All Forum Posts by: Sarah Beilke

Hello!

It seems like lately every AirBNB booking request I get also comes with a message asking for a direct booking discount.  I only have 1 property at the moment and have not invested in a direct booking site.  I have done some deals outside of AirBNB for a longer term but I feel obligated if they contact me on AirBNB to keep that booking through AirBNB.  I have not read through the details terms of the AirBNB contract but I can't imagine that there isn't something in there to protect AirBNB should you book that guest off their platform.  

Any thoughts on how other people are handling all these direct booking or discount requests would be much appreciated.  Thanks!

Hello!

For those of you that have sold a property that you were using as a short term rental, how did you transfer your AirBNB or VRBO bookings to the new owners?  I called AirBNB and being told that the current owners would have to cancel the booking and have the guests re-book with the new owners?  That seems like a good way to lose some bookings to me.  Was thinking maybe the current owners could add the new ones as a co-host and change the payout info to the new owners account?

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!

Sarah Beilke

Hello @Tim Miller.  My advice would be worry less about the brokerage name and more about finding a broker or someone who is already a licensed Realtor you can connect with.  When you are new and learning it is so important to have that mentor to ask questions to and someone who will answer your call.  I am part-owner of a brokerage here in Florida and I find that too many brokerages you sign up they give you the standard online training and then hang you out to dry.  Also think about office environment and if they have other agents around you can learn from.  You would be surprised when you are new how much you can learn from just being in an office and talking to agents who are more experienced.  Bottom line less about the brokerage name and more about who is at the brokerage and what connections you can make there.  

Make a deal with your parents, they take the $$ they would have given you for college and let you use it towards your first couple rental properties.  College isn't for everyone and I love the fact that you are thinking outside the box already.

It's coming along nicely!  I will be doing the property management for it and anxious to get it completed and get some good tenants in place to get it cash flowing.  Hoping to start screening tenants in June for a July 1st move in.

Every market is different but it is not uncommon for that to be the case. There is work in getting a tenant in place such as putting it in the local MLS, marketing the property, showing the property, getting the lease together, etc... however a good property manager should disclose that upfront. Asking a property manager what their fees are upfront is always a good idea. Good property managers won't hesitate to disclose that. Also check your cancellation fees should you want to switch, I know some property managers require 60 days notice vs the usually 30 but don't point that out.

Hello @Peyton Millirons on paper you are looking good but my big worry with the project would be the time for completion.  I am a broker in Florida and while I don't know your particular market what we are seeing in my area on the east coast is that builders are starting to sit on inventory and taking doing some pretty major price cuts.  I would take a good look at the current new home inventory that is on the market and see how you stack up compared to them.  This market is changing very quickly and for anyone to try and accurately predict where we will be in 7 months is almost impossible.  If you got into a situation where you could not sell them for what you were anticipating at the end of the 7 months, could you turn them into long-term rentals as a backup plan?

@Erik Johnson I agree with Edward.  That interest rate is going to be very hard to come by for the foreseeable future.  As long as you can cash flow the current one, which is sounds like you are and qualify for the new one I would keep both.  

I have sold a lot of new construction over the past 3 years and if you are having this many problems with the builder before you have really even gotten started with construction it's not going to get any better.   If according to the contract the $35K in non-refundable once the build starts I would try and negotiate now to try and save as much of your deposit as possible.  Most contracts have a clause for your loan approval and if your loan gets denied you have a right to your deposit back so I would look into that more as well.  

We use RentRedi for payments but I also keep a good old Excel Spreadsheet.  I am not a pencil and paper person I like to have things digitally but honestly the best system for you is the one you are going to use, so if that is pencil and paper go for it.