All Forum Posts by: Alice Horn

We onboard "turnkey" properties all the time. In my experience, most homes are never really quite turnkey. It's really important to inspect the property from the property management and guest perspective. For instance, those dining chairs which looked fantastic in the real estate photos may actually be worn and wobbly. The home may need paint touch up, bedding upgrades, kitchen equipment, etc. Overlooking these things will result in bad reviews.

Most importantly, is the home themed and decorated for the WOW factor? Simply having tasteful contemporary furniture doesn't cut it in a competitive market like Orlando. The home will need impressive theming which can make it pop on the listing.

The bottom line: Even when buying a fully furnished home that has been recently decorated, make sure you budget some $$ for decorating upgrades. If you are buying a brand new home and hiring a decorator, make sure you hire one who is extremely knowledgeable about Orlando vacation rentals, and understands the management side.

Quote from @Caden Wakim:

Hey all-

I am looking at buying a home in Orlando in the neighborhood for 600-800k. I plan to use it as a vacation rental. I've been doing my own research, but I thought id pop a post up on here and see if anyone can provide some feedback in the area.

im looking to hear more about occupancy rates, some daily rates, and fees etc. as well as neighborhoods/ areas. I have been looking in Kissimmee and Championsgate, wondering if anyone has any feedback towards the income side of things.

any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you.

Good morning Caden! 

We are property managers with 100+ homes throughout the Disney market. Just like the rest of the US market, supply has gone up in our area. But demand is very strong if you have the RIGHT property. The home must have a WOW factor and be located in the right community with great amenities, in a good location near Disney. We are happy to help with insights on different communities and home types from our management experience, and we can also help by running revenue and occupancy reports on any specific homes you’re considering. Feel free to reach out!

Quote from @Matt Caviness:

Good afternoon, 

Im matt and i live in the Atlanta area. Im a local real estate investor with a couple properties and a licensed contractor as well. Im thinking about investing in some airbnbs in Orlando FL in the next couple weeks to months once I finish a duplex remodel im working on. Does anyone have any advice on the Disney area as well as a reputable agent that knows about STRs? Any help would be appreciated!

Hey Matt, we manage 100+ properties in the Disney/Orlando market. Happy to shed some light on the various communities and home types from the management perspective. We  can also run reports to help you compare revenue, occupancy and other metrics as you get further along in your search. Just let us know how we can help!

Quote from @John Underwood:

For those of you that own your own vacation rentals:

Have you seen a recent uptick in requests for EV chargers at the vacation rental that you own?

Did you install one last year and if so can you tell it has been used much? Also what brand di you have installed?

It is normal to have 6 cars at every booking for our PF cabin so the likelihood keeps going up that someone would want one as EV's become more popular.

We have several units with chargers. We often highlight them in our titles and also in photos and property descriptions. Airbnb allows guests to filter on EV Chargers, so this is a new niche audience that can have eyes on the property.

Quote from @Kristina Kuba:

@Wagner Dias

As Andrew mentioned, I would be extra diligent in Orlando due to zoning and the powerful hotel/ resort lobby. Also, Orlando STR travel is primarily driven by theme park tourism and can be cyclical during the seasons and if god forbid there is another pandemic.

Just as point of clarification, Orange County which is Orlando metro does indeed have strong zoning requirements with just a few complexes which are STR legal.

However when most people refer to Orlando, they mean the Disney market - Osceola and parts of Polk Counties. These counties have large areas which are zoned properly, and in fact have many communities which are purpose-built for vacation rentals which have hotel-like amenities which are in big demand with Disney tourists. By buying in these communities, investors will never have to worry about zoning changes. 

Quote from @Robert Koncal:

Quote from @Alice Horn:

Will do!

 Aloha Alice, could you be so kind, can you send me the map as well? Thank you very much in advance. 

 Of course! Send me a DM so we can connect via email.

Quote from @Wagner Dias:

Hi everyone, I am looking to start my real estate investment journey and buy my first property. I am thinking a STR in Orlando area, is it still a good option? not saturated yet? Will recession slow the market? I was looking at Solara resort but open to other locations. Planning for ~20% down payment. I will probably need to use a PM to manage it. Any insights or thoughts is much appreciated. Thanks !

Hello Wagner, we are property managers with several properties under management in Solara. It's a great community. Happy to share performance on different unit types and brainstorm ideas for your investment strategy.  Shoot me a DM if you would like!

Hello @Xavier Harris! Congrats on educating yourself and others have already provided great advice on this thread. If you do decide you would like to explore STR investing in Orlando, we are happy to help you crunch the numbers and evaluate different Disney area communities/property types that may be a fit for you!

Hi @Heather Gates and @Jeff Smith!  The Disney/Kissimmee market is large, and like any larger market there are still pockets of opportunity. We have run the numbers on different communities and home types and happy to share our thoughts. Heather, please do proceed carefully with any smaller unit, especially one without a pool. You will be competing against a much larger number of units, and even against local hotel rooms with a smaller unit. This means your rates may be much lower. Good luck to you both, and feel free to reach out anytime.

Quote from @Mireille Tribie:

Need more comprehensive information on list of services provided for an Airbnb and cost?

Thank you 

Hi there @Mireille Tribie! We are happy to help with all these questions. We also provide revenue and occupancy reports on any unit you’re interested in, or we can provide feedback on how to optimize a unit you have already purchased. Drop us a line any time!