All Forum Posts by: Alex Concepcion

One of the reasons I love STR's is the chance to blend your lifestyle and investing goals. With an effective management process in place, it's easy to just swoop into your own property for personal use.

But this is definitely an industry that's rapidly evolving. I would do a lot of research before moving forward. STR investing has a very different approach than traditional investing

As for a fund, Equity Residences does something like this. 

A good pivot strategy for short term rentals is medium term/corporate/furnished rentals. These are 30+ day rentals. It's not nearly as large of a market as short-term rentals, but the revenue numbers can be comparable. Basically, you'll be able to leverage your current assets (like furniture) and just switch marketing strategies. Sites like CHBO are one example of this. 

As you can probably see from all the comments here, there is a nearly infinite of ways to invest in vacation rentals. I always advise people to have a solid grasp of what their goals are before moving forward on a strategy. Some markets and home types make sense for certain types of people. 

It really depends on what your goals are. There are plenty of beachfront markets to choose from around the country. Some popular ones are in florida, the gulf coast, outer banks NC, but that's just the beginning. 

@Andy Plattner I would recommend looking at the local market on Airbnb and Homeaway. What are locals charging? Are their calendars booked or are there any vacancies?

I do believe vacation rentals can work in multi-family markets, but that is dependent on the market itself and what consumers are looking for. 

If you were to pursue VR's, you'll have to learn how to build a great listing, price it properly, and how to leverage all of the major marketing channels. 

As you mentioned that Feb-May are "dead" seasons, it is worth considering switching to the corporate housing market during those months. Corporate seasonality often has different seasons that vacation rentals. Switching over for a few months could provide some needed income. 

If you were to pursue vacation rentals as an investment plan, you will need to learn how to build a competetive listing, learn the major distribution websites (Airbnb, Homeaway, Flipkey). 

I recommend going on Homeaway and checking out listings in the area you are looking to invest in. What are the listed rates? Are the calendars booked or are they empty? 

Micheal,

I'm glad you're taking a bigger look in the vacation rental market. I fully believe that if done correctly, the VR industry can provide substantially higher income that traditional long term rentals, with the added benefit of being dual use for personal reasons.

The trick is building a highly competitive listing that will rival the best listings in town. This includes pro pictures, good copy, and authentic owner bios. 

There are many tools out there that can automate many of the management intensive areas of vacation rentals such as pricing, guest management, and cleaning. 

Hi All,

I'm a real estate agent looking to find some investment properties for my client. Said client is solely interested in off market properties. What would be the best ways to go about doing this?

Hi Everyone,

After listing to enough BP Podcasts telling me to come out of the woodwork and introduce myself on the forums, I've finally caved. After graduating from college a year ago I've been learning the ropes of real estate investing through this site, through various books (Rich Dad Poor Dad series especially) and some freelance work.

As good as the books and online material out there are, I'm looking to work for an investor so I can learn the nitty gritty of the business and get started investing myself.