All Forum Posts by: Katie Linder-Jesse

@Tony Schmucker I'm so happy you chose NWA! We made the same decision 3 years ago to invest in the region and we looked at the whole country too. Too many positives to not give it a thorough dive. When we did, nothing else could compare. I'm happy to meet up but I'm out of town while you are here. I'm available to answer any questions you have about the area though! 

@Jeremy Lee I totally get it. I used to sell homes in Grand County and the front range and moved to Northwest Arkansas because of all the great growth that is happening here and the outdoor lifestyle. I'm getting to relive all the exciting growth I saw in Colorado and do it all over again in NWA! I think you are smart to invest in this region as it's poised for positive growth in everything from home values to population and community amenities!

As an investor and real estate agent in NWA I love that it's not on a ton of people's radars. This area has been changing so rapidly in the last 5 years and is poised to double in size. The rental market is dynamic given the different amenities in the area like mentioned above. People come for biking, boating, fishing, U of A games and with 3 Fortune 500 companies there's plenty of weekday traffic too. Just pay attention to the changes with some short term rental policies in the region.

@Tyler Divin I like the idea of setting up the bookings further out with the whole unit and then saving the smaller units for last minute bookings if the whole home isn't rented. That makes a lot of sense. I have my other STR set up similarly with different requirements based on when the unit is booked.

As far as noise, it's been rented as 3 separate units for years but it's a good reminder if we are upgrading the property to have the descriptions be accurate.

I'd say the downsides would be growth is projected from half a million to a million and that level of growth can seem small in comparison to larger cities. I feel it creates the perfect sweet spot for investors. 

Also, you can be rather dependent on the growth and success of Walmart, Tyson and JB hunt as they are such huge employers in the region, however, when the economy struggles, Walmart only thrives. 

I think a key takeaway is from @Marcus Auerbach he said, "When I need a contractor, I have my real estate agent bring in a contractor she's worked with before and trusts."  

A good real estate agent has the tools and connections to help you manage a property remotely. Are there some struggles that arise because you are further away, certainly, but building your team of experts and having trusted resources where you are looking to invest should be a priority when planning for an out of state investment. 

@Marcus Auerbach I do appreciate you bringing the controversial topic to the BP crowd, because additional costs are something that should absolutely be on investors' radars when considering OOS investing. 

@Andrew Steffens those are all really good insights. Less turnovers is always appealing! Do you ever use BNBcalc? I have used airdna but I'm switching over to BNBcalc. 

I have a professional real estate photography business that I could share with you.  They do great work. Is that what you are looking for?

I love this post prompt.

Here's what I got: I had a client who was using PriceLabs on her property and for the first year it was crushing it as a short term rental. All 5 star reviews and was on the first page for searchable properties in her area. All the sudden her property had all these open dates and was not doing nearly as well.  She started to really dig and do tons of research to determine what had happened.  It was a setting on Pricelabs that was putting restrictions on her property's availability. She didn't know if she accidently did it or it was an issue on Pricelabs part but when she called them and got it all reset, she immediately filled up her calendar within days! So don't just assume the market is bad, do your homework, it could be a setting in one of your management software tools.

Hey BP Community!

I’m buying an investment property with a lock-off unit, giving me the flexibility to rent it as either one large unit or two separate smaller units. I’ve seen some short-term rental investors take advantage of this setup by adjusting their listing based on seasonal demand, but I’m curious about real-world experiences.

For those of you who have lock-off properties, I’d love to hear:
✅ Which strategy made you more money—renting it as one larger unit or as two smaller ones?
✅ Which was more consistently booked? Did guests prefer a larger space, or did the smaller units stay occupied more often?
✅ What challenges did you face managing it as two separate rentals? (Cleaning, turnover, guest confusion, etc.)
✅ Did seasonality impact your strategy? Did you switch between configurations depending on demand?

I’m trying to determine if this kind of flexibility is worth the effort or if one approach is clearly better for cash flow and occupancy rates. Would love to hear your insights and numbers if you’re willing to share!

Looking forward to your responses—thanks in advance!

Here are a few details in case it matters for responders: Lakefront 1950's gem with docks at Lake of the Ozarks, season is March through September. Currently, upstairs has 3 bed/1 bath and downstairs lock off unit has 1 bed/1 bath.  Both have their own entrances and kitchens. When we purchase we'll add another 1/2 bath upstairs. There is one more 1 bed/1 bath with kitchen and private entrance on the lower level, as well, that I'll leave as a totally separate unit.