All Forum Posts by: Ryan O'Connor

Quote from @Joshua Messinger:

Hey @Gulliver R.! 

Our team currently uses Hostaway for our PMS system and has just gone through 2 major pivots from Guesty/Track over the past two months. So far it has worked really well for us! 

If you ever need any help with anything please don't hesitate to reach out to me! 

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Josh

 Hey Josh, we also use Hostaway and were connected with the VRBO API and actually disconnected the API due to it being a nightmare to modify reservations.  It wouldn't allow us to make changes through Hostaway or VRBO when integrated, so we had to call vrbo and go through several hoops to get it taken care of.  Have you run into this scenario since transitioning to Hostaway and have you found a workaround or solution?

Quote from @David Bergmann:

We use Hostaway and most of our direct reservations are from repeat guests.  Hostaway will let you message via SMS, and we let guest know to book direct next time to save on the airbnb fees.  I don't think its worth it to try and compete on SEO with the channels like Airbnb & VRBO who have big marketing dollars to spend on Google.  

David, we also use Hostaway.  Did you use their direct booking engine?  Also, with the sms feature is that on a schedule or you’re manually sending the individual texts to previous guests through the platform?

Gotcha.  That makes sense and I'll definitely explore that option.  Thanks again!

Quote from @Lisa Graesser:

I highly recommend that you list your property on Houfy.com, it is free for hosts and guests. It is a great platform to accept bookings, receive payments via Stipe or square or if you prefer you can accept payment with any platform you choose, such as venmo, zelle, PayPal or check....your choice.  You can upload your rental agreement and guest will sign when making the reservation. I have had great success with booking repeat guests from  other platforms that charge a booking fee.. 

To promote your listing, whether on Houfy or another platform, social media posts on local FB groups is a great way to get exposure to your listing.

 Thanks for the input!  I am familiar with Houfy, however our property is not in a destination location and there aren't currently any other listings on houfy in our general area, so I'm not sure how effect it would be in this market.  Definitely something to keep in mind though!

Howdy BP!  We are looking to diversify a bit and not solely rely on the major OTA's for bookings(Airbnb, vrbo, etc).  We currently utilize Hostaway PMS and have built a direct booking site through that platform, but haven't used it up to this point.  Looking for recommendations on best practices for driving traffic to site to book and just general advice.  Any help is greatly appreciated!

Ryan

Would like to attend the next one as well!

We own properties in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area.  Overall, it’s a great rental market.  If the numbers make sense, I would just dive in.  I will tell you that the north end of Lafayette there will be a good amount of low income, hud, section 8, etc, which can be a great strategy as well.  Good luck!

@Alexis Ayala

Hi Alexis, you can do well in either sfh or multi family. Like Peter said, there are good deals out there for all of the above...just may have to look beyond the mls to find them. You are going to be able to scale more quickly with multi family in most cases, but generally you’re going to need more capital to get into multi family vs single family. I recommend you find a 2-3 unit property and house hack it. Great way to get some solid cash flow out of the gate, live for free, and it will be an awesome learning experience to help you prepare for future projects! Good luck!

@Peter Korty

Hey man, I like where your head is at! We’re looking forward to making our first mark on the town!

@Peter Korty

Just put a property under contract in your neck of the woods. Great bones and just needs a remodel. Should be closing on it within a few weeks and the work begins!