- Our background check warns us when the issue date doesn't match the applicant age. 9) We've also seen fake bank statements. - Plaid easily addresses this.How are you going to design a process that catches all this?

However, as you noticed, many deals right now are appreciation-driven rather than strong cash flow plays.The key question isn’t just:“Is Huntsville a good market?”

Austin has thousands of live short term rental listings, and based on a combination of platform data and city records, a meaningful percentage of those listings are either unlicensed, operating on expired permits, or relying on gray area compliance.

How are you scoring your leads right now - gut feel or actual data?

Here are the top 5 counties in Eastern Washington for investment properties based on a combination of relative property prices and rental prices, with the most recent data available (primarily from Realtor.com for late 2025).

I recently reviewed a panel discussion from Phocuswright featuring senior leaders from Airbnb, Marriott, and Casago, and it offered a clear look into where short-term rentals are heading.A few themes stood out:• Airbnb is building a broader hospitality ecosystem through services, experiences, and hotels• Marriott is expanding deeper into professionally managed homes with strict operating and brand standards• Arbitrage-heavy models like Sonder were called out as fragile in changing market conditions• The industry is moving away from “any door will rent” toward fewer, higher-quality, better-operated propertiesMy takeaway from this conversation:Short-term rentals are moving away from being just alternative lodging and toward full-scale hospitality.Operators who focus on quality, systems, local expertise, and guest experience will win.Those relying on thin margins, arbitrage, or volume without standards will struggle.How we’re implementing this in our property management businessInstead of chasing door count or volume, we’re doubling down on:• Property selection over scale, only onboarding homes that can meet hospitality-level standards• Operational systems, including standardized inspections, preventive maintenance, and guest communication workflows• Local expertise, with boots-on-the-ground teams who can make real-time decisions and recommendations• Experience-driven stays, layering in services, amenities, and curated local recommendations beyond just the stay• Owner alignment, working only with owners who understand that quality and consistency drive long-term performanceThe goal isn’t to manage more properties.It’s to operate better properties.Curious how others here are approaching this shift:• Are you adjusting your model in response to where the industry is heading?

A new data center announcement or maybe an Amazon fulfillment center moving into a metro area are a few examples.

Over the last little while, I’ve been working on a tool for myself that takes a property address and some basic financing terms, pulls in data (schools, crime, rents, comps, etc.), and then runs the numbers for investment metrics like IRR, cap rate, cash flow, DSCR into a simple 10-year view with a rough Buy  / Pass style recommendation.

Conversations like this are exactly what I’m trying to design around. 

I’m currently structuring a two-unit short-term rental arbitrage opportunity in Seattle built around event-driven and seasonal demand cycles and would love feedback from others who’ve operated STR arbitrage or navigated major event markets.High-level structure:• Unit 1: May 2026 – January 2027• Unit 2: September 2026 – May 2027This staggered approach allows capture of late-summer tourism, fall sports, holiday travel, and spring demand, while also positioning around anticipated lodging compression related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to shift travel patterns before and after the event due to pricing and inventory pressure.The strategy centers on:• Strong operational leverage during peak periods• Risk mitigation through fixed costs• Demand diversification across tourism + business + events• Seasonal + event-driven ADR optimization• Hybrid short-term + mid-term stay targeting• OTA + direct booking channel diversification• Conservative underwriting assumptionsI’m especially interested in insights from anyone who has:- Operated arbitrage in major event-driven markets- Managed staggered lease timing across multiple units- Underwritten STR performance around World Cup, Olympics, or similar eventsHappy to compare notes or walk through assumptions privately with anyone interested.Appreciate any feedback or perspectives.