It's essentially stepping into the bank's shoes for a real estate deal, like a fix-and-flip, for a few months, and earning double-digit returns.As a developer of 4.5 years (specializing in gut rehabs and new construction), plus an owner/manager of my own rentals (long and mid-term), I'm absolutely a fan of direct real estate ownership, but...I've also found immense value in private lending over the last 18 months, emphasizing diversification.

Your plan: Have a clear rehab budget and timeline.Your experience: If you're new in the U.S. market, emphasize past projects in Mexico and show you’ve completed successful flips.Your down payment: Expect to bring 10–20% of the purchase price plus closing costs and holding reserves.You don’t need to wait for a thicker credit file.

.- reporting: we emphasize to report problems and we always thank them first when they do.

Change your story each month as different stories will resonate with different people AND use each story to emphasize one of your “who do you know…” questions.

How to shut off power/water/gas, change furnace filters, lint catchers, batteries, garbage disposal, toilets (flushable wipes are actually not flushable) etc- we emphasize to report problems and we always thank them first when they do.

I love this post @Enrique Jevons, and as a lawyer want to especially emphasize the documentation piece - this is the easiest way to ensure your complaints are taken seriously. 

For investment properties this will only further emphasize the importance of protecting the property however you can such as holding them in LLCs or other asset protection structures.

However, the objective of my post wasn’t just to highlight their value, but to emphasize how reviews function as an operational KPI directly impacting ROI in short-term rental portfolios.From a performance management perspective, we’re not just talking about reputation — we’re talking about:Ranking algorithms (Airbnb’s SEO model heavily weighs recent positive reviews)Conversion rates (5-star average listings consistently outperform on pricing tolerance)Booking velocity (influenced by review recency and consistency)In our property management operations, we treat reviews as predictive indicators of future cash flow, not just retrospective guest feedback.

Additionally, updating your photos and captions to emphasize comfort, convenience, and accessibility will better align your property with what today’s staycationers are searching for.The second trend Airbnb is tracking is “Star Chasers”:Travelers are planning trips specifically around concerts, sports events, festivals, and other entertainmentProperties near stadiums, amphitheaters, arenas, racetracks, or event grounds are seeing increased demandGuests are looking for accommodations that are walkable or a short drive from major venuesHosts in these areas should optimize their listings by including proximity references in the title and description, such as “5 mins to concert venue,” to immediately appeal to event-driven travelers.

Hi Account Closed made some good points about coverages and how the insurance companies may look at illegal units.However, I would like to emphasize the distinction between non-conforming and illegal units.