All Forum Posts by: Villy Ellinger

I use the TeamUp app to update the cleaning calendar because each cleaner can view the calendar with their specific user restrictions on their phone. The app is free. I think a paid subscription can also sync it with iCal. Once you hire a main cleaner you trust you won't need to inspect every time. In the beginning it will be a bit more hands on, but that is normal. 

I too have an owners closet where I keep the extra soaps, paper towels, toilet paper, towels, etc. My main cleaners do the laundry and use laundry service (they cover that) or on the smaller unit they take it home to wash it (sheets, towels). 

I considered cleaning my studio condo myself but found out that my time is better spent otherwise and also my cleaning people have way better skills in that, lol. They set up the towels in all sorts of fancy ways, do "hotel corners" on the beds, etc. Good luck! I hope your Airbnb rental is really successful!

@Austin Works I'm in Fort Walton Beach / Destin, FL. This is a great area for vacation rentals and you should definitely check it out. I have three of my own here and also sell real estate here. The vacation rentals I have do very well. Since you are in Louisiana you definitely should consider the Emerald Coast of Florida. It is within driving distance for you, which can be very helpful if you want to check on the property, if you have an emergency or if you are planning on using the property occasionally yourself (which most people do, it's a great perk of owning a home on the beach). I can't speak to other parts of the country, but as far as Florida is concerned  the Emerald Coast is one of the more affordable areas as well and very popular destination. 

I would suggest you check out the following website for info about vacation rentals in general:  http://vrownersguide.com/ It is a vacation rental owners guide website. I'm not connected to it in any way just find the information on it helpful.

Good luck! Don't hesitate to post any questions on the forum here and to also follow all the various discussions. I learn a ton just be reading through those.

@Joseph Ammar I'm in Fort Walton Beach/ Destin, Florida. Short-term vacation rentals is pretty much one of the main industries here with privately owned condos being more popular and numerous than hotels. The industry is regulated here (transient occupancy taxes, etc) but in no danger of being restricted in any way. Anywhere on the Emerald Coast (Pensacola, FL to Panama City Beach, FL) is very friendly to short-term rentals in my opinion and quite profitable as well. In our market Airbnb actually collects and remits the occupancy tax on behalf of the owner/manager because there are so many rentals here. I use both Airbnb and VRBO. We also have Emerald Coast By Owner site. 

My main cleaning contractor hires subcontractors, etc through HomeAdvisor. They seem somewhat more verified there. I use the TeamUp app calendar (its free and mobile friendly and I can restrict who sees what). One of the paid subscription features of TeamUp says it can integrate with iCal and Outlook, etc. I've been kinda cheap and wanting to pay for it right now, but might be a good option to consider. The cleaning people can all upload the TeamUp app link calendar on their phone for free and check the schedule.  

@Mark Futalan I agree with the several people above who advocate for flexibility as long as the booking schedule allows. Airbnb in particular is very picky about review ratings. If a guests explicitly asks to check in early or check out late and if I can accommodate it, I generally try to "capitalize" on it in the form of good will gained and a good review, which a lot of times is more valuable than $10-$20 per hour you may get. I do charge $50 extra per hour if a guests fails to leave the place on time and the cleaning crew is waiting outside and I have a reservation back to back. At least that is what it says in my rental agreement that I have guests sign. I've never actually had to charge that. 

If I'm not able to provide early check-in I try to provide some other accommodation. My check in is at 4pm. If the guests arrive at noon but the particular condo is not ready, I sometimes give them the parking garage passes early as well as access to the pools or beach sets. Reviews drive rankings and rankings drive future bookings, so flexibility (as long as schedule allows) can go a long way. 

@Brenda Rogers Congratulations on your new vacation rental condo! I love working with vacation rentals! I have three in Fort Walton Beach, FL. They have been very lucrative for me. I also provide rental assistance, listing set up assistance and consulting to vacation rental owners who manage their property on their own. Feel free to ask me any questions, etc. You can message me if you like and I'll give you my phone number if you would like to call me with questions. 

I use VRBO and Airbnb. I would be more than happy to tell you about my experience with both of these. I have tried TripAdvisor and did not like it. I am currently considering trying out Emerald Coast by Owner, but I really don't know that I need it.

As for the fee on VRBO. I believe that it's "either/or". Either the $499 flat annual fee OR the 3% pay as you go. I'm not sure why the VRBO rep told you to pay both. 

I know that some people use Craigslist to market vacation rentals. Perhaps for some type of properties that is ok. For me and the kind of rentals I have it is absolutely not the right venue to market. I'm also very leery of the numerous cases of fraud, etc on Craigslist. 

I also take some "direct bookings" from repeat/loyal guests or people that I know personally. I definitely have everyone sign a rental agreement via electronic signature.

I hope your rental is very successful. Keep us posted.

@Brandon Richardson I'm in Fort Walton Beach. All three of my condos have almost year round occupancy. I'm surprised to read your comment about your Destin condo not being rented from October to May. That seems like a waste. I can share the links to my places for you to see what I get booked, etc. I live in Fort Walton Beach and in addition to being a real estate agent I have a business that assists vacation rental owners who manage their properties on their own from a distance. If there is any way I can assist or if you have any questions, etc, please feel free to message me. 

LOL! This discussion topic is a bit mind-boggling for me. YES, you can absolutely make cash flow in vacation rentals. I make $25K+ per year clean pre-tax cash throw off (i.e. after cap ex and financing expense) on each of my larger two vacation rental condos on Okaloosa Island, FL and about $10K on my STUDIO in Fort Walton Beach. I self manage and use VRBO and Airbnb. I know a number of other people who pretty much use the cash flow from their vacation rentals here on the Gulf Coast of Florida as their primary source of income. I'm not familiar with vacation rental markets in other parts of the country, so can't really comment on that, but.... with the right location, right property and right management/pricing approach, you can definitely get positive cash flow. If you have any specific questions, please message me.

Hi, @Mark Futalan, I am not arguing with all the other people above who said they don't use extra agreements or are annoyed when they have to sign those. I totally get it -- guest experience can be hampered by a 5 page legal document that goes on and on. My opinion on the issue is (just my opinion) -- you own an an $X00,000 property and your guests are there for just a week... all is well (99% of the time) until it isn't.... and then.... a guest paying $2K can sue you worth $2M. So... to avoid that I have ALL my guests, including friends electronically sign a rental agreement prepared by a lawyer. My commercial liability insurance actually requires that, so I tell that to the guests. The agreement protects the guests as well. We live in a litigious society. I personally would rather miss out on a guest or two (who is turned off by having to sign an agreement) than lose my pants in court. I use RightSignature.com for my e-sign agreements. It tells them where to initial and where to sign and it's a 5 minute process. Most guests don't actually read the full 6 pages but you are still protected if they sign. DocuSign is a similar service you can subscribe to.

Thanks for the input @Eric A. Definitely some useful stuff. I am talking to the agent and have no access to the owner. I am an agent myself, so have to be very careful to not violate agent rules, lol. The owner is elderly and lives very far away. I don't think she's familiar with owner financing at all, so I need to rely on the listing agent to explain to her. The agent seems to know some about owner-financing, so that may be ok. I really like your point about the sellers focusing on the price. That might be a good angle to use. The property needs some work so they have not been able to get good price offers. There is no mortgage on it and it's been on the market for 200+ days.