Where should move to if at all?

Question

Hey, I'm coming back to the States from Israel in January. I want to start house-hacking right out of the gate in my first year and move on to the next. I had a pretty solid Airbnb business in the Fort Lauderdale area prior to the war, but now I have been looking to move to a market I can afford, stay frugal, and grow with.

I have been looking into Central Florida (since I'm pretty knowledgeable about the area and used to it), but also other places like SC, NC, TN, AR, and KY, given they are more affordable.

I've been banned from Airbnb due to the cancellations required when I had to leave for the war. I've tried several times, but they won't reinstate my account. Honestly, I don't care much, as I was exactly in the process of transferring my business to a direct-booking model anyway. So, I will be focused on direct bookings from the beginning. My previous listings were hostel-style( arbitrage lease) , and my current vision is the same vibe: private rooms with a strong focus on being extra pet-friendly, given that I am a K9 trainer.

My W2 income is about $40K a year (as a remote leasing agent for apartment complexes in Florida). The vacation rental aspect is crucial to provide additional income. I also may have an investor, but honestly rather get the first house mmyself, I would like to have your recommendation on which market is worth moving to or if I should stay in the Florida area wihc is the sunny devil i know.

Ricardo R. · Answer

Hey Ofir,

Man, first off — respect for everything you’ve pushed through and for jumping right back into building again. Based on what you said, here’s a straight take:

If your main goal is to house hack while keeping costs low and growing, I’d lean toward staying in Central Florida for round one. You already know the area, the permitting process, and the general demand cycles — that’s a big edge most new investors don’t have. Areas like Ocala, Lakeland, or Deltona are still relatively affordable, and you can get solid rent-to-price ratios (1% range) with less regulatory headache than in bigger coastal markets.

If you’re open to moving, though, Greenville, SC, and Knoxville, TN are also worth serious looks. They’ve got solid job growth, friendly STR/MTR laws, and reasonable prices — you can still find properties in the $200K–$250K range that rent well.

On the Airbnb ban, since you’re going direct-booking anyway, that’s actually an opportunity. You already know how to run it; you just need to plug into local travel nurse networks, Furnished Finder, and corporate housing directories. And the pet-friendly angle tied to your K9 training? That’s gold. Lean hard into that branding — it gives you an instant niche.

Your income and experience suggest you’re ready — just stay local or in a market you can drive to easily at first. You’ll scale faster when you’re not learning everything new at once; Ofir, I really hope this helps you a bit, I sent you a DM on BP... it's one of the reasons I do this, I hope you can assist. Thank you in advance.