All Forum Posts by: Sarah Kensinger

This totally depends on the state and many look at STR as hospitality and you don't need a license and all that jazz. You must use a PMS and for the software to work you'll need to own the listings, which means you'll need to also collect all the funds, so owners' rents don't get deposited in the wrong account (Yes, Airbnb makes that mistake all the time!!). You'll also need to be listed on more than just Airbnb, and they are the only platform that allows multiple checking accounts listed. Otherwise, the owner has to own the listing for the rents to be deposited into their account, and then you can't connect the listing to the software which just tied your hands. If you can't tell it's a royal pain! So just stay out of certain states and you'll be fine. Besides we're hospitality people, not selling property or leasing it long term, and somewhere along the line a few states got their definitions very very mixed up!

Hardly heard of any success on Booking.com, instead it's more stories like your own. We are listed on about 6 sites and besides the typical Airbnb and VRBO, we've had success with Travelstayion as well. Booking.com is not on list at all and we have no plans on tackling that frustration at this time. 

I would say your property is probably pretty far down the list since it was blocked off for months. The algorithm is properly ignoring your listing now. Instead, I've heard of hosts raising the nightly rate high enough it won't book or setting a 30-day minimum stay and had no issues with a double booking. I've never done that but it's a suggestion you could consider.

Everything I've been hearing for a new investor, Orlando is the worst market to get into right now. The numbers just don't pencil, and you'll be bleeding cash more often than cash-flowing.

We've paid more than $11k for a mastermind and haven't regretted it one bit! Your networth is your network! And while these groups help you a lot with the actual strategy, the best part is the network you'll gain which pushes you 10 times further then googling all the free stuff. It also helps you look more professional at the start instead of someone looking like they barely have a clue, which makes others hesitant to work with you. I'm not sure what group you have your eye on, but I know that Michael and Elizabeth Chang has one of the best STR arbitrage groups out there!

Not much help on this forum, but if you're serious about this strategy I would tap into Michael and Elizabeth Chang network and free online content, to get your "feet a bit wet". And of course, Florida is not the best state to start in, but there's many many other places. Goodness down there I couldn't get a decent LTR tenant that could afford to rent a property!

We don't want a video walkthrough accessible via a public channel due to security reasons, but if the person seems legit may grant one privately. But until the person books the property, Airbnb doesn't allow any links or attachments sent through the chat. So, you would need to find a way to get the potential guests' info, without Airbnb catching you moving the conversion off their platform. 

There's no reason for someone to charge you for these questions, and I'm a co-hosting company owner! To put it bluntly....if a company can't take 15-20 minutes and talk with an investor about the market and the possible purchase of a property, they're not a company I would recommend working with. Helping others and adding value should be at the top of their list, not making another dollar! If you want they're help applying for permits or getting contractors around, that's a different story, but general questions is what every business answers the phones for. 

BTW if you need a great PM/co-host company in Joshua Tree, reach out to me and I can send you some names.

We would love to use CC points when traveling but still trying to figure out all the tricks! I should DM you and when you get the chance I would love to know more.

Quote from @Viji Venkatachalam:

Quote from @Sarah Kensinger:

This strategy works and people do it remotely all the time! But what's the deal with the ID's, are they in the USA or not?

Who have you worked with for this?

I haven't worked with anyone since we prefer co-hosting but know oodles and oodles of hosts that do it. Just this morning we spoke with a landlord that has a tenant arbitraging his property, and it's doing well enough that he would like a shot at hosting himself. It's all over the place and landlords have far less hassles with an arbitrager that was screened just like a LTR tenant, then a 12 month live in the property tenant.