All Forum Posts by: Matt Mertz

I'm close to @Kyle Smith.  My lot was pretty expensive and jacked up comps in the area late 2018.  :)  We're almost done and will list on the OTAs late October 2021.

C&C Construction in Gatlinburg.

@Valerie Rogers For your direct booking site, did you use an OwnerRez template or a custom wordpress site?  I've heard google likes wordpress when it comes to SEO.

@Valerie Rogers how much do you charge? Is it like $50 to cover about $1000 damage for every 20 stays?  Is that the strategy?

We installed LVP in our own home over stained concrete.  We're building a cabin in the Smokies and we're installing LVP everywhere, even in some of the bathrooms.

Be careful though.  Like anything else you get what you pay for.  You can compare LVP against each other and see differences in thickness.  We bought some samples and actually tested the surface by scratching them.  Some are tougher than others.  You can also check the edges where they snap together.  Even on the edges there's a difference in build quality.

I got pretty excited about this until I realized that RVs depreciate in value while traditional real estate appreciates. Could be fun to help pay the bills but don't really consider it a long term investment.

We went this route because we also had difficulty buying an existing property due to high demand. We are currently building a house in Gatlinburg on a nice view lot. The sq ft cost for house construction is currently sitting around $207 (not including cost of the lot).

If you want to build a larger house, you may have the option of expanding the existing septic if there's enough room on the lot. We did that to build a 4 bedroom (the prior house was 3 bedroom, which burned down). Our builder added another tank and field.

Keep in mind that there are pros and cons to a custom build. Architects can be pretty expensive but you have the freedom to custom design something that can stand out.

@Michael Elefante thanks for the informative thread. I love it when people share their success.

My wife and I got lucky and found a nice lot in Gatlinburg. We are currently in the process of building a 4 bedroom STR.

At first we spent a lot of time trying to buy a cabin but they didn't stay long enough on the market. Some sellers were asking for cash only deals. 

We then switched gears and looked for land because of the 2016 Smokies wild fires. We figured we'd have more luck finding land than a cabin due to supply/demand and got lucky and found an amazing lot that previously had a house on it.

@Denisse Lara Your posts have been inspiring. How has it been going?  I can only assume you've been swamped with work with everything you've been doing to get your venue ready.