All Forum Posts by: Collin Hays

I personally own 5 cabins, all with the set-your-own temp.  Thousands of nights rented, never a weird electric or propane bill.  

We did have a guest leave a water hose on - that was good for 30,000 gallons into the river.  Helped the levels at Douglas Lake though.  😂

This question gets asked about every 73.2 hours.  Facebook groups.

We are currently dealing with two homeowners that insist on saving a few dollars on utilities by putting upper and lower limits on the thermostat. They are getting blistered with poor reviews, and future guests are calling in to cancel because of the reviews.  Penny wise, pound foolish.

Just. Don't.  

There are many 1200 square foot cabins in Gatlinburg that are easily worth $1 million or more and will sell accordingly, regardless of what an investor thinks, or what it appraises for.

Appraisals are their own world, and really only relevant when the deal depends on it - bank financing. I've bought all of my properties in TN for cash, without an appraisal, except for my first one. 

 We do not charge a damage deposit unless then owner insists on it. We have one that does, and it costs her many bookings. That is strictly up to you. But just realize, trying to plan for contents damage through deposits may cost you thousands per year in lost bookings. It's never been a good tradeoff for us.  A certain amount of damage, wear, and tear is just the cost of doing business. I had a guest ruin a sofa two weeks ago.  It was 5 years old already. Paid $1200 for a new one including delivery and haul off.  Just paid it and moved on.  The cabin produces $50K a year in rents.  These things happen, and declaring war every time it does will drive you crazy.  I budget 15% of my rents a year for repairs and maintenance.  This year I'm running well below that as of now, but you never know what this stay brings!

We handle payment processing internally, as we are integrated with VRBO.  They allow us to use our own payment processing.

We remit all taxes on behalf of homeowners.

We do not "vet" guests - there is no viable way to do so, other than background checks. And then you have to have rules on that. Are you going to refused convicted felons?  1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree?  DWIs?  Misdemeanors?  Does that include anyone in the party?  Opens up a big can of worms.  

Most people are not renting an expensive home to cause problems.

I would look at realtors in Maui. I am sure that there are many there who specialize in short term rentals.  

For one or two properties, I recommend VacationRentalDesk.com.  VRD sets up your own direct website and allows you to sync your calendar with the major platforms.  

I don't know that an A-frame is necessarily going to outperform a typical cabin, but it is certainly going to have its nice of guests. The "look" is what appeals to guests, because the A-frame represents the quintessential cabin in many peoples' minds.

I have an authentic log cabin on a river near downtown Gatlinburg. Does it outperform stick-built properties down the street?  I doubt it. But it doesn't have any trouble staying occupied, either, and I really wanted a real log cabin.

Yes, that's an eyesore to be sure. If you plant trees/shrubs, you could be waiting a long time for coverage.  What about a tall privacy fence with cedar planks?  Not the best look, but it's a lot better than what guests will be looking at otherwise. May not be cost effective though.

 This idea has always been intriguing to me. Vacationers are seeking all sorts of different experiences. If it has an Airbnb history, that means it is an experience someone is seeking. I'd stick with it!