Deep South Investing

[Autumn Wibright]

A little behind-the-scenes of what real estate investing can actually look like sometimes… 😅

My partner and I are currently renovating a single-family home here in Valdosta that we plan to turn into a short-term rental — and as you can see from the photos, it’s not always glamorous.

Lots of sanding. Lots of dust. Lots of learning along the way.

But projects like this are one reason I think the Valdosta market is really interesting for investors.

This particular property caught our attention because of its location. It’s:

• Close to a conference center that brings in regular visitors
• Near an amusement park people travel hours to visit
• A short commute from Moody Air Force Base, where people often need short- and mid-term housing
• Right by Valdosta State University, which brings in families and visitors throughout the year

When you start looking at markets this way, you realize that even smaller cities can have multiple demand drivers in one place.

The house itself needed some work, so we decided to take on the renovation ourselves and turn it into something new.

I’m still early in my career, but one of my goals is to really understand the Valdosta and South Georgia investment market — what works here, what opportunities exist, and what investors should be paying attention to.

And sometimes that learning happens covered in drywall dust. :)

If you invest in smaller markets or have experience with short-term rentals, long-term rentals or flips, I’d love to hear what you look for when evaluating a location.