All Forum Posts by: Sarah Kensinger

Absolutely none of them! Hire the right attorney for the type of LLC you need, or don't bother with an LLC at all.

This company is completely on the up and up and is NOT a guru run operation! I'm again reminded at how small the STR world is on this forum. There really is whole STR world outside Biggerpockets!

Michael Elefante started this company to help busy investors with his business partner Eric Calwell. If you are a busy W-2 employee or running a company, Home Team Vacation Rentals can take care of all the nuts and bults of purchasing, setting up, and managing a STR. While the homeowner gets to take the revenue and real estate tax benefits. If this sounds like something that fits you, go for it and make sure to get a property somewhere you can enjoy as well!

Second Intellihost...we're about to sign on and it makes more sense to use their data points then so called "hack the system". The more research done the more we're finding out, the only way to stay on top of the OTA algorithms is to keep the bookings flowing.  

We don't use the option, but we have the setting in our PMS. If you use a PMS, look to see if you can set the preparation time in there or check and see if Airbnb/VRBO gives you that option as well.

I could not begin to list the amount of people that started building a STR portfolio in 2019 and never went under. Not only that but they have continued to grow, and a few have masterminds or coaching groups they offer to those interested in starting! The trick to real estate is not panicking over the downturns and all the things that life throws at us. It's staying calm and thinking "what can I do in this situation", because there's usually a way out if you're willing to think outside the box. I'm not sure what all these negative posts about STR are about, but if you get in the right room with the right people, it'll change how you think on the current STR real estate environment.

Always use instant book! Listings not only rank higher but as you're finding out, the properties also book better. 

If you're concerned about issues, make sure to have a camera pointed at the driveway, smartlock that logs all the comings and goings, noise monitor inside and you can even place one in the backyard, and lastly get damage rental insurance on each booking that the guest pays for by baking the charge into the nightly rate.

Budget has a lot to do with what an investor can do, but personally I prefer option b because the outcome is in my hands. I'm not making something work that is pieced together and, in many cases, just easier to completely redo. 

I would also think it should be only available nights to guests, and that is how we track our properties. All family stays or blocked nights for work projects are not counted at all.

It's federal law so yes you need to file the info. How you do it and your level of comfort with the options, is entirely up to the LLC owner.