All Forum Posts by: Robert Gilstrap

Agree with @John Underwood exterior security cameras are a must in my opinion. We use ICRealtime products but also no monthly subscription. I absolutely WOULD have a camera on a pool area or a hot tub simply for liability protections but thats just me.

We always cover each exterior entrance into the property plus the driveway and garage doors if applicable and I have a doorbell cam as well at each property. typically 3-4 cams at each property max. Good insurance against problems. no monthly fee is critical as you scale. Plus you need a monitoring ability that can handle dozens of camera systems from one central interface (assuming you are scaling larger). I can literally pull up every camera we have on 4 monitors and see every property which is nice.

Minut sensors are my second favorite (although they do have a monthly subscription).

mashvisor.com

Sad (but not surprising given they're headquartered in San Francisco) that Airbnb chooses to virtue signal it's social "wokeness" through BS like this instead of focusing on producing a better product. 

@Jessica Wilson  Start anywhere you are comfortable but research any local laws first; higher traffic areas are usually better.  SF vs. condo vs. MF  really depends on amount of money you have to invest and any association rules. LOTS of factors to consider but the amount of your investment capital is a major one. Furnishing and outfitting a 3/2 SF home is a lot more expensive than a 1 BR studio apartment.  Apartments are "easier" than SF homes from a maintenance standpoint (no grass to cut, gutters to clean, etc.)  Dealing with owners has always been easy for me but I'm already in the management business so I'm used to it and I can "talk the talk" in my sleep. I can see where it would be daunting for a new person to reach out and contact owners one off and I suspect there would be a 6 out of 10 rejection rate just based on the concept being outside of most peoples comfort zone. That being said arbitrage is an incredible way to get started with little money, lots of control and lots of upside. If you need help on something call me.

Hi @Andre Jones, yes I'm a PM and Airbnb Superhost. Have folks on staff and outside contacts who handle interior design, furnishing and outfitting. 

Hi Andre,

What area is your new property in?   Give me a call or email to discuss.

Pricelabs, SmartBNB, Samsung Smartthings (hardware now made by Aeotec), "Rboy apps" if you use Smartthings, ZWave/Zigbee lock hardware and sensors, Minut Sound Sensor, IC Realtime cameras or Ring Doorbell camera...

Yale YRD and YRL series zwave locks; smarthings hub (now made by Aeotec). We use Dinger (doorbell cam) and Flooder (floodlight camera) wifi cameras from ICRealtime since there is no monthly recurring fee and they are commercial quality cameras. Gocontrol zwave thermostat (only 4 buttons bc people are stupid).  Currently using Minut sound level monitors but trialing Noise Aware since they are finally pricing differently.

@Kevin Craig I can't imagine how you could make a decent return in Southern California given prices. Out of state sounds like your best option. If you decide to look in the Atlanta market give me a shout and I can give you my two cents about different areas. I think short or long term is good but I make a lot more on short term. 

@Michael Elefante What an incredible story! Congratulations to both of you and keep it up! I've been investing in long term rentals for over 26 years and when I first was introduced to STR's I was very cautious because I flat didn't believe the claims of income or expenses and it is just such a different animal than long term rentals. Fast forward a bit and now I'm busy converting all of my long term portfolio into short term as they become available. Love to connect with you and learn what you are doing.