All Forum Posts by: Sarah Kensinger

We have a realtor friend that is a huge fan of Dolomite. It's considered a cousin to marble and even contains some but it's stronger than marble. And apparently doesn't etch or stain as easily and is heat resistant. Not sure on the price point though, but she mentioned it's less expensive than quartzite. 

Would definitely suggest tapping into some groups that can offer you guidance and resources as you start this business. Robuilt is creating a wonderful well-rounded community that is accessible to all with a low price point for once!

We use Jury PMS and the owner has a portal they log in and see the calendar. They can see the name of the guest as well as the total booking charge.... keeping in mind about 10% is fees that none of us see. We find this to be helpful for the owner to potentially forecast incoming revenue and stop the monthly question of "how much is my property going to make". 

I wouldn't call it micromanaging but working together as a partner, with numbers out in the open so owners can see how well the property is doing for the month. Now if you start constantly giving the PM hassles about how much it was rented for etc., then it would be problem. Instead save that for if a real issue comes up and you as an owner need to make sure they're doing their job.

Wonderful wonderful points that all hosts should take into consideration! I also agree that the kitchen amenity is an inexpensive investment hosts are passing over. Thanks so much for sharing!

@Ben Scarborough Would be the perfect contact for you connect with! He's in the area and should be able to answer any questions you may have.

Always always require 100% payment at booking unless it's an OTA that handles your payments entirely! Otherwise, you'll be chasing down payments left and right! We use the same refund policy across all listing sites, so whatever we use on Airbnb, VRBO, etc., we use direct as well.  

Definitely NOT Orlando area! If you want to purchase a property there to visit, I would suggest investing elsewhere and then use what you make to rent a STR in the Orlando area. STR revenue is down about 25% and it's killing STR owners bad, especially those with large homes.

When it comes to Evolve yes, you would lose all the bookings. Unless you have a way to reach out to the guests and get them to cancel, then rebook on your new listing.