All Forum Posts by: Mark Vivanco

I'm investigating that myself. I'm looking into the Villages. I'm not sure the STR will cover the costs for the year so I'm still in the research phase.

I'm not but was just today inquiring about property in The Villages for that exactly same purpose.

@Jennifer Reed thanks for the info.  I am DEFINITELY a data driven person.  Encore's fees just seemed way too expensive. I took a descent unit to see what fees would be like.  I couldn't believe the fees.  I think the PM was marking up all the fees also because I researched the fees and they didn't see that high.  they were lower but still too high for what I would think most people would want to pay.

@Claire Rosenberg I think the information you are indicating is only available for paid memberships.  I don't have membership to that site.  

Anyone have opinions on Windsor Hills pro or cons?

@Jennifer Reed any suggestion for another community to look at?  Doesn't every community pretty much have fixed costs?  What I was trying to say is the same priced home in Encore would be about $1,000/month more in fixed costs than a comparable home in Soltera.  That is why I was looking at Soltera.

@Keith Courtney thanks for the clarification. That makes a lot more sense. I hadn't done the CoC comparison yet. Right now I was trying to see if I could minimally break even. Would you mind sharing which communities you felt would yield a better CoC? I really like Encore but with all the fees it seemed tough, during times like this, you could even break even.

@Keith Courtney I think I understand what you are saying.  Its that if my calculations are correct, you are saying the units you checked, for preCOVID conditions, couldn't sustain a 50% rental.  Is that what you are saying?

@Keith Courtney how could your proforma statements, prior to COVID, not show a profit for Solterra?  There is no CDD, no resort fee, etc.  With a $450k home, all expenses should be between $2500- $3000 I'd assume.  With a low daily rate of $200 in worst possible months and dates, you need 50% occupancy to get a profit.  Are you saying my estimates are wrong or they couldn't even get 50% occupancy preCOVID?

What constitutes a better home for your standards?  Is it age, styling, etc?  I struggle a bit with identifying what that would be in my eyes because I don't know if it would reflect everyone's opinion - in general that is.  I would think if the kids rooms had some level of theming, the home looks clean and not dated (modern), a pool and use of the resort's amenities it would be a better home to me.  Is that the criteria I should be looking towards?

I am considering purchasing a Short Term Rental unit in Kissimmee/Davenport. The nicer resorts seem to have very high fees that, in situations like we are in today, make breaking even very tough. To pay CDD, HOA, Resort Fees, PM, etc. you can easily be over $1,000 and didn't even get to the mortgage, taxes, insurance, gas, electric and water. I fully appreciate having to pay some sort of HOA, but the CDD and other fees not as much. I focused in on Soltera Resorts since it seems they just have HOA fees. Does anyone have STR units there? what about another resort that anyone knows about that doesn't have all those fees? I'm figuring we could buy something, for now, with the hopes of at least breaking even, then when the pandemic is over, we can start to make money with more occupancy. I'm being told we should be able to get 50% occupancy right now. I don't know how realistic that is. When I ask for proof from owners, they are unable to provide. They say they have lots of weeks rented, but then i find their address, check i I can reserve a week and generally don't have a problem finding available weeks. So I question what many people are saying.