Experienced AirBnB Operator Looking For JV/Funding Partner

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Experienced AirBnB Operator Looking For JV/Funding Partner

Title Representative · Savannah, GA · Member since 2016 · 57 posts · 23 votes

I currently operate 5 short term vacation rental units in the Savannah, GA market. My current units are all leased units (I lease them specifically to rent out on Airbnb) and I would like to add some units that will build equity.  Forgive the length of my post, I hope to provide enough details to trigger conversation and help folks determine if this might be a good fit.  No one likes "I need 90k for a house in NY" posts.

The Plan:

We will buy and rehab (as necessary) homerun deals in 3-4 key markets chosen using historic data from airdna.co. Currently, the short list of markets includes Savannah, Atlanta, Charleston, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Cincinnati. That list is flexible.

We will buy units with proper zoning for Airbnb at prices that meet my proprietary Airbnb cashflow ratios and are good buys for a potential plan b or c (in case regulations threaten Airbnb operation). In order to purchase a property it must meet all of the following requirements:

  • 1)Positive cash flow using Airbnb
  • 2)Positive cash flow for long term rental (plan b)
  • 3)80% cost to ARV

These units will be purchased, set up and licensed to rent on Airbnb, then refinanced and turned over to my operations model. It takes about 3-4 months per unit to do this so growth is based on available capital… ie how many units we can afford to work on at a time. We can call it the "Air-BRRR" strategy.

About Me:

I worked as a Realtor for a few years, specializing in multi-family, before starting a successful energy sales company in 2007. I sold that company and have been working in telecom since 2014, negotiating wiring rights and easements in new developments. Throughout my career, I have continued to invest in various real property asset types including tax liens, flips, mobile homes, and land. I have probably been involved in around 100 real estate deals as an owner or partner and dozens more as an agent or employee.

My credit is great and I have a little cash. I would like to work with a partner to enable quicker growth than I could achieve on my own and spend less time working out financing details on each unit.

The Numbers:

Of course, we can always convert these units into long term rentals that cash flow a little on a 30 year note but the great numbers are in Plan A… Airbnb. Here is a breakdown of what a standard Airbnb deal might look like (and there are plenty like this available in many markets).

Purchase Price: $120,000

Rehab Costs: $20,000

ARV: $180,000

Average Monthly Revenue: $2,800

Average Monthly Expenses (non-debt service): $500

30 Year Debt Service Payment: $530-$675

Cap Rate: 20.5%

Cash on Cash ROI w/20%dn: 78%

My Ask:

I’m looking for a partner to help fund these deals through launch until they are stable. I’m flexible on the exact set up depending on your investment goals. We can set it up to cash out your investment with the refi. You can participate in the returns long term and hold equity. We could work out something creative that fits you. If you have access to capital exceeding $200k, lets talk and see if we are a good fit for each other. I would like to meet face-to-face and ‘date’ before we marry ourselves to any deals. I am not interested in a hard-money-type relationship that involves paying huge points on each unit. My problem isn’t the lack of credit availability, the challenge is flexibility and scalability.

If you are interested or have questions, lets chat. I’m happy to answer questions privately or in this open forum. 

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Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y

@Marc Phelps - can you give some more detail around how you're coming up with the average revenues and expenses?  Given you plan to span multiple markets do you plan to hire somebody to do management?

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  • Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8y

    @Marc Phelps - can you give some more detail around how you're coming up with the average revenues and expenses?  Given you plan to span multiple markets do you plan to hire somebody to do management?

  • Title Representative · Savannah, GA · Member since 2016 · 57 posts · 23 votes
    8y

    The numbers are conservatively round based on historical data and match up with my experience at the 5 units I have in Savannah.  The historical data is available through a third party (airdna.co) and gives comp data from nearby airbnb listings like rental rate and occupancy levels.

    I remotely manage my current listings. Despite living nearby, I visit them only to drive by and check on them.  At scale, I would train a virtual assistant to handle the daily interactions online.

    A support team includes a solid housekeeping contractor who handles all restocking and cleaning for turnover and a local handyman.  Those two contractors can handle everything day-to-day if the unit is set up correctly (I have one that has been operating without my physical presence for 3 years).  

    Louisville has great airbnb permitting laws and is a prime market. I visit Louisville 3-4 times a year for family and like the Bardstown Road and Highlands areas best for airbnb.

