All Forum Posts by: Casey Blakely

Thank you all for your responses! This has all been a great help for sure!

I've been posting on behalf of a landlord on Craigslist, but the listings kept getting flagged for removal. The properties are all in different states, and I guess CL doesn't allow a single IP address or email address to list across multiple markets? 

I want to continue to use CL, but it hasn't been very user-friendly since the postings keep getting removed. Sounds like other people have run into that as well. It's a shame, since it seems like renters use CL the most.

Hi @Jen Harwood! I appreciate the feedback. This helps me get a better idea of what most investors go with.

Thanks again!

Hello BP! 

I'm taking a poll to see how many investors use Craigslist for marketing your properties/units online. I just have three questions below:

Do you primarily use Craigslist to market your properties?
Do you believe your Craigslist ads are the most effective ways to advertise?
Would you be willing to pay to outsource the task of advertising on Craigslist if you could?

Thank you in advance to all those who reply! 

-Casey

I appreciate all of the great responses!

@Mike Lambert I'm still studying the STR market, but I do know that the new Mercedes Benz Stadium is being built right next to the Georgia Dome, and that should attract some tourists. Also, Atlanta is set to host the 2019 Super Bowl which would be nice to cash in on.

The area I'm looking at is right near some colleges and universities too, so there are a few plan B's and C's in the works. Thanks for pointing that out though! My plan B and C might be bumped up...

Hi @James Carlson. Thanks for the tips, and the VERY interesting article. If I run into any trouble with doing a STR then we've agreed to go the LTR route as long as the numbers work out. Funny enough, my partner is living in the Denver area now lol. Small world.

Thanks again for your input!

-Casey

Hello BP,

My business partner and I are officially on the search for a realtor who is very familiar with the Atlanta, GA real estate market. We of course would love to work with an agent who is either a real estate investor himself/herself, or someone who regularly works with investors.

We are mainly interested in the Castleberry Hill area of Atlanta. It is just south of the new Mercedes Benz Stadium that is being built. We've narrowed our criteria down to a 1-2 bedroom, 1-2 bath condo or townhouse that allows short-term (Airbnb) and long-term rentals.

Please feel free to reply or message me if you have any questions or if you'd like to work with us.

Thanks,
Casey

Hi Kevin,

I think you made a wise decision to listen to your wife's concerns, and use your property as a VRBO instead. Sharing a living space with a stranger (no matter how great your background check) is very different for men and women. She could driver herself crazy thinking of all the scenarios where her privacy/safety could be compromised. If I were in her situation with my husband, I'd probably feel the exact same way, even if the tenant was another woman.

That being said, with the extra income coming in from using your property as a VRBO, could you perhaps invest in a separate single family or multifamily and use that as a nice steady stream of rental income? That way you'd at least have your vacation rental occupied some of the time when you guys aren't there, and you'd also have a steady monthly income as well. 

Just a thought. Seems to be a nice compromise for both you and your wife.

- Casey

Hi @Darrel Maxam. It's nice to read that you own and manage Airbnb properties in Atlanta. This is the strategy I'd like to use to begin my real estate investing as well. 

Can you share which area your properties are located in? I've been looking at Midtown to begin, but I am new to the Atlanta and just getting to know the different areas.

Thanks for sharing any input!

- Casey

Hi @Carolyn Keller. I'd also recommend using Airbnb, HomeAway, and VRBO for your short term/vacation rental. I've been researching this for myself as well, and I've come across two companies that are designed to handle the property management and cleaning services for you at a nominal fee. Guesty.com charges 3% each booking.

Check out these links and see if they might work for you.

https://www.guesty.com/features/

https://www.pillowhomes.com/home

- Casey

Hi @Tayler Ulmer, and welcome to BP!

I'm a new real estate investor myself, and it can definitely get a bit overwhelming in the beginning with all of the new real estate jargon. It's a lot to take in, but I'd recommend gradually surrounding yourself with real estate investor professionals. For me, this means listening to real estate investing podcasts (highly recommend the Bigger Pockets podcast), reading plenty of real estate investing books, and reaching out to people on BP.

I just moved to the Atlanta area a few weeks ago with my eyes set on investing in a condo downtown to lease out as an Airbnb vacation rental business. So far my research and analysis is showing this strategy as a great opportunity. Since you went to Spelman, then you probably know the area better than I do. I'd recommend going on the Airbnb website to get an idea of what properties are leasing for in your area of interest, and see if it would be profitable for you. 

I also took an online class via Udemy.com which was helpful in walking through the VR analysis. It provides spreadsheets and advises on some of the best ways to be successful. Let me know if you want the link for the class!

- Casey