Oakhurst Short Term Rental

Member since 2024 · 7 posts · 1 vote

Are any STR investors active in the Oakhurst / Yosemite market, or currently looking to buy there?

I’d love to connect and hear about your experience on the ground—especially around seasonality, realistic cash flow expectations, and any key lessons learned operating in the area. Happy to swap notes!

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Michael BaumPro Member

Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes

Hey @Farzana Hossain . Here is the latest on the STR regs for Madera county.

https://www.maderacounty.com/government/community-economic-development-department/divisions/planning-division/short-term-vacation-rental-ordinance

A hearing was on Aug 18th, 2026. Did you attend? You can see the video of the discussion on the above site.

It looks like things are really in flux in that area so I might not drop a bunch of dimes there knowing things could go south.

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Mike GrudzienPro Member
Lender · Eugene, OR · Member since 2019 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1w
Farzana,
This is a national forum. Have you tried reaching out locally, into the local market that you are locally interested in, for local insight? Local realtors? Local Host Facebook groups?
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Diana Khan
Attorney · 10451 Mill Run Cir #755 Owings Mills, MD 21117 · Member since 2024 · 300 posts · 112 votes
1w
Quote from @Farzana Hossain:
Are any STR investors active in the Oakhurst / Yosemite market, or currently looking to buy there?

I’d love to connect and hear about your experience on the ground—especially around seasonality, realistic cash flow expectations, and any key lessons learned operating in the area. Happy to swap notes!
@Farzana Hossain, one thing I've learned from working with property owners and investors is that I would not look at seasonality and income by themselves. Before I get comfortable with the numbers on an STR, I also want to know whether the property can actually operate the way I am planning. I've seen owners get excited about projected income, then later run into issues with local STR rules, permits, insurance, HOA restrictions, septic capacity, parking, or other property limits that changed the whole deal.
I would also run the numbers using a slower season, not just the strongest months. In a tourist market, I would want to know whether the property can still carry itself when bookings drop, repairs come up, or operating costs are higher than expected. That gives you a much more realistic picture than using the best months as the standard.
I like that you are trying to hear from people actually operating in the market before making a decision, and I'd be glad to stay connected and see what you learn about Oakhurst. Since this is California, I would still have local counsel confirm anything specific to STR rules or property use.
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Arman AhmedPro Member
Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2024 · 2k+ posts · 904 votes
1w
Quote from @Farzana Hossain:
Are any STR investors active in the Oakhurst / Yosemite market, or currently looking to buy there?

I’d love to connect and hear about your experience on the ground—especially around seasonality, realistic cash flow expectations, and any key lessons learned operating in the area. Happy to swap notes!
Oakhurst can be an interesting STR market, but seasonality is definitely something I'd dig into before buying. I'd also keep the Midwest on your radar if you're open to out-of-state investing. Ohio has some markets where the numbers are more predictable, and you can still find solid returns without relying as heavily on peak-season STR demand.
[email protected]614-418-6081
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Michael BaumPro Member
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
1w
Hey @Farzana Hossain . Here is the latest on the STR regs for Madera county.
https://www.maderacounty.com/government/community-economic-development-department/divisions/planning-division/short-term-vacation-rental-ordinance
A hearing was on Aug 18th, 2026. Did you attend? You can see the video of the discussion on the above site.
It looks like things are really in flux in that area so I might not drop a bunch of dimes there knowing things could go south.
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Michael Eskenasy
Investor · Pacific Northwest · Member since 2026 · 511 posts · 286 votes
1w
The biggest thing I’d avoid is treating this like you just need one more marketing channel. Map the entire path from “someone shows interest” to “they become a client”: where they came from, what they need, what you already know, the next action, who owns it, and when follow-up happens. Once you can see that path, the real gaps usually become obvious. Then your marketing starts compounding instead of constantly resetting to zero. That’s essentially how we approach problems like this in our system. If you want, reach out and tell me what you’re working with now—I’d be happy to take a look and tell you where I’d start.
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Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
1w
+1 for local host Facebook groups
[email protected]813-563-0877
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Ashish AcharyaBusiness Member
CPA, CFP®, PFS · FL · Member since 2017 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
6d
Farzana, with a market like Oakhurst/Yosemite, I’d pay very close attention to seasonality and operating assumptions, because annual averages can hide some big swings month to month.
For underwriting, I’d want to see actual booking history if available, then compare that against true local comps with similar bedroom count, guest capacity, amenities, proximity, and property quality. I’d also stress-test the slower months rather than relying only on peak-season performance.
From the tax side, STRs can create some strong planning opportunities, but the details matter. Average guest stay, material participation, placed-in-service timing, and cost segregation all need to line up if someone is hoping to use the losses more aggressively.
And because this is California, I'd also make sure local STR rules, permitting, and any county-level restrictions are confirmed before treating projected revenue as reliable.
If you’re actively looking at properties there, I’d want the deal to work under conservative occupancy and expense assumptions first, then treat the tax benefits as an added layer rather than the reason to buy.
Feel free to DM me, I'd be happy to send over a few STR tax resources that might be helpful.
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Dan H.Pro Member
Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
6d
I have underwrote multiple STRs in the sierras outside various national parks/monuments.
I intentionally attempt conservative underwriting. What I have seen in most markets is that 2%/month rent ratio is still cash flow negative. There are crazy expenses. Many markets have mandatory fire inspections/repairs. The trash often needs to be collected from the garage. Fire insurance is via California fair plan which typically has cost that exceeds 1% of the property value. Propane. Snow plowing. Remote maintenance. How much do you think a service cost is if they have to drive an hour each way? Many property managers in those areas are poor; finding the area rockstar pm/co-host is critical.
Good luck
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Bradley BuxtonBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · NV · Member since 2023 · 1k+ posts · 710 votes
2d
As others have said the seasonality of the area is a big concern. Unless there is some other draw to the area during the off-season. With no huge draw in the winter except for Badger Pass you're one dry winter from a money pit. You're relying on the summer season to generate most of your revenue. If you're going to do that you can purchase on Lake Michigan and spend less with fewer CA headaches. This is something that comes up in Tahoe all the time. People want to buy a STR don't consider the slow seasons (fall/spring) and then want to use it during the summer season. Operators got crushed last winter when there ski season was lack luster. For a pure investment I direct people to larger metros or mid metros a more stable market like Reno, NV or in your case maybe Northern Fresno where you can reach Yosemite easily and have access to other events in the area.
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