All Forum Posts by: Richard Ibeh

Hi @Tamara Smith - I've commented on previous post of yours but 160k will be extremely hard to find a great investment in Miami/Fort Lauderdale. If you are willing to finance some of it then you are open to great properties. 

I know all the zoning restrictions for either area so if you just need general information feel free to shoot me a message.

@Ben Mackenzie do not by any means use the hotel-condo management. Their fees are almost double than the standard vacation rental manager and provide no additional service that a local or national mgmt company can't do.

@Tiffany Ralston - Depending on the area in Tampa there are vacation rental restrictions (Pinellas County, for example, does not allow less than 30 days rentals) Many ignore the rule because no from the city is really enforcing it but if you have a grumpy neighbor then you can be fined. In general Clearwater beach is by far the best out of the two but Fort Myers is a really great area.

If any of you need assistance let me know. I only know realtors in South FL (Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm) but can assist with any general information about starting up a vacation rental the FL market.

@Tamara Smith are you are trying to purchase cash with 160k Miami/Ft Lauderdale would not fit in there so I would say Clearwater beach or Destin area (preference to Clearwater). Destin is does beyond amazing in the high season but drastically drops once it's over and clearwater is very good year round. Nothing tops South FL though and this is coming from someone who has managed rentals from the Keys all the way up to the Panhandles

@Giannina Biala If you are only going to rent 2x year then I would highly recommend self-managing.

You should install a keyless lock so you don't have to coordinate key-drop offs (if your condo allows it). Cleaning would be straightforward as you would only be renting 2x year and guests would only pay for the check-out clean (unless they request midstay cleans) so maintenance would be the major key to your self-management.

If your listing has not had a great response on VRBO you may need to look into hiring a professional photographer as VRBO receives alot more inquiries than Airbnb in South FL.

I'll speak solely on the cleaning. Depending on your area you should be able to find a good cleaner for $15/hour. You pay cleaners based on the number of hours it took to finish your home including laundry. However, if you have cleaned your property multiple times and know the max amount of hours needed to clean it then you can establish a set rate based on those hours.

Example:
1/2 bedroom - 3 hours max ($45 flat rate)
3/4 bedroom - 5 hours max ($75 flat rate)

As you find the right cleaner I do recommend increasing to $20-25/hr in order to keep them on long-term as they'll be the lifeline of your Airbnb and the fee will be paid by the guests.

@Michael Kugler I have over 20 properties and will be buying small boutique resort (8 units on the beach) and few other homes so not looking for anything basic so definitely need a developer for customization.

@Jon Crosby thanks for your feedback. Definitely on all those marketing channels already so looking for a website for direct bookings.

@Mike V. you need to invest in your own website. You never want to be 110% reliant on marketing channels as their fees can't change a moment notice.

As a guests books, you need to give an incentive to book with you directly so there's no service fees for them plus no commission taken out of your bookings. This will pay off immensely long term if you plan to stick with STR.

Does anyone know of a website developer or company that produces great vacation rental websites?

Not looking for a website builder that comes with software as I don't want to be tied to them and lose my website when it's time to move in a different direction.

@John Martin take a look at Orbirental. Really great product that team is building and pretty much integrates with everything.

@Brian Garrett you'll have to call the city and speak to the code compliance department. Their websites are extremely outdated so most of them don't have the information online. Any city I am setting up a rental in I call in advance and inquire what is needed for short-term rental. I learned the hard way and got notices on my clients' doors and ended up in court quite a few times all over south florida.