All Forum Posts by: Jon Martin

If I were starting out and had the option to house hack I would look for a SFR with a walk out basement or a detached garage. Turn that into its own unit for 2 people max. You will have demand for that type of unit almost anywhere, and that could pay a big chunk of your PITI.

as @John Underwood said the Carolinas are a great choice. Probably a dozen metros between the 2 states that are booming, most of which have affordable neighborhoods. 

I always find it tacky when I see a mid+ tier listing with nice countertops and backsplash with a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos on it. That said I am sure some guests appreciate it. If you are really trying to give a high end vibe then I would lean towards locally produced items like some of the suggestions above as opposed to Costco bulk stuff, although you also have to weigh in the ROI of that, so it would likely only make sense at the high end.

Aside from coffee the only food I provide is a few packs of microwave popcorn. 

Agreed. And In fairness, any podcast that focuses on a specific topic will get repetitive after a while because the advice that works for most endeavors tends to boil down to a small handful of fundamental rules that when followed consistently drive 80-95% of the results. 

The only way to overcome that repetition is when you have hosts and guests who bounce ideas off of each other, which is what Brandon, David and Rob were amazing at, especially because they all had their own niche that they excelled at. 

Now there is so much overlap between the 3 REI podcasts that it is no longer clear what the focus is for each.

Internet forums in general are in a downturn. One I've been lurking/posting in for decades that was tied to the print publication for that sector just closed shop. Had a steady following and probably generated some ad revenue, but not enough to justify the server rent. Heard the same thing from those regulars from other forums they frequent. 

"Dead Internet Theory" is the idea that we are transitioning to less and less human interaction online and mostly bots and AI generated content. Some of the comments above hint to that. That said I only frequent the STR subforum so I don't have a grasp on the entire forum as a whole.

On a side note, and it pains me to say this because I think the hosts and producers are good people who provide valuable content, the podcast has gone downhill since David and Rob were pushed out. The OG BP sounds more like On the Market and lacks the stories and back and forth that having 2 experienced hosts with different strategies provided. 

Has the area seen a downturn in visitors with all of the federal layoffs? That would be the only thing giving me pause. Otherwise the towns in the area have some pretty reasonably priced homes that seem to perform well relative to price. 

 If you are imagining it then a guest could probably do it! 

While I like the strategy, and the area looks stunning, the ADRs seem dismal relative to entry price in the Bryson City area.  

I've done it twice and while it wasn't seamless or cheap, it turned out fine in the end. 

Remote property management is also very doable with all of the technology and app-based services. This isn't the 90s where you had to have an on call manager meet the guest with a key. 

That said, both items above do need at least one trustworthy pair of boots on the ground. It can take some time to find them but if you work through your realtor (assuming they are a good realtor) you should be able to find good people. 

Get on the schedule with a hot tub company, at least that way it stays clean. Ask if they have an on-call service option where you pay for extra visits as needed. 

Never down value the cost of your own time and stress. If spending $3K to choose your own furniture and ship it makes it that much easier for you, it's worth it. 

With Option 2, I think you mean ordering online and having it freighted? Nothing wrong with that, have your setup team sign for it. 

I don't like Option 3, I've looked at what they have to offer and it doesn't look all that great, and the pricing isn't competitive either. You end up with a template that many other listings already have. 

Try to order items pre-assembled. A moving/packing company should be able to help with taking in all the items.