Investor · CT · Member since 2024 · 3 posts · 4 votes
Hey everyone, I am looking for information about Florida market, seeing how the houses are so pricy (Dania beach, Hollywood, Miami area)
what would be the best strategy to start a STR with out having to fork out all my savings in one property. I been making calls to houses thats been on the market for 60days or more but nothing is working. is there anyone that is currently doing STR in the FL market that can give some tip where would be a good place to start and what I should expect.
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
2y
If you could find someone that would owner finance a property. A fixer upper would be more likely to get a deal on.
Certain areas like Orlando are very saturated and therefore competitive to keep rented at a good price.
Research insurance premiums because they have gone through the roof in Florida and other areas. Some insurance companies will not even write policies in Florida anymore.
Your best deals will not be on Zillow or MLS and won't be a turn key property.
Look for distressed properties and motivated sellers.
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
2y
If you could find someone that would owner finance a property. A fixer upper would be more likely to get a deal on.
Certain areas like Orlando are very saturated and therefore competitive to keep rented at a good price.
Research insurance premiums because they have gone through the roof in Florida and other areas. Some insurance companies will not even write policies in Florida anymore.
Your best deals will not be on Zillow or MLS and won't be a turn key property.
Look for distressed properties and motivated sellers.
Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
2y
Hi Ashek
I am not an expert in the SE Florida market, but I am very up on the Gulf Coast markets. What is your price point? What does your lending look like? Things are expensive in Florida but you can still find "deals" or properties that will perform where you can get 10-25%+ CoC returns. Let me know if I can be of any other service, best of luck!
If you could find someone that would owner finance a property. A fixer upper would be more likely to get a deal on.
Certain areas like Orlando are very saturated and therefore competitive to keep rented at a good price.
Research insurance premiums because they have gone through the roof in Florida and other areas. Some insurance companies will not even write policies in Florida anymore.
Your best deals will not be on Zillow or MLS and won't be a turn key property.
Look for distressed properties and motivated sellers.
Probate
Divorce
Behind in property taxes
In Preforeclosure
vacant properties
Code enforcement issue properties
etc
Thank you for the information I really appreciate it. I will start looking more in to those list and hopefully find my next deal.
I live in Broward County and the prices are outrageous. What I am seeing is investors using STRs in what I would consider sub par (sketchy) neighborhoods. If you find a good deal in a good neighborhood you may make the numbers work. Anything currently operating as a STR is generally overpriced in my opinion. Lots of lipstick on a pig around here.
Hey everyone, I am looking for information about Florida market, seeing how the houses are so pricy (Dania beach, Hollywood, Miami area)
what would be the best strategy to start a STR with out having to fork out all my savings in one property. I been making calls to houses thats been on the market for 60days or more but nothing is working. is there anyone that is currently doing STR in the FL market that can give some tip where would be a good place to start and what I should expect.
Thank you in advance.
Cheers!
Hi Ashek, welcome to BP. As you mentioned, the southeast florida market is very pricey right now. I would recommend looking into southwest florida, central florida and northeast florida.
Real Estate Agent · Member since 2023 · 14 posts · 3 votes
2y
There are still some deals in SWFL. I have a builder who builds 4 BR with two Primary Suites and has a lender deal right now. I have evaluated it to be able to cash flow as a STR with the lender special rate, even with a conservative 48% occupancy. It's all about getting the numbers to balance out. I would be happy to discuss details.
Investor · KY · Member since 2022 · 204 posts · 77 votes
2y
High purchase prices, need to choose right areas within a market. Think micro market within a market. Example the best street to own a home for STR in town. Then its a matter of if you can afford a property in that micro area. Some areas the competition compared to what you will make on revenue just doesnt make sense. Alot of owners are getting very squeezed in the orlando market for example.
Hey everyone, I am looking for information about Florida market, seeing how the houses are so pricy (Dania beach, Hollywood, Miami area)
what would be the best strategy to start a STR with out having to fork out all my savings in one property. I been making calls to houses thats been on the market for 60days or more but nothing is working. is there anyone that is currently doing STR in the FL market that can give some tip where would be a good place to start and what I should expect.
Thank you in advance.
Cheers!
I live in miami happy to give some advice I'm in real estate development, land development, ground up construction, and brokerage
Real Estate Consultant · OH · Member since 2023 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
2y
Just bought one in FL with a unicorn realtor that found us a seller financing deal with only 10% down. If you want more info reach out and I can point you to the right people!
Real Estate Agent · Belleair Bluffs, FL · Member since 2024 · 19 posts · 8 votes
2y
Pinellas County (Gulf Coast Central FL) is an excellent place to start. Most single-family close to the beaches can bring in about 75-85K gross with about 60-70% occupancy. I'm a real estate agent specializing in investment properties in this area. If you need any advice or want information on how to do this, just let me know; I would love to help.
Hey everyone, I am looking for information about Florida market, seeing how the houses are so pricy (Dania beach, Hollywood, Miami area)
what would be the best strategy to start a STR with out having to fork out all my savings in one property. I been making calls to houses thats been on the market for 60days or more but nothing is working. is there anyone that is currently doing STR in the FL market that can give some tip where would be a good place to start and what I should expect.
Thank you in advance.
Cheers!
