All Forum Posts by: Wendy Schultz

We have a place in Venice, FL. We love the area but the gated communities we visited aren't very STR friendly. Most have at least a one month minimum lease. If you choose Venice, a SFR that's not part of an HOA is probably your best route. We also love Sarasota, Clearwater, Tampa area. It's expensive to buy there so we like having a house in Venice with those cities not far away.

I have been on AirBNB for a little over a year and haven't had any issues. I own 2 properties I've listed on there and manage 7 others. A couple of thoughts come to mind... not every property is suited as a STR. I mainly reserve them for vacation locations, places that corporate travelers would want to stay and families. They are a lot more work than long term rentals and you really want the right clientele there because they will not only be in your property but also using your furniture. Second, I choose properties that will command a high enough nightly rate. I don't want to be a low budget place and with the work involved, the ROI needs to be there. The higher the price my properties are, the better they seem to take care of my place. I never use smart pricing. I do not want to market myself as the lowest priced place out there. I wouldn't throw in the towel forever but maybe try to find a property that would be better suited for STR. Hope that helps!

I'd still consider myself fairly green. I have two short term rentals and have purchased two more. They are in tourist areas. My two rentals make about $20,000 in primarily 5-6 months out of the year and my expenses are approximately $10,000. No mortgage. My new property, I'm projecting about $25,000 in rent and $7,000 in expenses. Mortgage not included.