Experience with STRs in Blue Ridge, Georgia?

Question

Hi everyone!

I am an Atlanta investor with several STRs in Atlanta. Am quite interested in a STR cabin in Blue Ridge, GA or around there. Does anyone have any experience owning/operating a short term rental in Blue Ridge (or surrounding areas)? Would love to share some info on both markets and am happy to discuss my experience in Atlanta market with Airbnb if you'd like. I'm particularly interested in occupancy rates, pricing, and general ROI of course. I've seen some posts about the area, but nothing specific with numbers or rough estimates. Please let me know!

Sam

Emily Beatty · Answer

I have had an STR in Ellijay, GA for about a year. The pandemic brought an influx of buyers to the area and the number of new STR owners has doubled in the last 1-2 years - check out Airdna.co to see the growth spike. Things are becoming over saturated by the day. There is still enough wiggle room to do better than LTRs - but bookings have slowed down due to so many rental options.

Jan-May 2022 has been slower than 2021 was. Summer / Fall / Holidays are more of the peak time to visit the area. The metrics for occupancy / income from 2020-21 are not going to be comparable to what's going on now in the area in my opinion. For new STR owners it's going to be difficult to get going with more competition - but not impossible. Hotel / Motel taxes are rising beginning July 2022 for Gilmer county. Not sure about Fannin county. Message me if you'd like some additional details / Realtor contacts / support and cleaner contacts up there who can get you started.

Nick Mittal · Answer

Hi Everyone, newbie here trying to do my due diligence. The prices of established cabins are very high in this market and I am exploring the build route.

Appreciate if anyone have experience here in buying land and getting a cabin built?

Any experience working with woodland group for land purchase?

Thanks,

Chris Mendoza · Answer

Hi Michael! I would love to see the resource you are referring to from the short term shop about Blue Ridge and Elijay.

Michael Craven · Answer

Hey Sam, we just closed last week on our first STR cabin in Blue Ridge. It should be up and running by the end of the month. Have you checked out the resources through the Short Term Shop? They posted the 2020 numbers for Blue Ridge and Ellijay recently. If you want to chat more about it let me know and send me a DM!

Michael Craven · Answer

Hey @Chris Mendoza go to their website, click on blog, and then scroll down and they have 2020 and 2019 data for the Blue Ridge markets (as well as many others).

Ferry Vendy · Answer

Nick,

did you ever pull the trigger on building in BR?

Mike Williams · Answer

Hi James! I own an STR in Ellijay, would love to chat with you if you are still looking at Ellijay.

James Colgan · Answer

Hey, just saw this post and checking in to see how your STR is doing? Looking at Ellijay now for a potential spot.

Ryan Moyer · Answer

I've never been high on that market, personally.  I've never owned there, but any time I dug into it, it appeared to me that the prices were too close to Smokies prices without Smokies level returns.  80% of the Smokies pricing, 50% of the Smokies revenue.  Just made up numbers there, but you get the idea.  I'd rather just pay the slight premium to get into the bigger market, personally.

Anecdotally, the STR Facebook groups I'm in are constantly full of posts with people in the Georgia mountains panicking about empty calendars.  Far more of those kind of posts in those groups seem to be from Georgia mountain owners.  Probably more than all other markets combined.  Just anecdotal and nothing scientific.

Chris Mendoza · Answer

Thanks Michael!

Experience with STRs in Blue Ridge, Georgia?

Experience with STRs in Blue Ridge, Georgia?

Most Popular Reply

10 Replies