All Forum Posts by: Kelly Worley

I just replied. Thanks, Scott!

Howdy. I thought I would add my two cents in here. :) Yes to what Erik and John said above! Many of our properties are considered non-warrantable because they are zoned as condominiums...even "detached condominiums" that are essentially houses. Without getting into the weeds too much here in explaining the why behind their designation, essentially what that means is that most of our investor clients do have to get a commercial loan. For anyone who doesn't know, it usually means:

-20% down

-slightly higher interest rate

-fixed rate for a certain period of time

-20 year loan

That being said, there are exceptions, but your options for hunting for a home are a bit more limited.

Kelly

Hi there, Tony. I am a real estate broker in Branson, MO. I keep personally investing here because it still makes so much sense:

1. Relatively low median home price

2. Relatively high per night rate

3. Longer season than a lot of other areas, with Christmas (Nov 1-Dec 31) adding an additional 60 nights of almost peak season rates.

And we are driving distance to over half of America!!

Kelly

@Jon Morbes Thanks Jon! Excellent advice and good to hear about the local laws. 😊😊

Douglas, I love that story! Brad is a great mentor! And I'm excited to hear that your long-term rental has been a huge success. Peter, I don't have any experience in Baja. My first questions would be regarding zoning regulations...are they vacation rental friendly (i.e. area restrictions, HOA restrictions, etc.). Then I would pull up VRBO and see if I could find others in the area, look at their calendars to see how far in advance they are booked, and also check out their average rates. Best of luck!

@Paul Cox Congratulations on the purchase of your first Branson property! 3 and 4 bedrooms zoned for nightly rental in areas that you can self manage (or choose your own manager) are the unicorns in this town. I’m very pleased Kevin was able to find you an off market deal and just down the road from Kevin’s new 4 bedroom purchase. We look forward to a long-term relationship with you and Gwen!

I personally invest in Branson for 3 main reasons: low median home cost, high per night rate, longer rental season (Christmas season is very popular and adds an additional 60 nights of almost peak rates). We have lakes, shows, restaurants, nature, shopping, etc. :)

Hi there, Zeke. The answer is: it depends on your time and availability AND it depends on your "power team". I am local to my properties in Branson, however I rarely actually go to my properties because my full-time job is my real estate biz. I do have time and ability to answer my phone (i.e. take reservations, answer guest questions). I do have a power team (handyman, cleaner--a huge ally, plumber, electrician, HOA/COA contact, etc.). If you have the time to be a property manager, and you can get your power team in place, then I say go for it!

Hi Christopher.

I'm happy to answer your questions. I'm a real estate agent and investor in Branson. My husband and I have been investing in Branson since 2008. Branson is driving distance to over half of America. Investing in Branson makes sense for 3 main reasons: relatively low median home price, high per night rate, long rental season. We have the addition of the Christmas season, which begins Nov 1 and get almost peak rates for Nov-Dec. Personally, I average 200 nights a year at my properties. Our off-season is January and February.

You are right that we are similar to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg. Not only do we have the shows and shopping, but we also have golf, lakes, and streams. We get approx. 9 million visitors a year. 

I have clients who self manage from afar and who use property managers. The choice is up to you.

In terms of occupancy and Covid. I had major fallout of my bookings in March when the stay at home orders began. Within 2 weeks, my calendar started booking out again. People still wanted to get away together and loved the idea of staying in a home or condo by themselves. Since then my bookings have been solid, and so have my clients' rentals. What I'm seeing is that folks that had bigger vacations booked elsewhere are still vacationing...they're just vacationing smarter and going to a driving destination. I'd love to chat more. I'm very passionate about our rental market here! :)

Kelly