All Forum Posts by: Jon Martin
Jon Martin has started 36 posts and replied 1081 times.
Post: Smart lock recommendations for STR
- Posts 1,092
- Votes 960
I have the August deadbolt with keypad and wifi bridge and it's been great. Easy to change and issue codes. Can lock/unlock remotely, see if it is locked/unlocked and open/closed, and the app logs all the activity. Can check the battery level on the app, and after 2 months it's at medium.
I have heard that some smart locks cannot be manually overridden from the inside, which sounds to me like it should be illegal or at the very least a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Not sure if it can override a key entry though. And to answer the question above yes, I still have a manual lockbox for emergencies. You also have to be sure that your front door does not have a manual knob lock.
Post: Pots and pans sets in rentals
- Posts 1,092
- Votes 960
Certainly you don't want crappy looking stuff, but you can find barely used cookware and silverware at a Goodwill type place for pennies on the dollar....
Of course, you can certainly find some gems. As long as it looks relatively new, go for it.
Post: Pots and pans sets in rentals
- Posts 1,092
- Votes 960
Quote from @Michael Baum:
Yeah, I use the Costco tri-clad stainless steel units for the primary and the Henckels Granitum saute pans.
I really don't agree with the Goodwill pan idea. Most of those are absolute garbage and I wouldn't put them in a $99 a night rental let alone our lake house.
The kitchen is the main area you want to do well in a vacation rental. People do a lot of cooking in a STR and having decent gear is very important. We have more stuff in our kitchen than any other STR I have stayed in by a country mile.
We are going on 4 years on all our stuff in the kitchen and I haven't had to replace anything yet.
Agreed. Most of the STRs I've stayed in have crappy kitchen gear that you can tell came from goodwill or was the owner's old stuff that they kept in their old house when they converted it into a rental. Kinda lame, especially since cooking gear is some of the cheapest stuff you need to buy for a rental.
Post: Struggling to Sell our Flip?!
- Posts 1,092
- Votes 960
As touched on above, a small investment in landscaping could go a long way. You have a lot of white exterior wall space with small windows. A bush or small tree planted in front of those larger swaths of wall would really help break that up and add some color. Maybe some trim around the windows as well to add color and beef them up a bit.
I would also paint that chain link fence black, it will make it look new.
Post: Struggling to Sell our Flip?!
- Posts 1,092
- Votes 960
Quote from @Chris John:
Nobody cares, but I'm with @Will Barnard on that bathroom. Honestly, between the dated tile and the handrails, it just made me sad. I imagined a single, older lady growing old alone, her husband long since passed. I mean, obviously I have no idea and I definitely hope I'm wrong, but that's literally where my mind went. :(
***INSERT LOL EMOJI****
I would choose a home with a great master bath and a marginal kitchen over the opposite any day.
Post: Arguments against STR Ban
- Posts 1,092
- Votes 960
Maybe look for some str owners that own houses with dramatic "before and after" photos and stories. Create a story about how it improved the neighborhood, how much they spent with local contractors and vendors to rehab, how much the guests spend locally on average, etc.
Those with STRs in neighborhoods should certainly be more mindful about the number of "beds in heads" and parked cars they allow. A bit of consideration goes a long way.
Post: First Out of State BRRRR
- Posts 1,092
- Votes 960
Congrats, which market?
Post: AirBnB Stock up, travel and bookings up.....
- Posts 1,092
- Votes 960
Quote from @Carolyn Fuller:
It is exactly what I expected back in 2020. So many investors thought we covid-conscious traveler's would prefer hotels over STRs because of standardized cleaning protocols in the hotel industry. I knew that I personally preferred "entire unit" STRs because in a hotel, I would have to contend with more people in common spaces. Crowded elevators were of particular concern.
I figured I wouldn't be alone in those concerns.
What I didn't expect were all the office workers who took advantage of their remote work schedules to book long stays in exotic locations. That is something I suspect will be reduced as we move forward from the pandemic.
Goes to show how myopic the hotel industry is to think it all comes down to cleaning. What people really like is being able to cook their own food, having furniture to sit and eat on other than a bed or a crappy office chair, being in a neighborhood and not a commercial district, etc. Hotels are finally starting to improve on the drab monotonous decor that we grew up with, but it will never be enough compared to what an actual SFH STR can offer.
Post: Is this the end of the run?
- Posts 1,092
- Votes 960
Quote from @John Morgan:
It’s all about supply and demand. Invest where all the growth is and shy away from places that are losing population. We have a nationwide housing shortage. And I’m focusing on my area (dallas/Ft worth) where there’s an indefinite population surge due to half of CA moving here.
My coastal California county is losing residents . . . Is there anything I can do to send more of them your way?
Post: Fix and Flip in Greenville, SC Area
- Posts 1,092
- Votes 960
I'm supposed to have a GC start a very similar project for me in Greenville any day now (I hope ***sigh***). I can't vouch for his actual work yet but his pricing seems reasonable and transparent. I also have a good "odd job" guy who's done all sorts of random jobs for me and is reliable. Feel free to shoot me a DM. Good luck!