All Forum Posts by: Alice Horn

Quote from @Mike Potros:

@Nate Monson Any luck with the Florida market.  I spent some time last year looking into this in both the east cost of FL and the Tampa and clearwater areas and shortly learned how strict the Associations are against a short term renting units especially by a remote owner.  Ideally would like to stick to a condo for the lower maintenance needs. I'm urgently seeking to invest and would appreciate any feedback on the best markets or even specific locations to look into. Any feedback is appreciated!!

Mike, you might want to look at central Florida - the area surrounding Disney. We have countless communities that are purpose-built for vacation rentals and you will never have to worry about HOAs or changing legislation. Not to mention the seasonality and other risks associated with a coastal area. Feel free to reach out if you would like to brainstorm!

We also manage homes in all the above resorts. Our Solara homes actually do really well, and we find that the community attracts a nice group of guests. The pool, clubhouse and restaurant have a more upscale feel than some of the other resorts, and not as crowded.

Feel free to reach out if you would like to compare specific listings in the different resorts (i.e. a 9 B/R in Solara vs. Windsor Island or Storey Lake). We use key Data Dashboard to pull reports on revenue, occupancy and other metrics, and we are happy to pull the reports for you. Just let me know!

Quote from @Nicholas Burch:

Hey all,

I am a NY realtor and soon-to-be BNY Mellon Operations Analyst in Orlando, Florida. I am looking to start making real estate connections in Orlando. I've been doing residential deals in NY, but I want to specialize in commercial once I get my Florida license. Looking for the best RE meetups in Orlando as well.

Hi Nicholas, 

My company VillaKey manages about 100 STR's in Orlando. Feel free to reach out if you would like to learn about the Disney area vacation rental market!

Alice

Rachit, we can help. We use Key Data Dashboard to analyze specific properties so you can compare. Way more precise than Airdna since it pulls from actual booking data. Also, happy to brainstorm the areas in the market where you will find pockets of opportunity at your price range. Feel free to reach out!

Quote from @Account Closed:

Solara, Windsor island and Windsor at westside in 34747 zip code will perform well, and resort HOA will help maintain the value of property well, although an expensive monthly outgoing. Let me know if I can assist, as an investor and homeowner in the area.

 We are seeing strong performance in all the above communities, with Solara performing especially well at the moment. There are many nuances to consider. Does the home have a view with no rear neighbors? A south-facing pool? (Warmer in the winter.) Is the theming "typical" or does it have a unique twist which adds excitement? Happy to chat about all the above, plus provide performance reports (revenue, occupancy etc) for individual listings once you start comparing specific properties in the various communities.

We are based here in Kissimmee…wouldn’t miss it! 

Following!  Would love to hear more about the success of Tripshock, FlexOffers, TheHost.co and other platforms. We are also a Disney partner and sell Disney tix in addition to partnering with KGS. Additionally, we rent barbecues and sell pool heat by the day to help offset the cost of utility bills for our homeowners. Anyone partnering with rental car companies, if so which ones?

Hi Tyler! Thank you for the great information. However, I must respectfully disagree with your statement that SFH with 3 to 4 bedrooms would not be profitable. When I use multiple factors to determine if a property would be a good investment for me, I find that there are quite a few properties that offer both cash flow and appreciation potential. While I understand that this may be more limited that a larger home, my research has shown that it can still be done.

Although I do agree that a 5 bedroom property would be ideal for investment purposes, I have been using metrics such as Airdna, Awning, Datarabbu, and DealCheck to analyze and evaluate my properties in order to get a better understanding of whether or not they will be profitable.

Maybe I'm thinking more long-term, but a single-family home seems to be a better option for appreciation compared to a condo.

Thoughts?

Hi @Kevin G.! You are absolutely correct. While 5+ bedroom pool homes perform better as a general rule, there are many creative solutions for townhomes and even condos. For example, we manage a Windsor Hills condo which performs well because it has really eye-grabbing Harry Potter theming. A townhouse can also do well especially with good theming and a good view. Corner townhouses can sometimes be more desirable than middle townhouses. A pool is still desirable, and I would also recommend 4 bedrooms over 3 as the home can accommodate 2 families or extended families traveling together. Hope this helps! Happy to recommend specific communities, feel free to reach out!

Quote from @Kevin G.:

Hello everyone!

I am very interested in investing in STRs in Kissimmee, FL or in LTRs in Tampa. I currently live in California and am wondering if it is feasible to invest so far out of state. How much would I realistically need to be "boots on the ground" to pull this off? I know out-of-state investing gets asked about a lot, but I would love to learn from people who are actually doing it in Florida.

I am considering Florida due to its lower barrier of entry for someone like me from California. I had originally thought of investing in the SoCal and San Diego markets, but the overall cash needed is too high.

For STRs, I have thought about Kissimmee due to its strong demand and close proximity to Disney World. My plan is to find a 4-bedroom single-family home with a pool or in a community that has a pool, which needs some moderate renovations to build some instant equity. Then, I would design it to have a nice Disney theme to attract guests. The hard part is being in California to make this happen.

Another option for me was to invest in the strong market of Tampa, FL for an LTR. I don't know much about the market, but from what I've gathered so far, homes have appreciated drastically and continue to appreciate. I'd look at either SFH or multi-family units in this area to rent out.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

 Hey there @Kevin G.! We are property managers specializing in the Disney area market. Our homeowners include many remote investors such as yourself, ranging from the West Coast, Canada, UK, Brazil and many more. 

The market is indeed competitive here, but the demand is strong, not only with Disney but a new Universal theme park coming soon and a countless flow of events and attractions. There are many ways to carve a niche for your home that will make it unique and give it visibility with guests. Happy to walk you through the process and provide revenue and occupancy stats on successful properties.

have fun with your search!

There are definitely townhomes near Disney (and in other areas) that can perform very well. As others have stated, it's all about the decor. A townhouse can be a spectacular smaller gem that attracts higher rates - theming doesn't have to be limited to the larger S/F home sizes.

Aside from theming and decor, pay close attention to the pool area. Is it a corner unit that has a more expansive feel, perhaps even a conservation or lake view? A southern or western exposure? All of these factors can increase your rates if they are highlighted in the listing.

Drop us a line and we'll be happy to brainstorm some communities that may be a good fit!