Now, as the tides of life bring me closer to the serene shores of Navarre Beach, where my children have woven their lives into the local tapestry, I find myself drawn back to the world of STRs with a heart full of curiosity and a mind eager to refresh & learn.Looking forward to learning and growing with you all,

A newly refreshed unit will almost always rent for more than one not updated.

This unit is still ramping up toward the occupancy rate we had with our previous PM prior to have been taken down for a refresh.  

According to Jamie and his team, the STR market is healthy, strong, and sustainable at this point.As an owner of STRs and advisor to clients who are also owners, this was a refreshing listen on BP. 

You will always need the OTAs to help you build and refresh your email list but over time the dependency will shrink and you’ll create a solid independent direct booking business.

.- Refresh & Reinvest Expounding a little on the topic above, vacation rental ownership is not a set it and forget it.

Does anyone have any recommendations, or leads to a contractor for a minor rehab (paint, cabinets and door install/ repair, laminate flooring install, a minor refresh overall)?

As someone mentioned there are a number of outdated properties in the Emerald Coast and especially Gulf Shores needing a refresh. 

Say you don't know the market, so you buy a SFH in a solid neighborhood, that maybe just needs a refresh and not a rehab, and say your W2 income doesn't support your primary + this new purchase, so you have to get a DSCR loan.  

I'm paying about the same to live in my house as I was splitting a 1-bedroom apartment with a roommate, but now I'm seeing that appreciation, sweat equity, and tax benefits you touched on.I love reading comments and posts like yours to give me a refresher on why I got into a house hack in the first place.