All Forum Posts by: Mitch Davidson

Hi @Jeremy Garrido, I would probably focus on communities that border Asheville, like Lake Lure, Black Mountain, Fairview, Fletcher, etc. Perhaps we can talk by phone sometime, so that I can get a better feel for your preferences and priorities. Then I could perhaps even suggest some towns that are further away, like Waynesville or Bryson City. I'll message you about setting up a call.

@Ross M.. Congrats. You picked a great market in my opinion. I nearly bought there myself last year. If you want help kicking around finance strategy for near and long-term, I'm happy to talk. And if you're over this way in the near future, we'd enjoy having you join one of our meetups. 

Hi @Ben Simon. I'm an investor here as well, and happy to connect. I'll message you now. Also, we have a BP meetup this Wednesday at 9a at High Five Coffee's outdoor pavilion on Riverside Dr, if you'd like to join us.

Agreed. I too would focus on one of the many areas that are just 10-30 minutes from downtown yet aren't in Asheville city limits. Otherwise, if you're intent on being inside city limits, I would recommend doing furnished monthly (i.e., mid-term). I have a home like that myself, inside city limits. Happy to discuss more if you want to call me. And @Christian Longacre would be an excellent investor agent to help you find the right place.

Hi @Jose Menendez. Burnsville is a pretty fantastic location for a quiet mountain getaway that's just a short drive to many activity options. Nice pick! 

I'll trade your ladybugs for my stinkbugs. Regardless of what you do, I think you should customize your welcome message each month to tell guests what types of bugs to expect. Some people will give you a subpar review over one bug sighting, so it's best to get in front of it and warn them. Perhaps even mention it in your Instant Book confirmation message. In March and April you might want to tell guests to expect many carpenter bees, and to not freak out about them (i.e., they almost never sting). In mid Summer and early Fall, I would warn people to really watch out for ground bee nests, and I might even provide an Afterbite stick. And in Fall, I would tell them about stink bugs and ladybugs. Likewise, you can tell them about other bugs to watch, ones more fascinating, such as luna moths (early Summer), praying mantises (later Summer), etc. 

Your cleaner can vacuum up all visible ladybugs each time. They'll want to pay special attention to doorways. I find that they and stinkbugs like to nest under the tracks of sliding doors (i.e., there's a gap under the track, towards the end, which you can caulk shut). You may also want to spray the entry ways, cracks, and random gaps with an Ortho type product once per month or so. Also, if you have a crawl space, I would investigate for a ladybug nest down there, and spray down there as well. 

Regarding smoke, I second @JD Martin's suggestion about an ozone machine. They're pretty inexpensive. Also, maybe add some smell to the area to distract.

Hi @Sedona Emory. Both @Matt Payne and @Michael Blum are great to work with. I'm an investor in the market myself, and a loan officer. I'm happy to help you think on finance strategy, and to help with preapproval and such. Also, I can add you to the invite list for our local BP meetup if you like.

Hi @Chris Starling. I added you to our meetup invite list today. I'd highly recommend @Matt Payne. In addition to his experience with investor buyers, he's great at communication, negotiation, etc. And if you need a mortgage preapproval or just general feedback, I'm happy to help. 

HI @Aidan Richard Connly. I can intro you to a great agent in Fayetteville. Not an investor, but a local sheriff that knows the turf really well. And if you're talking about small multi, meaning 4 or less units, I'm eager to help with lending and such.

@Paul Sandhu. Funny guy. @Maddie Kruger, you can easily get it wrong regarding location in our market. Especially if you don't live here, you need a great agent, and one that thinks from an investor and STR mindset. I'll direct message you to talk about options and your needs.

Hi @Robert Willard. I second @Matt Payne's idea. Lake Lure is one of the best options down this way, and even does surprisingly well in the winter months. Perhaps spend $10 on a market report for a sample property on Price Labs. You'll see that nightly rate averages for Lake Lure are at the top for the entire Asheville region. The town has many outdoor options besides water sports, including great climbing, hiking, fishing, golfing, etc. There are quite a few good food options. It's just 30 minutes or so from other great downtowns like Black Mountain and Hendersonville, and 45ish from downtown Asheville. It's not far from the Asheville airport. And for wealthier guests, they'll like the fact that your home isn't mixed in with lower-income type homes. For these reasons and others, I nearly bought an STR there myself recently. Also, cabins in the woods, not on waterfront, do really well in LL, and cost much less. Finally, if you end up looking at South Carolina, know that taxes for non-owner occupants are very high, for all of SC. For example, a client of mine recently bought a lake house in SC. The prior owner's tax bill was about $350/yr. Hers is about $5,500/yr as a non-OO. Happy to discuss more if you want to give me a ring.