Hi Ashek! I am an agent in FL and I focus almost exclusively on turnkey STR properties via creative financing.. I am happy to answer any questions and/or help you find the perfect property. Please message me if you have any questions or would like to see what I've got on my radar right now :)
Hey everyone, I am looking for information about Florida market, seeing how the houses are so pricy (Dania beach, Hollywood, Miami area)
what would be the best strategy to start a STR with out having to fork out all my savings in one property. I been making calls to houses thats been on the market for 60days or more but nothing is working. is there anyone that is currently doing STR in the FL market that can give some tip where would be a good place to start and what I should expect.
Thank you in advance.
Cheers!
Hi Ashek! I am an agent in FL and I focus almost exclusively on turnkey STR properties via creative financing.. I am happy to answer any questions and/or help you find the perfect property. Please message me if you have any questions or would like to see what I've got on my radar right now :)
Hey everyone, I am looking for information about Florida market, seeing how the houses are so pricy (Dania beach, Hollywood, Miami area)
what would be the best strategy to start a STR with out having to fork out all my savings in one property. I been making calls to houses thats been on the market for 60days or more but nothing is working. is there anyone that is currently doing STR in the FL market that can give some tip where would be a good place to start and what I should expect.
Thank you in advance.
Cheers!
Hi Ashek! I am an agent in FL and I focus almost exclusively on turnkey STR properties via creative financing.. I am happy to answer any questions and/or help you find the perfect property. Please message me if you have any questions or would like to see what I've got on my radar right now :)
Property Manager · Orlando, FL · Member since 2024 · 1 post · 0 votes
2y
We manage around 100 properties in the Orlando and Ruskin areas of FL. The homeowners that are struggling right now are mostly ones that own lower-end homes that were purchased within the last 3 years (post-COVID) and made their investments based on the unrealistically hight expectations that all the "revenge travel" created. These homeowners also are attempting to cash flow their home over pretty rough mortgage terms.
The homeowners of ours that are still winning in this environment are owners of larger, higher-end homes (homes that accommodate 12 or more guests).
There absolutely is an over-saturation of STRs- at least in Orlando- even though travel demand has remained steady. We're starting to see a correction in the supply of STR in central FL which will make things easier for homeowners that can stick it out.
My advice: Look for opportunities that are as far up-market as you are comfortable with. All other metrics equal- I have much more confidence in a +$1,000/month cash flow projection (or even a relative metric like +10%/year) on a $750,000 house than I do with a $300,000 condo.
Real Estate Agent · Tampa Florida · Member since 2013 · 630 posts · 303 votes
2y
I am in the Tampa. Clearwater, St Pete areas of Florida. While, Yes, it is saturated, you can still find STRs that produce. It depends on what your costs are. Stay out of Flood Zones and unless you really want to rehab a property in Florida, you can find homes that will work.
Hey everyone, I am looking for information about Florida market, seeing how the houses are so pricy (Dania beach, Hollywood, Miami area)
what would be the best strategy to start a STR with out having to fork out all my savings in one property. I been making calls to houses thats been on the market for 60days or more but nothing is working. is there anyone that is currently doing STR in the FL market that can give some tip where would be a good place to start and what I should expect.
Thank you in advance.
Cheers!
Hello Ashek,
If you're starting in Florida with zero properties, your first DBPR (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) vacation rental license will almost always be a single-property license. This license can be issued either in your personal name or under your LLC. If you want to run your short-term rental operation like a business from the very beginning, it's better to have the lease and license under your LLC. That way, when you scale, you won't have to go back and redo all your licensing paperwork.
Florida's DBPR offers three main types of licenses: Single, Group, and Collective. The single license covers just one address — you'll need one for each property if they don't qualify for grouping. A group license applies to multiple units within the same building or connected buildings under the same ownership. The collective license is what most professional operators aim for, as it allows multiple properties in the same county under one license, provided they share the same ownership entity (like your LLC). This can save time and money, especially when managing several units.
While it’s true that many short-term rentals in Florida operate without DBPR licenses, that doesn’t mean it’s a smart move. Operating unlicensed is technically illegal. Fines can be as high as $1,000 per day, and enforcement actions can include cease-and-desist orders or even removal from platforms like Airbnb. Some areas in Florida are strict about enforcement, especially major tourist destinations such as Miami-Dade, Orange, and Pinellas counties. Others may be slower to enforce, but that’s changing as local governments strengthen their short-term rental policies.
A common reason unlicensed rentals fly under the radar is because platforms like Airbnb don’t always verify DBPR license numbers unless there’s active enforcement in that jurisdiction. However, enforcement usually ramps up quickly once there are complaints from neighbors, reports from competing hosts, or safety incidents at a property. If you’re doing rental arbitrage — meaning you don’t own the property and rely on a lease agreement — you’re even more vulnerable. If your landlord receives a violation notice, they might simply terminate your lease to avoid trouble.
For anyone looking to operate professionally in Florida, getting licensed from day one isn’t just about legal compliance — it’s also about credibility. Landlords are far more likely to approve your short-term rental proposal if you present yourself as a licensed, compliant operator. Plus, starting correctly means when you grow from one property to several, you can easily transition to a collective license without having to redo your legal and administrative setup.
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