  • Real Estate Broker · Louisville, KY · Member since 2014 · 362 posts · 232 votes
    8y
    Next time you are in louisville, let’s talk. I have a few investor clients looking for what you are offering.
  • Title Representative · Savannah, GA · Member since 2016 · 57 posts · 23 votes
    8y

    I have some familiarity with the markets above and regularly visit them. There are other markets that are promising for airbnb but with which I don't have enough familiarity to jump into without an active partner - I would need a partner with local market expertise to feel comfortable buying in these markets.  

    These include: Cleveland, Saint Louis, Pittsburg, Saint Augustine, Columbus, OH, Memphis, Phoenix, and Hollywood, FL.

  • David OunanianBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · St. Louis, MO · Member since 2017 · 380 posts · 195 votes
    8y

    Hey @Marc Phelps I've always been interested in getting into the airbnb model in St. Louis and would love to learn more about your model.  I invest near the airport which I initially thought would be great for airbnb but when I see listings for a whole house at $65/night with no minimum stays I have trouble understanding how any profits are made.  I imagine it would cost me $50-100 to have the place cleaned and turned over to the next tenant.  Let me know what you think.

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  • Title Representative · Savannah, GA · Member since 2016 · 57 posts · 23 votes
    8y

    @David Ounanian I don't know anything about the St Louis Market but would suspect that downtown would be better.  For airbnb, you want the walkable A/B neighborhoods, people want to experience the best of a town when they visit, so I always want places within a safe walk of the biggest draw to the area.

    When it comes to pricing, the price you see when you search airbnb is not the price you pay when you book.  The "advertised" rate is the lowest amount one would pay.  You may see one of my listings with a $65 rate and no minimum stay but that rate is only if I have a last minute weeknight opening and you are going to pay a cleaning fee on top of that regardless of how long you stay.  The easiest way to get a feel for the actual data is to find a well reviewed listing and start a reservation. You don't have to pay for it, just pick some days and click to reserve.  It will show you a total price that includes the variable nightly rates along with fees.

    I charge a cleaning fee to all guests that covers my supplies and turnover costs. One of my listings that shows a $65 nightly rate is likely to average around $100 per night (not including fees). Occupancy averages vary by market but St Louis is strong and you could expect 20-25 nights per month rented if done correctly.

    Here is how the math would work on a 1 bedroom condo downtown. I found one on the MLS that might be advertised at $65/night without a minimum (a $65k condo at on 17th St):

    2 night stay Saturday-Monday

    Saturday night - $105

    Sunday night -$89

    Cleaning Fee - $70

    Total paid to host: $264

    The cleaning fee covers a housekeeper and supplies and you get 97 per night before utilities, taxes, insurance, setbacks, and debt service.  If you can do 20 nights per month, you are at $1,940/mo which I'm guessing is a lot more than long term rental rates.

    Everyone asks about wear and tear but I find that you experience less wear on these units since they aren't being used every day and maintenance issues get fixed immediately since your contractor is in there regularly and the place is professionally cleaned every few days.

  • Saint Louis, MO · Member since 2017 · 72 posts · 21 votes
    8y

    For st louis, i can only fill at a $60-80/night price point in november, december, and what i am recalculating to expect jan feb march. Averaged 10 nights for October booked.  My first year doing it.  Seems to be a very seasonal market.

  • David OunanianBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · St. Louis, MO · Member since 2017 · 380 posts · 195 votes
    8y

    @Marc Phelps thanks that is really helpful! I'll send you a PM

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  • Title Representative · Savannah, GA · Member since 2016 · 57 posts · 23 votes
    8y

    @Zach Stillman  What part of town is your unit located and how often do you reprice?  I have a unit on the beach in Georgia... about as seasonal as it gets but I keep it about 30% more full than others by repricing regularly and ensuring it makes it to the top of the search results.  

    Seasonality is a double edged sword in locations like the beach because, in the summer I am guaranteed to be near 100% booked but I have to work to stay 60% booked in the offseason.  What I've found is that can be offset quite a bit based on location of the unit.  In the winter, my beach condo fills up with business travelers who are enticed to stay 30 minutes away from the city by the price.  Buying in areas with tourism AND business seems to be the key to stable month-to-month revenue.  Areas like major downtowns are best.

    Airdna has a free tool called Rentalyzer (sp?) that I find to be a little on the opticmistic side of attainable.

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