All Forum Posts by: William Leahy

I agree with the common observation here, that the Airbnb pricing app is set too low. I tried a few of the 3rd party dynamic pricing apps and have found some success with beyond pricing. Their data seems to be on point for my area.

VRBO's push to limit host/guest interaction is  certainly an attempt to keep users from making transactions outside of the platform. However, I believe they drove users to that end by changing their fee structure so radically. 

VRBO keeps rolling out "new coke" moments since the Expedia takeover. Airbnb innovates, VRBO copies..   poorly.

They are moving to onlne booking only, which makes sense. But I am sure the next push will be for instant booking. I love the explanation for restricting communication. It is all for the sake of "protecting users from phishing".  Insert big belly laugh here.

I should have been more specific. My intent is to supplement the listing platforms not Independence. Thank you for all the responses. 

Hello BP. I'm looking into establishing my own website independent of the big listing sites (VRBO, Airbnb) My head is spinning with the options. The objective right now is for marketing and managing my two Cape Cod properties but always with an eye toward ease of expansion. I have looked into a couple of the subscription based options that specialize in vacation rentals as well as a couple of companies that do custom websites also purported to be VR/STR specialists. My last consideration is going with one of the local web design companies here on the cape. Any thoughts, advice or experiences would be appreciated.

In the interests of full disclosure, I am a weber junkie. But the reason for that is, weber grills are perfect match of preformance, price and durability. I would further advise snag a classic genesis on Craigslist put a new burner in it and polish it up.. it will last forever, perform like a champ and reguire minimal maintenance. Plus it gives the appearance of high end finish for less than you would pay for el cheapo disposable

Hi Jon, I just tried the new Airdna tool after receiving a promotional email. Love the concept, the data is out there . BUT,  my area is also highly dominated by homeaway. Without that data, I dont give Airdna's numbers much weight. 

Invest in good matresses , wifi flat panel TVs. I stock much of my kitchens (pots ,pans, dishes) at IKEA. Cheap, good quality and easy to replace damaged or lost items with stuff that will match the old.

I have had good luck with Overstock.com on some furniture (rugs, bedframes side tables) kirklands.com for lamps, mirrors , decor accessories. Etsy.com for art and wall decor direct from artists. 

Some dressers and bedframes from estate sales , consignment shops and craigslist. That allows me to put some ethan allen quality in the houses at IKEA prices. 

For me, Its a treasure hunt from a number of sources but the online retailers make it alot easier. 

Hi Folks, Say I purchase a property from a relative, pay them their equity receve the deed in my name and assume the payment of their mortage Subject to. 

I understand that the original mortgage is non assumable and that the bank could trigger the due on sale. What are the other potential pitfalls. Do I lose tax benefits since the mortgage interestt documents are not in my name. Should I just bite the bullet and refi? Thank you

I keep my rate and cleaning fee consistent and dont worry about the listing service fee. I ,like many other homeaway owners, am not happy with the company's new fee structure. I think they are sneaky the way they imposed it. When the guest gets a quote it is tacked on as "service fee" not "homeaway service fee" . I feel it is slight of hand and gives consumers he impression that the host is charging the fee. 

However, I am confident that the free market will sort things out. All the more reason not to rely on one avenue for marketing your property.