Underwood - how do you handle this situation?  Do you have a contract that they sign?

@Luke Carl thanks for the info.  I have done that in the past but hoped that there was a way to add it in directly to the booking quote.  I guess AirBnB hasn't added that feature yet.

We have 5 STR's in Port St Joe, FL (located in the Florida Panhandle with all beaches pet friendly) and all of them are pet friendly. When we purchased them we remodeled with pets in mind (vinyl and tile floors, furniture fabrics that can be cleaned easily and fenced in back yards). Our rentals are booked all the time and most visitors have pets. They often leave comments about the cleanliness of the units and how grateful they are to have a nice place to stay with their pups.

The cleaning can be a challenge if the pet sheds alot but our cleaner always does a great job and we have never had a complaint about pet odors, fur, etc.  We do have rules that they cannot leave pets unattended unless in crates and they are not allowed on the furniture.  We must approve pets before booking and charge a fee of $50/stay.  I've not found that the linens need to be replaced any earlier than normal due to pets. 

I would be interested to know how others are charging pet fees on AirBnB.  On VRBO it can be added to the quote when booked but I have not been able to figure out how to do this on AirBnB.  If anyone uses AirBnB and knows how to charge these extra fees let me know!  We get about 75% of our bookings through that site.

Happy 4th!